Tips For A Guitarist Who Has A Bass Gig Coming Up

[RocknRollDave]

I play guitar in a wedding band but for reasons I won't bore you with we have one gig coming up that requires me to switch to bass.

So, gear's not an issue, can borrow our usual bassist's rig etc, but I have read that one mistake guitarists make when they switch to bass is they "play bass like a guitarist" rather than a bassist..

I sort of understand what this means...and sort of don't

So I am after some tips on what I should be looking out for, in terms of general approach, technique etc.

All suggestions and advice warmly received.

Thanks

Dave

[frankus]

Bass is about keeping it simple, keeping it low, playing clean and in time.

In the words of JD Blair to Victor Wooten:

"Yo Victor, if you can't do nothing else: groove!"

[fretmeister]

It's all about The One.

Listen to the kick drum and the high hat above all else. Ideally stand somewhere that you can get a glimpse of the drummers kick drum foot. Lock in with it and hit THE ONE at the beginning of every bar.

What you do for the rest of the bar is much less important as long as you are in key and in time. But hit THE ONE.

Now go and listen to Lee Sklar, Willie Weeks, Duck Dunn and whoever it was playing on Sam & Dave records.

you'll get the idea.

[Emperor Fabulous]

Whenever I play a bass, I automatically go widdling up at the dusty end - which, obviously, sounds shit. Hence I rarely pick up a bass. Actually, bar a brief stint on a track for my mate's son, I haven't picked up a guitar since the band split - that's gotta be six months at least ! Anyway.... don't go widdling up at the dusty end !

[RocknRollDave]

Bass is about keeping it simple, keeping it low, playing clean and in time.

Ah, interesting you say keeping it low, as I never know quite where to play things on a bass.
For simple hard rock stuff, root notes at the lowest point (e.g. open E string, G on the third fret of the E string etc) seem to work OK, but for anything more interesting than that, I often feel tempted to play around, for example, the E at the 7th fret of the A string - as it allows for movement downwards as well as up...but then I worry if it is too high and thus not "bassy" enough....
Never sure quite what sounds best...what do other folk do?!

It's all about The One.

What you do for the rest of the bar is much less important as long as you are in key and in time. But hit THE ONE.

Useful advice this, too. I am worried about not locking in enough with the drums, but if I ensure I'm on the one I should be ok to bluff the rest! Fortunately we have a very good drummer.

[danomess]

Useful advice this, too. I am worried about not locking in enough with the drums, but if I ensure I'm on the one I should be ok to bluff the rest! Fortunately we have a very good drummer.[/QUOTE]

Any way you could have a practice with just your drummer? Useful way of just concentrating on the rhythm section, agreeing on parts, grooves, go over sections, try out ideas etc without 'taking over' a full band practice.

[fretmeister]

The One

Capitals. It deserves it. Just like Curry does.

[jpfamps]

Whenever I play a bass, I automatically go widdling up at the dusty end -

There is no money up the dusty end.

[monquixote]

There is no money up the dusty end.

Spoken with great wisdom.

As others have said, hit the one, stay away from the dusty end, lock in with the kick. I find accenting heavily makes more of a difference on bass.
I find with bass thinking more about the chord tones rather than the scale gives more of a bass player sound.
Hit the strings hard if you want to make it growl.

[musophilr]

The One, as previously said. Roots. Arpeggios sometimes. At other times connect up the roots with scale tones, eg the root of the tonic on 1, down through the leading note of the scale on 4 (or the and of 4 depending on the rhythm) to the root of the vi chord on the 1 of the next bar. Down through the dominant on 4 (or its and) to the subdominant ie root of the IV chord on the 1 of the next bar. usw ...