What level of talent...

Bridgehouse

Well, I turn up.
I can play in time. I love the groove
I can do BVs - have done 3 or 4 albums as harmonies when I was doing the whole multi instrumentalist thing
I'm sure I'm not too much of a d**k

Well there you go I guess

koneguitarist

Notes can be learned, every time I have ever taken on a new bassist it's all about can he lock in with drummer. Or does he do his own thing. If he does his own thing no matter how good he knows the notes I don't use him. 
A bassist is an integral part of a bands feel and timing, I would advise any bassist to stand right next to drummer so you can see how his bass drum is being used. Too often everybody plays too loud that although you can hear drums, with your own bass and guitars going you can't hear bass drum cleanly so unable to lock into it. A bassist that is locked in and playing simply sounds so much better to me than a Jaco/Geddy type trying all the fancy stuff showing off if it's not locked in. 

When you have a really tight rhythm section playing guitar suddenly becomes easier and you can leave more space for breaks in guitar as sound is filled. 
@firepaulmusic we used to talk about this when we were discussing the Hamsters, who were a hard working blues rock 3 piece band. Bassist hardly did anything, often playing open notes on bass in time with bass drum. Very very simple but it was one solid unit of bass and drums. That allowed the guitarists to do whatever he wanted and giving him the freedom to let rip or turn guitar off for a bar or two.

webrthomson

Bridgehouse said:

Well, I turn up.
I can play in time. I love the groove
I can do BVs - have done 3 or 4 albums as harmonies when I was doing the whole multi instrumentalist thing
I'm sure I'm not too much of a d**k

Well there you go I guess

All of that + your own equipment make you over qualified in my experiance

TBH - I'd get to it if I was you - a couple fo weeks of regular practice makes all the difference! Lock with the drums and your golden!

slacker

Bridgehouse said:

robinbowes said:

Sounds like you're more than technically capable.

For me, I want to play with a musician with a bass not a bass player. Listen. Don't play loudly all the time. Groove. Be sympathetic.

R.

Funnily enough, I would consider myself a musician first, and bass just happens to be an instrument I enjoy playing a lot. For me, it's about understanding a song, picking harmonic lower tones that complement, shape and add to the expression and tone of the song and adding to the mix to bring breadth and depth. 

Every instrument I've played has required such delicate dynamics handling that it's sort of built in now - I actually think dynamics is more important than technical speed or whatever. 

Well, if anyone fancies a jam or needs a musician who happens to wield a bass then let me know

If you can get yourself to Luton on a weekend, then we can jam. I've got a covers project with a drummer and random bassplayers. You can sit it I'll tell you are great and you can go and get a band in Lincolnshire. Getting bass work is easier than guitar as there are a bazzillion guitarists looking for bands. BTW I'm not being condescending if you have the experience you say, my guess is that you are a better bassist than you think you are. 

Bridgehouse

slacker said:

Bridgehouse said:

robinbowes said:

Sounds like you're more than technically capable.

For me, I want to play with a musician with a bass not a bass player. Listen. Don't play loudly all the time. Groove. Be sympathetic.

R.

Funnily enough, I would consider myself a musician first, and bass just happens to be an instrument I enjoy playing a lot. For me, it's about understanding a song, picking harmonic lower tones that complement, shape and add to the expression and tone of the song and adding to the mix to bring breadth and depth. 

Every instrument I've played has required such delicate dynamics handling that it's sort of built in now - I actually think dynamics is more important than technical speed or whatever. 

Well, if anyone fancies a jam or needs a musician who happens to wield a bass then let me know

If you can get yourself to Luton on a weekend, then we can jam. I've got a covers project with a drummer and random bassplayers. You can sit it I'll tell you are great and you can go and get a band in Lincolnshire. Getting bass work is easier than guitar as there are a bazzillion guitarists looking for bands. BTW I'm not being condescending if you have the experience you say, my guess is that you are a better bassist than you think you are. 

Let me have a think about that chap as Luton is a way away but I might just be able to get down.

mudslide73

You're good enough already I reckon. 

Bridgehouse

mudslide73 said:

You're good enough already I reckon. 

Well that's kind of you to say - but it's hard to know to be honest. 

slacker

Record yourself and evaluate your playing. 

RocknRollDave

slacker said:

Record yourself and evaluate your playing. 

...and post it here so we can all have a laugh

Bridgehouse

RocknRollDave said:

slacker said:

Record yourself and evaluate your playing. 

...and post it here so we can all have a laugh

Thanks for the support!

Not sure my thumping bass would be that interesting

Bridgehouse

Actually - I've had a thought. Anyone got a track with no bass on it (yours or someone else's) that you think needs some bass on? I'll have a stab at it and post the result here. 

No slap (or tickle) - that needs serious work. I'm more of a fingerer..

mudslide73

If you have played bass to function band standard for four years you'll be ok for almost anything imo. As long as you're not auditioning for Dream Theater etc.

