Still No Feel

doctormoose87 · #1 10-25-2011, 09:18 AM

Hi All

Hope your well wherever you are in the world.

I thought it was time to fess up. I've been playing nearly 10 years and I still struggle with the feel of songs. Covers and originals. Is there any advice anyone could give that would help me?

Cheer All.

FaithNoMan · #2 10-25-2011, 07:20 PM

Maybe you just need to find some inspiration?

I'm a crappy player myself, but I do like some of the things I do. I notice my "feel" is pretty much gone if I spend too much time on the technical aspects of bass; then, I feel hopeless.

My ridiculous solution for this is to drive to the coast late at night, and take a run in the breezy weather. The wind, waves, sky...they all help me to become re-inspired again.

"Hey, my hands work. I can play bass!"

Lithius · #3 10-26-2011, 06:12 AM

its all about finding the right rhythm(s) and pitches
it may totally out of nowhere
i first felt the groove playing punk music.....i don't listen to punk music
but if you're playing something that seems very mediocre that's not gonna help
but like i said, don't expect to fell anything just because you like the music
the drummer you be using might be something to do with it too

1958Bassman · #4 10-26-2011, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctormoose87

Hi All

Hope your well wherever you are in the world.

I thought it was time to fess up. I've been playing nearly 10 years and I still struggle with the feel of songs. Covers and originals. Is there any advice anyone could give that would help me?

Cheer All.

Get a metronome and use that when you practice. Play on the beat and then, before and after it. Knowing when to play before and after is how you create "feel". You don't need to buy one- google "free metronome" and you can download it.

nysbob · #5 10-26-2011, 07:24 AM

I'm not sure that working with a metronome is a great way to develop feel. It's great for helping you with your time.

I would record what you're doing and really listen to how you're working with your drummer. When a track has the right feel, nothing sticks out - you just hear music. If anything calls attention to itself or detracts from the groove, you've got work to do.

You can't really teach feel, you just need to develop a critical ear for what you do and eliminate the elements that interfere with your bringing music to life.

makkE · #6 10-26-2011, 07:35 AM

Practicing with a metronome can enable you to express the grove/feels better.
If your internal timing is good and trained, it will be easier for you to add groove without the thing falling apart.

You didn't really specify though if your problems are related to physically nailing a feel or groove or to interpretation of the song at a whole - these go hand in hand imho.

If I play a cover song, I try to find out as much about the song, the singer, the intention, I try to grasp the meaning and lyrics of the song as much as possible.

From this information I try to come up with a mental image, a feeling, a memory that I can connect to the song. I try to imagine myself in the singer's/protagonist's place, and what might have compelled them to write the song.

On a more technical side, I try to use all this to guide my groove/feel.
Often I use pictures of movement to help me grasp a certain feel better. Could be a train, surfing, running, a river flowing, the ocean waves, a mild summer rain... - whatever comes to mind.

This will all move your focus away from the hands and the instrument, more towards the actual music and what you need to put into it.

Take a very simple bassline, and try to play it with diffrent emotions - play it bitter, play it sweet, play it desperate, play it light, play it in every way you feel or can imagine.

Another thing that helps me (with covers) is to watch the actual musicians and how they move, or in some cases to watch how people dance to a certain type of music. I move a bit like them and it instantly sounds more like it.

bThumper38 · #7 10-26-2011, 07:42 AM

I would just keep on trying. I don't think I ever found my feel till I played for twelve years, quit for two years, played for another nine years, and I think I'm just really getting my feel of it. I've always practiced hours a day, it just takes time. Chow. B.

Mayers · #8 10-26-2011, 08:05 AM

When you listen ton some songs ... what do you feel when you here them ... try to feel the same when playing the song ... simple like that.

or go with the feel of the genre ... metal is the most agressive style, punk is al about rejecting, rock is more ... I don't for that one ... pop ... well you could be a robot only playing one note every 20 seconds, no one would complain.