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Bass Solo's

L

lawsonman

Dec 19, 2005
988
10
74
NW IL
www.myspace.com
#1
I've played Bass for so many years now it's hard to remember back when I first started. Now that I've gotten older I've learned to appreciate music more than ever.Gigging now at age 56 is more fun than ever.

Here's my question though.Since I first developed a interest in music in about first grade ( Yes,music was around then:D) Bass solo's have never done a thing for me.It doesn't matter who it is or what style of music I get bored listening to a bassist after about a minute.Great bass lines within a song makes me smile but let that guy break into a solo and they lose my attention.

Anybody else feel like me ?
 
#5
Baryonyx said:
I can see this one probably going downhill. Someone starts a thread about their irrelevant and inflammatory opinion and the flaming starts...:rollno:
Click to expand...


It shouldn't go downhill at all.I'm not bashing anyone for liking to listen to solo's or if they enjoy playing them.All I'm saying is they don't do a lot for me and I lose interst in them quickly.Why is that a irrelevant and inflammatory opinion?
 
#10
I like bass solos, just as much as solos by any other instrument.
It is however a few PLAYERS whose solos tend to leave me rather uninterested. It's the land-speed-record-breakers whom I tend to prefer not to listen to,whereas the more melodic players,those who typically play fewer notes, steve swallow being one example, I like very much.
It's the old to each their own.

...And no need to go down hill at all.
 
#11
im sure you probably not the only one.personally,i like bass solos,mainly cause alot of people disreguard bass players and say that they dont do anything for the band,so when i see someone just come ripping out with a bass solo,its kinda like an "in your face" thing to them.also,i think bass players deserve more spotlight.but thats fine you see it that way,i wouldnt think any less of someone that didnt care about bass solos.
 
#13
What exactly do you consider a solo? For example, entwislte on "my generation", is that a solo? It's just a few seconds, but it totally adds to the song i think... I'm sure there are lots of other examples of the kind that might be considered bass solos and you really dig...
maybe it's the wanking you dislike? (and most people would...)
 
#14
xgator4u said:
YUP, I'm outta here, you guys stay here and play all the root notes you want.
Click to expand...

The OP was not inflammatory ... but now we are getting there.

It's a long way from root notes to 12 minute solos!

I kinda dig a short solo that works the groove and melody line of the song into it. Leo Goff from the Barker Bass forum is a buddy of mine and when he wants to he can make that Barker bass talk and moan with some very tasty solo interludes.

Not much of a solo guy myself, I'll usually kick in my ocatve pedal and double some of the organ/horn lines on Steve Winwoods GIMME SOME LOVIN and noodle off some of the B-3 solo line on the bass, but that's about it.


:eyebrow: ... Still a long way from just playing root notes
 
#15
jmorbita said:
What exactly do you consider a solo? For example, entwislte on "my generation", is that a solo? It's just a few seconds, but it totally adds to the song i think... I'm sure there are lots of other examples of the kind that might be considered bass solos and you really dig...
maybe it's the wanking you dislike? (and most people would...)
Click to expand...

I don't consider the Bass part in "My Generation" a solo at all.I guess for me anything over about a minute or two makes me lose interest.
 
#16
Tyler C. said:
I think there just like a solo on any other instrument. When someone is wanking around on bass it is just as bad as someone playing a scale at 600bpm on guitar.
Click to expand...

It's just that bassists often seem to think that they need to prove someone wrong.
who may not regard the bass as a valid solo instrument.

I think that there is no need for that at all.
 
#17
I listen to reggae mostly, which doesn't have many bass solos. We have dub, which emphasizes the drum and bass of the song, but not many solos (come to think of it, very seldom does a reggae song have a bass intro, and I wouldn't even count them as a solo). Being so, when I first saw solos, stuff like Billy Sheehan, Vic, Geddy, Claypool etc, I like that stuff, but I don't expect to be a soloist and don't prefer soloing over a traditional reggae groove.

But that's just me. Nothing wrong with solos. FamilyMan said, "Drums are the heart, bass is the backbone." That's all I'm gonna try to be, just a stable, strong backbone, nothing more.
 
#19
DreadyDiggs said:
I listen to reggae mostly, which doesn't have many bass solos. We have dub, which emphasizes the drum and bass of the song, but not many solos (come to think of it, very seldom does a reggae song have a bass intro, and I wouldn't even count them as a solo). Being so, when I first saw solos, stuff like Billy Sheehan, Vic, Geddy, Claypool etc, I like that stuff, but I don't expect to be a soloist and don't prefer soloing over a traditional reggae groove.
Click to expand...

I know it's rare but, one of the most memorable bass solos I've seen was by bassist Tony Gad at a Aswad show.
 
#20
lawsonman said:
It shouldn't go downhill at all.I'm not bashing anyone for liking to listen to solo's or if they enjoy playing them.All I'm saying is they don't do a lot for me and I lose interst in them quickly.Why is that a irrelevant and inflammatory opinion?
Click to expand...

The fact is, the forum didn't need you to state your opinion on this matter. It's like the old "I don't like jaco" threads. Fair enough, thats how you feel, but you're asking for an argument over a sensitive subject.
 

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