tips for bass practice

[Dave71]

Have been a low level home only guitarist for a number of years, sitting in front of the four track then PC with heaphones on but last night i went to the local jam night and volunteered to play bass on a track as there was nobody else (never really played bass before)

I ended up doing the entire night and now my fingers hurt. I also found mysef plaing the same lick over and over again just in different keys (most tracks were 12 bar blues type stuff)

bass players are quite rare round here and im happy doing a bit every now and again but really need to get to grips with playing technique and what to play to add some dynamics. I play with my fingers as i play guitar with my fingers mainly, different style obviously

I did a lot of simple pentatonic riffs but have heard a lot more interesting stuff from other players, skipping stings, not playing straight up and down scales etc but still sticking to simple pentatonic based riffs

What top tips can you give me that doesnt involve going to lessons or getting bogged down in complex theory,

as i said its low level informal stuff

cheers

[Aliweasel]

Have a close listen to some bass players and try to work out what they're playing. I'm currently bashing through Jaco Pastorius' The Chicken (originally by Pee Wee Ellis) and Jaco rarely re-uses a lick. So far I've come across only three patterns he uses more than once other than the head or main riff.

James Jamerson is a great one to analyse too for the opposite reason: He re-uses riffs left, right and centre, but doesn't put them in the same place in the phrase every time, maintaining the interest, something you could play around with yourself so you don't end up playing the same riff over and over again.

The important thing for bassists to learn to do is to play with the kick drum. Listen to any old skool funk and Mowtown (James Jamerson is a posssible exception) and you'll hear the kick drum and bass guitar play at the same time, making both sound solid.

As you're a guitarist you'll know your way around the fretboard. Don't be tempted, though, to try and play the bass like a guitar. I'm sure you've worked it out already but it doesn't sound nice, especially when there are other instruments fighting for space in the mix.

Good luck and have fun! The bass guitar is clearly the best instrument of them all (after the keyboard).

Oh, and PS: Get a teacher, have some lessons and go to a theory class.

[agent funk]

+1 to the above advice, all good. I always use "The Chicken" to help people get going on the bass. It's such a good tune for beginners, and then of course, like all good tunes you can get deeper and deeper with it. No wonder Jaco found it such a good vehicle!

One thing to add, pay close attention to how long notes last. Very important when your playing bass.

Also if there's no bass player's near you maybe you should switch - think of all the gigs you'll get

[Dave71]

thanks for that

im trying very hard not to play bass like a guitar, no double stops, palm mutes, pinched harmonics, pre bends, chokes etc etc but as we ended up doing a load of tracks i knew it was sooo hard

half the time i couldnt even remember basic chord patterns as i usually play bits of this that and t'other over backing tracks

im also very aware of note length etc to get better clarity as opposed to the usual blurr of guitar lead runs, that will come with listening and practice

so what is the best way to hear basslines as more often than not they are difficult to pick out to the untrained ear

in the old days (played live once or twice in my youth) i remember having my record player upstairs at full vol and listening to bass riffs down starirs as thats the ony way we could hear them

will google the chicken song and may be back asking some daft questions very soon

[Aliweasel]

Any half decent DAW (including the free 30-day trial and cheap license cost REAPER) should have an EQ plugin that you can strap over the track you want to analyse. A gentle hi-shelf brought down a few dBs above about 1kH should filter out the distracting frequencies leaving the bass notes nice and clear. You might even try a low pass filter for extreme high frequency removal.

However, you may find that although the fundamental of the note is low, the clarity is actually found in those frequencies that you want to filter out (above ~1kH), and of course each piece will require different EQ settings as it'll have been mixed differently to all other songs.

[Chaconne]

I think you will find that records made with James Jamerson (Motown), Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones etc have basslines on that are quite easy to hear. Theses days its all mushed up and you rarely hear such distinctive playing.

Not everything about guitar playing needs to be forgotten, palm mutes, string control, melodic lines, the top of the fretboard not being a foreign land! All useful skills.

Berkeley press do a good series of play along books in all styles.

Maybe I'm just an old fart with these recommendations, its probably all 7 strings and popped quadruple stops these days.

