The "Role" Of The Bassist

[Bushfire]

Originally Posted by OpaqueBass

I just look at it as a generalization. Many bassists stay in a certain area or play single note because they don't have, dare I say, the skill to play otherwise. That may have sounded harsh. Let me rephrase it: Rock music. I'm most likely completely wrong about this, but it's simple in many regards. Maybe I'm thinking of pop punk or something, but there are usually only a small set of notes that are played. Those notes are often on the E and A strings. These are the players that simply blend in and are forgotten. The players that we remember are those that stretch the "boundaries" of bass. For example, flea.

I feel like I'm not making any sense. I'm done.

There is no defined role for bass players, no matter what the genre. Well, unless that role is to "not suck."

I play in a rock band, and yes it is simple music, but to me thats what rock is about: -simple fast driving music that you can jump around in a mosh pit to, or dance in a thrash pit. I don't like the idea that complicated = good, simple = bad, and as a bassist, the reverse is often true. Sorry if that sounded a bit defensive, but I really couldn't live without 'simple' rock music.

But as a bassist playing in it, my 'job' is to make it sound good, not to make me sound good, but the band as a whole, and if that means sacrificing some audio limelight, then so be it.

[bass_player16]

Originally Posted by Bushfire

I play in a rock band, and yes it is simple music, but to me thats what rock is about: -simple fast driving music that you can jump around in a mosh pit to, or dance in a thrash pit. I don't like the idea that complicated = good, simple = bad, and as a bassist, the reverse is often true. Sorry if that sounded a bit defensive, but I really couldn't live without 'simple' rock music.

But as a bassist playing in it, my 'job' is to make it sound good, not to make me sound good, but the band as a whole, and if that means sacrificing some audio limelight, then so be it.

Agreed on that one Bushfire. I play in a rock band as well, and while I like to have my flashy moments at times lol I also agree that in rock the bassist role, is mostly to back up the guitars. In the band that I am in I sometimes have to act as a lead guitar haha, as our lead guitarist doesn't like to do much lead parts so I'm usually left to play flashy parts at times otherwise it becomes boring.

[Jace The Bass]

Define the role of a bassists?
First what style of music is being played then play the style or feel
Wether your'e functioning as a supportive role or as a soloists one thing that both comes in common is that it must groove as one famous person said " GROOVE IS EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING MUST GROOVE "
So define youre role and then play your role simple just like a banker is a banker or a carpenter is a carpenter

[eboe]

I would have to say that bass playing varies from band to band and song to song. I'm a 99% pick player, but i'm sure if i felt my fingers would do a better job on something i would use them. but as it is, most of the songs my band writes start out with basslines. and being influenced by people like peter hook, simon gallup, and simon raymonde (from the cocteau twins), i have a tendency to play more of a lead role as a bass player. especially if the song we are doing has low keyboards in it. but then again, some of the songs my band does, i'm laying back in the first position. but then again, we use programmed drums, so here really isn't that sense of being locked in with a drummer, but even when i was in bands with drummers, i always joked that instead of locking in with the kick drum, i lock in with the hi-hat!

so it's all about the song and the feeling and what you can do to make the song better. and it depends how important to the song the guitarist's parts are. ours vary form song to song, and the more intricate ones usually have me playing roots, although sometimes we do intertwine melodies in an interesting way...

[mike sancho]

Originally Posted by JAUQO III-X

For me the Defining role of the the Bass is to give what is/fits best for the Music being played at the moment.just give the Band leader,Producer what they ask for and from that what you feel would best fit the musical situation.Versatility,respect and an open mind would be a very powerful asset next to playing the Bass itself.

This sums it up perfectly for me!!!
+1

[bos_mindwarp]

There are great recordings with Manring, Palladino, whatever where they played for the song, or got fancy when it was appropriate.


However, I cant stand Woten or Claypool, thumpitithumpitipopettipop... wheres the music?

[bass_extremes]

I belive that the bass players role is to support the music. Its like that backbone of the music. once you get the drums and bass locked together they support the music and get everyone bobbin there heads.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by bass_extremes

I belive that the bass players role is to support the music. Its like that backbone of the music. once you get the drums and bass locked together they support the music and get everyone bobbin there heads.

