best bass playing style that "always" works?

[samal50]

I bet the simplest ones always works as with pop music, not technical death metal stuff.

 

must the music then be bass driven rather than guitar driven for it to work? I tend to come up with guitar riffs as if it's a priority, and bass, only secondary.

 

Is "walking bass" a playing style that always works?

[lug]

 

Is "walking bass" a playing style that always works?

 

no

 

[onelife]

I really like Paul McCartney's bass playing.

 

Although he is great at so many aspects of pop music, his forté is songwriting and everything he does is to support the song - although I find what he did in 'Something' and 'Think For Yourself' to be a bit over the top. It's almost like he was bored playing bass on Gerorge Harrison's songs yet his vocal contributons to those songs are stellar.

 

Even though the bass in 'Silly Love Songs' is really busy it seems to work well. The song is definitely 'bass driven' as suggested in the OP but there is also a lot more going on.

[DeepEnd]

I'm not sure there is such a thing as a style that "always works."

[onelife]

Simple usually works - sometimes even better than I think it is going to.

[DeepEnd]

True. K.I.S.S. works for a lot of things. That said, ''simple'' means different things for different people and contexts.

[Perfessor]

Listen to a lug audio and do the opposite.

[Etienne Rambert]

Listen to Wrecking Crew recordings. Carol Kaye, Larry Knechtel, Joe Osborn, et al. Whatever the style of the song, the bass line always seemed to work. Listen to 60's Motown records too, James Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Willie Weeks et al.

[lug]

Listen to a lug audio and do the opposite.

 

This is wisdom.

[WRGKMC]

The question doesn't make sense to me. The playing style usually depends on the music you're playing. You adapt your personal style depending on the needs to express the music genre. One style may work better for one person simply because they are locked into playing one genre of music and simply never pushed they're boundaries to learn other styles of music. One being simpler? That's purely a matter of how much effort you put into mastering different techniques you can use.

 

In the end, what's called style becomes unique to a specific artist and how they interpret the music they play. Its like when you write your signature on paper, the style of one artist is unique to him. It may have similarities to others because of they're experience and preferences but I've never seen two artists play exactly the same way. Some get close miming others but each mind in back of the notes and how they manipulate the notes is unique.

 

Basic Bass usually locks to the kick. You can use more notes then the kick beats because you usually have a snare and cymbals going which you can match notes to, but having less notes then kick beats doesn't usually sound right for most songs unless its an intended for a musical composition to have more drums then instruments.

 

If you mean style as far as producing notes, like Slap bass, Picking with the fingers, using a Pick, that again, depends on the music, instrument being used, and the desired tones.

 

The bulk of my bass playing often consists of using my first two fingers alternating, like walking through the yellow pages. I often use three or four fingers including the thumb for power chord accents or I lay alternate between thumb and finger alternating octave intervals etc.

 

I often use a pick and palm mute strings too. Many of these will depend on the genre of the music and the tones needed. I even do things like note slides and string bends on a bass to produce jazzy acoustic/fretless bass tones too.

 

I'm able to develop these techniques readily easily because most of the music I play now is 100% original so I'm writing my own parts and using whatever techniques I desire to make the music sound good. I outgrew being a slave to copying techniques of others and prefer to invent my own now.

 

If you're thinking one style is a shortcut or something you can use as a one size fits all fix, you simply aren't seeing the art form properly.

 

If you want to paint like Rembrandt, you cant do that by only drawing simple figures. You copy other artists to learn all the techniques you can. Then you can take bits and pieces of those techniques and incorporate them into your own style of playing. The more influences you tackle the wider your personal capabilities become. If your recipe is interesting, others may eventually copy you.

 

For me, I couldn't imagine using a single style or even thinking in terms as one style being simple. Simple gets old real quick and nothing worse then being bored. I like taking on challenges that drive me to self improvement. A song may be simple but I'll use all the style I can muster including visual techniques and putting on a good stage show to make those simple parts look and sound better then anyone else can play them.

 

Even if its only three notes I'll makes those the best sounding three notes anyone has ever heard and I'll ham it up to make the audience think I'm doing more then I actually am.

 

When you have learned many styles copying others you stick them in your tool box and you can pull them out as needed to impress your audience or produce a better recording. A bassist is easily replaceable when he only has one trick up his sleeve. If you can combine many styles in an artistic way which helps hide other players shortcomings and makes the band look and sound good you're a valuable asset to a band. If you're a one trick pony your performance options are very narrow.

[onelife]

I like taking on challenges that drive me to self improvement.

