bassists writing songs?

[60jbass91]

I apologise in advance if someone has already posted this topic, and i am doing nothing more than merely resurrecting a long bygone subject.
How many of you bassists write songs? I write a lot, but I have'nt really heard of bassists writing songs except for Harris, Sting, and Entwistle. I'm not including solo musicians such as Jaco or Vicotor either.

[Jazz Ad]

Originally Posted by 60jbass91

I have'nt really heard of bassists writing songs except for Harris, Sting, and Entwistle.

Also there was this little funny guy who wrote a couple good ones, lefty with a strange fiddle bass. Paul Mc something.

I'm pretty good at writing tunes, catchy or not but I try to have others do the lyrics. I suck and don't have much to say with words.

[_Sasquatch_]

I do!

[slipkorn917]

i'm currently writing my first song, i also play some guitar but the song will be a lot more bass-driven. i havent started anything with lyrics or drums yet though, just a few riffs.

[60jbass91]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Also there was this little funny guy who wrote a couple good ones, lefty with a strange fiddle bass. Paul Mc something.

I'm pretty good at writing tunes, catchy or not but I try to have others do the lyrics. I suck and don't have much to say with words.

ah man you got me so bad you actually made me laugh
nah im saying, I like to write the riff and the lyrics and the chord progression lol

[Mayers]

Nikki Sixx, Gene Simmons, Les Claypool, Rogers Waters, Cliff Burton, John Myung

[Exploiter8]

Originally Posted by _Sasquatch_

I do!

Me too!

[60jbass91]

what ways do you guys go about it? I know Entwistle used to write the riff then adjust it to the mood of his lyrics such as smash your head against the wall, but then again thats just what i read so please dont martry me

[Jazz Ad]

It depends on the mood of the song.
Funky stuff I tend to start with your typical 2 bar riff, then find a melody for the lyrics and the rest is just icing.
For rock and the like I do it in a more formal way with structure, bridge, chord progression and only add the bass afterwards.
Then there are short pieces, wannabe prog stuff and moody music for which I have no rule other than making the whole thing sound good.

[39-Bassist]

Oh there is a couple of guys named Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy), Geddy Lee (Rush) for example...

[R. Laevinus]

I write lyrics alone, music alone, and both together. Generally I start with one or the other, and leave the concept to stew and brew for days or weeks or months (or years). Eventually, its matching half will pop up and I'll put 'em together.

I go with a concept - either a melodic/rythmic phrase, or a lyrical phrase, and build the rest around it with good old fashioned brain-sweat. Only very rarely do I get a flash of inspiration, and have a whole song hit me at once.

[plangentmusic]

I'm a composer but never compose on bass.

[60jbass91]

Originally Posted by R. Laevinus

I write lyrics alone, music alone, and both together. Generally I start with one or the other, and leave the concept to stew and brew for days or weeks or months (or years). Eventually, its matching half will pop up and I'll put 'em together.

I go with a concept - either a melodic/rythmic phrase, or a lyrical phrase, and build the rest around it with good old fashioned brain-sweat. Only very rarely do I get a flash of inspiration, and have a whole song hit me at once.

that is actually a tremensous answer. im not looking for just lists of other bassists guys tell me how you write songs or how you contribute! i know my first contributions were bass lines to guitar wrote melodies.

[IronMaiden]

Arif Mirabdolbaghi from Protest The Hero is the main songwriter/lyricist.

[MikeyFingers]

I write a lot of songs, but the lyrics. I just never bothered to try it, although I'm sure I could.
When I was in my old funk/ska band, me and the lead singer/rhythm guitarist came up with 99% of the material. We would co-write most of the music and he wrote the words.
Nowadays I'm doing a lot of jamming with just a drummer, so it's all on me to come up with it most of the time. He comes up with beats sometimes and says "You think you can play something to that?" And I do. Or I'll come up with a bass line and say "Can YOU play something to that?" And he does. It's a lot of fun working with just a drummer, both of us have a lot of room to work with.
Plus he's into a lot of weird music and has roots all over the place, so even if I come up with a fairly simple piece of music, he has some crazy ideas with timing and accents that always spice it up.

[KsToaDangr]

depends. sometimes, i write the bassline and then build up around it, other times i'll write the melody and build around that. once or twice, i've come up with a drum part and gone from there. pretty much whatever instrument i'm holding when inspiration strikes is where i start.

some of my stuff is here: www.myspace.com/fotmm
earthbound emanations, faith in a shadow, and cough i wrote the music for, and the desert and dance maria i cowrote with the guitarist, but he wrote all of the lyrics.

[60jbass91]

Originally Posted by MikeyFingers

I write a lot of songs, but the lyrics. I just never bothered to try it, although I'm sure I could.
When I was in my old funk/ska band, me and the lead singer/rhythm guitarist came up with 99% of the material. We would co-write most of the music and he wrote the words.
Nowadays I'm doing a lot of jamming with just a drummer, so it's all on me to come up with it most of the time. He comes up with beats sometimes and says "You think you can play something to that?" And I do. Or I'll come up with a bass line and say "Can YOU play something to that?" And he does. It's a lot of fun working with just a drummer, both of us have a lot of room to work with.
Plus he's into a lot of weird music and has roots all over the place, so even if I come up with a fairly simple piece of music, he has some crazy ideas with timing and accents that always spice it up.

this is one of the rare times i wish this was facebook so i could say "like" haha

i agree writing songs with a good drummer or rhythm guitarist is always good fun

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by Mayers

John Myung

It's sad he hasn't really contributed all that much since Scenes From A Memory. His songs are some of my favorites from DT.

How 'bout Dee Dee Ramone and Lemmy?

Originally Posted by 60jbass91

this is one of the rare times i wish this was facebook so i could say "like" haha

Happens so often with me on TB Such instances have decreased since I deactivated my FB account

[colcifer]

Don't forget rick danko!

[T40Chump]

I write. Just not as much as I'd like to.