Playing metal on bass. Right or Wrong?

[SteveHeissner]

Don't worry what people say. Be yourself, develop your own style and have fun doing it.

[Clef_de_fa]

Les Claypool ( who doesn't play metal at all ) use distortion a lot ...


Also I listen quit a bit to metal and there is some incredible technical player who can smoke most bass hero ... I think there is a lot more of very surprising artist and musician outside the pop culture/mainstream world.

[Bloodhammer]

Find another music store. If that's the way they feel, they likely don't stock many of the sort of things you'd want for a metal band. There's a place like that around here. There's no sign on the door, but there might as well be one that says, "Punks and metal heads are not welcome". Needless to say, I avoid those people and their store.

And don't buy that business of metal bass being inaudible. Just because Metallica and Slayer bury their bass, doesn't mean that's the rule.

[tdub0199]

Originally Posted by truecanadian04

I've played bass for about 8 years off and on. I love metal for its aggression and power. Bands I look up to and inspire me to play are Pantera and Slayer. I've noticed every time I go to music stores or around the music scene people don't treat me with the same respect. For example; when I pull my pick out to jam, people will tell me real bass players don't use picks or when I want to talk about distortion pedals, people just tell me to leave that up to the guitar player because bass players don't use distortion. Also people are always telling me to change my style if I want I play bass for a living because there is no room for metal bass players. Luckily I have a strong back bone and a **** you attitude. Do other bass players have this problem? Or am I blind with my love and passion for metal bass.

People will tell you all kinds of ****.... There is No right or wrong when it comes to playing bass..... End of story....

[45acp]

The wonderful thing about metal bass is there is no set tone as with guitar. Metal guitar varies of course, but it all comes down to a similar end... distortion cranked.

Metal bass however is whatever you want it to be. You can make virtually any bass tone on the planet "metal". Go to youtube, listen to Stone Temple Pilots "Down", then listen to Korn "Freak on a Leash". Both are metal bass tones. Both are exact opposites. Waaaaaay different tone. Waaaaaaay different playing styles. Both are just as "metal" of a bass guitar sound as the other.

*I am aware that STP is not a metal band, but that one particular song does have a very "metal" sounding bass and i think it made my point

[Snakeman1066]

Check out Al Cisneros....Om and Sleep on youtube

Edit: here are some links

http://youtu.be/kKqoNrZ00Bg

http://youtu.be/2-FjO3E8K-E

love this guy...totally unconventional

[Mr. Sound]

"Real" Bass Players use Basses!
Nothing else should matter, have a go at other techniques, but never be ashamed of how you get your own sound!

[Max6768]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

We do not play for respect. We do not play to make a fortune. We do not play to meet women. We do not play to become famous.

We play because we must.

[Staredge]

[VanillaThundah]

And those guys giving you crap, OP, will STILL be in that music store until the day they die lol. People with an attitude like that don't go many places IME.

[Nev375]

Originally Posted by truecanadian04

I've noticed every time I go to music stores or around the music scene people don't treat me with the same respect.

You're not going to get respect as a bassist. Ever.

[Raymeous]

Fellow metal head...

There is no right or wrong way to play bass, only different techniques that you can use to get to the end result, which we commonly call music.

If you play with a pick or fingers it doesn't really matter outside of does it get you the sounds and playability for the style of music you want to play. Distortion pedals for bass? Um yeah, there are companies that make distortion pedals for bass. BTW ever hear an Ampeg? Not the most prestine sounding amp is it? NO its got a ton of overdrive happening in it. That IS the Ampeg claim to fame. Thats why people love them.

Just go with what works for you and your band in order to produce the music you want to make. It is after all not about the bass, the amp, the drums or any of that. It's about the SONG at the end of the day.



Steve Harris made playing bass "cool" in my world.

