is the bassline for the 1st half of "please" in album OFFBEAT

[AcrobatMan]

is it off-track ?

is it deliberate ?

i have read many things about it on many sites..

will someone knowledgeable EDUCATE me on this..

thanks in advance

Acrobatman
ps: was listening to it after AGES..it is as good as i heard it last time. i know there has been debate on this..but for the sake of completeness..one more time PLEASE

 

[MrBrau1]

I think it is out of tune.

 

[JOFO]

there is nothing wrong with the bass line on please. I've heard people say weird things about it before, and I don't know why.

here's the deal:

like alot of u2 songs, please is played a half step lower than normal tuning; that is, the guitars and bass have their strings detuned. that does NOT mean that they are "out of tune"; it simply means they're in dropped tuning, so while adam's fingers are playing a pattern in B minor, the actual pitch of the song is in Bflat minor.

cool so far? ok.

now, as far as adam's riff in the 1st verse and chorus, there's 2 parts that are similar and follow each other. the first part has a riff that stays in the middle, the second finishes with a climb up.
example, the part that stays in the middle is under the lyrics "so you never knew" and the climb up happens right after the word "love".
ok?

now, in the second verse and chorus, he plays the exact same riff, except this time he STARTS with the riff and climb up and then plays the riff and middle part. so it's reversed.
now, none of this is out of tune or anything.

now, on the single version, it's the same deal, except the riff starts one note differently, and the tone of adam's bass is less bassy. also, he doesn't reverse the pattern on the second verse.

the live version is the same as the single version.

hope this helps.

 

[jick]

It is out of tune with Bono's voice. The bass is tuned half a key lower (just like U2 does it live) but Bono is singing in the regular key. So the song doesn't sound right. No wonder U2 were quick to release a new mix of the song. This is more hard evidence that POP was unfinished.

Cheers,

J

 

[JOFO]

It is out of tune with Bono's voice. The bass is tuned half a key lower (just like U2 does it live) but Bono is singing in the regular key. So the song doesn't sound right. No wonder U2 were quick to release a new mix of the song. This is more hard evidence that POP was unfinished.

Cheers,

J

wrong. bono is singing in concert bflat minor. (if you're not a musician you're probably going to ask me what "concert" means).

THERE IS NOTHING OUT OF TUNE ON THIS TRACK.

let it go.

 

[Dorian Gray]

I'm sure Edge and Bono are in a different key from Adam.
Come the "September, streets capsizing..." part, he is back in the groove, and, in the right key.

I'm not trying to be cocky or argumentative here, but I'm pretty sure this is right.

 

[DaveC]

Adam is playing in B minor.

Bono is singing in Bbm.

Edge is playing in Bbm.

It was a mistake, Adam realized it during the middle eight and fixed it on the cut they used. They didn't have time to take a new cut for the album. End of story.

 

[JOFO]

I am not trying to be cocky or argumentative here; but I actually play the bass; have been for nearly 20 years now. I've been playing along to the version of "please" on the pop album for 6 years. Adam is definitely playing in Bflat minor. In fact, just to be sure, I tried playing it in Bminor along with the cd 5 minutes ago. It is without a doubt in bflat minor. now, don't take my word for it; ask any professional musician or anyone with an ear for bass to do the same. fuckin' a....go ask adam.

 

[jick]

I am not trying to be cocky or argumentative here; but I actually play the bass; have been for nearly 20 years now. I've been playing along to the version of "please" on the pop album for 6 years. Adam is definitely playing in Bflat minor. In fact, just to be sure, I tried playing it in Bminor along with the cd 5 minutes ago. It is without a doubt in bflat minor. now, don't take my word for it; ask any professional musician or anyone with an ear for bass to do the same. fuckin' a....go ask adam.

I stand corrected. It wasn't Bono singing regular key, but it was Adam playing half a key too high. Whatever the case, there is no question the bass and vocals are not on the same key.

Cheers,

J

 

[JOFO]

jick-
unless you are a musician with the ability to actually PLAY the bass line along with the recording and hear its in the right key, and actually PLAY bono's vocal melody along with the recording on the piano to hear it's in the right key, I'd appreciate it if you stopped responding to this post with your ideas about the musical realities involved without anything to back it up with.

I didn't get into this thread to fight with anyone, I responded based on my knowledge of what is going on on the track.

Now, I stand by my conclusion, which is based on musical proof, mind you....that there is NO half step apart key mishap between the vocals and bass or anything else.

Once again, if you don't believe me, take some music lessons with a qualified instructor and let him or her show you the bassline and vocal melody, or better than that.....LEARN something about music yourselves. you will see that as you play along to the cd, playing the vocal melody in b minor does not work. also, the bassline does not work in b minor.
everything is in bflat minor.

now, this thread has deteriorated into a mindless arguement like alot of thread do, but I will not allow a bunch of uneducated musical theories be thrown around so everyone can walk around saying "gee...adam's bassline on please is out of key".

 

[JOFO]

besides, I know there some others in this forum who are educated musicians.....Diemen, I think, is a classical pianist.
let's hear his opinion.

