Ahoy hoy,

well i'll be the first to hesitate to call myself a well-rounded musician but I recently got the opportunity to try out bass for a metal band with some friends of friends.

I have tinkered around for about a year but never put serious practice time in, all my finger dexterity and rhythm are there from practice I just lack a solid understanding of the basics of building bass lines for songs. Unforunately, the members of the band I auditioned with have all played together for years, know all there songs in and out but not one of them could put one to a piece of paper to save there lives! I have began trying to work some of the songs to bass with one guitarist.

These fellas play Drop C tuning, with a fast sweep like feel(In flames, Lamb of god). Alot of there riffing focuses on open strings and fast 3-5-3 | 7-5-7 | pattern. Although they played much faster then I expected Rhythmically I was fine, but as far as notes go I was kind of lost on where to begin. I know that probably is too vague to get an idea, but any direction I could be pointed in to make some fast learning on this style would be great!


Thanks

Keep it simple for now, bang out the root notes and sync up with the drummer, usually in Metal that's what works best anyway. Later on you can start to embelish a little bit if you can make it work.

Oh and bang your head.

Keep it simple for now, bang out the root notes and sync up with the drummer, usually in Metal that's what works best anyway. Later on you can start to embelish a little bit if you can make it work.

Oh and bang your head.

+1 try and mesh with the drummer

believe me, if the drummer likes you best out of the other bassists you ARE IN!

also, from personal experience a band that plays in a different tuning and maybe a style you aren't familiar with are not going to expect this bass god to step in the door.

just relax and try your best. but mesh with that drummer!

if there are two guitarists, one of them is usually soloing a lot and the other one is playing the riff, which is usually the bass line. Follow his fingers!