What makes a good bass player?

[algmusic]

I'm a bassist and drummer and I've found the that a bassist its the link between the drums and the rest of the band (pitch).

Sometimes the most simplest players, I find are much better. I don't meal simple as in easy either, just matured enough to know what to play. When I'm rocking I like the bass to drive song with the drummer with a bit of grit, when it's more soulful much more smoother .. but most of all the drums and bass should sound like one unit...

[El Bajo]

As Jack Bruce said on a recent documentry that severly down played the bass role in a band. Bassist make everyone else sound good.

I see my role as the back bone of the band, to be the glue between the beat and the melody, to look for progressions that need emphasising or backing of a little to allow the melody to come through, to make the crowds midriff sway to the groove ,to fetch cups of tea while everybody else sets up.

Of course putting a cheeky fill in here and there to spaice thing sup a bit is totally acceptable.

[wateroftyne]

It's all about confidently enhancing the groove, melody and dynamic of the tune... whatever it involves.

[oldslapper]

To be unnoticed, but missed when you stop playing.............


.....sorry, I meant... be as fast and complicated as humanly possible, so that guitarists can all say "bass players are failed guitarists".

[RockfordStone]

for me the job of the bass is to hold the groove and drive of the song along with the drums, if you can keep that tight everything else can build off it

[Pete Academy]

Discipline.

[davidmpires]

I don't know i'm still trying to find out.

[Golchen]

A good haircut, trendy clothes and the ability to widdle endlessly and slap furiously through all genres.

I'm sure I'll pass an audition one day.

[garethox]

To be able to listen and to know when to hold back and let rip. As I play in a 3 piece I hold the bass down but also do a lot of the rhythm guitar work to fill the sound out.

[The inglourious bass turd]

To drive the van....

[Dave Vader]

Knowing when NOT to play, now that's important. Check verse of Highway to Hell if you don't know what I mean, would that chorus sound as good if the bass wasn't only just now appearing? No, it wouldn't.

[Cat Burrito]

I don't think there is a hard & fast answer. I play Americana / roots stuff so my role is obviously different from a funk player and different from a rockabilly player.

I see it as slotting in between the drums and the lead instruments. I'm a backroom boy, an engine driver. I stand out when I mess up! That said I have a couple of walking lines where I get to shine a little more. For all the knocking of country players, people should hear the Nashville bassists let rip in soundcheck. They can do it all but stay pretty straight and locked in when they play in a band situation.

[JordanRLS]

One who moves around and doesn't wallow in a corner for the entire gig!

[crez5150]

[quote name='algmusic' post='848419' date='May 26 2010, 12:58 PM']Sometimes the most simplest players, I find are much better.[/quote]

Most bassists I've met are simple.....

[TomKent]

Tough question really because to some extent it's varies by style. For me, this makes a good bassist;

[list]
[*]Locking in with the kick (and the snare where necessary).
[*]Good knowledge of tunes.
[*]Ability to improvise decently.
[*]Good sight-reader.
[*]Nice tone.
[*]Not being an idiot!
[/list]

That's pretty much it for me, haha.

[janmaat]

Good and bad is a moral question. Good bassist = not being an asshole.

In addition, it helps being an able player. If not that able, then being
humble is a good quality, as one can learn; as long as one has talent,
which i consider a mix of creativity, the ability to learn, and some sort
of "feel" that's in the hands I suppose.

[oldmanrock]

[quote name='The inglourious bass turd' post='848624' date='May 26 2010, 04:10 PM']To drive the van....[/quote]

[Gust0o]

I thought we were the intelligent counter to the missing link on drums?

[ickleben]

my mum and dad

[JTUK]

Get called a lot to play with various line-ups....and to be able to pick and choose which gigs you'll take..

[Etienne]

+1 for being able to LISTEN!

[peterG]

Play a Fender jazz?

[Dood]

[quote name='Gust0o' post='848765' date='May 26 2010, 06:15 PM']I thought we were the intelligent counter to the missing link on drums?[/quote]

mmm-heh heh heh. - and to simplify what the keyboard player is saying to the rest of the band. )

[xilddx]

A good bass player is highly sympathetic with the music - with timing, tone and notes, a good songwriter, a good dresser, a good mover, and often depressed.

[Marvin]

[quote name='silddx' post='849006' date='May 26 2010, 10:39 PM']A good bass player is highly sympathetic with the music - with timing, tone and notes, a good songwriter, a good dresser, a good mover, and often depressed.[/quote]

and has a fine collection of hats. Most important.