How do you show civilians the true potential of the bass without appearing to be a flash twonk?

[paul, the]

I think a very short and funky one-off lick/run/fill can't be topped. That will draw attention and not bore anyone.

My old tutor used to play in a mod band, fingerstyle mostly, but in one song would play an octave style with a pick, which was noticeably very different and drew attention to versatility.


If anyone's really insecure enough, though, I'd say join a band where you're the only guitar-shaped musician.

I do think it's part-and-parcel, in reggae or easy-going funk, you're unlikely to get noticed, but [b]you[/b] know you're the backbone. And so does the rest of the band.

[Adrenochrome]

I don't generally do it but the last time I had to I played the intro & main riff to Schism by Tool - not because it's flash but because I wanted to show that the D & G strings on my bass were used occasionally. Ended up with a young Tool fan screaming for us to play a Tool song for the rest of the night. I've also played the outro to Jeremy for similar reasons, and I usually want to take a bit of a breather and I don't do the poppity-poppity thing.

[MB1]

[quote name='bremen' post='169045' date='Apr 3 2008, 12:48 PM']All Around My Twat is to Steeleye Span what Hi Ho Silver Lining is to Jeff Beck. I was referring to the Blackleg Miner, link in the OP.[/quote]

MB1.
"Whos Jeff Beck"?

[King of Loss]

Don't bother with "party pieces" really......I just don't see the point. When I am playing originals, I don't want to mar the performance with a silly little solo bass show-off piece, and when I am playing jazz based stuff, sometimes I throw in the odd bass solo, but really, all you need in that situation is a tight groove with some of your own extra/changed notes thrown in.

They just don't appeal to me. Doesn't mean to say that it is wrong, though.

[Funkmaster]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='169049' date='Apr 3 2008, 11:51 AM']Yes please David![/quote]

OK - I'll sort that out - later today all being well.

[Jobiebass]

Inspector Gadget or Mario Brothers, always get a laugh.

Normally I ask them what bands they like and try to play something they know. few old chilis songs usually does it.

"can you play white stripes???" lol

[MB1]

[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='169034' date='Apr 3 2008, 11:41 AM']allegedly in the region between 5 and 9 Hz, there's a note, that when played loudly, will liquify the contents of the listeners large intestines... and result in an embarrassing incident...

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_note"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_note[/url][/quote]

MB1.
I cant remember who this was on the forum?, but one of the bassists on here,had a elderly gent do this at his pub gig (brown his strides) and he'd only played a few notes.Brings new meaning to "how did the gig go last night? ".......Thus the legend was born! and the band were not asked back! .

[MB1]

[quote name='Jobiebass' post='169098' date='Apr 3 2008, 12:45 PM']Inspector Gadget or Mario Brothers, always get a laugh.

Normally I ask them what bands they like and try to play something they know. few old chilis songs usually does it.

"can you play white stripes???" lol[/quote]

MB1.
Fancy some Brown Strides?

[OldGit]

[quote name='bremen' post='168986' date='Apr 3 2008, 11:52 AM']That steeleye span tune though, I'd love to hear it at a wedding. But then I like a bit of politics in my music.[/quote]

Book us for your next one and we'll play it (floor fills with the two families fighting over what really killed the UK coal industry )

[OldGit]

[quote name='Jase' post='168993' date='Apr 3 2008, 12:01 PM']I wouldn't mind being able to do this if someone said "play something for us boy!!"

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN4ExKyPydk&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN4ExKyPydk...feature=related[/url][/quote]


Had me perplexed for a bit until I read that he's pre-recorded a track on a loop first
Still it's very nice

A bass player mate used to crack out the Captain Pugwash tune.

[OldGit]

[quote name='Rich' post='169017' date='Apr 3 2008, 12:26 PM']Generally, +1 to all that -- I'm happiest in a pocket/groove/bus driver's seat.[/quote]


er coff coff pardon?
So was that your stunt double plaing a mighty fine duet/duel with your drummer when I saw you play car wash a few weeks ago?

