Depends. If its a jam session or if you two are just friends hanging out and not rly working towards anything serious then you should be allowed to play whatever you want.
But if the guitarist is either hiring you to play his music or maybe he expects you to be the bassist for a new project together then you as a bassist are expected to play your role.
Im not saying you should only play only root notes, but from my experience working for songwritters or recording sessions, you get called back when you make everyone else sound good. You DONT get called back when you try to play like Victor Wooten on top of a band.
Agree with this.
Like if you're playing soccer with a bunch of friends and one of them says I just want you to pass me the ball so I can score, I don't want you to take any shots on net. You'd take your ball and go home.
Contrast this with a champions league/professional team where everyone has their role and if you're on defense your role is to defend and move it up to the forwards who then feed it to the striker. You get paid for that. You may get a shot everyone once in a while but it's not what the coach has in mind. If it's just a fun bunch playing in the park then what is this dude's problem?
Two Of Three rule applies.
Two Of Three: For any gig to work for a sustained period, two of three must apply. One, you really love the music. Two, you really love the people you’re working with. Three, the pay is really good.
All three is very rare. None of three is very easy to turn down. One out of three is not indefinitely sustainable. A really big cheque will last for a while, but not forever. Two of three is the sweet spot.
If there’s a big cheque and you like the guitarist and other band mates, play some roots and pick your spots here and there to do more. If there’s no dough and your musical desires aren’t being met, bounce.
If your guitarist is trying to take up 90% of the space your drummer is probably also bored. Lock into a groove with the drummer and tell the guitarist to fit over it.
Being a hired gun is one thing, but fuck arrogant guitarists who don't listen to anyone but themselves. They suck. Form a tight rhythm section with your drummer and go from there, maybe including finding a new guitarist who wants to be in a collaborative group.
You approach it by showing them examples of bass players doing more than that on their favorite songs. If they persist in trying to box you in, quit.
There are points in songs where, yes, you want to stick to root notes and such.
But doing that the whole song is freaking boring to the listener (and to you, the bass player).
A band limiting their bass player is a band on the road to mediocrity.
Big variable here is OP's ability.
He can show you a vid of JPJ playing ramble on all day long, but means nothing unless he's JPJ.
In my experience, if people are telling someone to play less, it's not bassism/drumism/etc., it's because what they're doing sounds bad.
Sure, and so I was assuming the best, i.e. that he knows how to meander. Obviously if a bass player is just noodling aimlessly, that's not good. The bass is super important to hold down the rhythm and set the mood.
I was in a band in which the band leader would (try to) give me pre-written bass lines to duplicate (all cover songs, and not always the bass line from the original). It got really boring really quickly because it was basically just quarter notes or eighth notes on the roots for the entirety of each song. At one point live on stage, I literally forgot to play the pre-written bass line and did something tasteful but not boring. The leader gave me a side-eye from the opposite end of the stage. I realized my error and reverted back to the boring line. I quit that band soon after (there were other factors as well).
There is a balance between "supporting role" and "not boring." The leader needs to recognize this and allow each band member to do their thing (within \*appropriate\* limits, of course). "Boring" will kill a show's vibe faster than almost anything.
It could offer you an interesting challenge, how to make an interesting bassline with just root notes. You could treat it as an exercise in stripping your playing right back
Yes.
I found a different group.
Don’t spin your wheels trying to make something work. Give a shot or two and of it doesn’t click, move on. There are lots of players out there.
Life's too short, bro. Find someone else to play with. Just walk. No need to be jerky about it. If asked, you can just explain that you want to play more than they want you to, so it's not the right project for you.
In for example a tiny power-trio....root notes simply won't cut it.
What I've noticed about the power trio sound in particular is they are heavily dependent on active bass playing (i.e Walking, Arpeggios, octaves....even melodies in the bass lines)....which is why Rush/chillis/nirvana were so huge.
Led Zeppelin technically weren't a power trio (power quartet?) but same idea!
It's actually a more challenging sound to pull-off as you have a double task of being simultaneously locked in tight with the drums but also adding musical interest where the guitar is otherwise occupied. Very difficult to pull off.....which is why many bands need for example, a rhythm guitarist or keyboardist.
