Playing a "lead bass style" if you will.....

[Ten Four One]

Lead Bass Player is an epithet used for bass players that over-play. The idea being you have lead guitar players because you also have rhythm guitar players, but there's only one bass player, so if he's constantly taking a lead role, he's not filling his niche as a bass player.

 

[ioio]

Please, I would want an information for a particular bass guitar. Does someone know which "lead bass" played Joe McCreary in Miles Davis' concerts? (Joe McCreary also called "Foley").
I think he played an handmade bass with a different tuning of strings compared with a normal bass guitar,
But does someone know something more?
here there's a video of Foley's lead bass -->
Invalid Link Removed
THANKS

 

[Pacman]

I think Foley played piccolo bass with Miles. I have the Live in Paris DVD, and that's my best take on it.

 

[darth-bass]

Lead Bass Player is an epithet used for bass players that over-play. The idea being you have lead guitar players because you also have rhythm guitar players, but there's only one bass player, so if he's constantly taking a lead role, he's not filling his niche as a bass player.

I dunno about that, the dynamics in every band are different. Personally I find playing the root notes all the time under the guitar insufferably boring. The bass guitar is capable of so much more! While I would not consider myself "a lead bass player" I do enjoy a good "counter-melody" every now and then- so long as it grooves.

 

[cowsgomoo]

I know in the context of this thread, 'lead' means 'show off', but I thought i'd make this point:

all bass should be 'lead bass'... because it's our job to lead the way harmonically & rhythmically... there should be no-one on the stage who leads the music more than us...

the term 'lead guitarist' is usually a misnomer because playing wiggly solos and melodic fills is hardly ever fundamental to the sound of an ensemble...

'lead' this & 'lead' that is usually a teenage garage band nonsense concept... used for heirarchy purposes only.. it's rarely a musically relevant term.. you can play bass melodically (melodically in the strictest definition of the term.. not melodically as in 'ooh that sounds nice'), with a greater or lesser adherence to the underlying harmonic structure etc, but to call it 'lead' playing...? juvenile

 

[The Lurker]

No Mel Schacher in this thread? Listen to Mel from Grand Funk RR. He played his ass off, still kept it in pocket....and melted faces. You'd be surpised how much one can do with root-fifth-octave stuff when you listen to Mel. And he did it all with a pick, which is even more impressive IMO.

I like Schacher a lot; he's a great bass player.

 

[jugoziithouu]

ok here are some good lead bass players;

peter hook of joy division and new order
simon gallup of the cure(faith and seventeen seconds album only)
flea rhcp (maybe..)
the current guy on anti flag
the guy on korn maybe (bad example cause hes lame)
hard to think more ;/
if u want to really be noticed in the band play punk ;B there is always room for exagerated bass intros
u can also become really really good and have a john entwhistle-like place

u can also buy a five string to have more range
and a six strings if u want crazy solos

;B

first post by the way woohoo

 

[lunarpollen]

I play certain variety of lead bass in the band I'm in. It involves more than just taking care of the low end and rhythm; it also involves providing additional melody, harmony, and texture to the music.

A good example of the type of lead bass I play (and a huge influence/inspiration to what I do in my current band) is this tune from the Glove ("Like an Animal"), with Steve Severin playing bass: Link Removed

 

[ioio]

I think Foley played piccolo bass with Miles. I have the Live in Paris DVD, and that's my best take on it.

Hi Pacman, I've compared the foley's "piccolo bass" with my normal bass, but I think that isn't a very piccolo bass, because while I was looking this video (Invalid Link Removed), I've noticed that the last note of the first string is a F, therefore I think that is tuned DGCF and it isn't a normal piccolo bass tuned EADG (an octave up).
I ask confirmation, thank you

 

[Rickett Customs]

I guess another question that I can ask is how can I play more melodically?

You will need to expose yourself to melodies in songs/music, instead of just the bass line. It will mostly come from non bass instruments.

 

[cyberience]

Maybe the motivation for the question is, how to play alone when you dont want to play against a recorded track, my GF says, when you going to play something for me, and I hasitate when she asks, because, how do I play something solo without a band to play with.
Maybe a Melodic song played 6 octaves lower?
any ideas?

 

[trkelley]

Think of the entire chord that is being played. What mode? Think of the phrasing of the melody. How can you support the root/fifth basic tones and still add the color/flavor notes (3rd, 7th, etc) in passing.

Listen to Jaco's work on Joni Mitchell's mid 70s albums "MIngus" and "Hejira" and "Don Juan's reckless daughter". Very melodic yet fundamental-filling bass work, often right out there with nothing else but Joni's guitar and voice. He's almost like another harmony vocalist or horn player, sometimes while she's hammering away on a very low-tuned guitar, but he always stays in the scale and in the pocket.

Also check out Geddy's playing on Rush's first live album "All the World's a Stage". Especially when Alex goes off on a solo, listed to Ged's supportive harmonic grooves. Pre synth stuff for them, you can really hear the bones of the bass and his incredible TONE. Lead bass calls for lead tone, more mids!

