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What Makes an Excellent Bassist?
- Thread starter Philip McAdam
- Start date
Knowing the songs before you show up(homework). Be easy to work with (no ego). Being available for any gigs/rehearsals (willing to change plans on the fly). While playing knowing when to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
I especially agree with the level of assertiveness.
I think it's very important for all players to bring something to the table creatively.
Have some ideas! They might not always be great ideas, and someone else might have other ideas and often better ideas.
But don't let it stop you from bringing your ideas to the table.
Sugar and spice and everything nice
or maybe hookers and blow. They're maybe different ways of saying the same thing?
or maybe hookers and blow. They're maybe different ways of saying the same thing?
Oh, and making sure you're louder than, and have more attention draw to, than your bandmates, or in fact than anyone else on the stage. Specially so if you're hired to play in the background and everyone in the audience paid big bucks to come see that person perform. That's when you might have to start jumping around to keep the eyes off the other, so-called, star.
Not sure I could contribute anymore than has already been stated about being an excellent bassist.
However, I can say that being a good bandmate is probably as important as your talent and education on the instrument. Doing your homework, contributing to "band chores" like promotion, helping set up and tear and down, being on time for practice, answering messages, and respecting personal boundaries.... that stuff will get you gigs. I'll play with a less talented guy/gal who is a great bandmate every time.
However, I can say that being a good bandmate is probably as important as your talent and education on the instrument. Doing your homework, contributing to "band chores" like promotion, helping set up and tear and down, being on time for practice, answering messages, and respecting personal boundaries.... that stuff will get you gigs. I'll play with a less talented guy/gal who is a great bandmate every time.
I remember watching an interview with Jerry Jemmott. He made a great analogy about the entire band, not just bass, being like a diamond ring. (Paraphrased) He said the melody, regardless of who is singing/playing it, is the diamond, and everyone else in the band is the setting - their job is to support the diamond and make it look pretty. This perfectly defines what makes an excellent _______ (fill in the blank - bassist, guitarist, drummer, keyboardist, ...).
BB King's criteria sits well with me. I may have picked up this interview with Guitar.com & BB here on TB, (can't remember). Makes for some good reading.
Guitar.com: What do you look for in a bass player?
King:
One that will play what I want. That's what I look for. I'm a blues player. I like one-three, I mean I, IV and V. Them blues chords. And I want the guy to spell them out, play 'em for me where I can hear em. Of course I'd like him to have a little more knowledge, so we could, you know, everything we play is not 12-bars.
Guitar.com:
Right, you do so much more than I, IV and V, he's got to know a little more than that.
King:
But if he's good with I, IV, and V, I still can live with him because I can teach him the other. If he's good with that I, IV, and V, he's my guy. And I want him to drive. I want him to be like the drums: I want him to drive. And that's what I like in a bass player.
Guitar.com:
When you say you can teach him the rest what if the guy comes to you just playing I, IV, and V? Where do you take him from there?
King:
I'd teach him how to play eight bars. Eight bar blues has many changes. I'll teach him, that ain't no big problem. If he want to learn, I'll teach him.
Guitar.com:
Some of the jazzy turnarounds and things?
King:
I don't think of it as jazzy turnarounds, it's just different from 12-bar blues. It always kinda gets my nerve when a guy says, "I'm a jazz musician." I don't like that. Or "I'm a blues musician." I don't like that either.
Guitar.com:
You prefer to just say you're a musician.
King: Yeah. If it's something I want. For example, if I came to town, and I was looking for somebody to play, I want em to play what I want. I ain't looking for no jazz musician, I ain't lookin for no blues musician. I want the guy to play what I want. Now if he studied jazz, fine, cause most jazz musicians are better with blues than actually the blues musicians, cause they're more familiar with chords.
Guitar.com: Right.
King:
So that's fine with me. But I don't want a guy to say, "Yeah, I'm a jazz musician. I don't play them old blues." I put a X on his name. (laughs) Or "I'm a blues musician. I don't play no jazz." I put a X on his name too.
Guitar.com: What do you look for in a bass player?
King:
One that will play what I want. That's what I look for. I'm a blues player. I like one-three, I mean I, IV and V. Them blues chords. And I want the guy to spell them out, play 'em for me where I can hear em. Of course I'd like him to have a little more knowledge, so we could, you know, everything we play is not 12-bars.
Guitar.com:
Right, you do so much more than I, IV and V, he's got to know a little more than that.
King:
But if he's good with I, IV, and V, I still can live with him because I can teach him the other. If he's good with that I, IV, and V, he's my guy. And I want him to drive. I want him to be like the drums: I want him to drive. And that's what I like in a bass player.
Guitar.com:
When you say you can teach him the rest what if the guy comes to you just playing I, IV, and V? Where do you take him from there?
King:
I'd teach him how to play eight bars. Eight bar blues has many changes. I'll teach him, that ain't no big problem. If he want to learn, I'll teach him.
Guitar.com:
Some of the jazzy turnarounds and things?
King:
I don't think of it as jazzy turnarounds, it's just different from 12-bar blues. It always kinda gets my nerve when a guy says, "I'm a jazz musician." I don't like that. Or "I'm a blues musician." I don't like that either.
Guitar.com:
You prefer to just say you're a musician.
King: Yeah. If it's something I want. For example, if I came to town, and I was looking for somebody to play, I want em to play what I want. I ain't looking for no jazz musician, I ain't lookin for no blues musician. I want the guy to play what I want. Now if he studied jazz, fine, cause most jazz musicians are better with blues than actually the blues musicians, cause they're more familiar with chords.
Guitar.com: Right.
King:
So that's fine with me. But I don't want a guy to say, "Yeah, I'm a jazz musician. I don't play them old blues." I put a X on his name. (laughs) Or "I'm a blues musician. I don't play no jazz." I put a X on his name too.
An excellent bass (and knowing when not to play it).
I watched "Last of the Blue Devils" the other night and it really struck me how much 12 bar blues they played and jammed on.
I used to think that "jazz guys" wouldn't ever just jam on I,IV,V, but I was very wrong and really learned something.
Finding the sweet spot between authoritative and musically sensitive.
A family dynamic that merited the survival tactic of acquiring a sensitivity to what is going on around you doesn't hurt, either.
If you play in cover bands...What makes a great bassist.......
Blood, sweat and tears are what makes them excellent. Mostly the internal kind that is; otherwise it's just creepy. The desire, drive and the work.
But then the observable outcome of that is excellence, to more answer the intent of the question. Ya gotta pay yer dues to play the blues, man.
It's a good sign when nobody ever asks a bass player if he/she can do something, they just automatically assume it will be done, and done well.
But then the observable outcome of that is excellence, to more answer the intent of the question. Ya gotta pay yer dues to play the blues, man.
It's a good sign when nobody ever asks a bass player if he/she can do something, they just automatically assume it will be done, and done well.
An excellent bass player is one who doesn't need to ask what an excellent bass player is.
