Do you need to play drums as a bassplayer?

[kyriakos]

I would like to ask what's the use of knowing how to play drums or any kind of percussion.
Is this actually going to help you to be better as a bassplayer?
Is it going to groove better?
I would like to refer that i know to write drum lines but i can't play them.

[BassChuck]

Whether you play drums or not is probably not all that important. But, having a love of rhythm, hand co-ordination, understanding the role of percussion in whatever music you are dealing with are all important parts of your 'musical persona', and important parts to the tools you'll use to make and play bass parts.

And, while we're on the subject, singing is part of the picture too, but I'm not too sure that you have to have professional vocal chops to play bass (vocal abilities do help in getting gigs however).

[BellBottomBlues]

The more things you play, the more valuable you are, simple as that.

I played bass before I played drums and once I learned I found it easier, for me at least, to anticipate what the drummer was doing next almost exactly. It helps you better understand both sides of the rhythm section better.

If you noticed many of the world's "greatest bass players" didn't even start out on bass. Larry Grahm, the father of slap, started on guitar. Jaco on drums, Stanley Clarke on violin. The list goes on and on.

Each instrument you learn has a different way of thinking and when you apply that to a greater or lesser degree on bass guitar, you might be able to pull off some really cool stuff.

[DocBop]

Over the years I've notice the real good bass players having to work so much with drums end up playing some even if only for their themselves. It's all about learning more about rhythm and better understanding how drummers think. Any time you need to work with someone else its good to learn a bit about what they do so you can work with them. They tend to pickup on it and dig it and a win-win for everyone.

[Bill McKemy]

I don't think that you have to get to a professional skill level, but I think that it can really add alot to one's musical perspective to do some basic time keeping work on the drumset.

I learned alot about how to be a better bass player (read as more supportive, better listener, more focused on the big picture of the music, making more musical choices in all regards) by dividing my practice time up between drums, piano, composition, and bass. I usually just had 20-30 minutes each on the non-bass things but the gains were huge.

[DWBass]

I don't think you need to know how to play drums but I do think you should know your rhythms. All types of rhythms!

[jimbob]

I started on drums and play percussions. I understood note values and beats before I played bass which helped me when I was figuring out songs when I started.

[69nites]

I think it's good to have a basic understanding of all the other instruments you're playing with. It's good to understand what they're doing and where they're going with something. I think it has a great effect on the writing process.

[mambo4]

in My experince with Afro-Cuban music , learning the percussion parts opened up my ears and understanding tremendously. I certainly could'nt hurt in other styles as well.

I think the important thing is be very aware of exactly what the drums are doing, wether you can play it or not. It make sit very easy to lock in when you need to, and find spaces when you don't.

Idealy you'd have that level of awareness with the Lead Vocals and all the other instruments too -but drums is certainly where to start.

[3arthb3nd3r]

I picked up bass after always playing percussion, and I think it totally helped. The sound of regular guitars, especially electric, really speak to me, but I can't be quick enough with my fingers to play powerchords and shred...and I've been playing drums, at least on and off, my whole life...bass was a sort of middleground for me, so it kinda came naturally and i think drumming helped a lot.
I think that if you have any background in any rhythm instrument, it'll help with learning all of the others.

[dcr]

Well, I couldn't carry time in a bucket on drums. But I do pretty well on bass.





dcr

[ZonGuy]

Originally Posted by mambo4

in My experince with Afro-Cuban music , learning the percussion parts opened up my ears and understanding tremendously. I certainly could'nt hurt in other styles as well.

I think the important thing is be very aware of exactly what the drums are doing, wether you can play it or not. It make sit very easy to lock in when you need to, and find spaces when you don't.

Idealy you'd have that level of awareness with the Lead Vocals and all the other instruments too -but drums is certainly where to start.

+1

[BuffaloBass]

Agree with Mambo although I havent played a note of Afro-Cuban. Important for any style although less so for plain vanilla rock-n-roll, or anything in common time, with common emphasis. Now, if I was a judgemental fella, I'd call that BORING.

I bought a cheap $150 kit from our band's drummer. Why? Actually I'm hoping it'll help me with my left hand/right hand articulation ( hammering each note with the left while ghosting a rhythm with the right / A vic Wooten thing) . My six yr old digs the kit it too. (and I got him listening with attention to " The Meters" drummer. frickin' priceless breakthrough for dad! )

Short answer: Yes, I beleive it helps tremendously, but is not "essential" in many genres. Part of my personal pursuit of bassology though, as is music theory.

