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The Predictable Bassist

#84
Unprofessional said:
When trying out a bass or other equipment, why would you not use and re-use bass lines or snippets that are familiar to you? These are your sonic references and you have a solid idea of what they should sound like in your opinion and how they should feel.
For instance, if I were trying to decide between two basses, I would certainly play the exact same line, riff or snippet on each and play each through the same rig and settings. IMO, you want to eliminate as many variables as you can that aren't connected to the bass itself for as clean an A/B test as you can muster in the store.
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Well.. This post transformed into something I didn't intend. I only mentioned Guitar Center because that's where I usually experience people to claim to play bass.

I also have a few different standard pieces I will play to test out a bass (all utilizing different techniques and different aspects of the instrument)
 
#89
When I try out a bass I play really slow deliberate things to listen for "dead spots". I play all the harmonics I can find to check that out. I play same-string octaves and fifths to check the intonation. I play some three-note chords just to see how it sounds...stuff like that. I might play some really fast stuff if I'm testing an amp, to see how the speaker responds to it.
 
#90
Bass lines:
Stir It Up-Marley
Express Yourself-Charles Wright
Boogie On Reggae Woman-Stevie

Melody:
Wave-Jobim (sometimes with counterline/harmonies in there

Improvise through the changes of Donna Lee.

If I like the tone for all the above then I'm good :)
 
#91
i normaly go for fenders so the first five mins i check for the dead spot, then try the harmonics, if all is ok i will fiddle about with
dancing in the moonlight/ thin lizzy
alright now/ free
lowrider/ whoever
dirty love/ frank zappa
something by gorillaz that i dont know the title of.
badge/ cream
and all the time thinking about how long it will be before i can eat something other than lentils once i've bought the bugger.
 
#94
Every time I pick up a bass in a music store, my mind goes blank and my hands turn into blocks of stone. In desperation, I usually play bits of the following (shudders and admits:)
Groove is in the heart - dee-light
Ohh poh pah doo (the steve miller version)
The open e 12-bar-ish Little sister - Elvis
Take me to the river - al green
Island in the sun - weezer
Show me the way - fleetwood mac
Steady as she goes - raconteurs
China grove - doobies

This all depends on how seriously ******** I am at that moment though.
 
#96
What, no Seinfeld Theme? I hear 7 Nation Army far more than I care for, and still a lot of aimless gratuitous slapping, plus Higher Ground, Enter Sandman, SOTW, all the usual suspects still. What I play varies with the mood I'm in, usually starting out with an approximation of the Lemon Song breakdown workout, maybe Ramble On. If I feel up to it, I go through what I remember of Yes' Perpetual Change, especially that speedy, nervous, octave jumpy bit in the middle, as it gives me an idea if the neck is comfortable enough to thwart fatigue. Every once in a while I'll do Jeff Beck's Rice Pudding riff in different positions. If I'm checking out any kind of distortion pedal, I'll do the The Stranglers' Peaches riff, and on fretless, besides some harmonics slides, Japan's(Mick Karn)Sons Of Pioneers, or yes, a close approximation of Walk On The Wild Side(8th fret position root C with the major third octave up on the G string, slide that up in formation up to the F on the 13th fret position). Once again it's a test of comfort and anti-fatigue on the neck. Most of the time nobody knows what the hell I'm playing, plus there's always some guitarist shredding through a Crate or Line 6 combo anyway.
 
#97
I mostly just jam. Sometimes ill play parts from my bands songs. But I generally try a wide range of styles. Tapping, slapping, finger style. I mess around with harmonics and play all over the neck to see how the bass handles different stuff.

Last time I played Potrait of Tracy at a music store a guy came up to me and was like wow you know victor Wooten stuff, can you show me that? I didn't have the heart to tell him
 
#100
Jay Q said:
Penthouse And Pavement (check it out if you don't know it -- delicious bass wankiness!)
Rio
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Wow! P&P is a delicious piece of John Wilson goodness - sort of a 5 minute solo to offset all those keys. I love that!

And Rio? John Taylor ripping maybe one of the best pop bass pieces I have ever heard (or at least up there with some of Bernard Edwards' classic lines). What is it about Johns?

Tough pieces, Jay!

I feel so inadequate. I really have no guitar shop set pieces at all. I honestly just play scales over the neck usually to try to get the range of the bass, and how easily (or not) it plays. Now I feel like I really should engage in some guitar shop rehearsal time . . . .
 

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