Down and dirty bass secrets

[bassbully43]

Well...its raining/cold and im bored and i saw a cool tip on another thread from a TBer on when your guitarist is playing up past the seventh fret you should play from the seventh on down with the drummer holding the bottom and when the guitarist is playing chords seventh position or under you can go up above the seventh and play...sounded like a cool tip.

How about any more cool simple tips from TBers to make it fun for us newer players and maybe something a few older players can pass on. I find it fun when i see a tip i never knew and say hey thats cool...let me try that...there has got to be a bunch out there unless they are secret but if not help a bored fella have some info to read...and maybe help out a fellow TBer.

[bassbully43]

Man ..i was bored and thought of this thread and now i see they really are secrets....thats OK...no harm no foul..i'll just forget it

[steveb98]

The secret is there are no secret just things you haven't learned yet. Many things you don't understand until you need them. Also learning something now that you can't use you won't remember it, or worse say its useless because I don't understand why its important. Be patient, work hard on your current challenges and let things come to you.

The Zen of Bass

[LarryR]

Here's a tip when you're playing LIVE (jamming or at a gig) and you've lost your concentration and forgot where you are in the song. I'll over-elaborate to be clear, but in real life, hopefully you'll only be lost for a few bars.

"Mute your sound with your fingerboard hand, but, keep playing. Keep the thump of your normal rhythm going and keep providing the low-end even though the notes won't be recognizable.......until you remember where the f_ck you're s'posed ta be! Most folks won't notice as long as those woofers are kickin'. If the line you messed is a signature one, you're screwed, but, still keep the thump and rhythm goin'.
Better this way then to pull the whole rug out of the mix.

Oh yeah, this tip works for me at all my gigs. NOT!

[BrandonBass]

does the muting thing really work

[j-bass-kreep]

I don't think so . just grin at the drummer and have a good laugh . music is supossed to be fun .

[WillPlay4Food]

Here's one I learned from my first ever gig last Friday. Don't assume the song is over. I thought the song was over but there was still a final guitar solo to go through. Unfortunately for me, the solo was one guitar & bass only.

When the singer, singer/guitarist and drummer stopped playing I though I was supposed to also. Then I'm getting ***?!? glares from everyone and the singer/guitar player says "Keep playing!"

So I started playing again but man I was sooo embarassed.

[bassbully43]

Originally Posted by LarryR

Here's a tip when you're playing LIVE (jamming or at a gig) and you've lost your concentration and forgot where you are in the song. I'll over-elaborate to be clear, but in real life, hopefully you'll only be lost for a few bars.

"Mute your sound with your fingerboard hand, but, keep playing. Keep the thump of your normal rhythm going and keep providing the low-end even though the notes won't be recognizable.......until you remember where the f_ck you're s'posed ta be! Most folks won't notice as long as those woofers are kickin'. If the line you messed is a signature one, you're screwed, but, still keep the thump and rhythm goin'.
Better this way then to pull the whole rug out of the mix.

Oh yeah, this tip works for me at all my gigs. NOT!

Thanks man..this is what i was talking about.There is always a tip or two we all pick up and can share.I also have kinda used yours it has been when i needed to adjust my amp settings during a song usally early in the first set or once when we had a stage problem during a gig. I mute my E and thump it open just making a thud with the kick drum and it sounds ok only for a bar or two then jump back in....nobody notices and its better than stopping then everybody notices.

Keep em coming and thanks for helping a bored guys post get started.

[bassbully43]

Originally Posted by WillPlay4Food

Here's one I learned from my first ever gig last Friday. Don't assume the song is over. I thought the song was over but there was still a final guitar solo to go through. Unfortunately for me, the solo was one guitar & bass only.

When the singer, singer/guitarist and drummer stopped playing I though I was supposed to also. Then I'm getting ***?!? glares from everyone and the singer/guitar player says "Keep playing!"

So I started playing again but man I was sooo embarassed.

Another tip is dont ever think the song is over when it normally is ...well in my case my cover bands leader is the drummer who every now and then likes to add extra fills to an ending or if their are chicks dancing not end songs when we normally do. In my band i really remember a tip i heard about years ago called ......Big Ears.......and i use them.

[WillPlay4Food]

Well, I know this now. It happened to be a song I was totally unfamiliar with and I was barely holding on. I'd had 3 or 4 practice sessions with this band and didn't see the "final" setlist until an hour before the show.

Then they went and changed the setlist while we were on stage. I was totally flying by the seat of my pants. Plus I was only sitting in for a set, I'm not the regular guy for the band.

[IanStephenson]

My two "secret tricks" I tell to everyone who'll listen are:

1) do warm up stretches before you start playing.
2) when you're pedaling root notes, pick out the snare drum and play octaves on the snare hits (usually 2 and 4) for an instant bigger sound.

Ian

[Throckmorten]

Originally Posted by steveb98

The secret is there are no secret just things you haven't learned yet. Many things you don't understand until you need them. Also learning something now that you can't use you won't remember it, or worse say its useless because I don't understand why its important. Be patient, work hard on your current challenges and let things come to you.

