September 16, 2008
Playing Bass Guitar in a Band
When starting out playing guitar it is perfectly natural to want to move towards playing bass guitar in a band. It is the progression that a lot of people want to take, but being a bass guitar player is not as straightforward as it may seem. There are many factors that make up a good bass player and those factors can either make you a great player with a band or a so-so player that will never advance. There are essentially three types of bass players. There is the frustrated guitar player who thinks the bass is just a guitar with four strings. They may play the same notes as they would on a guitar which basically makes them a mediocre bass player with absolutely no specialty.
Then you have the egomaniac approach to playing bass. They play like they have been in a band their whole life and are really just trying to imitate the greats of music history. Chances are you are neither great nor anywhere good as some of the past players such as Les Claypool or Jimi Hendrix. Finally you have the well balanced rhythm bass player which is really the only correct way to play the bass. When playing rhythm you are responsible for setting the background of a song. It gives everyone a firm foundation for the lead players to build upon and since they are the backbone of the band you need to have that kind of foundation.
The rhythm bass player decides the groove of the music and keeps the remaining players on track. It is often the basis of the sound as well because even if people don’t know the song, if there is good rhythm then people will enjoy it. The bass guitarist in a band also works to compliment the bass drum. While the bass drum is sharp and has a quick fade, the bass guitar has a softer edge to it and a longer decay. It compliments each other well and makes them both sound bigger and better when played together. This means better music, a fatter sound and a longer lasting, hard hitting sound. To be this kind of bass player takes a lot of practice and a lot of knowledge.
You have to learn to get in tune with the drummer and with the other lead players. It can be difficult when starting out but making sure the rhythm section sounds good together is the key to making your band sound fabulous. One way to do this is to watch the drummer’s feet. Position yourself so that you can always see them so that you can accentuate the drum hits, especially the bass drums. Do not hit when they hit as it can lead to a very bad sound that you will not be happy with. Also you should be prepared to cover them when they make a mistake. As a bassist you can completely overshadow them when they lose their way which is important, especially when you are playing in front of a crowd. Finally, take the time to enjoy it. You will make some mistakes, but the more you practice the above mentioned techniques the better you will be.