Bass Solos

[Kevin Dean]

Every time I see someone doing a bass solo or demonstration Do they feel the need to let everyone know what they can do technically , It's normally slap style & high up the neck . How about something low low down & interesting .It's a bass after all . & if it's an amp demonstration it would be letting me know what the amp can handle . I'm sick of it I tell yu

[ahpook]

Light the blue touchpaper and retire to a safe distance.

Keep pets indoors.

[Norris]

... should never be heard outside the bedroom

[Meypelnek]

I personally do not like the typical spotlight-on-slap-bass-solo. It is weird to present a technique for solo purpose that is used for a maximum of 5% throughout the rest of the gig.
But that's just my opinion. I think drums-solos are as lame, too. Even dislike it if perfomed by Mike Portnoy

[Bilbo]

Bass solos at clinics are about gear and chops not about music. Some of the nicest bass solos I have ever heard are actually quite easy to play and require no significant chops (listen to Steve Swallow's solo on John SCofield's version of 'Alfie' on their EnRoute cd). Bass guitars are particularly lousy at making nice music in isolation. They just don't make a particulary musical noise, especially when playing chords. Not a total non-starter but a lot of ways of screwing it up

[Dood]

When I do my magazine review videos, generally I shy away from any musical theatrics or showing off. Videos are not about me, I prefer to demonstrate gear as if it were someone trying kit out in a shop. I'll demo a little slap or finger style whilst going through EQ settings for example but you'll never get a shred fest from me. (I reserve that for being creative elsewhere!)

I've only received compliments for presenting in this manner and I really don't care for YT comments from those wanting to see some sort of ego-fest

[lowdown]

Many Bassists by nature tend not to be lyrical in style with solo playing,
and possibly during regular support playing.
Which is understandable, after all, Bass apart from supplying rhythm,
is laying down and outlining harmony and chord movement.
So I suppose, it's hard to get out of that way of thinking,
and think more melodically.

But what do I know, just a Bass player.

A nicely phrased simple melodic Bass solo at about 02:50.
(Marcus Miller).
Not sure about the Album cover...lol..
http://youtu.be/_2or5RqfyIc

Edited April 25, 2015 by lowdown

[dmccombe7]

Nice song. Really enjoyed that and nice little bass melody at 2:50.
thanks for that
Dave

[ambient]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1429865947' post='2755654']
Every time I see someone doing a bass solo or demonstration Do they feel the need to let everyone know what they can do technically , It's normally slap style & high up the neck . How about something low low down & interesting .It's a bass after all . & if it's an amp demonstration it would be letting me know what the amp can handle . I'm sick of it I tell yu
[/quote]

I agree if it's technique for technique sake.

I also don't like tapping or slap.

I do love the timbre of solo bass though, and it does have the high notes. People don't complain if it's solo clarinet or bassoon, so why bass ?

If it's played lyrically and legato it's a very beautiful instrument. It's also a musical instrument so let's play some music on it.

Edited April 26, 2015 by ambient

[louisthebass]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1429882407' post='2755968']
Many Bassists by nature tend not to be lyrical in style with solo playing,
and possibly during regular support playing.
Which is understandable, after all, Bass apart from supplying rhythm,
is laying down and outlining harmony and chord movement.
So I suppose, it's hard to get out of that way of thinking,
and think more melodically.

But what do I know, just a Bass player.

A nicely phrased simple melodic Bass solo at about 02:50.
(Marcus Miller).
Not sure about the Album cover...lol..
[media]http://youtu.be/_2or5RqfyIc[/media]
[/quote]

Great track - used to be the theme tune to the Robbie Vincent radio show (on Radio London I think?) years ago. I've got that Dave Grusin CD - definitely the cheesiest album cover I've ever seen! .

[ezbass]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1429882407' post='2755968']
Many Bassists by nature tend not to be lyrical in style with solo playing,
and possibly during regular support playing.
Which is understandable, after all, Bass apart from supplying rhythm,
is laying down and outlining harmony and chord movement.
So I suppose, it's hard to get out of that way of thinking,
and think more melodically.

But what do I know, just a Bass player.

