What's your style of playing, Influences

[Smakbass]

Hrmmm whats my style.....
Well I play in a countryish band, a blues band, a classic rock covers band, and a prog rock band...Oh and I been jamming some fusiony Yellowjackets/Robben fordish type stuff as well.

So id say im more or less a chamelion...

The only styles id say I am not that proficient on is Ska and Reggae...after that its all fair game.

Influences.
Jaco
Jamerson
Dunn
Willis
Levin
Rocco
Garrison
Tom Kennedy

Really i'd say I take a lil from almost anyone I have heard...or been taught by.

 

[oli@bass]

Although playing in a Ska band for a couple of years, I definitely have my roots in rock and heavy metal... I play fingerstyle exclusively, sometimes do a little slap/pop just to add a different spice. I used to tap, but can't find a use for it in band context. And while I play guitar with a pick, I'm unable to play bass with a pick.

Biggest influences?

Roger Waters
Steve Harris
Pete Trewavas
Billy Sheehan
Muzz Skillings
Michael Balzay
Paulo Mendonça
Tony Levin
Rocco Prestia
Colin Edwin

 

[bovinehost]

I also want to mention Chuck Rainey.

Who amongst us wasn't FLOORED by "Peg"?

And you know, if Aretha was the only thing he'd ever done, that would have been enough.

 

[GreyDad]

Without a doubt it was listening to John Paul Jones in Zep that got me to buy my first bass when I was 17 (in 1977!). I was into Zep, Genesis and then it was Bach, via Jethro Tull (took me a while to learn how to play Bourree but got it in the end) and that amazing sound and speed from Chris Squire in Yes.

Then punk came along and I really liked the sheer energy of it even though I was too straight and boring to be into the fashion side. Bruce Foxton with Elvis Costello I really admire, of course Simon Gallup in the Cure. Check out the early Vibrators as well.

I hated disco with a passion but as I "grew up" I really learnt to appreciate it, especially Bernard Edwards in Chic who was amazing. And I'm an Abba fan now, so much to admire in their very clever songwriting and excellent musicianship (no way I would have said that in my hard rock youth). Lots of excellent funk and disco players to learn from, you all know who they are.

New Wave was something else I really liked there were many good bass players in the early 80's. Mark King in Level 42 I found astonishing (and still do), I try slapping on occasion but can't get the sheer technical speed of a Mark King or the fantastic groove of Stan Sargeant and players like that. I really admire it but I don't think I have it.

I play fingerstyle but like to slap when I feel like I can do it. I have written a couple of songs around slapped basslines. There are occasions when I use a pick for sheer "grunt", I love the sound out of a Stingray when you dig in with a pick, but I have to play simple basslines because my technique isn't so good. A song by the singer in my old band cried out for a picked bassline and I did one for him and he was pleased with it but it's rare that I do it.

And I'm even mature enough to appreciate in the pocket root 5ths stuff. I'm not a country fan particularly but Country Boy really gets me going

If I was to sum up I'd have to say my style is melodic, bridging between the drums and the main melody of the song. I like to lead occasionally, or sit back and support when it's needed. I write songs and stuff and they mostly start from a bassline, which is a bit backwards I know.

We're lucky, we've got a lot of excellent players from the past decades to listen to and be influenced by, and it's always worth listening to music outside your main interest to see what you can learn.

Neil

 

[strummer]

I need to mention the most amazing bass player/song writer/singer, who probably intimidated me more than he inspired me because I suck, but anyway:

Colin Moulding

 

[HornetAMX]

I also want to mention Chuck Rainey.

Who amongst us wasn't FLOORED by "Peg"?

And you know, if Aretha was the only thing he'd ever done, that would have been enough.

How could I forget Chuck! Every time I listen to "Rock Steady" I smile and shake my head at the same time.

 

[bovinehost]

I need to mention the most amazing bass player/song writer/singer, who probably intimidated me more than he inspired me because I suck, but anyway:

Colin Moulding

Couldn't agree with you more. He has written and recorded some of the most unique bass parts EVER.

 

[strummer]

Couldn't agree with you more. He has written and recorded some of the most unique bass parts EVER.

Yep, listening to The Big Express right now, just amazing

 

[Toyoman]

I play mostly fingerstyle and use a pick on a few songs.I am mostly a pocket player and play in a country/rock band.Influences
Jerry Scheff
John Paul Jones
Tommy Caldwell
Dusty Hill
Barry Oakley
Glen Worf
And a local guy named Alan Bright that i met back in the early 1980s.He in my opinion was the best Bass Player in the Greenville/Spartanburg S.C. area for many years.I learned alot about being a Bass Player from him.Its a shame he does not play much anymore.I play much more like him than any of the Players i named above.I am sure alot of you have been influenced by a unknown local musician too.

 

[drTStingray]

Órale,
Rocco, Jaco, Jamerson and Louis Johnson. I'm just an Ol' skool groover!

+1

Plus Bernard Edwards and also some later guys like Tim Commerford, Zender, and maybe even a bit of Stanley, Marcus and Jaco if I'm feeling adventurous!!

But for old school blues/boogie/rock groove two guys stick out in my mind - Larry Taylor of Canned Heat and Leo Lyons of Ten Years After - man those guys could really groove and I learned a lot from both of them!