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Easiest Genre For A Bass Player
- Thread starter bass_snake
- Start date
Anglo-Saxon Punk uses pick more than fingers, Latin Punk the other way around. It's a question of choice.
I am a finger player, and when I play punk rock I just play closer to the bridge for a bit more snap if I need.
Play AC/DC or Judas Priest covers. You do have to be in the pocket though. Sloppy playing will not cut it on those songs. Cliff Williams and Ian Hill. Solid and rocking!
Not an easy question. If you ask me, I'd say metal and such ... I hear so much wankin' on the root note with little variation. Exceptions, of course ... more advanced players actually make some good music.
Country and bluegrass. Sorta. You need to have a feel for the music, though. Many bassists simply "play too many notes" when trying to fill in with a country band. It's technically easy but takes a bit to make it sound good.
Blues is also easy, you could play a whole night and never play anything but 12-bar progressions. Learn a dozen "patterns" and as many turnarounds, along with some rythmic variations (such as a shuffle vs a straight beat). Learn them in closed positions and you can do 'em in any key.
By far jazz is the most difficult. One must have a good grasp of theory, and have the chops to translate that into good music. While it's not my favorite genre, I love the challenge.
Country and bluegrass. Sorta. You need to have a feel for the music, though. Many bassists simply "play too many notes" when trying to fill in with a country band. It's technically easy but takes a bit to make it sound good.
Blues is also easy, you could play a whole night and never play anything but 12-bar progressions. Learn a dozen "patterns" and as many turnarounds, along with some rythmic variations (such as a shuffle vs a straight beat). Learn them in closed positions and you can do 'em in any key.
By far jazz is the most difficult. One must have a good grasp of theory, and have the chops to translate that into good music. While it's not my favorite genre, I love the challenge.
Also... gonna go on a wee rant here for a sec:
In regards and defence to punk rock and ethically punk bands: There is a WHOLE lot more to playing this style of music than just the physical playing of it. I was a concert cellist, clarinetist and oboeist in highschool. In classical music i was taught to read the notes and play them verbatum. All i had to do was practice my little part and pay attention to the conductor and all was well. Technically, the music was fairly difficult sure... but i didn't think it was "hard" because of the lack of thought involved in playing.
All this changed when i started going to punk shows. Living in DC in the late 90s was an amazing experience, as the punk scene was one of the best history has had to offer so far. I remember seeing a show in a dirty basement with the bands Pg.99 and Jerome's Dream played. My musical world was changed from that point onward. Sure, the music they were playing wasn't technically difficult... but the PASSION they exuded was something i had never EVER seen before. Shoot, i had never even been AWARE of it before. I still remember getting my first bass on my 15th birth day and trying to play along to all the hardcore punk records i started collecting and being so incredibly dumbfounded as to why i didn't sound like they did. I could play what they played fine... but i didn't have the passion. It wasn't untill i started playing in a real all original band where my heart and soul were able to flourish that i began to truly know what dwelled in the heart of punk rock music.
Nowdays i trully am aware of this other factor in music. I see it in my friends, in bands i see live, and on the internet. Shoot, i'm pretty sure i can even tell if someone is feeling the music they're playing from just a recording. It really does make all the difference. Unlike skill though it can't be learned. Because of that i get so irritated when people pass of punk music as "simplistic". There is so much more to punk and music in general that goes far beyond any skill or technique set that one can learn.
I guess that concluded my rant...
take it as you will i guess. I apolagize for sidetracking things
No apology necessary... you're right on the money.
When I was getting my undergraduate music degree, I had fellow pupils who had 100% classical backgrounds. They could sightread a Beethoven piano sonata, but if you gave them a lead sheet with chord symbols alone, they'd have NO idea what to do. The blues? Totally, utterly, clueless.
Each musical genre has its own language and requirements. There's no getting around it.
One point that's been said which I agree with: What's easiest for you is based on you. You may find some genres just fit with you better than others. Of course, in order to find that out, you'll have to play a lot of different genres and see what feels comfortable.
One point that hasn't been mentioned is song selection. The whole idea of finding the genre that's simplest/easiest is ridiculous to me. Within any genre I can point out songs that are super easy and others that are extremely difficult. So if you don't want to bite off more than you can chew, it's important to find people that share your same vision of the songs to play. A rock band that wants to cover AC/DC is very different from a rock band that wants to cover Dream Theater.
Sean
One point that hasn't been mentioned is song selection. The whole idea of finding the genre that's simplest/easiest is ridiculous to me. Within any genre I can point out songs that are super easy and others that are extremely difficult. So if you don't want to bite off more than you can chew, it's important to find people that share your same vision of the songs to play. A rock band that wants to cover AC/DC is very different from a rock band that wants to cover Dream Theater.
Sean
Blues bass, seems easy to the guys who play it poorly.
The question is relative to your attention span.
If you want easy play pop tunes under three minutes.
Most players make everything they play look hard.
And I don't know why?
The easiest thing to play is the thing you like the most. You will want to practice more because you like the music. The parts will become easier to play because you have practiced, and you won't mind the time spent practicing because you liked the music.
Peace
Peace
Then you have never heard it played ... CORRECTLY!
... It's like any other genre, everyone "thinks" they can until they try it.
+1,000,000,000,000,000. Blues is all about feel. Just about anyone can play a 1-4-5 standard blues bass pattern. Many cannot cop the feel.
Country and bluegrass CAN be pretty simple. You can get into some NASTY stuff in bluegrass (especially some of the newgrass stuff) though. Most people don't understand how closely bluegrass and jazz are related.
IMHO, etc. blah blah.
IMHO, etc. blah blah.
dhomer
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- Apr 9, 2009
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As far as simplicity goes, the OP should find an AC/DC tribute band. Nothing simpler than pumping 8th notes on open strings... sure seems that way anyways..
I consider myself very much a "feel" player, and I'm in total agreement w/the blues comments. Sure you could play blues w/3 notes, its what you do with those 3 notes that makes the difference..
I consider myself very much a "feel" player, and I'm in total agreement w/the blues comments. Sure you could play blues w/3 notes, its what you do with those 3 notes that makes the difference..
It makes me laugh when people think Blues or Bluegrass is easy
Note wise, maybe but the 'feel' is deep...
IMO the easiest bass stuff now days is modern Emo (some call it Punk) Not me!
or 80's butt Rock (just follow the guitard around)
All kidding aside, Bass is Not an easy instrument, Simple? sure,
but it takes much practice to be able to create Space and Pocket in any Genre
Note wise, maybe but the 'feel' is deep...
IMO the easiest bass stuff now days is modern Emo (some call it Punk) Not me!
or 80's butt Rock (just follow the guitard around)
All kidding aside, Bass is Not an easy instrument, Simple? sure,
but it takes much practice to be able to create Space and Pocket in any Genre
My bottom line is: you've got to make it swing whether you use 1 note or 100 notes. Making it swing is the hardest thing. So to the OP: anything is easy to play badly and nothing is easy to play well.
At your stage, if you can hear it, and you can play it, it is by definition "easy."
There are some genres that lend themselves to less complex bass lines, but in all genres there are easy, moderate, and difficult bass lines.
There are some genres that lend themselves to less complex bass lines, but in all genres there are easy, moderate, and difficult bass lines.
Mobax has it. Sure the notes and patterns might be "easy" but can you do it with feel?
Blues = easy = myth. You youngin's will discover this as (or, if) your ability progresses.
