bassist_lewis Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) So these days, as I've heard many a more experienced gentleman claim, music is a bit simpler and the bass lines aren't as good, and back in the 60s, 70s and 80s (people aren't quite nostalgic about the 90s yet) bass lines were - or could be - more interesting and a more prominent part of the song. Yet, these days there seem to be legions of bass players shredding through changes and slapping the s@@t out of there basses, and back in said nostalgic decades there seem to have only been a few such monster players. Now, I'm only 24 so maybe it's just how it seems looking back now... but why is it that in an era where music is predominantly dead simple and focused entirely on the singer there are lots of super techy shreddy bass players, and back when basslines were more prominent and generally more interesting there were comparatively few mental slippers? Discuss slappers... not into slippers... Edited November 25, 2013 by bassist_lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 By super techy shreddy bass players. Do you mean in a band environment or like a solo thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Depends on genre. You can find simplicity and complexity in all ages, should you wish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassist_lewis Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 Hmmm... say both. Keep all variables the same except the era Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Well I personally see more shreddy bassists on youtube and this obviously wasn't around then. Also I've never seen a solo bassist live before so in that aspect I think it's more widely known through the internet. But band wise I have no idea. I'm not even gonna be much help as I'm only 19 so have no idea about what happen in the other years. Except through music I've heard obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 are you talking real bassists in proper bands and everything .... or bedroom bassists who squeeze their assets into skimpy tops whilst pressing them squidgingly against their basses for all to see on youtube or korean cross-dressing bass-slapping demigods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immo Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Well, I think not everyone has to be RHCP's Flea to dominate a song with his slap'n'funky playing. I guess many bass players in the former days just knew what they were for in the band - to complete the groove, to fill the low end and to add the warmth and rhythm to the songs. And those who became virtuosos (or "monster players", as you named it), still held the rhythm part, not the so-called "shred onanism". After 90's many bass players seem to play overly sophisticated stuff to stand out, catch the attention and prove that bass is something more than a rhythm, groove-making instrument. Well... in most cases, it isn't and there's nothing to be proven there! But also many became the exact opposite of those "mental slappers" - they though, they're just meant to fill the low end, ignoring the groove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassist_lewis Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 I'm talking about the Korean cross-dressing kind, I feel sorry for previous generations who maybe only had one or two experiences of such players. We really do live in a golden era... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='bassist_lewis' timestamp='1385409477' post='2287982'] I'm talking about the Korean cross-dressing kind, I feel sorry for previous generations who maybe only had one or two experiences of such players. We really do live in a golden era... [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='bassist_lewis' timestamp='1385407973' post='2287950'] So these days, as I've heard many a more experienced gentleman claim, music is a bit simpler and the bass lines aren't as good, and back in the 60s, 70s and 80s (people aren't quite nostalgic about the 90s yet) bass lines were - or could be - more interesting and a more prominent part of the song. Yet, these days there seem to be legions of bass players shredding through changes and slapping the s@@t out of there basses, and back in said nostalgic decades there seem to have only been a few such monster players. Now, I'm only 24 so maybe it's just how it seems looking back now... but why is it that in an era where music is predominantly dead simple and focused entirely on the singer there are lots of super techy shreddy bass players, and back when basslines were more prominent and generally more interesting there were comparatively few mental slippers? Discuss slappers... not into slippers... [/quote] I had never thought about it this way , but you are quite right! There are loads of fancy Dan bass players about nowadays , but flamboyant or prominent bass guitar playing on mainstream rock and pop records is rare , especially in comparison to the era from the early 1970's to the early 1990's. However , you are slightly confusing a few things , most notably trends in bass playing and trends in music . It's all well and good loads of aspiring young players shredding like Victor Wooten , but who would put that kind of playing on a track ? What kind of music would it serve? None of these new virtuoso guys - Hadrian Feraud, Mathew Garrison et al- have what it takes to be an World-class accompanist., and if they don't then their slew of third-rate You Tube immitators certainly don't have what it takes either. There is a whole new genre of bass playing that has developed that has no real application beyond the self-indulgent , self-serving and pointless twiddling of its' creators. Back in the day, basslines had to serve the song as well as enhance the music overall , and most of these new bass players could do neither . They lack both the taste and the judgement . There are notable exceptions, of course, but for the most part there are more very flashy but very average bass players about nowadays, not neccesarilly a whole lot more good ones. than there were back in the olden days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Bear in mind that since the advent of cheap digital production methods, hearing 'real' bass on pop or dance records is now very rare. The thing is to cover the entire bandwidth, and the weapon of choice for this task is usually the (programmed) kick drum - often accompanied by a sine-wave sub or rudimentary synth bass pattern. 