Tone or Technique : most important for you?

[Slevage]

How does one quantify groove? Is it measured like mojo?

Groove is a feeling.
Not to be confused with feeling groovy.

 

[Nev375]

I could give you examples of hit songs with phenomenal mixing that if you isolate the bass track the tone sounds horrid. But it's perfect for the song.

Check out Rick Beato's "what makes this song great". It's very educational.

In the end, it's all about the mix and being solid as a band. Individual tone is completely subjective.

 

[mellowinman]

1. Playing to the song
2. Entertaining the audience
3. Looking good

All that other stuff comes later.
Yadda yadda yadda.

 

[J-Mags]

Neither. Survival.

 

[flyingfinbar]

Tone every time. I couldn’t care less how many notes a minute a dude can play.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Yes, I guess at least YOU are happy in your katty Perry cover band, great compliments for your songs by everybody

I ve got nothing against 12 people with tastes I like also , prefer that than random guys who don't have my good tastes aproval licence . Not playing to make cash, playing by passion and To create, something that seem lacking around Here

Ha, you are pretty funny dude. I liked that one.

 

[mcrawfordmusic]

I think good technique leads to good tone. But being in the pocket trumps both.
Someone can have good tone and good technique, but if they can't groove they're not a good bass player.

 

[themarshall]

I think it's a bit of a false dichotomy. I'd like to think that having a "voice" includes tone and technique but supersedes both. But what do I know.

 

[bherman]

Surprised this is even close - a player with great tone sits just right in the mix and can do more with one note than a clanky wanker with a whole string of notes.

 

[gregmon79]

Salut all

Another silly poll, we all like them

Most important factor for you, bass players : a GREAT TONE or an IMPRESSIVE TECHNIQUE ?

We speak about what can make you like another bass player, or what you work the most, etc

I know the tone is linked to technique and technique linked to tone , but be serious!

Myself I appreciate better a player with super tone, than super technique.
I am also more proud of my tone than my technique and put more effort into it.
As an example :
I prefer spending time and effort crafting a tone through pedals and researchs and way of playing than spending time learning how to noodle as super fast slapitislapito pop or horse run at 180 bpm


And you ?

EDIT :
YES we all know that someone who plays super great in terms of skills can achieve a great tone.
But I can tell you that a lot of people that plays with a good level can sound like s*** and can have a random tone that no one cares.


For me , the tone option means : working your tone, choosing your gear ( pickups preamp pedals strings amp etc ) , searching for a specific tone, working on that and not just some random " plug and play"
For me the technique option means : working on your skill, knowing super secret ninja fingers tricks, be quick to play, having a super groove , showing your death playing


So the question is more :
What interests you more between both ?
What makes you say "wow"
What are you the most proud of?

Do you prefer a basic player who KNOWS how to play but has an identifiable killer tone or a show-off player that kills everything but sounds like everybody random tone ?


C'mon guys not just the basic answer " One leads to the other " because it is not the point and also it is not always true

EDIT 2 :

Well I prefer being a B+ player with a great tone, worked with love and pain to find the perfect alchemy between hands, gear, personality, than being a A+ player ( who can play things considered as harder to play ) with a random OK tone

Tone every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

In my eyes (and ears), tone is the main thing that sets you apart from the 10's of thousands of bands out there. You def don't need to be technically proficient at any instrument to be able to write good songs. Of course, it helps!! It really depends on what musical world you live in though too. If you're a jazz or classical guy and that's it, the answer is probably going to be technique. But for me, someone who is more hard rock/original/pop/rock, tone is the most important thing to me. Knowing how to compose a good song with hooks and melody is the next thing. That has to do with technique. But to me, I've heard some pretty simple song structure and or songs that completely blew me away at from what I hear. I think of some of my fav bands and they all have a very distinctive tone and sound that's all their own. And some of their songs are hella easy to play but it's the tone and composition that really grab me. So tone is numero uno for me. Technique second.

There is a time and a place for fancy flashiness (and I can respect and appreciate a lot of it most times). But it's not applicable in all situations. Tone is though IMO.

 

[gregmon79]

Ok I made some edit to clarify what I call tone and what I call technique

The choice is in fact Great tone vs Impressive technique

As an example
I prefer spending time and effort crafting a tone through pedals and researchs and way of playing than spending time learning how to noodle as super fast slapitislapito pop or horse run as 180 bpm

Amen brother!!

 

[mrjim123]

IMO, "technique" is a little ambiguous.

I've seen some very good and well known bassists who have what some would consider to be poor technique or technique flaws, e.g., hooking the thumb over the top of the fingerboard, not arching at the wrist, etc. If you're in the camp that thinks these guys have poor technique then I say technique matters little.

