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What "Keep It Simple" Really Means
- Thread starter hernameisrio
- Start date
That might not be a necessary aspect of electric bass, but it's certainly a widespread view. Upright bass is a different beast, and might be an option for someone who wants a more out-front role.
I disagree. UB is an extremely percussive instrument by nature if played pizz. Given the fact that a good number "bands" who utilize an UB may or may not have a drummer means that the bass player has to be the sole rythum/time keeper as well....def not a good time to be out front wanking when you need to be laying out a time meter. My best example would be a blue grass upright player. Granted, jazz UB players have their solo section. But aside from the 16-24 bar solo, the rest of the time is spent in the pocket. When I think of UB, that last thing that comes to my mind is "out front". Granted, there are some some UB players who are out front. But they may use the bass as a primary source of melody. In that respect, there are just as many electric players who play with a more melodic approach. At that point, it boils down to musical style versus what kind of bass you play.
When I think of UB, I think of the poor souls who have to carry them on the subway and all the people who think they're being funny who are like, "BET YA WISHED YOU PICKED THE FLUTE!"
Busy bassists aren't fun to listen to imo. I think the best bass lines are the simplest, with notes held sweet and long, the ones that resonate in your chest. Bass is physical 
I think at the least, the simplest ones are more likely to be memorable and to get stuck in peoples' heads. Which seems to constitute a "good song" or "success," at least commercially. Which is great, if you're into that. But now I'm starting to realize how subjective "simple" can be. For example, you could argue that the bass line to "Good Times" by Chic -to cite a classic- is "simple" because it's essentially the same groove over the whole song, with the "most notes" being played during the chorus, laying back a bit on the verses. However, when I asked the bandleader what he thought of that line, he said it wasn't simple because there were a lot of "extra notes." Okay, fine. What if you took out the "extra notes" in the chorus? I'm willing to bet you'd end up killing the whole song...because it wouldn't move! To me, it's a "simple" progression, but there are enough notes in it that to someone who's not tuned into bass, it probably seems complicated and thus, maybe even unnecessary.
Somebody else brought up guitar solos and "busy" guitarists like, oh, say, Hendrix for example. And I do have to wonder, yeah! What gives HIM the ticket to wank while we're stuck plonking out roots and fifths? Does ANYBODY (besides bassists) remember bass lines anyway, let alone bass solos? I think there are a few that ordinary, innocent bystanders might find memorable. And I think most of them deviate slightly from the norm and are a little busier than the usual fare, otherwise they wouldn't stand out. What does it take to create a memorable bass line then, something that is "simple" without being generic?
As much as I'm learning to respect space and silence in music, there is a part of me that resents the double standard someone brought up earlier, when it comes to the "role" of a guitarist versus a bassist. I understand that bass is a rhythm instrument, but to use another example...so are drums. Let's look at Terry Bozzio, one of my favorites. If you took any of Zappa's stuff, or UK, or Missing Persons, and stripped it back and took out the Terry-ness, would those songs be as good? Would they move as well and have that energy? Probably not. Granted, not everybody likes these bands...but even so, nobody does it like Terry, am I right?
It's been a little while since I got the "too many notes" lecture and now I'm finding myself questioning, once again, what to make of things. I'm talking about somebody else's insistence that I play what they tell me to...in a band that is new and just starting to get gigs (read: not making any money yet)...versus being gently guided towards a slightly different style that might fit better in the mix. The latter is one thing, but the former makes me wonder. Why? Because now that I've bent to this guy's wishes, he's constantly sending me inspirational quotes by musicians who talk about the beauty of silence and the need for space in music...constantly pointing out examples, "See how simple so-and-so keeps it?" and pretty much rubbing it in my face. Which...is not so fun. :/
My next tangent on this thread, then, is a twist on the original statement: now that we're establishing what it means to "keep it simple" according to the rules of the bandleader, how do you split the difference between what THEY want versus keeping your own style? How do you keep it simple without risking becoming limited as a bassist?
Somebody else brought up guitar solos and "busy" guitarists like, oh, say, Hendrix for example. And I do have to wonder, yeah! What gives HIM the ticket to wank while we're stuck plonking out roots and fifths? Does ANYBODY (besides bassists) remember bass lines anyway, let alone bass solos? I think there are a few that ordinary, innocent bystanders might find memorable. And I think most of them deviate slightly from the norm and are a little busier than the usual fare, otherwise they wouldn't stand out. What does it take to create a memorable bass line then, something that is "simple" without being generic?
