Bass solos

funky penguin

Hello!

Recently iv been getting into the whole improv bass/solos etc, and i like how im progressing. I got some nice tips of the flea dvd i got but i know i can do loads more.

Sooooooo, I was wonderin if any fellow bassists can giv me any insights into improv jamming/soloing etc, and perhaps one or two songs for inspiration.

Cheers!

Doctor J

Get Jaco's first album, called Jaco Pastorius, then Heavy Weather by Weather Report. All the inspiration you'll ever need is on those two cd's.

While bass soloing can be great, it sucks if it's done gratuitously and without taste. The bass is primarily a rhythm instrument and if you listen to Jaco you'll hear some incredible rhythm playing with tasteful soloing (as well as his unbeliveable technique and wonderful melodic sense) but he f*cking nails the groove when it matters most - for me that's the most important thing you'll ever learn.

funky penguin

Yeah I have the album, its primarialy wat made me think "hang on a second. The bass can do that!?". I love portrait of tracy.

But ur rite Doc, soloing must be tastefull, and i just see it as a way for me to become more involved with my bass, so i can become more understanding of how music is made.
Cheers!:)

davej

Check out Victor Wooten (in Bela Fleck and the Flecktones). The "Greatest Hits" is a good place to start...

While some of his stuff is jawdroppingly amazing, there is also some more subtle stuff going on in other tracks..

davej

Doctor J

Just try and find your own style. Jaco was incredible but Jaco was Jaco. There is only on Flea too but there seem to be thousands of mini-Flea's in Dublin alone. Listen to the greats (Jaco, Stanley Clarke etc etc etc) but also keep an open mind when you're listening to the likes of AC\DC. Also make sure you invest in a set of Motown CD's with James Jamerson playing. Listen to everyone and just take it from there. Try not to study anyone too closely.

Make your own path. You'll be a better player for it.

Paladin

I play mostly guitar rather than bass, but the best thing I was told as regards soloing is to just **** about. This is a slight simplification, but only very slight.
I knew the major scale before I started doing this and thats all you need to know to start.
Keep in time and experiment. Just play whatever your fingers decide to hit at the moment you play. After a while you will find a few riffs that suit different moods of songs. You might just pick up riffs from songs you hear. The important thing to jamming is that you are able to go with the flow and that just takes a little time to get used to doing no matter what instrument you play.
Taking inspiration from others is good, but not something you need to rely on. Though I rekon the thing that improved me the most was playing with a band. Live jamming is sooo different to playing with a cd (obviously).

Have fun

fitz

Good advice so far.
You should check out Dave Matthews band, listen to some of the stuff that Stefan Lessard does playing bass for them.
Delicious.

feylya

If you bought St Anger, go to www.metallicavault.com and download some of the shows from 86 when Burton was playing. His sudden soloing in Sanitarium and Fade To Black is just a bit damn cool.

rabbitinlights

Matt Freeman from Rancid (the punk band)

On there earlier albums like "lets Go" and "Rancid" is some of the most ferocious Bass playing ive ever heard. just amazing.

funky penguin

I wasnt expecting so many replies.:)

Thanks for all the advise. Its the kind i was expecting, be urself etc, and dnt study one musician too hard. I was always afraid of becoming one of the mini-flea's doc J mentioned, but my recent realisation that music is good if YOU like it, and not if evry1 else does, has opened my eyes. I love any music with "soul" in it (kinda cheesy i know, but i'll listen to almost anything and then try to play it on the bass).

Playing bass is really wat i wanna do for a living. I love gettin up on stage hoppin around, playing away, and entertaining people. I dont try to be any1 else, just me! And like you all say, its the best thing to do.

I went to see clapton play recently in the point. He was supported by Robert Randalf and the Family Band. Any1 ever hear of them. Their bassist is amazing and i could go to great lengths about their performance (such as instrument swapping during a song) but i wont. Just check em out if u get a chance.


Thanks again for all the suggestions!


P.s. its interesting to see the variety of the suggestions.
Jaco, Clarke, Rancid, Dave M. band, Metallica.

Oh, Doc J, where could i find cds with James Jamerson on em, and who did he play for? Also, do you have any of Boosty Collins' music? Ive been lookin everywhere and i cant find him.