'Real' bass playing is often not considered at all latterly, or if it is it's usually in a retro-rock or retro-folk situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='bassist_lewis' timestamp='1385407973' post='2287950'] So these days, as I've heard many a more experienced gentleman claim, music is a bit simpler and the bass lines aren't as good, and back in the 60s, 70s and 80s (people aren't quite nostalgic about the 90s yet) bass lines were - or could be - more interesting and a more prominent part of the song. Yet, these days there seem to be legions of bass players shredding through changes and slapping the s@@t out of there basses, and back in said nostalgic decades there seem to have only been a few such monster players. [/quote] Which gentlemen have claimed this and what kind of music and bass lines do they claim are simpler these days? Seems to be an awful lot of generalisations here. My opinion -there were less monster players around back then, but the electric bass was at an earlier stage of its evolution as an instrument and therefore said exponents had a bigger impact upon the listener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Youtube is just one major factor that I can think of that goes in part to help answer the OP's question. It's easier to evolve a virtuosic style if you have peers and people to compete against or aspire to be and Youtube has really opened the door to the visual aspect of bass playing, which in turn I've noticed has propelled a lot of musicians on to really push themselves hard. The fact that we can access Youtube easily will have also brought to our general attention an abundance of virtuosic musicians who were previously unnoticed, which is possibly to say that maybe there aren't more virtuosic bass players than before, it's simply much easier for them to be seen. Realistically though I think the role of the bass has remained the same. What's enjoyable now as bass players is that we can afford to be retrospective and nostalgic about how we play or really push the boundaries. Technological advances in recording and a lack of bias against what is deemed 'acceptable' within the confines of the instrument mean that no longer to bass players have to fill the stereotypical role in a band. I personally have my preferences on how I like bass to sound and be played but I also like keeping my ears firmly open as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1385409295' post='2287976'] are you talking ... bedroom bassists who squeeze their assets into skimpy tops whilst pressing them squidgingly against their basses for all to see on youtube [/quote] Err... could you post some links? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassist_lewis Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1385411224' post='2288025'] Which gentlemen have claimed this and what kind of music and bass lines do they claim are simpler these days? Seems to be an awful lot of generalisations here. My opinion -there were less monster players around back then, but the electric bass was at an earlier stage of its evolution as an instrument and therefore said exponents had a bigger impact upon the listener. [/quote] I was generalising to be concise, I know quite a bit of modern music with great bass playing - Lettuce, PSP, The Aristocrats, The Roots - but those are all quite obscure. As for the gentlemen in question there have been several I've met and a few people on this forum, and tbh they're not even necessarily older than me, plenty of guys my age or younger moan about current music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='bassist_lewis' timestamp='1385409477' post='2287982'] I'm talking about the Korean cross-dressing kind, I feel sorry for previous generations who maybe only had one or two experiences of such players. We really do live in a golden era... [/quote] Yeah, and silence is golden too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I blame the 80's. I think that era killed the virtuoso player dead. Too much slappedly slap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cytania Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I blame the 90s. Oasis and Blur submerged bass deep in the mix. This may be influenced by having to learn Cigarettes and Alcohol and Parklife for my band . Neither very inspiring for bass but I serve the song... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Perhaps it's just a matter of focusing on the music or on the instrument? A recent topic discussed the bass line to "Something" and seemed to generally conclude it is a wonderful bass part. The fact that it's also part of a pretty good song probably helps as well. But, put a single bassist on a stage and ask them to play a bit of bass then it's unlikely that the "Something" bass line would go down particularly well. Taken out of context of the song, the bassline wouldn't sound as good and wouldn't be 'show-offy' enough to hold people's interest - unlike a mini slapfest. Conversely, most of the very skillful and lightning-fast slapping we've all seen demo'ed wouldn't work within the context of a song. I think. There may be examples but I can't think of any. I guess it all depends on what you like. Bass, for me, is all about supporting the song and sometimes 'simple but strong' is what it's all about, rather than bass solo virtuosity. But, hey, it's all subjective and there should be no rules. In the words of the song: 'if it feels good, do it!' . . . . just don't expect universal applause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) The 80s was a never ending parade of slapiness. If you walked into a guitar shop all you could hear was slapping. Horrible. The thing about 50s-90s music is it's been around long enough for the cream to rise and the dross to drop out the bottom. 00s-10s are still fresh in most people's minds. My dad moaned about 80s music, the 60s and 70s were much better he jokes, then points out that a lot of the 60s and 70s music was hated by my grandad. It's what happens... Edited November 25, 2013 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1385420765' post='2288186'] The 80s was a never ending parade of slapiness. If you walked into a guitar shop all you could hear was slapping. Horrible. The thing about 50s-90s music is it's been around long enough for the cream to rise and the dross to drop out the bottom. 00s-10s are still fresh in most people's minds. My dad moaned about 80s music, the 60s and 70s were much better he jokes, then points out that a lot of the 60s and 70s music was hated by my grandad. It's what happens... [/quote] But music today is just noise! FACT! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RO47HZ14nc[/media] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 [quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1385421409' post='2288200'] But music today is just noise! FACT! [/quote] Music yesterday was just noise. FACT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vjofqA2SNY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmchich Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I agree with a lot of what's been posted here. There are significantly more highly technical (and fast) bassists, both in bands and not, than there used to be. Though do a lot of the more elaborate basslines support their songs well? I would argue no. Youtube has set the bar high, but I don't see that type of playing to be a target for me. I happen to believe that the vast majority of slapping on bass is unnecessary and gimmicky. And it is true that each generation dislikes the previous generation's music. That's likely to always be the case, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 That's seriously creepy. Especially at this time of night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetaFunk Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I took my 1963 Burns Sonic bass to my local guitar shop in the summer. It was a bit of a novelty as most of them hadn't really seen a bass of that age and they all wanted to play it which was fine by me. I was really surprised that everyone in their 20s or younger just picked it up and gave a good old slap apart from one of them. It was a bit of a surreal moment seeing that done to a 50 year old bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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