Why do we play bass and What is it that makes us as bass players unique from the rest of the world of music?
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bass philosophy
- Thread starter scottos150
- Start date
Bass is the bridge between thrythm and harmony. Our job is to define the harmony and to connect the drums with the melodic and harmonic content of the music. While keyboard players CAN do it all, the instruments seldom work in that bridge function, but rather in an "all at once" mode. And most other instruments are either focused on the harmony (e.g. really good rhythm guitarists) or the melody (dweedly lead guitarists, or singers).
In order to fulfill that function, we have a LOT of options rangigng from Tim Drummond's approach on Neil Young's "Out On The Weekend" to Jaco's approach on something like "Birdland". But it's the same function. That function calls us to sublimate our insturmental ego to the song in a way that most other instruments don't.
It's a very subsversive power we have as well. We control the harmony, but do it most effectively when we don't draw attention to it. The guitarists may think they're playing a C major, but we can make it an Amin7 if we want- and they may not even know it. We do what it takes to lead by being servants.
jte
In order to fulfill that function, we have a LOT of options rangigng from Tim Drummond's approach on Neil Young's "Out On The Weekend" to Jaco's approach on something like "Birdland". But it's the same function. That function calls us to sublimate our insturmental ego to the song in a way that most other instruments don't.
It's a very subsversive power we have as well. We control the harmony, but do it most effectively when we don't draw attention to it. The guitarists may think they're playing a C major, but we can make it an Amin7 if we want- and they may not even know it. We do what it takes to lead by being servants.
jte
A servant of the music itself.
As bassists, we're generally used to not being in the spotlight much. The fact that we don't get as much spotlight as the lead singer (unless we happen to be doing that as well) or the lead guitarist might bother us a little, but we just shrug and carry on, because making the band sound good is more important than individuals getting butthurt about not having enough attention. We make music because it sounds good. If other people notice what a good job we're doing on bass, that's great. If they don't, well, we can still have our private satisfaction of playing well.
I've played bass since the mid 70's but when I first started with my P&W team, I was playing guitar. The music was so so. In walks a guitar player and I gladly handed over duties to him to get back with my beloved bass. I feel that as a bass player, I can control the feel of the music. I can do things in the background that the guitar and piano can't. I have subliminal control over it all!! I sound like a cheesey B movie villain!
Well, frankly, the bass' job is to serve the rest of the music on top. We build a foundation for the others. That's the servant attitude. That's NOT the same as being subordinate to anyone else. I don't much care for doubling guitar lines, that's redundant and subservient. But the bass/guitar solo bit on "Birthday" by The Beatles works really well. And McCartney playing the "Day Tripper" riff in the same octave as the guitar is cool bit of music too. But dig how Jack Bruce really plays "Sunshine of Your Love"- he's not just playing the same lick an octave lower, but he's playing around with the chromatic descending bit in different octaves.
The point is that a great bassist serves the MUSIC and the song, not the bass. No point putting the bass up front if the music isn't served by it. Most of the "cool" or "flashy" or "great" bassists that are admired for chops and skill understand that lesson implicitly. Jack Bruce, Victor Wooten, Jaco (at least when he was coherent), Flea, et. al. play a lot of things that stand out. But they just as often create a voice that supports the song. Each of them also plays simple stuff when it's called for.
And the point of leading by being a servant is that by focusing on the music instead of on the particular instrument we play, allows us to cast the vision of the song better than someone who's more concerned with playing a cool bass part than playing a part that makes the song cool. It's not that bass (or any instrument) is less important or less worthy. It's that the way to do the job is different.
jte
The point is that a great bassist serves the MUSIC and the song, not the bass. No point putting the bass up front if the music isn't served by it. Most of the "cool" or "flashy" or "great" bassists that are admired for chops and skill understand that lesson implicitly. Jack Bruce, Victor Wooten, Jaco (at least when he was coherent), Flea, et. al. play a lot of things that stand out. But they just as often create a voice that supports the song. Each of them also plays simple stuff when it's called for.
And the point of leading by being a servant is that by focusing on the music instead of on the particular instrument we play, allows us to cast the vision of the song better than someone who's more concerned with playing a cool bass part than playing a part that makes the song cool. It's not that bass (or any instrument) is less important or less worthy. It's that the way to do the job is different.
jte
