Adapting To No Bassist - Ideas for creating a huge sound and interesting ideas

[mrcpro]

I heard bass-less band like yours pull it off very well once. The drummer's kick was triggering an 808 style falling sine wave (very low and no discernible pitch) run through a whole bunch of subs out front (at least four 18s). There was an overwhelming amount of low end, but it wasn't muddy like it would be if you tried to cover those frequencies somehow with a guitar. The place was packed, people were dancing... all I can say is that it worked.

 

I'm in a bass-less band at present, but I play keyboards and cover the parts with my left hand.

[caeman]

Have your rhythm switch to 5ths tuning. Bi-amp it with the Octave Down pedal to a bass amp. Normal signal to a guitar amp.

[IsildursBane]

 

The problem isnt the fact that there isnt as much low end as there isnt another instrument playing grooves, counterpoints etc....

 

 

This.

 

-Dan.

[TIMKEYS]

 

Becoming a father is an thrilling occasion. Despite the fact that much on the interest is on the new mother for the duration of this time, it really is just as critical to offer some particular consideration towards the father. You'll be able to make your new dad gift element of a infant shower gift for each parents, or you can give unique attention for your favorite new father following the child is born. 1. Books Ahead of the infant is born, a new dad could be filled with questions and concerns. You can calm his worries using a book. Dozens of books speak directly to new fathers. A number of them concentrate on the pregnancy itself, including My Boys can Swim!: The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy by Ian Davis. Books like this assist guys realize that adjustments that their wives are going by means of during the nine months of pregnancy. Your preferred new dad also wants a book to assist him take care of the very first months of his new son or daughter's life. Father's Very first Measures by Robert Sears and Be Prepared: A Sensible Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenburg are books devoted to helping a father care for his new infant. two. Masculine Diaper BagIf the gift recipient isn't the reading kind, there are numerous a lot more possibilities for you personally to select from. A new dad will no doubt be taking Ergo Baby Carrier-Galaxy Grey his new son or daughter out from time to time. Give him a thing fashionable and manly to carry diapers and wipes around with. You will find lots of diaper bags and backpacks which can be sleek and non-threatening to even the manliest of males. He'll appreciate being able to have his own bag to work with that isn't pink or frilly.3. Cameras and GadgetsIf you're pooling your cash with other gift givers, you are able to usually give the ultimate in new dad gifts ?C a digital camera with video capabilities. A brand new dad features a lot of smiles, giggles and milestones to catch on film within the coming years. Aid him capture his child's very first moments together with the gift of a camera.four. Masculine Infant CarriersFor a great deal of dads, caring for a child implies carrying a infant around. There are plenty of flowery, feminine slings around, but most dads will want their very own baby Organic Baby Carrier - Heavenly Holland carrier. Child backpacks will securely carry a baby without having subjecting a dad to one thing pink and embarrassing. Producers such as Eddie Bauer and Snugli make masculine looking baby carriers. five. Safety StuffDads are typically concerned about safety, and Ergo Baby Carrier-Galaxy Grey you'll be able to speak to this want by giving him a unique gift. A infant initial help kit contains issues like tweezers, nail trimmers, a thermometer, a nasal bulb, a medicine dropper and all of the other items that new parents need to have to keep their baby healthful. Even though the new baby will not be crawling around for the very first couple of months, giving baby proofing things is really a fantastic strategy to calm a new dad's worries. Give him a fridge lock, cabinet locks and also other frequent infant proofing products so he'll have them on hand as soon as he demands them.

 

 

congrats. Its almost more fun being a grampa. Load them up on red bull and m&m's and send them home to the kids with a kitten.

[wades_keys]

As a bass Player myself I just can't imagine the lack of grove and syncopation that would happen without a dedicated bass instrument in the band.

 

Tell me how you would cover even a simple funk tune like this without a bass instrument? This is a rough recording of our trio doing who's making love. I just can't imagine doing a song like this with low end trickery on guitar

 

https://www.box.com/shared/z26vaim4an61a2znvus6

 

https://www.box.com/shared/z26vaim4an61a2znvus6

[SeniorBlues]

 

I just can't imagine doing a song like this with low end trickery on guitar https://www.box.com/shared/z26vaim4an61a2znvus6

 

 

We do this song . . . and we have a damned good bass player who plays the hell out of it so in a sense, I agree with you. But . . . There are lots of songs out there that aren't nearly as bass driven.

 

I joined a band in college that didn't have a bass player. I eventually bought a state-of-the-art Farfisa with LH bass capability, but the Lowery portable I had at the time was useless for bass. The guitar player played a lot of low "E" stuff on his Gretsch Tennessean and we played to a packed house every Friday night.

[wades_keys]

I know but I can't think of even one funk tune that would fly straight without a bass instrument.

[MartinC]

funk without bass?

 

 

 

Business time!

[toddkuen]

+1

 

You can use horns or keys much the same way as the second guitar to get by without a bass.

