be afraid to share yours and to feel confident After you have established a strong fundamental harmonic and rhythmic impact. What studio
even if your idea isn’t used. You have to feel and arrangement, then you can add the advice do you have for bass players on being
start somewhere! color and production around that. wise stewards of the amount of control they
have at their disposal?
[WM] In the Worship Drum and Bass column DRUMS AND BASS you mentioned the John Mayer trio as a great Most recording’s start with drums or a drum [David Curran] Communication is the key.
example of a band that really knows how machine. This includes live recordings where I always walk into a situation asking what the
to leverage dynamics and time to create an varying amounts of tracks get replaced after the producer or artist is looking for when it comes
awesome groove. The video of John, Pino, and fact. Perhaps more than any other instrument, to what I can bring. I want to respect their
Steve playing “Daughters” at the Grammys was the bass is the glue that holds the rhythmic vision for the song before I put my own spin
such a great example I had to embed it in the and melodic instruments together because it on something. Also, sometimes they give me
article. A couple of things jumped out for me that frequently defines both rhythms (think driving freedom to play what I feel is best.
could easily be applied to the pre-production eighth notes) and the roots of chords at the and recording process. First of all, they’re in a same time. A great bass track lays an amazing Generally, I give them a pass on the song that
circle, playing with floor monitors and not IEMs, foundation off of which the harmonic bed is is very simple that serves the song. One or two
and Steve is watching and listening to John like based. David Curran’s bass playing on “Do takes that they can pick apart. Then I usually
a hawk. The other thing that really jumped out It Again” is a perfect example of this and the give them a pass on a song that might have a
was the fact that Steve chose a kit that was as little riff he plays just past the two-minute mark busier bass line. Something that has a creative
perfect for John’s as it was the song. I’d love to demonstrates the kind of subtle flair that a great spin that is unique to me. There’s less pressure
hear your takeaways on what they’re doing to bass player knows when, where, and how to to ‘nail’ a perfect bass line since I already gave
that worship drummers and teams can directly deploy to make a simple part special. them a take of a simple bass part that works on
benefit from as they enter the pre-production its own. Sometimes creativity strikes when you
and recording process. stop overthinking what you’re doing.
[Garrett] I think what is important to know is [WM] As a bass player sometimes you’re
that when you break down what they’re doing, called to play the parts that someone else came
the song is only being represented with the up with and tracked in the studio. How do you
absolute bare necessities. The beat, bass line, balance finding your own space in the parts
vocals/melody, and a little color and drive from
John’s guitar. There isn’t any extra production
while staying true enough to the arrangement
that the vocalist (in your case Lauren Daigle)
Elevation Worship // “Do It Again”
or ‘fluff’ that is filling out the song. With a lot of
doesn’t turn around and give you ‘the look’?
artists today, they use production as a crutch While a lot of what happens in music is for the song because the song isn’t actually unspoken, great communication is key to [David] I always try to honor what was
that good. In John’s case, when you have a getting great results, and David has some tracked. Always serve the song before you do
great melody and vocals, it doesn’t take much great insights about how this can take your anything else. There are a bunch of new bass
to fill in the rest. tracks from good to great. It is also important lines I play live that are not on Lauren’s record.
to remember that not everybody on your team But I think that’s due to the nature of a song
So, when heading into the studio make sure is going to be part of the recording process, so developing live as it ages. I adapted my bass
the song is a strong song with just the bare staying reasonably true to the recorded parts parts as the live band naturally changed and
minimum being played. Then as musicians, is another thing you’ll want to be mindful of… adapted songs live.
song needs rather than putting your own spin [WM] David, in this month’s Worship Drum RECORDING IS TEAM BUILDING
on the song. That is why Steve and Pino are and Bass feature you and Garrett P. Tyler talk Even if your original songs aren’t ‘ready for
so amazing. They play with multiple artists about the drums kind of owning the dynamics prime time’, there are numerous benefits for
over multiple genres and always sound great and the groove. But in the studio, I’ve found getting your team acclimated to the recording
because they know how to adjust their sound that those roles can get a bit reversed. By the process. While it’s of great benefit to reviewing
to the song. Yes, you still hear their unique time that the drums are compressed to the a two-track board mix from a Sunday service,
sound, but it has been molded to serve point where they sit well in the track, the bass that is the opposite of recording a song from
the song. really seems to have greater breadth given the the ground up.
shape your sound to compliment what the
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February 2019
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