Acoustic bass question

[VaSteve]

Yes, I'm quite guilty of playing the bass as a guitar. Done it many times... LOL Really trying to be more disciplined about it.

Since I already have a bass, I can't decide if this is a good idea or just me finding a way to spend/waste more money.

Forth, Be prepared to restrain yourself at parties when someone says "it is only four stings, how hard can it be?"

I'm playing in a basement band with some guys and the bassist does the singing. Good for him, I can't do that.



Terry, still tracking the S2. It's apart now for an engine rebuild.

I'm finding the hardest thing to do for me is to mute the strings I don't want vibrating. Harder than on guitar for me.

Steve-the S2 is a mighty track weapon!

Terry

[Jim Richards]

Wow, Steve. I didn't know you bought Terry's old car. I guess I need to get out more.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Wow, Steve. I didn't know you bought Terry's old car. I guess I need to get out more.

I bought Ted Mackpipes' old car....in 2008. Of course it looks a lot worse now.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I bought Ted Mackpipes' old car....in 2008. Of course it looks a lot worse now.

Oh boy, I really have no clue.

[targa911S]

You guys are crackin me up......just don't think about the lead instruments. Lock yourself with the drummer, keep it simple, and stay in the groove. Resist the urge to overplay. The groove is much more a part of the song than the leads. Think of you and the drummer as the canvas and the rest of the band as the painters. Let em paint on a solid canvas....trust me in this I have played bass for almost 50 years.

You guys are crackin me up......just don't think about the lead instruments. Lock yourself with the drummer, keep it simple, and stay in the groove. Resist the urge to overplay. The groove is much more a part of the song than the leads. Think of you and the drummer as the canvas and the rest of the band as the painters. Let em paint on a solid canvas....trust me in this I have played bass for almost 50 years.

Sound advice (get it?)

On a related topic, I recently watched the movie Muscle Shoals, about the history of, uh, Muscle Shoals. It came out this year and almost immediately vanished from theaters. A phenomenally good movie, and the bass lines on all the great tracks recorded there demonstrate what targa is saying.

My calibration standard for quality bass is how tight the bass and bass drum are (sort of a "duh" comment), but it's exciting when you listen specifically for it.

Jim, my S2 caught fire on track about three years ago (oil filter gasket let go at 120 mph). Excitement ensued, including a trip to the emergency room. It has since been resurrected by a guy in Canada.

Terry

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

Sound advice (get it?)Jim, my S2 caught fire on track about three years ago (oil filter gasket let go at 120 mph). Excitement ensued, including a trip to the emergency room. It has since been resurrected by a guy in Canada.

Terry

Ouch!

...and sorry about the tangent in your thread.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by targa911S

You guys are crackin me up......just don't think about the lead instruments. Lock yourself with the drummer, keep it simple, and stay in the groove. Resist the urge to overplay. The groove is much more a part of the song than the leads. Think of you and the drummer as the canvas and the rest of the band as the painters. Let em paint on a solid canvas....trust me in this I have played bass for almost 50 years.

Jack Bruce! Jack Bruce!

[targa911S]

Jack colored outside the lines a lot. So did Entwhistle two of my heros as well. But I'm thinkin more like Tommy Shannon or Preston Hubbard from the Thunderbirds. John Mc Vie as well in his early Fleetwood Mac days.

[targa911S]

The rhythm section never misses a beat....

Originally Posted by targa911S

Jack colored outside the lines a lot. So did Entwhistle two of my heros as well. But I'm thinkin more like Tommy Shannon or Preston Hubbard from the Thunderbirds. John Mc Vie as well in his early Fleetwood Mac days.

Well, imagine poor Entwhistle trying to figure out where Moon was going next. No knock on Moon, one of my all time favorite drummers, but talk about coloring outside the lines.

Entwhistle on "The Real Me" continues to amaze.

Terry

[targa911S]

This is bit outside the box but still lock step. Love the sound of this fretless bass.

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

Well, imagine poor Entwhistle trying to figure out where Moon was going next. No knock on Moon, one of my all time favorite drummers, but talk about coloring outside the lines.

Entwhistle on "The Real Me" continues to amaze.

Terry

Moony played the verse, John just kept the band from taking off.

[targa911S]

John at his best....

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by targa911S

You guys are crackin me up......just don't think about the lead instruments. Lock yourself with the drummer, keep it simple, and stay in the groove. Resist the urge to overplay. The groove is much more a part of the song than the leads. Think of you and the drummer as the canvas and the rest of the band as the painters. Let em paint on a solid canvas....trust me in this I have played bass for almost 50 years.

Happens more when I'm practing...get the groove an get a little bored. But, what the hell, having a lot of fun. In my little three piece, I play guitar: lead and rhythm. And a lot more on the rhythm side. It so much more fun to lock in with other human players. Jam tracks are only but so good.

[targa911S]

Yeah it all changes when it goes live. That's the fun of "sloppy tight".

I just wrote my first song in 30+ years. Did a scratch track using Garage Band on my Apple, with a pre-recorded drum track. I tried using the Kelly to do the ludicrously simple bass line, but had to abandon that and use the keyboard to do it. Pathetic. I plan on hiring studio players to do the real thing, over which I'll add my caterwauling and wretched guitar. It will be a pure vanity session.

Check this out: my son, last year, in an impromptu moment in his dorm room, recorded on an iPhone, then uploaded to youtube (i.e., two horrible intermediary technical steps). Kyle Thomas cover Dear Prudence - YouTube Not bad for 18. (He drives better than me, too. I hate him.)

I plan on taking him in to do some sessions so we have a record of what he sounded like at this age. Plus I want him to experience overdubbing, etc. I remember what a revelation it was for me at his age when I first did some studio work. I recently found my old tapes and had them digitized, even though it makes me cringe to listen to them.

Terry

[jim72911t]

Originally Posted by targa911S

You guys are crackin me up......just don't think about the lead instruments. Lock yourself with the drummer, keep it simple, and stay in the groove. Resist the urge to overplay. The groove is much more a part of the song than the leads. Think of you and the drummer as the canvas and the rest of the band as the painters. Let em paint on a solid canvas....trust me in this I have played bass for almost 50 years.

While I agree with most of this and that any bass player worth his salt should know how to play/stay in the pocket, I think there is room to handle some of the melodic stuff as well. Keep in mind that my two favorite bass players are Peter Hook from Joy Division and Moose from New Model Army. (Sorry targa911S, I've only been playing for 25 years so my influences might be a bit different than you "old farts" ) Coincidentally, Tommy Shannon is one of my faves as well, but for totally different reasons.

I recently joined a band with an acoustic guitarist, fiddle player, drummer, and me on bass. The most fun is when the fiddle player and I bounce around with the melodies and leads. I can also lay low in the pocket and play a mean (read: slightly better than crappy) groove, but being out front is fun as well.

[targa911S]

Have you played bass for 25 years, or did you start playing as guitarist? Keep in mind that Hook and Moose were probably influenced by some of us old farts as well. Anybody who plays bass that can't say guys like Jamerson had any effect on them just isn't a bassist.