too bored to play the same notes!!

[varunkapahi]

never thought i'd ever have to face THIS! but am too bored to play the same old bass lines for all the songs we play. covers and originals both, all our songs are pretty simple to play... now the thing is am stuck between the drummer and the guitarist. i have to lock in groove with the drummer and double up on guitarists riffs often as well!

when we are on a groove i enjoy i get bored too soon and i start messing with the "wrong" notes which sound awful but different hence no is happy, if i start messing rhythmically the drummer is not happy. the thing is i want to improvise in the tight spot am in but probably i am not musically developed enough to do that. i want to be able to play something "different" which can work with the song but shouldnt change the feel or anything. honestly i dont see much room for improvisation in simple rock songs but i think a lot of different things can be plaid over these basic chord sequences and am just not getting them. so i'd really like to know your suggestions, ideas etc any response would be great!

i dont get my own solo every song where i can improvise like the guitar player but maybe i should start doing this, but damn i am not good at playing too many solos too
Garry Willis book says when you are bored you should try playing everything on the same string and stuff to make it challenging for yourself that works for once but then you know it so it gets boring the next time!

[Dmanlamius]

Hiya!

How about starting to introduce simple octaves into your playing?

Start from there, and work your way up with fills etc...

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Dmanlamius

Hiya!

How about starting to introduce simple octaves into your playing?

Start from there, and work your way up with fills etc...

heh i do have a lot of octaves going all the time i could really use some other ideas though
thanks

[Dmanlamius]

Ok, so you have octaves.

How about taking the major scale, and finding notes from the root that you can use as fills?

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Dmanlamius

Ok, so you have octaves.

How about taking the major scale, and finding notes from the root that you can use as fills?

been playing for about 5 years, studied classical guitar formally for two. i know the major, minor, pentatonic scales well, am very comfortable with a few other modes and simple chord voicings, working on the other modes and chord voicings i dont know about well enough to apply them yet. i do add a lot of fills too i think maybe am just not being creative enough for some reason, i mean earlier i could come up with beautiful but simple lines all the time. it doesnt happen any more

[Dmanlamius]

Oh, sorry man, I didn't know your standard...

Seems you've just hit a bit of a plateau? Also seems you need a little more air to breathe in your band...

It's important we're allowed to experiment, otherwise we'll become stagnant, and won't ever come out with new ideas.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Dmanlamius

Oh, sorry man, I didn't know your standard...

Seems you've just hit a bit of a plateau? Also seems you need a little more air to breathe in your band...

It's important we're allowed to experiment, otherwise we'll become stagnant, and won't ever come out with new ideas.

space! i have always known space is really important i think i would start "playing the rests" more often

edit: maybe this what is a plateau. btw i dont know what my standard is like i just thought i'd clarify the stuff am familiar with :P honestly i am often relearning the very simple concepts over and again

[Dmanlamius]

Maybe just take it easy off the theoretical stuff for a bit?

Just listen to the music you love without being too thoughtful of it. Listen to the feel and the energy of it. Investigate different bands and bass players as well.

It's amazing what we pick up subconciously.

And yes, space is really important!

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Dmanlamius

Maybe just take it easy off the theoretical stuff for a bit?

Just listen to the music you love without being too thoughtful of it. Listen to the feel and the energy of it. Investigate different bands and bass players as well.

It's amazing what we pick up subconciously.

And yes, space is really important!

hmmm i could start working on this, am not really a "theory" person but this recent musical stagnancy has made me read and learn theory so am speaking more theory than ever heh
actually infact am listening to music i never cared for before and enjoying all sort of different stuff. but last evening while jamming with the band i got so frustrated!
its just like i want to do a bass flip but i cant j/k not really anyway some playing ideas could be great

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

... if i start messing rhythmically the drummer is not happy.

With good reason. No matter what you try melodically, you absolutely should not "mess" with the rhythm. For example, if improvising on the fly causes you to be a little late with the notes, don't do that. A bass player's job is as much to do with timing as with the notes; a guitarist can be a bit sloppy with the beat and get away with it but the bassist cannot. No matter how imaginative a part you come up with, if you are not supporting the beat, you are not doing your job.

Listen to the whole ensemble, not just your part. Take the larger view.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by ggunn

With good reason. No matter what you try melodically, you absolutely should not "mess" with the rhythm. For example, if improvising on the fly causes you to be a little late with the notes, don't do that. A bass player's job is as much to do with timing as with the notes; a guitarist can be a bit sloppy with the beat and get away with it but the bassist cannot. No matter how imaginative a part you come up with, if you are not supporting the beat, you are not doing your job.

Listen to the whole ensemble, not just your part. Take the larger view.

yep right on. i knew it was sounding awfully terrible but i wanted to know what happens when i dont play something "right"

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

yep right on. i knew it was sounding awfully terrible but i wanted to know what happens when i dont play something "right"

There's nothing wrong (in general, of course) with straying from strictly playing 1's and 5's. If you don't play something "right" melodically, then there's not necessarily a problem. If you don't play something "right" rhythmically, then there is always a problem. Listen to Phil Lesh and Jack Casady (yeah, I'm old school); their bass parts are never boring, but they never let go of the beat.

