At what point does grooving become too much?

[elgecko]

Saying a song has too much groove is like saying "this cake is too delicious" or "that sunrise is too beautiful" or "that puppy is too cute"!

Yes, it's possible to overplay to the detriment of a song but let's not confuse that with groove. Groove is the prime directive of music!

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

John McLaughlin about Hadrien Feraud? LOL

Hadrien can play loud and he can play fast but overplaying is something I honestly haven't heard him do much of. Live or otherwise.

Geez, every time I hear his name though, I get really hungry his next album.

[cire113]

I think the guys playing is tight and not overplaying at all;

You can groove and play alot of notes and u can groove on playing 1 note;

Groove and How many notes your playing is not mutually exclusive people..

Serve the song and dont step on anyones toes...

Jaco was busy as hell but all his notes had a purpose

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by cire113

^^^

Well I think Hadrien overplays like crazy; There is a reason his music doesn't emotionally touch alot of ppl; its just patterns and finger wiggling; there is nothing being said but "notes"... all 1 no 2-10...

Have you listened to the entirety of his first album? His work with Downside Up? His work with John McLaughlin, Bireli Lagrene, Eddie Brown, Jada Pinkett-Smith? He's gotta decent amount of stuff out there.

I'm not just talking about his solos, although I like those too. I do feel the way he solos may turn quite a few people off to him as a whole unfortunately.

Edit: Starting to notice that I have a bit of a tendency to try and be Hadrien's White Knight. My bad, I'll chill out.

[Spaldo]

The groove is as much the space between the notes as it is the actual notes.

[kurosawa]

The Groove just IS. So AFTER it's become second nature to a bass player to fulfill his functional role (feed the band pulse, pitch, and tell them by playing where they are and what's coming up and when, which of course presupposes he cares enough to put in the work needed to OWN time and pitch and the book), AND if he has ears, AND if he is playing with a good drummer he is tight with, then it's just a simple matter of respecting himself and the music and dancers and band enough to not try anything stupid that might bust the Groove.

[hover]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

In the OP and in Marlowedk's case, both players sarifice the song to showcase their chops. When the song becomes the casualty is when it's too much.

The song was not written and recorded as a bass showcase. If it were an instrumental, the case may be different, but this is the problem with a lot of groups that never get out of the basement or the bars. They load a band up with chops guys who don't understand how to play a song. Everything is about them and doing what they think is "cool" instead of playing the song.

Pocket players love these type of guys because they know they will never lose a job to them.

This x infinity. I thought the Marlowe version at least was tasteful in its flashiness, but man did the OP video player just walk all over the groove, destroying all the motion. This vid is right up there with a recent post here in Misc from a player that was looking for ways to make MikeyJ's "Billy Jean" or whatever "more interesting".

More interesting? That bass line is completely interesting, and neither that nor this thread's song ask for the bassist to jerk off the neck at all. With groove it's not only the notes but the space between them, and this vid's dude isn't content unless he's fillin up all the spaces. For shame. I blame Doug Mark's metal method videos. All flash, no substance.

[1SHOT1HIT]

I don't know about this guys groove slaughter, but I honestly believed I'd NEVER, EVER be victim to that horrible New Kids On The Block song again.

I've managed to avoid it since way back in the 90's when it was almost impossible to.

I just want to say that whoever posted the link, is not a very nice person, and I don't appreciate it.
You, YOU, not a nice guy you!!!!!

[Ewo]

Originally Posted by 1SHOT1HIT

I just want to say that whoever posted the link, is not a very nice person, and I don't appreciate it.
You, YOU, not a nice guy you!!!!!

OK, I guess there was a certain social risk in posting it...

But it wasn't about NKOTB, y'know? It was about Ethan Farmer.

Em...and a few very nice CAS cutaway shots, yeah? Like at 2:00, right after that cringe-inducing vocal line.

So, am I back on your Christmas card list?

[bassfran]

When both Fela and James Brown rise from the grave and tell you to stop.

[Herrick]

Question for those who did not like the video linked in the OP: Is it a sin to do this kind of "overplaying" only if it's live or is it also a sin to do it in a home video? I ask this because some of you are bringing up a live setting & I think the dude in the 1st video is being judged too harshly. It is unknown if he plays like this live or if he plays live at all.

[Stewie26]

Originally Posted by Herrick

Question for those who did not like the video linked in the OP: Is it a sin to do this kind of "overplaying" only if it's live or is it also a sin to do it in a home video? I ask this because some of you are bringing up a live setting & I think the dude in the 1st video is being judged too harshly. It is unknown if he plays like this live or if he plays live at all.

