Do your basslines go with the flow, or groove on their own?

[topo morto]

When interpreting basslines - or making your own - do you let the drums carry the rhythm and try to glue that rhythm to the harmonic flow of the song.... a la this one:

What's Going On - Isolated Bass Track (James Jamerson) - YouTube

Or do you focus more on the groove:

James Jamerson's isolated bass on "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" - YouTube

Of course it depends on the style of the song, and it's not impossible to do both... but lately I've been thinking of trying to focus more on my timing and "the groove".

[Safe at Home 3]

Its hard to make cool bass lines when your in a punk rock/indie band but i try to do my best to keep them intresting while still going with the drums.

[onosson]

It's usually two-thirds of one, and a third of the other.... which way I lean depends on the song, the drummer, the weather...

[Seb Peters]

We're a heavy rock band, and instead of the usual 'Bass plays roots and nothing more' I (attempt to) create a line that grooves and moves the song on like that.

[Chef FourString]

I like to do both. Grooving is better I think.

[chuck3]

Completely dependent on the kind of music. My regular band is very eclectic, so I range from playing the root along with the bass drum to funk to walking or off the beat lines. I gig with a jazz guitarist once a month, with whom I play the heads very straightforward and simple, but play the improv sections almost like my own melody. If you're playing bluegrass, forget it - it's one-five all the way, baby.

[lidesnowi]

I let my bass lines move the right way through the musical context with the main focus on the rhythmic vibe!

[M0ses]

I think you're seriously underestimating the rhythmic contribution of the bass line in the first example.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by M0ses

I think you're seriously underestimating the rhythmic contribution of the bass line in the first example.

Not at all saying it doesn't make a contribution - I'm talking about the nature of that contribution.

When I listened to that track solo, my impression was that - solo'd, it sounds a bit out of time. Of course with the drums and other instruments, it works - in fact, all you have to do is click your fingers in time and it works perfectly - but the feel of the basline is around the beats, supporting them. The bassline itself doesn't really 'include' the beat of the song.

I asked a random passer-by (at home!) if they thought that the bass line sounded in time, and they said "In time with what?" - which is exactly the thing... that bassline alone doesn't set up the 'pulse' of the song.

Of course it is to some extent down to the style of the song. But even given a song, you can often do things to 'be' the groove a bit more, rather than just support it - hard mutes to follow the strong beats; playing notes on stronger beats harder; ghost notes on weak beats, rather than silences, etc...

[AmadeusXeno]

For me it depends on what the drums and guitar are doing. If just laying down a solid groove work best I do that. If there's room for me to do something more then I play something different.