Hey, so this question is pretty much for gigging bass players I guess.... how long does it take you to get the "Feel" down on new songs in your band?

This is one of the things I struggle with most. I am 95% of the time successful in getting the right vibe and feel for a song by the time it is played live a few times, but I have huge struggles getting there in rehearsal when I'm working on figuring out parts.

I'm trying to figure out the happy medium here... I want to give my bandmates the vibe that makes them confident in moving forward and adding parts, but at the same time, I personally can't feel like I'm giving the right vibe until I find the perfect notes and phrasings, which usually comes with trial and error after months.

Often I feel like I'm holding us back on new material because of this issue... its been going on for years and not "really" getting better.... almost feel like its getting worse to be honest, like is psyche myself out because I'm too determined to get these things right.... anyway, wondering about others thoughts on this....

I happen to play in a VERY diverse band which requires alot of different vibes so it makes it quite challenging since the bass is the "vibe"

WOuld love to hear your thoughts....

It almost sounds like your asking about "feel" but you are striving for precision.

"I'm too determined to get these things right"

Right like what, a walking bassline for a swing-jazz piece, a dub style line, 16th notes on the root? Atonal diminished chords? I doubt your band is doing something that has never been recorded. Look at the intended "feel" of the song, and then individually try to learn some songs that are like it; not note for note, but their feel. Then go back to the original and try to adapt the covers to the original.

What it your band's focus? Are you doing math-rock and trying to impress other muscicians, or are you planning on playing live and want to get an audience grooving? What is your bass-playing focus? Don't make something more complex than it has to be at the expense of making it groove.

Last, you are the rhythm section with the drums, and a bass player holds it together so all the others can go off and do their thing and have a place to come back to. Keeping it simple at the start allows everyone to find the vibe and the groove, then you can start improvising or expanding.

So, are you guys are writing your own tunes? If that's the case, originals can be a work in progress for most of us. Sometimes it may take longer to get the feel that you want for a song, even a cover.
Sometimes I can get a good feel for a song right away, sometimes it takes longer, whether it's a cover or an original.

Know the song before rehearsal.

90% of the time the song ain't about you.... keep it simple and let the band work the "feel" then lay it down after that. (ie stay out of the way) That way you can see/hear their feel. If everyone competes to lay it down their way you get a wall of noise... also, you are right, songs get sbetter the more you play them out.

Yes, in an original band setting it can take a while to get the feel for new music. How long that takes depends on your knowledge, experience, skills and how well you and your band mates communicate (verbally and non verbally) while playing.

In rehearsal I will experiment with a bunch of stuff. As the bass player I am usually most concerned about rhythm and harmony (and dynamics, or course, but that's straightforward). Melody is for other band members, unless I'm asked to solo. (It happens.)

I usually start with rhythm. It's important to find something you and the drummer agree upon.

Harmony (note choice) follows from what everyone else is playing.

I'd be interested to know what you mean when you say your band plays "diverse" music. It's a big difference to play 10 subgenres of metal than it is to play 10 actual genres. It's important to listen to a wide variety of music, across genres.

Being able to improvise well obviously helps. Go to some open jams. Try to find the ones where people just jam freely (instead of the ones that play covers).

Although writing songs by committee has certain benefits, sometimes a band member will start with a complete song (i.e. lyrics set to melody over chord changes). In those cases, and when other songs have been developed enough, you can take a recording home to work on. For me it's easier at home to step back and look at the big picture to incorporate things that may not be apparent during rehearsal.

Have you ever written a song and had your part complete and watched everyone else scramble to learn their parts?

Best advise I can give is broaden your musicianship. Play as many styles with as many people as you can.

If you don't live in a town with many musicians, play along with recorded music in many different styles. Don't worry about buying special tools that slow down the recordings, etc. The pause button is your friend.

Get used to the "idomatic" bass parts that tend to pop up in a lot of songs of the same genre. Once those are under your fingers you'll have a lot wider vocabulary to draw on at a moment's notice when learning a new song.

