Not fitting in

stickytape706 · #1 02-13-2009, 09:16 AM

I have been playing bass for about 2-3 years now. I was in a band that eventually split cuz we had nowhere to practice. I love listening to heavy metal. The more heavier the more I seem to enjoy. I want to play heavy metal. The problem I am having is that when I come up with bass lines they are more funky, catchy lines that do not mesh well. I went back and listened to our old demos and noticed that even back then we were not as heavy as we thought we were. We had a rage against the machine feel which was not where we wanted to go but it fit. Just feeling like I am not fitting in with my friends when we jam out. Im considering jamming with a local jazz drummer but it just seems weird.....

#2 02-13-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stickytape706

I have been playing bass for about 2-3 years now. I was in a band that eventually split cuz we had nowhere to practice. I love listening to heavy metal. The more heavier the more I seem to enjoy. I want to play heavy metal. The problem I am having is that when I come up with bass lines they are more funky, catchy lines that do not mesh well. I went back and listened to our old demos and noticed that even back then we were not as heavy as we thought we were. We had a rage against the machine feel which was not where we wanted to go but it fit. Just feeling like I am not fitting in with my friends when we jam out. Im considering jamming with a local jazz drummer but it just seems weird.....

It sounds like there's a difference between what your body knows how to do (your learned motor skills and remembered muscle memory) and what your musical imagination and emotion would like you to aim towards.

I would say that if you want to be able to play the metal basslines, but end up playing funk, this is because you have a natural or acquired predisposition to head for certain notes in the funk style.

What you can do to remedy this, is to listen to and play basslines that you admire in the metal style. If you try and copy the sound and the attitude of other people's lines, and look at their note selection, then you'll kind of pick up a feel for what makes a metal bass line different from a funk one.

I had to do this with reggae a while ago, because I loved reggae but had always played rock. I had to listen to lots of reggae bass and actually learn lots of stock basslines, so that when I made up reggae basslines myself, they had the hallmarks, or principles, of a reggae bassline within. I don't think I ever sounded pure reggae, but learning other people's lines helped me get a feel for the differences and gave me lots of ideas.

RobertPaulson · #3 02-13-2009, 09:27 AM

One hard thing to do, especially for newer players, is to learn not to overplay. I went through it after i got to the point where I could do a lot of walking lines and slap, but to be honest in rock music, that stuff just doesn't fit a lot of the time. Nothing wrong with jamming on the root and 5th if that's what works for the song.

Dertygen · #4 02-14-2009, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertPaulson

One hard thing to do, especially for newer players, is to learn not to overplay. I went through it after i got to the point where I could do a lot of walking lines and slap, but to be honest in rock music, that stuff just doesn't fit a lot of the time. Nothing wrong with jamming on the root and 5th if that's what works for the song.

+1 on overplaying.

-1 on your sig. (I had to go there, not every religious person is monotheistic.)

makanudo · #5 02-14-2009, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dertygen

+1 on overplaying.

-1 on your sig. (I had to go there, not every religious person is monotheistic.)

Comeon this post is gonna kill the thread..
Anyway yeah, study your favorite bass players, for example, one of my biggest idols is Ryan from Mudvayne and he studied Jazz, and his basslines fit Mudvaynes genre awesomely (nu metal i guess right)

Slackerprince · #6 02-14-2009, 06:32 AM

The more you know, the more you can add or subtract.

S.

stickytape706 · #7 02-14-2009, 09:04 AM

Ya, I have to agree with you on mudvayne. I definatly enjoy playing their songs.

bassbrad · #8 02-14-2009, 09:18 AM

Finding your own identity as a player can be a real challenge and for most of us it will always be something just beyond our reach. I think that listening and playing as many kinds of music can only help us find that identity.
Another challenge for bass players is keeping your identity and still playing our part in any musical situation, after all we are a part of a team making or playing a musical game. Again here every experience makes us a better player and gets us closer to our goal of finding our identity.
Playing with a jazz drummer will help you get parts of your timing together that you never will playing only rock and you may find a new musical style to learn & love.

baddarryl · #9 02-14-2009, 04:42 PM

There is a great book called Bass Grooves that focuses on developing the groove for any style. It is meant to work with a drum machine. I am waiting on my machine, but so far the book looks great. I am a little the opposite from you, I have the natural hard rock/metal vibe and want to play funk, jazz and reggae!

stickytape706 · #10 02-14-2009, 09:27 PM

I have been jammin by myself and just working on doing my own thing. I figure above all playing the bass is about having fun, not worrying about what other people think.

