Bass Guitar / Rhythm Guitar / Drums relationship

[Whousedtoplay]

There were some question/s about the bass/rhythm guitar/drums interaction.
From Cory Wong (guitar/rhythm guitar/band leader/composer) track.
There are a lot of interesting rhythmic places, but I recommend to to check around 3:05.
(One could check the whole track.)

Dave Koz - legend/saxophone Cory Wong - producer/guitar Petar Janjic - drums/cymbals Yohannes Tona - bass Ricky Peterson - b3 Kevin Gastonguay - wurli



Another track from Cory Wong with properly accomplished rhythm guitar functions.
N.B. Also, please check the brass section's role in the overall rhythmic texture/groove.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Now, let's take a look at the same song, performed by famous Chicago rock musicians, "Now" by Jason Scheff.

N.B. It's only my opinion!

I prefer Jason's own arrangement of that song due to the rhythm guitar role in forming the rhythmic pattern/groove.

(It's all in the nuances!)



In Chicago's version, the rhythm guitar is "more flexible", plus a "slow moving brass section", plus too much of "freely/improvisational-y arranged percussion part" that obfuscates the solid rhythmic foundation, that I (!) like and prefer in that kind of songs.
Verdine White – bass guitar !

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Now, let's listen to a track with the rhythmic piano part (no rhythm guitar).

 

[byacey]

In all these instances, it sounds like the rhythm is keeping well away from the first two octaves in the bass range, minimizing the dissonance that I mentioned. It seems as you move up through the octaves, the higher you go, the closer you can have dissonant notes that aren't objectionable. I think it's because the sum and difference frequencies that we perceive are spread further apart. Also, because the bass guitar sound is primarily second harmonic, which is right into the low fundamentals of a guitar.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

In all these instances, it sounds like the rhythm is keeping well away from the first two octaves in the bass range, minimizing the dissonance that I mentioned. It seems as you move up through the octaves, the higher you go, the closer you can have dissonant notes that aren't objectionable. I think it's because the sum and difference frequencies that we perceive are spread further apart. Also, because the bass guitar sound is primarily second harmonic, which is right into the low fundamentals of a guitar.

It's like we have a vertical/spectral dissonance (the instruments' used registers) and a horizontal/rhythmic dissonance.
In both cases, a pronounced dissonance (vertical or horizontal) is a signed of a low-quality band and/or the band's musicians with clearly expressed elements of selfishness.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

buy an octaver and become the bass AND rythm guitar

... Or, the guitar player could just start playing the bass lines even without buying an octaver

and everybody would start singing happily, "Oh, yeah, oh, ah...

 

[byacey]

It's like we have a vertical/spectral dissonance (the instruments' used registers) and a horizontal/rhythmic dissonance.
In both cases, a pronounced dissonance (vertical or horizontal) is a signed of a low-quality band and/or the band's musicians with clearly expressed elements of selfishness.

I think this is an accurate assessment.