does anyone have any tips for spicing up bass lines? i play in a rock band, and i am getting really bored with my parts. 
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boring bass lines
- Thread starter btbassist
- Start date
practice, practice, practice.
make stuff up!
don't be scared to try things that might not fit the songs...
be creative!
make stuff up!
don't be scared to try things that might not fit the songs...
be creative!
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
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Try playing color tones instead of just the root all the time. Avoid following the guitar player all the time. Get a fretless. Use CGDA as your standard tuning. Play chords. Play left handed. Make up a tapping bassline. Play in a different time signature than the rest of the band. Get a ring mod pedal.
Note: Some of these suggestions may get you kicked out of your band. Apply with care.
Note: Some of these suggestions may get you kicked out of your band. Apply with care.
1. Follow the song, but plan a mid-song jam where you can stretch out a bit. If that still bores you, make up the solo/line as you go along and make it different everytime you play the song.
2. Play the root notes with your left hand by tapping, while tapping an accompanying melody with the right.
3. Alter the song completely, tempo, time signature, key, etc. Just a random example, If the song is in 4/4 at 120 BPM in E, make it 6/4 at 85 in A.
4. Use effects. (You be the judge on this one)
5. Make the regular parts harder
6. Make a difficult original song that uses every technique you know.
2. Play the root notes with your left hand by tapping, while tapping an accompanying melody with the right.
3. Alter the song completely, tempo, time signature, key, etc. Just a random example, If the song is in 4/4 at 120 BPM in E, make it 6/4 at 85 in A.
4. Use effects. (You be the judge on this one)
5. Make the regular parts harder
6. Make a difficult original song that uses every technique you know.
I heard it said once that if your bored with a song it's probably not the songs fault! I try to remind myself of that often because I get in that mode sometimes also.
Also check out Dave LaRue with the Steve Morse Band. Dave really knows how to lay it down in a rock setting while creating very interesting lines along the way.
Good Luck,
Tim
Also check out Dave LaRue with the Steve Morse Band. Dave really knows how to lay it down in a rock setting while creating very interesting lines along the way.
Good Luck,
Tim
btbassist said:does anyone have any tips for spicing up bass lines? i play in a rock band, and i am getting really bored with my parts.
Pretend you're someone else.
I'm serious. When you approach your band's basslines, think of all the bassists who influenced you and the things about their playing that you like. Try to find places in the songs that you play where you can incorporate those ideas.
Don't worry about becoming a clone. You'll never sound exactly like your influences because 1) you're not them, 2) You're combining many influences and 3) The part of you that's you will not go away.
Have fun.
Try playing color tones instead of just the root all the time. Avoid following the guitar player all the time. Get a fretless. Use CGDA as your standard tuning. Play chords. Play left handed. Make up a tapping bassline. Play in a different time signature than the rest of the band. Get a ring mod pedal.
Note: Some of these suggestions may get you kicked out of your band. Apply with care.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!
Thanks
Troy
Note: Some of these suggestions may get you kicked out of your band. Apply with care.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!
Thanks
Troy
Blackbird said:
I confess! I've come up with some great lines this way and I recommend it as well.
Also, I always screw around in practice and add things to see if they work. I get a 'good look' from the rest of the band more than half the time so I think it works great for me when creating new lines.
SuperSluggard said:
You said it. I just wrote a radio-cut last month with a bass line that has only three notes and the occasional fill. Everyone that hears it is like, " man, what a groove!" And it is a great groove, although the fills were the most fun for me to record.
You might not want to make your basslines too complicated. I tried this and my bandmates said it sounded like i was doing a bad solo over what they were playing. :scowl:
It's best to go for basslines that just sound badass.
That will make people want to get up and dance.
It's best to go for basslines that just sound badass.
That will make people want to get up and dance.
Start small. If your guitarists are playing the down beats in 4/4 time, play the eighth notes too, or include rests where the guitarists keep playing to give your bass lines some space. Use octaves to offset the chord progressions. Then start walking from note to note, either diatonically or with passing tones, rather than just changing notes with the melody. Eventually, you can add enough change to make your lines your own.
Listen to the bass part in some of the Eagles music. many of their songs are simple and the bass part is repetitive yet Randy Meisner (and later Timothy B. Schmidt) kept it interesting. It's all a matter of playing what needs to be played in order to keep the flow of the song consistent. Dazzling basslines have their place but sometimes just a simple, tasteful pattern works wonderfully.