[Neil C]

Whenever lead guitar players have had a go on my bass the difference in the way they play it to the average bass player is clear.
Likewise bass players having a go on lead play different to any average lead player.
I expect the different positionings your hands and stretching of tendons involved in playing the bass would make you hands hurt after a long session. I think a long session of forming chords and such on a lead would make my hands ache.
Bass often involves more repetitious playing than lead and that can be quite straining on the hand.
Doing it a few times hopefully would train your hands to handle it.

In terms of what you play I would stick to the root note of the chords and embellish on top of that. Your home is the root note even if you go for a walk.
Bass to me is right angles, where lead playing is curves. Earth and air.
And yes, being tight on or in relation to the bass drum is key.

I found AC/DC to be very good for playing along to when I started.

[David Etheridge]

thanks for that

im trying very hard not to play bass like a guitar, no double stops, palm mutes, pinched harmonics, pre bends, chokes etc etc but as we ended up doing a load of tracks i knew it was sooo hard

half the time i couldnt even remember basic chord patterns as i usually play bits of this that and t'other over backing tracks

im also very aware of note length etc to get better clarity as opposed to the usual blur of guitar lead runs, that will come with listening and practice

so what is the best way to hear basslines as more often than not they are difficult to pick out to the untrained ear

Hi Dave,
one source for all your questions: Victor Wooten. He uses just about every playing technique you can think of including double stops, mutes, the lot and a whole lot more. Check out his Hudson Music DVDs and prepare to be astounded; in addition he's one of the nicest and most unassuming guys you'll ever see.

Hearing bass lines is simply a matter of attuning your ears to the bass register; when I started double bass at school I could only hear the A string on a good day. The E string and the notes on the first few semitones I couldn't perceive at all as anything other than an unpitched rumble. Now I use 5 and 6 string basses and can hear even when the bottom B is out of tune (rather important if you're playing fretless, by the way).

The more you listen to bass lines and start to pick them out, the more your ear will attune to that part of the audio register. You may want to try altering the EQ on your stereo to turn the low end up and filter out everything else so that you begin to hear the nuances in pitching. Hearing bass lines is simply an ability that can be learned just like anything else.

Hope this helps,
Best wishes,

Dave E.

[Daniel Davis]

If only most of the bass players I've recorded did practice. I'd say just by asking the question you are way ahead of the curve.

[MarkyC]

I would seriously suggest listening to Donald Duck Dunn and get into the really tight timings he has. There is nothing better than a bass played on the beat, simple stuff just becomes soo much stronger.

[tacitus]

Yep, focus on timing. It doesn't matter how few notes you play, within reason. When the need arises for more detail you'll know. But if I tried to shoot every would-be bass player who puts too many notes in, I'd run out of ammo PDQ.

I don't usually double stop, but when I do it's nearly always octaves. Good general rule, whatever the instrument(s) involved, is to widen note spacing as you go down. Hence octaves are often the only practicable option, especially in a band that's already using most of the audio spectrum.

In rehearsal I like to turn round and face the drummer, an important psychological statement of where we're at as a rhythm section, and easier to get absolutely together.

Two things that are worth looking at if you're not much beyond the root/fifth stage yet:

1. Rising or falling notes sequences in the bass - they don't always have to be true harmony notes as long as they go somewhere eventually. You'll find yourself playing the thirds of chords more, which is simple enough but insanely useful in getting from root/fifth to an actual bass line.

2. Pedals (notes, not gear!): Keeping the bass note the same as the harmony changes above it. You'll soon find out what works.

And if you're playing electric bass, think about your volume all the time - sometimes you need to turn up so you can play audibly without getting knackered or stripping the skin off your fingers (particularly with riffy pieces while you're still inexperienced). Other times, you need to get the volume by physical attack. Tone is in the fingers, but don't wreck yourself fighting the guitar - turn up the mids and highs on your amp and give the f****r some serious gyp.

[Octopussy]

To play bass well you need to play evenly across the strings. So, learn a basic major scale shape and move it to a position that is comfortable for your fretting hand. Try to play so that all the notes are even in volume and try to fret them with the least finger pressure you can without hearing fret buzz.

