Help me develop a bigger bass vocabulary please

[Tom Bomb]

Should be something here that'll tickle your fancy,
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Plow through. I do ( … taking notes.)
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[bass12]

Should be something here that'll tickle your fancy,
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Plow through. I do ( … taking notes.)
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Haha - the misspelling of « Funk Inc. » on that list.

 

[Tom Bomb]

I know nothing​

 

[Auer]

 

[Wfrance3]

A quick and dirty trick is to play less notes slower but in the same space of time. If you give something space, groove presents itself a lot of the time.

 

[thehindteet]

definitely add Donny Hathaway "Live" to that playlist, starting with "What's goin on"

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Jim Stinnett + JJ for the win.

 

[Snarf]

Bigger bass vocabulary? Well, you could call it bass guitar, electric bass, Fender bass (if you're from the 50's), and the double bass can be called upright bass, bass fiddle, bass viol, doghouse, and probably some more that I can't recall.

 

[P. Aaron]

In a similar situation years ago, I was tired of playing rock tunes and just went to horn rock, Chicago, Stax & Volt/Muscle Shoals, Memphis Soul, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Motown, and then to Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert, Carpenters, Wrecking Crew era music, and all sorts of adult pop from the 60's and 70's. I just got away from guitar dominated music and it helped me develop a much better ear.

These things can take years to get into. One helpful thing was that many of these songs dominated radio when I was a kid so, I knew where the music was going. All it took was adapting to (some) different chord tones and keys. All helpful and important things to know. Just go at it and have fun. It AIN'T work!

Understanding the Nashville Number System helps identify (and mentally retain) song structures.

When I'm killing time in a bar either between sets or just hangin' out, I'll listen to the overhead music and try to figure out the structure as a song plays. For Ex: "Hmmm, sounds like a 1-5-3-2, or a 1, 6, 4, 5, or a 1, 3, 2, 5", etc.

Sometimes, not having the bass or guitar nearby is the best way to learn ear training.

Maybe some of this will help.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Play the rhythm game: imagine a pattern, a challenge, any rhythm, unique rhythm, off-kilter, complex, simple, unusual, offbeat, hypernormal; then master it, at any tempo.

You'd be surprised how handy these frivolous acts can be. You don't even need an instrument, other than your voice, your frame, and its navigator. This is your game. Your sound will emerge. And, ain't that sumthin'?
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[Dadum]

This shows a “vocabulary” based on a subdivision pattern and a limited fingering shape. Maybe a start for you or maybe not.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Chic - especially the C’est Chic album. Not just great bass playing but one of the funkiest rhythm sections ever.

Bernard Edwards (R.I.P.) has seriously influenced my bass playing and left indelible impression on me!