How to approach writing

[Mark Wilson]

Hey Janek. I saw you in the Fender Mag, and i've been dying to hear your stuff. Who woulda thought i'd actually be asking you something? haha

Anyway, i've been listening to your tunes on myspace, and it got me thinking. How do you approach writing the song where the bass is the main melody?

I've been trying to come up with something to play on my fretless, but no luck thus far.

Any pointers?

Thanks,

Mark

[janekbass]

Mark,

thanks for checking out the myspace page.

I'm not sure which song you're talking about on the myspace page where the bass plays the melody. I'm not actually a big fan of the bass playing the melody all the time, and there's only one song on my album where that occurs. I do write using the bass sometimes, so a melody will quite often start life there for compositional purposes, but normally get out-sourced to another instrument or voice.

Melody in general is something that just comes in and out of my mind no matter where I am. I have a book with me almost everywhere I go, and write ideas down every day. It's not something I think of as being unique to bass at all. It's just melody.

Composition is many things for me. As well as being the writing of songs and words on paper, it's the construction of improvised lines on the spot when soloing. To be able to create lines in a solo that you could go back and use as melodies in a song is a great technique and ability to have. It's something I work on a lot.

I hope this is some food for thought. Hit me back with any more questions anytime.

Easy,

Janek