Are you a foundation player or showboat?

[Ole Man Blues]

I've always been a foundation player even when I played guitar. Letting the drums keep the time then I lay some tasty bass lines on top of that keying in on what the drummers foot is doing, then comes the rhythm guitar and keyboards followed by the voices. This makes a nice musical sandwich for all to enjoy.

I've seen and heard bass players who want the spotlight, to be heard and seen is "their" thing. This gets boring quickly. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good bass solo or quick pop or slap every now and then to give the music some flavor, but as they say in the kitchen you can over season and ruin a good product.

As a Bass player "I believe" fitting in is better than standing out.

OMB

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Somewhere in the middle really, an idea being the band Muse, the bassist takes a huge role in the band, and sits at the front a lot of the time carrying the song while the guitar or keys is off playing about, but he never really overshadows the song, always fitting it perfectly.

Bass is really a rhythm instrument, but that dosen't mean it can't be an interesting and powerful one and take more of a role in music.

Then you also get simple songs, where the bass pretty much gets to play one simple part following the root, which isn't as interesting to play, but fits and builds the song as a whole.

There are times to hang back, and times to step up and play, the trick is in knowing when to do it

David

 

[Psycho Ward]

Hmmmm, foundation or showboat, let me ponder that for a minute???

I would say foundation; I'm too conservative to be called a showboat!

 

[adouglas]

Ah, hell.

And my therapy was going so well, too.

They've diagnosed me with PTWPD, or Post-Traumatic Ward Photo Disorder.

Back in the early part of the 20th century, they would have called it "Chuck Shock."

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Hmmmm, foundation or showboat, let me ponder that for a minute???

I would say foundation; I'm too conservative to be called a showboat!

Heeeheeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Classic Chuck!!!! Luv it

 

[EBMM7181]

Hmmmm, foundation or showboat, let me ponder that for a minute???

I would say foundation; I'm too conservative to be called a showboat!

Oh My...... Thats the scariest bass player I've ever seen

 

[MingusBASS]

You need an Inked Strap Chuck. I think they make them left handed.

 

[DKWilkins]

Historically I've been a foundation player; one of the bands I'm in now the bandleader wants me to be more "flashy and standout". This is proving more difficult than one would think....

 

[Dr Stankface]

Even though all the vids i've posted here are me wankin, on the gig I don't do so much. I stick to the pocket and make everything solid.

 

[Big Poppa]

I approach a gigi with the concept "its all about me...dig me!"

seriously it really depends on the music...

 

[Straight UP]

Foundation

I think of myself as a foundation player..
I'm part of the rytheme section and as such try to play around and with the drummer to give the song a good and solid bottom end..groove..
I also try to keep the bass parts I play for each song the same (not embelishing them or changing them too much)..as one of the other players in the band may be using what I play to key in on certain parts of the songs, If I change too much he could lose his key to a particular part of it..You know what I mean Right?
That being said I do have to agree also that there is a time at a gig or in a particular song to be up front with the bass.. This dose not however mean over playing to do it..You must always remember the groove you are playing as you step up. Over players that I have seen/heard at some point always ruin a good song. So I always try to keep that in my mind...I have one song where I have to step up. I step up play my part them blend back into the song as I should..
I also consider myself a TEAM player in the band I'm one of six that it takes to make the songs sound the way they do.. I hate people that put forward a BIG EGO and try to carry the hole thing.. Just no my bag..Team playing is what makes being in a band and playing music fun and rewarding. If you haven't tried it you should. I have only found this in two bands in my life so far, one back in 1998 and the band I am now in..It is fun and a pleasure to be in this band reason - no egos and every one is a team player, and seems to know what team playing is..
Enough said..
Just me my ramblings

 

[Eggman]

Solid foundation player from day one.

 

[bassmancb]

Having two guitarist in the band I have to keep the foundation of the song along with the drummer. But I do like to add a little spice to the mix now and then

 

[MingusBASS]

I play what the song requires. It all depends on the style and mood of the song.

 

[bovinehost]

I only know five or six notes.

 

[adouglas]

I only know five or six notes.

I play bagpipes from time to time (not well).

"There are only nine notes! How hard can it be?"

 

[adouglas]

I play what the song requires. It all depends on the style and mood of the song.

Agreed.

But I take from the original question that it's more like "All else being equal, given the choice of staying in the pocket or showboating, which do you do?"

I'm definitely in the basement, standing in the drainage sump. To me, bass solos are only slightly more tolerable than drum solos. Especially bass solos that go on for more than a few bars.

What moves you as a bassist? Is it the groove, driving the song, or is it brilliant technical showmanship? I like the former much more than the latter.

Back in "the day," I discovered Stanley Clarke (School Days) and was all agog at his ability to play at eight tenths of the speed of light. Then I got to see him live and came away a just a bit disillusioned.

Here he was with his short-scale bass, wanking away like nobody's business...but he wasn't filling the role of the bassist. He had another bassist on stage backing him up!

My impression at the time was that he wasn't really playing bass. He was playing a long-scale, four-stringed guitar and I'd just spent an hour and a half listening to lead guitar solos.

Sure he sounded great and it was technically brilliant, but it didn't really move me.

The older I get the more I appreciate minimalism and tasty grooves. That's why I like Tony Levin so much.

 

[hankSRay]

I'm a foundation player, but I love throwing in little fills where they work really well. Funny thing was last night I played a gig. The last band was just a 3 piece, drummer was ok, guitar player was so so, and the bass player was amazing. After the second song of non stop slapping, tapping, bends and pull offs I just said to myself, thats cool, but incredibly annoying after a while.

 

[midopa]

I'm ashamed to admit that when I started the bigger priority for me was learning the techniques like slap and pop, tapping, etc. I'm a lousy showboat trying to be a better foundation player.

 

[RitchieDarling]

I approach a gigi with the concept "its all about me...dig me!"

seriously it really depends on the music...

+1

Besides, with bass, synth, pedals, and backing vocals. Who has time to showboat!

I'm too busy trying to keep it all in order!

Ritchie

P.S. Don't EVEN ASK me to do a bass solo. I'll give you the blank stare from hell!