Essential Bass Tools, What Makes YOU Unique?

[Rick on Bass]

Hey guys I thought I would start a thread to outline all the different tools and skills that make a great unique bass player. I know each of us has things we're really good at, things we need to work on, and a few things we've probably forgotten.

 

The Gene Simmons thread got me thinking when someone said something about being a unique bassist by having a good sound and unique singing voice.

 

How unique is MY voice? I've been too worried about chops to give any consideration to how I sing. So that's my new thing now, is trying to find my own unique voice when I sing.

 

As far as my playing goes, I am looking to the blues music of old for ideas. I always find something useful in the blues to apply in any situation musically(duh, lol). I do that by listening to a lot of blues music on the AOL radio channel. They play some great old stuff along with new stuff.

 

The T-bird bass I have on order is part of that overall plan to expand my sound, as I will be bringing 2 completely different basses on stage with me. A Jazz and T-bird...

 

What are YOU guys doing to make you a unique player?

[jeremy c]

My goal was never to be unique.

 

My goal was (and is) to be a complete musician and the best bass player I can be.

 

However, since I am a unique individual (just like everyone else ), I guess you could say that my playing reflects my unique personality and the sum of my life experiences.

 

And that's enough for me.

[Rocky McDougall]

For several years, my main goal has been to improve my "touch" and "timing", giving the music a lot of "space". I use a straight forward P Bass with no pedals and amp set flat. I love a smooth warm tone and playing with "feeling".

I don't know if that is unique.

Rocky

[Davo-London]

It's very difficult to analyse your own playing and be subjective about your contribution/voice. "Unique" bass playing can lead down some pretty misguided avenues IMHO.

 

"Am I adding to the sound?" That's the constant analysis that I do. Hardly unique, but more important that those blistering runs that I love!

 

Davo

[-Will-]

I like it when no one notices me, unless I'm not there.

[alexclaber]

My singing voice is unique because I'm not a great singer so just have to do the best with what I've got!

 

I'm not so sure about the bass playing - I spent my early years trying to be different but later got more into just trying to be a great bassist. Nowadays I think I always sound like me but I couldn't tell you why. It's particularly hard to work this out when you're writing the songs.

 

I think my songwriting is pretty unusual too - probably a product of the way I am and everything I listen to.

 

I used to think that competence was the wrong goal, until I read a great column by Ed Friedland where he wisely pointed out that by striving to become competent your individuality will inherently/greatness/genius come out.

 

Alex

[Phil W]

I spent too much efforttrying to be unique in my early playing years and not enough on just being competent. Uniqueness without versatility can work against you in terms of getting work - but at the same time, competence without some kind of uniqueness is missing something.

 

As a bassplayer playing bass function, many of us don't necessary aim to be unique but as a soloists we should. I used to take it to extremes - for many years I never copied other bassists and particularly avoided Jaco licks as I play a lot of fretless and didn't want to be pidgeonholed. I was misguided. It was fine to play fre jazz and some of my own groups but it was a 'blind alley'. Now I have a more enlightened approach.

 

I can usually pick myself out on a recording. I often use a lot of grace notes and little syncopated percussive things to aid propulsion of a line. If one is aware of these types of things often one should work to reduce the frequency of them.

 

To aid in 'uniqueness'/individuality I listen to a lot of other musicians (not just bassplayers) and a lot of different music. I study and practise theory. I try to play what inspires me and what I like to listen to.

 

Another thing I do is try to invovle myself in the music passionately and emotionally rather than superficially.

[Brocko777]

Having that ability to react to a certain musical moment and put in the right note (and that being NO note at all) is what I 'try' to work towards to be unique.

With vocals, I sing like its my last song I will ever get a chance to perform. I give it my all with passion and more emotion than volume when needed.

Visually entertaining is another aspect I try to express. If you have an aura about yourself it shines! You don't have to be jumping around or death metal head bobbin' but feeling the music and being a part of it; not just 'playing' gives each of us a unique characteristic. Good or bad!

Brocko

[alexclaber]

With vocals, I sing like its my last song I will ever get a chance to perform.

 

I did that at my first gig singing lead - suffice to say my voice gave way after a few songs... Now I sing each song as though I've got a whole set to get through!

 

Alex

[Brocko777]

heh, Alex

I have done that also. I guess I mean put your heart into each song to get it across to the audience. While not blowing your voice out!

Then get some tea and honey!

 

Brocko

[SteveC]

I'm not sure what makes me sound like me. I'm sure I have my "signature" or "go-to" licks. I have a certain "sound" when I play. I suppose I have a certain style as well. I think that people I play with would be able to tell you better than myself.

