What "Keep It Simple" Really Means

[bhunt1]

I should also add, though, that bass being "up front" or "in the background" has little to do with how complex its music is. Either way can be simplistic or complicated.

This is key to me. Play what serves the song. There are certainly songs where complex technical bass drives the song and other songs that are driven by a simple groovy bass line - play what works for the music you are playing.

Here is a a great simple bass line that drives the song:



If you added to this - you would be taking away from it.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

You are now a bass player,
You said the magic phrase, "Just because I can doesn't mean I should."

 

[EastCoastThump]

Branford Marsalis shared some thoughts a few years back on the value of informed simplicity and of meaningful complexity. I found it pretty inspiring and thought provoking.

 

[sears]

This is key to me. Play what serves the song. There are certainly songs where complex technical bass drives the song and other songs that are driven by a simple groovy bass line - play what works for the music you are playing.

Here is a a great simple bass line that drives the song:

If you added to this - you would be taking away from it.

It's a very good exercise in muting open strings as you change notes as well. Not as simple to play as it might look written out.

 

[DWBass]

I know a guy who lost a position in a band. He lost it to me, a simple groove guy. His nickname in the band was "Noodle." I'll let you guess the details.

Same thing happened in the band I'm in now. They complained that the guy was always showing off his chops and not playing the songs correctly. I basically learn the song and play it. I embellish when it's appropriate.

 

[PauFerro]

There are ways of being "busy" without being overbearing. One thing I do is I used MUTED notes in between my full sounding, unmuted notes. These muted notes complement or duplicate what the drummer is doing. It creates an almost invisible funk and flow to the bass line and the band. Rocco Prestia is a master of it, if you listen to his stuff with Tower of Power. And it doesn't stuck out in the band -- it's almost like having a percussionist in the band.

 

[bassbully]

I wear my keep it solid keep it simple bass badge proudly let me tell you. I was even praised at an in store bass clinic by Victor Wooten for being maybe the only cat there that plays simple.
With that last night I was praised for having chops????? I had my first sit in with a local blues, roots rock band. After we went thru a few songs the singer and guitarist said Wow! You have some chops? I didn't know what to say. They said the bassists in the past and the one I'm replacing play even simpler than I do. They cant play some of the songs in the way they want them really played which somehow I nailed.

It made me feel great and a boost I needed after really feeling down about my playing and music after my last band ditched me.
So keeping it simple, sounding like your playing more than you really are, and being a basic Country roots bassist has its rewards

 

[ole Jason]

IMO every bassist should work towards having chops. I hate the anti-chops mentality a lot of bassists seem so proud of sometimes. What are you going to do when you sit in with college kids and they really want to play Donna Lee or Giant Steps? That said, knowing when to use chops and knowing what to play is an obvious sign of maturity.