[Jase]

[quote name='OldGit' post='169118' date='Apr 3 2008, 02:03 PM']Had me perplexed for a bit until I read that he's pre-recorded a track on a loop first
Still it's very nice

A bass player mate used to crack out the Captain Pugwash tune.[/quote]

[greyparrot]

see mate, a passionate debate we started here!! I say do it! (but im lucky as its up to me what i do at a gig) www.bsharpduo.co.uk Anyway im gonna put a little drum trck together gig it at the weekend, with some flash bass, and let you all know what the hell happens!! haha

[Golchen]

If I was in a band I would have no interest at all in a 'solo'. I have no ego at all for showing off like that.

If you were a 'party piece' sort of person, I think that Stu Hamm's 'Country Music' is a very entertaining piece, and I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy hearing the recorded version of it!

I think that many (most?) people don't really think about the mechanics of music at all, who's making what sound in the band etc. They just listen or dance to the overall sound.

I've always noticed what I discern as 'good bass playing' in live bands, even before I was interested in taking it up, as a good player really seems to enhance the music tremendously.

[OldGit]

[quote name='MB1' post='169013' date='Apr 3 2008, 12:21 PM']MB1.
That Steeleye Span Tune??????............All Around My Hat?????????[/quote]

That's why the Blackleg Miner is such a surprise to geeps .. "But they are a folk band and did that Womble thing" is about the limit of their knowledge ..
Musicians are musicians and Rick Kemp can play funk ...

I'm co-front man in my band and we also have a lot of time where we are setting up dances. This is "entertain the audience" time without it being play a tune time.
Once we are getting on well with a crowd I'll tease them with various well known bass lines whilst they guess what they are. The Chain, of course, Walk on the wild side, Peaches, Dancing in the moonlight, Money etc .. then they will start yelling suggestions for tunes for us to play. As a folk band we are always being asked for smoke on the water and stairway. As our usual guitarist is a folker he tends to duck these so I hit the distort and wah wah pedals and play intros or lead breaks or whatever.

I get to play the intro to Honky Tonk woman too, and the horn parts on Mustang Sally, as well as the bass lines of course ... and back at teh folk we play various trad tunes where three of us play the melody, harmony and alone. It's a folkin' tradition.

Edited April 3, 2008 by OldGit

[bremen]

[quote name='OldGit' post='169115' date='Apr 3 2008, 02:00 PM']Book us for your next one and we'll play it (floor fills with the two families fighting over what really killed the UK coal industry )[/quote]

My *next* wedding! OK mate, you got it.

Could you also learn 'too drunk to f***' by the Snivelling Shits and Mozart's Horn Concerto - between them that should please both families.

[OldGit]

[quote name='greyparrot' post='169127' date='Apr 3 2008, 02:14 PM']see mate, a passionate debate we started here!! I say do it! (but im lucky as its up to me what i do at a gig) www.bsharpduo.co.uk Anyway im gonna put a little drum trck together gig it at the weekend, with some flash bass, and let you all know what the hell happens!! haha[/quote]


ha ha yeah
The subject of "when drums stop it's really, really badnews .. It's.... [i] the bass solo[/i]" always stirs some hornets up.
When you put
www.bsharpduo.co.uk
add the http:// bit too and it makes it a link like this
[url="http://www.bsharpduo.co.uk"]http://www.bsharpduo.co.uk[/url]
Bit more traffic when there's just a single click

[OldGit]

[quote name='bremen' post='169143' date='Apr 3 2008, 02:23 PM']My *next* wedding! OK mate, you got it.

Could you also learn 'too drunk to f***' by the Snivelling Shits and Mozart's Horn Concerto - between them that should please both families.[/quote]


We've done the horn concherto before - had a mate who played French horn so we arranged it for a set dance we do.... Went down well
I'll look into the other one though you never knwo when someone will shout for it

[MB1]

[quote name='OldGit' post='169139' date='Apr 3 2008, 02:21 PM']That's why the Blackleg Miner is such a surprise to geeps .. "But they are a folk band and did that Womble thing" is about the limit of their knowledge ..
Musicians are musicians and Rick Kemp can play funk ...

