Arranging tunes for solo bass

[bassandbeyond]

Doug,

I know wheer you are coming from, but I respectfully disagree with some of your recommendations. First, a strong NO to the dreaded metronome. Stay away!. Time is an internal thing. Ari, you have a nice sense of time and feel, you don't need it. The feel is more important than the time, especially when playing solo.

Also, in my books I often talk about the muddiness in the lower register. In fact I think Doug might have taken that text right from my book. However, listening to your arrangement, I did not feel that it was muddy at all. If, and only if, you feel you need more clarity should you move it above the 10th fret. There is a beauty, as well, to play solo bass lower registers

BTW, I've posted 6 more videos, bass and percussion, chord melodies with and without looping.

Mike Dimin

Okay Mike, fair enough. I guess we come down on opposite sides of the age-old metronome debate, and Ari can make up his own mind about that. As I said, when playing solo one has license to take some liberties with the time, but by the same token, a solo bassist bears 100% responsibility for making the music groove.

+1 to onosson's comment about trying these arrangements on that Jazz bass, or any other bass with a bridge pickup. IMHO, it does sound a bit muddy on the P-bass. It's certainly good to utilize the full range of your instrument, but you'll find that intervals smaller than a 5th in the lower register will often sound bad, even when they are harmonically correct. I like to employ open strings under higher chord voicings to get a fuller sound when playing solo. And I swear I didn't lift any text from Mike's book!

 

[Mike Dimin]

Okay Mike, fair enough. I guess we come down on opposite sides of the age-old metronome debate, and Ari can make up his own mind about that. As I said, when playing solo one has license to take some liberties with the time, but by the same token, a solo bassist bears 100% responsibility for making the music groove.

Let us also agree NOT to bring Jeff Berlin on the question of the metronome

 

[bassandbeyond]

Let us also agree NOT to bring Jeff Berlin on the question of the metronome

 

[bandito]

My amp was set for normal bass playing and I just forgot to switch it. Usally I put it flat with athe bass down a bit, but I had it set bassier in the video. It didn't sound so bad in person. I think the camera has something to do with the muddyness also. I have tried on the jazz bass but it's tricky on a fretless and the electronics are kinda messed up. (I just got it at a pawn shop) And I know my timing is off in some spots but mostly because I am new to this and the shapes/jumps are kinda weird. I'll keep working on it though definatly.

 

[bassandbeyond]

Yes, by all means, keep at it. You are definitely on the right track!

 

[bandito]

YouTube - Revelation-yellowjackets Ari Edgecombe

Here's another arrangement I just uploded. I used my six string in this one because it's clearer and i use the c. I used more chords than line in this one.

 

[Crazyeelboy]

YouTube - Tell Me a Bedtime Story- Ari Edgecombe

Check it out! I don't have my technique down for this style of playing(I use my thumb sometimes and two fingers sometimes) but It's about as clean of a take as I could get tonight, keep in mind that this started with me thinking "Hey, I can play this lick and this bassline at the same time!" at one in the morning on sunday. I like how it turned out for the most part. I'll arrange another in a couple weeks and post it, hopefully with better technique. I'll definatly study your lesson videos some more too.

I thought you did a great job with this. Really good stuff!

 

[bandito]

I thought you did a great job with this. Really good stuff!

Thank you!