Bass in Christian music?

weldon29 · #1 07-17-2009, 07:05 AM

I'm a church bassist and was wondering how most of you guys who are church bassist play. In our church(and every church I have been to) they use a sheet music with the lyrics and chords on them.
Like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_01DXCAWumg
How would you guys play this? I just want to know how others do it, and get some ideas from it.
P.S. I'm a Chinese who goes to a Chinese Church(if you're wondering why the song is in Chinese)

bassist4dalord · #2 07-17-2009, 07:12 AM

I read a sheet of lyrics with the chord name written above where it's played. Pretty straightforward. I add my own little flourishes and such. God bless!

GODSBASSMAN · #3 07-17-2009, 07:47 AM

Sheet music a lot of the time, much of it has the recommended bass notation as well as guitar chord charts. Often an impromptu song is presented which generally I play by ear from memory of that song and tweaked depending on the piano players style (we have several who serve).

DeluxeRed · #4 07-17-2009, 07:53 AM

Think "1960's Pop Music" in the Carole Kaye/James Jamerson sound, holding the root, very chordal, and not over-doing it, with a smooth, round sound, maybe even foam/felt muting your bass, and you'll do fine.

Though you oughta take just one song and kick in the fuzz and fx, grab a pick, and just wail on it, or slap it silly...

pbass62 · #5 07-17-2009, 07:56 AM

Pretty song, Add a C# between the D and Bm 1st line of verses and A in the bass on the last D all 1st line.

God Bless my friend

Play from your heart

weldon29 · #6 07-17-2009, 08:03 AM

Well I've been playing the bass in a church for a year so I know how to do it:P
Just wanted to hear and maybe see how some of you guys do it.

Infernal Affair · #7 07-17-2009, 10:43 AM

Lead sheets like the one you showed are what I often get. Very rarely, if ever, do I get standard notation.

RustyAxe · #8 07-17-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weldon29

I'm a church bassist and was wondering how most of you guys who are church bassist play. In our church(and every church I have been to) they use a sheet music with the lyrics and chords on them.
Like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_01DXCAWumg
How would you guys play this? I just want to know how others do it, and get some ideas from it.
P.S. I'm a Chinese who goes to a Chinese Church(if you're wondering why the song is in Chinese)

Very beautiful song, even though I didn't understand a word of it ...

. The chords will tell you the root note, and if you know some theory, also what bass notes work in that chord (for example Em = E G B). That would let you work over that chord. There are also "standard" run ups and downs ... like when the chords go from D to Bm (major to relative minor) you can play D, C#, B to make a smooth transition (that's what you hear in the clip). It's all about knowing the key, the chord, and scales for the chord (which tell you what will work and what won't), and having an ear for the transitions.

I've been playing bass for more than 40 years, so I don't even think about it anymore ... I just dig into my bag of riffs and play. On fill in gigs I don't even know the song at all, but it's usually predictable, especially contemporary Christian music.

krkozbassman · #9 07-22-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weldon29

I'm a church bassist and was wondering how most of you guys who are church bassist play. In our church(and every church I have been to) they use a sheet music with the lyrics and chords on them.
Like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_01DXCAWumg
How would you guys play this? I just want to know how others do it, and get some ideas from it.
P.S. I'm a Chinese who goes to a Chinese Church(if you're wondering why the song is in Chinese)

Very beautiful song. I like that I can feel the "Word" and not understand the "words".
I usually just hit the root of the cords where they are for a slower song like this and let them ring or swell softly. For faster stuff I still do that but add to it - trying to add runs or a groove while still using the roots where they are. In the church setting I don't get that fancy (sometimes) because the elderly people like it to be more traditional so I tend to keep it simple - fill in the spaces with some sound and not get noticed. I mean playing in a way that if I stop everyone notices the emptiness, but not that people actually say "wow listen to that bassline".

Dan Knowlton · #10 07-22-2009, 02:15 PM

I get a wide range - Nashville numbers, chord chart or written bass lines. When I can play what I want I lock in with the drummer and use roots, chord tones, and some chromatic approach notes (don't hang on those!).

I'd say the biggest priority is the rhythm and the root and most often simple is better. Sounds like you are setting your bar too high with your expectations - you don't have to play with Jamerson or Marcus - just concentrate on making the music feel good.

Dan K.

TL5 · #11 07-22-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Knowlton

I get a wide range - Nashville numbers, chord chart or written bass lines. When I can play what I want I lock in with the drummer and use roots, chord tones, and some chromatic approach notes (don't hang on those!).

I'd say the biggest priority is the rhythm and the root and most often simple is better. Sounds like you are setting your bar too high with your expectations - you don't have to play with Jamerson or Marcus - just concentrate on making the music feel good.

Dan K.

I agree.

ADDING: I would add diatonic approach notes as well as some (few) chromatic.
Most of the time I get purchased, lead sheets with the melody written and the harmony as chords over the staves.
The rest of the time we use Nashville charts like this:
http://home.comcast.net/~eddyseals/m...ivemejesus.pdf