[Rick on Bass]

Thank you everyone for your participation in this thread.

 

Some very good points here. I spent my formative years(7th grade to 12th) just trying to be competent. I have a natural rhythm and ear, so fortunately playing did come easy to me. I never bothered with the soloing stuff although I did learn a couple of Burton solos for fun.

 

Now that I've been in the same band for a year, and we're a comfy happy family, I guess you could say I'm looking inside myself to determine what my role really is in this band. I never really tried that hard to be unique, I just played to serve the song but I did try to leave my signature. I guess by playing what I felt in my heart my own uniqueness shined through.

 

I don't want to sound like any other guy out there with a Jazz bass. There's more than a handful of them out there...

 

I'm constantly told I put good notes in tasteful places so I guess that's all I could really ask to be, which is a good bassist. I SHOULD really learn my modes better, because sometimes I will hesitate when working the neck.

 

There's a couple of different singing voices I'm experimenting with, fortunately we get free vocal lessons so I'm having fun with that. It turns out I am a pretty versatile vocalist, but that doesn't mean shit for shanola if I can't sing and play.

 

Image and stage presence is another (HUGE) thing. Unfortunately that's the most important thing in this business, the music comes second no matter what anyone says. I hate even making such a statement but it's true, if a kid sees your record and you don't look cool, it doesn't matter what the music sounds like he won't buy the record. I used to think the other way around but experience has taught me a few lessons.

[EddiePlaysBass]

Good question ... I think that what is typical of me is that I tend to adapt to the musical situation I'm in, to the best of my ability. When I was in my first band, which was poppy, I tried adding melody by slides and such.

 

When I joined a metal band my playing was busier and I tended to play more of a lead-bass style (to the best of my ability) and now that I play what we call roots rock'n'roll I play a lot of arpeggio's and I-V lines.

 

My playing these days tends to focus more on rhythm than on melody, although I have started to try and incorporate melody into my playing, and expand my technique.

[alexclaber]

One of my things is to search for the really odd notes and rhythms but make it so they don't stand out, you just think the music/bassline sounds different and interesting (and good!) but can't work out why.

 

I went through a lengthy phase of searching for very different sounds, with tons of effects, but eventually came full circle to a single very responsive bass which lets my hands do the talking - right now that's my old Warwick, later this year the RIM Custom should supersede it.

 

Other key parts of my style are using a lot of chords and fulfilling non-typical bass roles, playing more like rhythm guitar or piano, using the whole pitch and tonal range of the instrument, really working note lengths and phrasing, and mixing up all sorts of right hand technique pretty seamlessly.

 

I'll never be the most subtle bass player, but hey, someone's gotta carry the big badass bass in yo' face flame!

 

Alex

[Eric VB]

Remember, you have to see things from the audience's point of view.

 

I second the vote for passionate/emotional playing/singing. This is also known as "selling it" to the audience. They'll be able to pick it up more easily when you're singing, but they should also notice a difference in your playing. There's a huge difference between just playing the right notes and making music.

 

Visual entertainment. Big time. I think the casual RHCP fan may not realize what Flea is adding musically, but they certainly respond to his high-energy performance and "bare attire". Or maybe it's the shoes?

 

And you can't beat a name like Flea (or Sting).

 

If you're not singing lead or playing lead, you're just there to make the leads sound better. Most people will not recognize your contribution. They've been conditioned by TV broadcasts of a solo singer being able to produce an entire backing orchestra and multipart vocal harmonies whenever they step onto an empty stage and open their mouth. If you're not singing lead you're just a stage prop. You might as well be wearing a huge cardboard cutout painted like a tree with only two little holes for your eyes to peer through.

 

It also explains the trend amongst recording artists for filling the stage up with dancers and pushing the instrumentalists to the far back of the stage, if not completely hidden off stage.

 

To wit, how many people realize the huge contribution of BGVs by Michael Anthony (Van Halen)? From the point of uniqueness, how many will be able to say "the new BGV singer is no where near as good as Michael Anthony was"? The audience is too fixated on the lead singer to notice, IMO. VH could even play "live" to Michael's recorded BGVs and most people wouldn't notice that only one person on stage is actually singing. (You just need David Lee Roth and Eddie for most people to be happy; the other two are "easily replaceable". If Eddie weren't the "guitar hero" that he is, he'd be "easily replaceable" too.)

 

Most people don't miss John Paul Jones when Jimmy Page and Robert Plant go on tour and play old Led Zeppelin songs, even though Jones was unique with his organ and mandolin playing and arranging (not to mention his good bass playing). It's almost criminal when they play Jones' feature songs without him, like "No Quarter", but does the audience care?

