| Author |
Topic: What happened to bass playing? |
Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
|
Posted 14 Oct 2015 1:04 pm |
|
I started out playing bass and still jam with some local guys. I use a Peavey bass with active electronics and a bass amp is provided and I get a nice low thump that blends in with and adds a positive vibe to the over all sound.
It seems that every bass demo you look at has a player doing a snap, crackle, pop where you hear the strings bouncing off the fret board. They are also playing chords👀
I guess I missed out on something? |
|
|
 |
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
|
Posted 14 Oct 2015 5:55 pm
|
|
| jaco opened the pandora bass box in the 70s. wont ever get all that stuff back in... |
|
|
|
Barry Blackwood
|
Posted 14 Oct 2015 7:45 pm
|
|
  |
|
|
|
Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 5:43 am
|
|
| 4 strings are good enough for me on bass😀 5 string basses are fairly common now and some players opt for 6 strings.😁 Some of the necks on the basses look like a landing strip and sound like they are coming through concert subs. Times they are a changing! |
|
|
|
Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 10:57 am
|
|
| And to think steel players used to be content with one 6 string neck .. and no pedals .. |
|
|
|
Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 11:01 am
|
|
| Hey look this forum found something else to gripe about. |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
|
|
|
Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 12:05 pm Re: What happened to bass playing?
|
|
| Len Amaral wrote: |
It seems that every bass demo you look at has a player doing a snap, crackle, pop where you hear the strings bouncing off the fret board. They are also playing chords👀
I guess I missed out on something? |
Seems like a pretty big generalization. I work with several bassists. Almost all of them know the pop/slap technique, almost none of them ever use it, unless they are playing songs that call for it - funk, disco, some pop music.
And it seems to me this technique kind of built off the old rockabilly bass slapping done on upright bass. |
|
|
|
Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 2:03 pm
|
|
| Doug, I agree that bass has become a lead instrument. Just making an observation here as I surf YouTube looking for bass guitar demos. |
|
|
|
Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 3:39 pm
|
|
Much like any other instrument, it either serves the song and band, or maybe less so.
I'm fortunate to get to play with some outstanding bassists who inject every gig with chops, enthusiasm and taste, and elevate the music to a place above where it would have been without them. I have to admit most of those with such chops and taste are largely playing four string electric and upright.
Many of the 5 and 6 string players I see obviously want to contribute a larger portion to the harmonic content of the music, and if the bands they play with are sparse, or the music has a whole lot of melodic range, they fit in well and add to the blend. It's when there's already a lot going on harmonically that those extra strings and range seem less that effective.
Regardless, musicianship trumps all.
_________________
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com |
|
|
|
John Ed Kelly
From:
Victoria, Australia
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 3:52 pm
|
|
I had never been a fan of electric/amplified bass, (still not really), then Victor Wooten came along.
He is perfect in Bela Fleck's band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI-MPQqJOUg
It's a long video, so come in at about 16:00 to catch the Wooten solo, if you don't want to watch the whole performance. You'll need to turn the bass knob up a bit though.
Bela Fleck - fantastic and Jeff on saxes - two at a time at one point. Then there's the electronic drum kit! |
|
|
|
Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
|
Posted 15 Oct 2015 4:22 pm
|
|
I'm a dabbler in bass, and was fortunate that the timing worked out to attend a free two hour Victor Wooten bass clinic at a leading music store in Marin County north of San Francisco a few months ago.
He did a wonderful job. And what a cool guy, his enthusiasm is infectious.
I have seen Victor a couple times with the Flecktones and I have also read his book, The Music Lesson.
Along with being an incredible bassist (and owner of 5 Grammys) Victor strikes me as being something of a renaissance man.
As far as being or not being a fan of electric bass, I've been a fan for a long time. A couple weeks ago at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco the seemingly ageless Hot Tuna Electric put on an outstanding set. I commented to my brother during the performance, "we've been watching these guys for over 45 years!"
Still love Jack Casady on bass.
If you don't know Jorma you don't know Jack!
_________________
Mark |
|
|
|
Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
|
Posted 16 Oct 2015 1:48 am
|
|
The bass to me is an extension of the kick drum.
I play a fretless to get the low thump, most like an acoustic bass with sustain, and I love the sound of my electric drum.