[cnltb]

hhmmm playing drums. Isn't that what drummers do?
I don't think it is relevant to play drums as a bassist.
It helps to understand their role, just as it is relevant to understand the role of any instrument.

[agreatheight]

Learning to play drums pretty well has been the best thing I've ever done as a bass player !

[BuffaloBass]

Originally Posted by cnltb

hhmmm playing drums. Isn't that what drummers do?
I don't think it is relevant to play drums as a bassist.
It helps to understand their role, just as it is relevant to understand the role of any instrument.

If I may be so bold as to submit: The bassist holds the middle ground between percussion and melody, therefore the bassist should know as much about how each adds to the piece. Now, most of us have been "straddled" with melody all our lives, but rhythms not so much so.

Therefore I beleive the bassist understanding and knowing percussion ( knowing enough to groove with the drummer's paradiddles) is slightly more important only because most bass players have "melody" in their heads more than "rhythm" by past experience. And both are needed to be truly a player.

Please witness 3earht3-3r's transition from drums to bass as empirical proof of the concept's validity.

Plus, I know y'all have heard guitar players play bass. and you KNOW they're guitar players playing bass, i.e., they FAKING playing bass. Now you know why.

[tZer]

After 25 years of playing bass with drummers in school jazz bands, side projects and so on, I have personally developed a keen fondness and healthy respect for good drummers.

So I just bought myself a nice little 5-piece and intend to learn to play. Why? I've always felt that the drummers I admire most have something that I want - significant mechanical control over their limbs!

And as another said in this thread, we bass players have to straddle the line between the 100% rhythm zone and the 100% melody zone. I started life on piano then moved to violin (and trombone) - so I've already been a full partner in the 100% melody zone. When I made the move to bass I often felt my 'melody side' actually got in the way of playing more 'cool' and 'real' bass parts. I always felt that I was 'too melodic'.

I've since gotten over that silliness and I love my 'melodic awareness' as it applies to bass playing. Nothing helps more than being in it up to your neck to give you a better grasp of it all, right?

Now it's time to visit the other end of the spectrum - the 100% rhythm zone! I want to learn the basics - playing proper rudiments - proper stick technique - the whole she-bang! I want to learn to play drums so that I can play drums. But knowing what playing piano and violin (and trombone) did for my sense of melody and harmony, I expect playing drums will have a similar effect on my sense of timing and rhythm.

But do you have to play drums to play bass? Of course not. You do, however, need to play drums to be a drummer.

[AvE]

I agree with al story's here! It's much better when you (if possible) play, but at least understand and listen to all other instruments! It wil help you a lot to find your part as a bassplayer! I think most important is the rythme-section!

My advice for a good start:
Rule one and First of all; always listen to your fellow bandmembers what they're playing and anticipate on that; Give them space to play! Keep it basic, interresting and groovy ... but on the other hand, they also must give you space when necesary!

If you're not able to play another instrument, buy yourself a nice drumcomputer like a ZOOM MRT3 (Good and cheap) ... switch on the standard presets (you get 400) and try to find/create all kind of grooves/licks with that! Try to go steady and tight with the bassdrum and in the way of time, build out those selfcreated grooves and licks! Do that every day at least for about 10 minutes as a part of your exercises! Also don't be afraid for the 'tempo-knob'!

Try to make yourself as rythmic as possible but again; keep it basic but interresting! For soloing and hightech stuff you need other exercises! I'm shure this drumcomputer will help you a lot to go more groovy, fingersettings, slapping-skill etc.

and last but not least ...

... after a while you will see that you don't need a metronome anymore because you're going tight and steady as a rock ... and with that, it is very nice to know that you can keep all those 'lazy' or 'over-enthousiastic' drummers in beat by yourself!!

Succes!

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBass

If I may be so bold as to submit: The bassist holds the middle ground between percussion and melody, therefore the bassist should know as much about how each adds to the piece. Now, most of us have been "straddled" with melody all our lives, but rhythms not so much so.

Therefore I beleive the bassist understanding and knowing percussion ( knowing enough to groove with the drummer's paradiddles) is slightly more important only because most bass players have "melody" in their heads more than "rhythm" by past experience. And both are needed to be truly a player.

Please witness 3earht3-3r's transition from drums to bass as empirical proof of the concept's validity.

Plus, I know y'all have heard guitar players play bass. and you KNOW they're guitar players playing bass, i.e., they FAKING playing bass. Now you know why.

Are you not pretty much paraphrasing and extending the point made in the post you are quoting ?

[bikeplate]

HI

Only if you want to play out of time and be late for every gig

Rob