 

I met a young band from Boston that is on bass player #13. Seriously. As far as uniqueness of playing goes I doubt their fans could tell the difference between the 13 different bass players based solely on their playing. (#13 doesn't sing, so I assume the others didn't either.)

 

 

The audience is going to notice you, the bass player:

(1) if you're attractive, or you have a unique look, as you take the stage,

(2) when you sing lead on a song,

(3) if you contribute to a visually entertaining stage show,

(4) when you play a highly passionate and emotional extended solo.

Note that the possibility for #4 is very rare in popular music outside of jazz. And even then I'm talking about playing outstanding like Jaco. If you don't bring one of these four elements with you on stage, you're just the quiet guy that stands in back with the drummer. (And guess which one of you [with flailing arms] the audience is more interested in?) Most people won't even remember that you're part of the band when you exit the stage. [Well, John Entwistle managed to build a following by looking bored as he blasted out amazing runs with his "thunder fingers", so there are those people that actually do listen to bass players.]

 

A lot of players here realize that, and don't mind "standing in the shadows". It's a badge of honor almost.

 

Unless your bandmates are total ego-heads, they'll realize and appreciate what you do. Even more so because guitarists far out number bassists. A good bass player is a scarce commodity. They dump you and then they suddenly realize that they don't sound nearly as good as they did before (with your backing). It may be a long and difficult search before another acceptable bass player is found. (Same could be said for drummers.)

 

Does that mean we shouldn't worry about our playing, and should concentrate instead on looks, moves and trying to grab the spotlight? No. (Well, maybe if you're Gene Simmons and the whole concept of your band is obviously about marketing. I'm not saying Gene can't play, I'm saying that he's said that Kiss isn't about Eddie Van Halen-like virtuosity. He knows a band built around a "Jaco" isn't going to be as popular as Kiss.)

 

Every pro musician should strive to be the best he or she can be. Don't worry about uniqueness; that will come from just being yourself.

 

 

Does bringing a second bass up on stage help? Certainly not if the whole band stalls and there is a noticeable break in the action just so you can switch basses. It might help if, for example, you play the T-bird with a pick and a lot of overdrive/distortion so the audience can hear a clear and distinct difference. Play the Jazz clean and use it for slap. Otherwise they won't understand why you put the blue one down to play the red one. [in a venue with crappy acoustics where you can't even make out what the singer is saying, how many will notice a subtle difference in tone between two basses?]

 

Now, if one bass is a Jazz and the other is a fretless, or an 8-string, or a piccolo, or a double-neck guitar/bass, or something else that gives you a distinctly different sound or capability, that might be more worthwhile.

 

I can be nearly invisible holding a bass, but as soon as I pick up my mandolin everyone has that "ooh, what's that?" look on their face as they wonder "what's he going to do with that?" (But see above about JPJ and realize that something "gimmicky" like this isn't enough to insure uniqueness.)

 

 

In closing, be the best musician/performer you can be. If you want name recognition (a form of uniqueness), start a band with you as lead singer (you can still play bass if you want). Preferably name the band after yourself, as in "Paul McCartney and Wings" or even "Sting". Or you can try the solo bass route. Can you make it without singing as the only virtuoso in the group, like an EVH bass player? I can't think of any examples, but if it works for you let me know. Otherwise just "bring the RAWK" in a supportive role for your typical band and enjoy!

[jeremy c]

There's a couple of different singing voices I'm experimenting with,

 

The voice you have to find to sing in is your own voice. Your voice lessons should help you with that. Don't make up a voice.

 

The same thing is true with your bass playing. Be yourself. If you think of all the great bassists in history, that's what they did. They didn't "try to come up with something unusual". They played in their bands and searched for ways to contribute to the music and make it sound good.

 

And as far as I can tell, the people with the best stage images are projecting their own personality on stage. Yes, some are calculated images, but ultimately the ones that really succeed are the ones that are based on who the person is. And sometimes people lose track of the dividing line between their own-stage and off-stage personalities (which I think is very unfortunate and leads to a lot of behavior and band issues).

 

What I am trying to say is:

 

Be yourself to the utmost. Try to make this a calculated decision. Who are you? How do you like to play? How do you like to sing?

 

What audiences (and I believe all of us) want is to see and hear someone who is putting himself on the line.

 

Sincerity is the most important thing.

Once you can fake that, you've got it made.

