Message 7/16
Date: 13-Jun-02 @ 03:15 PM -
RE: Bass Theory
I dont go for the 'famous = best' theory meself, there's great players around famous and otherwise... and many styles. But if a bassist has fame & character & skills they stand out like primus or flea or rage etc.
You need two things to be a great musician.. a good ear for harmony & melody, but especialy relative harmony, and you MUST be able to play drums or dance well
any RULES that exist are obvious, you KNOW when a discordant note clashes with even ONE note ina chord played by another supporting instrument IF you have a good ear... but for example i play a few fun gigs with a mates band and we started one rehearsal with the one guitarist playing in a different key to the other and he didnt notice until the end!
... (well, until I stopped it going "no no no!!" after about two verses)
the rest is intuition and your ear.... and experience in some respects although if you've 'got it' then that counts less because VERY effective bass can come from relatively simple playing.. tons of notes & scales, modes & technique doesnt make a good bassline. You have to treat the bass AS A BASS, too may players treat it as simply a guitar played an octave lower. The bassist in effect can change the whole groove/feel of a track by the subtlest things, BUT then to do that you also need a drummer who's strong enuff himself to NOT follow the bassist but stick to HIS groove. With weak drummers you come in with an offbeat playing against the kik and suddenly the drummer changes his beat and start to play along to your bassline and the whole groove falls apart... This is EXACTLY the same as working in a vocal harmony group.. each member MUST be able to stick to their bit, un-influenced by the harmonies they hear from the others.