Are solo bassists afraid to play slow?

superbassman2000 · #1 11-23-2011, 09:56 AM

So after watching that video of a soloist playing a cover of the rolling stones' classic 'wild horses', it got me thinking. There have only been two soloists who sometimes play slow, and that's Steve Lawson and Michael Manring. The rest seem to have to slap/double thumb/tap their way through everything they do...it almost seems like an inferiority complex or something. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

hachi kid · #2 11-23-2011, 10:48 AM

small penis syndrome, obvz....

Herrick · #3 11-23-2011, 10:49 AM

I finally listened to the studio version of A Portrait of Tracy. That's pretty slow.

**Joshua Phelps** · #4 01-21-2012, 05:32 PM

Jaco had a lot of slow pieces & so does John p.

Stick_Player · #5 01-21-2012, 05:43 PM

Speed (fast notes) goes with the guise of "I'm a Virtuoso".

**garmenteros** · #6 01-21-2012, 05:46 PM

Check out some stuff from jeff schimdt

Jeff Schmidt - SOLO BASS (fretless) ANTICIPATION - YouTube pretty relaxing and laid back.

Also note he strings his basses backwards...

Vinny_G · #7 01-21-2012, 05:53 PM

Troll detected. Endless thread in approach. Bad grammar and headaches, too. Run for cover.

Beersurgeon · #8 01-21-2012, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny_G

Troll detected. Endless thread in approach. Bad grammar and headaches, too. Run for cover.

+1

I smell a troll

slev · #9 01-21-2012, 06:17 PM

Since this is the bass solo ish thread, let me know what you think of my solo stuff:

A Visible Thought Demo by A Visible Thought on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Thanks guys,

Sacha

Jazz Ad · #10 01-21-2012, 06:28 PM

Bass solo spots are scarce to say the least.
You're lucky if you get an 8 bar spot within a whole gig.
Might as well fill it with as many notes as you can, you don't know when you get a second chance.

**colcifer** · #11 01-21-2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua Phelps

Jaco had a lot of slow pieces & so does John p.

Jaco was John P, funnily (Jaco's full name: John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny_G

Troll detected. Endless thread in approach. Bad grammar and headaches, too. Run for cover.

Guy who registered last month calling guy who's been here since Clinton was in office a troll-that's funny (and kind of troll-ish).

nortonrider · #12 01-21-2012, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colcifer

Guy who registered last month calling guy who's been here since Clinton was in office a troll-that's funny (and kind of troll-ish).

Totally beat me to it.

superbassman2000 - 11,052 posts
Vinny G - 24 posts

paganjack · #13 01-21-2012, 06:54 PM

I think there could be something to that- a fear that the audience would rather listen to some really crazy technical stuff than some slow melodic jams. It's a weird dynamic but that makes Steve Lawson and Michael Manring stand out that much more.

BTW I am totally going to check out Manring's mini-clinic tomorrow at NAMM! So stoked!

**colcifer** · #14 01-21-2012, 07:01 PM

Performing solo, you've got a lot of sonic space to fill and playing a lot of notes is an easy way to do it.

Vinny_G · #15 01-21-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colcifer

Guy who registered last month calling guy who's been here since Clinton was in office a troll-that's funny (and kind of troll-ish).

You're hard on me, especially since I try not to troll myself.. I've never called somebody a troll and I never will. The thread is a bait for the trolls, that's all I meant. But you are right, I'm a funny guy and I frequently laugh at myself, even if the jokes are not good. Are solo bassists afraid to play slow? I don't know, this was just humour after all. Humour is made to lighten things a bit, right?

NightTripper · #16 01-21-2012, 07:42 PM

The bass solo in Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" is pretty slow. Also really easy, but everyone still loves it. You don't need to wank all over the fretboard to impress people. But if you've got the chops and can make it sound good, then by all means, proceed to wank.

**colcifer** · #17 01-21-2012, 07:45 PM

Oh, we're hard on all of the new guys. Weeding bad members out early is part of how we keep TB the great place it is.

superbassman2000 · #18 01-21-2012, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nortonrider

Totally beat me to it.

superbassman2000 - 11,052 posts
Vinny G - 24 posts

Lol thanks guys-

I don't think it's a very trollish question to ask-i have been listening to a lot of Steve Lawson lately and I notice some beautiful soundscapes and laid back solos, and I really like what I hear, and it got me thinking that a lot of players gravitate towards speedy playing. There is a lot of expressiveness in slow playing, and it seems like few bass players take advantage of that angle.

Buxtehude · #19 01-22-2012, 12:15 AM

I sit at home at night afraid to play slow. You have hit the nail on the head. Or does any faster than you can play make you jealous?

michael_atw · #20 01-22-2012, 12:25 AM

I figure it depends on what one is playing and the overall dynamic. I've learned that above all else, be dynamic. If you're playing dynamically a few notes might be just the perfect dash into the melting pot.