I think people are responding to the the question that the OP asked. "Can you over groove a song? With the example that the OP presented for us to judge many responders have said yes. I think the player is very skilled, but that was not the question.

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by Herrick

Question for those who did not like the video linked in the OP: Is it a sin to do this kind of "overplaying" only if it's live or is it also a sin to do it in a home video? I ask this because some of you are bringing up a live setting & I think the dude in the 1st video is being judged too harshly. It is unknown if he plays like this live or if he plays live at all.

It's not just the over playing for me. It's 'where is the booty?' The groove? Why is he playing an octave above? He had some moments but that run he played a the 51 second mark didn't even work! The notes did not match any chord! Just random. As for the NKOTB video, I didn't even watch. It was about the band and Ethan. In that context on that song, what he played worked. Curiosity got the best of me and I found the entire concert on youtube. That's the only song Ethan really stretched out on. And those who don't get it just means you're not into that kind of pop music. It really helps to well rounded musically before bashing music you don't get in the first place.

[1SHOT1HIT]

Originally Posted by Ewo

OK, I guess there was a certain social risk in posting it...

But it wasn't about NKOTB, y'know? It was about Ethan Farmer.

Em...and a few very nice CAS cutaway shots, yeah? Like at 2:00, right after that cringe-inducing vocal line.

So, am I back on your Christmas card list?

Absolutely!!!

I will admit, having a ton of female cousins in one part of my family.

Then an aunt who's sister claims she dated one of those guys before NKOTB was big, it's unnecessary to say, I heard these guys much more often growing up than most people could ever stand to.

I gotta say, I never listened to the actual bass in their, or anything else for that matter and it's actually pretty decent.
Lol, I may even go as far as saying, if I could cut the vocals out, it may even.........Dare I say.......sound good.

[mellowinman]

Originally Posted by Herrick

Question for those who did not like the video linked in the OP: Is it a sin to do this kind of "overplaying" only if it's live or is it also a sin to do it in a home video? I ask this because some of you are bringing up a live setting & I think the dude in the 1st video is being judged too harshly. It is unknown if he plays like this live or if he plays live at all.

I wasn't being harsh. It wasn't about "overplaying." That was a perfect example of BAD playing. Nothing that guy played went with the song he was playing to. NOTHING. It was an abomination.

I have no question or comment about the guy's ability. He might be good, or he might not. I am not here to judge others. He might be ten times better than me!

But there would be no way to tell, based on that video.

I'm not going to get into whether he SHOULD or SHOULDN'T have played it that way, in the privacy of his own home. He can play anything he wants.

But this thread asked for us to give our opinion of what he did play, and ask if it was "over grooving" or whatever.

It wasn't "grooving" at all!

It turned my stomach. I hope to never hear anything like that again as long as I live.

I hated it THAT MUCH.

(plus "Rock with You" is a good song)

[fmoore200]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

I wasn't being harsh. It wasn't about "overplaying." That was a perfect example of BAD playing. Nothing that guy played went with the song he was playing to. NOTHING. It was an abomination.

I have no question or comment about the guy's ability. He might be good, or he might not. I am not here to judge others. He might be ten times better than me!

But there would be no way to tell, based on that video.

I'm not going to get into whether he SHOULD or SHOULDN'T have played it that way, in the privacy of his own home. He can play anything he wants.

But this thread asked for us to give our opinion of what he did play, and ask if it was "over grooving" or whatever.

It wasn't "grooving" at all!

It turned my stomach. I hope to never hear anything like that again as long as I live.

I hated it THAT MUCH.

(plus "Rock with You" is a good song)

Mellowinman, master of hyperbole. Lol .. Except about "rock with you" - that song kicks serious a$$ (the entire off the wall record is awesome for that matter)

[Lonnybass]

Amazing to see so much criticism at a Youtube video of a guy's self-titled home recording called "My Personal Bassline."

Yes, it's up-front in the mix, and yes, it's a busy part on top of the vocal - but when you stop and deconstruct what the guy is doing, he's got a very tasty feel, lots of ghost notes and syncopation happening, and some interesting musical application of scales and theory in the runs and fills.

Not to mention, he manages to get some killer tone on that Fender FMT through crappy computer speakers. I owned one of those basses for about a half hour in 2007 and would have kept it if it sounded as good as the one in the video.

So no, maybe the part he recorded is not a candidate for overdubbing on Thriller or Off the Wall, but that dude would smoke a dance hall with that bassline.

Lonnybass