 

[picker]

I told someone once that I didn't really think of my guitar or bass as my instrument, that I thought of myself as the instrument. At an early age, I somehow figured out that music facinated me, and I decoded the music I heard in such a way that I figured out what I like. I listened to those styles and expressions long enough that it reinforced my intuitive decisions about what I like, and that became part of my mental and emotional process. My mind and my ear drive my fingers. The person I am within is what makes me sound like I do.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

My hair. I have got GREAT friggin' hair for a 45 year old. Everything else needs work.

[Gruuve]

Hmmm...good question. I would have to say that what makes me maybe a little unique is that I tend to focus on rhythm and related elements first, and melody/harmony second. For instance, given a chord progression, I am most likely to get a rhythm with a good groove in my head first (probably starting on all roots), then once I have a suitable rhythm going, figure what non-root notes I can use (and where) to add color and take the whole thing from just playing bass to creating or injecting a groove. I *think* this is probably somewhat of an oddball approach (I played drums for a long time before I ever took up bass, thus the natural focus on rhythm)...from what I have seen, most bassists go about figuring out what notes they can use first, then consider rhythm and all the other attributes (articulation, dynamics, etc.)

 

Now, whether this is a good or bad uniqueness still remains to be seen. :-P

 

Dave

 

[Bottomgottem]

I would have to say that what makes me maybe a little unique is that I tend to focus on rhythm and related elements first, and melody/harmony second.

 

Now, whether this is a good or bad uniqueness still remains to be seen. :-P

 

Dave

 

That has to be a good uniqueness, Dave. Lots of cats can groove on one note much more effectively than I can with 12.

 

I think that a more rhythmic approach to creating basslines is something to which most bassists should aspire.

[BenLoy]

I haven't tried to search for a way to make myself "unique." I've gotten to the point where I just try to avoid thinking and get out of the way of whatever music is in my head so it can get to my hands.

 

There's a pet peeve I have about a certain breed of beginning or amateur players (and even some schooled jazz players) who just don't get it. They use the phrase "I'm searching for my own sound, man," as a reason to not practice, a reason to overplay or play stuff that clashes harmonically with the music, or a reason to not learn how to play with an ensemble at all. I can't stand playing with musicians like this or even interacting with them socially, sometimes. Their whole existence is based upon some silly concept in their head that has no real-world context (because they're blissfully ignorant of the real world) and infuriates every musician they try to play with.

 

That's not to say that deliberately searching for a sound doesn't work for some people...Wayne Krantz set out to deliberately sound like nobody else, and I think he's succeeded quite admirably. That being said, he spent A LOT of time thoroughly studying the music of others before he embarked on his effort to shed all of his influences. You have to understand the language before you attempt to set out and change it.

 

I love musicians who take risks...Marc Ribot, Wayne Krantz, Mike Keneally, Squarepusher & John Zorn are all favorites of mine because they have the guts to just throw caution to the wind and make whatever bizarre sounds or notes they can think of. But all of them come from a VERY educated place...any of them could walk into a typical wedding band, pit orchestra, or recording session and do an admirable job playing very inside stuff, because their adventurous, mind-bending music comes out of a thorough understanding of tonality.

 

Don't lose the adventurous spirit, but try to remember that it's about the music you're making, not about "you" as a "bassist," per se. Even Jaco understood that. I try to just make the best music I can and leave it to others to say if I have a distinctive style or not.

[tnb]

Bravo, BenLoy!

[The Bear Jew]

To be honest, I'm in this for the money, drugs and chicks.

 

I'm kidding. I'm not interested in the drugs.

 

As a bassist, I'd say I'm quite far from unique--there's nothing I do/write that any average bassist wouldn't do, given the same material. I'm fine with that. I think my strengths as a musician are more focused on hearing/creating arrangements, pre-production, general songwriting, recording and solid performances in the studio and on stage moreso than having a particularly unique voice on guitar or bass or being a virtuoso on either instrument.

 

To put it more simply, I'm not particularly concerned about being perceieved as unique--I prefer to be seen as a musician with a lot of valuable skills (bow-hunting skills, computer-hacking skills) to bring into a project.

[yourlord]

I don't really have much that is "unique" about my playing. I have certain things that tend to infiltrate my playing style, but none of it is "unique" in that someone, somewhere has done it before. I play a fretless in a hard rock/metal setting, which is a little rare, and I tend to favor a gallop style of finger picking (think Steve Harris).

 

I don't lust to be a virtuoso, because I never will be, but I intend to be as good as my abilities will let me. I'm not the best bassist in the world, but I'm far from the worst. I would say I want to be competent. Given almost any bass line(barring slap), I can learn and play it.

