Members Jeff da Weasel Posted May 11, 2011 Members Share Posted May 11, 2011 I really do. I was inspired to write this based on Craig's "Stoopid Audio Myths" thread, because one of the myths I started to write was, "Bass is just a low guitar, so any guitar player is also a bassist." SO WRONG! While my main instrument is indeed the thing with six strings, I spent years and years as a bass player in my teens and 20s. At first, I mistakenly approached it like I was playing a guitar. It took a long time to learn how to actually play bass, and that was after 10+ years of being a guitar slinger (meaning I had to un-learn a few things to play bass the right way). I've done quite a bit of session work as a bassist over the years, and I play bass on my own records. I'd like to think I've long ago moved past the description of being "a guitarist who also plays bass", hopefully. We can spend all day arguing whether a great bassist plays simple lines that are deep in the pocket and locked to the kick, versus a flashy bass player who rivals their lead guitarists in complexity and speed. We can argue whether playing with a pick is indeed a musical blasphemy. In my worldview, it's all good, whether you're into Jaco or Duck Dunn or Geddy or JPJ or Jamerson. Some of my favorite bass lines in the world seem incredibly simple; listen to Aston "Family Man" Barrett play those repetitive bass parts on Bob Marley's songs... then try and replicate them. Not as easy as it seems, eh? Another opinion: while a great bass player won't make up for a crappy song, you can easily ruin an otherwise great song with a bad bass performance. In fact, I believe that in pop and rock music, the bass is probably more essential than the guitar, but in some intangible way that we feel rather than notice outright. Here's a weird thing: I can play damn near anything on guitar while singing... but it's almost impossible for me to sing and play bass well at the same time (one or the other, just not both). Interesting. Anyway, hats off to the bass players of the world. Music wouldn't be nearly as cool without you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roomjello Posted May 11, 2011 Members Share Posted May 11, 2011 Joseph McCreary, Jr.-Foley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philbo Posted May 11, 2011 Members Share Posted May 11, 2011 I love playing bass too. It's just damn fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted May 11, 2011 Members Share Posted May 11, 2011 I have discovered that when jamming the bass player has the most influence on where the music goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted May 11, 2011 Members Share Posted May 11, 2011 Here's a weird thing: I can play damn near anything on guitar while singing... but it's almost impossible for me to sing and play bass well at the same time (one or the other, just not both). Interesting. I know that weird feeling. I can play piano or guitar and sing along but when I pick up a bass, forget it. I just assumed it was because I'd never really done it enough. When I grab a bass I really start thinking about where my 5ths and maj/min 3rds are at and how to walk between octaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 11, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 11, 2011 Some of my favorite memories... Playing my '72 Jazz into a '75 SVT in the mid-80's with my dear old buddy, the late, great Mark Spriggs on drums. (miss you buddy) Playing loud, tight, aggressive power pop (I guess it was called new wave then). I loved the feel of getting my body into the swing of his groove, and ultimately our groove. Solid, empathetic to the song... but aggressive. I miss it. A Jazz, up loud and lighting up those 300 watts of fat tubage. Fender, Ampeg and a love for C. Kaye, J. Jamerson, P. McCartney, Joe Osborne... oh yeah, and a big smile from Spriggs... Ever had a mouthfull of beer sprayed on your back while soloing? Thank you Mark Spriggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dessalines Posted May 11, 2011 Members Share Posted May 11, 2011 Yeah, I bought a bass recently for recording and it is a lot fun to play. Guitar and vocals are what I'm usually providing but I needed a bass to flesh things out. It makes so much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 I love bass too. IMO, the most underestimated driving force in music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted May 12, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 12, 2011 It's been said that if a band sucks and you can't figure out why, it's the bass player. I think that's 100% true. Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members js1 Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 Here's a weird thing: I can play damn near anything on guitar while singing... but it's almost impossible for me to sing and play bass well at the same time (one or the other, just not both). Interesting. Can you do a simple guitar solo and sing? Bet that you can't. That's what you're trying to do when you're playing bass. The timing/phrasing of many bass lines is syncopated against the vocal line. Interesting to note that singers that play bass come up with lines that fit the vocal phrasing. Can you sing Roxanne and play the bass part? Bet you can! js Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb? None: The keyboard player does it with his left hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Charles Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 I played bass in a bunch of bands in my teens and early 20's. Like Jeff, I find it really difficult to sing and play bass at the same time. As to the comment about singing bass players dumbing down their played parts, listen to some early 70's Chicago and what Pete was playing and singing at the same time. Holy smokes! Played the guitar in most of the bands I've been in because I tended to sing lead on a third to half the songs (and yeah, I can play lead guitar and sing at the same time, playing bass and singing is miles different to me but I approach the instruments very differently). Recently picked up a Hofner copy violin bass. The shorter scale and flat wounds