Sorry if it is done before...

[Shyne]

Hi All,

I am pretty new to the forum, well i have been browsing it for a few months and decided to join a few days ago. I am a bass player from Nottingham, England and have been playing bass seriously for about 2 years (been playing guitar since 11)

Sorry if someone has asked this already but i have got the stage where i am not improving. I am in a band and if the guitarist is playing a chord prog of G/A/C/D all i can play is the root and the octave.

Any advice on where to go next?

[jsingles]

scales and arpeggios = basslines

[BassBus]

For each chord you play behind you can choose from three different notes, four if you count the octave, if you play the major arpegio.Ffor the G chord you can play the 1st (G root), 3rd (B, 2nd fret on A string), 5th (D, 5th fret on A string) and octave (G 5th fret on Dstring). Try and work it out from there using 1st, 3rd, 5th and octave for the other chords. If you find some bass scales on the net or in books you may find you want to use more notes still. Just remember the little acronym 'KISS' Keep It Simple Stupid and don't play anything too busy. That might only cause complaints. Good Luck.

[Shyne]

Thanks for the quick response.

So i take it the 1st 3rd 5th for C would be C (A string 3rd Fret) E ( D String 2nd String) and G ( D String 5th Fret)?

[Questor]

I'm assuming that the guitarist is playing power 5ths (i.e. missing the 3rd...so the A would be 577xxx on the guitar instead of x02220). If this is the case, you can have all sorts of fun with the G A C D progression.

Try the following substitutions:

A = 3rd of the F scale
D = minor 3rd of the B scale

So you get G F C Bm as a result

Or play a D over the C (for a simulated D9 chord) and the F# for the D chord to lead back into the G

So you get G A D F#

Etc.

The possibilities are endless.

[hockey_head]

try learning a few chords, 11th is one of my faves. also try arpeggiating chords you can form all over the neck and pay attention when the guitarist is in the major or minor chord etc. ascend and descend to the next chord change accordingly

[Lincoln]

The next step is studying the diatonic modes - these are based off of your basic major scale and are really the basis for most popular music. Knowing these will help you with harmony and how to create basslines over chord progressions and chord shapes.

After getting familiar with these you'll find that your music knowledge will go through the roof along with your creativity.

[BassBus]

Originally Posted by Shyne

Thanks for the quick response.

So i take it the 1st 3rd 5th for C would be C (A string 3rd Fret) E ( D String 2nd String) and G ( D String 5th Fret)?

Yes that's right. You're on your way now.

[kraigo]

Get something like Band in a Box and start giving yourself puzzles to work through.

Start hitting the Tab sites and download a whole bunch of songs to give yourself some new progressions to work over.

Learn some theory, figure out where chord tones are and start using them.

I don't read so this might sound hypocritical: Learn to read and get a book that will interest you. There was one called something like "Funk Fusion". I don't have it, but a kid I was working with picked it up and all sorts of interesting things were coming out of him in no time.

Start playing percussion along to the radio even if it's slapping your thighs, tapping your feet and/or grunting out parts. Give your rhythmic sense some creative license.

Before you play a note on the bass, imagine what "a cool bassist would play" on a tune. Try to find that on your bass. Surprisingly, less often turns out to be more.

If you're having trouble "hearing" a cool bass part, get some CDs with "cool bass players". Most of the big names don't do much for me - I'm a songs guy - so for me listening to a Motown box set or the CDs with "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" are great. Jaco's work on Joni Mitchell's "Shadows and Light" concert is pretty smokin', too. I like playing along to Sting's parts in the Police and Colin Moulding's parts in XTC (_Black Sea_ and _English Settlement_ are awesome).

Music is a puzzle. When you finish one, give yourself a more challenging one.

KO

[kraigo]

Oh, and start singing. Much like slapping your thighs, tapping your feet and/ or grumping will help your rhythmic sense, singing will help your melodic sense.

KO

[jomahu]

you didn't specify what kinda music you're playin, but it might help to listen to some stuff from the particular genre of music you play.
then listen to something that's the total opposite. example: you play death metal? listen to dub.
when i get in a rut, i just start listening and learning/practising all sorts of random stuff.

IMO, i'd rather have killer right hand technique than the ability to do scales and arpeggios (not that i'm not trying to tackle that ) don't matter what you play, as long as it grooves.

[Shyne]

Hey thanks all for your comments, really helpfull and will start having a good read around and see what i can find.

The bands sound is Rock/Pop/Jazz/Reggae.

At the moment i am playing along to things such as steely dan, jamiroquai, the police, some michael jackson songs (I dont want to be the guy playing root notes on every song and as there is only one guitarist there is more room to add interesting lines)

Thanks once again, really appreciate it.

[kraigo]

One last thought (I promise): I tend to just get things "close enough" a lot of the time. Turn on the radio and play through everything including the advertising spots.

The value is in the volume - learn a lot of songs and develop your ear.

The downside is that you miss a lot of potential for really honing your technique. It pays to also sit down and really learn a song as well as you can note for note.

I'm advocating both. For gigging purposes, it's probably more value to do the former. For shaking yourself out of a rut and really growing as a player there's probably more value in the latter.

KO