Minding the dance floor

[jmon]

Wasn’t sure where to put this so mods pls move if needed. Thanks

I’ve been gigging with my current band for going on 3 years. We gig at least 2 full weekends a month and one nighters on the others. Great band with plenty of work. We play to full venues. Bar gigs and nicer restaurant/bars that feature bands with a dance floor.

I find myself taking the dance floor very personally. If people aren’t dancing I feel like I’m not putting a good bass tone out that they can move to. I know my lines are good. When the bass is pumping out front people dance. We play a variety of songs from good ole Brown Eyed Girl to Green Day to 80s hits. So from song to song I feel like I need to change up my tone a bit to fit the tune. And I’ve watched this work in action. People are just sort of bobbing and I change the tone up a bit and they start dancing.

My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?

 

[BassAndReeds]

Wasn’t sure where to put this so mods pls move if needed. Thanks

I’ve been gigging with my current band for going on 3 years. We gig at least 2 full weekends a month and one nighters on the others. Great band with plenty of work. We play to full venues. Bar gigs and nicer restaurant/bars that feature bands with a dance floor.

I find myself taking the dance floor very personally. If people aren’t dancing I feel like I’m not putting a good bass tone out that they can move to. I know my lines are good. When the bass is pumping out front people dance. We play a variety of songs from good ole Brown Eyed Girl to Green Day to 80s hits. So from song to song I feel like I need to change up my tone a bit to fit the tune. And I’ve watched this work in action. People are just sort of bobbing and I change the tone up a bit and they start dancing.

My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?

I feel somewhat the same way. Except I’m confident in my playing I blame it more on song selection mainly. But could also be the whole band not playing the song well.

Record the song from the audience. Maybe it’s the band. But probably it’s just song section. So try other songs.

 

[Chad Michael]

Wasn’t sure where to put this so mods pls move if needed. Thanks

(ahem) don't be so polite to the mods, I guarantee they will not be that polite to you.

 

[Chad Michael]

If people aren’t dancing I feel like I’m not putting a good bass tone out that they can move to. I know my lines are good. When the bass is pumping out front people dance.

Just remember that (regarding the audience) birds of a feather flock together... if something gets two people going, the result is multiplied.

Sounds like you have a sweet gig, enjoy the ride and just keep doing what you do.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Are you really saying changing your tone encourages people to dance? If that is the case, I'd stick to that tone!

 

[4SG]

My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?

No one in the crowd is going to notice subtle adjustments to your tone (unless it's another bassist). In my experience the bass player never gets noticed at all unless he/she screws up a part. If you're playing the lines correctly and the band is great AND you have plenty of work you're WAY ahead of the game. Adjust as you see fit, then relax and enjoy yourself.

 

[JRA]

just for the benefit of the rest of us: would you please reveal/list the frequencies which seem to get the most response?

i'm guessing that too much in the 250hz-400hz range makes dancers demure, while a bump around 80hz-100hz gets them thinking. i have personally noticed that when i tweak the 800hz-1khz range during a bass solo = people look at their watches.

 

[jmon]

Are you really saying changing your tone encourages people to dance? If that is the case, I'd stick to that tone!

An example is Sublime. I play a Fender American Standard P. So for these songs I will fatten the tone up yes. Then we may play Blistur in the Sun or some Blink 182. I don’t feel I should use the same tone for both.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

An example is Sublime. I play a Fender American Standard P. So for these songs I will fatten the tone up yes. Then we may play Blistur in the Sun or some Blink 182. I don’t feel I should use the same tone for both.

Okay then. If this is your biggest worry, I'd say you are doing great!

 

[jmon]

just for the benefit of the rest of us: would you please reveal/list the frequencies which seem to get the most response?

i'm guessing that too much in the 250hz-400hz range makes dancers demure, while a bump around 80hz-100hz gets them thinking. i have personally noticed that when i tweak the 800hz-1khz range during a bass solo = people look at their watches.

Yeah bass solos are a killer. They just stare and go “What is happening!?!”

Here is my current tone settings on my SVT-Cl into a SVT 15e Cab. Ultra Low engaged. 2016 American Standard PBass with TI Flats. As to what freqs? I’d love to say I could tell you. I pretty much adjust to taste and the room with this as a starting point. I’ll bring the Bass up a bit or add a little Treble. The mid control can really alter things. I tend to leave it there. The rest is via my Tone Knob. Works pretty well. But if there is a better “set it and forget it” base EQ to stay with and adjust with my tone knob as needed I’d be willing to give it a shot.

