Are you a foundation player or showboat?

[adouglas]

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.

That's nothing to be ashamed of! I think we all go through that at some point. It's all good...it got you playing, right?

 

[Motojunkie]

I would say that I'm a hack, but my mindset is closest to being a foundation player. I agree with those that say that lead bass is interesting for the first 5 minutes, then it's a bit boring. I totally respect the talent that those guys have, but it's just not interesting to me.

 

[tkarter]

I play covers so I reckon I play everyone's bass lines

tk

 

[maddog]

My favorite bass players to listen to are:

1. Tony Levin
2. Sting (Police era)
3. Les Claypool

I would like my bass playing to reflect these guys: keeping the anchor yet tasty.

 

[NoFrets80]

foundation

Early on I was obsessed with speed... who wasn't? We all have egos to feed when we're younger. But, we all became bassists because of the groove/support factor I think. Some stray more than others, but that's what unites us all in bass-dom. Anyway, I consider myself to be a foundation player, but I love stepping out and providing something tasteful in a soloist fashion from time to time... finding that space in the song to "do my thing." I really do try to think like Pino Palladino, because to me, he's the perfect blend of a foundation player who can innately step out front without stepping on anyone else. It has taken practice, because coming from a primarily jazz-oriented background, I'm used to thinking lyrically and solo-like throughout the entire song in a lot of ways, and HAVING to be able to play a solid and well-formed solo on almost every song. It has definitely helped my non-jazz playing and phrasing, but I've had to hold back the "note heaviness" that is sometimes attributed to us jazzers. I play 95% of the time in trio settings, so the demand is even greater for me to fill in the space and juggle multiple roles.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I'm a solid metronomic foundation player here, but I have a heck of a lot of fun when I gig - definitely not a shoe gazer on stage.

 

[phatduckk]

i say it depends...

in my punk band (Victim Nation) i play "a lot". i play pretty fast, lots of fills, lots of runs etc. IMO and in the band memebrs' opinion that works.

in my other band, which is straight rock 3 peice, i lay back. not quite as many fills or runs, more fundamental etc. being simple works better in that band.

 

[Randracula]

It depends on the band but most of the time I play pretty simple and just try to lock in with the drums and mabye throw in a melodic fill when I feel it's appropriate.....

 

[KennethB]

More foundation than showboat. I showboated more when I was younger. Marcus Miller and his friends used to have slapping-competitions (as in slapping the bass ) to attract girls when they were in high-school.....no wonder he's so freakin' good haha. Teenage hormones and desperation; a recipe for success.

 

[Bill]

I'm definitely a foundation player. I'm not talented enough to be a showboat. I do throw in some nice fills & riffs every once in a while, but I don't think I overdo it.

Having said that, don't try to stick me toward the back of the stage! That pisses me off. I like to be right in the front with the other guys.

 

[Kirby]

More foundation than showboat. I just try to play what the song needs. However, I had an instructor with some great words of wisdom once tell me that to be a complete player is like driving a Ferrari. Most of the time you drive like everyone else, but every once and a while you open it up and take pride in knowing that you can do this if need be or the situation calls for it.

The truly tasteful players have a balance of both in my opinion.

 

[Permanent Waves]

Shredding is like karate. You learn it so that you never need to use it.

That's been my philosophy for a while now.

Graeme

 

[Psycho Ward]

Really, I'm the kind of guy that only wants to be noticed if I stop playing.

 

[jongitarz]

I only know five or six notes.

Yeah, but they're good ones

 

[bovinehost]

I've been playing them a long time. I think G is my best.

 

[cdb]

I am in a rootsy blues band... drums, bass, vocal/harp, 1 guitar. I am the only instrument who plays the entire song all the way through. I guess that is foundation. Before this, it was bluegrass/jamgrass. I was the only instrument that played the entire song.. Before that it was backing up a bunch of singer songwriters. I was the only instrument that played the entire song... before that, in the 80's, I was in a hard, fast rock band, sorta like the Replacements, but heavier. I was the only one who played the entire song... but geez, really, I wouldnt mind an 8 bar solo every once a decade...

 

[adouglas]

I've been playing them a long time. I think G is my best.

High G or low G?

Low G can be pretty cool, nice and beefy, but high G can be wimpy.

I prefer D myself. Sorta-kinda in the middle.

Besides, it's one of my initials. I'm partial to A for the same reason.

 

[jongitarz]

Sometimes it's not about you

 

[Randracula]

One my biggest influences is a bass player that is not very well known named Bob Thomson. He's a great fingerstyle rock player who totally locks in but is also very melodic at times. Here's a video of one of the bands he was in [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VPd-saaeRw"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]....Other artists he's played with include Big Drill Car, Smile, Xtra Large(w/ Josh Freese, Warren Fitzgerald), John Doe, Matt Costa and recent Scott Weiland solo stuff......Anyways he's rad and i've learned(stolen )alot from him over the years.

 

[Rano Bass]

Who said you can choose?
We as bass players need to be able to do both , even if we don't really need it.
Or even if we're not really that good at all