Too "busy" on the bass?!?

[charlie monroe]

some people don't like my busy playing

The playing is fine, just enough Jack in there. it's the videography I take exception to.

 

[Flatwoundround]

Bassline sounds good to me. Guitar has too much distortion IMO and is overbearing but that can often be the case with many guitarists.

I really appreciate when I hear a great sounding guitarist that doesnt use tons of effects and pedals, sort of like a girl that looks good without all the paint makeup.

Your bassline has a much better reggae feel than the guitar.

 

[RiZzBot]

Haha well don't get me wrong, a time and a place. I'm not against busy playing. I just had my band tell me on a song we are writing now and forming to simplify my playing. I thought it was simple enough already! But after I stepped back and really listened to the song and where it was going, I understood and simplified. It all depends on the song and what it needs. I'll never play over or under just for the sake of it. That's not playing bass. That's either thinking too much about it, being egotistical or showing off. I don't need that. I just love playing bass.

Well said

 

[Hahaha]

I only listened to Caroline. The bass is a little busy, but the guitar is way out of the pocket in spots. That wrecks the whole groove.

 

[Lee Moses]

In that case, listen with an open mind. You're a bass player, not a guitarist. Your #1 job is to support rhythm, with musical quality contributed. But it's not all about the bass. Listen to some Duck Dunn on the Stax recordings, or Tommy Shannon with SRV. They always played enough, but not too much.

Just curious . . . what would make you suggest listening to Duck Dunn and Tommy Shannon to improve reggae bass playing?

 

[steelbed45]

On "Carolyn", for the section from 2:10-2:28, it comes a little unglued. The drummer ended up having to hold the song together at that point.
I thought it sounded really good overall. If your guitarist wants to nitpick, then make him get specific.

 

[RiZzBot]

So in the song "crazy" there is this beautiful melodic baseline, but when the music stops for the "ba da da da" the bass work doesn't stop with it. That fill, is what I would consider busy. Your singer kinda sounds like nofx which is cool. You can tell your guitar player to cut the effects in half and the solos in half tho, and work on the note bending. That way everyone grows...lol.

I definitely hear what you're saying I the ba da da part.

 

[Jim Carr]

That's exactly what he tells me. "dude stick to root and fifths". Thanks again buddy.

IMHO, Reggae bass is not about "stick to root and fifths." The bass in Reggae is a line and a groove that has to compliment the vocal line. The lead vocal and bass line are melodic lines and are thus, in effect, the most important pitched parts in Reggae—not to dis the percussion!

Just a thought or two to consider: Adding several beats rest (space) between active bass figures can help to make the bass stand out in an effective way. This gives the listeners respite by putting fresh air into the texture so they can more effectively resolve the parts they are hearing. Adding some rests to a part encourages the creation of longer multi-bar patterns that connect in two-part phrases.

 

[TyBo]

Please bare in mind that I am a novice at best. Keep the harsh criticism to a minimum. jkjk I'm pretty thick skinned, let me have it.

Carolyn | the Skunk Brothers
i smoke | the Skunk Brothers

Honestly, I'd agree that the guitarist is not in the pocket on these tunes. He's kinda pushing the beat at times, and just not really hitting it. I say this as a guitar player myself (who also plays bass). Bass sounds ok most of the time ... context is everything, and in this context, with the guitar player stepping all over the groove, it's hard to say what would be too busy. He needs to dial back his effects too, play a little cleaner, imo.

 

[Jim Carr]

I should also have added that the rests and longer note values in a reggae bass line often allow the lead vocals to step in front. The bass then steps forward between sung lines. Don't forget the words matter, too!

Also, don't forget you are on the bottom of the harmonic texture. You need to be sure the harmony is clear—but that does not mean "stick to roots and fifths."

 

[pholli00]

Please bare in mind that I am a novice at best. Keep the harsh criticism to a minimum. jkjk I'm pretty thick skinned, let me have it.

Carolyn | the Skunk Brothers

If you're both just doing the band for fun, why not try to get the guitar player to explain what he means, that way you both can craft some really good sounds together? At any rate, RiZzbot, here's my two cents (I'm trying to listen from guitarist's perspective):

The Bud Song: It's a little busy, but not too busy, and it fits really well with the song. You backed off during the guitarist's first two solos, but it sounds (my opinion and not criticism) a little like you're competing with him on third (and last solo). Don't know if you both mean for this to happen, or if this is what your guitarist means by too busy. Robbing the Bank/Voodoo: not busy. Life: not too busy. Free: not busy. Crazy: maybe a little too busy, maybe keep it on quarter and eighth notes? Super J: not too busy. Telling You: maybe too busy (maybe your guitar player just wants quarter and eighth notes? One Shot: slightly too busy, if guitar player just wants that root and fifth sort of thing with leading notes used sparingly. I Smoke: not too busy. Hood Man: Busy, but this time it really fits, so not too busy. Carolyn: not too busy.

