"Bass Only" Music

[Frunobulax]

Jah Wobble and the Invaders babe.

 

[mapleglo]

Clatter - Singing bass player and drummer.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

 

[mrm56]

not an all bass composition but very close and very nice...

 

[40Hz]

Zander Zon does a number of bass solo songs using a number of techniques you might want to explore:



And although this video isn’t 100% bass even though it could easily be adapted for two basses, you might want to look into the alternate tuning Charles Berthold used for this piece;

 

[Nick von Nick]

This album is incredible - about 95% solo acoustic bass guitar:

 

[LeFunk Machine]

Yes, your baseline needs to be melodic. Check these out:
Your bass line will need to sing the song.

 

[TheReceder]

Noone has mentioned "Big Bottom" (Spinal Tap) yet?

On the flipside, there is a whole Mettalica album with essentially no bass. OK, maybe several.

You made my day. I just looked through the whole thread expecting that SOMEONE would mention Tap.

 

[TeaTime]

Brian Bromberg. He has a lot of stuff (including jazz, and an entire Hendrix tribute album) that is just bass on bass over drums. Sometimes uses a piccolo bass for the higher bits, sometimes not.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

I think good examples could be:
1. Marcus Miller - Mr.Pastorius
2. Jaco Pastorius - Portrait of Tracy
3. Jaco Pastorius - Continuem

Keep in mind that these were groud breaking albums for their time and changed how the bass was used and was put the bass up in front of the band from that point forward.

Notice the common theme: "Jaco Pastorius". He was a legend in his time and his body of work still resonates today.

 

[Funky Phantom]

You made my day. I just looked through the whole thread expecting that SOMEONE would mention Tap.

My first thought! If ‘The Tap’ comes to mind, you’re a sick puppy (just like me!)
The best part of Big Bottom is, everyone’s playing bass! The bass player? He’s got a
double neck bass! Remember though, all the ‘Tap’ songs on the first 3 Derek Smalls albums
we’re actually written by the original bass player, the great Ronnie Pudding. Ronnie
was cheated out of his royalties, and song writing credits. Ronnie was also considered
a creative genius micing drums. He was the first person to mic the drum throne!

 

[Funky Phantom]

Unless you are a chop monster, phenom (Jaco, Stanley, Jonas) a ‘Bass only’ album doesn’t
seem like it would be very cool. I don’t know who it would appeal to. Not too many people
I know would listen to a bass only album. As a bass player, I usually listen to drums more
than the bass. I listen to the bass more to hear a players ‘approach’ to a particular song.
To me, a bass player, or any other instrument, is only as good as they
relate to the drums
I once heard a singer/songwriter say “If you can play the song on an acoustic guitar
and sing it, without any other instruments, it’s a good song’.
In my opinion, if you can play the drums alone, and it’s still cool, that’s the song.
You got a hip groove, you’re happnin’. All you have to do is not ‘step’ on it.
If you can use your instrument to serve the groove, now your doin’ something cool.
Get ya’ a drummer, and like Mr. Brown said “You ain’t gotta’ do no soloing brotha, just keep
whatcha’ got! And turn it loose! ‘Cause it’s a mutha’!
Go and do likewise gents.

 

[JimmyM]

Pass on the examples. Just do your thing.

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

Check Gürol Ağırbaş. He does exactly what you intend to. He is the one making me love the bass in my early years.
1)
2)

 

[5aP]

You opened up a new world for me. Thank you all! I'll check those out.
A lot of various stuff!

Cheers!

 

[Five String]

Hello everyone!

I've been following this forum for some six months and I must say it's awesome! Helped me a lot!

So, I started working on my new album. BUT this is the first album I plan to do using only bass and probably drums in some parts of a few songs.
I've been recording and expanding riffs for a few month now. I would say that pre-production is done and some recordings have been started.
Problem is I don't have any reference song or album for that, so my goal with this thread is to hear your voices, your opinions, your thoughts.

So far I can only say it's a melodic kind of music. I'm using fingers, not pick and in half of songs I use chord changes and combinations as classical guitarists do on their instruments. But as soon as I finished it, it'll be online.

P.S.
Sorry for mistakes. English is not my native language.

Having started this thread, you know you have to post a link to your creation when it's done. Following this thread so I can check it out!

 

[Depth_Charge]

 

[Hopkins]

Bass only music doesn't sound all that enjoyable to me

 

[BassBrass]

There's always a Place for virtuoso performers... on the other hand Hugo Largo was a NYC art band usually using 2 bass, violin and f. voice, no drums. Their recordings are a lesson on how to layer bass chords and not make mud but celestial harmony. (the primary bass was a Les Paul and a Guild but they used an 8 string bass too and some guitar)

 

[Dirk Diggler]

I think the best way to mix multiple basses is make sure they all sit in their own space.

So the actual bass track will be a normal sound, the guitar like and synth bass parts perhaps roll off the low end.
Also play up the neck on the non bass sounding instruments to keep everything from turning to mud.

Good luck,
Dirk