FOR DISCUSSION:BUSY PLAYING

[xgator4u]

Well, let me ask this; Do you consider the likes of Geddy Lee, or John Entwistle BUSY? IMO, they are very" busy " making the song work, and tying everything else together.

[Hizzoner]

this is something I have been contemplating for a while now...I think When less experienced(read younger) I felt the need on original tunes especially to "Go Off" when possible...coming from a rock/metal background growing up I aspired to be busy in the mode of your messrs JPJ, Lee, Harris, Entwistle, etc...I still love and play those lines..

As a more experienced(read gray hair) human I now have been going back to players like Jamerson, Prestia, etc. and studying their ability to groove...this is much harder to nail properly(Really grooving a walking bass line has to be one of the hardest things to do in bass playing) than the technical stuff of my early days IMO..I WISH I had studied music more intently as a youngster.

I now really appreciate the grooves of a guy like Paul Denman and the Motown stuff, and am more than willing to sacrifice wank for solid groove. The "gestalt" of what the song demands is SO MUCH more important.

Mark

[Baryonyx]

I think the thing is, when people say they are happy to play the bare mimimum often that is all they can play, and they fight the case that less is more because they simply can't hack the busy style. It takes practice to pull it off.

[emor]

Originally Posted by Baryonyx

I think the thing is, when people say they are happy to play the bare mimimum often that is all they can play, and they fight the case that less is more because they simply can't hack the busy style. It takes practice to pull it off.

That's quite the blanket statement you've made there.

[RONQUITO]

Originally Posted by Baryonyx

I think the thing is, when people say they are happy to play the bare mimimum often that is all they can play, and they fight the case that less is more because they simply can't hack the busy style. It takes practice to pull it off.

Yeah, tell Duck Dunn to go practice...

[millsbass5]

Originally Posted by RONQUITO

Yeah, tell Duck Dunn to go practice...

IMHO,I THINK"Sir Duck"is one of the busier"old school"players out there.He's DEFINITELY got that "bouncy type"of bass line going.

[beggar98]

You gotta serve the song. For example, take Jaco's lines on "Havona" and "A Remark You Made". Same player, same group. One is wicked busy, 16th notes flying all over the place. The other has tied whole notes. Both are incredible lines, and they are incredible lines because they serve the song. Knowing how to play an instrument is one thing. Knowing what to play is the key, and is what separates the good from the great and the great from the legendary.

[Lobster11]

"You gotta serve the song," for sure. That's always the bottom line. But what is so interesting to me is how many different ways a particular kind of song can be well served by vastly different bass approaches. For example, sometimes a simple song works great with a simple, "un-busy" bass line -- think Creedence or Tom Petty, for example. In the hands of Jack Bruce, or Jack Casady, or Phil Lesh, though, a simple song is the ideal context for complex, melodic, and very busy lines.

[chicago_mike]

One very important thing as well, is a band that will work with you to make your busy line work better in the context of the song.

There have been countless times that I or other cats would do motown songs, but if you played just like jamerson, you got that "your playing too much" look. Argue all you want, your just the bass player and they'll find someone who will just play bass.

Its lifting the song up to the next level, while being respectful to the song and musicians. Also....notice how we all say Jamerson, its as if post jamerson we still cant do anything or find anybody who does.