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Bassists don't solo, ever!
- Thread starter bassbrad
- Start date
I have been convinced of the error of my ways, I am so talentless that I can only play bass because it's easy, but still so hard that I need help from the guitar player, yeah that's it. Soloing is the exclusive right of real musicians like guitar players, keyboardists and horn players, occasionally a really talented drummer, but no bassist is really a musician so is never deserving, ever, since I am just a bass player I have forever given up any chance to ever solo or be creative. Oh and yes I should forget about being a singer, bass players can't sing. Real bassists don't use effects, play anything not a Fender or SVT. Oh yeah and jazz can only be played on upright bass with out an amp.
Okay I said it but do I really believe any of it?
NOT ONE WORD and you should not either.
Consider this my Anti-Manifesto!
i am completely offended i play bass a lot and have found that bass players do more soloing than guitar players (solo = to play without accompaniment). listen to Rush or Golden Earring most songs start off with a bass solo and end with one. if u need better proof listen to Pendulum (Blood Sugar, Fasten Your SeatBelts, Propane Nightmares, Granite any one of those songs) there is almost no guitar its all bass. its not the 80's hair metal days anymore GRANDPA, be a bassist with balls and play something.
You are comparing a wind instrument to a stringed instrument.
A more fitting comparison would be a bass guitar to a Double bass. There are lots of Double bass concertos.
This is a "joke" that was posted here in 2005 by Hermes.
A guy arrives on a tropical island for a two-week vacation. When he gets off the plane he hears the sound of drums way off in the distance and thinks "Cool."
When he gets to his hotel he can still hear the drums in the background. Wherever he goes, the beach, the restaurant, all he can hear is boom boom boom coming from the hills. It keeps him awake the whole first night.
In the morning he goes down to the hotel reception and asks how can he get the drums to stop. "No. No" cries the receptionist "Drums must never stop."
"Why" he asks.
"If drums stop" the native tells him "Bass solo begin."
slawie
A guy arrives on a tropical island for a two-week vacation. When he gets off the plane he hears the sound of drums way off in the distance and thinks "Cool."
When he gets to his hotel he can still hear the drums in the background. Wherever he goes, the beach, the restaurant, all he can hear is boom boom boom coming from the hills. It keeps him awake the whole first night.
In the morning he goes down to the hotel reception and asks how can he get the drums to stop. "No. No" cries the receptionist "Drums must never stop."
"Why" he asks.
"If drums stop" the native tells him "Bass solo begin."
slawie
Wind and string? I'd say there are more pieces written for oboe than double bass.
The point is, lower register instruments are best suited for certain things but they're less suited to do what a higher pitched instrument can. That's no more a put down of the instrument or the musician than it is to say I don't want the flute playing a bassline. (Nothing against the flutist).
Really depends on the music I suppose. In certain genres they just seem out of place, but even guitar solos have that effect.
My band features me soloing a lot, but it's our style.
My band features me soloing a lot, but it's our style.
- Aug 16, 2003
- 1,130
- 24
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist;Essential sound products,Dunlop, Ergo Instruments
Those who can solo do from time to time,those who can't complain on talkbass.
A true musician should have the ability to fulfill all the role's his instrument can fill ,for instance;a double bassist in a orchestra might play nothing more complex than quarter and eight notes in a piece but I guarantee that everyone in the section has the ability to handle much more complex music if required too and you won't hear the lame excuse of "oh I'm just a Section player".