Dertygen · #11 02-15-2009, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makanudo

Comeon this post is gonna kill the thread..

Quote:

Originally Posted by makanudo

Anyway yeah, study your favorite bass players, for example, one of my biggest idols is Ryan from Mudvayne and he studied Jazz, and his basslines fit Mudvaynes genre awesomely (nu metal i guess right)

Yes!

Expand horizons! You musn't be super technical (I myself consciously cut back the note-ing in jams). Find music that grooves (honestly... anything in the seventies).
Listen to the road, you hear the 'plunk, plunk, plunk'? Use it, it's the beat. It's all around.

Also, don't get overwhelmed with the theory, but work on it. All. The. Time.
Going to the bathroom? Take the bass.
Late to work? Pluck it.

Driving around or with friends? Think of the structure of scales/chords/notes learned.
Also, definately get felllow muscians to actively talk about theory, lesson, the way they are learning (you never stop). Nothing harder than trying to talk theory with your significant other who doesn't give a hoot

Dertygen · #12 02-15-2009, 11:16 PM

Also, it may be the fault of the guitarists why the band never felt 'heavy'.

So, don't overthink what you did with the basslines.

Of the thousand of analogies; the bass is the metal pan, the drummer the cake, guitarists the frosting, the singer the "Happy Birthday Lil Billy".

Let's say metal needs the frosting to be chocoate to sound 'heavy'.
If it's tapioca and not chocolate... well... basically what I'm trying to say is, the foundation doesn't change the flavor of the cake (unless it's a cardboard pan).

6stringninja · #13 02-16-2009, 06:12 AM

I know how you feel dude. When I first started playing bass it was with the intention of play old school Sepultura, Metallica, Exodus, etc etc. I started playing in 1994. Well when I started playing I learned from Jazz musicians in my orchestra class, and up to that point I was playing Viola since I was 5 and picked up the bass at 14. Well I started noticing about 3 years into it that I love metal, but my bass style was more along the Classical/ Jazz and I was trying to playing Nirvana and Slayer at this point. I'm now 27 and I played in so many bands and projects. What I have learned is that you can not change who your natural bass player inside is (i know it sounds hippish lol, my first bass teacher taught me this and he looked like Charles manson lol) I have a problem in where I'm listening to a song I try to write my own bass lines on top of it. But expand your mind, never limit yourself to one style. I love metal but as of late I have been learning most of Victor Wootens library and I'm wanting to put together a acoustic/jazz ensamble. One thing about being musician and getting older your taste in music will change.

stickytape706 · #14 02-16-2009, 08:25 AM

Thnx everyone who has replied. It is nice to know that I am not the only one that is going through this phase. I jammed with a metal guitarist yesterday and was shocked on how well I did. He would start something and we would build off it then I would start something etc. etc.... It was funny because when he would start something I would come in and not play the exact same thing he played and I geuss it bothered him so he would have me start something and when I would he couldnt come up with much to flow with me... All in all it was a good jam.

Ric5 · #15 02-16-2009, 08:33 AM

Sometimes what you listen to and what you play can be different styles of music.

RobertPaulson · #16 02-16-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric5

Sometimes what you listen to and what you play can be different styles of music.

I find this is nearly all the time for me, If I'm playing in a softer band I find myself listening to more punk/metal. If I'm playing in a hard rock band I find myself listening to a lot of jazz and folk. Perhaps I just like variety, but this is always the way I've been when playing in a band.