What kind of bass player are you?

[andy67]

well to answer the obvious: Male and of four string long neck variety!

Anyhoo...thought I would ask this as it would seem there is a huge amount of missing info in relation to us all as players...

I am a standard no frills solid rock bass player in the mold of Cliff Williams and Phil Lynott. I occasionally tap (Billy Sheehan) but not practiced enough to say I'm any good at it! Same with slap, although I do incorporate basic slap techniques into some of the bands original material.

I believe that the players tone, technique and ability is all in the hands and if you are a decent player should be able to get a decent tone sound out of any sort of equipment even the perceived crap stuff!

Over the twenty plus years of playing - nearly thirty actually! (31 now actually) I have always made a pigs ear of things when I have to think about it or attempt to be technical, sooo tend to be simple but effective - good grief that's me simple and effective.....

andy

Edited January 30, 2011 by andy67

[neepheid]

Wannabe poseur. More talking done with mouth than fingers. Never gigged. Pretended to play for 4 years. Recently decided that taking the bass out of the bag and practicing more often might be a good idea.

Currently spending more time building/plotting than playing, but once my soon to be ex-flatmate moves out (in 2 weeks), we'll have a spare room which will be set up for musicy goodness. World domination to follow.

[jwbassman]

I'd say my style is to keep it simple - why play a million notes when one is more effective?

Concentrate on the groove and keeping good time - it's fundamenatal stuff but it's easy to lose sight of. This approach has served me well for over 15 years, in many different situations, styles of music and various bands. Always bear in mind what your role is in any given musical situation and play appropriately.

You know the way that some instruments just fit the personality of the player, well that's me and the bass and the way I approach my playing..

Remember that no matter how you approach your bass playing always enjoy what your doing

[douggy]

20 year old male

play 4 strings although would love another 6 but waiting for the right one ( ahem )

belive in putting on a show when playing , not nessacairly technically but people are paying to see a show not 4 guys standing still , unless the music calls for it that is !

fairly compatant muically , studying bass at basstech in london.

have worked in music shops full and part time since i was 13 . and thats not a lie , unfortunately.

i also would kill for a ampeg b15r

[lowhand_mike]

er....
sh*te i geuss

[Steve Rickwood]

[quote name='jwbassman' date='Aug 15 2007, 12:15 PM' post='45709']
Yeah - enjoyment is the key. I wear different hats according to what band I'm playing with; ie, the madder styles and techniques don't get much use in a blues gig. I have most fun in a three piece though as I can fill out more space.

[andy67]

yep agree...

doing the bread and butter stuff is the most important!

and, good getting to know you guys as players!

[Steve Rickwood]

Is basstech 'organised' these days...!?

What u say is true - playing music is one thing, but its also about performance. A load of people were hassling me last night (drunk of course, talking to a bassist, aka 'the other guitarist') about 'what I was doing when I crossed hands over' and so on...

Simply put, I was bored and found a more awkward way of playing an easy line because it looked like I was doing something clever! But the main reason is that people want to be entertained.
Watch any of the Steve Vais etc of the world, and whether u like that sort of thing or not, its more than just music.

[acidbass]

I'm 20 and play only 4 stringers

I'm quite a busy player but always have groove at the forefront of my mind. My role model is John Entwistle, specifically from 1965 to 1978, as I don't care much for his style or tone from the 80's onwards (all that tapping and synthy stuff)

I like to think I'm quite a melodic player too and know my fair share of music theory to this effect!

So....that's me really!

[The Funk]

Passive-aggressive show-off, 4 string Fender Jazzes or 5 string Warwicks. I write all the tunes, so my bass parts are fun - but it's not a bass-led band. (Edit: 28 years old, slap/fingerstyle - often riff-based).

Edited August 15, 2007 by The Funk

[Rich]

42 years old, I play almost exclusively 5 strings. I do a little bit of slap here and there, when there's call for it in the music, but in the main I am a pocket-dwelling groover, a bus-driver... I'm part of the Engine Room, and proud of it.

[Steve Rickwood]

Yeah - fun is the key. I always try to make the part memorable but not obstructive. How successfully I do that is purely subjective! But my heart is in the right place...

[Muse_Cubed]

5 stringer. My ability fluctuates with my mental state. I'm predominantly a hard fingerstylist, mainly play rock but I like playing more expansive lines. Shedload of effects and I love experimenting.

Although jazz/soul etc isn't really my sort of thing I look to people like Vic for inspiration...I'm trying to brush up on my slap (I have problems with muted notes for some reason) and tap.

I also failed Grade V theory twice back when I was playing the sax so I'm trying to learn the basics again. Hurrah.

[Machines]

I go for the solid rock category too, occasional melodic fills and a few slapping interludes.

[douggy]

[quote name='Steve Rickwood' post='45781' date='Aug 15 2007, 01:23 PM']Is basstech 'organised' these days...!?[/quote]
i start in the last week of september , but im enrolled ect . but my flatmates are the year above me and insist its freaking swaheet ! so im sure its good . pricey tho

[gypsymoth]

a writing player, which means when I do solo stuff, it may appear like I'm a busy bass player as I have to to what the instruments not there would be doing.
less busy (and much more sloppy) now that I'm doing guitar & drums too, but still not of the rock solid variety.
most guitar players don't seem to like playing with me - and a lot of drummers don't either. not a problem - I have no interest in going ac/dc-ish covers.

[charic]

4 stringer (at the mo), rock player with occasional riffs involved, still learning and building on "what kinda bass player" i am too much to catagorise much more than that.

