Playing to a fast kickdrum

[JohanH]

Hi everyone. I have been wondering about something that you hopefully can help me shine a light on. In music where the drummer plays fast 16th notes on the kick, i usually see bassplayers lock in and play 16th notes as well, however sometimes i see someone play 8th notes to the 16th note kick.

Is there a specific reason for that? More groove, cleaner sound?

All the best!

 

[Wasnex]

If you can't make it fake it . So I guess this would fall under "cleaner sound" .

It would be helpful if you could link a specific video as an example.

 

[Groove Doctor]

It probably gets too muddy with all that bottom end, or they just can't lock it in cleanly.

I've found playing the bass part an octave higher gets the same vibe but with less mud against a very busy kick drum parts.

 

[Malcolm35]

Hi everyone. I have been wondering about something that you hopefully can help me shine a light on. In music where the drummer plays fast 16th notes on the kick, i usually see bassplayers lock in and play 16th notes as well, however sometimes i see someone play 8th notes to the 16th note kick. Is there a specific reason for that? More groove, cleaner sound? All the best!

With out hearing the song hard to say why the bassists decided to go with 1/8 notes. On slow ballads where the drummer is using his brushes, I often just sound the root and let it ring until the next chord change. This tends to call attention to the lyric story being told. Works well with the prayer song in Praise music.

First "rule" we are to sound the root and lock with the drummer, second "rule" if the first rule is not working, do what the song needs. Sorry, beyond that I can not give specifics to why the bassists went with 1/8 notes.

 

[SteveCS]

...
...
On slow ballads where the drummer is using his brushes,
...

...one is unlikely to encounter fast 1/16th on the kick drum!

 

[Malcolm35]

...one is unlikely to encounter fast 1/16th on the kick drum!

Good point!

 

[two fingers]

Hi everyone. I have been wondering about something that you hopefully can help me shine a light on. In music where the drummer plays fast 16th notes on the kick, i usually see bassplayers lock in and play 16th notes as well, however sometimes i see someone play 8th notes to the 16th note kick.

Is there a specific reason for that? More groove, cleaner sound?

All the best!

Welcome to TalkBass!!!!

For some answers to your question, check out some old Police songs. Their drummer, Stewart Copeland, is all over the place (in a good way) on some of their songs. Meanwhile, Sting is pedaling away, throwing in a lock here and there. It makes for some great tension in some of their songs.

But, as others have said, if you could post some specific examples of the bass not following along with a fast kick, we could be more helpful.

 

[JRA]

also: sometimes the bass instrument is the "kick drum" --- so that the drum part gets more 'freedom'.

welcome to TB :
- how long have been playing bass? new to it?
- what instrument are you playing right now?
- what music do you like these days?

 

[TheLowDown33]

Tempo is an extremely relevant factor here. I think a little more context (and perhaps and example) could help us give some more constructive and applicable advice.

 

[Pings Bass]

the best thing that ever happened to my classic rock band in high school was when the drummer's double kick pedal broke

 

[Epitaph04]

Use your ears. Which one sounds "better" to you? Which one "feels" a certain way or another? This all reads like stupid yoda BS but really...use your ears.

 

[JohnnyBottom]

idk...You dont have to play every note the drummer plays, could be a bit robotic.

 

[micguy]

Always playing the same tempo as the kick drum gets old really fast. Playing every other note works great a lot of the time - the drummer supplies the percussive part, we add a note to that.

 

[AudioTaper]

Playing fast? Maybe look into other techniques. I'm going to be working on this.
Just a thought.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi everyone. I have been wondering about something that you hopefully can help me shine a light on. In music where the drummer plays fast 16th notes on the kick, i usually see bassplayers lock in and play 16th notes as well, however sometimes i see someone play 8th notes to the 16th note kick.

Is there a specific reason for that? More groove, cleaner sound?

All the best!

Whatever works for you. You don't even have to hit it if you're mixed right. Hold a note out, and the drum will actually kick your bass.

 

[Killing Floor]

I wouldn't rule out that a drummer plays 1/16ths, some drummers have double pedals.

But to your OP question I think there's a possibility of different levels of ability but I bet it is more likely to create a little space and maybe a more interesting or more recognizable rhythm. Every song/band/drummer/bassist is different.
Except me. I'm the same.

 

[RickyT]

I remember reading an interview with the bass player from Lamb of God (i think) and he said he'll play "half time" to make thing heavier and cleaner because the low frequencies need more space, more time for the sound wave to travel.

 

[Seashore]

If we're talking about extended double kick or blast beat patterns, I play 1/8ths over 1/16ths kicks a lot at higher tempos. It does give a cleaner sound in context of the overall sound I go for, which has a good amount of pick attack - if I was tremolo picking the bass I'd have a lot of weird harmonics from the attack and not as much fundamental and supportive overtones. Locking up with specific parts here and there can be great for impact, but I tried it both ways on recordings years ago and preferred the half time approach for all of the extended sections I tried. I've done it that way ever since. Faster bass over parts like that works better with a rounder and less attack-oriented sound.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

 

[Wasnex]

IMHO there is no need for the bass to duplicate the bass drum with this style. Hard to hear, but the bass seems to be in unison with the low guitar line.

You can hear the bass little more clearly in this version