electric bass backing an acuostic guitar...

[matt"bass"]

for starters would this work?

more importantly concerning this message board whats the best way to go about it. Like what kinda of techniques etc. should i use for a dashboard confessional type acoustic band, i am doing some stuff with over summer.? all help is thanked

[wujuu]

Originally Posted by matt"bass"

for starters would this work?

more importantly concerning this message board whats the best way to go about it. Like what kinda of techniques etc. should i use for a dashboard confessional type acoustic band, i am doing some stuff with over summer.? all help is thanked

yes it would work, why wouldn't it?

[matt"bass"]

i ve heard some recordings where the bass totaly overpowers the guitars and it destroys the song. Is that a recording issue?
and i mean what parts of scales etc. should i be look in to use. Like with reggae people advise root 5th n octave, is there anything that fits nicely with emotionally paced slow acoustic music?

[fcleff]

I work with a group right now that consists of bass, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar. In terms of what I do as a bassist, well, I play a little busier to try and get more percussive effects (dead notes, etc.). A lot of the stuff we are doing is country/R&B. I use my upright but will probably start using my electric exclusively (with the exceptions of the tunes where I use my bow).

Hope that helps.

[Naveed Afzal]

bruh, you are asking for overall playing tips... playing with electric is the same as with acoustic, its the overall song...

My Guitarist uses Acoustic Guitars 90% of the time and i play the same.

if its a slow song and i feel like not doing much, i'll 2 beat the chord changes, and add a little fill hear and there.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by matt"bass"

i ve heard some recordings where the bass totaly overpowers the guitars and it destroys the song. Is that a recording issue?
and i mean what parts of scales etc. should i be look in to use. Like with reggae people advise root 5th n octave, is there anything that fits nicely with emotionally paced slow acoustic music?

Get a bunch of James Taylor and Jackson Browne CD's and just listen to them. The best is probably the two CD James Taylor Live set.... with Jimmy Johnson on bass and Carlos Vega on drums.... one of the best sections ever.

Jimmy's very modern sounding Alembic just fits perfectly with James' acoustic guitar... primarily due to technique, a tight sound (not a ton of boomy low end) and a massive amount of taste.

The new 'Jagged Little Pill' Acoustic reissue is also wonderful, and takes a different approach... using a very 'woolly' sounding EB with flatwounds... like a Hofner type deal... also very nice... just a nice, fat kind of drone in the background....

[fcleff]

Originally Posted by KJung

Get a bunch of James Taylor and Jackson Browne CD's and just listen to them. The best is probably the two CD James Taylor Live set.... with Jimmy Johnson on bass and Carlos Vega on drums.... one of the best sections ever.

Jimmy's very modern sounding Alembic just fits perfectly with James' acoustic guitar... primarily due to technique, a tight sound (not a ton of boomy low end) and a massive amount of taste.

+1 The original of 'Something in the Way She Moves' is a good example, too. Lee Sklar is really good at this. I saw James many years ago with Jimmy on bass. That was really good. There were some moments of just the two of them that really shined. Very tasteful player indeed, even when I saw him play with Allan Holdsworth.

[matt"bass"]

thanks alot. i suppose, though i'm quite an active player and like to get around the fretboard and not play just roots, so i think i need to chill out and just enjoy the ride in the acoustic set-up.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by matt"bass"

thanks alot. i suppose, though i'm quite an active player and like to get around the fretboard and not play just roots, so i think i need to chill out and just enjoy the ride in the acoustic set-up.

+1.... per the post above, Jimmy Johnson is one of the first call fusion bassists... massive chops and technique. When he plays with James, you would never know it (other than his technique, tone, and time are perfect... you can tell there's some serious talent and skill going on there!).

There is great joy sometimes in really focusing on being a supportive player in the context of the tune. And... it's not as easy as you think to play more 'simple' lines in time, with great tone, and hitting all the correct notes. An incorrect 16th note is one thing... an incorrect whole note is a completely different thing

Have fun!

[fcleff]

I just dug it out and listened to it. Lee Sklar's work on J.T.'s 'Something in the Way She Moves' is really good. Very melodic and deceptively simple. I have it on "J.T.'s Greatest Hits"

[stretch80]

You don't need to be 'too' simple: one technique that works really well is to play simple melodic countermelodies. Also, if there's singing going on, pay attention to the singer's phrasing: If you play rhythmically with the singer, that really pulls everything together. Have fun!

[wujuu]

you have PLENTY of room to move around when playing with an acoustic. Octaves and 5ths work fine as well.

[iplaybassguitar]

it will work perfectly...check out mike gordon and leo kottke...its one acoustic guitar and one electric bass...if they can do it...you can too

[Murf]

Actually this is a very very good question, on the surface it seems simple..yeah of course you can back an acoustic with a bass guitar..but in my experience (due to the nature of guitar) good acoustic players (especially proficient fingerstyle players..ie clawhammer techniques etc) tend to already have the underlying bass motion covered by their picking technique..which basically makes bass guitar redundant.

I've worked with so many singer/songwriter guitarist who have incredible technique, so much so that they've already written and are playing the bass parts themselves on the acoustic...(check out the likes of Nick Drake or Tommy Emmanuel for a rough idea) and the problem becomes "where the hell do I as a bassist fit in to this?

Generally I've found when working with players like this the best way to go is Fretless and try to weave your bassline around their technique (think Jaco on Joni Mitchells "Refuge of the roads")

great question and an overlooked element of bass playing imo.

[Dan1099]

Originally Posted by KJung

Get a bunch of James Taylor and Jackson Browne CD's and just listen to them. The best is probably the two CD James Taylor Live set.... with Jimmy Johnson on bass and Carlos Vega on drums.... one of the best sections ever.

Jimmy's very modern sounding Alembic just fits perfectly with James' acoustic guitar... primarily due to technique, a tight sound (not a ton of boomy low end) and a massive amount of taste.

+1 I grew up listening to this album. I need to get another copy of it, as I left it with my mom, as it's her favorite. It really says something that I loved that album before I was really into music (even as a small child) and it's still fantastic to me.

[i like tictacs]

Ask the Dave Matthews Band if it works

[bassist15]

Listen To Jaco's playing when he backs Joni Mitchell. Very melodic and well backed. Think of ways to make the music sound interesting . Play counter melodies. Leave spaces. Accent certain places. Jsut make the music beautiful. And have fun with it!

[Bass.]

What works with alot of acoustic work (that i've encountered) is the electric bass... meaning that's what works best. The acoustic just get's wrapped up into the melody and what the guitarist is doing, like what murf said. Playing a real active role can make an acoustic set come alive, in my opion anyways

[TheToe]

It think a lot of how you play depends on the guitarist's playing style. If he/she are very active (lots of heavy strumming), you need to lay back and play more openly (think melodic v. rhythmic), and let the guitarist provide the rhythmic initiative.