However, I've seen Jaco play it and talk about it; he understood everything about harmony and elevated the instrument to a level
where it could solo like horn lines. He made a big difference in the world of music, and fortunately, he did that and I don't have to. |
|
|
|
Joe Casey
From:
Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)
|
Posted 16 Oct 2015 4:50 am
|
|
| I guess it's not 'all about dat Bass,Bout dat Bass. |
|
|
|
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
Posted 16 Oct 2015 8:02 am
|
|
I've been playing bass a lot lately. Bought a Hofner last year, and a GK 2x10 cabinet. I'm playing bass in 2 bands (1 rock, 1 alt-country) and I recently played a pickup gig with a folk singer. I often play bass at our Cloverdale Music Workshop.
All of the "lead bass" techniques don't interest me. They aren't really appropriate for the music my friends and I play. There are still a lot of gigs for bass players who don't show off, especially if you can sing while you play.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
|
|
|
Tim Russell
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
|
Posted 16 Oct 2015 10:53 am
|
|
| Joe Casey wrote: |
| I guess it's not 'all about dat Bass,Bout dat Bass. |
_________________
Sierra Crown D-10 |
|
|
|
Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
|
|
|
|
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
|
Posted 21 Oct 2015 6:28 am
|
|
I was listening to a jazz trio recording in the car the other day and suddenly realized ... hey! I always fast forward through the bass solos. Not sure why. I actually like short drum solos but bass solos bore me for some reason.
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 21 Oct 2015 6:36 am
|
|
| Andy Volk wrote: |
| I was listening to a jazz trio recording in the car the other day and suddenly realized ... hey! I always fast forward through the bass solos. Not sure why. I actually like short drum solos but bass solos bore me for some reason. |
I find that a lot of great jazz bassists do a better job of improvising off of the melody than many other instrumentalists do. I think it is a good practice for steel guitarists to absorb and use. It eliminates a lot of the predictability of licks.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links
Last edited by Mike Neer on 22 Oct 2015 7:24 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
Posted 21 Oct 2015 12:10 pm
|
|
I work in a couple of different bands which use the same bass player and he literally drives me up a wall. He's an excellent player except for the fact that you'll get a good 2/4 groove going and the instrumental part comes and he immediately goes into 4/4 walking bass which I like when it's called for but not on every dang song. I've just been letting it go as he's about the best around these parts... I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but this has been going on for a good while now. The drummer is really getting ticked at him too....JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
|
|
|
Barry Blackwood
|
Posted 21 Oct 2015 12:44 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but this has been going on for a good while now. The drummer is really getting ticked at him too... |
Pssst, Jerry - get the drummer to say something to him... |
|
|
|
Steve Hitsman
From:
Waterloo, IL
|
Posted 22 Oct 2015 4:50 am
|
|
| I saw Jack Bruce with Leslie West many years ago. Jack's lead playing was better than Leslie's. |
|
|
|
Geoff Noble
From:
Scotland
|
Posted 22 Oct 2015 9:03 am
|
|
| Steve Hitsman wrote: |
| I saw Jack Bruce with Leslie West many years ago. Jack's lead playing was better than Leslie's. |
Saw Jack when he was doing his "Pub Tour" around Scotland. This was small club venues, up close and personal. He had some great musicians with him, was playing a fretless. Amazing player live.
A lot of modern bass players credit Jack with opening up the instrument back in the 60's, showing that you can do more with a bass than just backing.
I've always thought that Paul McCartney never got enough credit as a bass player, with the Beatles he used that very dull sound from the Hofner, so you tend not to listen to it in detail. If you actually listen to what he's playing and how it fits with the songs....
But on closer examination a lot of bass players who appear a bit boring can be really interesting to listen to, being just being a bit more subtle with their inventiveness.
For me it's got to fit the context of the music, not much point playing a slap bass in a ballad.
I have a couple of basses, my favourite electric is a Schecter Diamond Elite 5 string. It has the low B, at first it's a bit strange but I couldn't live without it now, at volume it shakes your bones it's so low.
_________________
"Nothing can ever be wrong about music" - D Allman
"There is no bad music, only music you don't like" - Me
YTube- http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFqsA-Ahlgr2Z2sw71WJHGg/videos
SCloud - https://soundcloud.com/just-jef/tracks |
|
|
|
Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
|
Posted 22 Oct 2015 12:43 pm
|
|
_________________
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
|
|
|
Dustin Rhodes
From:
Owasso OK
|
Posted 22 Oct 2015 1:18 pm
|
|
| Geoff Noble wrote: |
I have a couple of basses, my favourite electric is a Schecter Diamond Elite 5 string. It has the low B, at first it's a bit strange but I couldn't live without it now, at volume it shakes your bones it's so low. |
I get a lot of criticism from close minded types about 5 string but for me as someone who sings a lot of backup its a great thing to be able to have that low E at the 5th fret for example to have more available in one position. |
|
|
|
