I have to lean Iron Maiden Phantom of The Opera. I played this song many years ago. I sat down and started playing it without the CD. I remember most of it. In the middle of the song there is a little bass solo part. For those who don't know the song go to 3:20 on this studio version:







When I'm just playing without the CD I always have the lyrics running through my head or guitar part. I started playing this bass solo the way I figure it out back in about 1981. Here is how I was playing it:








If that plays too fast or too slow for you just adjust your tempo at the bottom of the screen to about 200.

That part is played the same and just drops a whole step to "D" as a bass note. Then it drops another step to "C". The back to "D" and finally back to the beginning "E". So, I was playing this solo the way I figured it out years ago and then was hearing the guitars come in when they start playing in my head and something just wasn't jiving. I'm not sure about the guitar harmony but I could hear a minor triad when it starts. I was asuming it was an "E minor triad, then down to D Major, C Major, D Major then back to E". But, I was convinced whatever it was it just wasn't working musically. Then I tried playing the part like this:








Then it sounded right to me. I started playing the whole part like this:








That sounded right to me so I started practicing it like that. I just thought I figured it out wrong all those years ago when I was just a baby. I was going over the song for a day or two and decided it was time to break out the CD and see what I'm missing. I get to the bass solo and it sounds great when the guitars kick in. It makes perfect musically sense. Before when I was playing it I would be hitting an "A" for my second note and the main guitar part was hitting a "G". HOWEVER, it does NOT sound great with what Harris is playing. I rewind it (Originally when I figured out this song it was on 8-track! Thank you Lord for the rewind button!) and sure enough he is playing it the way I originally figured out like this:








I'm cutting that one part short but you get the idea. Now I'm torn. Do I play it the way it sounds better being the new way? Or do I play it the way Harris plays it? When I crank my bass up and burry Harris it sounds much better hitting the thirds than hitting the forths like Harris does. I was thinking about doing it like this:








I couldn't get it all in as that was as many notes as I could add. I start the part out with the forth like Harris and then when the guitars kick in switch to the third.

What do you think? Should I stay true to the song and play it the way Harris did it. OR, play it musically right which makes it sound better? Or start with the forths like Harris and make the leap to thirds when the guitars kick in?

Dave