I have been playing out nearly 40 years. I find the best position for the bass amp is directly to the side of the drummer that his high hat and snare are. Reasoning behind this is so you have direct vision to the drummer's positions, his snare, high hat, kick drum and his cymbals. You can then play off or with the drummer and he will hear your bass and play off of you. Remember, you and the drummer are the rhythm section and a team. To be honest I find it throws me off a bit to be positioned any differently. I need to see and feel what the drums are doing. Best of luck on your first show.
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Lead singer wants my amp behind drummer?
- Thread starter Kanekutter05
- Start date
Agreed 100%. It's also the best position to have eye contact with the drummer
Personally speaking, I prefer to be stage right ; that way I only have to turn my head slightly to the left (no more than 20 degrees, and a glance of they eyes) and the drummer will see me, and only need to make a corresponding glance to their right.
If I'm stage left, I either need to have my back to the audience, or twist my neck 100 degrees from playing position, to see over my right shoulder - and if the drummer is left handed, you're still not that visible in their peripheral vision.
Being on stage right (assuming you play right handed) is easier to maintain eye contact with either left, or right handed drummers, as well as everyone else in the band (with the exception of the right handed lead guitarist, off in their own little world, way out in stage left).
It also means that when said guitarist starts showboating around the stage, you can see them before they crash into you, and you don't miss the moment when the fall off the stage, and humiliate themselves.
Your singer is not too smart .
You belong on the high hat side of the drum kit .
Doesn't matter where you are on a large concert stage with tons of production and great monitor rig
but everyday smaller venues you should live on the high hat side and be able to see your drummer .
You sound tech does not need you blasting away behind the drummer threw all his mics especially the floor tom Mic .
40+ years as a bass player and sound tech .
You belong on the high hat side of the drum kit .
Doesn't matter where you are on a large concert stage with tons of production and great monitor rig
but everyday smaller venues you should live on the high hat side and be able to see your drummer .
You sound tech does not need you blasting away behind the drummer threw all his mics especially the floor tom Mic .
40+ years as a bass player and sound tech .
That's a cool video. But it's a video set, not a live stage. The amps aren't even turned on.
I think that's called "violent agreement" of not putting the bass amp directly behind the drummer.
What's a BL, is he the guy that buys the beer?Unless the LS is the BL, tell the LS to FO. Actually even if the LS is the BL, tell the LS/BL to FO.
I'm glad to see that 2 posters got one of the biggest reasons NOT to put the bass amp behind the drums. The bass would bleed into every mic on the kit. It would sound bloody awful. Now, at a basement house party gig it might not be an issue because you might not be micing the kit, but it's still wrong. It would take a miracle for the bass player to hear himself and, if he could, the drummer could very likely not hear anything else. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Honestly, if both guitar players and the keyboard player can't bear to stay in their own octave ranges, they should just work as a trio with a drum machine. This bass player and drummer should go find themselves or create themselves, a real band.
Greg
Greg
I agree with most of what you say, but those last few words really got me. Electronic bands have been around since the late 1960s. As far as I am concerned if there's more than one person and there is an element of live music then it is a band.
Whilst I still like all-live bands it is with some reluctance because I like modern music and electronic / synthetic music superceded all-live as a cutting-edge thing before I was born (I am in my 40s).
Father Fred, I think you misunderstood my words, though I can see how that could easily happen. I wasn't calling electronic/synthetic bands "not real bands", though to be honest it is not my favorite genre. I was referring specifically to the three "front people" in the original poster's band who seem to be completely uninterested in leaving any musical, sonic, or physical space for anyone else. It seems to me THEY would be happiest as a trio with a drum machine, as would any other musician who tried to work with them. In this context, when I said the OP and his drummer ought to find or form a "real band", I meant they ought to find or create a situation where they were welcome and wanted. Sorry if I wasn't clear.
Greg
Greg
Greg - thanks for saying that... I 100% get where you are coming from. Understood now. And to be clear I am massively contradicted - I love stuff is new and little that is made by "live bands" is that original IMHO... but then again I love guitars and most electronic music is terrible!!!!
Hi Kane. I may be too late for your gig but...If you place your speaker cabinet behind the bass drum, or floor tom, a lot of your sound will be absorbed or deflected, which is not advisable. Also your sound will cause the drums to resonate, which the drummer will dislike. Ideally there should be line-of-sight between your speakers and your ears, otherwise you'll have difficulty hearing what you're playing. If your singer is paying your wages you may have to do as he asks. Otherwise I'd discuss the inadvisability of his request.
