Why Play The Bass Guitar - The Different Types of Bass Player PDF

14/2/2019 Why Play The Bass Guitar?
The different types of bass player
ABOUT S TAR T HERE RESOURCES COURSES BLOG 
GEAR SKYPE
 LOG IN OR REGISTER
C AT E G O R I E S –
CLICK TO
DISCOVER…
Awesome Bass Players

Bass Guitar Exercises WHY P L AY THE
Bass Guitar Gear
Bass Guitar Resources
BASS GUI TAR?
Bass Line Creation
Bass Lines With
TAB/Notation DAN HAWKINS  21ST JUNE 2018  MINDSET
Classic Bass Albums
Free Bass Guitar Lessons
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Those who
Fretboard Knowledge know about the bass know about the bass. They get
Groove/Feel/Timing
it.
Mindset
Practice
Then there’s the rest who either don’t realise what
Reading Music
the bass sounds like or see it as the least cool
Technique
instrument.
Theory
Tunes and Songs
Pro Bass Tips
FOLLOW FOR TIPS,
REVIEWS AND
OFFERS
Απόρρητο - Όροι
https://www.onlinebasscourses.com/lessons/mindset/why-play-bass-guitar/ 1/13
14/2/2019 Why Play The Bass Guitar? The different types of bass player
DAN H AW K INS
via GIPHY
My name is Dan Go to any live gig – especially in a big venue like an

Hawkins and I run arena – and you can start to see (and hear) why. It’s so
Online Bass Courses, a easy to know what the drums, guitar, keyboards and
site dedicated to voice are doing but, often, the bassist is at the back of
reaching your full the stage and can’t be heard clearly.
potential as a bass
player. I have been a The great Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap describes
full time working pro all himself as the lukewarm water to Nigel Tufnell and
my working life and David St Hubbins’ re and ice. Bass players tend to be
have taught for that quite chilled characters with less of an ego than their
entire time. This site colleagues; especially the guitarists and singers.
was created to share
free lessons, ideas, There’s something about this personality and the role
gear reviews, pro tips the instrument has within the band that makes bass
and much more, as players an easy target for cruel musicians jokes. There
well as to o er are so many stories of people picking up the bass
premium in-depth because no one else wanted to:
courses on a range of
vital musical skills.
Read More…
SEARCH THE BLOG
Search For Bass Stuff
This hilarious video by www.thehardtimes.net and

SEARCH
www.consequenceofsound.net sums it up brilliantly.
Lowriders: Bass Player Support Group Απόρρητο - Όροι
ARCHIVES
Select Month 
So why would you play the bass??
Let’s explore a few reasons. First, let’s take a look at…
THE DIFFERENT T YPES OF BASS PL AYER
The thing about the bass is you have di erent schools

of thoughts on what a bass player ‘should’ be.
5 or 6 strings? “Bad. You MUST play 4 strings”.
Blistering bass solos? “Why didn’t you take up the

guitar, the bass should be in a support role only”.
In the instrument’s relatively short history, a few

pioneers have shown that you can do a huge range of
things on the bass:
T H E G R O O V E R
Rocco Prestia, Tower Of Power. A

serious groove player.
This is the traditional role, the groove merchant who

is content to lock in with the drummer, be in the
background but contribute fully to the music. James
Jamerson was there right around the instrument’s
infancy and he played some of the greatest bass lines
ever heard. He was one of the rst session bass
players: a musician who is hired to play on an album or
song. His contemporaries were responsible for some
incredible playing – people like Bob Babbit, Carole
Kaye, Jerry Sche , etc. etc. The list is endless (I
highlight the greats of the instrument in my Awesome
Bass Players category of the blog). These players
provide the foundation to the whole band and revel in
it. The bass lines provide the pulse and the heartbeat
to the music and, whilst in the background, provide
elements to the music that it can’t do without.
This is perhaps the most popular role the bass can

have in a band and often makes the bassist one of the
more important members. Without the bass, there is
no comfy chair for the rest of the band to sit in.
What's Going On - Isolated Bass Track (J…

(J…
T H E ‘ L E A D ’ B A S S P L AY E R
Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
Bass players don’t have to be in the background. The

most famous example is probably Flea from Red Hot
Chili Peppers whose playing and stage presence
propel him front and centre. Di erent styles of music
lend themselves to the bass player being the star of
the show. This is most obvious in some styles of jazz,
disco, metal and funk. Check out bass titans such as
Les Claypool, Bernard Edwards, Cli Burton and
Bootsy Collins respectively. I’m calling these players
‘lead’ players but they don’t have to be playing solos
all the time. Some of these bass lines are serious
works of groove whilst managing to catch the ear at
the same time.
Cliff Burton bass solo Anesthesia Pulling…

Pulling…
T H E S I N G I N G B A S S I S T
Esperanza Spalding
Paul McCartney, Lemmy and Sting are perhaps the

most famous examples of singers who happen to play
the bass. Esperanza Spalding and Gail Anne Dorsey
are ridiculously good bass players who also have
voices to match. The bass is often playing the same
role as The Groover but the musician is doubling their
power with another instrument; the one most people
focus on. These players tend to be very musical

because the bass is not necessarily their main focus
or musical outlet.
Listen to the awesome playing and singing from Gail

