This week I’m giving a breakdown of the intro bass riff from the song Schism by Tool, played by the amazing Justin Chancellor!
‘Schism’ – Tool
Practice Track:
This bass riff can be counted in one of two ways. You can count it as a bar of 6/4 or a recurring sequence of 5/4 + 7/4. The phrasing gives the impression of hearing an odd time signature (5+7).
However, don’t worry too much about counting. Odd time and rhythmic phrases are usually better played from a feel perspective. Learn the notes and then learn how the rhythm is felt within those notes. Once you have the riff under your fingers it’s often easier to hear how the phrasing and accents work.
where can I find backing track ?
Just added it. Thanks for the reminder!!
Thank You!
To a novice like me, listening to Tool sounds like some kind of black art that I wouldn’t have even thought of attempting. You breakdown which reveals the quick triplet that gives it the illusion of difficulty is actually quite attainable with a bit of practice. Bits like this and the Stone Cold Crazy line really open up the door to explore new material.
Am I supposed to mute the D string so it doesn’t ring? Because I’ve seen people mute it and not mute it.