Groove vs. Melody

zongeek · #1 01-26-2007, 08:23 PM

So another bass player friend of mine and I were talking today and something came about some of my favorite bass players (Billy Gould, Eric Avery, Paul D'amour, Greg Edwards, et al).

Anyway, I had something about how I thought the majority of the bass players I really got off on were groove players. My friend said he thought they were more melodic players.

So here is the question: What, in popular opinion, is the 'standard' or difference between groove and melody? Or have the terms just become so synonomous over time that no one really cares/knows?

Personaly, I always felt that groove was what gave the song a sould and some feel and funk. That something! And melody was was the thing that carried the song (more vocally, however, any instrument CAN hold the melody).

Thoughts, opinions?

**Mark Wilson** · #2 01-26-2007, 08:28 PM

The groove is the feel and love of the tune.

The melody is whatever line(s) lay on top of the harmonic movements

xifr · #3 01-26-2007, 10:17 PM

Groove = rhythm, melody = lead.

That's how I see it anyway

All_¥our_Bass · #4 01-26-2007, 10:28 PM

Maybe your friend (no offense meant by this comment ahead) thinks rythm players just play roots/fifths, and a meldoy player would have more than that. Or maybe it's just a differing point of view.

However you can have a groove that is melodic OR something melodic that grooves.

zongeek · #5 01-27-2007, 12:59 AM

Cool.

It would seem as if we all have roughly the same idea.

Note: My friend is an extremely talented bass player. Perhaps I used his words out of [i]exact context. Then again, I don't remember the conversation.

All_¥our_Bass · #6 01-28-2007, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zongeek

Cool.

It would seem as if we all have roughly the same idea.

Note: My friend is an extremely talented bass player. Perhaps I used his words out of exact context. Then again, I don't remember the conversation.

Understood. I'm not treying to say your friend ISN'T talented. I would agree that quoting him out of context has caused this. But from what I read that's a possibility that I infered-but that doesn't make it the right one!!

.

Phalex · #7 01-29-2007, 06:24 AM

Groove has everything to do with timing. It's a percussive thing.

Melody is, well, melodic. It can have percussive aspects, but mostly it floats and swells above the groove.

lemur821 · #8 01-29-2007, 09:56 AM

Groove is a property that a melody or accompaniment might have.

Correlli · #9 01-29-2007, 04:36 PM

To me, Groove is nothing more than an abstract concept. Music has been defined for quite sometime as having 4 main elements - harmony, melody, rhythm, and tone color.

brothertupelo · #10 01-29-2007, 08:22 PM

groove is felt. melody is what it is.

Frugle · #11 01-29-2007, 10:49 PM

I'm not really sure that is a proper discription, I've seen a lot of melodic players feeling where they are going.

IMHO, groove is kind of like holding down the fort.. just chugging a long... yes, there can be fancy stuff, but you are in your own little world, interacting with the instruments.

Playing melodically, you are playing off of the song, off of the vocals. harmonizing with the vocals and guitars, and obviously, following the melody. becoming more of an instrument than support.

brothertupelo · #12 01-30-2007, 03:46 PM

i'm not saying you can't have feeling in a melody...
well, i guess it'd be more clear if i said that the groove is a rhythmic product. a groove can be based on a melody or melodic line, but if it's played with poor timing, it'll lose the groove, while if you play a different set of notes, then you'll have a different melody, but you can still be in the groove if the timing's right.
many deep groove riffs don't hold up as melodies without the other rhythmic elements. a line can be melodically simple or boring, but through rhythmic repetition become a powerful force... while a pretty melody might not hold up under repetition.

Correlli · #13 01-30-2007, 03:48 PM

Groove always seems to be used in a popular music context. But does classical or folk music groove? Furthermore, does serialism groove?

Sundogue · #14 01-30-2007, 03:54 PM

I personally love a groovy melody.

brothertupelo · #15 01-30-2007, 03:57 PM

anything that makes people dance has some kinda groove to it. a lot of classical and folk music is dance music.

Spoiled Grape · #16 01-30-2007, 04:02 PM

Groove is not one of the three terms that make up music. Melody is.

Take that for what you will. I use them both frequently, but when I say groove, it always implies that I am talking about both the rhythm and the melody together, but never the harmony.

All_¥our_Bass · #17 03-10-2007, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwi Kid

Does serialism groove?

For the most part I'd say this is a big no. I'm aware that exceptions must exist, however.

Rakie · #18 03-10-2007, 05:38 AM

When you wanna nod your head. Thats melody.
When you see girls shakin booty. Thats groove.

bassist15 · #19 03-10-2007, 10:30 AM

I like to listen to guys that can mix both. If you ever hear The Allman Brothers Live , Berry Oakley mixes both very well. While most times I think of groove first , Ive recently started thinking of new things. I read an overview on McCartney's playing and they talked about piano playing had a great effect on his bass playing. If you think of a bassline in a piano piece , it acts as a counter point to the melody and I had never really thought of that before. So mixing grooves and counterpoints is what I try to mix together.