Doctor J

Jamerson played on almost everything Motown recorded during the 60's, the was the in-house bassist.

parasite

Originally posted by funky penguin
He was supported by Robert Randalf and the Family Band. Any1 ever hear of them. Their bassist is amazing and i could go to great lengths about their performance (such as instrument swapping during a song) but i wont. Just check em out if u get a chance.

yeah, they were on Jools Holland the other night, very tasty bassist

Doctor J

Just thought of another one which is well worth a mention, a chap called Colin Hodgkinson who played with Back Door. Find the album Back Door, it's a lesson to bassists everywhere. It's pretty much lead bass all the way through, but he keeps it grooving too. If my memory ain't kidding I think the Beastie Boys sampled the riff from Slivadiv on Stand Together off Check your Head.

alansan

If you're on for some unusual fretless playing try the best of Japan. Not my favorite music, but features very individual fretless playing that pushes boundries without soloing.

Heavy Weather is my favorite too. I still can't play Teentown without making mistakes...

fuse

If you're lookin for Bootsy, get some Parliament, or Funkadelic(early Parliament, more rocky)
Listen to Sly & The Family stone for some groovy bass.
....also Geddy Lee from Rush, Jack Bruce from Cream.

Marcus Miller is another jazz legend, played with Miles Davis, Bill Evans, George Benson and lots more. He's got some tasty solo's on his site MarcusMiller.com
Check out the track called "instant relief". Its my favourite bass solo, spent ages learnin that one, a nice little party piece!

Squall

went to see clapton play recently in the point. He was supported by Robert Randalf and the Family Band. Any1 ever hear of them. Their bassist is amazing and i could go to great lengths about their performance (such as instrument swapping during a song) but i wont. Just check em out if u get a chance.

I second that. Was also at the Clapton gig in the point. That slap bass stuff that bassist did made my jaw drop. Very impressive.

As regards Marcus Miller stuff. Try and get our hands on Tutu some really amazing playing in that song.

robbie1876

Keep you eye out for a band called the Bill Bergin Quartet. 4 Dublin guys who play occasionally in the Boom Boom Room (not sure where else). Bill is the bass player, and the quartet is based around him, so there is pleny of Marcus Miller and Weather Report tunes going on. His solos are frighteningly good, and I was genuinely blown away by him! Plus, he's a nice guy who gives bass lessons too, so it might be worth popping along to see him. I'm not sure when his next quartet gig is though.

Robbie

PersonalJesus

In accordance with European law, I have to inform you that Bass solos have been banned as part of an amnesty as part of the war crimes against music. The history of this decison begins in the 70's when John Bonham leveled a small town in Sussex while praticing the drum solo to the now infamous "Moby Dick" drum solo. As part of the 1972 drum solo act....

.... and now as an aditional ammendment bass solos have been added under ammendment 132 "the Jacko Pistorious(sp?) act"....

funky penguin

Your an idiot.

PersonalJesus

And you have no sense of humour.

And questionable taste in music.

Damn bassists always getting beyond themselves.

funky penguin

hmmmmm, you seem to forget that we bassists are set to take over the world.

feylya

Originally posted by funky penguin
hmmmmm, you seem to forget that we bassists are set to take over the world.

*slaps funky penguin*

Now stop talking and get backing to staring at your feet like a good bassist!

funky penguin

Originally posted by feylya
*slaps funky penguin*

Abuse!!!!!!!!

feylya

Ah, you know you bassists, always have to be put in your place

funky penguin

Actually, on a serious note, just got back from incubus concert.I enjoyed their bassist alot.

Knows how and when to "up" his bass playin. Played a groovy solo towards the end.

A fighter for freedom for bassists everywhere!!:)

feylya

Nothing wrong with a good bass player who knows when to be a bass player and when to be a soloist

funky penguin

damn straight home boy.

feylya

Word to yore ma!

Doctor J

Originally posted by feylya
Ah, you know you bassists, always have to be put in your place

Aye somewhere so the the guitarist and drummer can see what you're playing so they can follow what's really going on.

feylya

Na, the guitarist is too far forwards on the stage **** on the fretboard and the drummer is drooling onto his kit.

And people wonder why I don't have a band :rolleyes:

Doctor J

Maybe music's not your thing. Have you considered starting your own religion?