The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Other Musical Instruments

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #61  
Old 09-01-2021, 01:47 AM
Brent Hahn Brent Hahn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 3,066
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nightchef View Post
That’s fine for some styles and situations, but it’s a pretty narrow brief.
Get it down, and then you can ignore it.
__________________
Originals

Couch Standards
Reply With Quote
  #62  
Old 10-04-2021, 08:39 AM
standup standup is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 105
Default Bass player here

I’m a bass player first, came to guitar later.

One bass player who blew me away long ago was seeing Oteil Burbridge with Aquqrium Rescue Unit. He’s solid, he grooves, but his lines were also just soaring melodically.

Haven’t heard him lately, but I’d bet he’s even better now.
Reply With Quote
  #63  
Old 10-04-2021, 09:59 AM
merlin666 merlin666 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Canada Prairies
Posts: 2,957
Default

I haven't read all posts but was Chris Squire mentioned? I was just listening to some Yes albums studio and live and the bass lines are amazing. I think all my favourite bass players used picks.
Reply With Quote
  #64  
Old 10-04-2021, 06:10 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 8,796
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by standup View Post
I’m a bass player first, came to guitar later.

One bass player who blew me away long ago was seeing Oteil Burbridge with Aquqrium Rescue Unit. He’s solid, he grooves, but his lines were also just soaring melodically.

Haven’t heard him lately, but I’d bet he’s even better now.
Otell is nothing short of "pure bass pleasure" when he's playing with Dead and Company.
Reply With Quote
  #65  
Old 10-04-2021, 06:15 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 8,796
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlin666 View Post
I haven't read all posts but was Chris Squire mentioned? I was just listening to some Yes albums studio and live and the bass lines are amazing. I think all my favourite bass players used picks.
Roundabout post #11 on page 1 and every page thereafter.
Reply With Quote
  #66  
Old 07-18-2023, 12:11 PM
CarolinaGetaway CarolinaGetaway is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2023
Posts: 107
Default

Playing Like James Jameson series of books will get you there.
__________________
Martin: HD-35, M-36; Gibson: J-200 Rosewood Limited Edition; McIlroy: AD-30; Guild: Orpheum D 12-fret; Yamaha: NXT-1200R; Eastman: AR804CE (with floater), DM-1; HsianMo: Art Gallery SJ-200 (Euro Spruce with Sandalwood b/s (!); Journey Overhead OF660; Eastwood: MRG Studio Resonator; MRG Octave Mandolin; Gretsch: Country Gentleman '59 VSE; Gibson: CS ES-355; more electrics . . .
Reply With Quote
  #67  
Old 07-18-2023, 01:55 PM
Bob from Brooklyn Bob from Brooklyn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Hamilton Square, NJ
Posts: 4,090
Default

There are many ways to approach a bassline. Listen to the music you like and zone in on the bass player.
__________________
Martin D18
Gibson J45
Martin 00015sm
Gibson J200
Furch MC Yellow Gc-CR SPA
Guild G212
Eastman E2OM-CD
Reply With Quote
  #68  
Old 07-18-2023, 02:14 PM
frankmcr frankmcr is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 5,341
Default James Jamerson

The isolated tracks clips on youtube are very educational.

Here he is playing what probably most people would think of as "a bass part".



And then there's this, where it's almost like he's just noodling



but in context it fits and supports the song perfectly

__________________
stai scherzando?

Last edited by frankmcr; 07-22-2023 at 03:39 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #69  
Old 07-18-2023, 04:21 PM
hopdemon hopdemon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: South central Pa
Posts: 68
Default

The best advice I ever got was when I went to see the Funk Bros years ago. Ralph Armstrong was filling in for an ill Bob Babbit. After playing a smoking set he amazed me with his playing,I got a chance to talk with him between sets and his advice to me was.. All you got to do is play 2 notes, just play them FUNKY.He then proceeded to play the bass line for Pappa was a rolling Stone ..pretty much 2 notes but extremely funky.A lesson I've always kept in mind when I play.......BE FUNKY
__________________
Larrivee 00-05
Blueridge BR163
Oracle Parlor
Epiphone Les Paul
National M1 WoodBody Tricone
National Estralita Bass
Many Fender Jazz and P basses
Reply With Quote
  #70  
Old 07-22-2023, 02:55 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: San Jose, Ca
Posts: 6,947
Default

I think you either get the concept or you don't, which is simple or complex, your job is rhythm. If you listen to the Beatles live BBC recordings, Paul sticks to rock and roll basics, but throws in notes here and there that are uniquely his. It could be something as simple as approaching a root note from above instead of below.