The Zen of Bass

No secrets? Not true.
Zen? True.
For example, I just learned a great truth, the untold secret of good bass is to count the number of frets up on the board the guitard plays, then play below those on the bass.

Before Zen, a bass guitar is a guitar. After Zen a bass guitar is a guitar.

[WillBuckingham]

Originally Posted by bassbully43

Well.i saw a cool tip on another thread from a TBer on when your guitarist is playing up past the seventh fret you should play from the seventh on down with the drummer holding the bottom and when the guitarist is playing chords seventh position or under you can go up above the seventh and play...sounded like a cool tip.

Besides not making any sense, this is not a cool tip. Don't approach playing music like this.

Originally Posted by Throckmorten

For example, I just learned a great truth, the untold secret of good bass is to count the number of frets up on the board the guitard plays, then play below those on the bass.

See above ^.

[iriegnome]

I have been playing for over 27 years now. I have learned one thing that sticks out among the rest - When you play a wrong note, don't worry about it. Play it wrong a second time and people will think you did it on purpose.
It fools a lot of people. By the way, I learned that from the former bass player for Stan Kenton. He was a friend of my dad's.
It is a cool trick that sometimes backfires though. The best thing to do however is be perfect!!!

[bassbully43]

Originally Posted by WillBuckingham

Besides not making any sense, this is not a cool tip. Don't approach playing music like this.


See above ^.

I was just passing it on notice i said sounded kinda cool...i wouldnt do it but the guy who posted it sure belives it.

[bassbully43]

Originally Posted by iriegnome

I have been playing for over 27 years now. I have learned one thing that sticks out among the rest - When you play a wrong note, don't worry about it. Play it wrong a second time and people will think you did it on purpose.
It fools a lot of people. By the way, I learned that from the former bass player for Stan Kenton. He was a friend of my dad's.
It is a cool trick that sometimes backfires though. The best thing to do however is be perfect!!!

I have heard this one before so it must be a good one.

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by LarryR

"Mute your sound with your fingerboard hand, but, keep playing. Keep the thump of your normal rhythm going and keep providing the low-end even though the notes won't be recognizable.......until you remember where the f_ck you're s'posed ta be! Most folks won't notice as long as those woofers are kickin'. If the line you messed is a signature one, you're screwed, but, still keep the thump and rhythm goin'.

I've done this on numerous occasions.

Biggest tip though: don't overplay. Silence speaks louder than endless sound.

[steveb98]

Originally Posted by Throckmorten

No secrets? Not true.
Zen? True.
For example, I just learned a great truth, the untold secret of good bass is to count the number of frets up on the board the guitard plays, then play below those on the bass.

Before Zen, a bass guitar is a guitar. After Zen a bass guitar is a guitar.

Counting frets??? You're already an octave down. The first five fret on a bass are considered the Sweet Spot and some bass players spend their whole life there. But there are great bass parts that are up the neck its what you play not where you play. Duck Dunn classic Knock On Wood is played at the 12th fret. Many of Chuck Rainey's line would move up the neck especially on bridges and fills. Many bass players go up the neck and it doesn't relate to where the guitar play is. It all about being musical. Listen and try things keep listening, record and listen. Like Paul McCartney check out some of the old bootlegs of their recording sessions. McCartney's bass lines were different on just about every take searching for the best line for the song.

You want a tip that will make drummers and other instuments love you. Put some air into your bass lines. Not just playing on the back side of the beat, but shorten the length of notes. That will give a chance for drums or guitar to be heard. Playing legato all the time covers the drums up.

[bassbully43]

Originally Posted by steveb98

Counting frets??? You're already an octave down. The first five fret on a bass are considered the Sweet Spot and some bass players spend their whole life there. But there are great bass parts that are up the neck its what you play not where you play. Duck Dunn classic Knock On Wood is played at the 12th fret. Many of Chuck Rainey's line would move up the neck especially on bridges and fills. Many bass players go up the neck and it doesn't relate to where the guitar play is. It all about being musical. Listen and try things keep listening, record and listen. Like Paul McCartney check out some of the old bootlegs of their recording sessions. McCartney's bass lines were different on just about every take searching for the best line for the song.

You want a tip that will make drummers and other instuments love you. Put some air into your bass lines. Not just playing on the back side of the beat, but shorten the length of notes. That will give a chance for drums or guitar to be heard. Playing legato all the time covers the drums up.

Cool tips!

[CrazyAlexZX3]

ok i'll throw in 2 of my own

1. if you're playing with a band/guitar player and are writing a bassline, but get creativly stuck, or just end up playing the same stuff you always do. Take what you've written and make every single note different. for every note either play it up/down an octive, play a different note, or just dont play it. It forces you out of your comfort zone and can spark creativity.

2. if you're ever in a situation where you have to play the same part over and over and over again, but you already have it down. make use of the time by playing it with a different right hand technique. Before my band went into the studio we practiced the same 12 songs for 2 weeks for 1-2 hours a day. i got bored so i tried playing with my middle and ring finder instead of index and middle. Now i am pretty decent with it and use 3 finger plucking in alot of my stuff!