Holy false dichotomy Batman! What does it even mean?
Is it the old argument again "theory and chops kills mah creativity"?
Is it the old argument again "theory and chops kills mah creativity"?
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Feel vs Chops..which do you prefer or think is more important?
- Thread starter glocke1
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Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
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In tbe real world of working musicians, feel, time and tone always come before chops. Go into a singer-songwriter session trying to play like Macus/Jaco and you'll be out the door so quick you won't even know what hit you.
This is another TB false dichotomy. There are plenty of people out there with good feel AND good chops. And even more with no feel and terrible chops. Frankly, I can't think of anyone with a really good groove that doesn't have good chops too. The purpose of having good chops is not to brag about your great technique, it's so that you can play whatever pops into your head effortlessly.
These are two separate skills. If you want to be a great bass player, you need both.
These are two separate skills. If you want to be a great bass player, you need both.
It's simpler than that. A sense of groove, timing and feel ARE chops. You learn them along others and put them upfront or not depending on artistic preference.
if you play any fast, intricate music like death metal, you gotta have chops. nothing else matters if you can't play and keep up with the music.
and as others have already said, without the chops, you won't have enough technique to get the feel across. for that matter, i suspect that without the chops one will be focusing so hard on playing the right notes in the right place on the neck that feel will go right out the window.
excellently put!
exactly!
and as others have already said, without the chops, you won't have enough technique to get the feel across. for that matter, i suspect that without the chops one will be focusing so hard on playing the right notes in the right place on the neck that feel will go right out the window.
excellently put!
exactly!
I don't mean you, but i think things are getting over complicated here...
To dumb things down
Chops = Neil Peart type drumming
Feel = Charlie Watts type drumming
FWIW all this prompted by a drummer friend I was discussing this with. I was telling him who I played with and his comment was something like "Im surprised he is playing with that person, as he doesn't seem to be a chops/technical player", and we both concluded that he just had a great feel for this music.
- Oct 7, 2000
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I think I agree
. Seems to be what a lot of the "country" I've been learning is.Here's another I had to learn for last week. I'd soooo much rather play this stuff than Black Eyed Peas, Chainsmokers and Shawn Mendez...
I really think this is tasteful bass playing:
Do we assume that Neil Peart puts less feeling than Charlie Watts into his playing?
Or is it that Charlie isn't a technically flawless player?
No, I swear, it is one of these distinctions made up by listeners that makes no sense in real life.
If you play music that calls for proficiency you will develop it, same for groove and whatever feel means.
Or is it that Charlie isn't a technically flawless player?
No, I swear, it is one of these distinctions made up by listeners that makes no sense in real life.
If you play music that calls for proficiency you will develop it, same for groove and whatever feel means.
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
If you don't have the technique to play whatever it is you're trying to play, you won't be able to play it with any feel. Adequate technique is what allows you to play with feeling.
I dunno man, Jaco got the Joni Mitchell gig!
They are part of the same package. You don't have "good chops" until you can combine knowing both HOW and WHAT to play, so much of that is just plain experience and putting in the hours. So much of that is very genre specific, too.
As in feel, do you mean "soul " ? "MOJO "? Chops meaning over playing? That's what it sounds like. To be great you need both. Bass can put you in a trance like state. I love that about it. To me that's feel. The reputation sets the groove sometimes. Personally, I have to work hard at not over playing as I listen to a ton of dead /jam band music where you can play a lot of phils. Lol I guess it depends on what you consider feel /chops. ..repetition . Not reputation! Dang auto correct.
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Definitely need both and then, soul bro. Sisters too main thing is keep on rockin in the free world
Agreed, but ask just about anybody these days who their favorites are in country music and they will answer with stuff like the above example. They’ll also tell you Imagine Dragons are their favorite rock act. That’s just music anymore.
I digress- Feel > chops. I mean, you need chops of course, but getting the correct feel in a song is everything.
-Since we are being technical dockhands.... i think the chops in that scenario is the root-5 limitation and the feel is the timing and articulation that makes the root and 5 sound unique. It's all pretty ambiguous terminology IMO though.
So to go further and sum it all up... Charlie Watts every time.
What, no poll? Having rudimentary skills and the ability to become an integral part of the rhythm section (which, by the way, is the primary function of our chosen instrument) is much more important than super chops that can't groove their way out of a wet paper bag. Ideally a player should have both, but the crucial part is doing your job rhythmically. Imagine a house built on a beautifully ornate foundation made of balsa wood. Plain brick for me, thanks.