 

[Kmonk]

I have found that in most cases, as soon as a band plays a well known ballad, the dance floor gets packed and usually stays packed as long as the band is playing upbeat dance-able songs. I like to do a ballad about the 4th song into the set.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't think your bass tone is what determines whether the dance floor is full - more like:

1. Song selection (pick for the audience, not your ego)
2. Whether the band is playing together and tight
3. How much time you are taking between songs (if any), and
4. Where you are playing. Some places are not for dancers.

 

[jmon]

I don't think your bass tone is what determines whether the dance floor is full - more like:

1. Song selection (pick for the audience, not your ego)
2. Whether the band is playing together and tight
3. How much time you are taking between songs (if any), and
4. Where you are playing. Some places are not for dancers.

Ego could certainly be a part of. But I feel more like it’s my responsibility to put out a tone that both fits the song and encourages dancing. At times I’ve the seen same tune do well and then not do so well with the same type of crowd. Could be classic over thinking it for sure. Hence the post and me seeking advice from my fellow players.

 

[MegaSwing]

It matters, but it isn't all that matters. Take notes and remember what works, then build with that. Engaging with the audience is what makes it happen. Figure out how to do that every time, and it almost doesn't matter what you play. Playing the music perfectly is easy—and all by itself won't get the the audience to notice.

 

[CryingBass]

It will take a long time to get the best out of it, but the Experience knob works wonders...

Congrats on having a good problem, and keep them dancing.

 

[electracoyote]

There is a lot of win in the OP. Great dance party band, picking the right songs, playing for party crowds in dance floor venues, and gigging regularly (the key to making a band progressively better). It sounds like a solid entertainment package and your talent buyers are getting their money's worth and lucky to have you guys.

And I admire your attention to tone. But I think you may be flattering yourself a bit.

It's the song selection. Really, that's it. I've been in bands like yours, and I can tell you I found a happy medium in my tone and did not do a lot of signal processing from song to song. We still packed the floors.

It's the songs. I'm sure your bass playing matters, maybe your tone a wee bit, but congrats to you and your band mates for tending to the dance floor with fun mainstream pop dance songs.

 

[StyleOverShow]

Concur that your tone isn’t the stimulus. Funny idea though.

Played a gig last Thursday with Soul/Dance band, audience on the dance floor grooving, swaying to the beat. No matter how much we cajoled them generalized dancing did not break out. I think it’s a Portland thing, maybe not, but have seen that audience reaction before in other clubs. It’s appreciation.

 

[twinjet]

Wasn’t sure where to put this so mods pls move if needed. Thanks

I’ve been gigging with my current band for going on 3 years. We gig at least 2 full weekends a month and one nighters on the others. Great band with plenty of work. We play to full venues. Bar gigs and nicer restaurant/bars that feature bands with a dance floor.

I find myself taking the dance floor very personally. If people aren’t dancing I feel like I’m not putting a good bass tone out that they can move to. I know my lines are good. When the bass is pumping out front people dance. We play a variety of songs from good ole Brown Eyed Girl to Green Day to 80s hits. So from song to song I feel like I need to change up my tone a bit to fit the tune. And I’ve watched this work in action. People are just sort of bobbing and I change the tone up a bit and they start dancing.

My question is...Am I over analyzing this a bit? When the floor isn’t into it I take it personally and will tweak and tweak. It’s kind of driving me nuts. Anyone else deal with this?

Audience participation will ebb and flow. Just focus on bringing that rhythm and the booties will shake.

 

[CryingBass]

There is a lot of win in the OP. Great dance party band, picking the right songs, playing for party crowds in dance floor venues, and gigging regularly (the key to making a band progressively better). It sounds like a solid entertainment package and your talent buyers are getting their money's worth and lucky to have you guys.

And I admire your attention to tone. But I think you may be flattering yourself a bit.

It's the song selection. Really, that's it. I've been in bands like yours, and I can tell you I found a happy medium in my tone and did not do a lot of signal processing from song to song. We still packed the floors.

It's the songs. I'm sure your bass playing matters, maybe your tone a wee bit, but congrats to you and your band mates for tending to the dance floor with fun mainstream pop dance songs.

Just like TB and many other things, like set lists, it's all about the content, eh?

 

[obimark]

Wasn’t sure where to put this so mods pls move if needed. Thanks


I find myself taking the dance floor very personally. If people aren’t dancing I feel like I’m not putting a good bass tone out that they can move to. I know my lines are good. When the bass is pumping out front people dance. We play a variety of songs from good ole Brown Eyed Girl to Green Day to 80s hits.

Dancing to Green Day? Now that I would like to see!