Creating space

[fig]

I run into that before, so I ask the guitarist to play, on his guitar, what he'd like me to do.

Since his lower four strings are the same as a four string bass, he should be able to play you a general idea what he wants.

Works for me and we get it sorted within minutes.

 

[JRA]

To say my baselines sound generic and that I need to create more space is a little harsh.

 

[40Hz]

As others have already suggested you do need to get him to clarify what he means. “Space” is a nebulous term in music. One guitarist I had the displeasure of briefly working with always used to say “he needed a lot of space in an arrangement to stretch out.”

What that meant he wanted me to do to in order to give to him “space” was lay down a thick pounding root that he could wank and shred over for 10-15 minutes straight. That’s right…10 minutes of the bass just pounding on an E. Very musically satisfying. Nigel Tufnel rules!

I lasted one and a half sessions with that guy. Last I heard he was still looking for people who were “serious” about starting a band.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Sounds possible he just wasn’t having fun, it felt like work, and/or he started having a panic attack. Maybe what he said wasn’t even accurate but he just had to go.
I’ve showed up for things and something in me just checked out like “**** this we’re not doing it you can’t make me!”
Don’t take it personally, sometimes things just don’t work when on paper it should be great.

Also jam bands build anxiety even when they’re good, do you guys have music theory degrees? If not it really helps when everyone expects to collectively suck for months and months.

 

[coy garcia]

For me it means shorter and or less notes....one of the things I often do is mute the strings for a short time when the snare drum hits. If it's a guitar player they may want you to ride the E to solo over...who knows.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Good afternoon everyone, I don't think this is the area I should be posting this thread, however I need some help. I had a friend of mine come over to play/jam we've been talking about getting something moving for a while. We ended up playing for about 30 min. He then turned to me and said "I don't want to just jam on the same three chords, I need a bass line that creates space" what on earth does that mean?

Usually, creating space means not playing. But, I'm sure he means making space for him to do whatever he wants. Which, means you holding down the line while he solos. But, that's probably what you're doing anyway, and he just not doing anything with it.

Try accenting chords differently, or holding out notes, or simplifying your lines.

 

[Rib 13]

Some guitarists dont realize that, in a quick first time jam get together, the bassist can also be exploring and looking for challenges much in the same way the guitarist is and they have no problem asking you to put on a red shirt and beam down to the planet

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

That was my thought process, we are getting together for the 1st time and already my ability is generic? I would no matter build up someone first, or show them what I meant. Dude just packed up his stuff and bounced.

Was it just you and the guitarist? No drums?

 

[bolophonic]

“Ok.... show me what you had in mind as a bass line.”

 

[Sean150]

Since he is saying that the same three chords is boring i am guessing he doesn’t want you to hold back. Listen to some Flea jams when the RHCP play live. That is what I think a good jam is. As a guitarist a bass player just “doing his job” is boring and frustrating. You need to be able to feel the mood, fill space melodically if the guitar sits back for a bit, laying back when necessary or building and playing with the guitarist as the intensity builds.

The main thing is to learn to communicate, both verbally and nonverbal. That’s what the best musicians do.

 

[fdeck]

Ask him to show you by example, by creating space for you during your solo.

 

[logdrum]

That guitar player seems like a rude person though. Sharay Reed with Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles is a good example of a "Spaced" bassline. This is a three chord song by CCR.

Listen to how he does it on Proud Mary. I am starting it just before his solo, where he never lives the groove amd listen how he spaces out where he drops the downbeat and backbeat sometimes. The whole bassline never gets repetitious yet not overwhelming throughout the extended jam

 

[Michedelic]

 

[Medicine Man]

Usually it means they think you are overplaying.

 

[frankie5string]

If he says he doesn't want to just jam on three chords, and wants the bass to make more space, it really is just a weird way of saying he wants you to walk around more changes.

I don't think he's using the word "space" in the way a lot of replies think of "space" in the bass world.

You need more changes, so he feels he has more "space" to noodle (honestly, that's what he's basically doing, anyway) because he doesn't have enough theory to walk around three chords with any real variety.

Try playing or walking over more than 3 chords - maybe set up a verse and a chorus. If he still complains, he needs to do more work to find those notes.

 

[roycroft_88]

Sometimes we jam with friends and it just doesn't click. Maybe you guys are just in different places musically.
If you weren't offended by his comment and you want to keep playing together, ask him what he is thinking. Suggest creating a song list. It's another fast way of getting a read on what your freind is looking for.

 

[conttador]

Good afternoon everyone, I don't think this is the area I should be posting this thread, however I need some help. I had a friend of mine come over to play/jam we've been talking about getting something moving for a while. We ended up playing for about 30 min. He then turned to me and said "I don't want to just jam on the same three chords, I need a bass line that creates space" what on earth does that mean?

In what style??

 

[Phaidrus]

I need a bass line that creates space = play less notes

 

[Slade N]

Space, based on the guitar players comments, would mean to me - more rhythmic and note variation. He said he doesnt want to jam on the same three chords for 30mins, if you play other notes you expand the harmonic space. If you only give root 3rd and 5th only on the down beats youve got a box, a sturdy box that doesnt have much character. If you add in 7ths or 9ths (or someother harmonic flavor) then theres more harmonic space for them to explore. If you play different rhythms then that also creates space in a different way.

 

[JonathanPDX]

Space isn't just about less notes, but being strategic in where you play them, where you play rests (a rest is not the same as simply not playing, it's intentional space), and understanding when and how to use different note durations.

A great exercise to work on this is giving yourself a certain number of bars, in which you can only play so many notes. Note notes as in pitches, but notes as in making any sound come out of your bass.

The most basic level is: 2 bars, 3 notes. Sure, you can throw three big fat notes into the first 2 beats, but then you have a pretty long empty space afterward. If it's too open-ended you can refine the exercise a bit, give yourself a half note and two 8th notes, or whatever combination makes you approach playing from a unfamiliar angle.

Rather than barfing out a thousand notes all at once, you'll start to appreciate each note, and how the space between changes the next note's impact. You can add more bars, more notes, more restrictions, or even just practice it over various changes. In the end, the goal is to get comfortable crafting bass lines that have few notes and still get the job done. After you do that, going back to playing without restrictions will feel amazing!