how do i get solos?

[Jacobiss]

Not to be too much of a d*ck, but this is worth noting.

Victor, Bootsy, Flea, Stanley - they have the attention of the crowd.
As someone once said about leadership "if you say you're a leader, and you set off, and nobody follows you... maybe you're not the leader you think you are".

Fair point

 

[Jeb]

With few exceptions, the bass sounds so bad in the hands of the "I want to solo!" soloist. In the context of the forum, which I pretty much understand to be weekend warrior, working bass players? Bass solo's are only interesting to other bass players that aren't working that night and happen to be in the crowd. So that they can point out all that is wrong, or steal a chop if they remember it later.

This is a thread that screams "notice me!" I would ask rather, how to avoid a solo. Sure, I can do my shred thing, but it just isn't musical when I'm thinking in the context of how to fit into the song and make it sound good.... At least in the projects that I play with.

 

[walterw]

from tony levin's [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]:

"And for all the days of man, your curse shall be this; that all the other
musicians shall look to you, the bass player, for the LOW notes. And if you
play too high or fast all the other musicians shall say "WOW" but really
they shall hate it. And they shall tell you you're ready for your solo
career, and find other bass players for their bands. And for all your days
if you want to play your fancy licks you shall have to sneak them in like a
thief in the night."

"And if you finally do get to play a solo, everyone shall leave the
bandstand and go to the bar for a drink."

 

[eddododo]

DONT LET YOUR BAND DROP OUT.
esp in jazz i hate that everybody just stops when its bass solo time- they should adjust approach, as with for any instrument, but if they drop out, YOU drop out next time they have a solo

 

[EricssonB]

from tony levin's [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]:

"And for all the days of man, your curse shall be this; that all the other
musicians shall look to you, the bass player, for the LOW notes. And if you
play too high or fast all the other musicians shall say "WOW" but really
they shall hate it. And they shall tell you you're ready for your solo
career, and find other bass players for their bands. And for all your days
if you want to play your fancy licks you shall have to sneak them in like a
thief in the night."

"And if you finally do get to play a solo, everyone shall leave the
bandstand and go to the bar for a drink."

This is awesome. I copied it to a new documented, put it in a sharp looking serif font and printed it. Heck, I might even laminate it and put it on my wall of awesome things.

 

[king koeller]

As a Jazz Bassist, it always comes around in the chord changes, where it's my turn to play a 32 bar solo or a 2 or 3 chorus blues solo. Bottom line, you can play any note you want, but the time has to be perfect! When soloing on the bass , play the notes you would sing if you were singing a solo. It will just sound an Octave lower. For jazz, most solos start with 8th notes, swinging, and then insert triplets here and there and some bent notes super high up on the high g string, then 2 bars before the ending play time to re-establish the groove with the drummer. If done correctly, everyone will think you are Jaco, or Mr. Bigs bass player, Billy Sheenan. Tell your band you want to solo unless you really don't want to solo. Soloing comes easy for me, because I'm a 50 year old professional Jazz saxophonist who has played jazz for 40 years now. I started the bass when I was 13. Performed in the USAF bands for 23 years, and now I have just retired. Believe it or not...
I'm getting more bass gigs than sax gigs... who would have thought ....
Good Luck! "
KING"

 

[WayneS]

I play some (not a lot) "guitarish type" solos on some of our originals. I think it sounds good. Some of you think that a bass should only be a background instrument. Thats fine, I respect your opinions. But dont tell me that I'm just screaming for attention when I play a solo on my bass. I dont do anything that dont add to the music.