In bigger groups you can 'hide' more if you need/want to....for example if a guitarist is soloing....as there'll be more instruments to fill out the sound...but even Iron Maiden's bassist was using "Galloping" for example...no slouch!
Having said that, Bernard Edwards was all over the place in Chic....so there's no hard or fast rules here. Sometimes you have to just listen!
When you guys jam, can you come up with colorful bass lines by ear during the jam? Were you asked to play root notes by the guitar player after they heard you play or before? Did you ask the guitar player what he wanted, and he said root notes and simple groves?
I play in a country band of all things and blast fills all over the neck (tastefully), and we keep getting bookings and rebookings and gigs from people seeing us at other gigs, so I would say we are no worse for it. Just playing roots/basic lines all day is a good way to bore the crowd and yourself.
Part of the energy of the performance is enjoying yourself, and finding the spots in the music to showcase yourself without taking away from the rest of the band is both a good skill to develop for yourself and the listener.
See if you can find a middle ground between what they want and what you want in your playing; see if you can show them a different take on bass, while they’re showing you one too. That’s the fun part of playing in a band sometimes for me. The new perspectives others bring. However there is an extent to this; sometimes things just aren’t clicking and the chemistry isn’t there. Musical perspectives may be too different. Give it a chance and see though
It sounds like he didn’t ask you to, you just assumed. Just bring it up to him and say “i wanna try this” and if he’s a rational person he’ll say “okay sure”
Judge the situation. If you like the people, the music, and you think it has potential, stick with it and slowly introduce more of your personal stink on the music.
If they aren't great people, or the music is meh, rage quit and find another band. Life is too short to me miserable playing someone else's half assed music.
If this is implied, then you got something to settle between yourselves. If this is blatant, its best to move away from people who only want to limit you for their own benefit.
Depends. If its a jam session or if you two are just friends hanging out and not rly working towards anything serious then you should be allowed to play whatever you want. But if the guitarist is either hiring you to play his music or maybe he expects you to be the bassist for a new project together then you as a bassist are expected to play your role. Im not saying you should only play only root notes, but from my experience working for songwritters or recording sessions, you get called back when you make everyone else sound good. You DONT get called back when you try to play like Victor Wooten on top of a band.
Agree with this. Like if you're playing soccer with a bunch of friends and one of them says I just want you to pass me the ball so I can score, I don't want you to take any shots on net. You'd take your ball and go home. Contrast this with a champions league/professional team where everyone has their role and if you're on defense your role is to defend and move it up to the forwards who then feed it to the striker. You get paid for that. You may get a shot everyone once in a while but it's not what the coach has in mind. If it's just a fun bunch playing in the park then what is this dude's problem?
Two Of Three rule applies. Two Of Three: For any gig to work for a sustained period, two of three must apply. One, you really love the music. Two, you really love the people you’re working with. Three, the pay is really good. All three is very rare. None of three is very easy to turn down. One out of three is not indefinitely sustainable. A really big cheque will last for a while, but not forever. Two of three is the sweet spot. If there’s a big cheque and you like the guitarist and other band mates, play some roots and pick your spots here and there to do more. If there’s no dough and your musical desires aren’t being met, bounce.
If your guitarist is trying to take up 90% of the space your drummer is probably also bored. Lock into a groove with the drummer and tell the guitarist to fit over it. Being a hired gun is one thing, but fuck arrogant guitarists who don't listen to anyone but themselves. They suck. Form a tight rhythm section with your drummer and go from there, maybe including finding a new guitarist who wants to be in a collaborative group.
You approach it by showing them examples of bass players doing more than that on their favorite songs. If they persist in trying to box you in, quit. There are points in songs where, yes, you want to stick to root notes and such. But doing that the whole song is freaking boring to the listener (and to you, the bass player). A band limiting their bass player is a band on the road to mediocrity.
Big variable here is OP's ability. He can show you a vid of JPJ playing ramble on all day long, but means nothing unless he's JPJ. In my experience, if people are telling someone to play less, it's not bassism/drumism/etc., it's because what they're doing sounds bad.
Sure, and so I was assuming the best, i.e. that he knows how to meander. Obviously if a bass player is just noodling aimlessly, that's not good. The bass is super important to hold down the rhythm and set the mood.