A nicely phrased simple melodic Bass solo at about 02:50.
(Marcus Miller).
Not sure about the Album cover...lol..
http://youtu.be/_2or5RqfyIc
[/quote]Nice. I do prefer MM playing fretless rather than his usual scooped tone on the MM sig bass.

[lowdown]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1430035823' post='2757195']
Nice. I do prefer MM playing fretless rather than his usual scooped tone on the MM sig bass.
[/quote]

I think he was only eighteen when he did those sessions.
There is a lot of nice playing from him on the album, with very little slap.
Very mature playing, considering his age at the time.

[PaulWarning]

any extended solo's are crap, guitar solo's aren't really solo's at al because (usually) the bass and drummer keep playing, a short little fill by the bassist/drummer/guitarist is great to add interest to the song but that's it, bloody hate drum solo's, I've been known to walk out of gigs because of them.
The only solo I play is in Hate to say I told you so by the Hives and I just play the same riff as I do throughout the song

[ezbass]

I don't play any actual solos with either of my two bands, but the material contains many moments where the bass is playing a prominent line, Babooshka - Kate Bush, Alone - Heart and Hey You - Pink Floyd for instance. I don't mind a well crafted drum solo if it's not too long, actually goes somewhere and avoids the 70s Classic Rock clichés. I also love a good guitar solo (again following my drum solo 'rules') and I'm quite a fan of instrumental guitar - Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, etc. where the guitar is the vocal line.

[Dood]

I played a melodic bass solo at a gig once and a member of the audience shouted out 'it's not a bloody guitar', to which I wish I shouted back that technically it was. Considering it was a prog gig I was somewhat surprised at the closed mindedness of this particular chap.

[inthedoghouse]

I've given up watching bass demonstrations/reviews on YouTube because invariably it's slap slap slap and more bleedin' slap - drives me mad! :-/

[JapanAxe]

I stop YouTube vids the moment the dreaded thumb comes out.

[inthedoghouse]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1430074792' post='2757768']
I stop YouTube vids the moment the dreaded thumb comes out.
[/quote]
Yes, sometimes it looks like it's all going well .... then it starts :-/

[chris_b]

Have a listen to Doug Rauch, the forgotten genius of slap bass. Not so much a solo, more like some other instruments added to a bass line.

Here's one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8lERdhuqPc

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Meypelnek' timestamp='1429867634' post='2755677']
But that's just my opinion. I think drums-solos are as lame, too. Even dislike it if perfomed by Mike Portnoy
[/quote]

I always loved drum solos, it gave you time to get to the loos, then on to the bar, get served and come back in time for some music.

Although I dislike slap bass except in great moderation, I don't mind a bit in demonstration of a bass or equipment as a way of showing mid / treble response, when combined with actual playing as well.

[AndyTravis]

We play an INXS song where there's a Saxaphone solo and it's somehow become the song where I do a solo.

It starts low and ends up high, only lasts a few bars.

I don't really care for demo videos although Ed Friedland does a great job.

[Bilbo]

Steve Swallow at 2.53 but it helps to listen to it all to all of it for context. A beautiful bass solo without the histrionics.

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UluZphPIyIY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=UluZphPIyIY[/url]

[Der JD]

I agree that the majority of bass demos out there are just too flashy and involve too much slapping and tapping. In most cases, spending more time on less-flashy grooves would serve the purpose better.

However, everyone has a different style. The demo wasn't created just for YOU. Not everyone plays the way YOU do.

Personally, I want a little of everything in a demo. I want to hear everything the instrument can offer. Simple grooves/patterns/scales down low, a little slapping, chording, soloing in the higher register, possibly even a tiny bit of tapping. AND, I want to hear it all with different pickups selected and with different variations on the tone controls.

I do a little of everything and although simple grooves down low are the bread and butter, a demo just limited to that would be of little use to me. Wouldn't show me what the instrument is capable of.

I suppose that's why I like Ed Friedland's demos a lot. He does a little of everything without it being a total w***fest.

[Annoying Twit]

I just discovered this youtube video after youtube auto-played on from something else. I enjoyed this, and this thread seems as good a place as any to put it.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAuOzC3JX1g[/media]

[No lust in Jazz]

[media]http://youtu.be/UPhJn6pz6Fg[/media]

However, here Steve goes nuts..