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Originally Posted by cliffburtonfan Learn a cover song in the same genre as the band your auditioning for and add your own twist to it.
Maybe play the line and tap the melodies of the horns/trumpets for ska,
Something a bit different thats gonna make you stand out from the rest! |
Sorry, and respectfully, this is a terrible idea.
When have you ever heard a bass player in a dub band use tapping? When have you ever seen a dub bassist play anything other than dubby bass lines?!
Anyway, an audition is to see whether you fit in, musically and socially. You have to show that you understand the type of music you're playing and tapping a horn line is the complete oppostite of understanding dub/ska/reggae etc.
You cant play a specific genre of music if you dont 'get it'.
Listen to as much dub/ska/reggae as you can get your hands on, feel the groove, listen to what each instrument does, listen to the role of the bass and how it interacts with the roles all the other instruments play.
Check out Sly & Robbie - a greatest hist album shoudl set you back about £3 in a sale - there'll be enough famous dub lines on there to get you through an audition. Bob Marley is the obvious choice for reggae, skatelites are about the only ska artists i can remember!
The bass is vital in this kind of music, the groove is consistant, pulsating and hypnotic. The bass playes way behind the beat, but isnt 'lazy'. It's usually very repetative with no more than one or two simple but melodic variations.
Most of the time you'll be playing simple two or three chord progressions, pretty much always major and minor triads and you'll rarely ever need to use more than root, 3rd, 5th octave, Altho if you're playing in a minor key, using the b6 in natural minor gives kind of modern ska sound and the b7 through 5th to the root can be nice in reggae. Original ska basslines in my limited experience tend to be very simple root, 5th and scale tones mostly, again, think melodic, but not intrusive.
Note length is REALLY important, it's amazing how much difference changing the length of notes at different places in the bar can have... of course this applies to everything, but here the bass is so prominant you have to get it right. You have to relax to feel it properly.
sound, use the neck pickup, turn down the treble and mid and put the bass on full! it'll sound more convincing if you dont use mega low action and flat wounds are great for this style of bas playing
Sorry to waffle. hope that was of some help
