Sound like a Guitar Player?

[Unspoken511]

So, recently, I've been working with some friends, just noodling around, playing some standards and improv jamming and what not. I'm always told to "Lay down something smooth and solid", but when I do, I get stopped and told to try over. They said I sound like a guitar player playing bass. I do play a little guitar, but I'm a chicken picker, so really, I play the guitar like a bass. Any tips you could give me to break this habit, or help me to realize when I'm doing it, and what a "smooth and Solid" bassline really sounds like? Thanks!

 

[Rune Bivrin]

I know this will cause a lot of dissent, but let me make two suggestions:

• Mustang Sally
• Sultans of Swing

If you can cop those you are well on your way to smooth and solid.

 

[bassfran]

Get some James Brown records and play along using your fingers.

Repeat as necessary.

 

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Any tips you could give me to break this habit, or help me to realize when I'm doing it, and what a "smooth and Solid" bassline really sounds like? Thanks!

It took me awhile to get some groove and not just play the same scale patterns. The biggest thing that helped, was stepping into other genres of music.

Check out something from Sade, Pino Palidino and Jamiroquai

 

[funnyfingers]

Ed King from Lynyrd Skynyrd played bass on Gimme Three Steps and seems to put it down a little and mentioned some other song by them that he didn't play bass on thinking now that is what a bass should do. But I think the bass line for Gimme Three Steps is perfect for it...

But regarding you starting a song, if you are starting a song they might want to hear something they can first elaborate on. Then once they figure out what they want to play, you can elaborate a little more with the bass.