What do you think about when taking a solo?

[Wesley R]

This will end soon

 

[cchorney]

Once I get going I have a Mark Fidrych like internal coaching session going on in my head:
Ok, here comes the 4, don't miss it.
You're doing great!
No one noticed that.
Ok, they may have noticed that but you'll get them back at the turn around.
Ooh ohh, do that repeating chromatic riff here.
Put in that I VI II V turnaround this time around.
Yeah baby you have their attention.
Ok, repeat everything you just did from the start, but past the 12th fret and do a cool run to get up there.

In more general terms I try to start basic and then slowly get more complex, work my way up the neck as the solo goes on (and on), and revisit early themes if possible towards the end, and by the very end I'm back to the starting bass line.

 

[BluesWalker]

Why am I doing this? Let's get me back to the supporting role.

 

[morgansterne]

"avoid the root of the chord"

 

[bobyoung53]

Hopefully nothing.

 

[whatever4]

If you make a mistake, repeat it, so everyone will think it's intentional.

 

[nickpc]

Carrots. Yes, really.

Chords And Rhythm, Roots Or Triads, Simple

It needs to fit the song (CAR) and what I've been playing (ROT), and don't try to do too much (S)

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Wait....what....why did the guitarist suddenly stop....when did we talk about this....is my bass even plugged in....am I rooting from the bridge....am I rooting from the key....WTFs a power chord....pentatonic-never heard of it....

 

[Tampabass]

Bacon?

 

[chaosMK]

It's all about sabor. Aside from being in the right key you just want to add your own flavor to it. It is good to have some sort of vocabulary developed from your own noodling. It depends what you into... it can be all about rhythm and mutes or legato lines or a little memorable mini hook, or flare from some technique you like (tapping, a slap-pop, etc).

 

[bassliner50]

Ok my 16 or 32 measures have arrived.
The pianist to my right is brilliant, I hope I measure up.
The changes are 2,5,3,6,1.
Quick deconstruct the chords and use those safe notes.
Use passing tones which are still safe to connect chord tones.
Almost time to resolve the theme and wrap things up.
Look to a horn player to pick up the head.
Phew!!!! I did it. But it could have been better.
Now sit back and groove. Stare at chart, half read, half play by instinct.
Can we break now? Might need to pee.

 

[HardNHeavy]

So i recently joined my first band and one of the songs on their setlist is Ben Harper's Steal My Kisses where the bass takes a solo towards the end of the song. While we were practicing it during a session it occurred to me that I don't really know what the idea is behind a bass solo in a "rock" type of setting. I know my grooves and scales, but what exactly is the bass player thinking in the song. So here's the question:


What do you think about when you take a solo?

Yeh i often thought of this and how it would turn out..If you know your scales well, just enhance those with a few flashy points, come back on the beat and call it a night. I was never comfortable with solos myself, but do enjoy a relatively short one now and then..Good to just practice one, then try to remember it when you go live..sometimes songs dont always go the way you rehears them..So i'd make sure if your going to solo, practice the heck out of it.Then feel confident when the time comes.

 

[ZAR14]

Did I leave the iron on?

I see what you did there. A reference to "The Ox"

 

[B-Lo]

This happened on Sunday at church. We had the musicians from our main campus leading and they were grooving hard. The WL suddenly started doing band introductions similar to what's sometimes done at the end of a concert.

It started with the individual lead vocalists. Then she did a short solo on keys, then called the guitarists, then drums. Then it happened...she called bass. The bass solo was tastefully done. He shaped it around the chords of the song they last played and added some runs and fills and a little obligatory slap n' pop.

I kept thinking to myself, I would've probably been nodding to her in an emphatic left to right, right to left motion telling her NOT to call me lol.

 

[DLVlad]

In general, I have only one, predetermined bass solo. It is pretty much a song onto itself (could be a recording on an album) runs about five minutes long. Otherwise I can do a spontaneous slap/pop thing for 20 or seconds so I guess.