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Bass, keys, and drums trio band

Skywalker83

Skywalker83

Oct 19, 2008
453
2
Tampere, Finland
#1
Ok so i had a jam session with a guitarist and keyboard player the other night in response to an ad saying the wanted to start a jazz fusion type band. So we had a 2 hour session together played through a couple of songs and had a little jam. Talking to the keyboard player later that night we both agreed that the guitarist was really not that great and gave him the notice that he would not be in the band. The keyboard player then suggests that "how about we just make the band bass, keys , drums?". i said, sure.

But the thing that i'm faced with now is that im unsure of where i fit in the band.Other bands i played in i was the link between the drummer and the guitarist, but what now with no guitarist? I think without a guitarist i might have alot more freedom in my playing, being allowed to take more melodic parts to fill out the mix.

Any advice anyone can give e would be great.
Does anyone play in this set up of band? Or does anyone know of any recordings/videos of similar set up bands that i can start to get some inspiration from?
 
#2
I don't know where the unwritten rule comes from, that there must be a guitarist in every band. Guitar and keys have about the same function in the band, so I don't see where the problem really is if you've played in a trio (drums, bass, guitar) before. Any singer in the band, btw?
 
#6
There doesn't have to be a guitarist in every band, there are plenty of bands with no guitar, especially in Jazz and other non-rock styles. As someone mentioned check out Martin, Medeski and Wood, or check out Emerson, Lake and Palmer (who I'm not much of a fan of, but they were a very famous Keys, bass and drum trio). Also chack out the Secondmen with Mike Watt on bass, another with that same setup.
 
#7
jonny-lad said:
You could check out Medeski, Martin and Wood for a real interesting keys, drums and bass trio. I've only got the album they did with John Scofield on guitar too, but there should be plenty of stuff on youtube to check out.
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+1. Beat me to it. I have a lot of their albums, and as I bass player, I can't recommend them enough. Unlike trios with guitar, bass and drums, the bass player doesn't have quite the room in a keyboard trio because of the keys player's left hand (Just my honest opinion). However, if your ensemble lets the bass player take the melody once in a while, you should have a little more room.

One thing about MMW (medeski martin & wood) that makes them stand out and makes them work so well is that they are all monster players.
 
#10
thanks for the replies, ive just been listening to some MMW stuff.

if your ensemble lets the bass player take the melody once in a while, you should have a little more room.
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yes, that is idea. Which suits me,as i really want to expand my playing and techniques.

we're planning on doing dome of our own arrangements as well, i'm currently working on doing arrangements of "over the rainbow" and "scarborough fair"

Keep em comin guys and gals :p
 
#14
you should definitely check out The New Deal. They are more of a funky- house electronica type band - not really the jazzy fusion you're looking for, but the chemistry between keyboardist Jamie Shields and bassist Dan Kurtz is amazing.
 
#15
I'd give it a shot and look at it as a chance to try something new, expand your duties and playing style. It'll either work out great and you'll learn some new skills, or you'll just have to go back to PLAN B, which was PLAN A from the start - find a decent guitarist.

Have fun with it!

I've played in many groups with no 6-stringed devil, ranging from jazz to prog rock to experimental chaos - can't say any of it ever hurt anything.
 
#20
Easily half of my gigs - including the first set or two of larger ensemble gigs - are in this format. Ultimately, your role remains that of the bass player, but there is definitely significant freedom to explore and add to the music. How this happens is really a function of how the other members of the trio approach the music, and can be incredibly dynamic. My playing is different from one trio to another, and if I had to pick the most important variable there, it'd be the drummer, and whatever musical choices s/he is making.

Enjoy the experience!
 

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