Need Help for what to play at gig!

Ironderby · #1 09-04-2011, 01:08 PM

Im doing a bass solo before we go into one of our covers, and to be frank, i suck at improv, and i can't think of anything that sounds rocky, everything i come up with sounds jazzy, any advice, scales or tabs i can use?

ggunn · #2 09-04-2011, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironderby

Im doing a bass solo before we go into one of our covers, and to be frank, i suck at improv, and i can't think of anything that sounds rocky, everything i come up with sounds jazzy, any advice, scales or tabs i can use?

If you don't have anything to say with your solo, cut the solo.

TheBasicBassist · #3 09-04-2011, 01:16 PM

Why not quote the melody? Learn someone else's bass solo? Learn a solo that someone has played on another instrument? Embellish the songs bass line?

Ironderby · #4 09-04-2011, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

If you don't have anything to say with your solo, cut the solo.

You make a very good point sir, but i do like to blow my own trumpet and show off. so if i can manage to get a good solo, i will be happy

Johnny Crab · #5 09-04-2011, 01:22 PM

Assuming you KNOW the song already.

Edit a copy of the cover and use software to delete the bass.
Alternatively, record your drummer playing the first portion of the song(to use as a timing loop to practice, fool around with). This gets your solo "timed" to the song...but you can half-time it with your solo or speed it up and slow down at the end of your solo if you like.

Is the drummer playing the intro with you or only you?

Put on headphones or, if you live in the boonies, crank your amp up and fool around with a looped copy for about an hour with a recorder going(i.e. Zoom H4n, etc.). If you can't find something "fun" that way, cut the solo.

PS: quit saying "I suck at improv" because you may talk yourself into it and end up believing it.

cableguy · #6 09-04-2011, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

If you don't have anything to say with your solo, cut the solo.

+1

If you must solo I find it more interesting to watch if a bassist and drummer start a groove and the the bassist can ad lib around the groove. Unless the bassist is Billy Shehan, Norm Stocton, Victor Wooten, or at that talent level, I find bass solos to be wankfests. Find a groove, make it cool, short and sweet.

mboogiemanusa · #7 09-08-2011, 06:39 PM

Cut the bass solo .......play to the bands strengths. If your ego still needs to be stroked at the expense of the bands performance......then just play a solid 8 to 12 bar bass and drum intro to your cover song. Have the other band members try to get the crowd clapping along. Bass solos by themselves at the local level just aren't that interesting.......instead get a hot groove going with the drummer. This will be 4 times as exciting for the crowd then watching the band members sit there and watch the bass player wank off for 5 minutes on a bad solo.

testing1two · #8 09-08-2011, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironderby

Im doing a bass solo before we go into one of our covers, and to be frank, i suck at improv, and i can't think of anything that sounds rocky, everything i come up with sounds jazzy, any advice, scales or tabs i can use?

Jazz + Fuzz = Rock

So crank up the fuzz pedal and play something that makes you happy...just keep it brief and leave 'em wanting more.

bassgod0dmw · #9 09-08-2011, 07:22 PM

I vote to cut the solo as well. How is it a good idea to play a solo if you don't know what t play?

Tigger Bangdang · #10 09-09-2011, 07:35 AM

+1 on the Fuzz. Always demands attention and people love it.

robass · #11 09-09-2011, 08:09 AM

What always works for me is groovy, rhythmic stuff - check out Willie Weeks solo on "Everything is Everything" (on Donnie Hathaway live)- nothing flashy or Wooten-esque, just great simple lines rendered with great time and feel.

And, flashy and fast gets you noticed by other dudes; grooving and rhythmic gets you noticed by chicks. Especially those deep, low grooves

HeadyVan Halen · #12 09-09-2011, 08:19 AM

Wait, you said you suck at Improv but you wanna show off....ok, Youtube video to follow.

randysmojo · #13 10-07-2011, 02:45 PM

+1 on Fuzz pedal. You may want to look up youtube vids of Rock style bass solos to get ideas. Billy Sheehan of course!

groove pump · #14 10-13-2011, 08:45 AM

Mmm... fuzz good!!! No need to go crazy I think. As long as you don't feel as though you're going through the motions and playing something out of a can, go ahead and add your own $.02 to the tune. If it's not clicking though, don't force it.

Not much of a face-melting solo crafter myself, but an effect on the way into a cover can get it going nicely. I've got a Q-Tron envelope filter that only gets minimal use when I gig, but I love to stomp on it when we start up with "Play that Funky Music". All I'm doing is playing that riff and the 'Tron sprinkles some attention getting extra cheeze over things right out of the gate.

Even if you just eat up a few bars by noodling around with your drummer, you're going to hook a few ears in the room when anyone paying any attention waits to see what tune you launch into with that sort of musical "here it comes".

The only thing it's supposed to be is FUN!

punkinfantry · #15 10-13-2011, 08:53 AM

fuzz pedal plus pentatonic noodling with the drummer in the key of the song equals WIN