umm, I have a band with 2 guitars, bass guitar and drums in it. recently the other guitarist had to leave (for personal problems). now, would it work if we try out playing power chords or whatever on the bass so as to take some pressure off of the only guitarist+vocals (in this case, me... :roll: )? or would it sound too muddy? if so, how can we manage?
the idea was my bassist's, he say that he's confident enough and that he can cope with it. I'll play the chords(we play rock, but I tend to use lots of 7ths and others) and he'll play root and fifth. or I'll solo and he'll play the power/triad chords under it. now my question is, practically, would it work :?:
Bass players do indeed play chords, so I'd think it would work. You won't know how well it works on a particular song until you try it out. I don't think the bass can take the place of the rhythm guitar, but it can become the dominant instrument for much of the song's -- just think of Entwhistle with the Who, for example. "My Generation", "Substitute", etc.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
yeah, umm... so how about he plays only a couple of selected notes from the chord... say root and third? and my bassist gives me the idea that it'll sound good enough on the high strings (G and D).
and no, we're not substituting, only for a couple of gigs to go before we find a new guitarist
I'm not a big fan of the way chords sound on bass, you're going to get some mud. I think another option that's just as viable is the bassist "outlining" the chords, that is, sort of walking through the chord tones. Can really add some interest to a part too.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
I'm not a big fan of the way chords sound on bass, you're going to get some mud. I think another option that's just as viable is the bassist "outlining" the chords, that is, sort of walking through the chord tones. Can really add some interest to a part too.
Arpeggiated chords, maybe?
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Aye.
I guess I didn't say that because I tend to think (perhaps incorrectly) of arpeggiating as fairly structured...
There's a question: what technically differentiates an arpeggiated line from a melodic line that happens to be hitting chord tones? If I'm soloing in the pentatonic over a power chord, could it be considered arpeggiating?
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
I'd iimagine that if during the course of your solo, you started spelling out chord tones, then they would be arpeggios.
check out my website for good recording/playing info
You can play chords on the bass without mud. Just keep a few things in mind. First, you need enough mids to have definition. Put them at least as high as the bass knob. Some highs are nice too. Plus, if you're running without mids, I'm going to come slap you. :? Next, you have to watch out for "clang tones". Those are vibrations that run through the string from end to end. They happen when you get string squeaks, which you have to watch for anyway, but also when you strum bass strings and pluck them without caution. I've found that the best way to get clean bass chords is to pluck each string with one finger, and not so hard that it gets muddy. Even four string chords should come out fine like that.
ok paul, so you're saying if I don't STRUM but finger PICK I'll be okay? :roll:
Yeah, I'd agree with Paul. If you were to strum a chord on bass, it'd probably sound like crap. Maybe if you were to play for Neil Young it'd be ok. :lol:
Just kidding all you Neil Young fans, so no need to start an anti sirN campaign. :wink:
check out my website for good recording/playing info
ok paul, so you're saying if I don't STRUM but finger PICK I'll be okay? :roll:
Unless you're Les Claypool, plucking generally works better. I only strum in Primus-type moments.
Aye.
I guess I didn't say that because I tend to think (perhaps incorrectly) of arpeggiating as fairly structured...
There's a question: what technically differentiates an arpeggiated line from a melodic line that happens to be hitting chord tones? If I'm soloing in the pentatonic over a power chord, could it be considered arpeggiating?
To me at least, arpeggios are repeated patterns of the chosen chordal tones. 'Broken Chords' is another way I've heard (or read) them described, so I think you're right on that.
Melodic lines that hit chord tones are still melodies because a melody by nature has to travel within the chords (or add what would be chordal extensions, ie 7ths, 9ths, 11ths etc-ths) or it becomes atonal or at the very least sounds like a string of 'mistakes.'
Go play it, does it sound right? If it does fine, if not, don't do it. You don't have to take an opinion poll everytime you want to do something "different". Part of being a musician is experimentation...
I've found on a very mid-rangey sounding bass (like a Fender Jazz bass), that if you add a bit of distortion, power chords (1-5 chords) don't sound all that bad. However, I'd try to stay away from playing any other intervals, as you'll get what was previously referred to as "mud."