[wades_keys]

Better example from my trio (try this on keys lol);

 

https://www.box.com/shared/zyj6kb9012upzxrqtrqc

 

Again, I just don't get the premise. Maybe because I play bass in a trio?

 

But seems to me that the standard trio format offers the best chance of success outside of some novelty act appeal.

[SeniorBlues]

A few of us want his band to play in a style that we understand that includes, among other things, a lot of counterpoint. Guess what . . . . He doesn't want to and has something else going that I think is working, as much as I understand the style (which admittedly isn't very much.)

 

There are probably a boatload of guys on the guitar forum who can help you flesh out the good ideas you've already heard hear.

[Lee Knight]

 

A few of us want his band to play in a style that we understand that includes, among other things, a lot of counterpoint. Guess what . . . . He doesn't want to and has something else going that I think is working...

 

 

Exactly. Let's celebrate a little pioneer spirit here. Taking a Whites Stripes/Black Keys idea and leaning into funk is a cool twist on the idea. Sounds cool to me. Even if they're unable to tap some of the iconic traits of the funk genre, that can be a good thing too. Dodging the cliches maybe as well. Sounds fun.

[wades_keys]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you lee. It doesn't sound like fun: sounds like a recipe for WEAKNESS. Look, music is based off of the bass note. I don't need to belabor that point for those that know, and those that don't know I'm not trying to reach.

 

I do bass, and I'm proud of the job I do. You think you can replace what I do with a harmonizer? Really? Well maybe you've had weak ass bass players. I ain't weak ass. I'm proud of what I bring to the table. This whole premise is ill conceived. Just get a trio with a bass player for gods sakes. Sheesh. And that flight of the concordes stuff? I'm sorry but that is weaker than water.

 

Bottom line is this: I apply myself to bass at least as hard if not more so than you will apply yourself to trying to replace me. From what I've heard, I'm one of the better bass players on this board. So do you think I will sit back and let a band eliminate my role because they've had a bad experience with a weak ass player??

[wades_keys]

And I hate to bust up the hipster parade on the white stripes but here it is: they are WEAK because Meg can't play worth a damn and they have no bass player!!!

 

Jack should take a cue from his hero Page and get a real rhythm section because he's been carrying that "band" from day one.

 

There, I said it. You know it's true. Think how much better those songs would sound with a real swinging drummer like Bonham and a great bassist like JPJ.

 

Bands without bassists are inevitably weak due to how we hear harmony**. Fly the flag of limp dick weak sauce at your own risk. Ask Reznor why he hired JMJ after years of making music with no bassist*. Better yet, ask him why he's sold more tickets since hiring him...or will you say NIN sounded BETTTER with no bassist? Go ahead, say it! The critics and fans and ticket sales disagree!!!!!

 

Out.

 

* yeah I know Trent played bass. But he's kind of a weakass root ranger back in the mix kind of guy. JMJ is a real bassist. And yes, I'm aware of the heavy key bass Trent has always done and that this deviates from the discussion re: harmonized bass from guitar...

 

** try this experiment. Play a weak, low volume F note over an A minor triad. Now increase the volume of that bass note. Totally different sound, right? now try the same thing with low strings on a guitar. Not quite the same impact, huh? Sounds a little...weak?

 

Ok you say: bring in some kind of harmonizer that works in unison with my rhythm guitar. Best way I can think of to do that would be to have one pickup per string on your low 3 strings and route each of those three outputs to a separate harmonizer. So at least you could have leeway with your interval tracking....but..how bland! Tracking the guitar like Jason Newsted! Yuck!!!! How to breathe life then into the low end? Do you pull a Matt Pike and just sludge it up? How limiting....

 

So,,I've got an open mind but I just can't see it. But if you do, at least try the one pickup per string per harmonizer instead of the idiot caveman sludge stoner rock jive. Later

[Lee Knight]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you lee. It doesn't sound like fun: sounds like a recipe for WEAKNESS. Look, music is based off of the bass note. I don't need to belabor that point for those that know, and those that don't know I'm not trying to reach. I do bass, and I'm proud of the job I do. You think you can replace what I do with a harmonizer? Really? Well maybe you've had weak ass bass players. I ain't weak ass. I'm proud of what I bring to the table. This whole premise is ill conceived. Just get a trio with a bass player for gods sakes. Sheesh. And that flight of the concordes stuff? I'm sorry but that is weaker than water. Bottom line is this: I apply myself to bass at least as hard if not more so than you will apply yourself to trying to replace me. From what I've heard, I'm one of the better bass players on this board. So do you think I will sit back and let a band eliminate my role because they've had a bad experience with a weak ass player??

 

whoa. Clearly this is hitting home somehow. That's cool, Wade. I'm not trying to provoke here. I do agree that trying to replace the bass with a harmonizer might end up being very cheesy. And I'm not suggesting you should agree with me, but don't forget I'm a bassist as well. But for me... that doesn't matter. Just because things have been done a certain way doesn't mean they have to move forward that way. Different can be good. We don't have to kneejerk react for fear of acting too hipster or becasue we play bass and how dare they be weak for not using my instrument!

