Is less more?

[supablazed]

What i want to know is your opions on what a bassline must have in it to make it good. Does it need to have a baddass progression, or can it be as simple as one note played over and again? The reason i ask is because todya at a jam session, we played with these older guys a lot of country and blues. As they were leavin we younger guys did a little heavier jam. It was a reall good groove to it( prob. the best session i have sat in on so far) and all i played was trusty ol open E. sure i changed up the beat and did some mutes slaps etc. but one note whole song. Anyway, the other gents said there was not enough bassline variation to it. Sooo, do you think you can get a good feelin groove with just one note or do you need varitey?

[Greyvagabond]

Yes

[artistanbul]

of course it depends. but perfection is the state where you can not take anything out without making it worse. at any rate, I think I would probably like some ghost notes, and octaves where appropriate to make it a little more interesting. variation doesn't necessarily mean "more"

[Xanthyr]

If you're able to make a single note groove and make your head bob, then you're doing something right. Imagine, if you make one note sound good, with some more flavor in there, you have a decent line going on.

If you keep the timing, and you're grooving yourself and you're not cluttering the song with flash or overplaying, then it's a good bassline to me, but some movement is always great. Try octavizing. If you're holding a single note, jump an octive when things get exciting in a build-up. The resulting feel is explosive if done correctly.

[Pacman]

Less is more. Unless it's less.

[JimK]

"If 'less is more'...then just think how much more 'more' will be".

[John Wentzien]

More is more & Less is less
Just right is just right (more or less)

[Bruce Lindfield]

If you're talking about just open E for more than say a few bars - then yes that sounds pretty dull and unimaginative ...

Although it's always about context - so I can see tension/release - maybe holding one note for a while, to go to something else - but if you never go anywhere else - well...?

[JimmyM]

You need variety. When you learn how to add some variety, then you have the choice of playing an open E or playing around the neck. So when less is actually less, you can give more instead of being stuck in "less" mode.

[Bassist4Life]

The best example I can think of is Norah Jones. The music isn't very complex, but it grooves deeply. The chord progressions aren't complex either. Everything sounds very simple on the surface, but if you listen very close, there's actually a lot going on. Check out the tune "Thinking About You". I think that's a classic example of less is more. Also, "Come Away With Me".

Joe

[jschwalls]

One note grooves.... I think of "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.... man thats a great bassline... perfect example of how a BAND grooves around a simple 1 note bass line.

[Phalex]

Less is indeed more. On occasion, less can be less as well. Nothing wrong with playing simply and staying firmly back in the pocket.

[T-MOST]

Less isn't more... less is safe. I never approach a line right away with both barrels blazing. I like to listen and get a sense of what the song needs. I also like to get a feel for what the other musicians are doing. Then I start to develop the bass. If the music needs more you can pick it up a bit. If you choose the best notes you can you probably don't have to be so "busy". Too many guys (musicians) simply don't listen.

[fullrangebass]

Groove IMO is the sum of how bass and drums interact over time, not just the bassline alone. It takes two to tango IMO and IME (being a dancer helps me understand a touch more I suppose). I prefer to develop a line over time (esp in jam sessions); it really helps if the drummer can interact (in fact, it's half the money)

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by jschwalls

One note grooves.... I think of "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder.... man thats a great bassline... perfect example of how a BAND grooves around a simple 1 note bass line.

Well - it has that intricate, catchy, clavinet line that grabs your attention and the chords do change in the chorus.

[Marcury]

Less is a smaller amount. More is a greater amount. Just right is what's needed no more no less. Listen to Tony Levin who I'd say is on the less side or Jamerson who is often on the more. They both get it just right.

[wazzel]

Depends on the song or groove. Somtimes less is not enough and more is to much. The skill is finding what is just right.

[MarkTAW]

Who was that bass player that said "Think of the least amount you can play, and then play half of that." He was a wildly successful country session musician.

Personally, I find more is more, except when less is more. You really need to know when & were the song needs some extra oomph - and the extra oomph can be either less or more.

My approach tends to be "play as much as I can while writing the song, and then pare it down relentlessly until you get the core" - unless it's "play as much as you can while writing the song, and then play even more live." I've been known to do both.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by MarkTAW

Who was that bass player that said "Think of the least amount you can play, and then play half of that." He was a wildly successful country session musician.

Dave Pomeroy, et al.

Once upon a time, I was asked to play on a local New Country guy's tune...he told me he wanted 'a Paul McCartney thing on the verses...in the same vibe as "Nowhere Man"'.
To me, that means 8th notes with some movement....and that's what he got.
Of course, it was too busy for him.
Eventually, he told me to "dumb it down"...by using ONE plucking finger vs. my usual 2.

[on1ne]

I am a firm believer in in the less is more approach. As with any rule, there are exceptions but most of the time, I find sparse simple lines that lock with the drums, get it done and give the best groove.

Every song and every band's approach to every song is different You have to listen and decide what will make the song work. Check out the original "Everyday People" (Sly and the Family Stone), effectively one bass note played thru the whole song, and there's no way you can improve on that, it's the perfect bass line for that tune.