 

[pandaman37]

check out pino palladinos playing, lots of melodic lines, very solid. they perfectly support the chord structure of the song, usually fill in 8th and 16th notes with the drummer. insert fills and runs etc.

 

[dvh]

Lead Bass Player is an epithet used for bass players that over-play. The idea being you have lead guitar players because you also have rhythm guitar players, but there's only one bass player, so if he's constantly taking a lead role, he's not filling his niche as a bass player.

This is the way the term is used around here...

Anyone notice this thread is 2 1/2 years old...?

 

[Visti]

Think of the entire chord that is being played. What mode? Think of the phrasing of the melody. How can you support the root/fifth basic tones and still add the color/flavor notes (3rd, 7th, etc) in passing.

Listen to Jaco's work on Joni Mitchell's mid 70s albums "MIngus" and "Hejira" and "Don Juan's reckless daughter". Very melodic yet fundamental-filling bass work, often right out there with nothing else but Joni's guitar and voice. He's almost like another harmony vocalist or horn player, sometimes while she's hammering away on a very low-tuned guitar, but he always stays in the scale and in the pocket.

Also check out Geddy's playing on Rush's first live album "All the World's a Stage". Especially when Alex goes off on a solo, listed to Ged's supportive harmonic grooves. Pre synth stuff for them, you can really hear the bones of the bass and his incredible TONE. Lead bass calls for lead tone, more mids!

+1 completely, Jaco's more subtle work on Heijra is what made me realize how much the bass could add too a song. It has resonated with me much more than his other work.

If we're just throwing names out, then I feel the definition of a lead bass is something like this:

 

[Big chicken]

that should get you started

 

[IbanezBass69]

Well, this thread is dedicated to name-dropping and examples, so I supply mine, one so far unmentioned. Ryan Martinie. The beauty of his playing is it is what I would call a "lead-bass" feel, but it is not stepping on anyone's toes, and will often go unnoticed. That, to me, is a great bassline, when it just feels "right", and you know that without it, the song/band/album would suck. Even if you don't like metal, try finding tracks of just his bass playing on songs. Yes, I know many of you hate slapping/popping, which he does, but it is a technique that, when tastefully used, is great. Anyway, that is my $.02.

 

[M0ses]

Have we seriously gone three pages without even a mention of Chris Squire's name?

Awesome counterpoint TO THE MAX!!!

 

[Chrisk-K]

I consider Sting during the Police era a lead bassist. On lots of Police recordings, the bass is the song (e.g., Walkng on the Moon, Canary in a Coal Mine, Spirits in the Material World, Driven to Tears, and many others).

 

[darkstorm]

Some of Jonus Hellborg's stuff demonstrates lead bass playing quite well imo. Along with some of the copying guitar stuff he did with John Mclaughlin in duets with him and with Mahavishnu Orch. Chriss Squire along with Lemmy when he was with Hawkwind can qaulify as lead bass to imo. Though the latter was often kinda simple bass stuff it was out there in a way that made me think sax and bass as the lead isntruments for Hawkwind back then. Lol.

How to learn to play melodic bass? Learn arp theory as used in synthesizers. Play some fave simple songs lyric lines on bass. Adding in groove etc to it. When I was useing this latter approach as a kid Id use one or two strings to play the lyric part (scaler playing where you play up and down the neck to play scales on same string rather then string skipping to play scales. Then Id add in rythum accent notes with that via adjacent strings. Mainly combining 3rds.5ths and 7ths for that as a simple way to play melody and added rhythm groove note addons. Think of making simple 3 note chords around each note that makes up the lyric line. Or in even simpler terms to get started. drone notes to go along with lyric lines of a song.

One of the first simple songs I did this with as a kid was "light my fire". The lyrics themself follow a rhythm groove. By useing adjacent strings to the one I was playing lyric line on Id create simple rhythm accompanyment based on the 3/4 4/4 or whatever time signature.

I mention learning arps like are done with synths cause these often go outside the basic root note philosophy and give a melodic sense even if basically looping the arp pattern. Or switching off between diff arp patterns that can go with a given chord or note.

You can also experiment with trying to convey a picture or image. As humans we like to use language when describing an image. Language is a melodic practice by its very nature. This can be monotone, yet the diff vowels, consonants etc create difference in the sound. Ok a very simple and yes silly and fun one. Convey the proverbial kid sticking his tongue out at the world going "na na na na na na". Very melodic, silly as can be, and immenantly gettable irregardless of what language a peep speaks with their mouth voice. To me the basic of melodic bass playing is creating language or otherwise conveying things with sound. This can even apply to ujseing your bass to paint a pic of a rainstorm complete with rounds of occasional thunder, and various levels of rain intensity. A lot of time, bass playing and rhythm guitar playing isnt supposed to be melodic. Its just drive that one can clap or dance along to. its not supposed to be anything else. When one then adds in rounds of image creation or talking thru their instrument. It becomes a melodic perfomance overall imo.