What makes a bad bass player?

[SteveXFR]

I was talking to the owner of my local music shop recently and this subject came up. He told me the worst bassist he ever played with was in a jazz band and he was actually technically very competent but he couldn't just play the bass part roughly as intended,  he had to put in far too many fills and tried turning the guitar solo in to a duet and was just difficult to play with. He said he'd much rather a beginner just playing root notes with solid timing than an over playing virtuoso.

[4000]

Worse than that is a jazz bass player I’m familiar with that plays mostly the right notes but in nothing like decent time. 

[SteveXFR]

Aren't you supposed to play the wrong notes in jazz? How do you tell its not in time when each member of the band is in a different time signature?

 

[paul_c2]

  On 01/07/2021 at 14:57, SteveXFR said:

Aren't you supposed to play the wrong notes in jazz? How do you tell its not in time when each member of the band is in a different time signature?

 

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Its easy to dismiss jazz like that but the truth is, the comping IS in time AND is playing the right harmony, in an ideal world. A soloist may very well be taking liberties with the note choice or timing but that's an entirely different thing. If the bass player is doing that (and not soloing), then its bad, trust me.

[SteveXFR]

  On 01/07/2021 at 15:03, paul_c2 said:

Its easy to dismiss jazz like that but the truth is, the comping IS in time AND is playing the right harmony, in an ideal world. A soloist may very well be taking liberties with the note choice or timing but that's an entirely different thing. If the bass player is doing that (and not soloing), then its bad, trust me.

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I was only joking. Beyond knowing I dislike it and don't have the talent to play it, I know very little about jazz other than it seems to have even more sub genres and sub genres of sub genres than metal. 

[Dad3353]

  On 01/07/2021 at 14:57, SteveXFR said:

... when each member of the band is in a different time signature?

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That's ^^ not a problem, anyway, as long as they all have the same tempo. That's the glue that would hold it together. Having differing tempi, though... 

[EssentialTension]

  On 01/07/2021 at 14:57, SteveXFR said:

Aren't you supposed to play the wrong notes in jazz?

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Trust me, I have tried but it really doesn't work.

[chris_b]

I really don't care about bad bass players. My problem is the good ones!!

[SteveXFR]

  On 01/07/2021 at 16:34, EssentialTension said:

Trust me, I have tried but it really doesn't work.

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We're you playing the right wrong notes or the wrong wrong notes?

[Hellzero]

Am I doomed ?

My bass has 6 strings and no frets, I like to play loads of notes, double stops and chords, I like to solo, I play very often on the dusty end and I am 182 cm tall.

So I'm a bad bass player with the good height. 😎 

[Teebs]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:32, Hellzero said:

Am I doomed ?

My bass has 6 strings and no frets, I like to play loads of notes, double stops and chords, I like to solo, I play very often on the dusty end and I am 182 cm tall.

So I'm a bad bass player with the good height. 😎 

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Bad player and a shortarse!

 

[Hellzero]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:35, Teebs said:

Bad player and a shortarse!

 

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It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea.

[Teebs]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:39, Hellzero said:

It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea.

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Mancunian liking gravy pea, 6 foot, bad player & proud!

[Reggaebass]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:39, Hellzero said:

It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea.

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😂😂😂

[Ricky 4000]

Billy Blough, if he's not been mentioned earlier?

Thread / TL;DR. 😛

[Hellzero]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:44, Teebs said:

Mancunian liking gravy pea, 6 foot, bad player & proud!

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And 88 millimetres to a shortarse. 

[Teebs]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:48, Hellzero said:

And 88 millimetres to a shortarse. 

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Twerp.

[skankdelvar]

  On 01/07/2021 at 17:39, Hellzero said:

It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea.

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  On 01/07/2021 at 17:48, Hellzero said:

And 88 millimetres to a shortarse. 

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[AndyTravis]

  On 25/06/2021 at 14:39, neilp said:

I'm not a huge fan, but U2 were and are the tightest band I've ever seen. Clayton undoubtedly has the ability to play lots and lots more notes than he does, but makes the CHOICE not to. No way a band can be that tight and powerful with a bad bass player.

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Yeah, I often think of AC coming home after a gig…

”Hard day at the office dear?”

’not in the least bit taxing love - really chilled, nice and easy’

”Are we still filthy rich?”

’oh aye, increasingly so my little petal - INCREASINGLY…yurs.’

”Brandy?”

’Why not…hehehehe’.

[Skinnyman]

  On 01/07/2021 at 14:38, SteveXFR said:

He said he'd much rather a beginner just playing root notes with solid timing than an over playing virtuoso.

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I’m an over-playing beginner. Worst of both worlds really

[AndyTravis]

  On 01/07/2021 at 18:47, Skinnyman said:

I’m an over-playing beginner. Worst of both worlds really

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I’ve been overplaying for 25 years.

Nobody’s ever stopped me. 
 

Quite enjoyable really. 

[Stub Mandrel]

  On 01/07/2021 at 15:58, Dad3353 said:

That's ^^ not a problem, anyway, as long as they all have the same tempo. That's the glue that would hold it together. Having differing tempi, though... 

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See Black Dog.

[Stub Mandrel]

Playing consistently beyond your competence (i.e. not knowing when you are making too many mistakes).

Pushing the boundaries of your competence makes you better.

[SteveXFR]

  On 01/07/2021 at 19:14, Stub Mandrel said:

Pushing the boundaries of your competence makes you better.

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I enjoy pushing the boundaries of incompetence 

[EssentialTension]

  On 01/07/2021 at 14:38, SteveXFR said:

... He said he'd much rather a beginner just playing root notes with solid timing than an over playing virtuoso.

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Play the root notes with solid timing = get hired.

Over playing = get fired.