Do bassists want to hear bass solos?

[MacDaddy]

ok, so there are exceptions, I mean If you go to see a band with Billy Sheehan, it's a given there will be a bass solo, and if you see KISS you may be disappointed if Gene doesn't do his bit with the blood and fire.

But as a bass player yourself, would you rather a band had a bass solo, or that they just played another song?

[EliasMooseblaster]

I think it depends on the band - usually with jazz gigs I like to hear a bass solo, especially if the bassist is on an upright. If it were a Level 42 gig - sorry, but I'd make a beeline for the bar. And then wonder why I was at a Level 42 gig in the first place...

[ambient]

I love and do solo bass, but that's a different thing I guess.

A bass solo, yes why on earth not ? It's as valid as any other instrument soloing.

[Rich]

I like to hear [i]melodic[/i] solos. Playing a blur of notes is one thing, but actually playing something tuneful is a whole different ballgame. Gary Willis and Alain Caron spring to mind as two masters of this. I saw Caron in Mike Stern's band at the Jazz Café a few years ago, and some of his solos were almost songs in their own right -- one of them so much so that the melody got stuck in my head for days. How often does a live solo do that?

[Bassman Steve]

Most definitely not. I despise all bass solos with a passion. I play with a guy who thinks it's hilarious to introduce me to force me to play a solo so I just stop playing.

[EssentialTension]

I don't like solos at all. Instrumental sections is good but guitar solos are so old hat ~ stop doing it.

[skidder652003]

i know i woudn't want to hear my attempts at any solo!!!

[discreet]

No, no, no, no, NO!! Electric bass guitar is not and should not [i]ever [/i]be a solo instrument. It only shines [i]in concert[/i] and in a supporting role. If you're a bass player and for some unfathomable reason want to play interminable 'solos' then for God's sake do everyone a favour and buy a guitar. Then go and play it somewhere where I can't hear it!

All that Jaco/Manring/Wootten stuff leaves me cold... like a stupid dwarf, it's not big and it's not clever.

Edited August 5, 2015 by discreet

[Dan Dare]

Absolutely not. It's just "Me too. I can show off as well as these others". I always refuse if a solo is offered. I'm part of the engine room. If I don't like it, I should be playing a different instrument. Defo add another number instead.

[Cameronj279]

I want to hear good music. If a bass solo sounds good then by all means! I don't care at all what instruments are used to make nice sounds. I care about the nice sounds.

[Nicko]

No. Especially a jazz one like the one I was subjected to on Sunday. Bass solos are no more acceptable than the 10 minute egomaniac lead guitar solo.

[Rich]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1438778019' post='2837138']
I want to hear good music. If a bass solo sounds good then by all means! I don't care at all what instruments are used to make nice sounds. I care about the nice sounds.
[/quote]

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1438778019' post='2837138']
I want to hear good music. If a bass solo sounds good then by all means! I don't care at all what instruments are used to make nice sounds. I care about the nice sounds.
[/quote]

Me too. I would have thought it was a pre-requisite of being an actual music fan, but apparently not!

[Muzz]

No, no, no. Not ever. My band leader sometimes tries to do the 'give us a solo' thing...I ignore him.

I was in the Dam once with a mate walking across a square, a bloke was doing the keepy-uppy tricks thing with a ball, and kicked it to him. He bent down, picked it up and threw it back, and said "I'm a 'keeper..."

[Woodinblack]

No, never a solo, at most a rather long fill you could get away with, ie, something under 10 seconds. Any longer and it is time to go off for the piss and a beer that you were saving for the drum solo .

Although not a huge fan of any isolated solo.

[warwickhunt]

No!

[lowdown]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1438778019' post='2837138']
I want to hear good music. If a bass solo sounds good then by all means! I don't care at all what instruments are used to make nice sounds. I care about the nice sounds.
[/quote]

Yep.

Some musicians have an ear for playing melodic, lyrical solos (applies to any instrument),
or indeed, melodic playing in general. Some musicians, well, can never do the above in a million years,
but that doesn't make them bad musicians, they often shine in another way (well, sometimes).

Edited August 5, 2015 by lowdown

[TimR]

I am working on a solo for Saturday night. About 16bars long tops with a repeating motif following the underlying chords. It should sound quite nice as the guitarist will stick to the basics.

One song only.

[ambient]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1438777785' post='2837129']
I'm part of the engine room. If I don't like it, I should be playing a different instrument.
[/quote]

That's just in your particular band though, and your role within it.

Bass is an instrument like any other, it has the capacity to sound as beautiful solo'd as any other.

[ambient]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1438777713' post='2837128']
No, no, no, no, NO!! Electric bass guitar is not and should not [i]ever [/i]be a solo instrument. It only shines [i]in concert[/i] and in a supporting role. If you're a bass player and for some unfathomable reason want to play interminable 'solos' then for God's sake do everyone a favour and buy a guitar. Then go and play it somewhere where I can't hear it!

All that Jaco/Manring/Wootten stuff leaves me cold... like a stupid dwarf, it's not big and it's not clever.
[/quote]

No, sorry but that is wrong.

Electric bass can sound sound very beautiful solo'd, it's obviously down to the musician playing it of course, but there are many, many fine musicians who play beautiful solos on electric bass.

[Lozz196]

Don`t mind a drop-down to just bass and drums on say a verse, where the same bassline is played, but actual bass solos, no, not for me.

[cheddatom]

Those who are dead against bass solos - are you just thinking about the context of the music that you play? Is it just that you can't imagine a good bass solo in this context?

I find it very strange for any musician to write off an almost infinite amount of musical possibilities just because it's called a "bass solo", but it would make sense if you were talking about your pub-rock-covers band.

[JTUK]

If it says something then ok...but generally not.

[Bassman Steve]

I've never heard a bass solo I like. I admire the technique but then the atomic bomb is impressive science.

Just me, others may love doing them and more power to them (out of earshot).

[Muzz]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1438779978' post='2837186']
Those who are dead against bass solos - are you just thinking about the context of the music that you play? Is it just that you can't imagine a good bass solo in this context?

I find it very strange for any musician to write off an almost infinite amount of musical possibilities just because it's called a "bass solo", but it would make sense if you were talking about your pub-rock-covers band.
[/quote]

When I hear a good one (in any context), I'll let you know...