Bridgehouse

mudslide73 said:

If you have played bass to function band standard for four years you'll be ok for almost anything imo. As long as you're not auditioning for Dream Theater etc.

It was nearly 25 years ago. I was full of youthful confidence and ambition. We were a reasonably average function band as well. However I've cut my live performance teeth since then playing mandolin, octave mandolin, simple system flute, whistle, harmonica, percussion and acoustic guitar in one band. Playing in a 3 piece with no drums or bass and soloing on a wooden flute or a low G whistle doesn't half leave you exposed - one slight slip can sound like someone let off a fog horn and put a big neon sign above your head saying "bum note here".

Had to write all my own parts for that - and arrange them with other stuff - as well as doing BV duties. For some songs I'd swap instruments perhaps half a dozen times - and time the changes in between the vocal bits.. 

I know bass should be a piece of piss after all that - but it's not what I'm now used to. 

Bridgehouse

Oh, and if you come across a harmonica player that sounds good, I mean really good, then worship the ground they walk upon. It's by far the hardest instrument I've ever had to play and get it to sound properly convincing and not like a christmas cracker toy.. It took a long long time.. 

richardhomer

Bridgehouse said:

Actually - I've had a thought. Anyone got a track with no bass on it (yours or someone else's) that you think needs some bass on? I'll have a stab at it and post the result here. 

I have - from when I was messing around with my looper (if you'll pardon the expression) at Christmas:

https://m.soundcloud.com/richard-homer/floating-bridge

Bridgehouse

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

Actually - I've had a thought. Anyone got a track with no bass on it (yours or someone else's) that you think needs some bass on? I'll have a stab at it and post the result here. 

I have - from when I was messing around with my looper (if you'll pardon the expression) at Christmas:

https://m.soundcloud.com/richard-homer/floating-bridge

@richardhomer - I can do something with that... can you PM me an mp3 or equiv. so I can pop it into my DAW and record a bass track onto it?

ChrisMusic

Spend a bit of time with a drummer, even for an hour or two, find one local or even contact a drum tutor, and make sure you can stay in the pocket.  You'll soon see if you've still got the groove chops, and if the answer is yes get out there all guns blazing.  Good luck  

Bridgehouse

@richardhomer - well I spent half an hour or so jamming along a bit to your track - and recorded quite a few different takes on it. They're on my Soundcloud and I'm happy to delete them if you find them shameful butchering of your track

Listening back, I actually preferred the simpler ones that seemed to complement it better for me. The first one is using the Gallien Krueger GK800 model on the Helix. The second is similar, but it's the SVT Bright model. 

Here you go @RocknRollDave - your sniggering material is presented

https://soundcloud.com/user-108106819/floating-bridge-gk800

https://soundcloud.com/user-108106819/floating-bridge-svt-brt

richardhomer

Bridgehouse said:

@richardhomer - well I spent half an hour or so jamming along a bit to your track - and recorded quite a few different takes on it. They're on my Soundcloud and I'm happy to delete them if you find them shameful butchering of your track

Listening back, I actually preferred the simpler ones that seemed to complement it better for me. The first one is using the Gallien Krueger GK800 model on the Helix. The second is similar, but it's the SVT Bright model. 

Here you go @RocknRollDave - your sniggering material is presented

https://soundcloud.com/user-108106819/floating-bridge-gk800

https://soundcloud.com/user-108106819/floating-bridge-svt-brt

The 'feel' is really good - but I think I caught you out with a slightly odd chord progression for a blues! The sequence is:

G9/D9/G9/G9/C9/C9/G9/G9/G9/G9/C9/C9/G9/D9/G9/G9

Call me a Luddite - but I like the SVT version more. I used to play in a band with someone who had one with an 8x10 cab. No bass rig has ever sounded better to my ears.

Bridgehouse

richardhomer said:

Bridgehouse said:

@richardhomer - well I spent half an hour or so jamming along a bit to your track - and recorded quite a few different takes on it. They're on my Soundcloud and I'm happy to delete them if you find them shameful butchering of your track

Listening back, I actually preferred the simpler ones that seemed to complement it better for me. The first one is using the Gallien Krueger GK800 model on the Helix. The second is similar, but it's the SVT Bright model. 

Here you go @RocknRollDave - your sniggering material is presented

https://soundcloud.com/user-108106819/floating-bridge-gk800

https://soundcloud.com/user-108106819/floating-bridge-svt-brt

The 'feel' is really good - but I think I caught you out with a slightly odd chord progression for a blues! The sequence is:

G9/D9/G9/G9/C9/C9/G9/G9/G9/G9/C9/C9/G9/D9/G9/G9

Call me a Luddite - but I like the SVT version more. I used to play in a band with someone who had one with an 8x10 cab. No bass rig has ever sounded better to my ears.

I'll have another look at it with that progression - it was difficult to hear whether it changed later or not TBH and it was getting late at that point too

Having the chord sequence might help!