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A pretty amazing thing I'm noticing

stratovani

stratovani

Nov 18, 2007
3,653
1,131
Spencer, MA, USA
#1
I've been playing bass in the original band I'm in for almost a year now. We've been rehearsing at least once a week now, and most weeks two times, and sometimes three times a week. We've played a few shows this past year as well. So all in all I've had many opportunities this past year to play my bass in a band setting, coming up with original bass lines to the songs we play. At tonight's rehearsal I noticed something for the first time. I'm actually playing less notes now than I did when I first started. I'm holding notes longer, and letting my bandmates do their part with the harmony and rhythms. I guess it shows that I'm progressing as a bass player, playing only what the song needs and not much else. It kind of thrills me, actually!

Anyone else notice this in their playing?
 
#3
When bass players first start out they feel pressured to play more notes than needed. Unless your a soloing god playing lots of notes often shows a lack of confidence. That's great that you've recognized that a strong rhythmic pulse is much more powerful than a bunch of notes stringed together. My man Dusty Hill and I are with you 100%.
 
#6
Watching a really good bassist (a friend of mine) play recently, I would hear things that I didn't see him do. I thought to myself "I need to do more with less effort". This friend of mine also over played without much dynamics. I thought to myself "I need to add more dead air space (bass is not making a sound)". I need to thank him for making me a much better bass player.
 
#8
I think it's easier to want to play more notes when trying to come up with something original. For one, you wanna make it interesting. For two, since it's original you wanna make it memorable somehow. But, as you found out, eventually you just settle in on what's needed. And that way, it opens the door for those special places where busier lines can be played--setting the environment or context, so to speak. Jimmy's right that there are times that playing a lot of notes can sound great. I just heard an old song that was like that, and it was fitting and good.

But yeah, it's interesting what you noticed about your own playing. Less can be more. What's a challenge is how to make those simple lines say something original and fresh. But you'll find it.
 
#10
Russell L said:
I think it's easier to want to play more notes when trying to come up with something original. For one, you wanna make it interesting. For two, since it's original you wanna make it memorable somehow. But, as you found out, eventually you just settle in on what's needed. And that way, it opens the door for those special places where busier lines can be played--setting the environment or context, so to speak. Jimmy's right that there are times that playing a lot of notes can sound great. I just heard an old song that was like that, and it was fitting and good.

But yeah, it's interesting what you noticed about your own playing. Less can be more. What's a challenge is how to make those simple lines say something original and fresh. But you'll find it.
Click to expand...

I think you hit the nail on the head. I was trying to make my lines not only interesting but to satisfy my ego as well. Now it's all about serving the song for me. And Jimmy is right - there are times when I do rip it up, and I won't deny that it does feel good. But laying down a good foundation is what it's all about.

The other day I got a nice compliment from our drummer. He's been in the local music scene for a long long time, and in that time he's played with many different people. He said that I was one of only three bass players he's enjoyed playing with, simply because we lock in together so well. Thanks, Dave, that means a lot to me coming from an old pro like you. :D
 
#11
billoetjen said:
My bass-mentor emphasized early and often: less is more.
Click to expand...
Cant agree more. Good example - Dazed And Confused by Led Zep. As simple as you like but bloody memorable bassline! If everyone in the band try to throw in as much as possible, they will sound s**t, no 2 ways about it. Learned very early to play what the song needs, nothing more and nothing less. Now if only those Telecaster wielding heads could learn to do the same :D
 
#12
When recording our recent CD, my band was having trouble with a post-guitar-solo section that just wasn't taking off like we wanted. This was a hard, heavy, driving, riff-rock song, and definitely the heaviest on the whole CD.

So I got the idea to completely drop out of that section and only play on the accent hits. BLAM. Though I was playing less it made the track sound bigger. When I drop out, the guitar carries the riff, and the listener is like, "Hmm, sounds familiar, like the verse..." and then POW I hit those accents.

Not the first time I've tried this trick, but the band was amazed. Play less, sound bigger.
 
#13
Someone said to a guitar player friend of mine 'I'd rather hear you play two notes together that make me want to cry than 1000 notes to the bar'.

That said, I agree with JimmyM, gotta know when to rip and when to lay back. The longer I play the more I like to listen to the sustain of a nice whole note sometimes.
 
#18
To me, Radiohead's 'Airbag' is a great song to illustrate this point.

I also love it when in a book or a movie they manage to convey something without actually saying it, or how in some songs you automatically insert a word, which is not in the lyrics or sung, but just seems to belong.

Somehow I never manage to write these things. They happen upon me, I don't actually know how to make them work on purpose.
 
#19
Most beginners pay attention to how many notes and how fast.
Most Veterans pay attention to which notes, when to pluck them, how long to let em ring, and when not to play them, as well as the above.

If you're experimenting with less is more, don't underestimate the effect of the duration of your notes.
If the drummer is playing typical rock beats with the snare on 2 & 4
try stopping your notes at just the instant before those snare hits.
(A tip I gleaned here on TB) Instant tightness!

anecdote:
an audio engineer for the original Star Wars film was once asked how to make an explosion sound really huge , like the death star explosion.
He replied "make sure that right before the explosion, it's completely silent."


More and more I find myself silencing my bass preceding a big change.
 
#20
mambo4 said:
Most beginners pay attention to how many notes and how fast.
Most Veterans pay attention to which notes, when to pluck them, how long to let em ring, and when not to play them, as well as the above.

If you're experimenting with less is more, don't underestimate the effect of the duration of your notes.
If the drummer is playing typical rock beats with the snare on 2 & 4
try stopping your notes at just the instant before those snare hits.
(A tip I gleaned here on TB) Instant tightness!

anecdote:
an audio engineer for the original Star Wars film was once asked how to make an explosion sound really huge , like the death star explosion.
He replied "make sure that right before the explosion, it's completely silent."


More and more I find myself silencing my bass preceding a big change.
Click to expand...

This is one thing I learned early on, when to stop a note. I started out playing strict blues but still wanted to tell a story with the bass line. Note length and feel were the only options to play around with when doing an uptown down or other riff. Helped later on with other styles, though I was guilty of playing overly muted lines walking when I started.

When playing fusion let her rip! Though even then I have to be the glue between guitar and flailing drums sometimes.
 

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