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Any tips ?

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(@coolnama)
Prominent Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

Well I'll be playing bass soon for a school latin jazz band that we are working on and wanted some pointers.

My technique is good ( okay I guess ) I don't have a bass I borrow one from the school, but what I practiced leading p to the bass is my two finger picking, which I already knew how to do but wanted to brush it up a bit. I discovered today that that kind of picking is actually easier in the Bass because there is more space between the strings. My left hand technique is a little different than the technique of the guitar, I don't know I press the strings differently because they are thicker. Also the spaces between the frets are longer but even with my little hands I can use most scale fingerings just fine.

So I know the bass is more rhythm oriented and that is kind of the reason I wanted to play it. I have good pulse so I should be fine. So this leads to my question:

How do I do little flourishes on the bass ?

I don't wanna just play the same notes as the progression ( like C C C C C C C C F F F F F F F F G G G G G G G ) that could be okay if it was a part of a song but I wanna mix it up.

I have some ideas in rhythm but I am not sure about the notes that work, (of course I'll get down to experimenting 2morrow) but I just want to hear your input.

I was thinking maybe the 3rd ( or b3 depending on chord ) and maybe the 5th and 6th sometimes and 4th just "passing by" without sticking to it cause I know that can be dissonant sometimes. Oh and b5 if its maybe a blues or some jazz. This is just me thinking about it, I'm not sure how it will sound.

So any more pointers you could give me will be welcome :D.

Just want to try out the bass, the teacher told me that depending on the song he would change me from bass to guitar as he seemed fit, and thats okay with me ^^.

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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(@hbriem)
Honorable Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 646
 

Well, you've got the right idea, but bass playing is a big subject, worthy of whole books and can't really be compressed into a couple of sentences. There are many articles about it here in the Bass section. I also recommend James 'Wheat' Martin's free online Bass Book.

How you play and how many extra notes you add will depend on the style and music genre. Walking bass will be appropriate for jazz and slow ballad type pop, but sound very staid for most types of rock (at least used on every chord). The alternating 1-5 will make any song sound country. Great if your playing country, not so great for heavy metal.

The safest notes to add will be the 3 and 5 (b3 and 5 for minor chords).

The 2(9), 4(11) and 6(13) will almost always sound OK briefly, ie not on first beat or held too long.

The b7 and maj7 need to be used carefully because they change the character of the chord. Don't hold them too long either because it will just sound as if your out of key.

The b5(#4) can sound good (bluesy) as a passing note between 4 and 5 but again, don't hold it.

The b2(b9) and b6 are difficult notes and seldom used in basslines. The b6 comes into use occasionally as a passing tone into the 5th, especially over minor chords and the b2 is used in minor key metal a bit.

I hope this helps and perhaps inspires more specific questions. Good luck.

--
Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com


   
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 Nuno
(@nuno)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3995
 

The David's book has many good ideas and tips related to your question and also he puts examples for many different styles. Very, very motivating!


   
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(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
 

You really can't go wrong with R, and as Helgi said, adding 3 & 5 is a safe bet. The 7th needs love too. :D

Non-chord notes are good if you don't get crazy with them, and don't get really dissonant. I accidentally used a B in the bass line playing over an F#m chord. I wanted to play an F#, 6th string 2nd fret, but I goofed and went 1 string up to B. Well, B is the 4th of the F# scale. It's a non-chord tone, but it works beautifully.

This is my new favorite video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiyf7OfYMoA It's a Portuguese version of Obladi Oblada. I'm pretty sure it's in A. Skip to :15 when the bass starts. As far as I can tell he's predominately playing the R 3 5 of Dmaj and an E pretty much throughout the whole song, and playing with the rhythm. And if can ever have as much fun playing as he looks like he's having, I can die happy. :D

Just an idea.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@hbriem)
Honorable Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 646
 

Doh! I forgot about our very own David Hodge's excellent Complete Idiot's Guide to Bass Playing. Should be in every bass player's library.

--
Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com


   
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 Nuno
(@nuno)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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This is my new favorite video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiyf7OfYMoA It's a Portuguese version of Obladi Oblada.
Cool video Minotaur! It is Brazilian version.

:D


   
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(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
 

This is my new favorite video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiyf7OfYMoA It's a Portuguese version of Obladi Oblada.
Cool video Minotaur! It is Brazilian version.

:D

Yes, not European Portuguese. The name Flavio Brasil kind of gave that away. :lol: I can't understand a word of it since I don't speak Portuguese (but I can curse). I do know that patati patata means pretty much the same as obladi oblada, a west African phrase similar to "yeah, whatever" in English. Paul McCartney had a friend from west Africa who used to say obladi oblada and explained it.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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 Nuno
(@nuno)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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I didn't know that Portuguese expression but we use "patatín, patatán" with the same sense! :lol:


   
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(@minotaur)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
 

I didn't know that Portuguese expression but we use "patatín, patatán" with the same sense! :lol:

That's pretty interesting. I don't think Latin American Spanish has anything like that.

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@coolnama)
Prominent Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

Nope we don't have anything like PataTIN PataTAN ( TIN means there is an accent there, ame as TAN) but it sounds cool, maybe I'll start saying it over here and start a new fad ?

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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(@minotaur)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1089
 

Nope we don't have anything like PataTIN PataTAN ( TIN means there is an accent there, ame as TAN) but it sounds cool, maybe I'll start saying it over here and start a new fad ?

How about "es lo que es"? We say that all the time. And shrug your shoulders. :D

It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.


   
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(@coolnama)
Prominent Member
Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
Topic starter  

Oh yeah now I'm definetly getting into the whole "bass laid back" groove :P.

I wanna be that guy that you wish you were ! ( i wish I were that guy)

You gotta set your sights high to get high!

Everyone is a teacher when you are looking to learn.

( wise stuff man! )

Its Kirby....


   
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