The best bass track according to me, is on Something. It is a masterpiece. Grooves and is melodic all at once. And sure, James Jameson, Carol Kay and others did it too, but it was always part of the drums/bass groove. If you listen to so many hits, it is what is not played that has importance. This is the basic guitarist as bassist mistake.
__________________
2007 Martin D 35 Custom
1970 Guild D 35
1965 Epiphone Texan
2011 Santa Cruz D P/W
Pono OP 30 D parlor
Pono OP12-30
Pono MT uke
Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic
Fluke tenor ukulele
Boatload of home rolled telecasters

"Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa
Reply With Quote
  #71  
Old 08-07-2023, 03:37 PM
zuzu zuzu is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 656
Default

I think recording bass and live bass are two different things. Recorded bass, if it remains precise, can get away with being a bit busier than live bass, because whatever you do only travels a few feet (usually) before the listener hears it. The slower bass frequencies don't fall as far behind the faster mids and highs as when you play live and the bass is projecting out 50-100-500 feet. Fancy little bass moves become blurred in the listener's ear at distance, because the wave is so far behind the rest of the music. Entwistle had enough treble in his tone for this to not be an issue for him, probably because he well knew he needed it to get his sound out in arenas, etc.. But not all music can be or should be played with his tone or style.

Have at it in the studio, just keep it tight. But live, stick with the groove and when you do a move, make it big and distinct. Guitar players often don't have this insight and some bass players also. I actually learned more about bass sound running FOH sound than I did playing it on stage. My 2 cents...
Reply With Quote
  #72  
Old 08-07-2023, 03:52 PM
nostatic's Avatar
nostatic nostatic is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: central coast
Posts: 900
Default

The great bass players achieve that status usually because of the notes they *don't* play.

Then again, you can play a lot of notes if they are the right ones in the right places. A youngish Anthony Jackson killing it with Michel Camilo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZOCdrwGch4

This guy nails it - complete with transcription of the whole thing (studio version of the song). Whole clinic on swing, groove, voice leading and great chops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lf-gxA-rBg
__________________
Beard Radio R Squareneck Hipshot | Martin 000-28 CA 1937 | Collings OM1 JL | Collings I-30 LC | Anderson Raven
Rob Allen, Fodera, Fender basses
2022-2023-2024 albums | nostatic site

“Sometimes science is more art than science…” - Rick Sanchez

Last edited by nostatic; 08-07-2023 at 04:05 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #73  
Old 08-17-2023, 08:26 AM
Matthew Sarad Matthew Sarad is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2022
Posts: 230
Default

When Brad, a great bassist, decided to play guitar with Slim the Drifter, I was asked to play bass.Brad and I were in a power trio at the time. He had a Tele already and loaned me his G&L.
Slim wanted the basic root notes and nothing fancy.
That's what I did. Now, when I sit in on bass at jams, I keep it simple and support the song.
Reply With Quote
  #74  
Old 08-17-2023, 10:02 AM
Mandobart Mandobart is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Washington State
Posts: 5,428
Default

Bass guitar player back in the 70's and 80's, then let it go for several reasons.

Started playing upright bass in January this year. If you want to play a bass like a real bass and not like a guitar, play upright bass.
Reply With Quote
  #75  
Old 08-17-2023, 11:09 AM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandobart View Post
...If you want to play a bass like a real bass and not like a guitar, play upright bass.
Yes and no - James Jamerson played both with equal proficiency, and even his most intricate electric lines unquestionably sounded like "bass"...

Having played upright myself in high school (well before I got into "serious" bass playing) I would be more inclined to view upright as either a prerequisite or corequisite to electric - in my own case it allowed me to build the necessary rhythmic feel, learn how to play in a supporting role (and rein in the jazz and rock guitar chops I had acquired early on), and develop the right/left-hand strength to give the lines that Jamerson-style punch (to this day I use the heaviest strings my instruments will handle). That said, there's a definite place for virtuoso guitar-influenced technical chops, when the need arises to fill sonic space in a small ensemble: much like the cello crosses over into viola (and sometimes violin) territory to offer melodic/harmonic support in a string quartet, a creative bass player can overlap the guitar register to take advantage of its distinctive rich timbre - an approach the aforementioned John Stockfish and the late Tom Rowe of Schooner Fare both used to great effect in an acoustic setting...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Other Musical Instruments

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:37 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=