[Richland123]

First, try not to overplay, improvise, or insert parts or notes that do not fit the songs. Not only will people notice, it will enhance the chance of hitting wrong notes. Try to stay within the context of the songs unless you happen to play some tunes that are jam oriented.

I play in a 3 piece band and get to do many things as a bass player to create a fuller sound such as not only playing the bass lines but I also play guitar parts, simple chords, and unique rhythmic patterns. We are known for being extremely tight. Plus, all three of us sing lead and harmony vocals. Singing sure is a good way to add to your show and take away from you getting bored.

One important thing you can do is work very closely with your drummer to not only maintain the human metronome groove and pocket but also start to approach bass lines from a drumming perspective and vice versa. You and the drummer can create a much fuller, interesting, and fun sound by playing runs, accents, crashes, and phrasing together. Listen to what each other is playing and pick up on even subtle fills and play them together. Another, and very important part of the songs, is learn to play and perfect the dynamics and textures within the songs.

Good luck!

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by ggunn

There's nothing wrong (in general, of course) with straying from strictly playing 1's and 5's. If you don't play something "right" melodically, then there's not necessarily a problem. If you don't play something "right" rhythmically, then there is always a problem. Listen to Phil Lesh and Jack Casady (yeah, I'm old school); their bass parts are never boring, but they never let go of the beat.

cool. i will check them out

Originally Posted by Richland123

First, try not to overplay, improvise, or insert parts or notes that do not fit the songs. Not only will people notice, it will enhance the chance of hitting wrong notes. Try to stay within the context of the songs unless you happen to play some tunes that are jam oriented.

I play in a 3 piece band and get to do many things as a bass player to create a fuller sound such as not only playing the bass lines but I also play guitar parts, simple chords, and unique rhythmic patterns. We are known for being extremely tight. Plus, all three of us sing lead and harmony vocals. Singing sure is a good way to add to your show and take away from you getting bored.

One important thing you can do is work very closely with your drummer to not only maintain the human metronome groove and pocket but also start to approach bass lines from a drumming perspective and vice versa. You and the drummer can create a much fuller, interesting, and fun sound by playing runs, accents, crashes, and phrasing together. Listen to what each other is playing and pick up on even subtle fills and play them together. Another, and very important part of the songs, is learn to play and perfect the dynamics and textures within the songs.

Good luck!

thanks, i'll start working on these pointers

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by varunkapahi

cool. i will check them out

Phil is/was the bassist for the Grateful Dead, and Jack plays with Jorma Kaukonen in Hot Tuna (he was the bassist for the Jefferson Airplane, too). Like I said, old school.

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by ggunn

Phil is/was the bassist for the Grateful Dead, and Jack plays with Jorma Kaukonen in Hot Tuna (he was the bassist for the Jefferson Airplane, too). Like I said, old school.

yep i knew about the dead and jefferson airplane, had no clue about hot tune though

[Big Joe]

Take some lessons to improve your time. If you can't change the notes then maybe you can learn to make the time funkier. Learn to push and pull the beat.

Maybe get into some effects and learn to create different textures that way?

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Big Joe

Take some lessons to improve your time. If you can't change the notes then maybe you can learn to make the time funkier. Learn to push and pull the beat.

cant find anyone to teach here. my timing, although not impeccable, is pretty fine. i can get a bit into some syncopated stuff but a driving rock song doesnt ask for it.

but YES! i wanted to find out about the whole push and pull the beat thing, Jack Bruce used to this a lot right?
so where can i learn about this? (going to search around for threads here of course)

Originally Posted by Big Joe

Maybe get into some effects and learn to create different textures that way?

some time back i turned into a major effects junkie and got a whole stash of pedals i add some textures at times but i dont like to use effects a lot although i'd like to keep one of every kind available to me at all times

[bickele]

Dynamics and feel are definitely very important!
Pay great attention to EVERY note you play; you should really "mean" every single one, including ghosts and rests.
If you can play a whole song with just root notes but can keep it musically interesting, you've come a long way.
Move accents around, change notes length according to need, even when playing a standard 8ths rock pattern. Some palm muted, some open and ringy.

As far as timing is concerned, I recommend practicing a lot the end of the notes. I think when a note ends is as important as when it starts. As an example you can try ending notes exactly as your drummer hits the snare so that the two sounds don't overlap at all.

Experiment with playing different sections of the song picking on different areas of your bass. Moving progressively from bridge to neck or vice-versa during the buildup to a chorus for example.

Listen to the lyrics!!!

Several suggestions in a messy post, I hope you can get something out of it

Ciao

b.

[stflbn]

Learn to enjoy simplicity until you do that without error. Then start slowly changing things up.

If you don't know what you doing with the things you're changing up due to boredom then it's obviously going to irritate people.