Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[remcult]

on the erskine thing, how does one interpret where strings are, etc.?

He breaks it down in text form, but each row of blocks is a string. So in the first shape from the screenshot the root is on the B string, the 7th on the G, the 3rd on the C. Definitely a physical stretch for someone like me, but I included it more as an example of how he lays out a bunch of chord options in the book

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

He breaks it down in text form, but each row of blocks is a string. So in the first shape from the screenshot the root is on the B string, the 7th on the G, the 3rd on the C. Definitely a physical stretch for someone like me, but I included it more as an example of how he lays out a bunch of chord options in the book

Yep, I definitely can’t do that chord shape comfortably. Ouch.

 

[remcult]

Yep, I definitely can’t do that chord shape comfortably. Ouch.

lol, me neither. but he provides a lot of other options that are easier on the hands

 

[steubig]

i just tried those on my 6-string. that’s gotta be really high on the neck, unless he’s using a shorter scale.

imho, those are almost unusable. (and yes, i practice and play a lot of chordal stuff on 6-string and have for decades.)

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

lol, me neither. but he provides a lot of other options that are easier on the hands

Ya....i have my favorite go to chordal shapes also....but all on 4 string since its what I use about....100% of the time.

 

[lucas303]

Sorry for monopolizing the last page or two of this thread. I'm ordering Erskine's book, so I'll have a lot to think about and work on. Thanks all.

 

[monsterthompson]

Sorry for monopolizing the last page or two of this thread. I'm ordering Erskine's book, so I'll have a lot to think about and work on. Thanks all.

Nothing to be sorry for. Good discussion is good discussion.

 

[steubig]

ditto. all good.

in terms of post-rock and all that, i’ve been thinking about electric bass is general:

my belief is that electric bass needs to break out of the only groove and roots thing. that may be where it came from, but the potential is there for much, much more. i view it as a platform for a great number of musical/expressive possibilities (which can include groove/roots thing).

so, for me, at some point it’s useful to think about what you want to hear and go about realizing that vision, not just doing what other people have done in the past.

hopefully this makes some sense.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I believe my Bordwell has the 17mm spacing, which is almost the most narrow one can get on the neck.

My Modulus be like "Hold my beer"

13.97mm string spacing on my 1988 Quantum-6 SPX ...and that was considered their wider 6-string spacing at the time!

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

ditto. all good.

in terms of post-rock and all that, i’ve been thinking about electric bass is general:

my belief is that electric bass needs to break out of the only groove and roots thing. that may be where it came from, but the potential is there for much, much more. i view it as a platform for a great number of musical/expressive possibilities (which can include groove/roots thing).

so, for me, at some point it’s useful to think about what you want to hear and go about realizing that vision, not just doing what other people have done in the past.

hopefully this makes some sense.

IMO Tom Jenskinson aka Squarepusher has been doing that since the early 90s.
I true freakin monster of a genius if you ask me. WAAYAYAYAYAYA beyond underated.
But I’m a fanboy....so .....

 

[steubig]

there are a few people who have been doing that.

tbh, most of what i've heard of his on bass (small sample size admittedly) has been post-jaco shredding or really fast slap stuff. but then maybe i need to hear some other stuff. (and i've heard some of his free improv with some of the london free improv guys and it left me pretty cold.)

 

[lucas303]

(I've posted about him everywhere else on TB, so why not here too...)

Check out Colin Marston's bass playing with Gorguts (for example). Not post-rock, but he's definitely not just hammering away at roots and fifths. Here's an example:

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

there are a few people who have been doing that.

tbh, most of what i've heard of his on bass (small sample size admittedly) has been post-jaco shredding or really fast slap stuff. but then maybe i need to hear some other stuff. (and i've heard some of his free improv with some of the london free improv guys and it left me pretty cold.)

I was thinking more along the lines of his full albums. When he blurs the line between what is man, bass or machine....like on the album Ultravisitor.

Not a huge fan either of his solo bass albums but at least he tries something new and takes risks. That I really like. He could have easily put out boring drill and bass and made more $$.

 

[lordradish]

My Modulus be like "Hold my beer"

13.97mm string spacing on my 1988 Quantum-6 SPX ...and that was considered their wider 6-string spacing at the time!

Probably a lot easier to play chords on yours, for sure.

 

[steubig]

eh, i have 19mm 34-inch-scale 6-string basses. playing interesting chords is very possible. (not saying that it isn't probably easier on bob's bass)

 

[steubig]

(I've posted about him everywhere else on TB, so why not here too...)

Check out Colin Marston's bass playing with Gorguts (for example). Not post-rock, but he's definitely not just hammering away at roots and fifths. Here's an example:

totally, not just roots and so forth.

but . . . . i assume this is not just a drums and bass duo, is that correct? so is he doubling the guitars? if so, and he's not the writer, that implies that he is subservient to the guitar players . . . supplying "groove" or what-have-you.

if he is the writer, it gets into a whole different thing. (maybe the guitars are doubling him.)

i guess what i'm advocating is a world where more bass players concern themselves with being band leaders and stretching the boundaries of what the instrument can do—and breaking the dogmatic strictures of what they're supposed to do . . .

yes, i have an agenda.

 

[lucas303]

totally, not just roots and so forth.

but . . . . i assume this is not just a drums and bass duo, is that correct? so is he doubling the guitars? if so, and he's not the writer, that implies that he is subservient to the guitar players . . . supplying "groove" or what-have-you.

if he is the writer, it gets into a whole different thing. (maybe the guitars are doubling him.)

i guess what i'm advocating is a world where more bass players concern themselves with being band leaders and stretching the boundaries of what the instrument can do—and breaking the dogmatic strictures of what they're supposed to do . . .

yes, i have an agenda.

Similar style of playing, but just bass and drums here:

 

[steubig]

do you know ruins?

drummer-led, but 6-string bass and drums.

 

[steubig]

I was thinking more along the lines of his full albums. When he blurs the line between what is man, bass or machine....like on the album Ultravisitor.

Not a huge fan either of his solo bass albums but at least he tries something new and takes risks. That I really like. He could have easily put out boring drill and bass and made more $$.

thanks for the album tip. yeah, much more to my taste musically . . . big bonus points for ridiculous bass playing. the real deal.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

thanks for the album tip. yeah, much mroe to my taste musically . . . big bonus points for ridiculous bass playing. the real deal.

Im here to serve.



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