Avoiding the idiosyncrasies of your favourite players

[arthurhenry]

Do you ever find yourself inclined to perform a lick or stage move heavily inspired by one of your favourite players, but avoid doing so due to an irrational fear that someone in the audience will be familiar with said player and accuse you of copying them?

For example: You'd really like to put your foot on the monitor, but you'd better not, in case someone in the tiny village hall you're playing is a big Steve Harris fan.

You could sneak some licks from Teen Town into your solo, but avoid it, in case someone in the working man's club you're playing is familiar with the works of Jaco.

That lick from A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers would work really well in the song you're playing, but you'd better not, in case someone at the wedding is a big Van Der Graaf Generator fan, who recognises all their bass parts.

Edited December 3, 2016 by arthurhenry

[RhysP]

No.

[FinnDave]

Me neither

[Woodinblack]

No - I doubt anyone in the audience has noticed any bass players any more than they are noticing me!

[AustinArto]

No. I do sometimes accidentally steal bass parts - I accidentally played something very like Ashes To Ashes recently, had to bin that. What sucks is when something like that gets stuck in your head and it's hard to move on and play something different!

[mep]

No.

Although recently I was checking my tuning with harmonious and a guy approached me later and said it reminded him of Jaco!

[chris_b]

Sorry but putting your foot on the monitor (even Mr Harris) is lame.

Anyone playing a great bass line or riff in the last 60 years has probably nicked it themselves.

If you have any personality as a player you'll make what you play sound like you, so it won't matter where it came from. Me? If I can fit it in I'll use it.

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780018' post='3187095']
Sorry but putting your foot on the monitor (even Mr Harris) is lame.
[/quote]

You're the guy in the village hall!

[chris_b]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1480778432' post='3187078']
I doubt anyone in the audience has noticed any bass players
[/quote]

If the bass player isn't being noticed then it's his fault. Turn up and play better lines. Make them notice you.

I got two positive comments on Wednesday. One from a member of the audience (who wanted to know what gear I was using to "get that sound") and one from the band leader (if I made him happy then it's job done).

[chris_b]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1480780287' post='3187098']
You're the guy in the village hall!
[/quote]
It's like eating peas with your knife. You can do it but if you have any class, you shouldn't.

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780679' post='3187105']
It's like eating peas with your knife. You can do it but if you have any class, you shouldn't.
[/quote]
Especially if Victor Wooten has done it before.

[JTUK]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780018' post='3187095']
Sorry but putting your foot on the monitor (even Mr Harris) is lame.

[b]Anyone playing a great bass line or riff in the last 60 years has probably nicked it themselves.[/b]

[b]If you have any personality as a player you'll make what you play sound like you, so it won't matter where it came from. Me? If I can fit it in I'll use it.[/b]
[/quote]

Yep...... although I very much doubt 99.9% will know where I've lifted it from anyway.. including bass players. I just wouldn't be so obvious ..

[arthurhenry]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780018' post='3187095']
Anyone playing a great bass line or riff in the last 60 years has probably nicked it themselves.

If you have any personality as a player you'll make what you play sound like you, so it won't matter where it came from. Me? If I can fit it in I'll use it.
[/quote]

This is my approach too, but sometimes the thought enters my head "What if someone here is intimately acquainted with every lick Andy Fraser ever played" etc...

[chris_b]

It's all in the way you play 'em.

Get it right and I think the (very) few players who would notice would jealously think; Damn, he nailed that part! But your style should make the bits you steal sound like they're yours. That's the way it works for everyone else.

In Jazz the great players make a point of "quoting" from other numbers and players.

[mikel]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780312' post='3187099']
[b]If the bass player isn't being noticed then it's his fault. Turn up and play better lines. Make them notice you.[/b]

I got two positive comments on Wednesday. One from a member of the audience (who wanted to know what gear I was using to "get that sound") and one from the band leader (if I made him happy then it's job done).
[/quote]

That's one way of looking at it, but I play for the song. Being a member of a band I prefer the audience to think "What a great band they are" rather than how good I am. Depending on the genre I think we all have a job to do to make the song the best it can be, and locking into the groove with the drummer is always my top priority. Showing off comes a long way last on my list.

[steve-bbb]

'quoting' is fine

[Painy]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1480778432' post='3187078']
No - I doubt anyone in the audience has noticed any bass players any more than they are noticing me!
[/quote]

A woman came up to me after last night's gig and asked if I was the guitarist or the bass player. She might not have been able to tell the difference but I was still impressed that she was even aware that there is a difference!

As far as using other people's lines is concerned I play in a covers band so not the easiest thing to avoid.

Edited December 4, 2016 by Painy

[Lozz196]

A fair few people mention that they can see some major punk influences in my style/sound, JJ Burnell, Bruce Foxton to name the most often mentioned. I take it as a compliment as I see those two especially as being right up there in the music that I play.

[Barking Spiders]

The foot on on the monitor thing is one of the naffest things any performer can do, along with 'saluting' the crowd. I've only ever played in funk and dance music bands so most people watching wouldn't have a clue who I'm ripping off. I once had someone say they found my Level 42 type playing annoying... which was nice!.

[JTUK]

I'll approach it as playing in the style of... that means I've listen to that person and I've aped the kind of thing he does, but I'm not interested of ripping licks right down pat..
Andy Fraser, for example, would be easy to give a nod too, so just listen to his phrasing... and maybe have the middy staccatto thing going on a little..

[scalpy]

I just hope no one in the audience is familiar with Scott Devine's free lessons.

[chris_b]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1480848350' post='3187463']
That's one way of looking at it, but I play for the song. Being a member of a band I prefer the audience to think "What a great band they are" rather than how good I am. Depending on the genre I think we all have a job to do to make the song the best it can be, and locking into the groove with the drummer is always my top priority. Showing off comes a long way last on my list.
[/quote]

It seems I haven't explained myself very well. I wasn't advocating showing off, over playing or doing anything other than making the rhythm section as perfect as you can. You can easily stand out by being the perfect [i]band[/i] player, look at Chuck Rainey, Nathan East, Reggie McBride, Bob Babbitt, John McVie, Duck Dunn.

And. . . . as I always post, the best players serve the song first.

Edited December 4, 2016 by chris_b

[Maude]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780679' post='3187105']

It's like eating peas with your knife. You can do it but if you have any class, you shouldn't.
[/quote]



I eat my peas with honey,
I've done it all my life,
It makes my peas taste funny,
But keeps them on the knife.

Spike Milligan

[interpol52]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1480780018' post='3187095']

Anyone playing a great bass line or riff in the last 60 years has probably nicked it themselves.

[/quote]

I couldn't agree more.

I speed it up, slow it down, play half of it, take parts from different genres and use them. I used to be in a very noisy Husker Du style 3 piece, armed with a Rickenbacker 4001 I used all kinds of lines from different types of music. I must have used the bassline to 'Go Your Own Way' by Fleetwood Mac countless times in that band, and 'Dear Prudence' too. I'm not even that keen on either tune.

[Bolo]

It's not a show if there aren't footprints on the monitor.