What makes a good jazz bassist

Well yeah. I agree to some extent. Because really the job of the bass player in any band is to keep the groove and form that bridge between the drummer and the rest of the band and failure to do so can result in alot of things. So despite all the chops in the world if you cant do that is required of you as a bassist then your gonna get drop despite your musical intelligence.

Yeah you have to hold man rock hard bro??. And when to throw in a few love notes aaah aah if you wanna be seen like that. Bass players hold it down. Bassists take it to a higher level. Good ones pick and choose the style based on the song. Melodic groovy or or both. Spot on. This reminds me of a video of a drum clinic I saw. Somebody asked the teacher who the best drummer ever was.

They were probably expecting Buddy Rich or Neil Peart. But in his opinion it was Ringo Starr Really? But when he played it Always Fit the Song. Hands down, making the song better is rule 1. What does it mean to be a good bass player? Below is my list on the topic.

Anyone else care to add their thoughts? If you can accurately manifest your melodic and harmonic ideas through the sound of your bass, you are a good bass player the quality of those ideas is entirely subjective. If you can create a wide variety of tone through various right and left hand technique, and then use the appropriate tone for the genre you are playing, you are a good bass player. If you can perform in a variety of musical styles and sound equally well versed in them all, you are a good bass player.

If you can read music and perform the all notes with the inflections indicated by the composer, you are a good bass player. If you can listen to a fairly intricate bass line say the Lemon Song and learn it by ear, you are a good bass player. If you can listen to the other members in your ensemble, compliment them, and put the overall sound of the group before the sound of your own instrument, you are a good bass player.

Great article, but you left out Cliff Burton and Stanley Clarke,both had that balance between holding down the bottom but stepping up to make it shout. Damian did a fine job writing about a topic where the answer is obvious to anyone with a musical background and history as a player. If you have this background, then the answer is dead simple to figure out: There are three answers:. Playing bass is like anything else; you have to work for it. Good bass players already know this.

I really enjoyed reading the column! I agree with you! I love being the bridge because everybody knows they have a safe place to land! As a bassist, finding that place in the band is crucial! And you know you can go wild on your own or in a different setup! Awesome words! Keep your playing in the pocket and u will be fine..

That means no soloing till the end and no fills except at the turn-around s.. He really tightens the band and comes up with some real evil sounding stuff.

I like!! Does the song ask to be overplayed? Is it asking to be understated? I mean if you become one with the music it will tell you what to do. If you run up and down the neck then grab a guitar and enjoy.

As a bass player not a guitar player a true bass player. I think less is more you as the bass player and the drummer must be one. Because the bass and the drums are the band.

Having progressed with a band as a bassist, I have grown to play less and less. It is a position of servitude and that should be fully realized by a true bassist.

On all our recordings I find way more I am playing too much rather than too little. As a comparatively beginner bassist By this article I am no way near a bass player! Thank you! Skip to main content. Share Tweet Email Comments. Q: I was wondering what — in your opinion — makes a good bassist? The Bassist.

The Bass Player. Get daily bass updates. Get the latest news, videos, lessons, and more in your inbox every morning. Related Topics: discussion , styles. More from No Treble. Share your thoughts Cancel reply. September 21, Damian Erskine.

September 22, July 23, Great stuff man!!! September 25, September 23, September 24, September 26, September 27, September 30, David Kahl. What are you playing? October 2, April 15, So well put. October 3, October 4, November 15, December 15, December 22, Erol Sommer.

December 24, So true, brother.. The truth will set them free and make them a better bass player. May 1, The most common pattern for jazz bass is the walking bass line which consists of playing quarter notes.

Eighth notes add syncopation and rhythmic interest. Faster notes like triplets and 16 ths are used for soloing. Often the rhythm will change in the course of a jazz tune so a bass player might play in half time slower notes for one section, then walk in another section or variation, or even drop out for a drum solo. The amount of notes or intensity used by the jazz bass player also depends on how many players are in the group.

The more players there are, the more space you have to leave for other instrumentalists and by contrast less players sometimes requires more playing or notes to fill out the texture. While it is true that a certain amount of theory or musical understanding is required to play jazz, the most important thing is to understand musical patterns. I rarely think about note names when playing jazz bass lines — what I do understand is how to play interval patterns!

I know how to play specific intervals when reading a chord symbol on a jazz chart by pattern. Without going into too much detail and this is a secret tip! Just be aware that there are Major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords which effect how the specific notes in a chord are altered.

This will be discussed in a more advanced post, but for example a Dm7 has the following notes: D — root, F — minor 3 rd , A — 5 th , and C — minor or flat 7 th. A C6 chord would have the following notes: C — root, E — [major] 3 rd , G — 5 th , and A — [major] 6 th. So in essence learn to play:. While not in the scope of this article to document all the symbols used for chords used in jazz, it is easy to find definitions in most basic jazz books and methods, on the internet, or from a music teacher.

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Search uDiscover Music. Joe May 22, at pm.

Frunhy June 15, at am. Not to mention Red Michell, who was in high demand throughout his career. Michael Balazki August 31, at am. Where is the great Jimmy Johnson on the Alembic? He is a bass God!!! Joe Wright May 22, at pm.

Chris scherer May 23, at pm. Jon May 24, at am. I was wondering the name thing. I fully expected Victor Wooten to be on this list. Christopher Nowak September 15, at pm. Gregory Stump May 23, at am. Jamaaladeen Tacuma should surely be on this list! Jan Johannesson May 23, at pm. Reiter May 24, at am. Fretless D. May 24, at am. Christopher Nowak September 18, at pm. Michael Rodifer May 25, at pm. First: I completely agree that Victor Wooten belongs in this conversation. Shameful omission. There is plenty of bass inspiration to be found out there, to be sure!

Willy Mendez May 30, at pm. Joseph Jones May 30, at pm. Ron Wasserman July 5, at pm. Ron Wasserman January 9, at am. I forgot I said this before, so I agree with myself. And a list centered on innovators, but no Israel Crosby? Did I miss it? Joseph Jones October 4, at pm. Mays Pulliam August 18, at pm. Alan Gardner January 1, at pm. Valerio Di Rosa January 7, at pm. Mike March 1, at pm. Kay Heymer May 19, at am.

Barre Phillips? Peter Kowald? Dan Berglund? Dieter Ilg? Walter Page? Eva Kruse? Miroslav Vitous? Fernand June 10, at pm. Manolo May 20, at pm. Doug June 11, at pm. Faith June 15, at pm. William Farnaby August 7, at pm. Ray Brown 2. Christopher Nowak September 14, at pm. Hermann Blaesing December 28, at pm. Christopher Nowak September 16, at pm. Christopher Nowak September 19, at pm. Christopher Nowak September 24, at pm. Christopher Nowak September 25, at pm.

The brother of Michael and one of the best bassists ever!! Sorry folks. Christopher Nowak September 27, at pm. Christopher Nowak September 28, at pm.

One of the oldest but one of the best too! Christopher Nowak November 6, at pm. Christopher Nowak December 2, at pm. Christopher Nowak December 12, at pm. Eric December 14, at am.

Wilee December 17, at am. Ephraim Lawrence January 2, at pm. Ron Shaw February 21, at pm. David March 27, at pm. Daryl Jones. He did alot more than just play with Sting. Here he is with Michael Brecker.