How to reframe from playing so many notes and play just enough for the song?

[juancaminos]

It seems that a lot of us have had this issue. For me it was when I was younger. When I went from rock to country I was constantly being told to hold back. At first I couldn't stand it, I was bored to death. In the beginning I was "jamming" to the country music we were playing because I didn't listen to country radio so had no idea what the song called for. Then I started listening to country just every other day at work and emulated what I heard. Things settled down quickly.

Then I moved to AZ and got into a three piece blues band. If you want to piss off a blues guitarist all you have to do is drift off into jamming. So that kept me in line.

Next lesson was playing with an old blues horn guy. He would rattle your cage if you drifted off. He says "I spend the entire first part of the song listening to the bass lines in order to decide on what solo I'll play" "Then you change and start goofing around and showing off and ruin everything." While I didn't really feel I was goofing or showing off I listened to this guy as he was well respected in our little blues community. I became a simple but sharp bassist. All these years later I am still a bit of a simpleton.

So I would agree with those who say you should learn the original bass parts. You can put in a little pop at the end of a lead or to start a break. But be very sparing about it...like once or twice in an entire set. Do that for a while.

 

[dkelley]

I just record my rehearsing or jamming once in a while and listen back alone. That's enough for me to go - oh, yea. I did it ... AGAIN. That brings awareness to the front of my mind for at least a while... until someone says something like "Hey, man, you're playing so mellow today, what's wrong? Try to get into it like you normally do!", and that's it, I'm off and running, and probably with a little too much vengeance.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Listen.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Remember, the more you add fills and fancy licks, the less each addition adds. It's about the groove.

 

[logdrum]

Coltrane asked miles the same thing and Miles said "Take the horn out of your mouth"

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

This is a bit like AA -- I think we've all done it at some point, or still do it, or lie about it .

My advice (in addition to recording yourself, which is brilliantly helpful, especially live band recordings) is to pick some minimalist players you love and learn their stuff. There was a thread a while back listing favorite bass minimalists. Check them out. My favorite minimalist example is Walter Becker's bass playing for early Steely Dan: super solid, absolutely poetically minimal, and hip. If you learn some of those lines really well, they become part of your playing, and that alters your mindset while playing.

Good luck!

 

[JimmyM]

I created a thread on what to learn as an intermediate bassist and when looking back I do realize that I tend to over play sometimes. I usually come up with simple lines that are sometimes melodic with occasional licks that outline the vocal lines. However, sometimes I try to add in fills that are not needed and I realize it more when looking back at a video or recording. I was wondering could I get some tips on how to play without creating unnecessary fills?

Man, we could talk for days!

I totally love busy bass playing. Most of my favorites are busy players. Not necessarily shredders, but I do like busy players who do it well. If I can stick it in without ruining the song, I will. How do you learn to do that?

---Play a whole bunch of songs and ruin them.

---Next time you play them, leave the ruin-y parts out.

---Remember what ruined your songs and try to avoid playing the ruin-y parts in new similar songs.

Sounds simple, eh? It is and isn't. Very simple to play only notes that work...just don't take any chances whatsoever. But that's no fun! So it will take some time to learn how to walk up to the Wank Line and not cross over it. Some songs have a bigger tolerance for it, some don't. Those are all decisions you'll be able to make through your trial-error experiences. But you do have to go through that learning curve and a few people saying "Don't do that" to you before you get it. And know that it's an ongoing challenge to experiment and not fail. I still fail after 40 years as a pro. Nobody dies, so it's OK.

 

[Groove Master]

Too often it is the fingers that are playing and not what you hear. Especially for fills.

Try to sing what you're playing instead.

 

[Schmo_bass]

Too often it is the fingers that are playing and not what you hear. Especially for fills.

Try to sing what you're playing instead.

This. another good pearl of wisdom.

There is a lot of gold in this thread.

Helping me a lot. Thank you all of you who shared.

 

[Skeeter Diggs]

Man, we could talk for days!

I totally love busy bass playing. Most of my favorites are busy players. Not necessarily shredders, but I do like busy players who do it well. If I can stick it in without ruining the song, I will. How do you learn to do that?

---Play a whole bunch of songs and ruin them.

---Next time you play them, leave the ruin-y parts out.

---Remember what ruined your songs and try to avoid playing the ruin-y parts in new similar songs.

Sounds simple, eh? It is and isn't. Very simple to play only notes that work...just don't take any chances whatsoever. But that's no fun! So it will take some time to learn how to walk up to the Wank Line and not cross over it. Some songs have a bigger tolerance for it, some don't. Those are all decisions you'll be able to make through your trial-error experiences. But you do have to go through that learning curve and a few people saying "Don't do that" to you before you get it. And know that it's an ongoing challenge to experiment and not fail. I still fail after 40 years as a pro. Nobody dies, so it's OK.

Oop

 

[JW56789]

And really, as I've said before: At first you think you got to learn all these scales (and for God's Sake, learn all those damn modes backwards and forwards: You never know when it might hit you at the end of the bridge going back into the last verse, 'Gee, a Myxolidian scale would walk me right in !!!!') and Jaco and Stanley yourself up, and just play up a storm.

Only to find out MUCH later that what separates the average from the real musicians? Knowing what to LEAVE OUT, that 'real-time editing' internally, or paralleling a great chef who knows just how much garlic . . . . is too much. And for many of us (and I am on that list certainly), the last thing you really learn and internalize. Never found in a method book, all those online vids, bass tests, none of it. It has to come with time and experience. You pay a lot of dues to buy in.

 

[dougjwray]

Here's another idea: try to approach it like a composer, or arranger, rather than a player. If you're playing original music, see if you can record a rehearsal without the bass. Then, listen to it while driving or walking, and compose bass parts without the bass in your hand. Try singing parts which might work.

The point of this is to make your ears and brain, not your fingers, determine what to play.

 

[MixBass]

It seems the more someone woodsheds at home the more it comes out away from home. Years ago when I was on the shredtrain I was sure part of Teen town or Joe Frazier could fit wonderfully in a Beatles song! I was monogamous with a tight spaced 5 string with light strings and it seemed to want to be put to the test. I also heard more than once on the gig to leave some sh*% out. I also wanted to find an economical path to playing rather than my hands doing things on autopilot. Enter the P bass.
In my hands the P needs to be muscled a bit more. I find myself to this day grabbing notes and really trying to milk the nuance out of them rather than trying to flirt around a bunch of notes.
Playing other instruments also helps to view music from another perspective.

 

[Sursonique]

I created a thread on what to learn as an intermediate bassist and when looking back I do realize that I tend to over play sometimes. I usually come up with simple lines that are sometimes melodic with occasional licks that outline the vocal lines. However, sometimes I try to add in fills that are not needed and I realize it more when looking back at a video or recording. I was wondering could I get some tips on how to play without creating unnecessary fills?

Get a bass with the thickest neck you can find. A vintage V profile keeps you humble and avoids overplaying IMO.