gives me a whole new bass world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 12, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 12, 2011 When I was 15, our "bass player" (not really a musician) left for the Navy. Which guitarist was going to learn bass? John was a better guitarist than I. So, me. And all of a sudden a couldn't sing and play at the same time. John explained how it was just like piano or drums. You just need to break it down. A beat at a time. Break it down, meaning, knowing exactly what each part is, and then, what word is landing on your down beat with your bass. Or are you playing the up of 2 while singing the down of 3? ETC ETC ETC. Breaking it down and practicing a bar at a time, voice and bass. Metronome, bass and voice. Soon I started hearing the two parts as separate entities, then as an intertwining performance. You know who's great at that? Sting. As early as the that 1st Police album? He was playing some stuff live, pulling in opposite directions, that he'd just make work... Fun once it starts working for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 I played bass out long enough to where I could play and sing at the same time. It definately depends on the difficulty level of the song and the arrangement and in many ways its like learning to play all over again. Something with a repetitious walking bass pattern, blues, country, rock its fairly easy. Some stuff that requires some real jumping positions and fancy scales its a whole different ball game. One thing that helped though was to practice George Benson type scat vocals to lead guitar parts. Doing the same thing on bass will help to split your actions and walk and chew gum at the same time. Also playing your entire parts to drums only like a guitar might is the other key. If you need accompnyment to play the part and can't hear all the other parts that should be there in your minds eye like you would playing solo guitar, then you havent truely mastered the instrument yet. You're going to let your attention drift anytime you hear a good guitar part being played and loose the ground you should be standing on. For singing and playing I began by choosing material that kept an easy pattern beginning. The pattern was easy but the muscle to maintain a steady pattern takes allot or power and endurance. The result wont be stellar balancing the two in the beginning. Its like learning to sing and play guitar all over again (if you can remember that far back) Let the mind drift and you will weaken and flub. Studying bass players who do sing leads reveals alot of tricks too, someone like Sting comes to mind. You also have to train your mind to listen to music from a bassists perspective, not a guitarists. Hear a song on the radio and you imaginie yourself hearing and playing the bass instead of guitar. The hardest part, is blocking the guitar part out of your central focus and not letting your mind wander from where it shouldnt not be focused. Playing guitar to backing music you dont hear every note thats there, you just notice it when its "not" there. Same goes for a bass player. he also makes up for time shiftes playing with others when needed like any other musician would when keeping things tight, anticipation others abilities. this forces you to get out in front of the instrument hanging 10 so to speak and lot letting the part drag you along as a player. You normally hold all other parts in equal balance. Depending on the song or part occuring, you may lean a littel towards the drums, or you may lean a littel more towards the other parts whn those parts call for backing or tightening. A good bassist does not just blindly play along to the drums like a run away freight train, he has to have sensitivity to all other parts and apply his tones where thay are required, not where its confortable. A true bass player pushes his concentration to do this, a guitar player who playes bass will have to prevent himself from leaning constantly towards the guitar parts. A bass player develops An ability to hear the other parts subliminally while keeping his whole focus in controll his own ball park. Unless you can do that you cant even begin to split your attention between bass lines and singing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hugbot Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 The "simple" bass lines played by excellent players are rich with inflections and expression - subtle things that the layperson misses but absolutely drive the tune. My current example - Bootsy's playing on Sex Machine. Drums and guitar doing the same thing throughout (don't get me wrong - it's very funky, but it doesn't change). Now Bootsy - nearly EVERY phrase has subtle changes and variations, all the while grooving like a mother. He makes the track. I need to find a way to instill this ethos into my bass player. He's ok but he overplays and generally has a kind of running before he can walk thing going on. In paricular he doesent listen to music with "boring" bass parts and I really want to articulate that those "boring" parts are a lot harder to pull off RIGHT than he thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted May 12, 2011 Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 In fact, I believe that in pop and rock music, the bass is probably more essential than the guitar, but in some intangible way that we feel rather than notice outright. I think this is quite true. If you don't have a good bass and drums, the whole thing just falls apart. I love bass guitar, because it has so little to do, yet it's so important. - Brian Eno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted May 12, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 12, 2011 I love bass guitar, because it has so little to do, yet it's so important. - Brian Eno Never heard that Eno quote before, but it's perfectly in line with how I feel about it. Here's another thought: you can be a little wishy-washy, slippy-slidy on your timing with vocals, with guitars, with keys, even with drums... but never, ever with bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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