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Accepting my influences

ryanms3030

ryanms3030

Jan 5, 2014
35
2
Glendale, CA
#1
I started playing again a few months ago after about an 8 year hiatus. I went into it thinking I would expand my influences. Learn some Jaco and Jamerson stuff, maybe some Wooten and generally learn to play more styles then my core musical interest which is metal.

After a few months of trying to learn this and that, I've realized all I really want to do is learn Steve Harris riffs, Cliff Burton riffs and Geddy riffs. I have no grand plan to play in any more bands at this point in my life, just playing to enjoy the music and I enjoy those guys playing. There are a few others songs from other bands I have enjoyed learning to play but mainly those three guys. Maybe once I get more proficient, I'll find some like minded guys that want to mainly jam on the same stuff that I like but if I don't then I'm fine playing along.
 
#2
I think it's easy to get hung up on "influences" and go looking for names to list that will impress other people. Better to be honest about who you really are inspired by and trying to learn from. When I started playing, I was really into a rather clever German pop band called Wir Sind Helden, and learned a bunch of their songs. So honestly, one of the formative influences on my playing is Marc Tavassol, whom few have heard of and who probably won't be going down in the books as a bass icon any time soon (though I still think he's a very good, tasteful player). I know who Jamerson is and all but I can't honestly claim I ever set out to play like him.
 
#3
I agree with hrodbert.

I mean its fine to want to play other styles you're not used to but it's ok to accept that you have a specific style. I mean it doesn't matter how much, say, metal I might play (I haven't really before, just a bit), it will never really seep into my influences when it comes time to write a bassline. Because ultimately that's not what I really care to play.
 
#4
It's really hard to force oneself to play in styles that may feel foreign to you or not personally appealing unless we're getting paid to play material out of our comfort zone.
We generally play what we're into. That can change over the years as (or if) we get into different genres.
But I agree we will be influenced most by the stuff we learned early on. Those influences can stay with you for life.
 
#5
It's not to say I only listen to metal or that's all I'm into. I'm 37 and over the years I've expanded my horizons. I like a lot of music from jazz, hip hop, pop, reggae, prog, and various rock that wouldn't be considered metal but I keep coming back to the bands I grew up with. I guess those songs are ingrained in my brain and so are many of the basslines. I'll take time out to learn a non metal song if I hear something and the bass stands out to me but like everyone says it's more fun to play stuff you love. I was just curious about other people's experience. And yeah, I'm never going to be a session player or hired gun of any kind so I don't need to worry too much about other styles unless I want to play them.
 
#6
I don't get into slavishly trying to copy lines, but different artists will show you different things. About a decade ago, I started getting into Motown, and although I have not played a lot of it in bands, I learned so much about passing tones and how they can be incorporated into different bass lines.

Listen to what you like, play what you like, but don't be afraid to experiment - you never know. I started playing some modern country (uggh) in a band now, and on a number of songs, I am playing unison lines with the guitarist like metal.
 
#7
My greatest influence was Ray Shulman of Gentle Giant. All I wanted to do was duplicate the bass line from the live version of "Free Hand." Along the way I absorbed John Paul Jones, John Taylor, Tony Levin, Sting, Robbie Shakespeare, Andy West, and many others, but all I really wanted from the bass was to play "Free Hand."

In a way I'm probably lucky that I never achieved that goal. What if I had, and then discovered that it didn't mean anything?

Still, I can easily imagine me just playing that one song over and over, forever. It's easily the most fun bass line I've ever heard.
 
#9
I plan on taking lessons again this summer. One of the things that my teacher stressed in learning the logic or theory behind note choices, not just memorizing what someone else has already played. Learn what it is Steve Harris is doing or what Jamie Jamerson is doing too.
 

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