Don't know bout anyone else but I listened through the whole solo and thought it was pretty bitchin, guys got some chops
Hell to the yeah, he does. Uriah Duffy is a great player. For me, these kinds of solos show what bass playing is all about. Yeah, Uriah does some wankin' toward the end for a bit, but by that point it's totally cool, all because he's greased them all up and made them want to hear it. He built up to that point with grooves and tasty fills, all deep in the pocket. He's interacting with the front person on stage, and the crowd out front, drawing them in to his grooves. Isn't that the essence of being a great bass player? He also didn't play the bass like a guitar, or try to spank the crap out of it like an amateur as soon as it was his time to step up. My reference to this clip and how the audience loved the experience was posted for all these reasons. You can't say they didn't want to hear a bass solo. Quite the opposite. Uriah took what bass playing IS and packaged it in a solo format, and the listeners ate it up. That's way cool to me, and perhaps bass solo's wouldn't be thought of negatively if people would learn this skill. I know I am trying to.
And those who maybe think they can solo but can't, complain about others complaining on talkbass.
Hypothetically speaking of course.
Incidentally, I never said I couldn't, (in fact I occiosionaly do) but the instrument isn't geared for it very well.
Steve Harris has said the same thing. And he's pretty good. : )
We don't have to agree with Steve Harris about everything.
I disagree. You can solo on any instrument and make it sound good.
I think what does most damage to bass solos is everyone else dropping out. Nobody does that for guitar solos. It sounds weird.
Sure, the double bass doesn't solo often, but that's not to say there's never a double bass solo in orchestral music. Why should there be a limitation on such in popular music?
I disagree. You can solo on any instrument and make it sound good.
I think what does most damage to bass solos is everyone else dropping out. Nobody does that for guitar solos. It sounds weird.
Sure, the double bass doesn't solo often, but that's not to say there's never a double bass solo in orchestral music. Why should there be a limitation on such in popular music?
And those who maybe think they can solo but can't, complain about others complaining on talkbass.
Hypothetically speaking of course.
Incidentally, I never said I couldn't, (in fact I occiosionaly do) but the instrument isn't geared for it very well.
Steve Harris has said the same thing. And he's pretty good. : )
He might not necessarily "solo" all that often but alot of times the basslines he plays out in front of the guitars can be quite elaborate/technical and really what make the song, just take phantom of the opera or run to the hills for example. Sounds to me like he was just being modest or something
Oh, I certainly believe the bass can be in front of the guitars! Check out a little sample :
And for the 12th time, I'm not adverse to soloing, didn't say I don't like it, ain't saying I can't do it, not claiming there aren't plenty of good ones nor suggesting that bassists aren't capable of it. But if I wanted to sell records, I'd be VERY VERY cautious how long I'd let one go on.
Sorry man, in no way was I meaning to attack you, just stating my opinion on Steves playing. I also realize that different styles afford different liberties and restrictions. For instance (sorry I'm a metalhead, most references will be metal based) modern melodic death metal band Children of Bodom, though one of my favorites, has a bassist that rarely, if ever, steps put from a strong supporting role in the band, and I really don't think the bands music suffers in the slightest for it. all IMO of course
I dig the vibes of your tunes too man, you got more?
- Aug 16, 2003
- 1,130
- 24
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist;Essential sound products,Dunlop, Ergo Instruments
Any musician can and shold learn how to solo. .... Soloing is like learning how to speak. ..... Some people have something to say some others just repeat what others have already said. ..... When is it time to solo? ..... When you have something to say.
I don't think like anyone else I think. To me, there is no rythm section or whatever what.
If you look in classical music, everyone sing, everyone has the ball at one point and the structure is really solid. Even percussion sing, they aren't time keeper but they accentuat what is going on.
Upright bass has some solo in orchestral context but it has a lot of solo piece accompagnied by a piano.
So I think like that, bass can be all like any other instrument can be everything. I think it is quit wierd how in american music evey instrument has to have a role and can't be anything else.
If you look in classical music, everyone sing, everyone has the ball at one point and the structure is really solid. Even percussion sing, they aren't time keeper but they accentuat what is going on.
Upright bass has some solo in orchestral context but it has a lot of solo piece accompagnied by a piano.
So I think like that, bass can be all like any other instrument can be everything. I think it is quit wierd how in american music evey instrument has to have a role and can't be anything else.
