I think with the push toward Praise & Worship, and much less Urban, or contemporary gospel being played in church now I really don't see as much of a need for the five string except for embellishment. Much of the gospel that I played early on was in either Eb or Bb, where the use of a 5 really came in handy. Now, most of the stuff I play is in (what I call "The Happy Keys") C or G. I can get away with a 4 string.
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Why no P-bass in gospel?!?
- Thread starter Billy Low
- Start date
Well we're not suppsoed to talk of religion per se here, and six years of being an altar boy hardly qualifies me to comment but two things.....
1.) heretics are likely closer to the real truth, and
2.) Jesus would have insisted you set yourself free from others' judgement.
The Kingdom of Heaven is Within! And if your "Within" is a Pbass, then, that IS what it IS SUPPOSED to be.
Just Do It!
Peace and blessings......out.
If you consider the fact that this style of praise and worship well predates the introduction of the many boutique ERB electrics that it is supposed to "need," you have to concede that a P bass is fine. If a P worked for Gospel in 1965, why wouldn't it work now?
Personally, I prefer playing a five string to any form of alternate tuning. I'm just way more comfortable, and I do believe that there is a certain "demand" for notes below the low E in this style. So, I lean on fivers for music like this. I have done a lot of it in church and conventions and such, and the five has always served me very well. That said, a five is far from essential.
But, with the right approach to the mix, there's no reason a P won't sound awesome. I play my Sadowsky PJ5 all the time in church. It's basically a P-bass when all is said and done.
If you want to fatten up the tone and and a little active "glassiness" to it, snag an active preamp/DI like the Sadowsky or Aguilar outboard. They work really well for just that purpose.
Interesting. I have found just the opposite. I guess it just depends on what you are playing.
I recently began working with another Worship project that leans on heavier rock stylings, ie Planet Shakers, Deluge, etc. Of course, you don't have to cop the lines straight up, but there is a TON of heavy, B string drive in those tunes. I've used my B MUCH more recently than I was.
Of course with my Sunday morning church, It's mostly Tomlin and similar. I agree, a four would be great. I just don't own one.
Let me throw my two cents in the mix................
I would only play a P if that is all the church had and I did not bring any of my basses. I use a MTD Kingston Z6 and Heir 5. I also have a four string jazz that has been hot rodded. I also have upgraded the Z6 with Bart pickups and Aguilar pre. I play in a church that swings from Fred Hammond to Israel to Martha Munizzi. I personally don't like what a P bass brings to the table with the music that I play. I like the tonal flexibility that you get with a two pickup bass. Also the slap tone is a little less desirable for what I do. It does not mean that I could not get the job done but it is what I prefer. I used to play for a christian rock band and my 6 string boutiqish bass I had at the time was just overkill. I did not have a 4 string at the time and I felt that I was not bringing a proper tone to the music. I had to readjust my tendencies and play different.
With most gospel today the bass is vital to the song and you have to bring it. It needs to stand out in the mix. Most of the people who are on TB that are really involved with gospel know that most cats are heavy on chops and showmanship. The multi-string, coffee table top basses fit that. No one is surprised when you kill with a 6 string. It is expected, but slay with a 4 string and a P bass at that and you get all the oooohhhs and aaahhhs.
Play what allows you to express yourself. What you feel comfortable on and what can bring out your best. If that is an 8 string beast or a 4 string plain jane, just play something!!!
I would only play a P if that is all the church had and I did not bring any of my basses. I use a MTD Kingston Z6 and Heir 5. I also have a four string jazz that has been hot rodded. I also have upgraded the Z6 with Bart pickups and Aguilar pre. I play in a church that swings from Fred Hammond to Israel to Martha Munizzi. I personally don't like what a P bass brings to the table with the music that I play. I like the tonal flexibility that you get with a two pickup bass. Also the slap tone is a little less desirable for what I do. It does not mean that I could not get the job done but it is what I prefer. I used to play for a christian rock band and my 6 string boutiqish bass I had at the time was just overkill. I did not have a 4 string at the time and I felt that I was not bringing a proper tone to the music. I had to readjust my tendencies and play different.
With most gospel today the bass is vital to the song and you have to bring it. It needs to stand out in the mix. Most of the people who are on TB that are really involved with gospel know that most cats are heavy on chops and showmanship. The multi-string, coffee table top basses fit that. No one is surprised when you kill with a 6 string. It is expected, but slay with a 4 string and a P bass at that and you get all the oooohhhs and aaahhhs.
Play what allows you to express yourself. What you feel comfortable on and what can bring out your best. If that is an 8 string beast or a 4 string plain jane, just play something!!!