I may be in the minority here, but I believe that if a bassist has good timing, feel, etc. then he has good technique, regardless of any technique flaws he may have. If you're in that camp then technique is everything.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I side with technique over tone.
Because of that,I've never been a tone searcher.
Never looked for that one bass with that one tone.

All my bass heros all have different tones and excellent although different techniques.

I'm more focused on the notes and phrasing and how they came about choosing them.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Out of those two, I'm gonna have to side with tone. One could also postulate that the average listener would respond more to good tone than to complicated technique.

 

[JimK]

IMO, "technique" is a little ambiguous.

I've seen some very good and well known bassists who have what some would consider to be poor technique or technique flaws, e.g., hooking the thumb over the top of the fingerboard, not arching at the wrist, etc. If you're in the camp that thinks these guys have poor technique then I say technique matters little.

...when I went on my Rush binge, I bought/watched a lot of concerts. It is amazing (to me) how Geddy pulls that stuff off.

I may be in the minority here, but I believe that if a bassist has good timing, feel, etc. then he has good technique, regardless of any technique flaws he may have. If you're in that camp then technique is everything.

I started playing in the '70s...Bruce, Ox, Squire, Geddy, Stanley, Jaco, etc were way above me & "unattainable".
So, I focused on guys like JPJ, Chuck Rainey, Will Lee, Gary King, Alan Gorrie, etc. Tone-meisters, IMO. And seemingly more "attainable".

 

[rashrader]

Yeah. I’m not really feeling this one....

So....

Carrots.

 

[jFigueroaBass]

Pocket.
If you can't find the pocket... everything else is irrelevant.

 

[rtav]

I can dial in tone. I can’t dial in technique.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Salut all

Another silly poll, we all like them

Most important factor for you, bass players : a GREAT TONE or an IMPRESSIVE TECHNIQUE ?

We speak about what can make you like another bass player, or what you work the most, etc

I know the tone is linked to technique and technique linked to tone , but be serious!

Myself I appreciate better a player with super tone, than super technique.
I am also more proud of my tone than my technique and put more effort into it.
As an example :
I prefer spending time and effort crafting a tone through pedals and researchs and way of playing than spending time learning how to noodle as super fast slapitislapito pop or horse run at 180 bpm


And you ?

EDIT :
YES we all know that someone who plays super great in terms of skills can achieve a great tone.
But I can tell you that a lot of people that plays with a good level can sound like s*** and can have a random tone that no one cares.


For me , the tone option means : working your tone, choosing your gear ( pickups preamp pedals strings amp etc ) , searching for a specific tone, working on that and not just some random " plug and play"
For me the technique option means : working on your skill, knowing super secret ninja fingers tricks, be quick to play, having a super groove , showing your death playing


So the question is more :
What interests you more between both ?
What makes you say "wow"
What are you the most proud of?

Do you prefer a basic player who KNOWS how to play but has an identifiable killer tone or a show-off player that kills everything but sounds like everybody random tone ?


C'mon guys not just the basic answer " One leads to the other " because it is not the point and also it is not always true

EDIT 2 :

Well I prefer being a B+ player with a great tone, worked with love and pain to find the perfect alchemy between hands, gear, personality, than being a A+ player ( who can play things considered as harder to play ) with a random OK tone

I voted tone. I do think you have to have some technique in order to have good tone. I’ve never seen any one with really sloppy technique that had good tone. That said I believe technique only has to be as good as you need for the music you play. I play relatively simple stuff. I’m not a bass virtuoso and I’m not really trying to be one either. I’m more into songwriting and interacting with crowds in the live show environment. When I’m jumping around onstage I realize my technique suffers. But I’d rather put on a good show and get compliments on my tone than someone come up to me after the gig and say “man your technique is flawless” technique is a very opinionated thing also imo. For example if I’m sitting down depending on what I’m playing I may want the bass on my right leg or my left leg. There is no right or wrong in that situation it’s whatever is more comfortable imo

 

[Eric Swaim]

Sorry and I know I may be in the minority, but distorted bass sounds like crap to me, and the the more distorted the more crap I hear.
I like Les Claypools playing, but cant say I like his tone but the guy can play. Saw them In concert in Nashville back 20 years ago.
Your average "Joe" playing bass to professionals touring with a lot of pedals start to make the bass sound synthetic in my opinion. I have several pedals for my guitar but zero for my bass. Now my son I just got the Wampler Low Blow bass overdrive. He likes it, but I could do without it.

Long and short of this story, if it works for you and your style, buy all the pedals you need, but if your playing a Bach Suite just use your bass and fingers or a pick if you desire.