Bass soloing..do you or do you not?

[scootron]

Our band plays mostly covers, so I don't solo much unless the song calls for it. We fashion some intros, too, that involve some bass and drum work that is fun.

For the most part, I've never thought that people really want to hear bass solos that much (or drum solos for that matter), unless it is very succinct and moves the tune along. JMO.

 

[system_roxr]

For the most part, I've never thought that people really want to hear bass solos that much (or drum solos for that matter), unless it is very succinct and moves the tune along. JMO.

I tend to disagree,
I think if you have some tunes you can have a solo off of, a crown would go crazy for a Bass or Drum Solo.

 

[Guest043]

"i like funky grooves with the drums"

if you take a solo now and then, you still have the rest of the night to groove. in an hour set, i probobly take ~10 solos, of varying lengths.

 

[system_roxr]

"i like funky grooves with the drums"

if you take a solo now and then, you still have the rest of the night to groove. in an hour set, i probobly take ~10 solos, of varying lengths.

There you go.
I like Grooving more that soloing, but when I do get my chances, I take and run.

 

[Mark Wilson]

I never did like it, but I was complimented on my soloing a lot, so it's growing on me.

i've NEVER been confidant in my soloing skills though.

 

[fenderhutz]

Solo'ing just doesn't fit my personality. I am not a solo bass player but I can fake it if I need to.

So no, I'd rather not solo either. Just a preference really.

 

[system_roxr]

I never did like it, but I was complimented on my soloing a lot, so it's growing on me.

i've NEVER been confidant in my soloing skills though.

Soloing is definately something that takes some getting used to, the first time I did, I messed up big time becasue you never know the reacton from the people.

 

[system_roxr]

Solo'ing just doesn't fit my personality. I am not a solo bass player but I can fake it if I need to.

So no, I'd rather not solo either. Just a preference really.

Hey, nothing wrong with that!
There are alot of groovin' bass players who don't solo alot.

 

[Matt Till]

I play quite a bit of "lead bass," but whenever offered a solo, I decline. I don't like the way most bass solos sound. But then again, in most settings, I don't like solos in general. I think melodic interest can be maintained without anyone really soloing.

So, I'm fairly anti-bass solos, but I'm also fairly anti-most solos: I don't really discriminate.

 

[scootron]

I tend to disagree,
I think if you have some tunes you can have a solo off of, a crown would go crazy for a Bass or Drum Solo.

On the appropriate type of songs, I've always tried to take a Jack Bruce approach (one of my real heroes), so that is almost like soloing while everyone else is playing, but I never have actively looked for the chance to solo.

I think I will give your way a try and see if our crowd digs it. After all, that's what we do it for. If the crowd gets into it, I'm all for it.

 

[Bard2dbone]

On the appropriate type of songs, I've always tried to take a Jack Bruce approach (one of my real heroes), so that is almost like soloing while everyone else is playing, but I never have actively looked for the chance to solo.

I think I will give your way a try and see if our crowd digs it. After all, that's what we do it for. If the crowd gets into it, I'm all for it.

For a long time that was my approach. I would try to build really involved, rewarding parts to play. Then I started singing more leads and, at least at first I had to simplify my bass parts to sing over them. So I would do a simple line during the verse and stretch in between verses. Then I got more accustomed to the songs so I could do those parts on autopilot, but I never really changed them back to the hard versions. I don't know why.

Now my approach is much more like Roscoe Beck or Chuck Rainey. I try to fit exactly what the song needs.

In terms of solos I'm actually a fairly substandard improvisor. Some stuff falls under my fingers naturally, but I generally feel that if I have time to think about it I can compose a MUCH better part.

With one tune we did way back when all of us had composed soloes that we played once through as a solo and then later in the song we'd all play them again, but together. It was fairly ambitious. I had several songs with short bass solos. But they were about 75% composed. I might add flourishes here and there, But I rarely just went off on a tangent.

 

[The Golden Boy]

I don't want to *sit through* a bass solo, much less subject anyone else to one.

 

[thehangingmist]

i do play a little melodic passage which can be called a solo. it draws some oohs aahs from the crowd or the usual horns \m/ and its fun

edit: but am sure overdoing it wouldnt be as nice

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Couple of points-
First of all, the MD doesn't want to him to improvise a solo. As he said in the first post "there's a bass solo in the original recording that the worship leader wants me to play". So basically it's about pulling something that somebody else played off a record. So it doesn't really take a "jazz genius", it's not really about "letting the drummer set the groove and then going wild". It's play the line off the record.

Second, to the OP. Is this about what you prefer or about what you have the abilities to do? If you aren't going to be able to take the solo off the record in the time allowed and/or you don't have the skill sets to improvise a solo INSTEAD of taking the solo off the record, then LEVEL with the MD and tell them that. If he needs to hand the solo to the keys or the guitar player or the bagpipe player, he'll do that SO THE MUSIC WILL SOUND GOOD. Or even, maybe decide to pass on a solo in that section. But if you actually TALK to the cat like he's a human being you may find out what he's looking for. It may be that he digs your playing so much that he wants to help you become a deeper musician and this is what he feels would be a good step in the right direction. Or he's planning on a direction change for the group and wants to see what everyone's strengths and weaknesses are so he can make sure he plays to those strengths.

One of the great things about music is that, although we have a multitude of chances to make our unique individual voice heard, it really is about working in harmony with a community...

 

[scrotimusprime]

i'll do a solo every once in a while. Mostly when I feel it fits in without making things sound a little too wild.

 

[LowDown Hal]

I do not solo.

For one reason only, my skill set is not yet up to it.
When my skills get there I will be happy to...............

 

[Phalex]

I had a bit of a solo faux pas this past weekend.

I was sitting in with some guys at a benefit. They were a complete band, but for some odd reason they called me up to play with them on a few songs. We were playing some tune that I'd never heard before. It was easy enough, and I caught on pretty quick to where it was going fairly quickly.

The keyboard player gives the guitar player a nod, and the guitar player takes a solo. The guitar player gives the keyboard player a nod, and the keys take a ride. The keyboard player gives the guitar player a nod, and he takes another solo.......

The keyboard player gives me a nod, I start to take off, and it's a STOP!! D'oh!

 

[funkifiedsoul]

When Rocco Prestia was asked why he didn't solo, he replied, "I feel like I'm soloing all the time"

 

[rzpooch]

When Rocco Prestia was asked why he didn't solo, he replied, "I feel like I'm soloing all the time"

+1

 

[Joel S.]

I hate bass solos where groove is tossed out the window in favor of fretboard masturbation. Jerk off on your own time buddy.

I also dislike solos where the bassist switches to slap style just to show off. Like they're thinking "hey look, I can slap! I may be doing a solo over a mellow jazz standard, but my slap chops are awesome so I'm gonna double thumb and pop anyway." Slap solos have their place, most of the times I like hearing well done slap LINES over a slapped solo.

That said, I have been asked to take solos, and do enjoy them. I'm not the greatest at it, but I can hear myself getting better and more lyrical. I was called on to do a solo at a blues jam (of all places) and was pretty pleased with the result, as was the old timer who was sitting in on vocals.

Re: the Jack Bruce style, I take that mindset from time to time, only I usually try to hold back for certain solo "jam" sections in songs. I got a gig with an original rock band because one of their songs ends with a wild "all hell breaks loose" style jam. I was the only guy who tried out who actually stretched out and went crazy. I was the only one who "got the point" of the song.