BTW, I threw an Audere Z6 into my Valenti VJ5 for some pallette choices, one of which is "modern gospel" , which it NAILS!
And it does P bass pretty well too. I LIKE IT!
BTW, I've been invited to audition at the local Wesleyan church and I'm tempted;
to play thru that 810SVT they have!
And it does P bass pretty well too. I LIKE IT!
BTW, I've been invited to audition at the local Wesleyan church and I'm tempted;
to play thru that 810SVT they have!
Has really nothing to do with price, etc. Honestly, Ive come to really love the sound of a P bass, and it will actually be my next purchase. But I wont bring it on my gospel gigs. I had an american standard P bass I was "stuck" with in Iraq for a yr with at the chapel playing for the gospel choir. If the chapel wasnt so far away, I would have lugged the warwick I had in the heavy flight case. I could not get enough cutting tone to save my life without super twiddling the EQ. As stated before, earlier gospel styles (quartets, old school) were better suited, but as of the last few decades, it requires quite a modern tone mostly. Can a P bass work? Of course. Preferred? Not really.
Hahahaha, that "theory" hopefully originated with a puff of smoke, because as soon as it was uttered, it was GONE like a puff of smoke.
Opinons are like iceholes; each one of y'all have one, but it dont mean the rest of us want to see it.
God, if you will, aint mo material creature at all. Thats way too low frequency. And anytime someone confuses human ego and religion, its a BAD thing. Dont "fret" CDEF, it seems like half the world does it, and they arent even aware of it.
We die broke and nekked. And that IS a fact. You are given at soul at birth, and man, when you turn that mutha in, it better be in better shape then it was when issued. And it's all free, and invisible to the human eye.
Preacher man who dont see that is blind and not much of a preacher man. World is full of false prophets. Caveat emptor.
Opinons are like iceholes; each one of y'all have one, but it dont mean the rest of us want to see it.
God, if you will, aint mo material creature at all. Thats way too low frequency. And anytime someone confuses human ego and religion, its a BAD thing. Dont "fret" CDEF, it seems like half the world does it, and they arent even aware of it.
We die broke and nekked. And that IS a fact. You are given at soul at birth, and man, when you turn that mutha in, it better be in better shape then it was when issued. And it's all free, and invisible to the human eye.
Preacher man who dont see that is blind and not much of a preacher man. World is full of false prophets. Caveat emptor.
Because in 1965 you didn't have Church sanctuaries that seated 1000 people and music ministries that included guitars, and keyboards/synths, and horns, and huge sound systems and 100+ voice choirs. (As a matter of fact, in many, many, MANY black churches all that instrumentation was considered WAY too secular.)
Bottom line, the sonic mix has gotten a whole lot more dense than it used to be.
Whenever I ask this question (P-Bass in Gospel), it's simply about tone. I think that these answers about ostentatious preachers and need for eye-candy are off base. I live in Minnesota and the Urban Gospel scene isn't like that.
Here in Minneapolis, I've run into a number of Warwick players, some Ibanez players, and even some Fender players. I have NOT however, run into any P-Bass players. I've been considering it but my fears are summed up by what Robear and Dr. Funkdamental have said ...
Honestly, I find the "what bass is best for Gospel" to be about the same as "what bass is best for metal." I'm sure Gospel means different things to different people, and as musicians, we each bring our own style, technique and musical background with us. Music is an art, and as such shouldn't be bound by rules or conventions. Too many people have musical styles predefined into a neat little box.
Anyway, I've played fretted, fretless, Precision, Jazz and acoustic basses in church. They all worked. And, yes, people did look funny at my neon orange Jazz Bass, but then they sang and clapped and forgot about it.
Anyway, I've played fretted, fretless, Precision, Jazz and acoustic basses in church. They all worked. And, yes, people did look funny at my neon orange Jazz Bass, but then they sang and clapped and forgot about it.
Just for the heck of it I'm bringing my "65" P bass to church this Sunday. I'll still probably have to bring my six or seven too just for the extra register. I think we've been spoiled.
I suspect God doesn't care what kind of bass you play, just as long as you're there to play for HIM and His people.
If you're getting judged by what instrument you play, I'd find me another church!
I use to use a squier p-bass in praise team at church every week before I sold it and got an ibby (I really regret doing that). Which the ibby got ignored after i got into playing upright and purchased my schecter.
Now that I play guitar in that group instead of bass the new bassist uses a squier p-bass similar to my first one lol.
Now that I play guitar in that group instead of bass the new bassist uses a squier p-bass similar to my first one lol.