All of this takes time, of course. Years. But it's never too late to start.

Finally, when you're in the rehearsal room and are playing a tune you've never heard before, keep it simple. Don't worry about getting the perfect part together before you fulfill your most basic function.

When I'm in this situation I'll often play the most basic part that will work (hint, it's usually the root of the chord on the "one"). Once I have the changes and the form down, that's when I'll try ideas for fills or melodic parts that will support the vocal.

Feel has a lot to do with the ensemble and the way it plays together. You might be playing the bass part exactly the way the bass player on the recording does, right down to the last nuance, and if the drummer or guitar or keys or whatever isn't there with you, the feel is gonna be different.

What I try to do is find and go with the feel of the ensemble while we are playing, which is sometimes very much like what it was the last time we played, and sometimes not. The feel may not be the same as the recording of a particular tune, but then, we are trying less to be a typewriter band reproducing covers than we are an improvisational band trying to produce engaging music on the spot. I think we make better music that way.

That. To get a vibe you have to feel it. If you don't know the style how can you feel it. Also practice with a metronome or drum machine. If your timing is off so will the vibe.

I like to think that I have great feel....I just don't know what notes to use!

I disagree with you mr. pilot. I can agree that it if your timing is WAY off, then yes the vibe is a no go. What I am good at is feeling where I need to be; be it a bit in front, behind or right on the beat or in different places at different times. Then again, maybe I am the only one feeling that vibe!

My definition of feel could be different from yours though...maybe disagree is the wrong choice of words.

If it's a cover I usually listen to the tune at least three times before I even pick up my bass.

If it's an original, keep it simple, roots until the drummer and other players have their parts worked out. As you play it more often the other players and the drummer will shift anyway and you will get some ideas.

Relax.

I don't think I read how much experience you have. How long have you been playing? How long with this band? Do you have this same feeling when playing with recorded music? It could be, if you and the drummer are together, the others are out there in outer space and you are trying to find them.
Rocky

It's cool Fingertalkin if you don't agree. I might have chosen my words better.

I was thinking feel as in familiarity. That's what I was agreeing with BenLoy about. Playing different styles and with many different people adds knowledge and a familiarity which makes it easier to come up with what you want. More colors on the pallet with which to paint. If you don't have a feel, or familiarity for what you're playing it's hard to come up with something.

Now I agree with you having a feel, or instinct, for the timing won't help you select the notes, but knowing what notes to play won't help if you don't have a feel for timing. That's where I think using a metronome would help.

Hi, All, this is the original poster, thanks for all of the feedback.

We truly do play a diverse array of music. I'd rather not mention the name of my band as I dont want it to come up in a google alert to anyone, but our whole concept as a band is that we open ourselves up to all genres.... so:
funk, rock, reggae, swing jazz, latin, country, folk, pop, ambient, prog rock, 70s rock, doo wop, even more.....

So anyway, to be honest, I think I overthink things more than I used to because as we've taken on more genres I've been making huge attempts to give everything an authentic feel, and I think for the most part I am successful, in the long run. My big frustruation is that it takes me a long time to gel on new material, and my band leader absolutely won't debut a song live until the feel is really solid so I have to get it right in rehearsal. This didnt used to be the case as much so I'd still be getting it right live until it finally really clicked.

I try most of all to just listen to the drums and play the bass as part of the kit. The other reason it is so challenging is because my band is basically a "power trio" with horns, so when the horns arent going the bass is bridging a gap between just drums and guitar.....

Thanks so much all!!!

oh, and the latest song I am having frustruations is our first gospel song, and I wrote it hahaha.....

That....is a lot of ground to cover. Luck to you.

I play in an originals band, and our writing style is bring in riffs/work it out as a band (two writers and a drummer). I usually don't get comfortable with the lines I WRITE until 3 or 4 times on stage at least. This is after maybe months of practice. I guess my answer is probably never, because there's always a minutely better line... until it's perfect.