Help........Im too white!

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Ok, since I started playing bass, like almost 2 years now, all Ive mainly played is prog/metal/hard rock. Stuff with no soul or groove for the most part. Ive gotten to where my bass playing is very mechanical , good for stuff like that but it has no flow or groove or bounce.

Lately ive been getting into Jazz and Fusion and stuff that has groove and soul and bounce and stuff. So any advice on how to add this to my playing? Im not so much interested in slap as I am in bass lines that flow, like Jamerson stuff.

I bought a Marvin Gaye tab book and Im workin on those basslines, trying to gain some flow. That stuff is challenging, and yet, even though im not gonna give up on that stuff, I want something that will help me grow without killing me first. Some easy but helpful basslines ?

Thanks alot guys, any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I hope this isnt too confusing

[JimmyM]

Juan Alderette of the Mars Volta said that in order to nail a certain style of music, you have to immerse yourself into it. He is right.

Here's what I would do...start listening to anything put out by Motown, Stax/Volt, or Atlantic soul music. Check out not only Jamerson, but Duck Dunn's great work with Stax/Volt like Otis Redding, Sam And Dave, Carla Thomas, etc.

There's a lot of Stax basslines that are fairly easy that will give you some great ideas, like "Time Is Tight" and "Green Onions" by Booker T and the MG's, "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding, and "Hold On I'm Comin'" and "Soul Man" by Sam And Dave. Motown is often a bit tough for a newcomer, but Duck Dunn's parts usually aren't too tough, but there's groove for days.

[thewanderer24]

I suggest you start with the absolutely easiest thing you can find that fits your criteria of what you want. Jamerson stuff on Marvin Gaye is AWESOME, but it's not how you start learning to groove.

Find something simple enough that you can disect each little bit of it and concentrate on the subtle nuances and dynamics of each little note in the piece. YOu are not gonna help yourself (or very very slowly) if you try learning groove from really complicated stuff.

Learn to groove with easy stuff first and you will slowly internalize it. Eventually it becomes part of everything you play.

Go find unglamorous stuff like Mustang Sally for what I mean by easy stuff with a fat groove.

[steveksux]

Pay particular attention to when they are and are not on the beat. Its that anticipation ahead of or laying back a little behind the beat that gives it that groove. The rock stuff is mostly always stuck on the 1/4 or 1/8. The other stuff lands on or closer to various 1/16's of the beat.

Very hard to do without messing up the time. anticipating downbeats must NOT equal or lead to rushing tempos, and being a little behind the beat can't turn into slowing tempos. Learn the stuff with the record, then play it with a metronome. Record it. Listen. When it grooves to a metronome, it grooves. Congratulations, you have just snatched the pebbles from Jamerson's hands.

Randy

[nasaldischarges]

learn the rules of walking basslines

and find chord changes on the internet

[Jace The Bass]

To immerse in ones style is to imitate it by first listening than copying walaa transcribe the only way around it
I was backwards to what you are going through I knew all the soul funk blues whatever but when it came to metal I was dumbfounded so I just listened to many Mettallica,Pantera,Sepultura and even AC/DC records before I attempted to transcribe then went through the slog of learning them now a few years later I'm glad I did cause I've subbed in a few metal tribute bands
But the important thing is to get the feel ( groove ) of the song so it becomes part of your playing and vocab. so you can pull it out whenever the occasion comes up.
I congradulate you on learning another style b/c it's not easy to get away from your roots ( metal ) but when you do learn other styles people begin to respect you more instead of you being labelled in a category of being a metal player but the key is to be paitent as it will come in time so long as you are consistent
Anyway good luck and may the funk/soul be with you

[Correlli]

I guess if you want to play like those dudes, you have to be thinking like them.

And this is something you can't fake or learn.

Color has nothing to do with it. If you think it has, you are stuffed right from the start.