"Bass is not played that way" ?!

[HolmeBass]

Nope- rock. Take a listen to Phil Lesh, Otiel Burbridge, or Mike Gordon, to name a few. We hate repetition

Or James Jamerson for that matter. Of course Jamerson sometimes would play very repetitive dead simple lines, but on other recordings, while he may have had motifs he developed consistently through the track, he repeated very few phrases exactly for the entire song.

I always thought that was good bass playing myself.

 

[Kathy Clark]

Hey all,
so I was playing a 16th note riff on the higher frets of the G and D string, then the guitarist comes to me and says: "man, bass is not played that way". I was so upset that there was someone making rules for an instrument haha. Have you experienced this as well, that someone said, stick to the root notes or anything like that?

Cheers

Been playing for 45 years...tjete are rules?

 

[Lexicaliblues]

When I had only been playing about a year or so, I was hanging out playing with some bluegrass guys and asked whether some particular chord was major or minor. I was told, "Oh, you're the bass player. You would never play the third anyway". I'm still pissed off about that...

 

[Foeredetting]

I have kindly advised keyboard players to generally stay away from the far left side of their instrument, and to particularly leave my bass lines to me. It has been accepted. I have also pointed out to drummers when they rush or drag. Since I'm a bass player nobody cares what I do as long as I don't actually play a bum note... Which happens occasionaly.

 

[Paulabass]

I have kindly advised keyboard players to generally stay away from the far left side of their instrument, and to particularly leave my bass lines to me. It has been accepted. I have also pointed out to drummers when they rush or drag. Since I'm a bass player nobody cares what I do as long as I don't actually play a bum note... Which happens occasionaly.

My piano player and I have a mutual admiration society. We each listen to each other. Carefully. We can even work together on a barrelhouse, or jump blues groove, and not step all over each other.

 

[Martyman]

Hey all,
so I was playing a 16th note riff on the higher frets of the G and D string, then the guitarist comes to me and says: "man, bass is not played that way". I was so upset that there was someone making rules for an instrument haha. Have you experienced this as well, that someone said, stick to the root notes or anything like that?

Cheers

I was playing in a Blues/Rock Band and the guy in the band that had the most musical training out of the rest of us pluckers and bangers stopped a song in the turnaround and yelled across the practice room, "Keep that bass reigned in tight and remember to stay in the 3rds on the downbeat." Well, I could've been put out by this but, what the hell. It was his band and we weren't playing a gig so, I thought better now than later with yelling out directions to people.

 

[7615]

No, bass IS played that way.

He is playing solo

 

[Martyman]

Unless I am being paid to play a certain style or performance I play how I want and feel what the song needs. There is no right or wrong way to play and those that say there is do not know squat. I would not tell a harp player how to play. If it sounds good then its fine.

I totally agree with your statement, 110%!!!

 

[Mikes Tiki Bar]

Easy response to that kind of obnoxiousness: "I had to fill in what was missing from the guitar part."

 

[7615]

When I had only been playing about a year or so, I was hanging out playing with some bluegrass guys and asked whether some particular chord was major or minor. I was told, "Oh, you're the bass player. You would never play the third anyway". I'm still pissed off about that...

is bluegrass- I get it

 

[Martyman]

and Jaco, and Victor and Chris Squire and Les Claypool and John Entwistle and Paul McCartney and Jack Bruce and every other bass player that ever had an original thought. What is REALLY pathetic is when you hear if from another bass player.

To the OP, just say, "Do I tell you how to bore everybody to death with your long, rambling leads??"

Sometimes the person giving instructions means well but, it's the way they come across you that tends to rub you a little bit raw....

 

[Martyman]

is bluegrass- I get it

Never play the 3rd?!! ***!!

 

[nlmcguire91]

Funnily enough that is exactly how Steve Harris got kicked out of the Moody Blues

I have reason to believe you fibbed

 

[Martyman]

Easy response to that kind of obnoxiousness: "I had to fill in what was missing from the guitar part."

Great comeback! lol

 

[Berniez40]

I handed him the tuner and told him where he needed to start since all of his notes were wrong. Never got bothered again.

 

[ev rodriguez]

The comment speaks to the guitarist’s musical ignorance. Every instrument in every kind of music is able to be played in any register available to it, in any rhythmic or dynamic methodology so long as it contributes to the spirit and type of piece being played.

If basses were only meant to play on the down beat and in the lower register, why do they bother making them in a 34” scale and with 4 strings?

Ignore that person and focus on the piece of music that you are playing.

 

[Paulabass]

Easy response to that kind of obnoxiousness: "I had to fill in what was missing from the guitar part."

Best response of th

Never play the 3rd?!! ***!!

There are two 3rds. consistantly play the wrong one. You will get to go home early.

 

[Bassbeater]

I suggest asking all band members, and making it a frank and open discussion. Otherwise you risk arguing with one member of a group of people trying to work together. That behavior weakens the group dynamic. Maybe you are overplaying, maybe not. Ask the entire band that you are a part of, and be prepared to dial it back gracefully if you are outvoted. Letting your ego get bruised and arguing won't take you far as a group.

 

[7615]

I tell drummers to stop chasing melody all the time. It is obnoxious. To add melodic lines in bass or drums without dropping the bass or drum part is difficult - doable but tough. My experience is if a can do fills - in the spaces where the guitar is not- while maintaining the support part (essentially 2 parts at once) it works. But I don't need a guitarist to tell me that - that is obvious. Drummers and bassist who throw in riffs while abandoning the supporting part (in popular music) and do it over a vocal or a melodic instruments melody line - really should give themselves a reality check.

 

[micguy]

I play bass in churches. I get to work with a lot of worship leaders. When we get to the church, we have a couple hours to rehearse stuff - sometimes stuff we've never played before, often with people I haven't played with before, and get things to the level where we can (hopefully) inspire an audience. None of us have the luxury of having egos drive our decisions. I work a lot before I get there to understand the songs, and work out parts I think that leader will like - sometimes it's pretty much what's on the record, sometimes it's got a few new twists in there. I always adpat my parts somewhat in real time - if the feel from the drummer is different, what I play is likely to change to work with that.

If the leader isn't feeling something, I don't defend the part I came in with; I ask what they'd like. I'm not paid to do what they want, but it's part of being a good team player to be flexible and get behind that person's vision as much as I can - we simply don't have time to have a bunch of discussions about everything. It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, it's my job to wrap my head around and own the part I'm asked to play. If someone wants a parade of quarter notes, I'll give them the best damn quarter note parade I can muster.

I realize not every band works this way, but in general, I think adopting a "lower ego" position is a good approach. That means both that we shouldn't be quite so proud of our parts, but also that we shouldn't tell others how things "should" be. We should offer up ideas, and try them out together - keep what works, ditch what doesn't.