BASS
GREAT WILL YOUR REWARD BE IN HEAVEN | Gary Lunn
When it comes to great bass lines , it ’ s the subtleties that can make a big difference . Even though they will probably go unnoticed by practically everyone , they are totally worth paying attention to .
TONE , TONE , TONE Dialing up a good bass tone depends on what your ears want to hear . The only way to hone this skill is to listen to more bass players who have a really great tone .
The trick is finding a way to imitate it . It really doesn ’ t matter what amp or speaker you ’ re playing through — just find a way to make your bass sound exactly like the one on the recording . It ’ s not so much about remembering the settings that you use . It ’ s more about comparing your sound with the sound on the recording . This will change what your ears need to hear .
This is a very important skill set to have . Remember , if you hear a bad bass tone in your head , you will recreate it with your own ears . I have seen too many bass players with very expensive gear who are unable to get a good bass tone … and one talented bass player doing that is one too many !
Ask other musicians what they do to get their tone . What ’ s their thought process ? What bass players do they listen to , or what groups do they like ? Then go home , listen , practice , and try your hardest to imitate their tone with your own gear . The key to this process is to listen with decent ear monitors , headphones , or speakers and listen to the same source as you compare . That way , you are always starting from a good point of reference . Listen and practice with them as much as possible so you will be familiar with how they sound .
COMPOSITION For me , when considering a bass line that I am composing , I have come to the conclusion that it ’ s all about how the song makes me feel the first time I hear it .
The method that I approach to supplying the song ’ s foundation is key . Is it a ballad ? What ’ s the melody doing ? Does it help to start the bass line high and then end low ? As the song builds , should I transition from a simple / soft bass line to a controlled-movement-with-authority approach ? Is it a rock song , and does it need low support from the beginning ?
Even though my approach may vary within the same song , the average listener probably won ’ t notice , but I guarantee they will feel different because of the variations I made . It ’ s a thankless job ! Ha !
THE SCIENCE OF MUTING One thing that I have not talked about much is muting . It is an essential part of my approach to any and every bass line . It can be a complicated process — especially for a beginner — just to keep the open strings from ringing . But to an experienced player , it can set apart the different parts of the song as their own thing . I will try and give a couple of examples .
As the bass first enters a ballad , it is typically high in register , and the notes are usually long and connected . I typically descend in register over the next section — that is , playing lower within the octave as I go . The notes are still connected and longer because the drums are usually nonexistent , or they are playing a subtle groove , either on the cross stick or playing no backbeat at all ( i . e ., kick and hat ).
As soon as the drummer begins to play the snare drum , I can approach it one of three ways : The first is to mute or “ lift off ” of the note right as the snare drum hits every time . This allows the snare drum to speak ( drummers love this ). The second way is to mute on the first backbeat and sustain through the second backbeat . The third way is to sustain through the first backbeat and mute right as the second backbeat hits .
You must be very careful to stay with the same muting pattern for at least eight bars in any given section . You don ’ t want to mix different note-length patterns in the same section — your bass line would sound very inconsistent , and we all know that consistency in the bass line is paramount .
Many of the same rules apply when I approach a rock ( ish ) song . However , sometimes it adds power in the chorus of a rock song to let the notes sustain through the backbeats . Sometimes I mute on the backbeats of verses , creating more space for the guitars to be free to create signature lines . Sometimes the opposite is true . Or , you can save the longer connecting notes for the last chorus of the song as you descend to a lower register . This can get you smiles from the song leader !
Experiment with these approaches the next time you ’ re playing a song you already know . You will be amazed at the different feeling you get as you alternate note lengths in different sections of the song .
I am repeating myself , but I can ’ t stress enough that the key to a smooth-operating rhythm section is when everyone closely listens to each other while considering two main objectives : How to get out of everyone ’ s way and how to keep the song as the main focal point . We musicians are creative , spiritual beings who see into the music with our ears . That is what makes our interpretation unique and wonderful . I think that this is essential to our most important job .
Gary Lunn Gary is a session player / producer / writer in Nashville , playing recording sessions and various live events .
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