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For those who don't like how Jaco plays...

Ahh, speaking of the Geddy Cult…
I find Geddy fans quite discerning, and for the most part are not too, TOO fanboy-ish.

For example, I love Geddy's early Rick melodic distorted midrangey stuff. Like the warmth of the Steinberger. Love the thin Wal plucky funky stuff. I can appreciate his return to the Jazz in the early 90s. But I absolutely hate his scooped buzzy flamenco "10-layers-of-boring-and-buried-basslines" approach of his last decade or so.
 
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The burpy tone was created by Leo Fender when he designed the Jazz bass, because even uprights can be focused and burpy as well, not just thud and thump. People who think upright just sound a certain way, obviously do not play one regularly.

Blame Leo and not Jaco if the burpy and nasally tone bugs you. He certainly saw a need for it, other wise he would have just have just given us 1 volume to control both pickups.
I love the pseudo burp you get when you're on the bridge pickup on full, boosting bass slightly, cutting treble and mids just slightly, and playing near the neck. Really evokes that upright feel. Still have a hard time finding a place for that tone outside jazz/funk though. It can work with acoustic but it's not my go to.
 
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Jaco (and Les Claypool and Victor Wooten and Mike Gordon) taught little tyke BooshBass that you don't have to surrender to the guitar player's ego. Don't play the root if you don't want to. Play as busy as you want. Play up the neck if you feel like it. These are the things that make new music interesting.

All four of those dudes, especially Jaco (and his massive ego), told little BooshBass to insist on playing bass however he wants to, and the guitar player can abide if they want to make something new and different. They are four of the biggest reason I play bass such that there are no rules to playing bass, there are just different sounds to explore in different ways.
 
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While Jaco's bass playing in the video is very impressive - even more so given his circumstances at the time - for me, the most moving part of the whole production is at the very end when he sits at the piano and performs Liberty City, showcasing his compositional brilliance. As he hits the final note, he turns, looks directly into the camera, and then... freeze-frame. Those final moments serve as a visual metaphor for his life and tragic death and never fail to move me.
 
such that there are no rules to playing bass,

Certainly there are no rules on what can and can't be played on the electric bass, but there are a few fundamental principles and concepts that outline the role of bass in music. And there is no doubt that the language of bass guitar has been through several revolutions since the late 70's. On the other hand, if at any given time the bass player is not providing the notes that perform the role then somebody else needs to pick it up one way or another. We all like to let rip or stretch out once in a while, but first and foremost the guy holding the bass guitar has a critical job to do, and that job revolves around the fundamental principles of composition. Notwithstanding anything else, and no matter what else we choose to do with our bass guitars, it is the duty of the bass player to understand those principles and concepts in order to be able to play by them as and when required, which is most of the time.
 
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Certainly there are no rules on what can and can't be played on the electric bass, but there are a few fundamental principles and concepts that outline the role of bass in music. And there is no doubt that the language of bass guitar has been through several revolutions since the late 70's. On the other hand, if at any given time the bass player is not providing the notes that perform the role then somebody else needs to pick it up one way or another. We all like to let rip or stretch out once in a while, but first and foremost the guy holding the bass guitar has a critical job to do, and that job revolves around the fundamental principles of composition. Notwithstanding anything else, and no matter what else we choose to do with our bass guitars, it is the duty of the bass player to understand those principles and concepts in order to be able to play by them as and when required, which is most of the time.
What? Tons of bands don't even have bass players. Fundamental can come from a lot of places. And I'm not familiar with a restriction on how low it has to be to count..
 
What? Tons of bands don't even have bass players. Fundamental can come from a lot of places. And I'm not familiar with a restriction on how low it has to be to count..

I think you misunderstand. I use the word fundamentals to mean basics, as in "a central or primary rule or principle on which something is based.", not related to pitch or the vibration of the string.
 
Certainly there are no rules on what can and can't be played on the electric bass, but there are a few fundamental principles and concepts that outline the role of bass in music. And there is no doubt that the language of bass guitar has been through several revolutions since the late 70's. On the other hand, if at any given time the bass player is not providing the notes that perform the role then somebody else needs to pick it up one way or another. We all like to let rip or stretch out once in a while, but first and foremost the guy holding the bass guitar has a critical job to do, and that job revolves around the fundamental principles of composition. Notwithstanding anything else, and no matter what else we choose to do with our bass guitars, it is the duty of the bass player to understand those principles and concepts in order to be able to play by them as and when required, which is most of the time.
So what would you say these so called "fundamental principles" of composition are?

Someone tells me you have a rather narrow musical horizon...
 
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I wonder who's been telling tales?
TBH, based on much of what I see and read around these parts I would say my musical horizons are significantly broader than most :)
I meant of cause "something", not "someone", no one has slandered about your musical taste, whatever that might be, here, as far as I am aware.

Also I might have slightly misinterpreted the post of yours I commented on, and overreacted.

I apologize for this, and am genuinely sorry.

I would however still, out of curiosity, very much like to know what these "fundamental principles of composition" are according to you?

Does this mean something more to you than merely tradition?
 
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