Advice for keyboardist switching to bass

[cryptojunkie]

Hello all, I've searched, found and read the threads on general bass tips, and the keyboardist to bass club threads. Searched for specific advice for the keyboardist to bass, and if I've missed it please forgive me.

Been playing piano, keyboards and B-3 organ for around 25 years. I've been "tinkering" with guitar for quite a while, so I have some limited left hand technique.

Just picked up a highway 1 J bass and an Ampeg BA115, and will be taking lessons for sure. Concentrating on 70s and southern rock initially.

I'm looking for specific advice on avoiding the common mistakes and pitfalls keyboardists make when switching to the bass.

 

[rodcheapo]

Speaking from experience here - I had 15+ years as a classical pianist and keyboard player prior to adding bass into the arsenal.

Most importantly, I'd try hard to remember the role of the bass as a supporting instrument primarily. My experience on keyboards had been mostly solo work or as a centerpiece. I found it difficult in the beginning to sit back and let things happen around me. It might take a while to realize how melodic the bass can be without being flashy. Once you get adept enough to add a little flash, it only gets better.

Technique wise - watch your wrists. I found it rather difficult to adapt to the positioning of the instrument after years of sitting in one posture. I personally don't believe there is a necessary position for either hand - just find comfortable positioning that enables you to be accurate (ignore speed at first) and consistent. In my experiences I had wrists going all over the place at first!

 

[MalcolmAmos]

As mentioned technique and how you play will be the big difference. Playing from lead sheet and or fake chord - as there is no bass cleft - and then having to compose the bass line from the chord name instead of relying upon what the bass cleft would have written will be a small learning curve.

Chord tones to a groove will take some thought. Instead of melody we are responsible for the groove. You mentioned Country. Country bass line revolves around a generic R-5-R-5 with chromatic runs to the next chord. Why? Country is major and will use a dirt simple chord progression. Every chord used is going to have a root and a five. In Country the melody (actually the vocal) is King - so the bass line tends to be dirt simple to stay out of the vocalist's way. My point - a new 6 string guitarist will normally fill his bass lines too full right at first. I think this will be something you should watch. Think groove.



Now echo melody - echoing the vocalist at specific points (as is done in gospel music by the bass vocalist) is very effective in Country music and your keyboard experience here will come into play.

The transition should not take you very long.

Good luck.

 

[4Mal]

Other than prepare to starve . No, not much... In my neck of the woods, a guy that can B3, Rhodes and Clavinet - can gig as much as he can stand...
At least when you tire of stqrving and go back to key's you'll probably have experienced the left hand of the key's stepping on the bass line and you'll have more sympathy for the bass guy.

(OK - I am kidding to an extent with that last little bit ...)

 

[LeoFromPortland]

I haven't read all the answers to your question yet.

I got drafted into playing bass at college because "You know, you keyboard guys can play bass with your left hand anyway ..."

I'm going out on a limb here, but as someone who studied piano lessons as a kid and then moved on to keyboards in the 80s, both techno and some classic stuff, there's a few things I learned right off.
I'm not dissing on Ray Manzarek here, I was in a Doors tribute band after all. But those are clearly keyboard bass lines. Great lines, but don't take lines such as those as a "path to how you play bass. I did that, at least till my instructor called me on that. He'd been teaching quite a few keyboardists turned bassist.

Anyhow, the ensemble thing can't be overstated. In your piano playing days, most of what you did starting out was by yourself. Playing bass, it's all about your role in the group from the get-go.
I think one of the best things I do for practice is practice playing along to tracks. Practice what it feels like to play the role of the bass itself. It's all well and good to learn the patterns, shapes, and other chops. but this was really helpful.

I also find arpeggio exercises to be way more helpful than scales. Both are necessary of course, but but arpeggios -- particularly the inversions -- are very helpful.

And definitely realize your brain and your ears are way ahead of your fingers. On keys, you "know where to go" without thinking about it. This used to frustrate the hell out of me when I was learning to play bass, but was still performing professionally as a keyboardist.

This past year and a half is the first time in my life where I owned a bass and no keys. Means I can't cheat and work out a riff on a piano or a keyboard first, then move it to bass. I think if you can get into a position like that, where you spend a bulk of your time on bass, that will really help. Hardly possible if you're still a pro keyboardist with constant work lined up. But it's helped my bass playing in ways I could never have imagined.
I've had to learn to "think" bass, rather than visualize it on the keyboard and translate it to bass. Something like learning a second language.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Yep you are now in the rhythm section. Playing harmony to the melody. So you gather the notes of the harmonizing chord to use in your bass line, i.e. R-3-5-7-11-13 and the flatted 3, 7, etc. for the minor chords.

The root on the first beat and the 5 on the third beat will play a lot of bass guitar. It is not rocket science. Just doing that will be hard. But, that is our job, that is why they need us.

Not unlike what your left hand has been doing on the keyboard, but, we do it one note (or rest) at a time, i.e. we do not strum or sound all notes at the same time -- so in walks rhythm, i.e. 3/4, 4/4 and 5/8, etc. Three quarter notes per bar or four quarter notes per bar. We and the drummer are the beat masters.

On slow ballads most of the time the drummer and I sit out and leave it to the vocalist and other guys. Then there are some songs I leave the rhythm beat to the drummer and I sound the root note (only) at the chord change word. This helps augment the lyric message being sung.

So there are all kinds of ways we play those chord tone notes. Grab the root and pound roots. When that gets old bring in a 5. Root on the first beat and the 5 on the 3rd beat. The octave 8 is a safe bass line note, as is the 6 on major chords, R-5-6-8. Course there is always the correct 3 and 7. You very seldom see a 2 or 4 in a chord, sus and add chords being about the only ones that have the 2 or 4 in them so use those notes sparingly, or as passing notes, don't start or end with them....

Remember you are an accompaniment instrument. Our job is to provide a good solid bottom foundation for the rest of the guy/gals to play over.

Good luck.

 

[dreamadream99]

8 year old thread guys.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I bet the OP is no longer checking this string.