 

[barlowdog]

I don't know if it's out of tune, in the wrong key or if everyone wasn't on the sam epage or what. All I know is that it's a brilliant f'ing song. Seems many people don't like the studio version and prefer the live version, but I adore the studio version and all it's beautiful mistakes(whether they are mistakes or not).

 

[DaveC]

I am not trying to be cocky or argumentative here; but I actually play the bass; have been for nearly 20 years now. I've been playing along to the version of "please" on the pop album for 6 years. Adam is definitely playing in Bflat minor. In fact, just to be sure, I tried playing it in Bminor along with the cd 5 minutes ago. It is without a doubt in bflat minor. now, don't take my word for it; ask any professional musician or anyone with an ear for bass to do the same. fuckin' a....go ask adam.

You sure your bass isn't tuned a half-step down? Cause there's no way in hell you're gonna tell me that that's all in the same key.

 

[JOFO]

You sure your bass isn't tuned a half-step down? Cause there's no way in hell you're gonna tell me that that's all in the same key.

I am tuned to A440 with an electronic tuner, and I checked the vocal melodies on a keyboard at A440. (I also play the melody on my bass an octave higher). The bass line in please is in concert bflat minor. In fact, let's run down the concert keys for pop:

disco: b minor
dyfl: d minor
mofo: aflat minor
igwsha: gflat major
sats: cmajor/aminor
lnoe: eflat minor
gone: eflat
miami: not sure
playboy: emajor
velvet dress: dflat minor
please: bflat minor
wake up dead man: aflat minor

everything in a flat key is detuned, as they are playing igwsha in g position on guitar, etc.

 

[jick]

jick-
unless you are a musician with the ability to actually PLAY the bass line along with the recording and hear its in the right key, and actually PLAY bono's vocal melody along with the recording on the piano to hear it's in the right key, I'd appreciate it if you stopped responding to this post with your ideas about the musical realities involved without anything to back it up with.

I didn't get into this thread to fight with anyone, I responded based on my knowledge of what is going on on the track.

Now, I stand by my conclusion, which is based on musical proof, mind you....that there is NO half step apart key mishap between the vocals and bass or anything else.

Once again, if you don't believe me, take some music lessons with a qualified instructor and let him or her show you the bassline and vocal melody, or better than that.....LEARN something about music yourselves. you will see that as you play along to the cd, playing the vocal melody in b minor does not work. also, the bassline does not work in b minor.
everything is in bflat minor.

now, this thread has deteriorated into a mindless arguement like alot of thread do, but I will not allow a bunch of uneducated musical theories be thrown around so everyone can walk around saying "gee...adam's bassline on please is out of key".

Yes, I am a musician. I didn't bother listening to the album that's why I stood corrected on which was higher or lower in key. The point is that the bass track and the vocal track are obviously in a different key (half a key difference), and this I do remember. Why don't you give Please a listen again and discover for yourself?

Cheers,

J

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

All I know is when I sing it, I'm way off key. Way....

 

[Salome]

adam is right on

 

[Sweet Tart]

All I know is when I sing it, I'm way off key. Way....

me too.

 

[JOFO]

Yes, I am a musician. I didn't bother listening to the album that's why I stood corrected on which was higher or lower in key. The point is that the bass track and the vocal track are obviously in a different key (half a key difference), and this I do remember. Why don't you give Please a listen again and discover for yourself?

Cheers,

J

Dear jick:

so sorry to hear about your deafness.

there are always the visual arts to appreciate.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

i play guitar and have somewhat of an ear for notes....im going to go check...the album

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

it is slightly off key, for some reason its hard to notice though. i just heard it, i didnt check the notes with my guitar. i hadnt noticed it until u said it.

 

[JOFO]

nonsense.

 

[DaveC]

JOFO...it's half a step up. I tuned my guitar to A440 and played it in both Bbm and Bm, and I'm 100% positive that Adam is in Bm, and everyone else is in Bbm. I also had my old music teacher from high school listen to it (one of the best by-ear musicians I have ever met) and she said the bass line is in Bm, while the rest is Bbm. I will take her answer as totally correct.

Please stop being so defensive and abrasive JOFO. What you said to jick was totally uncalled for, and you need to realize you are wrong. I'm sorry but that's the way it is.

 

[jick]

JOFO...it's half a step up. I tuned my guitar to A440 and played it in both Bbm and Bm, and I'm 100% positive that Adam is in Bm, and everyone else is in Bbm. I also had my old music teacher from high school listen to it (one of the best by-ear musicians I have ever met) and she said the bass line is in Bm, while the rest is Bbm. I will take her answer as totally correct.

Please stop being so defensive and abrasive JOFO. What you said to jick was totally uncalled for, and you need to realize you are wrong. I'm sorry but that's the way it is.

No need to argue with him. He is the only one on the wrong page. We are all on the same page. Thanks for trying to defend me though.

Cheers,

J

 

[AcrobatMan]

thanks for all the replies

thanks esp to jick, jofo and daveC

 

[Lemonator]

I just listened to the song, and i've never noticed that before. It's really hard to notice that there's something wrong. There might not even be something wrong. After the middle 8, the bass line does sound different. But to me it sounds like a completly different bass line, not the same line in a higher key. Bono's singing does sound off, maybe he's the one at fault. The only ones that really know are the boys and the engineering crew. Now let's discuss something less trivial.