As much as I'm learning to respect space and silence in music, there is a part of me that resents the double standard someone brought up earlier, when it comes to the "role" of a guitarist versus a bassist. I understand that bass is a rhythm instrument, but to use another example...so are drums. Let's look at Terry Bozzio, one of my favorites. If you took any of Zappa's stuff, or UK, or Missing Persons, and stripped it back and took out the Terry-ness, would those songs be as good? Would they move as well and have that energy? Probably not. Granted, not everybody likes these bands...but even so, nobody does it like Terry, am I right?
It's been a little while since I got the "too many notes" lecture and now I'm finding myself questioning, once again, what to make of things. I'm talking about somebody else's insistence that I play what they tell me to...in a band that is new and just starting to get gigs (read: not making any money yet)...versus being gently guided towards a slightly different style that might fit better in the mix. The latter is one thing, but the former makes me wonder. Why? Because now that I've bent to this guy's wishes, he's constantly sending me inspirational quotes by musicians who talk about the beauty of silence and the need for space in music...constantly pointing out examples, "See how simple so-and-so keeps it?" and pretty much rubbing it in my face. Which...is not so fun. :/
My next tangent on this thread, then, is a twist on the original statement: now that we're establishing what it means to "keep it simple" according to the rules of the bandleader, how do you split the difference between what THEY want versus keeping your own style? How do you keep it simple without risking becoming limited as a bassist?
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
Yeah come back to me when you have to play "Summer Of 69"!?
**** It! Next time I'm playing that with a pick and jumping around bumping into the other band members.
**** It! Next time I'm playing that with a pick and jumping around bumping into the other band members.
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
It's really surprising how many bass players who have no hesitation whatsoever proclaiming bass guitar as subservient to six-stringers. You may play in a "guitar rock" band, but not everyone does. It's a big world out there and there are some genres of music which aren't characterized by distorted barre chords and screaming guitar solos.
This.
Also, I started out on guitar but lost interest a bit when I felt like it wasn't the role I wanted to have a musician. I guess what I'm saying is, isn't it entirely possible to be supportive, but to still be creative?
Well, thanks for being condescending and assuming i listen to only one type of music where the bass pounds out 8th notes however that isn't really the case. Bass is what ties the rhythm and melody together. Drums and guitar. Or percussion and saxophone, it doesn't matter. It's funny how some bass players think they're doing something really unique and special way high up in the register playing chords. However there is another instrument that fulfills that role perfectly...a guitar. If the bass player is playing fancy chords past the 12th fret, who's playing bass? Bass is a support role otherwise in my opinion it's not bass playing.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
The thing is ... any instrument can fulfill any "role" drum and vocal too. As far as I know you can play a melody on drum, play bass line with a saxophone or vocal, play chord with the bass and do the rythm with a guitar or piano.
Nothing is in solid concret.
I also think it is big load of s*** to say a bass is only a supportive role and is the glue between the drum and the guitar. a guitar is also tied to the rythm like anyone else.
Ok ... so is this too much even for the bass player ?
Tosin Abasi with the EMG 808X - YouTube
or this ?
Liquid Tension Experiment - Acid Rain Live In L.A. 2008 - YouTube
Bass a rythm instrument ... every instrument is rythm ... and thus every instrument have melodic capabilities ...
'She Danced' - Solo Bass - Zander Zon - YouTube
and I guess Mr Ibragninov who his the principal DB in the London Symphony Orchestra didn't get the memo he shoud only play rythm and have a percussive sound ...
The important part of your post is the statement that it's only YOUR OPINION. Some of us have other opinions. The difference is that no one is saying you can't play the support role, but a bunch of you seem to think that you can determine the one and only role for bass players.
And this crap about "There's another instrument that fills that role - the guitar" no one seems to be bothered by a sax solo, keyboard solo, guitar solo, horn solo - seems that more than one instrument is filling the same role.
Play whatever you want, but you don't have the right to tell other people what to play, or tell them that they are not playing bass just because YOU don't like it. If you don't like what I'm playing, feel free to plug your ears!