 

I've been heavily influenced by hard rock and heavy metal in my playing style, so I tend to play hard and fast. But recently I've been wanting to experiment more with blues and jazz to expand my versatility. The direction we're aiming for is a more progressive rock/metal sound into which I want to incorporate some jazz and funk influences. To that end I've begun trying to learn how to slap a little, and man I really suck at slap.

 

In the end, it's almost impossible to be truly unique. Even if you come up with something that is, someone else will start doing it as well and the unique quality goes out the window right there. So, I set my goals on just being as good as I can be at my instrument of choice.

[The Bear Jew]

Hey Ben,

I totally agree....

That's one of the most annoying traits in any musician, let alone bassists.

 

When auditioning musicians for an ensemble, a red flag always goes up for me when they say something like, "I want to make the bass/guitar/drums/whatever in this band show off my style and really stand out."

 

That's a good time to drag out the tried-and-true response, "It's not about YOU, douchebag."

 

OK, maybe I don't always say exactly that line... but I do my best to make this point clear--in any band/ensemble, unless the whole act is based on supporting and highlighting one player, the point is for the whole she-bang to sound good. It's not about making yourself stand out. Nobody cares. They want to hear good music, not some egomaniac's obsession.

 

I HATE HATE HATE playing with show-boaty people who have to overplay/clash with the whole band/deliberately find ways to stand out somehow. Most of the time, they're not really even good enough to be highlighted in such a way, but they're just technically good enough to screw up the music by putting their tacky pawprints all over it.

 

And, of course, they tend to defend their lack of team-playing by saying it's their "style." Urg. That's like a designer saying a suit made of dead carp is a style. I suppose it is technically a style, but I very strongly doubt that many people would want to wear it... or if anyone would want to be around them while they wear it.

 

And, most obviously, they both stink.

[Trucks]

the point is for the whole she-bang to sound good

 

She-bang? LMAO!! Im hopin ya meant Schebang CMDN!!! :)

 

Otherwise that is one wierd band ya got there.

 

 

 

 

Sorry.... Carry on...

[Phil W]

Shebang

1862, "hut, shed, shelter," perhaps an alteration of shebeen (q.v.). Phrase the whole shebang first recorded 1869, but relation to the earlier use of the word is obscure. Either or both senses may also be mangled pronunciations of Fr. char-à-banc, a bus-like wagon with many seats.

 

Etymonline.com

 

I've never seen the spelling schebang

 

I think she-bang is a more fun spelling though.

[The Bear Jew]

I'd definitely rather be involved in a she-bang then a schebang.

 

That's all I'm sayin' in this family forum.

[Gruuve]

Ben: Agreed!

 

Eric: Well said!

 

Yourlord: don't equate "funk" with "slap". There's plenty of slap bass I've heard that ain't funky, and plenty of fingerstyle or other techniques that are funky. Check out people like Rocco Prestia, Jaco, Pino Paladino, etc., to hear funk done fingerstyle. Put differently...seperate the bass line from the technique you use to execute it. The bass line should stand on it's own...then choose whether it "sounds better" with slap, fingerstyle, pick, rubber chicken, whatever. Incorporating some rhythmic funk elements into metal has definitely been done effectively...Disturbed and Evanesence immediately come to mind for me. I think the same can be true of jazz and blues...I'd say put some study into walking bass lines, and try to get a handle on that. (That's something I need to do more of myself, actually.) Then you can take the rhythm-ness from the funk genre and the note choices vs. chord progression ideas from jazz/blues, and roll it up into some good metal basslines. I think of that as being what Rocco Prestia did a lot of...taking a funk rhythm and walking with it. In metal, the guitarist is probably doing power chords...there's a huge amount of coloration you can add by note choices you make. You can color the guitar chords with majorness, minorness, sus-ness (? is that a word?), 7th-ness, etc. HTH!

 

Dave

 

[Gruuve]

I would have to say that what makes me maybe a little unique is that I tend to focus on rhythm and related elements first, and melody/harmony second.

 

Now, whether this is a good or bad uniqueness still remains to be seen. :-P

 

Dave

 

That has to be a good uniqueness, Dave. Lots of cats can groove on one note much more effectively than I can with 12.

 

I think that a more rhythmic approach to creating basslines is something to which most bassists should aspire.

 

Well thanks for the kind words, Jay! I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm trying to *make* myself unique by a rhythmic approach...rather, I'm just doing what comes naturally to me, which is capitalizing on something at which I already do well, and using that in a way that at least attempts to make the most of it. It's a "uniqueness" that's going to be there whether I strive for it or not, so I figure I might as well use it in the best way that I can to make something that remotely resembles "music". :-)