Essential Bass Tools, What Makes YOU Unique?

[Eric VB]

Dave,

 

Different approach but same overall goal. That's why I felt more comfortable to lay down a rhythm guitar track to your chord progression before taking a stab at a bass line. The rhythm guitar helped define the rhythm (along with the drums) and then I could play bass off that.

 

So now I've learned your secret! I'll have to give it a try.

[yourlord]

I'm not really equating funk with slap. But slap yields a sound that is very distinct, and it's something that I would like to incorporate into our music a little. I don't have any desire to play any song entirely in that mode; I love finger picking too much. It would be a nice weapon to have in the arsenal to accent certain sections of a song.

 

An example is one of the songs we plan on covering, Schism by Tool (drummer's pick for a cover song). Most of the bass line is a quick note progression consisting mostly of hammer ons over and over, and I've found that the lick sounds the best when I use a slap technique to play it. But like I said, my slap technique is absolutely horrible. (virtually on par with someone who just picked up a bass for the 1st time)

 

I really want to get more into jazz/funk/blues for the improvisation and song writing skills. Most of the time my improvisation turns into something that would fit better into heavy metal.

 

[Paul K]

Time to chime in on the uniqueness part. Not the shebang part.

 

What I do that's different,is that I tend to hit real hard the second beat of every other or every fourth measure with a real short, stacatto two note chord consisting of the 3rd and the dominant 7 after hitting and holding the root on beat 1. Then space for most of the rest of the measure. I dig how it accentuates the snare pop on the back beat. It's my "thing", baby. I hope it adds without becoming cliche.

 

I try to play with a whole lot of articualtion and dynamics. Long notes held out to their full value, short notes real short and punchy. Problem is that when the stage volume gets too loud these things disappear into thin air and I end up just plugging along. Also when stage volume gets too loud my singing goes from bad to worse, as I can't tell which voice in the monitor is mine and am reduced to gang-vocals. One firmly placed foam earplug helps, ala Maurice(?) Gibb, but more practice and attention to this skill is in order. Another glaring deficit is that I rush every dang solo. What's that? THe tune is too slow? Give Paul K a solo; that'll fix the situation......

[Tom Capasso]

I don't think there's much about my bass playing that makes me unique. I am prone to throw fills, but neither the placement nor the fill itself are particularly unique. (Alex - my Tim Bogert influence upholds your feeling as well).

 

What I "think" of as unique about myself has more to do with some of the other band-related skills. I can usually sing harmony (if the notes are marginally in range), and can keep track of the part without falling back into the melody. I help organize. I am not afraid to step forward in a variety of situations (sometimes even the ones I should stay back). Given the opportunity to make music with someone, I probably will step in. A bit of mis-placed confidence at times, but it's me. I'm not worried that I might throw a clam (and probably will ) - I'd rather be part of the experience than stand aside because I can't do it perfectly.

 

Ben and CMDN (and others) talked about being with someone who's primary goal is to get themselves "out in front". I agree that this is obnoxious, and if I had an audition, I'd be careful about fitting in and not about showing off. The concept that also came to mind was forming a band-style. I see how each member of my band has a kind of internal-vision and "feels" when to do something. We don't work on it much, but have come to allow each other the space to do that. For me, that might be the way I handle a repetitive part in a jam song. For the drummer, it might be what he does at the end of Evil Ways. We give in to our inner voice, and it forms a style for the whole band. It takes some sensitivity to learn/know when to let your "feel" out.

 

Tom

[John50]

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

There's a huge difference between just playing the right notes and making music.

Very very true.

 

 

 

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,

 

Yep, I've got that... (unique)......

 

(2) when you sing lead on a song,

 

Can do........

 

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

 

Yep, should be able to pull that off. I'm thinking of dressing in drag, "Priscilla Queen of the desert" style!!

 

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

 

Nope. Not quite there on #4 yet.

Damn, I'm real close on this being noticed thing!!!!

 

Anyway, on a more serious note:

 

so there are those people that actually do listen to bass players.

Thats for sure, I have always been one. Also always aware of other instruments and backing singers.