I'm co-front man in my band and we also have a lot of time where we are setting up dances. This is "entertain the audience" time without it being play a tune time.
Once we are getting on well with a crowd I'll tease them with various well known bass lines whilst they guess what they are. The Chain, of course, Walk on the wild side, Peaches, Dancing in the moonlight, Money etc .. then they will start yelling suggestions for tunes for us to play. As a folk band we are always being asked for smoke on the water and stairway. As our usual guitarist is a folker he tends to duck these so I hit the distort and wah wah pedals and play intros or lead breaks or whatever.

I get to play the intro to Honky Tonk woman too, and the horn parts on Mustang Sally, as well as the bass lines of course ... and back at teh folk we play various trad tunes where three of us play the melody, harmony and alone. It's a folkin' tradition.[/quote]

MB1.
Even Maddy prior will tell you what the most popular Steeleye span song is everytime she looks at her bankstatement!
whats a Geep? and Who is Rick Kemp?

[OldGit]

[quote name='MB1' post='169159' date='Apr 3 2008, 02:37 PM']MB1.
Even Maddy prior will tell you what the most popular Steeleye span song is everytime she looks at her bankstatement!
whats a Geep? and Who is Rick Kemp?[/quote]

Oh sure, the same with Hi Ho Silver lining lining Jeff Beck's Silver hi ho ...
Rick Kemp is the bass player on the track I referenced.

[MB1]

MB1.
Whats Coal?

[Jester]

In my experience non-musicians generally couldn't care less about flashy technical stuff. If you're often in a position where people want you to 'play something', I think it's a far better idea to spend a few weeks learning to strum through some some old favourites on an acoustic guitar, rather than spending months and months trying to get to grips with U Can't Hold No Groove.

As for the 'true potential of the bass', I think it only works properly in a band context. Same with drums - I'd be bored out of my mind watching a solo drummer for any length of time, no matter how good he was.

[OldGit]

[quote name='Jester' post='169229' date='Apr 3 2008, 04:08 PM']In my experience non-musicians generally couldn't care less about flashy technical stuff. If you're often in a position where people want you to 'play something', I think it's a far better idea to spend a few weeks learning to strum through some some old favourites on an acoustic guitar, rather than spending months and months trying to get to grips with U Can't Hold No Groove.

As for the 'true potential of the bass', I think it only works properly in a band context. Same with drums - I'd be bored out of my mind watching a solo drummer for any length of time, no matter how good he was.[/quote]

I don't think you can compare a drum solo (even Buddy Rich at his peak) with the stuff that Steve Lawson does, as an extreme example, and the bass can play tunes... Solo works for cello can be very moving.

[BigBeefChief]

Keeping to topic, I usually just play a few instantly recognisable lines and then put the bass back down. People who don't play bass don't want to hear something technically great that they've never heard before. They want to hear The Chain, Money, that White Stripes song (yes I know its not a bass, but non-players swear it is), Peaches etc.

I may occasionaly fool around and do some Beat It, You Can't Touch This and I Want You Back but thats about it. Thats usually enough to satisfy people who struggle to believe you actually play the things.

In music shops, I just play the stuff I like playing, not really bothered if I sound crap (to others). I know how bad I am, I never claimed to be good.

And, as for the above - I think I'd rather listen to a drum solo than a bass solo, even with a looper. Never understood loopers. Why not get a band?

Edited April 3, 2008 by BigBeefChief

[d-basser]

my skills are currently limited due to ignoring bass in favour of sleep etc (I am a student)
When I was gigging i found stu hamm country music or the intro to moonlight sonata kept the crowd entertained while the guitarist retuned and for the solo in dancing in the moonlight i covered the lack of sax up by using silly auto wah effects and playing the relatively simple bass riff.
But remember this was a crowd of 14-18yr olds, many would have been suitably entertained by a pretty light or some crisps

Edited April 3, 2008 by d-basser