Members Bob O'Brian Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 Recently I've been letting the bass sit back in the mix a bit more, turning down and building up more complex runs and riffs, but at our last gig I had a natter with the drummer of another local band, guys who I have a lot of respect for and who get a good, full sound out of their drums/bass/guitar lineup. His advice was to turn up, and keep it simple. Also, to use a lot more fuzz/distortion.What's the accepted wisdom on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members #6 Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 Love the 3 piece, very stylish... the vest is making a comeback... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slapthefunkyfour Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 Love the 3 piece, very stylish...the vest is making a comeback... HEE HEE HEE!!! I lold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members M-1 Fan Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I just bought an Aphex compressor. The Hartke 2115 I use live has a nice built in compressor but it never reaches the mains because I'm running through a SansAmp. I'm hoping things will sound more full with the new compressor. I do find myself playing more chords on the bass with the three piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jazz Ad Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 A trio leaves a lot of room for personal expression and experimentation, not many restrictions.So my advice is to do whatever you want as long as it makes the song sound good. Just remember that one out of the three must remain steady so the song doesn't float around randomly. It doesn't have to always be the same musician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members takeout Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 What they said. My previous band occasionally gigged as a three-piece, and I kinda liked having the extra space. I could pick and choose my spots to go nuts or lay back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Apendecto Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 A trio leaves a lot of room for personal expression and experimentation, not many restrictions.So my advice is to do whatever you want as long as it makes the song sound good. Just remember that one out of the three must remain steady so the song doesn't float around randomly. It doesn't have to always be the same musician. Well said. Yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members collinwho Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I fill the gap between the guitar and drums in my three piece. If the guitar isn't doing a lot, I might play more melodic, I will always be holding the groove though, because if I don't, who will? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pickdust Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY!!! I currently play in a 3 piece and my job is to cover the territory the bass and rhythm guitar usually cover. I play with a pick and my right hand is very busy but the left is relatively quiet. Lately I've added a Waterstone 8 string to my arsenal. I use 2 amps (1 Peavey bass amp and cab and 1 50 watt tube amp for the dirt. I can cover much more ground this way. (More Tom Petersson than Lemy sound) PD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FloydianAnimal Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I play in a band that's a quartet technically, but the singer only sings so I guess musically it's a three piece. I play metal in Drop-C; I guess the key thing is to play what the song calls for and when in doubt don't overplay. Also, I have to know who to stay tight with depending on the part- sometimes I have to stay tight with the drummer's double kick while others it's doubling the guitarist note-for-note... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zachoff Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I disagree on the fuzz/disto. It helps in certain situations, but isn't necessary. When I think of 3 piece bass players I'm thinking Jack Bruce, Krist Novoselic, Geddy Lee, Mike Dirnt... I'll probably get {censored} for putting Dirnt and Novoselic in there, but I'd figure those are four of the most prolific three pieces in rock. Hell, you could probably throw Justin Chancellor in there too... Tool was basically a 3 piece. What did they all have in common? Cutting tone. I know that when I'm in a three piece I don't feel so restrained. It's nice. I also think the fuzz/disto points to a bigger issue in a three piece that you need a tone that cuts through. Could be a "huge" tone like Chancellor and it could be a biting tone like Geddy, a bass heavy tone like Bruce... Dirnt's is punchy, and Novoselic's is pretty bass heavy as well. So yeah... My $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 14, 2007 Moderators Share Posted August 14, 2007 In a three piece, the bass is the harmonic content. In addition to bridging the rhythm and melody, I pay particular attention to creating harmonic interest. It helps me to sing backing vocals in my head and translate/interpret them into my basslines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I'm a bassist that plays nearly exclusively in 1 guitar bands - I started my bass education by learning the 1st 5 Zep albums in entirety, then later on learned a bunch of Sabbath tunes to play in 2 different Sabbath trib bands... So, the approach I use is to play a mix of bass, filling in for rythym guitar when needed - and to use passing phrases in between roots that sometimes harmonize with the guitarist... When the guitarist is playing a lead, you really have to be conscious to keep things "full" - and *if* you're going to play a passing line, it has to be smooth and solid, and work within it's context - otherwise, you'll get that "empty" sound that often plagues 1 guitar bands... One approach I usually employ is for my bass to match volume with the drums and guitarist - while playing rythym - then have him get a level boost while playing leads... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Onkel Bob Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I used to be in a three piece a long time ago... Only I played guitar in that band... The bass player had only just started so don't do what he did. I like this song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DR2DpgV8fPw That's one approach anyway. Very different approach: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Apendecto Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 My Akai Unibass gets more of a workout in a 3-piece. Yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Adrenochrome Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 We have just guitar//bass/drums so it's applicable to us.For some songs it's appropriate to simplify the bassline a bit [because the steady rhythm guitar part is missing, I do this on Love Walked In by Thunder] and others to play a few chords to fill out the sound behind a solo [eg a few AC/DC numbers].I'd wholeheartedly agree on being plenty loud and having a cutting tone [mud is no good] rather than changing the bass parts too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jugghaid Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 A trio leaves a lot of room for personal expression and experimentation, not many restrictions.So my advice is to do whatever you want as long as it makes the song sound good. Just remember that one out of the three must remain steady so the song doesn't float around randomly. It doesn't have to always be the same musician. Bingo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassist31588 Posted August 14, 2007 Members Share Posted August 14, 2007 I'm actually currently getting together with a drummer and a keyboard player. We all have a background in jazz, but we want something that we can eventually add vocals to. We're not really aiming for jazz, funk, rock or any style in particular, we just want to play music that we think listeners would enjoy - not just a bunch of musicians getting off on stage. A 3-piece group allows room for a player's musical expressions to get out clearly, without competing with other players. We'd like a guitar player for some things, and we want a really good guitar player, one that won't overplay but can also let loose when called for. Right now, the keyboardist has some song ideas we're currently piecing together. Not sure how it will all work out in the long run, but we're all on the same page with how to play where and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thumper Posted August 15, 2007 Members Share Posted August 15, 2007 Listen to ZZ Top and pay attention to what Frank Beard and Dusty Hill have going on when Billy Gibbons takes a solo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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