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What makes a bad bass player?


benh

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1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

See Black Dog.

No, that's the same tempo (150..?) for everyone, but some bars are 2/4, others 4/4 or 5/4 (but the drums stay on 4/4 mostly, really...). Several time signatures, but all the same tempo. Here's an obscure example of polytempo; be warned, it's not easy to listen to or to play; it's for that reason that polytempo is so rare...

Allstar, Smash Mouth ...

Edited by Dad3353
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14 hours ago, Dad3353 said:
16 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

See Black Dog.

No, that's the same tempo (150..?) for everyone, but some bars are 2/4, others 4/4 or 5/4 (but the drums stay on 4/4 mostly, really...). Several time signatures, but all the same tempo.

 

Err... that's what I meant DadDude.

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On 01/07/2021 at 21:45, Dad3353 said:

No, that's the same tempo (150..?) for everyone, but some bars are 2/4, others 4/4 or 5/4 (but the drums stay on 4/4 mostly, really...). Several time signatures, but all the same tempo. Here's an obscure example of polytempo; be warned, it's not easy to listen to or to play; it's for that reason that polytempo is so rare...

Allstar, Smash Mouth ...

All of the bars are 4/4. The thing that varies is the length of the phrases, not the tempo or the time signature. Thats why so many people struggle to play it, they try to divide up the bars differently. If you listen to the drums playing the straight 4/4 you can then place the phrases against that, and it's relatively simple as long as you can play the riff rhythmically

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35 minutes ago, neilp said:

All of the bars are 4/4. The thing that varies is the length of the phrases, not the tempo or the time signature. Thats why so many people struggle to play it, they try to divide up the bars differently. If you listen to the drums playing the straight 4/4 you can then place the phrases against that, and it's relatively simple as long as you can play the riff rhythmically

Hmm...

h5wgshk.png

If you try to count 1.2.3.4. all the way through, there'll be moments when the '1' is no longer the '1'. :friends:

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On 01/07/2021 at 19:09, AndyTravis said:

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’.

I think he’s teetotal but the rest is probably right 

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On 01/07/2021 at 19:51, AndyTravis said:

I’ve been overplaying for 25 years.

Nobody’s ever stopped me. 
 

Quite enjoyable really. 

Telegram for Mr A Travis.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 

STOP

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On 01/07/2021 at 21:45, Dad3353 said:

No, that's the same tempo (150..?) for everyone, but some bars are 2/4, others 4/4 or 5/4 (but the drums stay on 4/4 mostly, really...). Several time signatures, but all the same tempo. Here's an obscure example of polytempo; be warned, it's not easy to listen to or to play; it's for that reason that polytempo is so rare...

Allstar, Smash Mouth ...

I may not be a drummer, but I got that 

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I'm not going to read the comments, because I've read them all before elsewhere, people like to lament about their experience after a jam that was less than desirable, & I fit the parameters they were moaning about most of the time.

A 'friend' once told me on FB that I have no business making Music, & after years of trying to prove that wrong, I must concede.

 

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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.

Definitely, a shining example of showing how good he is by understanding what the songs need and then doing it. 

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On 06/07/2021 at 00:09, Dad3353 said:

The pink sections are the non-4/4 bars (2/4 and 5/4...). There's a metronome click to help illustrate, with a slightly stronger '1'.

No, the pink sections are parts of a longer, 4/4 phrase that have accents shifted from where the typical back beat would put them. Count it in 4, listen to the drums and it will become clear

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On 05/07/2021 at 22:24, Dad3353 said:

Hmm...

h5wgshk.png

If you try to count 1.2.3.4. all the way through, there'll be moments when the '1' is no longer the '1'. :friends:

No, we're thinking about it wrong. The drums are in 4 all the way through. Trying to play it with different length bars is what makes it difficult. Forget the notation, listen to the song, count it in 4 and follow the drums. I promise, it will make sense

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1 minute ago, neilp said:

No, the pink sections are parts of a longer, 4/4 phrase that have accents shifted from where the typical back beat would put them. Count it in 4, listen to the drums and it will become clear

I could (but probably won't, as it's tiring, and I'm old...) count along with this (as I have done, many times...), to show how, in the first pink bit one counts to 'two', and in the second pink bit, a count of five. I don't know how others do it, but when I'm counting beats, I count '1-2-3-4-' for 4/4 bars, then '1-2-' for 2/4 bars, and '1-2-3-4-5-' for 5/4 bars. That's what I count for this song, in those spots. Counting '1-2-3-4-' from end to end will throw off the '1' beat (for the bass track, which this is; the drum track is different...). I maintain that there are bars of 2/4 and 5/4 in there. :) 

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1 minute ago, neilp said:

No, we're thinking about it wrong. The drums are in 4 all the way through. Trying to play it with different length bars is what makes it difficult. Forget the notation, listen to the song, count it in 4 and follow the drums. I promise, it will make sense

No, I don't agree. Yes, one may play the drums in 4/4 throughout (I'm a drummer, and that's what I do...), but the bass staff has 2/4 and 5/4 bars in there. You can't count 4/4 all through the bass part and be on the '1' all of the time.
It's possible to play 3/4 throughout on the drums; that doesn't make the bass part 3/4. :friends:

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The drum track is the thing to listen to if you want this song to come out right. It's so much easier if you count it in 4 and learn where the accents come. Then all you need is a drummer who can keep time....🤣

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2 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

No, I don't agree. Yes, one may play the drums in 4/4 throughout (I'm a drummer, and that's what I do...), but the bass staff has 2/4 and 5/4 bars in there. You can't count 4/4 all through the bass part and be on the '1' all of the time.
It's possible to play 3/4 throughout on the drums; that doesn't make the bass part 3/4. :friends:

Just because there's an accented beat, doesn't make it the '1'. Have a listen to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, or almost any orchestral music by Brahms. There are accents all over the place, and it's almost impossible to play if you try to make the accents the 1 of every bar. Put the bar lines where they should be, so you can count a steady four, and it makes total sense. Try it. Trust me.

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