 

 

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.)

 

I know what you mean, I did a "Blues to Broadway" theatre review with the 3 piece band at the back of the stage, also including some pop music from that era, with about 50 songs. Two of the songs particularly lent themselves to Tuba ("Hey Look Me Over" and, from the musical Chicago, "All That Jazz") and although I had been more or less invisible on bass guitar, I sure got noticed when I suddenly picked up the large silver Tuba!

 

The bass is one of those parts that is only really noticed by most people when it is not there. The foundation of most music.

So important, and so unsung.

 

Thanks Ric for a great in depth posting

John

 

 

[Rick on Bass]

Lots of good points here, guys.

 

Ric, thanks for the in-depth post. I agree with a lot of things you say there. I won't stall the band when I switch basses, we get about 3 short breaks per set...and you hit the nail on the head when you talked about what sounds to use on the two basses. Yes, the Jazz will be clean and used for songs where there's some slap "4 Walls 1 Window". And the T-bird will be overdiven and possibly compressed for more straight forward rockin' songs "Staring Down a Gun", "Bulletproof".

 

And Ben, I hear where you are coming from. I know you're a schooled jazz guy, so you must come across all kinds. I hope you don't think I'm one of those obnoxious cats. I've met a few guys like that and it seems everyone comin out of music school think they know everything and their ego usually walks in the room before they do. Believe me, I hate that too.

 

In my band I'm fortunate because the bass is put out front on a lot of songs. I am told that I need to walk up front during some gigs and play the bass part loudly because sometimes I am the lead element in the song. Most of our songs are very bass driven, so that happens more often than not. And I love it!

 

I don't try to overshadow the music at all. I know my role in the band. I don't claim to be a virtuoso and I don't thirst for the spotlight, although it is nice when I'm the main focal point of the audiences attention. Therefore, I'm not playing blazing 40 note riffs in one measure of music to show off my capabilities. I maintain a tasteful approach, using the time honored phrase "Less IS More".

 

I do try to make each song my own in some little unique way. I can't tell you how, you'd have to listen. I learned to play bass in the black sump of rock n roll where guys play by ear and don't know as much theory, haha. We communicate to each other by simply playing and using our ears, and then we decide what we like and what goes.

 

I can see how some schooled guys might turn their nose up at this method and think I'm an inferior player, and that's fine. I have no problem at all taking what I hear in my head and putting it through the speakers. So in my mind, I'm a more than competent player, even if couldn't tell you what I just played.

 

Maybe I'm a legend in my own mind, haha.

 

But anyway, we've been writing new songs and we all click great! Now, our newest song is very guit** driven, so I lay back a lot. But there is one part I play over the chorus that sounds very classical, our singer says it sounds like something that's played with a bow. When I heard that I knew I acheived what I wanted, I made the song unique somehow, in a very subtle way.

 

Jeremy you are absolutely right about singing in your own voice, vocal lessons have taught me that. I still haven't mastered my own voice yet so I shouldn't be experimenting with other voices, but I find myself doing so anyway because it's fun! I don't see myself singing lead in this band anytime soon though, and I'm fine with that, because if I had to sing lead and play the basslines I'd be so screwed.

 

When we record backing vox for our new LP, I want the listener to able to tell the difference between the voices on the track. Right now our singer records all the vox tracks with his voice, because he likes to get the vocals and harmonies done quickly after we record the final arrangement of a song. I want each bandmate (even our tone-deaf drummer) to sing on the backing vox tracks. Ok, maybe not our drummer, but I think everyone should be in there and so does our singer. I think that would be more genuine and sincere to the listener and it can't hurt our live show either.

 

Each of us have certain unique things about us that shine through in the music. I don't always intentionally set out to be unique because like Ben said I'm thinking too much and I'm not letting the music get to my fingers. When we first write a song, I'm thinking hard, there's hundreds of notes goin through my head and I'm sorting out the ones I like. After a song is basically written, and I have the notes and rhythm I want to use, I let go of the unique notion and then I just serve the song. What comes out after that is hopefully a bassline that will stand the test of time.