Thanks for sharing your music! I really enjoyed listening to the Skunk Brothers. Try to get the guitar player to explain himself, and keep communication open. Don't get mad if you're just having fun!

 

[Lobster11]

Several folks have commented that the guitarist is the one losing the groove, and that might be exactly why he wants you to play "less busy": However well you might be playing, he just isn't hearing/feeling the groove at times. So here's a compromise that might work: Why don't you try simplifying your line temporarily, and rehearse it that way for awhile until he's really getting it. Then you can work on gradually "busying it back up." Once he really has the groove down himself, you might not sound "too busy" to him anymore, and everybody will be happy.

 

[MDBass]

That's exactly what he tells me. "dude stick to root and fifths". Thanks again buddy.

Didn't listen to the clips, but I can't think of a single reggae bass line that just sticks to roots and fifths.

Then again, I can't think of a single reggae tune with a guitar solo either

 

[Jim Carr]

@RiZzBot — Some of my favorites from Hawaii...

 

[ThePresident777]

So we're in the process of recording a low budget demo; I'm laying down track on bass and told by the guitarist that the bass sounds too busy. What the he**?!? I told him to define too busy, and of course he couldn't. Not the first time I have heard this. My question to you guys is, what defines "too busy"? Why is it too much sometimes and not other times? We're an original band that plays a little rock/reggae/blues. I think I do a decent job of locking in with the drummer. I play what I hear and feel in my soul. It's not like this is some huge production by some huge record label, paying all kinds of cash. We're in my shed recording off a $500 Sonus studio. I hate this term and I'm starting to feel oppressed as a bass player in general. So the next couple track I went "way too busy, just to piss him off. My response to him; deal with it.

Too Busy means that he feels inferior.

 

[stringthrough]

Please bare in mind that I am a novice at best. Keep the harsh criticism to a minimum. jkjk I'm pretty thick skinned, let me have it.

Carolyn | the Skunk Brothers
i smoke | the Skunk Brothers

Not bad... I would say you could have been as effective with a few less notes; maybe hold some notes longer, carrying them into the beginnings of subsequent measures, but at the same time I found nothing excessively busy ("too notey") about the lines you laid down.

 

[m2466d]

Really enjoyed this thread, didn't mean to read the whole thing but the comments were all great-couldn't stop. Thank you to everybody who contributed, I really learned a lot from reading it. Thank you RiZzbot for putting yourself out there like that that takes balls! And to everybody really respectfully addressing the thread... I can think of a lot of places where a thread like this would have went in a completely different direction. Just proves bass players are more evolved than the rest of our species.

 

[RickyWoo]

Just play root notes and do a gnarly pick slide on every transition from verse to chorus to verse and on and on.. It'll sound wicked and your guitar player will be sorry they ever doubted you.

 

[Remyd]

Please bare in mind that I am a novice at best. Keep the harsh criticism to a minimum. jkjk I'm pretty thick skinned, let me have it.

So, I hear what he hears, but I don't hear anything objectionable. FWIW: I'm not a rock/reggae guy and my favorite numbers are I and V. You're definitely playing at least twice as many notes as I would and there's a whole bunch of movement that I wouldn't use either. I'm digging what you're doing for sure. I like the line on the first bit that second one, kinda has a drive that pushes through the rack-full of effects.

 

[RiZzBot]

If you're both just doing the band for fun, why not try to get the guitar player to explain what he means, that way you both can craft some really good sounds together? At any rate, RiZzbot, here's my two cents (I'm trying to listen from guitarist's perspective):

The Bud Song: It's a little busy, but not too busy, and it fits really well with the song. You backed off during the guitarist's first two solos, but it sounds (my opinion and not criticism) a little like you're competing with him on third (and last solo). Don't know if you both mean for this to happen, or if this is what your guitarist means by too busy. Robbing the Bank/Voodoo: not busy. Life: not too busy. Free: not busy. Crazy: maybe a little too busy, maybe keep it on quarter and eighth notes? Super J: not too busy. Telling You: maybe too busy (maybe your guitar player just wants quarter and eighth notes? One Shot: slightly too busy, if guitar player just wants that root and fifth sort of thing with leading notes used sparingly. I Smoke: not too busy. Hood Man: Busy, but this time it really fits, so not too busy. Carolyn: not too busy.

Thanks for sharing your music! I really enjoyed listening to the Skunk Brothers. Try to get the guitar player to explain himself, and keep communication open. Don't get mad if you're just having fun!

Awesome feedback brother. Thanks a million.