SteveXFR Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 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. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Worse than that is a jazz bass player I’m familiar with that plays mostly the right notes but in nothing like decent time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c2 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 4 minutes ago, 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? 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 1 minute ago, 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. 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 57 minutes ago, SteveXFR said: ... when each member of the band is in a different time signature? 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 1 hour ago, SteveXFR said: Aren't you supposed to play the wrong notes in jazz? Trust me, I have tried but it really doesn't work. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 I really don't care about bad bass players. My problem is the good ones!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 21 minutes ago, EssentialTension said: Trust me, I have tried but it really doesn't work. We're you playing the right wrong notes or the wrong wrong notes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 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. 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 1 minute ago, 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. 😎 Bad player and a shortarse! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 2 minutes ago, Teebs said: Bad player and a shortarse! It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, Hellzero said: It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea. Mancunian liking gravy pea, 6 foot, bad player & proud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 4 minutes ago, Hellzero said: It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea. 😂😂😂 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky 4000 Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Billy Blough, if he's not been mentioned earlier? Thread / TL;DR. 😛 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 2 minutes ago, Teebs said: Mancunian liking gravy pea, 6 foot, bad player & proud! And 88 millimetres to a shortarse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 2 minutes ago, Hellzero said: And 88 millimetres to a shortarse. Twerp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 22 minutes ago, Hellzero said: It could have been worst, I could have been a Mancunian liking gravy pea. 14 minutes ago, Hellzero said: And 88 millimetres to a shortarse. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 On 25/06/2021 at 15:39, 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. 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’. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinnyman Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 4 hours ago, SteveXFR said: He said he'd much rather a beginner just playing root notes with solid timing than an over playing virtuoso. I’m an over-playing beginner. Worst of both worlds really 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 2 minutes ago, Skinnyman said: I’m an over-playing beginner. Worst of both worlds really I’ve been overplaying for 25 years. Nobody’s ever stopped me. Quite enjoyable really. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 3 hours ago, 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... See Black Dog. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 25 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said: Pushing the boundaries of your competence makes you better. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of incompetence 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 5 hours ago, SteveXFR said: ... He said he'd much rather a beginner just playing root notes with solid timing than an over playing virtuoso. Play the root notes with solid timing = get hired. Over playing = get fired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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