Playing finger style bass is a good challenge. The trick to getting a great tone from your plucking hand is to minimize hitting the string whilst it's in motion. Striking a string in motion tends to generate random harmonics over the fundamental of the note you're trying to play. So, plant your finger on the string a micro second before plucking. To do this press the finger plucking the note straight down into the string slightly ie 1-2 mm. Then pluck to the side with a free stroke like a classical guitarist would do. Free strokes should be the basis of your technique as they have both a strong fundamental pitch and a nice clean articulate mid range prescence that balances well with electric guitars.

The next step is to learn some arpeggios for walking basslines. Start with a root, major third, fith, octave. For most blues numbers you will use the next step up in the arpeggios Which is root, major third, fifth, minor seventh, octave which spells a dominant chord.

Between playing common walking basslines and typical unison riffs with the guitarists you'll be set for most blues situations.

A little bit of guitaristic blues solo licks on the bass can sound wonderful and elevate your contribution to the music nicely.

Enjoy

[dubbmann]

Yep, focus on timing. It doesn't matter how few notes you play, within reason. When the need arises for more detail you'll know. But if I tried to shoot every would-be bass player who puts too many notes in, I'd run out of ammo PDQ.

I don't usually double stop, but when I do it's nearly always octaves. Good general rule, whatever the instrument(s) involved, is to widen note spacing as you go down. Hence octaves are often the only practicable option, especially in a band that's already using most of the audio spectrum.

In rehearsal I like to turn round and face the drummer, an important psychological statement of where we're at as a rhythm section, and easier to get absolutely together.

Two things that are worth looking at if you're not much beyond the root/fifth stage yet:

1. Rising or falling notes sequences in the bass - they don't always have to be true harmony notes as long as they go somewhere eventually. You'll find yourself playing the thirds of chords more, which is simple enough but insanely useful in getting from root/fifth to an actual bass line.

2. Pedals (notes, not gear!): Keeping the bass note the same as the harmony changes above it. You'll soon find out what works.

And if you're playing electric bass, think about your volume all the time - sometimes you need to turn up so you can play audibly without getting knackered or stripping the skin off your fingers (particularly with riffy pieces while you're still inexperienced). Other times, you need to get the volume by physical attack. Tone is in the fingers, but don't wreck yourself fighting the guitar - turn up the mids and highs on your amp and give the f****r some serious gyp.

i think tacitus's advice is excellent. in my experience, bass players fall into one of a few categories: 'pocket' men and 'lead' players being the two biggest. pocket men (and women: carol kaye was the bassist in phil spector's wrecking crew and was SOLID) are interested in setting up grooves and just hanging back; james jamerson is probably the first man we think of here. the 'lead' players are guys who like to play fast runs on the bass, often melodic parts o/t songs; pastorius obviously comes to mind here.

my personal preference is for pocket t players but a lot of the best players defy easy categorization: chris squire (half pocket/half lead), geezer butler (unique - call it pocket leads), and roger waters from the great middle floyd era (from ummagumma to meddle) - i'd really suggest getting a copy of the floyd flick 'pompeii' for the extended close ups of roger's playing. how he didn't get wrist carpal tunnel is beyond me. maybe he did and that's why he became a twat =:-O.

one final thought: i've wracked my brain over the years for examples of great rock bands that didn't have great rhythm sections. the only one i can think of is the kinks, and i should be cautious w/that assertion as i only have a few kinks albums, they've never been one of my collectible bands so i don't know them as well as i should. great rock w/o great rhythm is impossible, and to me rhythm means bassplayer and drummer working like a chain gang building motherr-f'ing pockets! if i can't tap my toe to it ...

cheers,

d

[tacitus]

Yeah, in my haste to post I forgot about evenness, which is pretty crucial, a) because it sounds better and b) because once you're listening for even tone you'll notice most of the other things that aren't so good about your playing - probably before everybody else. Now I think of it I spend as much time stopping the strings vibrate as plucking them - good to have that point mentioned. If you're not very good at critical listening, you may find it helps to listen to recordings of yourself, but not too often or the effect wanes ... Once you get the knack of hearing just how good (or bad) you are, you're really in a position to make progress.