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Thoughts on the bass "over-player"

#22
I am a 4. I abhor situations where I'm asked to dumb down music to a mind-numbing level, but I also usually don't have the time or receive enough compensation to do what's needed to learn something strictly note for note. I don't want to lose all the character of a song; have been asked, for example, to leave out syncopated turnarounds because someone else in the band couldn't manage "one-and," and that's the sort of thing that makes me crazy.

I have a pretty good memory for music so if it's something I know I play something that works and is close to the original recording, and then I might go back to listen and refine it a bit if I have the motivation to do so. But generally I am in the pocket with the basic parts and adding the occasional flourish if I'm so inclined to keep it interesting.
 
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#23
If I'm playing covers I try and stick to the original line. Sometimes however I may alter the original if it grooves better, as for flourishes I may throw one in on the last chorus just to change it up but it needs to serve the song. If it doesn't make it better, I won't do it.
 
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#24
Tasteful judgement is required when adding. So it depends...

However, many amateur drummer just play fills from top to bottom with no regard for what anyone else is doing, and the bass play could play 1,000 notes, or turn off and it wouldn’t matter because this drummer was soloing the entire time. (I had a bad experience the other week with “Mr Metal Church Band Drummer”, so sorry for venting.)
 
#25
4. Occasionally I'll 'embellish', like statement/answer with a gtr or vocal riff, but keep it short....you should be able to feel from the other players/audience when it's ok to do that, and don't stray too far from the pocket. Doesn't happen every gig.
 
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#26
Our band has no drummer, so I feel some need to be the one that provides a beat. Given that, I pay attention to the original version's bass line but do not limit myself to it. And I generally don't like extremely "busy" bass lines. I try for something that sounds nice on its own, but it's more important that it contribute to the overall performance of the band.
 
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#27
Playing live top 40 covers? I err on the side of overplaying. I dont trust the audience to know what instrument I'm playing, let alone what my musical role is. As long as the groove is there, you better believe im throwing something interesting on every turnaround, as long as nobody else has an integral part. If I'm being frank, it's what makes playing the same song catalogue 50 times a year bearable. I'd like to believe its tasteful, I'd like to believe that it brings up the musical level of the song a notch, I'd like to believe my bandmates feel the same since they havent expressed an opinion otherwise, but I also don't really care that much considering I enjoy it.

On recordings...way less, closer to none. I know I'm not the focal point in that case, and that all the busy stuff detracts from the end result. Definitely a "serve the song" player in that instance.
 
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#30
There's a guy here in my local scene who I've affectionately dubbed "Slappy McSlapperson" that's the epitome of this. His whole "style" is just a bunch of sloppy fast overplaying and slapping. It looks flashy but at the end of the day he's not a great "bass player." I filled in for him a couple of times and the sound of the band is night and day because I'm playing for the song and not trying to step on everyone's toes.

There's another guy I fill in for who is not as bad but another one that just plays what he wants and not really playing the song and overplays. It makes it a bit weird for the band too because they're so used to hearing his version of a song and when someone comes along with the actual parts they go "I dunno something sound funny."
 
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#31
I find over-play bassist to be just about the best comedians ever!

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#32
Fortunately I don't play rock, so no one knows or cares what the "original hallowed bassline" is for the tunes I play.

Quick test: what's the "original" bassline for:

- All of Me
- Tangerine
- Bury me Beneath the Willow
- Long Black Veil
- Dinah
- Petit Fleur

???


Just to name a few tunes I've recently played.

I still can't wrap my head around people spending tons of time and effort to reproduce some bass line some studio musician came up with on one recording on one day. 99% of these bass lines in rock and roll recordings y'all are so concerned with, were the product of one or two takes, then they said "OK, that sounds good, now let's spend the next two months punching the vocals one.note.at.a.time." Yes, yes, of course there are certain little intros and such that everybody expects, but do you really think anyone except other bass players will recognize whether or not you have reproduced accurately the bassline played by an anonymous player on yet another generic top 40 tune from the mid 1980s? Nope.
 
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#33
I play in different churches. Once, two weekends in a row, I got comments on how many notes I played. First weekend:

"You play less notes than the regular guy"
Me: Is that good?
"Yes"

One week later (different church)
"You play more notes than the regular guy"
Me: Is that good?
"Yes"

When practicing for an upcoming weekend, I usually start playing things that fit, and over the course of the week, prune a few things out. When I get to Thursday rehearsal, I often prune a bit here and there - usually our songs start simple, and build in intensity, so additional "textural" notes tend to work their way to the back end of the song. There's isn't a magical "how many notes to play" that's always perfect, even in a given song - I often play the same tunes in different setting, with different musicians, different singers, etc., and you have to be there and paying attention to the vibe of what's going on to judge what's right. You can and should practice different licks/grace notes that might work while practicing, but you can't work it all out beforehand - some of it has to be figured out on site. Even from a first service to second service (two "shows" for those who don't go to church) I'll play things differently - "that" didn't quite work, so I change it a bit.
 
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#36
I see all kinds around here. the incredibly "busy-bee" bassist. and the more laid back. and of course the in-between bassists. Curiously, the most popular cover band in this city? The bassist keeps it pretty simple. no flourishes. no adds. he doesn't even pluck hard. He sometimes even dumbs-down bass lines on the well known tunes. I guess he sees no point in over-doing it, especially when you are playing 4-5 nights a week like they do.
 
#37
turf3 said:
Quick test: what's the "original" bassline for:

- All of Me
- Tangerine
- Bury me Beneath the Willow
- Long Black Veil
- Dinah
- Petit Fleur

???


Just to name a few tunes I've recently played.

I still can't wrap my head around people spending tons of time and effort to reproduce some bass line some studio musician came up with on one recording on one day. 99% of these bass lines in rock and roll recordings y'all are so concerned with, were the product of one or two takes, then they said "OK, that sounds good, now let's spend the next two months punching the vocals one.note.at.a.time." Yes, yes, of course there are certain little intros and such that everybody expects, but do you really think anyone except other bass players will recognize whether or not you have reproduced accurately the bassline played by an anonymous player on yet another generic top 40 tune from the mid 1980s? Nope.
Click to expand...

No idea because I've never heard of any of them.

I just don't see the point of adding absurd turn-around flourishes when you're playing songs like (from last weekend and the guy I saw)

Don't Stop Believing
Summer of 69
Living on a Prayer
Surrender

etc etc etc....

it was distracting to me. way too much. a few tasteful ads here and there help, but gosh, this dude was talented and all over the place, but I came away not liking the sound of the band (I didn't care for the singer either and the drummer was like a "tippy-tap" player/old guy, which made the over-played bass lines even more out front)
 
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#40
I tend to try to be #1. I mostly play in cover bands and I figure if a song is popular enough to be covered then the lines they played must work pretty well. I've never had a Top 40 hit so why would I think my lines are better? That's just me though. That being said, I don't actually try to play the line 100% but more on the 90-95% range and make sure that any changes are in the spirit of a popular studio or live version of the song.

When in original bands I try to serve the song. If simple is required, I play that. If some movement works best, I do that. Whatever sounds best I do to the best of my ability.
 
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