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What Makes an Excellent Bassist?
- Thread starter Philip McAdam
- Start date
Listen to the drummer and adjust your playing accordingly.
If you believe the drummer is 'wrong' and you insist on playing something that clashes with the drummer, you will make your band sound terrible.
If you believe the drummer is 'wrong' and you insist on playing something that clashes with the drummer, you will make your band sound terrible.
With all that you said I would say
1. knowing your role
2. understanding the pocket and when to lock it and when you can break free
3. connect with the crowd
1. knowing your role
2. understanding the pocket and when to lock it and when you can break free
3. connect with the crowd
To me?
-Understanding the need to work with percussion and keep tempo
-play for the song, not your ego
-engage the crowd
-know that your role, the groove, is more important than flashy bits of notes
-Understanding the need to work with percussion and keep tempo
-play for the song, not your ego
-engage the crowd
-know that your role, the groove, is more important than flashy bits of notes
Ya'll set the bar so low.
Expression, the energy and attitude you transmit through it. Is it compelling? By compelling I mean does it put a spell on me where I want to dance, rock out, punch someone in the face, lose my woman/dog/truck, cry, go into a trance, etc. Playing by the book will get you half way there, at least u arent messing it up... going beyond that takes some risk, creative risk, the risk of exposing yourself.
Expression, the energy and attitude you transmit through it. Is it compelling? By compelling I mean does it put a spell on me where I want to dance, rock out, punch someone in the face, lose my woman/dog/truck, cry, go into a trance, etc. Playing by the book will get you half way there, at least u arent messing it up... going beyond that takes some risk, creative risk, the risk of exposing yourself.
Timing
Dynamics
Muting (note control)
Appropriate Choices
Scale Mastery
Dynamics
Muting (note control)
Appropriate Choices
Scale Mastery
Same as for any musician, the ability to reach the heart of the listener.
Whatever makes the listener like them. Based on what I've seen around here, it is all a matter of personal preference. There isn't a universal benchmark.
Not always demanding to be heard. That's the biggest thing I've grown to appreciate over the years.
Being in time, in key and in the right place. Compliment the band. Listen.
Being in time, in key and in the right place. Compliment the band. Listen.
Have to be careful about this concept. I get what you are saying and I do not disagree.... nonetheless I play both instruments, and I have a few 'additions'.
First off, it is the responsibility of EVERY band member to keep time. You should not be reliant on the drummer for that; you should, as a bassist, be able to keep time for the band even if there is no drummer.
Secondly, you owe more of a debt to whomever wrote the material than anything. If the composer wants it played a certain way, try it that way before imagining that you have to "lock in with the drummer". Sometimes, musical tension is desirable. Not everything has to groove.... especially if other musical segments that you perform DO groove, then to have a segment with some tension can be great.
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1. Groove
2. Timing
3. Pocket
4. A good ear
5. Tonal awareness and control
6. The ability to work with others and the desire to do so
2. Timing
3. Pocket
4. A good ear
5. Tonal awareness and control
6. The ability to work with others and the desire to do so
The bassist. ... Gear won't do it. ... Band won't do it. ... A good bassist makes gear sound good. ... A good bassist makes a band sound good. ... What do they say 10,000 hours and you won't know until you've spent those hours.
We are both speaking from experience here, and of course not all parts are played in lock step. But while parts may contrast and compliment rather than 'match,' they ought not actually conflict. This is especially true in a live situation ... if the drummer is off flailing somewhere, it benefits the overall performance more to listen and try to adjust than to plow through the pre-programmed parts call attention to the mistakes.
Maybe 'always keep your ears open' would have been a better way for me to characterize this.
