Worship Bassist Magazine - Editorial - Bass is Like Toilet Paper

MNAirHead · #1 09-28-2009, 08:36 PM

Howdy.

The next issue is will be released in a few days.

I'd like to open up a constructive discussion about bass role in Worship Settings.

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NS2A · #2 09-28-2009, 08:49 PM

Bass is Like Toilet Paper - it's taken for granted until it's not there.

Bass is Like Toilet Paper - we take a lot of cr@p.

Is this where you are going with this discussion?

ZH_Driver · #3 09-28-2009, 08:53 PM

Bass is like toilet paper - you can do without it if you really have to, but it is much more comfortable to have it on hand.

caeman · #4 09-28-2009, 08:55 PM

I don't see the role of a bass in a worship setting any different than any other style of music. The music in that setting also needs the carrier tone that a bass guitar delivers.

bassteban · #5 09-28-2009, 09:18 PM

I'm thinking of someone's sig- can't recall who- 'Life is too short for cheap toilet paper'

JFace · #6 09-29-2009, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caeman

I don't see the role of a bass in a worship setting any different than any other style of music. The music in that setting also needs the carrier tone that a bass guitar delivers.

The sonic role may be the same, but the role of the bassist (the human, not the sound) is certainly different. Thus the significance of such discussion. Our approach is different from the worship leader's approach, is different than the guitarists approach...etc.

atlbass · #7 09-29-2009, 11:20 AM

Bass is like toilet paper - they both take care of the bottom- end.
(somebody had to say it

)

Matt Dean · #8 09-29-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFace

The sonic role may be the same, but the role of the bassist (the human, not the sound) is certainly different. Thus the significance of such discussion. Our approach is different from the worship leader's approach, is different than the guitarists approach...etc.

Please elucidate... what do you mean that the role of the human is different?

JimmyM · #9 09-29-2009, 11:52 AM

Bass is like toilet paper because...

Hey, wait a minute! Bass is nothing like toilet paper!

JansenW · #10 09-29-2009, 12:03 PM

Some non-musical roles of a worship bassist or any other worship team member for that matter...

You minister - Being on a worship team is a ministry.
You worship - Your focus is to worship.
You prepare - You pray
You lead - Your function is to lead others in worship.
You follow - You follow the worship leader and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Life is more like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it seems to run out!

Matt Dean · #11 09-29-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JansenW

Some non-musical roles of a worship bassist or any other worship team member for that matter...

You minister - Being on a worship team is a ministry.
You worship - Your focus is to worship.
You prepare - You pray
You lead - Your function is to lead others in worship.
You follow - You follow the worship leader and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Life is more like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it seems to run out!

Ok... so this could apply to the drummer or, maybe even the guitar player.... Really, you're talking about musicians who play in contexts that contain more than just the music and their roles within said context outside of making music.

MNAirHead · #12 09-29-2009, 04:52 PM

Article applies to just about everyone who plays in hard surface rooms.

ZH_Driver · #13 09-29-2009, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassteban

I'm thinking of someone's sig- can't recall who- 'Life is too short for cheap toilet paper'

Cheap toilet paper is a pain in the…

But in all seriousness, well maybe the role is not that different to normal, but the editorials/article have to start somewhere and develop so rather than a yes/no discussion how about we focus on the differences, however small they may be.

ZH_Driver · #14 09-29-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

Article applies to just about everyone who plays in hard surface rooms.

Here is a great idea for an article... "EQ'ing your bass when your church is a converted industrial building with the sonic properties of a howling dog"

bassmanT · #15 09-29-2009, 08:37 PM

like the song says, "don't know what you got, till it's gone"

MNAirHead · #16 09-29-2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZH_Driver

Here is a great idea for an article... "EQ'ing your bass when your church is a converted industrial building with the sonic properties of a howling dog"

Ding Ding.. you're very close... very close.

I believe the edits are being done right now - the free issues are to be going out in the next week... started this thread as it's linked to the article.

kb9wyz · #17 09-29-2009, 08:45 PM

It seems to me that most, but not all worship music out there, really was written by people who have no idea what roles bass can play. The formula seems, all too often, to be be I-IV-V, play root, repeat. I thankfully have a WL that let's me have my fun. I don't do anything fancy (on purpose, at any rate) but he let's me fill out the bottom with more than just the root when I want to. Many times, especially with old hymns, banging out the root and nothing else really serves the groove of the song. Other times the song might handle a 7 measure long impromptu chromatic walk-down because the bass player had a tremendous brain fart of epic proportions and forgot what the heck he was supposed to be doing despite have a chord chart in front of his face.

The worst part of that was that my WL thought I did it on purpose because, in the end, it actually sounded really awesome. He thought it was hysterical when I told him I did it because I got lost.

I guess what I'm coming to is this:

I think that bass in a worship setting needs to serve the song to keep that harmonic foundation strong, but like all pure worship, needs to be spontaneous sometimes to keep people excited to praise their God.

praisebass · #18 09-29-2009, 08:54 PM

What is the role of Bass in worship?

David played a 10 stringed harp. Guitar and Electric Bass Guitar - or DB - have 6 + 4 = 10 strings. (If it’s a proper Guitar and Electric Bass Guitar)

Coincidence?

ZH_Driver · #19 09-29-2009, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb9wyz

The formula seems, all too often, to be be I-IV-V, play root, repeat.

Yeah I hear you! But there are some people now writing much more melodic and thought our tunes. Personally I am 'jamming' about 65% to 75% of the time (usually continually doing variations of a starting bass line, then a bit of a rythmical change to funk it up a little, hitting those e's and a's on some notes like Groove Workshop teaches).

It is good to avoid being stuck in a rut of playing the same thing everytime when you are trying to worship. Some songs it is hard though, it is definately best to lay low and lay down the groove. That is something that you have to be careful of if you are 'jaming' a lot, not to forget to keep it grooving! As much as we should enjoy it, it isn't about us!

MNAirHead · #20 09-29-2009, 09:11 PM

Did Josh leak a few advance copies?