Support who's music? What if the bass player wrote the music? What if the other musicians in the band consist of a didgeridoo player and a drummer, both of which are instruments whose technical makeup don't allow them to carry much, if any, melody? Is the bass player's role still meant to back up those instruments?

[JimmyM]

I think that out of anyone, Jauqo III-X got it closest to right. The person who defines what the role of the bass in any given type of music is the person signing the checks. If the person signing your check wants you to play the pocket or groove or anything traditional about the bass, then you can either do it or they can get someone else. If there is no person signing the checks, then it should come down to a mutual decision within the band and everyone should do their best to serve the music first.

I have no problem with someone trying to expand the boundaries. I often try to do it my own self. And to say that it's not a valid way of playing or saying that someone shouldn't do it is a load of crap. But it's important to differentiate between playing to make a musical statement and playing to whack yourself off. No matter what instrument you play, there will be a time to play a support role and a time to shine. Those who don't know the difference are impossible to play with, no matter what instrument they play.

There is one notion that I wish bassists would get the hell out of their heads, though, and that's this silly notion of "locking in with the drummer's kick." F the drummer! The drummer needs to be locking in with -me- if there's going to be any locking in, which I don't really think there needs to be a lot of the time. Some of the best basslines ever created were done by completely mowing the drummer over. Look at disco music, for example. How many times do you hear a drummer play 1-2-3-4 on the kick and the bass play something completely different? And it sounds great. Also, in jazz, a lot of bassists will play a steady quarter note walking line while the drummer is all over the place. It's an antiquated notion brought on by weak guitarists being made to switch to the bass or be fired, so the band told them to lock in with the drummer to keep them from sucking. If anyone tells me to lock in with the drummer, I will tell them to GFY. Unless they are paying me, and then I will tell them I will be happy to lock in, and then I'll lead the drummer around by the nose and nobody will ever know the difference, not even the drummer.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Great post, Jimmy. I think everything you said was spot-on. The reason I started this thread was to propose the idea that there should be no predetermined idea of what a bass player's role is in a musical situation, as there really is no predetermined role for a pianist in nearly any type of music- the same going for guitar, etc. etc.

I do think that there are roles for musicians in particular band situations, like doing what you need to to get paid- but I dislike how it carries over in some people's minds that the responsibilites the bassist upholds in those situations are the ones that ALL bassist's should perform at all times. If you were to try to do 32nd note runs while playing "Brown Eyed Girl" in a wedding band, you'd ruin the song. But if you try to play as low key and simple while playing a cover of "Sinister Minister" by the Flecktones, the song would lose most of what it had to it, which is outstanding musicianship.

Oh, and the "lock in with the drummer" stuff is pretty funny- imagine if Ron Carter tried to "lock in" with Tony Williams on some of Miles' albums....Tony was doing so many things rhythmically underneath the music that if Carter stopped playing with his super-steady pulse and tried to follow Williams, there wouldn't be much song left to listen to.

Of course, it would pretty much fit into something my father once said that's one of the best quotes about music I've ever heard:

"Jazz- that's where four guys are playing four different songs at the same time."

[baritones]

In commercial and popular music, the bass definitely has a role to fulfill. It is the anchor and support of the team. Locking in with the drummer has always been important though not always stressed. But in today's music, especially in dance/pop/hip-hop, the bass/drum relationship is crucial. You can still find your own voice in that genre, but the bass function must be adhered. Basically, there's so much going on in today's pop music with samples, synths and drum machines, that we have to compete to be heard beyond just a thump on "the one". But that's where the $$$ is.

In other musics, however, there is plenty of room for more freestyle playing and experimentation. Jazz, prog rock, r&b, new age, rock, etc. Even traditional blues allows alot of bass freedom as long as you don't get carried away. But even in these musics, there's alot of logic locking in with the drummer as a unit. The challenge is to lock and still be creative in your grooves. Listen to Bootsy. Steely Dan. Geddy Lee. Pino Palladino.