Wait for it...

kesslari · #1 12-16-2010, 02:09 PM

Last night I found myself heeding some advice I was given a long time ago.

"When you want to play a fill, don't play it. Wait.
Next time you want to play a fill, don't play it. Wait again.
By the fourth or fifth time that you want to play a fill (and you've waited) - play it. It will sound good there."

And sure enough -

walterw · #2 12-16-2010, 06:35 PM

hell yes.

fills are like repeatedly crashing the car into a wall just when you've built up some good speed on it.

Lizooki · #3 12-17-2010, 05:36 AM

Yep. And after 3 years, I've started to heed the saying ...

" what you don't play is as important as what you do play".

The thing is, I mostly play gospel/christian music with church and a group that doesn't have a "lead" instrument, so I play fills and melody-ish stuff to relieve the monotony.

But sometimes ..... you just don't need all those notes, fills or runs.

Matt

kcole4001 · #4 12-17-2010, 09:03 AM

Very good advice.

I think it's the challenge of jamming a tricky fill into a given space that gives players a bit of a thrill, when I was younger I did it too.

Just listen to a recording of your playing while you're throwing in fills everywhere.
It's pretty annoying to listen to.
That's how I learned that lesson.
The best compliment I ever got (in my opinion) was when a local guitar player said "he knows when not to play".
It's a hard reputation to keep up, though!

Distant Cousin · #5 12-17-2010, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesslari

Last night I found myself heeding some advice I was given a long time ago.

"When you want to play a fill, don't play it. Wait.
Next time you want to play a fill, don't play it. Wait again.
By the fourth or fifth time that you want to play a fill (and you've waited) - play it. It will sound good there."

And sure enough -

Yes! I do this. I know a few bassists who throw fills all over the shop; loses any impact and generally becomes annoying. Couple of well placed fills do the job 1000 times better in my opinion.

Kbone_ATL · #6 12-17-2010, 12:31 PM

Maybe this comes with age... I found that I over-did my fills in my younger playing years and gradually took a more tasteful approach. Although now I'll over-do fills simply to annoy my fellow musicians for my own amusement

Jamestrouton · #7 12-17-2010, 01:41 PM

A bassist who contributes the most, contributes when they aren't even playin.

m_bisson · #8 12-17-2010, 07:32 PM

Lol.... why are you guys so mystified by this? Have you never played from a real score? There are tons of rests. It's not a new concept, nor one that you should be in awe of. Knowing WHEN to play is the least of your worries.

pklima · #9 12-18-2010, 02:30 AM

I think good taste is for boring people, but fortunately I'm lazy so I'll play fills only if they're desperately needed and I can't make anybody else with a smaller instrument play them instead. That seems to work out OK.

Although after Thursday's gig our relatively new cajon player was complaining that he keeps thinking the song is over because I stop playing at the end of a section, and then I start up again a measure later. Heh.

Herrlster · #10 12-18-2010, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m_bisson

Lol.... why are you guys so mystified by this? Have you never played from a real score? There are tons of rests. It's not a new concept, nor one that you should be in awe of. Knowing WHEN to play is the least of your worries.

Easy there professor, don't need that holier than thou attitude.

Jamestrouton · #11 12-18-2010, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herrlster

Easy there professor, don't need that holier than thou attitude.

+1

The Bassmonkey · #12 12-18-2010, 07:52 AM

Oooooh im realy guilty of this. I have really busy hands, and feel like if im not playing then im not contributing.

I totally agree with the OP though. When i do actually manage to refrain from putting a fill in for most of the song, when i do put one in it feels far more....right.