bass progressions.. how?

[basseddie]

Oh man... I sure did not want to start a war here. You guys sure go into a lot of detail, i will have to read through these posts several times to digest it all. I really appriciate the coaching, thanx to all who replyed, and also to those who only read the posts and left shaking their heads.
I should maybe let you know were i stand. I took up quitar at 15, so i did learn some very basic music theory, and a lot of cords, but a s someone posted above, one does not need to know cord structure to play rythum quitar. I did not stick to quitar, but switched to drums, so that is my main instrument, played on and off for 24 years. I have been playing drums in this praise band for about 4 years, and they have gone through a lot of musicians, after 4 years I am the senior musician..go figure...The other musicians are all guitar players, we had 5 one night and me on drums, no bass, no piano,, just 5 guitars,drums and singers. Two players are recent beginers, cannot even play an f cord yet.. So I decieded to try my hand at bass, so here i am, jump in with both feet and play roots.
The music sheets...ha... all we use is lyric sheets with cords on them. No time sig, key sig, or bar lines. So thats what I have to go on and try to put bass lines to. No one expects perfection, I just want to have some idea of were i am going.
Oh and forget following the new kid drummer, he can play chops, but forget about a groove.. I have to drive the band with the bass as much as I can.
thanx again
eddie

[basseddie]

oh and one other thing, were is a good place to get pumas and addidas, or are they nikes, oh man more confusion, i didnt think playing bass would be so difficult....and were to i get korn tabs, i want to learn from the best...ha ha
eddie

[gruffpuppy]

Originally posted by basseddie
oh and one other thing, were is a good place to get pumas and addidas, or are they nikes, oh man more confusion, i didnt think playing bass would be so difficult....and were to i get korn tabs, i want to learn from the best...ha ha
eddie

hey if you practice hard enough Puma will start sending you sneakers.

[Suburban]

Originally posted by basseddie
So I decieded to try my hand at bass, so here i am, jump in with both feet and play roots.
The music sheets...ha... all we use is lyric sheets with cords on them. No time sig, key sig, or bar lines. So thats what I have to go on and try to put bass lines to. No one expects perfection, ...

Well, that's it then.
-- You need to get the chord constructions into your back bone. In due course...
-- You need to figure out the key from the chords given (easy for a guitar player).
-- You lead the time! Feel the groove and try to hit the notes - trying works!
-- Root is never wrong. As long as it's in time!

Here is the main rule when playing in a church band:
Perfection is not the issue - praise is!

Go groove for God!

[Boplicity]

For very simple starters, though, you could try root, five or root, five, octave ideas in each chord to just throw in a little variety. You may know, too that the fifth can be played on the lower string, but same fret as the root. That gives you yet one more variation on the five.

Say, if D is the root. A is the fifth. So you can play the D on the A-string , fifth fret, then play the A on the D-string at the seventh fret, then play the A on the E string at the fifth fret. It gives a nice added dimension.

Just experimenting with the variations available within that , such as root, root, five (upper), five(lower), in four/four time is easy, but more interesting than just roots.

Anyway, I don't envy you one bit with charts like that. You would do your church group such a tremendous favor if you could eventually clean up those charts and put them into some semblance of readability.

JO