Gospel Bass Help Needed: How to play the Bass instead of the Notes?

[IotaNet]

To the Group -

I have been playing in church for the last 18 months or so. It's been a true blessing but I need to take the next step.

I usually play twice a month -- First Sunday and some fill-in later in the month. I generally will have my song list 2-3 weeks in advance and I practice the songs that I need to know. that's cool but I need to progress past that.

I need to know what I should be practicing when I don't have any songs to learn. And let me say this ...

It's easy to say "learn every scale and every mode, yada, yada, yada." Unfortunately, that's not realistic -- I don't have the time for that (Busy working 60 hours a week), and I question how productive it is.

On the other hand, I play in a Traditional Black Baptist Church. We play a lot of Chicago Mass Choir, Georgia Mass Choir, Hymns, and Standards (Think: Down at the Cross/The Blood Will Never Lose/Pass Me not/One Step.)

90% of the songs are in F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db. I would guess that 60-70% of the songs have some form of a 6-3-2-5-1 turnaround. I would guess that 30-40% of the songs have some sort of shout lick somewhere in them.

I'm trying to figure out what to practice in order to get comfortable working with those keys and those motifs to be able to play comfortably -- even if I don't know the songs themselves.

Are there certain scales I need to be practicing. (i.e. "Dwayne - If you're in Eb Major then the Minor key is X -- you need to know that and be able to have that readily under your fingers.")

Are there certain specific modes that are common to Gospel music that I ought to have down pat?

I guess what I'm asking is how can I move from playing the notes to playing the bass. I realize that there are no shortcuts but on the other hand, I need to focus on the areas that will have the most impact on Sunday.

Help?

[waleross]

Try this site :www.LearnGosipalMusic.com
The Bass player's name is Alex Sampson
http://www.learngospelmusic.com/foru...?topic=70600.0
He has a regular mail order/DVd Bass course that is good. Explore the above sites and you should see what your looking for.....Good luck..........................

[jmain]

It sounds like you're practicing the right things. Knowing those keys and chord progressions is good, as well as the shout runs. You may also try some different keys, and use the same progressions.

I don't know where you're at so I'm just suggesting what helps me. I'm pretty rusty and been playing mostly Christian rock - riding on some 8th notes with some general progressions.

Its good to know what notes make up the chords and what modes are related to the chords. Not trying to learn all of them, just start with what you've been working on. So then you can improvise licks over the songs you know or been working on.

So then if you see that chord somewhere else, you're not trying to just learn the lick someone else played or riding the root (and 3rd or 5th), but can suggest the chord and then more importantly, transition to the next chord in the progression. It will help you improvise and create your own parts if you know the notes in the chord by how they are constructed (maj, minor, dom 7th, etc..)

Hope that helps and not just same old junk you already know. You seem to have a good grip on what's going on.

[Stumbo]

Here are some theory links to check out that may help:
~Theory
Learning basic theory
Intro scale & chord theory
3rds & 7ths?
Theory links list
Theory (from the DB side of TB)

Learning "modes"
Reason for modes
Using modes
Putting it all together (scales/modes)
Key signatures/Circle of 5ths/Cycle of 4ths
Circle/Cycle of 5ths/4ths (spreadsheet format)

Also, check out the "Bass Knowledge" link in my sig. below for more bass info.

[Ben Wilkie]

Originally Posted by IotaNet

90% of the songs are in F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db. I would guess that 60-70% of the songs have some form of a 6-2-5-1 turnaround. I would guess that 30-40% of the songs have some sort of shout lick somewhere in them.

I'm trying to figure out what to practice in order to get comfortable working with those keys and those motifs to be able to play comfortably -- even if I don't know the songs themselves.

Are there certain scales I need to be practicing. (i.e. "Dwayne - If you're in Eb Major then the Minor key is X -- you need to know that and be able to have that readily under your fingers.")

a) Learn the major and relative minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor of each of those five keys over two octaves with at least two different fingerings. This way you'll get to know the feel of these keys, and where to find each note in a variety of positions on the bass. The idea is not to know the scale, but to know the fingerboard

b) Learn the 6-2-5-1 (or did you mean 6-3-2-5-1??) in twelve keys. I went to a jazz music school and this is what we did... we'd learn the changes for all sorts of standards (even nasty bebop tunes) in twelve keys, just so it was kind of automatic for us. Learn to walk over it, root-fifth, bossa, slap, whatever! Just know that turnaround like the back of your hand. It's the building block of much contemporary music, and it usually has an important place in the piece of music, so it's imperative that you can pull it of without thinking!

c) Get a metronome, and get your groove on! Use only the 2 and 4; i.e. if the piece is at 160bpm, set your metronome to 80bpm and treat each 'click' as the 2nd and 4th beat of the bar. Do your scales like this, too. Playing straight 1-2-3-4 with the metronome is a quick way to loose 'feel', and by focussing on the and 2 and 4, you 'get inside' the pulse of the music.

d) This is if you have time. Get the changes for whatever piece, and learn to improvise a solo over the entire form. Play with melodies and even just different bass lines (in church it might be a blues feel, but try making up a bass line with a funk feel instead - just for practice). This is another way to 'get inside' the music and get to know it a little better.

You said you had time constraints, and that's fine. You don't need to do all you need to do in one sitting; spread it out over a week, or even do cycles of two weeks. Even 20 minutes a day makes a difference. You could do 5 min of scales, 5 min of 6-3-2-5-1 and 10 min of just playing your tunes and improvising. Do it all using a metronome and you've covered all the core areas! And trust me, five minutes of F major is ALOT longer than you think!

Hope this helps!

[jeremyr]

Play what you feel. It took me a while to figure that one out, but when I did everything was much more natural sounding. Play frm your heart and you'll be there in no time

[bottomzone]

Memorize the circle of fourths, which is used a lot in gospel and music in general. Also, check out www.hearandplay.com.

Alex Sampson just released a Gospel Bass Player DVD package that's pretty cool, too. Visit www.gospelbassplayer.com.


Also, listen to as much gospel music as you can stand!!!


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[MalcolmAmos]

Black Gospel is feel. I understand what you are asking, I doubt that I would be able to pull it off. However, if I was faced with this situation I would be talking to the church pianist.

You want to work with and not compete with each other, i.e. that iii, vi, ii, V, I turn-a-round is an example of what I'm talking about. Great if you both hit the run together, sloppy and muddy if you don't. The more you two work together the better you will get. In the band I play rhythm guitar in the bass and lead guitar have worked out the runs as to who does which one and when, so they are not stepping on each other toes. That is what I think would help your playing the most. And, that will not come over night.

Again, if I was faced with this situation I would be looking at hymnals and hoping for chord names, (lead sheet) I think you will find the chord progression to be basic and the feel you are looking for comes with the runs, fills, etc. that you and the church pianist throw into the mix. I'm sure she will share some of her bag of tricks.

Good luck.

[IotaNet]

Gents -

Thanks for the feeback -- excellent ideas here.