BASS
THE WOODSHED | Gary Lunn
Are you only as good as your tools ? Often times this is true , but what about the story of the accomplished violinist who was invited to perform a concert under the unknown stipulation that he must play a beginner ’ s instrument ? If you have heard the story , then you know how it ends ; he overcomes the limitations of the provided instrument and performs still flawlessly . How does this apply to us ?
Practice . We must spend time in the woodshed ! There ’ s an old saying that says , “ Don ' t let your mouth write a check that your body can ' t cash ”. If I have learned anything in the time that I have spent in the music business , one of the most important things is to never say , “ I can do that ” if you can ’ t back it up . To be an allthings-to-all-styles bassist you must be familiar with all of these different styles of music before you join the band ( duh !). This takes loads of practice ! The harsh truth is that we never truly arrive . If we do , we “ die ” (‘ sounds a little like a Bible story I ’ ve heard ). That ' s why we are constantly learning and hopefully , that process never stops .
How do we improve ? Playing with a click and / or drum loops can help bring you to a level of excellence that will help you to hear differences between different players in the band . It will raise your awareness of different band members ’ timing as well as their own individual feel ( s ). You ’ ll be able to listen better and learn their musical concepts and their “ styles ” of subdividing ( a bassist ’ s definition of “ the pocket ”), which really helps the whole band “ lock in ”. You will find that the more you practice these listening skills , the more of a “ time authority ” you will become .
The training athlete changes his regimen from time to time because if he / she keeps repeating the same thing over and over , his / her body will get used to it . The result is that growth stops .
This is true for us ! Every day that you practice , make it an individual process . Perhaps you have your own individual methods of warming your fingers up … that ' s OK . But when it comes to the tempo you set your metronome to as you practice studying your eighth notes , be sure to set it somewhere different every time .
Remember that songs and different tempos have different “ colors ,” not unlike different keys . There really is a difference . Try playing eighth notes at 90 bpm , and then play them at 88 bpm . It will always take you a few seconds ( or more ) acclimate to the slightest tempo change .
Another interesting way to practice eighth notes is to incorporate some " McCartney slides ” between them , bar-by-bar . Try playing eighth notes on C at the third fret on your A-string . Then on the “ and ” of beat 4 , slide up to C , 10th fret on your D string without interrupting your pattern . This is a very common move in modern worship and when you execute it ( like Paul McCartney ,) it moves people ! These processes all work together in a bass players world , and they do amazing things in the spirit . As always , use this sliding technique sparingly , typically saving it for latter parts of the song . And don ' t get too excited in the middle of that slide up and rush the next downbeat . Very important !
Another method of practicing is to learn a piece of music that has a bass line you think is way over your head . Begin to methodically dissect it and practice sections of the song until you can play them . “ Tribute ” videos on YouTube make it easier to pick out a difficult bass line by watching someone else play it . It ' s worked well for me ! Then put the pieces together section by section until you can play the whole song . Once you master that “ impossible ” song , you ’ ll feel better about everything else that you can already play . You will have raised the bar up a notch ! These are the kind of goals we should all set in our playing . A sense of accomplishment can really boost your ability .
Remember to play every bass line with consistency . As we repeat certain patterns over and over and our brains begin to second guess the previous times we ’ ve played that same section , so beware of this secondguessing trickery . Ha ! Keep in mind that the simpler the pattern is , the quicker you have to set a consistent fingering style . From there , just commit it to your “ finger memory .” Concentrate on the other groove elements in the rhythm section . Focus on the high hat , bass drum , click track , rhythm guitar , etc . Let your fingers play … and try to relax .
A guitar player friend of mine recently covered a gig on bass . He called me afterwards , complaining about how much pressure it was to be a bass player . Ha ! Tell me something I don ' t know !
It ' s a great responsibility that we cannot take lightly … ever . We have the ability to cause an instant train wreck on stage by simply playing the wrong note on the downbeat of a chord change . But hey … let ’ s don ' t dwell on that ! Instead , let ’ s be thankful for the job that we were given . We know all about the solidity that is present in the music when the bass is where it is supposed to be . It creates peace , and no one really even knows it ! Why ? Because we represent the fundamental ; the note that all singers tune to . Bass is sorely missed when it is absent , but when it ’ s there , it is meant to be played deliberately . With skill , courage , restraint , and consistency , the bass carries the entire band . Along with the drummer , the bass supplies the band with a platform , both musically and spiritually . Carry on !
Gary Lunn Gary is a session bassist / producer / writer in Nashville , TN . Contact him at garylunn @ me . com for scheduling or any other questions . garylunn @ me . com