lxxwj Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) Well, I've been asked to play bass for a band. They sound kinda indie/alt-rock-y, if you know what I mean.. nothing incredibly innovative here is what I'm saying. Now, if you hang out in Effects you'll know that I'm a huge fan of bass effects and more interesting bass playing.. any ideas on how to get them to let me have more freedom? Hopefully they'll be open-minded about such things.. I fully intend to blow their minds with some pedalwork! Edited February 16, 2012 by lxxwj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guildbass Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If the band are doing covers, tread carefully (and I don't mean on your various pedals!) If they are doing their own stuff, remember first and foremost that the existing members will 'own' those songs and you'll have to be very diplomatic in the way you suggest possible different bass sounds. Personally, I think effects need space to work...I'm using some chorus on the chords I'm doing on the recording we're working on, but the other bass line in the track is a clean Spector with nothing apart from 1db of compression...And our stuff is really open and spacey.... I haven't heard much Indy stuff that has all that much space in it so in many respects you need clean tight bass lines because the tendency is for the music to be pretty crowded and the audience tend to hear a mush with individual instruments a tad 'lost in the mix' I used to use a pick for tracks like that just to pull some extra definition out of the bass. i also found that using distortion effects sounded like you had turned the amp off...the drop off in apparent bass was huge...I actually didn't have enough amp to compensate. Let them enjoy your playing first. Build up a bit of respect and then suggest your ideas...And listen to their opinions too! Oh, one more thing, you often find that out in the world the effect that sounded just perfect in your home practice environment is far too extreme 'front of house'...try to get recordings of the band practice. try with and without your chosen effect...Listen critically....Be honest with yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxxwj Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Awesome advice! Yeah, I think a spot of grit might go well with their stuff. Maybe I could talk them into some weirder stuff, who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 New satnav? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Either they'll ask you to play roots on everything or they'll give you carte blanche. That's how rock bands go IME. I avoid rock bands these days because the ones who want you to play root note crotchets all day tend to outnumber the more liberal ones by a huge factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1329385136' post='1541477'] Either they'll ask you to play roots on everything or they'll give you carte blanche. That's how rock bands go IME. [/quote] Yup, this sounds familiar. You then spend all rehearsal wondering what little fills you can add to give yourself something to do; and then falling foul of the fact that the drummer doesn't like slides. Fretboard slides, obviously. He would be better suited to playground slides, though, I must admit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Write a new riff, something a bit rockier and allow the band to write around that. Make sure the first time they hear it is with pedals too. Then hopefully they'll open up to new and interesting sounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The important thing to remember here is that your are the FNG in this instance. From the sound of your OP you're coming in to fill the space left by the previous bassist so the rest of the band will already have a way that they are used to hearing the songs so don't be surprised or upset if they don't like the "new direction" you want to take them in. My advice would be to play the existing songs in the style to which the rest of the band are accustomed, but come with at least one song idea that shows off what you really want to do with this band. You should quickly get a feel for whether the rest of them are open to this. If they are all well and good. If not then you should probably walk away and look for something that's more your style. Personally I've never joined a band with the express intention of pushing them in a different direction from the one that they are already going, I've never needed to. Even though I'm a very average musician and live in a place that's hardly a hot bed of musical activity, I've never had a problem finding a band /musicians who want to go in the same musical direction as me. Forcing your musical style on a band that isn't really interested in it makes you as band as the "guitard" who insists on soloing at maximum volume and minimum sensitivity on every song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If I was in this band and read your post, I would be a little concerned. When you join a band it's generally the case that you will be expected to fit in with them, and not them with you. Does this band know about your nifty pedal work? Is that why they've asked you? If no, then I'd back off with the pedals or you'll probably find your time with the band short lived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaundixon666 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1329390042' post='1541599'] If I was in this band and read your post, I would be a little concerned. When you join a band it's generally the case that you will be expected to fit in with them, and not them with you. Does this band know about your nifty pedal work? Is that why they've asked you? If no, then I'd back off with the pedals or you'll probably find your time with the band short lived. [/quote] +1 to this, although putting forward a few ideas once established isn't such a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1329390042' post='1541599'] If I was in this band and read your post, I would be a little concerned. When you join a band it's generally the case that you will be expected to fit in with them, and not them with you. Does this band know about your nifty pedal work? Is that why they've asked you? If no, then I'd back off with the pedals or you'll probably find your time with the band short lived. [/quote] Aye. Very well put. Even if a multitude of fx units sounds good in the band it might not be what they want. Indie/Alt rock doesnt seem to be the place for it IMO but then again you could stumble onto something very unique sounding. Beware of the guitarist(s). They dont like being outdone in the fx department. I very nearly got the bullet from one band for using a Uni Vibe and Big Muff during an outro solo............