When one thinks of The Ventures, bass doesn’t come to mind because that’s not what that act is known for.
However, you would be amazed at how songs by that band sound once you fill in the low end. But before I get into that, here’s a few words about the example song below.
The 2,000 Pound Bee parts I & II are musically historical as they were the first songs to use a fuzz effect on the guitar. You can hear the original studio recordings here, and for those of you that are *really* sticklers that prefer the version with the guitar solo in it, that’s here.
With both, bass more or less isn’t there at all because that’s just how most recordings were of the era (remember, listening to music on ‘ratty’ monophonic speakers was common at the time, and music produced accommodated to that level of audio tech)…
…but listen to what happens when you add in the low end for the Part II version of the song. Not only is it one of the easiest songs you will ever learn, but the tune is insanely catchy and stay in your head for days.
You don’t need a guitar guy using a heavy fuzz effect to make the song work. All you need is to get the initial progression down (EEE AAA DDD CCC A EEE A D C AAAA) and you’ve got it.
The 2,000 Pound Bee Part II can be worked in any number of ways. Play it surf style, play it country style, heck, you could even play it metal style if you wanted and it would still work. Your bass tone can be pristine clean, distorted or fuzzed out and that’s not a problem because the song can go any way you want it.
The best cover songs are the kind where the band can make it their own, and The 2,000 Pound Bee is one of them. While not groovy in a funky/slappy way, the song has it where it counts. And songs that are stupidly easy to learn are good. 🙂
No, the crowd you play this song to won’t recognize it, but who cares? Still a great song to learn and the people will enjoy it.
On a final note: The Part I version is much more difficult compared to Part II. While true the bass can be heard a whole lot better, it’s nowhere near as easy to learn as Part II is.
