BASS
DIVIDE AND CONQUER ! | Gary Lunn
An essential part of practicing is constantly reviewing any musical style that might be “ thrown ” at you . Listen to — and practice — all types of music . As you broaden what you listen to , your stylistic , musical repertoire will contribute to growth . Being familiar with and aware of band names / song titles to reference is always helpful , too . Let ’ s always be learning and growing because , hopefully , we never truly “ arrive ”.
Technique-wise , one thing to consider when brushing up is muting . It is an essential part of my approach to any and every bass line performance . It can be a complicated process — especially for a beginner — just to keep the open strings from ringing , but it needs to become second nature if it ’ s not already . A good way to check for this is to record yourself while playing along with a recording or with the band . As you listen back , listen for open strings that are ringing that you might not have been aware of .
When it ’ s time to dial up a good bass tone , remember that this depends on what your ears want to hear , and the only way to improve that is to listen to more bass players who have a really great tone . Then , you have to find a way to imitate it . It 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 being able to compare 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 that if you hear a bad bass tone in your head , you will always recreate it with your own ears .
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 , but always listen from the same source . That way , you are always starting from a good point of reference . Consistency is the key . Listen and practice with them as much as you can so you will be familiar with the way they sound .
PUTTING YOUR PRACTICE TO WORK
When pondering the right bass line for a song , I have realized that an important consideration is how the song makes one feel the first time it ’ s heard . My approach is to consider several things . Is it a ballad ? What ’ s the melody doing ? What bass sound seems right for it ? 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 controlledmovement-with-authority approach ? Is it a rock song , and does it need low support for the beginning ?
My typical approach to a ballad is to enter in a higher register , playing notes that are usually longer and somewhat connected . I then typically descend in register over the next section , playing lower within the octave as I go . The notes are still connected and longer because the drums are usually nonexistent or are playing a subtle groove .
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 . Otherwise , it will make your bass line sound very inconsistent , and we all know that consistency in the bass line is paramount .
When presented with a rock-style song , a lot of the same rules apply . However , it sometimes adds power to 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 . Other times , the opposite is true , or I might want to save the longer connecting notes for the last chorus of the song as I descend to a lower register .
Remember that the key to a smooth-operating rhythm section involves everyone listening closely to each other and trying to get out of each other ’ s way while keeping the actual song as the main focal point . Musicians are creative , spiritual beings who see into the music with their ears . That is what makes our interpretation unique and wonderful .
Gary Lunn Gary is a session player / producer / writer in Nashville , playing recording sessions , and various live events . Reach out to him ! garylunn @ me . com www . facebook . com / garylunn
80 March 2025 Subscribe for Free ...