Influences: the who, megadeth, rage against the machine, dream theater, iron maiden, ac-dc, offspring, led zep:::::::to name a few

[Cantdosleepy]

Cool thread - I find it really interesting that there are so many different takes on the bass.

Me:

Male
24 years old

4 strings
Passive Jazz
50% pick, 50% fingers
Minimal effects - I own a POD XTlive but haven't tinkered with it enough.

I'm in love the basics. My bass idols are Peter Hook, Mani (XTRMNTR best!), Gang of Four, ESG etc. I don't like slapping or popping or tapping or YYZ or Dream Theater or Wooten or Jaco or Willis. I love simple bass parts that lock right into the drums and tie a song together. Favourite bass parts of recent weeks - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's first album.

I prefer to be in a band, and for the singer-songwriters to have the basic concept that I can work on.

[paul, the]

Age: 18

Passive Precision Special


4 string player.


Motown/Soul.


Would love to learn to walk on an upright and be able to play along to vintage jazz.

Edited August 15, 2007 by paul, the

[markytbass]

34 playing since I was 16/17. Play 4 string only, tried 5 but found I only use the top low B as a thumb rest (can't see the point in all those strings and a neck like a cricket bat just for an extra 5 notes). Play finger style can't get on with a pick, fussy about my tone. Like to be funky can slap but never live. I have been in loads of bands some good times some bad (made some good friends along the way, usually not in the same band though). Mainly indie rock but trying to expand on that, done the grundge and metal thing. Love playing bass but currently not in a fully formed band so not practiced with a band for months now. Hopefully this will change in the next few weeks. Like John Entwistle, Norman Watt-Roy, Flea, Mani, Jo Lally, Phil Lynott, John Deacon (probably the bloke that first influenced me to play bass), Macca, Gerry Bryant and Morgan Nicholls to name a few.

Edited August 15, 2007 by markytbass

[Shockwave]

4/6 string player, Not 5's Fingerstyle, Tapping, Very little slapping.

Overplaying bum.

I overplay all the time and get chucked out of bands all the time for it, but dont care. As long as i am playing what i want to play i am happy.

When i explain to bands before joining that i overplay, they are perfectly happy about it, Then a few months down the line regret the decision.

At least i have lots of experience of different genres this way!

[john_the_bass]

male 27 year old [b]guitar[/b] player
been playing guitars since I was 13, picked up the bass in 2005 to 'fill in' and stayed on. playing sort of brit pop indie rock or whatever you call it and like digging in with a pick. play what i want mostly but accent the big beat bits with the drums. in the quiet bits do some more melodic stuff but again it's mostly rhythm driven, don't think we play anything under about 120 bpm. Play four strings and til recently played more bass than guitar - then joined a covers band on guitar and believe that my bass playing has improved my guitar playing no end and vice versa. Know little theory - know some scales and my way round a finger board but that's it. Trying to improve my technique - fingerstyle first then fretless, but not really interested in slapping, double thumbing and all that. Would love to be able to play doghouse bass in a rockabilly band. With markytbass on the 5 string thing to be honest although i have dabbled on the old man's 5 string F/L. Trying to write some of our songs around bass line ideas I've had recently which is a departure from our normal dabblings. astonished at how much green eyes i get over bass gear (lots) compared to guitar gear (not much)

apologies for unnecessarily long post

[dirtystatic]

I play 4-string.. I'm sure a 5-string would be perfect for me but I love thrashing away at the E so that B would only get in the way!

Technically I think I'm as good as I'll ever get, I'm only just learning the theory side of music and also getting to know my gear a little better.

I play with a pick, I like alot of attack, I also like a little OD.

I like noodlin when I'm at home practising but in a band environment I keep it simple. My guitarist tends to disappear off into solos of ear piercing highs, so I find a good solid, simple bass line anchors the songs down a little.

[NJW]

I am 21. I like to play passive jazz basses, but I own an active. I play differently depending on the situation. In my two main bands I play mostly with a pick. On other, more 'pop' projects, I will play fingerstyle.

I am currently filling in for a bass player for a few shows coming up, and this has backed up my philosophy that when it comes to bass, less is (usually) more. In my own bands, I like to play only whats necessary, and give everything else plenty of room to sit and sound good. Sometimes this means just playing a driving rhythm on one note for a bar of 8... and some would say this is boring, but it works and (to me) sounds better than walking the line all over the place.

I think the most important thing as a bassist is to understand your drummer.

[Gazm]

I started playing when I was about 12 and formed a band at school when 15. Seems a loooong time ago I'm 42 now!
Had a long (13 year) gap from playing and took it up again earlier this year, has cost me a fortune so far just can't get rid of the GAS. Only played with a pick until I took it up again (was in mainly punky bands with down-stroke only fast picking).

Play in a band where we do our own stuff, 60% finger-style, 20% slap and about the same with a pic - for the really mental fast stuff we do! Only use a 4 string in the band, Stingray or Ric depending on the song, but I've got quite a collection of basses at home including a 5 string fretless tuned EADGC and a 6 string TRB6 II the neighbours love me :ph34r:

I'm a flash b@stard when I play, always have been and won't stop now - can't resist putting in a fill at every opportunity lol. Never had a lesson, can't read music, had a look at tab but couldn't get on with it; luckily I have good hearing/pitch and can pick things up quickly. I think I used to play better years ago than I do currently. Was once told I played like Billy Sheehan many years ago at a jam night, didn't know who he was at the time. Now more likely to be compared to a Billy Goat :wacko:

Pete.