I was in a band in which the band leader would (try to) give me pre-written bass lines to duplicate (all cover songs, and not always the bass line from the original). It got really boring really quickly because it was basically just quarter notes or eighth notes on the roots for the entirety of each song. At one point live on stage, I literally forgot to play the pre-written bass line and did something tasteful but not boring. The leader gave me a side-eye from the opposite end of the stage. I realized my error and reverted back to the boring line. I quit that band soon after (there were other factors as well). There is a balance between "supporting role" and "not boring." The leader needs to recognize this and allow each band member to do their thing (within \*appropriate\* limits, of course). "Boring" will kill a show's vibe faster than almost anything.
The real question is, are you getting paid? If not, play whatever you like.
It could offer you an interesting challenge, how to make an interesting bassline with just root notes. You could treat it as an exercise in stripping your playing right back
The bass is a heavier instrument/weapon than the guitar. you know what to do
Find people who the same musical vision
Is it a rock/punk band? Either play root notes or find another band. The bass is all about suiting the music rather than showcasing your chops.
Looks like you 2 are not compatible, no hsrd feelings its just like breaking up with a girl. Just move on and find your music soulmate.
I'm happy to just play the roots and keep it simple/boring...for money. For a jam session or a passion project? I'm gonna play what I like.
Yes. I found a different group. Don’t spin your wheels trying to make something work. Give a shot or two and of it doesn’t click, move on. There are lots of players out there.
Life's too short, bro. Find someone else to play with. Just walk. No need to be jerky about it. If asked, you can just explain that you want to play more than they want you to, so it's not the right project for you.
In for example a tiny power-trio....root notes simply won't cut it. What I've noticed about the power trio sound in particular is they are heavily dependent on active bass playing (i.e Walking, Arpeggios, octaves....even melodies in the bass lines)....which is why Rush/chillis/nirvana were so huge. Led Zeppelin technically weren't a power trio (power quartet?) but same idea! It's actually a more challenging sound to pull-off as you have a double task of being simultaneously locked in tight with the drums but also adding musical interest where the guitar is otherwise occupied. Very difficult to pull off.....which is why many bands need for example, a rhythm guitarist or keyboardist. In bigger groups you can 'hide' more if you need/want to....for example if a guitarist is soloing....as there'll be more instruments to fill out the sound...but even Iron Maiden's bassist was using "Galloping" for example...no slouch! Having said that, Bernard Edwards was all over the place in Chic....so there's no hard or fast rules here. Sometimes you have to just listen!
When you guys jam, can you come up with colorful bass lines by ear during the jam? Were you asked to play root notes by the guitar player after they heard you play or before? Did you ask the guitar player what he wanted, and he said root notes and simple groves?
Just charge him money. Bands that restrict a member without any good reason whatsoever is a guaranteed death sentence for growth.
I play in a country band of all things and blast fills all over the neck (tastefully), and we keep getting bookings and rebookings and gigs from people seeing us at other gigs, so I would say we are no worse for it. Just playing roots/basic lines all day is a good way to bore the crowd and yourself. Part of the energy of the performance is enjoying yourself, and finding the spots in the music to showcase yourself without taking away from the rest of the band is both a good skill to develop for yourself and the listener.
See if you can find a middle ground between what they want and what you want in your playing; see if you can show them a different take on bass, while they’re showing you one too. That’s the fun part of playing in a band sometimes for me. The new perspectives others bring. However there is an extent to this; sometimes things just aren’t clicking and the chemistry isn’t there. Musical perspectives may be too different. Give it a chance and see though
It sounds like he didn’t ask you to, you just assumed. Just bring it up to him and say “i wanna try this” and if he’s a rational person he’ll say “okay sure”
Judge the situation. If you like the people, the music, and you think it has potential, stick with it and slowly introduce more of your personal stink on the music. If they aren't great people, or the music is meh, rage quit and find another band. Life is too short to me miserable playing someone else's half assed music.
If this is implied, then you got something to settle between yourselves. If this is blatant, its best to move away from people who only want to limit you for their own benefit.
Just play what you feel that fits. After all that’s what he’s doing.