 

Regardless of how you feel about The White Stripes, I can assure you my interest is not based on any hipster notions of mine and are purely musical. I happen to like what they did, including Meg, even through the backlash. I think it's very musical. I don't care if I'm a bassist. Black Keys and Little Hurricane too.

 

Just because I'm a tiler doesn't mean I hate carpet.

 

Solo acoustic gutiar works with no bass. As does piano. So, bringing in a drum kit is the line. I understand that. It's a weird shift. But it's not based on hipster cred. It's a weird shift but one that works musically because of its freshness. Musically. Maybe not for you, but for me and lots of other people. Weak? Because you don't like it or you're a bass player? I can't imagine how that might or should have any impact on the guy putting together his band.

 

Though I totally respect your opinion, I don't agree with it. That doesn't mean you're wrong. But it doesn't mean the OP's wrong either.

[nobodyknows]

Maybe your drummer has a hole in his front bass-drum head - if so get him to replace it with a head with no hole - take all the muffling out of the bass-drum - tune the thing - yes - they need tuning - to it's lowest fundamental pitch...

Retune all the toms the same - lowest fundamental pitch for that drum - single-ply batter heads work best or pinstripes if you must

And then you'll have some bottom-end......

[TIMKEYS]

 

My group has never had a bass player and we are celebrating 20 years of doing gigs this year. The key for us is the type of guitar sound and the style of rhythm guitar playing. We are three guys, two guitars and congas. Sometimes the other guitarist plays electric and he lays down some bass lines on his guitar when not playing lead, but we can do our thing without bass lines. He does a lot of muting when playing bass lines so it sounds a lot like a salsa style bass approach. My guitar sound has tons of low end, mids, and overtones-it fills up a lot of space. I use a flamenco guitar and my style is based on flamenco techniques. Rasquedos, rumba and tango rhythm patterns, arpeggios, alzapua, those sounds are able to create a satifying listening experience and support without bass. For several years we had a fourth member-we could have added bass, but we went for the best player, who happened to be a violinist. We have done all kinds of gigs-dinner joints to concerts. The violinist recently moved away so we are three again. I have no plans to add a fourth player at this point. We aren't a dance band, we are more a sit down and listen band, but that has never stopped people from dancing. I don't know if any of this would work for the op, but my point is you can rock the house without a bass player-there is no doubt of that.

 

 

The key to running with out a bass player is the type of music you do. I have friends that have a duo. Lead singer plays 12 string, and the side man is a monster harp player who knows how to do fills and play melody. He is way more than your typical blues wanker. He has the instrument totally mastered. He also sings spot on harmony back up , plays congas and steel drums. they are dinner show act or patio act. I have played shows with them on keys along with the bass player i play with. At that point it becomes more of a band. Its pretty well the best duo I have heard.

[Lee Knight]

 

Maybe your drummer has a hole in his front bass-drum head - if so get him to replace it with a head with no hole - take all the muffling out of the bass-drum - tune the thing - yes - they need tuning - to it's lowest fundamental pitch... Retune all the toms the same - lowest fundamental pitch for that drum - single-ply batter heads work best or pinstripes if you must And then you'll have some bottom-end......

 

 

Good call.

[pickinatit]

The pickups in stereo to 2 different amps is what I was thinking.

 

Also, maybe Baritone guitar ?

[wades_keys]

Be weak, then. Fly the flag!!! Maybe at some point down the road you'll realize you had a weak ass bass player. Until then: be weak!! Weak is good right? It's different. Artistic. Breaking the mold. Weak.

 

Lee , even jack realizes the white stripes were WEAK. Why do you think he's gone into other things? Other things tha include a bass Player!!! Reznir has done the same thing by hiring JMJ. But hey: weak can work. For a minute. And then even the artist himself realizes how WEAK it is and gets in a project with some low end. I'm sorry but this premise is {censored}ed and weak and that's all it will ever be, period end of story.

[Lee Knight]

Be weak, then. Fly the flag!!! Maybe at some point down the road you'll realize you had a weak ass bass player. Until then: be weak!! Weak is good right? It's different. Artistic. Breaking the mold. Weak. Lee , even jack realizes the white stripes were WEAK. Why do you think he's gone into other things? Other things tha include a bass Player!!! Reznir has done the same thing by hiring JMJ. But hey: weak can work. For a minute. And then even the artist himself realizes how WEAK it is and gets in a project with some low end. I'm sorry but this premise is {censored}ed and weak and that's all it will ever be, period end of story.

 

 

ok then

 

btw, I will be doing some weak gigs sans bass coming up to promote my new material. I'll be playing acoustic guitar instead of bass, my guitarist will be playing dobro/six string banjo etc and my drummer will be playing a stripped down kit. I think it sounds good. Maybe weak, but hey, you do what you gotta do.

 

and yes, I'm sure Jack White is now very embarrased with his weak output in the White Stripes.