 

That's good to know.

 

A song may be simple but I'll use all the style I can muster including visual techniques and putting on a good stage show to make those simple parts look and sound better then anyone else can play them.

 

Even if its only three notes I'll makes those the best sounding three notes anyone has ever heard and I'll ham it up to make the audience think I'm doing more then I actually am.

 

You play bass like Donald Trump?

[daddymack]

The only one that works all the time is the one where you move your fingers on the strings ...

AS others have said, there is no 'one way'..how could there be. I mean, yes, you could just play the root note of every chord change in time with the '1' on the kick...but that just sounds lame 99% of the time.

[DeepEnd]

The question doesn't make sense to me. . . .

 

. . . For me, I couldn't imagine using a single style or even thinking in terms as one style being simple. Simple gets old real quick and nothing worse then being bored. . . . A song may be simple but I'll use all the style I can muster including visual techniques and putting on a good stage show to make those simple parts look and sound better then anyone else can play them. . . .

The question was, "Is there a playing style that always works?" The answer is basically "No." To me, "simple" is playing nothing but the root or playing V I V I constantly. It's not really that hard to imagine. As for visual "style," I'll accept that you can "put on a show" and enhance the audience experience but I find it debatable that stage gymnastics make the music sound better.

[isaac42]

No, but they often make the audience think it sounds better.

[DeepEnd]

So should I work on my playing or my ''moves''? Actually, my playing sucks and I have no ''moves'' so I'm out of luck either way.

[Etienne Rambert]

I / V usually works if all else fails. Adjust tempo for the song.

It's a foundation for most electric bass lines I've played.

 

You build on that and add more rooms.

 

[daddymack]

both...at the same time...

[WRGKMC]

If I have my choice of going to see a band and one simply stands there like bumps on a log and another that has some kind of coordinated stage show, I'll likely go see the band that has the good stage show. Reason being is the players have to have they're music nailed down super tight before they can even think about incorporating an act to go with it.

 

I have several family members who performed in theatre and acted in films. I used to see them perform in all kinds of musicals growing up and I can send you links to movies they acted in. I grew up 70 miles from Broadway and got to see many of the best stage performers during my youth. All the big rock bands were putting on stage shows back in my youth from Alice Cooper to the Tubes.

 

There's nothing cheap with being able to add a well rehearsed stage show. Its simply become a lost art. Look at all the bands all the way from Motown to Michael Jackson to Prince who had coordinated moves on stage. Even the last super bowl half time show was more like a Broadway production then a simple band performing.

 

The ability to perform in an act takes allot more skill then just playing an instrument, and its not something you simply whip up last minute. Its a skill and an aptitude you have to develop over many years of trial and error just like learning your music.

 

The Question about whether a style works is actually yes, it simply has to be the right style for the right music at the right time and for the right audience. There's nothing wrong with hamming the music up and motivating a crowd to get up and dance or simply enjoy the show either. You simply have a much greater risk of flopping. I've had a few lou lou's which embarrassed the hell out of me. When I weigh the successes I can look back and laugh at those however.

[WRGKMC]

I didn't vote so no politics please.

 

My point was motivational. If all you know how to play is 3 notes to a song like Louie, Louie. Play it with pride, and give it all you got. 3 notes is more them most people in the audience can play and wen you step on stage you're and entertainer, not a door stop.

[onelife]

better than anyone else can play them

 

i dunno - there are some pretty good bass players out there

 

the best sounding three notes that anyone has ever heard?

 

my comment had little to do with politics - it was more about pontificating and meant only as a joke

 

i apologize - any perceived insult was unintended

[BryanMichael]

Root notes on the bass drum rhythm is probably as simple as you can get. It isn't very interesting, but a good place to start for constructing simple bass lines.

[isaac42]

Back in high school, when I was first starting to play bass, I was the lead singer as well. My bass "lines" at the time consisted mainly of hitting a root note and letting it ring for a whole measure while I sang. I dunno if it "worked" or not, but it was still better than not having any bass at all.

 

I got better.

[1001gear]

I think he just wants a generic way to add bass to his music.

[DeepEnd]

My comment was that ''putting on a show'' might ''enhance the audience experience'' but it wouldn't make the music sound better. You haven't proved the contrary. FWIW, I find much modern music to be focused on visual performance to the detriment of creating good, listenable music, which should always come first, IMHO.

[samal50]

What does I / V mean?

 

I / V usually works if all else fails. Adjust tempo for the song.

It's a foundation for most electric bass lines I've played.

 

You build on that and add more rooms.