Do you play differently in a trio?

[Nickthebass]

I'm likely going to be joining a blues trio soon and am trying to get my head around how this is going to change the way I play.

Anyone got any thoughts? Have you found it changing your tone? Do you find yourself playing more notes? Do you find yourself playing more simply because you're the only pitched instrument holding the fort during solos? Has the space and exposed nature made you a more accurate player?

Cheers in advance

[shadowmac]

In my experience...
Tonally, you are not as reigned in as you might be with a bigger band..less fighting for fequencies...more freedom by far, but with great freedom comes great responsibility...you've gotta be in TIGHT with your drummer.

Trios are awesome.

[BigOldHarry]

sure - if I joined a blues band tomorrow, I'd stick with my 4 string, roll the tone off, and play *less*. If it were a serious band - that is, a band that wanted a "look" and a presence, I'd go out and find a sunburst P-bass (which is, to me, the only real blues-band bass one can play!)

[HeadyVan Halen]

I love playing in a Trio..Love it..There is so much space to shine or hang or yourself I suppose.

Couple of things I've noticed:
Get your chops up..you'll probably get some solos.
Know when to 'open up' and when to keep it just on groove...When guitar starts solo, keep it simple. If you feel him 'going out there' then you open up..if not, stay in the pocket.

Just cause your in a Trio, doesn't mean that for every song you have to channel Jaco..feel the song. Some require the minimum from our instrument..some don't. Don't force notes.


Enjoy! Trio's are so much fun because there's nowhere to...

[gjbassist]

There is a fine line in a small blues band between overplaying and underplaying. You still have to support the overall rhythm of the song, but you will probably find yourself playing more notes than normal. You are going to need to fill in the blanks while the guitar player is soloing.

[bass12]

I sometimes play in a rock/funk/blues/reggae trio. The band leader expects me to play more than I otherwise might. I sometimes have to expand on an existing bass line to fill things out a bit, with more use of double stops and chords (and I have to solo more than I normally would). Lots of fun. Tone-wise I don't go for anything different, though I might be inclined to use effects more than I would on most other gigs.

[bjabass]

I found myself muting notes much less because if I did, the music sounded sketchy and thin. I was letting notes ring to fill during guitar leads. I loved it 'cause arrangements (musical and logistical) were really easy and the pay was much better.

[codeinedreams]

I would do more variations on walking bass lines and melodic solo-like parts that would sound as if I'm singing. see the "link" in my signature to sample my work in a trio. It's not blues though. let me know if you think the bass is too "busy" - haha

[Jazz Ad]

A trio requires a thick and solid tone, to get the power trio thing going.
Other than that, not much change that I can see.

[lunarpollen]

It really depends on how you usually play and what type of blues the trio will play

[rickl289]

I play in a surf/instro/blues trio. No vocals. I keep it pretty simple and very little staccato or mute notes. For our blues tunes, I just lock in with the drummer and go.

Black/tort p-bass.

[robbotbass]

I've played in a lot of Trio's and my #1 advice would be get your chops and groove down. Your off the Groove or make a mistake there is a lot less sound to cover for you! But I would also say I prefer the trio! I mean let that bass playing shine and not be hidden by 2 or 3 or even 4 guitars or keyboards or singers!

[BassBob1]

i have pretty much only been in trios up until my previous band. My previous band started as a trio and then we added another guitarist. When that was done my approach didn't change at all. Regardless of how many people i am playing with i make sure what i am doing fits what the whole group is playing.

[JimmyM]

i think the "power" in the power trio format comes more from the way the guitarist plays than the bass player. a good trio guitarist knows how to fill space with his/her lead playing to make it not seem so empty, and quite honestly, i don't do a whole lot different than i'd ordinarily do. maybe i'll play octaves a little more often or occasionally throw in chords, but i don't do a whole lot different for the most part.

[So Low Bass]

Sorry if I sound thick here.

What do you mean by "the only pitched instrument during solos"?? Are you playing with two drummers?? Are you playing with a guitar or keyboard?

[zachoff]

I've only been in one band that wasn't a trio & felt unimportant. It really hurt my emo ego. Ha, kidding but I definitely played differently. Didn't move around or try to stand out as much. Kinda stood back with the drummer & let the guitarists do their thing. I definitely interact more with the crowd in a 3 piece regardless if I'm on vocals or not. It's way more fun, IMO. Tonally, I think you need to turn up a bit and kick up the mids/low mids or the music really thins out during solos. You might think about getting a disto pedal to fill the space during solos, but I've found that does just the opposite. Better to boost mids a bit and keep your bottom... Anyway, have fun and good luck. Three pieces rule.

[brianrost]

Just because there is more space you don't have to fill it up. I don't change my playing much when in a trio format (which I do a lot). You can be freer with your lines while the guitar is soloing because there's no chords coming from a keyboard or second guitar to rein you in.

[warnergt]

It's mostly the same but, to get the familiar sound for some tunes, you
may need to emulate the rhythm guitar music as it won't exist in a trio.
An obvious example that I can think of is "Jumpin' Jack Flash." Keith
Richards' bass line just doesn't cut it in a trio. Your audience wouldn't
recognize it.

Also, you may find it helpful to push some bass lines down to the bottom
octave on your bass if they aren't already there. You need to exercise
some judgment here to determine what sounds best. Again, this goes to
supporting the song when the rhythm guitar (or other instrument)
support is not there.

Our band plays the live version of Freebird (by the way, are there any
other trios out there that play Freebird?). The original bass line just
keeps walking up higher and higher in a crescendo-like manner toward
the end of the tune. I can't do that because I don't have like four
other guitars supporting the song while I do that. It sounds really
weird if I attempt to use the original bass line.

[electracoyote]

In trio format, I tend to go into Jack Bruce mode.

After a year of playing on a classic rock trio, I joined a classic country band. Boy, did I have to reign myself in quick.

[maturanesa]

in my case, i tend to play more on the low register and a bit more notes.
If you go too much to the high register it seems like some space is empty...