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

[jerry]

Pretty sure his Acoustic had the stock 18” speaker in it.

In his later rigs he had the Acoustic 2/15s along with the folded horn.

 

[Lackey]

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.

Yeah I get it, but when you are talking about a specific role / responsibility of the bass guitarist, implicit in that is that it should be the root note in a lower register, which could be construed as the fundamental. Unless a bass guitar can serve its role with piccolo strings an octave up just fine.

 

[pfschim]

ha! that took a funny turn

 

[SteveCS]

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

The point is that within any chord or harmony there are intervals that, perfect unisons aside, create consonance or dissonance, and different intervals in sequence create or release tension. All intervals are defined and audibly perceived by reference to the lowest pitched note, i.e. the note "In The Bass". This bass note, regardless of it's register (assuming all others are higher) carries a lot power. It has the power to define, transform or totally destroy the harmony, or to reshape the 'modality' of the melody. We all know how easy it is for the bass note to change a major triad to a m7, or to re-purpose a m7 chord as a major 6 with no input from anyone else. With that power comes responsibility. The bass (the note In The Bass, not necessarily played by the bass) can mark harmonic time and create or prepare pathways for harmonic movement in ways that other cannot do so readily.

implicit in that is that it should be the root note in a lower register,

None of this makes any implication about the bass player having to stick to the root, nor having to always remain in the lower register.
But our starting point is that of a principal role in defining the harmony. My point was that if we aren't doing it then someone else will be. Whether they know it or not is another question. But it is an irrefutable fact: whenever two notes of different pitch classes sound together there is always a note in the bass, and it will always perform the function of bass. We can't change that because that is how our ears perceive intervals.

Wandering off into the upper reaches is liberating and great fun and I'm no stranger to going there. My point was more about understanding the potential holes we leave behind and trusting someone else to backfill the role of bass whilst we are not doing it. Unless you are Jeff Berlin, who always keeps 'quoting from' the harmonic structure through even the wildest of solo.