CHoosing a bass for a gig...got some major problems!

[Fassa Albrecht]

I have been playing at church a lot recently and was using my Shergold for all the performances bar one song on the second performance.

But the one thing I noticed is that because I'm having to play from sheet music, my accuracy in fingering notes suffered for some songs. I also had to play in the wrong octave for some songs so I had a 'low' D and B.


So, should i continue playing with my fretless Shergold (which I've played the longest out of the two basses) or should I switch to my new-ish Yamaha 5 stringer for thefact it's fretted?

[Dave Muscato]

Mistakes are never acceptable on the job, IMHO.

If I can't play a part with 100% perfection (or as close as humanly possible, within the limits of my own ability) because of my choice of gear, I choose other gear.

It's simply unprofessional to play any less than your best, IMO.

[bassistkll]

One of the most profound things I learned as a singer and liturgical instrumentalist was from a volunteer music director of the Protestant (defined by the military as "Christian other than Catholic") worship services on the US Navy base in Rota, Spain during the Reagan administration. She was a Navy pilot's wife and a Juilliard grad; monstrous musician. She would have a program of music to be performed and would rehearse what talent she had to work with, which could be very diverse due to talented servicepersons coming and going. She would get great performances out of what talent (or lack thereof) that she had to work with at the time. She told me that if the music was performed with at the very least "musical correctness" (lyrics, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, tempos, dynamics, playing and singing what the composer put on the page) the worshippers in the pews would not be paying much attention to the accompaniment but rather lift their voices in praise to The Almighty. On the other hand if the accompaniment is musically lousy that's the first thing the worshipper in the pew will notice and he or she will be distracted from the reason that they're there he first place. That's one reason why I'm part of my church's musical ministry.
When I first attended as a visitor I was so distracted by the awful sounds I heard musically that I couldn't relate to the "Good News" of the message of the day. One thing that bugged me was that the bassist was playing a fretless passive MIM J-Bass direct to the house sound system. The one thing that's worse than out-of-tune bass playing is LOUD out-of-tune bass playing.
If there would be anything pitchwise with your fretless playing that could disrtact the worshipper in the pew from the reason he or she is there play a fretted bass, and make sure it's in tune with the other instruments (acoustic piano, pipe organ, synth) that you may be working with in your ensemble.
I play fretted 4-and 5-string fretted bass guitars, fretless 4-string and upright acoustic (depending on what the music calls for).
Use whatever instrument the music requires.
Wish You Well.
KLL

[Phalex]

I don't use my fretless in church for this very reason Fassa. I get the charts a week ahead, one practice on Thursday, and it's go time come Sunday morning. If I get recordings of the material we never seem to do them in the same key.......

Keep your eyes on the chart (Unless you are comfortable enough with the song.) and if finding the proper intonation isn't working out on the fretless, use the fretted one at least until you get the stuff on the fretless nailed down.

[BobWestbrook]

I agree with using a fretted - in our worship team, we do a wide variety of songs, and often with little practice. It would be too difficult for me to make "on the fly" the bass parts from the chord progressions on a fretless.