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I would be careful not to rock the boat too much, especially if they are not used to a bass player using more effects than the guitar players! I have been in the same situation myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1329390042' post='1541599']If I was in this band and read your post, I would be a little concerned. When you join a band it's generally the case that you will be expected to fit in with them, and not them with you. Does this band know about your nifty pedal work? Is that why they've asked you? If no, then I'd back off with the pedals or you'll probably find your time with the band short lived.[/quote] Good point. I usually take some effects along to a first rehearsal/audition with a new band and if they take an instant dislike to that it's usually a good sign that the band isn't for me. Fortunately the last time I did this, when I turned on the effects the singer said 'Play more like that'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieMillsBass Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 It depends on what happened to the previous guy. If they kicked him out for not being inventive enough then they may love the sort of stuff your thinking of. If he walked away of his own accord then they may not. Either way I think what your suggesting sounds really cool, I know that in my band if we hired a new guitarist or new drummer I would like them to bring some new and interesting ideas to the table. We may not use them but I'd much rather they were suggested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bungle Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Surely it's about doing what fits? If there is room and the effects add a different texture/sound that is interesting fine. If it's distracting and you're shoehorning them in there for the sake of it, then it's a waste of everybody's time. Maybe a sensible idea would be to bring a small pedalboard with some bits and pieces that you think will be likely to fit somewhere - maybe compression, a couple of dirt pedals, an octaver or something, and then see how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Actually, ignore my post above. Having reread it it sounds like it was posted by a boring 56 year old What you should do is go to your first rehearsal with the enthusiasm and vigour of a youngster (I'm guessing you're under 30), with your array of pedals, be yourself and demonstrate what you can do. They will possibly love it - Possibly they won't. The worst they can do is say, "We'll let you know". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1329398023' post='1541805']What you should do is go to your first rehearsal with the enthusiasm and vigour of a youngster (I'm guessing you're under 30), with your array of pedals, be yourself and demonstrate what you can do. They will possibly love it - Possibly they won't. The worst they can do is say, "We'll let you know".[/quote] Actually the worst thing is that they ask you to turn them all off, say something like 'Make the bassiest sound you can' and then instruct you to play what the guitarist was just playing with his thumb. Then when you call them and say you don't think it's the right gig for you they plead with you to come back and tell you they've been looking for a bass player for months. Not surprising! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I have played for lots of bands and artists over the years and in my experience many have just wanted to hear 'bass'. I used to have 12 different pedals at one stage and the only ones I ever found myself using is a fuzz, envelope filter and octave doubler and that has been done very sparingly. If the band asks for something then I will dig out what they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskimoBassist Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I was in this position myself and over the last 6years with the band I have gone from using no effects at all, to eventually using a full Diago Tourman crammed and now I'm down to 7/8 which I just about fit on a PT-jnr. All my crazy synth/filter/fuzzy madness stuff has gone, because despite wanting to create weird/incredible soundscapes for so long I eventually realised that it was better for all of us to just play to what the music requires. You can still use a variety of pedals, but as soon as it becomes obtrusive it will ruin the sound of the song. I mean different songs have different sounds, right? So you could bring your pedal induced [s]madness[/s] creativity to the band and write something off the back of that, but as far as bringing total originality to already written material goes, you're walking a fine line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Or just do what I did and write the stuff yourself, but in such a way that the bass effects are [i]essential[/i] to the sound of the band. Of course that's not my primary concern when writing material, but it's certainly not vetoed before it's even tried. Even better if you have some way to demo the stuff (none of the other guys read, so this is a necessary evil for me) let them hear it and judge it on its own merits, not pedal-envy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxxwj Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1329398023' post='1541805'] Actually, ignore my post above. Having reread it it sounds like it was posted by a boring 56 year old What you should do is go to your first rehearsal with the enthusiasm and vigour of a youngster (I'm guessing you're under 30), with your array of pedals, be yourself and demonstrate what you can do. They will possibly love it - Possibly they won't. The worst they can do is say, "We'll let you know". [/quote] Sounds good to me. Under 20, actually. Not sure how exactly I would push those already-written songs though.. if at all. I suppose it just depends on the band. Bit of tasteful fuzz here 'n' there should work nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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