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What is your philosophy of bass playing?
- Thread starter Killens84
- Start date
1) It's my hobby, have fun with it.
2) People take time out of their schedules to watch us to be entertained. Entertain them
3) play well, but don't take it too seriously. ( a fun band that makes a mistake might be much better than a perfect playing but boring band )
4) Play to the song.. include signature licks when required, stay out of the way much of the time.
5) I also sing 30% of the songs... singing is more important than bass playing if I need to focus more on one than the other. ( I dumb down some songs to sing them easier )
We played a small bar this weekend.. lots of bar regulars we don't know. We had 4 groups of people ask for our band info to come see us again at other places. They loved our music, said we sounded really good to great.. but mostly said we were having so much fun it made THEM have fun and a better night. For us, that is just about the best compliment you could give our band.
2) People take time out of their schedules to watch us to be entertained. Entertain them
3) play well, but don't take it too seriously. ( a fun band that makes a mistake might be much better than a perfect playing but boring band )
4) Play to the song.. include signature licks when required, stay out of the way much of the time.
5) I also sing 30% of the songs... singing is more important than bass playing if I need to focus more on one than the other. ( I dumb down some songs to sing them easier )
We played a small bar this weekend.. lots of bar regulars we don't know. We had 4 groups of people ask for our band info to come see us again at other places. They loved our music, said we sounded really good to great.. but mostly said we were having so much fun it made THEM have fun and a better night. For us, that is just about the best compliment you could give our band.
It is the bass player's job to tie the drums to the "melodic" instruments. Overplaying can ruin the whole effect. The girls may like the flashy guitar players, but they dance to the bass and drums.
Know more than anyone else about the music, but play less notes than anyone else and make sure you play the right ones.
You can steal it from me anyway, it was a gift from a really cool teacher and it helped me out a LOT.
I tend to agree with you.
With the exception that I have the hope that there may be someone out there that still loves the music that I love to play.
In spite of the fact that there are very,very few.
Unfortunately for me,most people have very,very simple taste.
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If it hasn't already been said I view my role in the band similar to that of luke warm water...
If he's just doing the minimum work, maybe ... but in bands I like to listen to, the bass is in front and heard. I play just as many notes as the ryththm geet, and I'd go so far as to say as many as the lead guitar ... though they're spaced out throughout the whole song. And if I'm going to go thru the trouble of playing the notes, I want to hear or at least feel every one. It really frosts my preserves to be so buried in a mix that I can't tell if it's me or the ryththm guitar playing his lowest string. I guess I'm doing it wrong, cuz my band always puts me front and centre with the singerbabe (to be fair, we are the best looking & most stylish
) lol
Stated more eloquently than I could ever accomplish:
"It is my opinion that there aren't enough THINKING bassists. My concept is that we as bassists should be able to play completely alone and relay the essence of a song by the construction of our bass line alone. We don't need the keyboard to clarify the kind of chord. We don't need the drummer to clarify the rhythm. You should be able to swing and radiate energy all alone. When we add a pianist and drummer, who are not dependant on you, it should be easy. Our basic job description is to embrace the ensemble with the clearest harmony and rhythm possible and not lose our role as the foundation. Good choice of notes and their placement and pitch will really make the entire group swing and feel good."
Rufus Reid
The Evolving Bassist
"It is my opinion that there aren't enough THINKING bassists. My concept is that we as bassists should be able to play completely alone and relay the essence of a song by the construction of our bass line alone. We don't need the keyboard to clarify the kind of chord. We don't need the drummer to clarify the rhythm. You should be able to swing and radiate energy all alone. When we add a pianist and drummer, who are not dependant on you, it should be easy. Our basic job description is to embrace the ensemble with the clearest harmony and rhythm possible and not lose our role as the foundation. Good choice of notes and their placement and pitch will really make the entire group swing and feel good."
Rufus Reid
The Evolving Bassist
Serve the music. And music is NOT served by a bass that sticks to roots and fifths or plays as little as possible.
In Bach's time all parts, high, mid and low, were of equal importance melodically. Somehow that got lost (I blame Mozart), but it's still a good principle.
Music that is always slow, always fast, always whatever gets boring quickly, and that goes for all instruments involved.
So in general I disagree with the less is more idea. A busy bass is just as important as a un-busy one (what's the word I'm looking for?), or a (un)busy any-other-instrument.
Or to speak with Francis Rocco Prestia (I believe): "If it ain't gonna move, it ain't gonna groove".
In Bach's time all parts, high, mid and low, were of equal importance melodically. Somehow that got lost (I blame Mozart), but it's still a good principle.
Music that is always slow, always fast, always whatever gets boring quickly, and that goes for all instruments involved.
So in general I disagree with the less is more idea. A busy bass is just as important as a un-busy one (what's the word I'm looking for?), or a (un)busy any-other-instrument.
Or to speak with Francis Rocco Prestia (I believe): "If it ain't gonna move, it ain't gonna groove".
If your good at it, GO UP FRONT AND SHOW IT TO THE WORLD!
Don´t be a miserable dog shoveled under the wheels by everybody else.
Bassplayers are just as important as anybody else in the band. Period!
If the band only needs the root and fifth, give them a computer and say you´re busy elsewhere
Don´t be a miserable dog shoveled under the wheels by everybody else.
Bassplayers are just as important as anybody else in the band. Period!
If the band only needs the root and fifth, give them a computer and say you´re busy elsewhere