[DiabolusInMusic]

Originally Posted by Snakeman1066

people over-generalize and stereotype ignore them!



this is my current pedal board...you should see the looks i get as we set up for gigs...lol (I have twice the pedals of my guitard Player)

Oh my... there must be so much tone loss. (Since everybody on talkbass gets all serious, this was lighthearted fun do not misconstrue it)

I know a local bassist who brings more pedals than that. He also hauls down a $10,000 pro rack stuffed with 2 Mesa heads and a piles of other rack mountable gear. He generally brings 2 410 cabs and the sound guys always tell him no, put one away this isn't a stadium. He goes through all this trouble for an opening spot, maybe an hour of play time and turns on maybe 3-5 pedals of his 30. It is really hard not thinking the guy is a knob hauling down all this useless junk. Thankfully he is a nice guy and a solid player so I don't mind playing gigs with him.



Back on topic OP, don't you listen to Blind Faith? Do what you like. People will hate on you regardless of what you do, it just so happens you are a metal head. I assure you, regardless of genre, people will always look down on the bass player.

[socialleper]

As a metal bass player myself, I feel your pain. You already have one strike against you by deciding to play bass. MI stores treat us like second class citizens that should be happy they even bother to carry Fender. Then if you decide to play a music style that isn't people friendly, in modern pop culture, you've committed a sin of some kind. Real rock has degenerated to watered down hipster crap and metal is off the table. Thankfully real metal has never relied much on trends, but more on devoted fans that love it no matter what. That's why Black Sabbath, AC/DC and Iron Maiden can still put out stuff 30-40 years later, that hasn't evolved much, but the fans love it. There are literally hundreds of extreme metal bands out there that have bass players more talented than some of the iconic jazz players some people jock all the time around here (Jeroen Theissing, Nick Schendzielos, Erland Caspersen, Ryan Martinie, Evan Brewer and Derek Boyer all come to mind.) Every CD you buy, every MP3 you buy, every shirt you buy, every show you go to is a middle finger in the face of the people that think the bubble gum crap being troweled out now or the tired 'album/arena' rock they listened when they were younger is all that matters.
Finally your technique will present another problem. I started playing Napalm Death/Bolt Thrower style Grind back in High School and the first people to trash talk my using a pick or distortion was bass players. I can use my fingers as well as a pick, I just chose which to use when the occasion calls for it. They are just tools; pedals are just tools. If a bass player turns up his or her nose at a tool, they are saying "I'll never use a wrench because its beneath me." Pretty dumb right?

To hell with everyone and their opinions.

[TolerancEJ]

In case some may have missed it, Anthony Wellington posted a picture on Facebook this past weekend, where Dave Ellefson (Megadeth) dropped by their show. That would have been cool.

Also... Just because a musician is mainly known for metal, it doesn't mean that's all they do. Rob Trujillo plays metal but he can bring the funk whenever he wants. I watched an old YouTube NAMM clip of John JD DeServio (Black Label Society), also playing some funk, as well as some Jaco.

[39-Bassist]

Funny I get it the other way around....I DON'T use a pick or distortion.......But what I say is play what YOU like and learn different styles just incase your taste does change...Just have FUN and FEEL the music.

[truecanadian04]

Thanks for all the replies and comments. I do play other styles, I'm just not as confident or comfortable with some styles yet. Some of the songs I like to play that are not metal are
Classical Thump by Victor Wooten and Power by Marcus Miller. Can't play those styles as smoothly as metal but I'm always trying. I do use Amepg and Sansamp with my Warwick to get my overdrive growl I love so much. But like I said before, thanks for all the replies and comments. I'll just keep rocking on bass with attitude.

[Einherjar]

I feel you man. I love me some heavy metal. Never really got into playing it on a bass though. I've played in a couple of metal bands, but I usually stick to punk rock. And playing punk rock on a bass you almost catch as much flack as playing metal on a bass from other musicians. But oh well, it's what I love to do. So everyone else can go **** themselves

[NWB]

Man, I'd be laughing my butt off at their sheer ignorance!

That sort of attitude is so misplaced it's ridiculous.

[casper_morgan]

Originally Posted by Snakeman1066

My heroes are Geezer Butler, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Al Cisneros, Lemmy, Justin Chancellor, and Steve Harris....any of the bands they are in would suck and the music would not be the same without their contributions to the mix.

Hell yes... Justin Chancellor is my favorite bassist ever.