Ann in this video:
Gail Ann Dorsey - Stop on By - the Tube
T H E S O L O B A S S P L AY E R
Michael Manring.
Michael Manring and Steve Lawson are two bass

players who have made careers around the bass as a
solo instrument, using the full box of technical tricksΑπόρρητο - Όροι
in conjunction with loop pedals and sound e ects to

create multi-layered sonic soundscapes. This can
o end the purist no end but who cares? Jazz players
like Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller play
instrumental bass-focused music and use the bass as
the main voice.
Michael Manring - Selene - DVD - www.ca…

www.ca…
OPPORTUNITIES
The bass player is like the goalkeeper in football

(soccer for the Americans). They are the rst ones to
be picked as they are rare and often no one else wants
to do it. If you want to get into a band and stay there,
learn to play the bass well. There are far more
guitarists, singers, drummers and keyboard players. A
good bass player is worth their weight in gold.
If you want to make a living as a bass player, I

recommend learning how to play in time, develop a
rock solid groove and learn to play a few styles
tastefully. You really can’t go wrong studying James
Jamerson and his many fellow bass playing greats
over time. You’ll always be in work as what most
people want from a bass player is someone who can
contribute to the foundational, background role;

doing the simple things incredibly well.
Playing in a band is the ultimate in creativity and

teamwork and as a bass player, you get to form the
rhythm section with the drums and other
instruments. No other instrument in the band is
responsible for the rhythm and harmony in the way
the bass is.
Some of the di erent musicians mentioned above

prove, however, that there is much more to the bass
than a background role.
LEARNING
To become a good bass player you need to have a

grasp of some core musical skills namely; rhythm,
groove, timing, feel. You need a rock-solid technique
and a knowledge of theory and how to make music
with it. You need a great sound through the use of
technique and the right gear for your situation.
As the bass often plays the root note of a chord, it

really helps to know the relationship between that
note and the chord and how the chords t into the
overall harmonic picture. This is the world of music
theory and it can really advance you as a musician.
People often say the bass is ‘easier’ than other

instruments but there are some seriously high-level
musicians who play it, reaching an incredible level of
artistry. You can be in the background or right up
front, solid and simple or a pyrotechnical wizard. You
can concentrate on playing one style and make that
your own or you can learn as many di erent styles as
you can and become a student of the bass.
Bass playing has come a long way since the 50s.

Personally, I am fully in the bass as foundation camp
(The Groover) and am a huge fan of session players
like Jamerson and Tony Levin. I love the bass as a
supporting role within a band context and am more
than happy as a sideman. It suits my personality down
to the ground, allows me to play loads of di erent
styles of music in a whole range of musical situations
and get paid to do it.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t love and appreciate all

the di erent types of bass players out there. That’s
the point: there are SO many styles, techniques and
roles a bass player can have.
Just think about what you want kind of bass player

you want to be and go for that.
Playing the bass is awesome. There are so many great

gear companies to geek out over, hundreds of great
players to gain inspiration from, loads of
opportunities if you get yourself to a decent level and
you get to contribute as a really important part of the
music.
So why play the bass guitar?

Because it's the greatest instrument
in the world that's why. CLICK TO TWEET
If you want to learn the bass but don’t know where to

start, read:
The First Things You Should Learn On Bass Guitar
How To Improve Your Bass Playing In The Quickest

Time

Why Play The Bass Guitar - The Different Types of Bass Player PDF

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Why Play The Bass Guitar - The Different Types of Bass Player PDF

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

14/2/2019 Why Play The Bass Guitar?

The different types of bass player

ABOUT S TAR T HERE RESOURCES COURSES BLOG 

Awesome Bass Players

FOLLOW FOR TIPS,

My name is Dan Go to any live gig – especially in a big venue like an

SEARCH THE BLOG

Search For Bass Stuff

This hilarious video by www.thehardtimes.net and

Lowriders: Bass Player Support Group Απόρρητο - Όροι

So why would you play the bass??

Let’s explore a few reasons. First, let’s take a look at…

THE DIFFERENT T YPES OF BASS PL AYER

The thing about the bass is you have di erent schools

5 or 6 strings? “Bad. You MUST play 4 strings”.

Blistering bass solos? “Why didn’t you take up the

In the instrument’s relatively short history, a few

Rocco Prestia, Tower Of Power. A

This is the traditional role, the groove merchant who

This is perhaps the most popular role the bass can

What's Going On - Isolated Bass Track (J…

Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images

Bass players don’t have to be in the background. The

Cliff Burton bass solo Anesthesia Pulling…

Paul McCartney, Lemmy and Sting are perhaps the

focus on. These players tend to be very musical

Listen to the awesome playing and singing from Gail

Gail Ann Dorsey - Stop on By - the Tube

Michael Manring and Steve Lawson are two bass

in conjunction with loop pedals and sound e ects to

Michael Manring - Selene - DVD - www.ca…

The bass player is like the goalkeeper in football

If you want to make a living as a bass player, I

contribute to the foundational, background role;

Playing in a band is the ultimate in creativity and

Some of the di erent musicians mentioned above

To become a good bass player you need to have a

As the bass often plays the root note of a chord, it

People often say the bass is ‘easier’ than other

Bass playing has come a long way since the 50s.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t love and appreciate all

Just think about what you want kind of bass player

Playing the bass is awesome. There are so many great

So why play the bass guitar?

If you want to learn the bass but don’t know where to

The First Things You Should Learn On Bass Guitar

How To Improve Your Bass Playing In The Quickest

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi