Freedom to play
- Thread starter Son of Magni
- Start date
For any bassist in a band here, did you ever submitted a song/track to your band where you played the main riff and let the guitarist do the root notes? No? Why not?
<rambling>
Maybe this is preaching to the own choir, but a bassist isn't just "the guy/girl who plays the bass", it's also someone who has his/her own ideas. Educate others if they show a lack of knowledge on your instrument, make suggestions: participate! It's pretty insane that everyone and their mother plays guitar, but there's a lack of bassists. Usually something which is rarer is more valued, except in this case: why?
In my opinion music these days becomes pretty stale, there are a lot of "purists" around who start a riot if anything jumps out of the cliché's they listen. So yeah, metal is pretty guitar-oriented, but does it have to be? I have the idea a lot of musicians are afraid for standing out in their genre, afraid to be mocked by these so-called purists. Bands who change their style get shit thrown at them on forums for alienating "fans". Although we're at metal-forums, this isn't something exclusively to metal, I notice similar trends in other genres as well.
</rambling>
<rambling>
Maybe this is preaching to the own choir, but a bassist isn't just "the guy/girl who plays the bass", it's also someone who has his/her own ideas. Educate others if they show a lack of knowledge on your instrument, make suggestions: participate! It's pretty insane that everyone and their mother plays guitar, but there's a lack of bassists. Usually something which is rarer is more valued, except in this case: why?
In my opinion music these days becomes pretty stale, there are a lot of "purists" around who start a riot if anything jumps out of the cliché's they listen. So yeah, metal is pretty guitar-oriented, but does it have to be? I have the idea a lot of musicians are afraid for standing out in their genre, afraid to be mocked by these so-called purists. Bands who change their style get shit thrown at them on forums for alienating "fans". Although we're at metal-forums, this isn't something exclusively to metal, I notice similar trends in other genres as well.
</rambling>
Allfader
Kvelding
The first album from Aghora sounds like bass-driven and I love it. The bassist there is Sean Malone. The same goes for Cynic's Focus where the bass is very notorious and did his own stuff.
on Spiral Architect the bass is equally or more prominent than the guitars and that gives a unique sound to the album.
on Vintersorg's VFTSG and TFB Steve did an amazing job and the bass is not on background, it's like a '3rd guitar' and it blends perfectly with the Asgeir's intrincate drum work.
On one ov my bands (prog death) I make always a different melodic line than the root notes and I'm very appreciated by the guys who see us live, it's weird but the drummer and I always shine so much more than the 2 guitarists, even when they do really hard job in guitars.
Maybe the change ov perspective ov the bass is on our hands and our creativity and show and demonstrate the bass is so important than the guitars or the overtriggered drums.
EDIT: The metal bass players are most headbanging than guitarists. On my band it's the same and I tell them always: I dominate better bass than you the guitar, that why I can shake my head on 360º while you are playing looking the fretboard. (btw, I play fretless too).
on Spiral Architect the bass is equally or more prominent than the guitars and that gives a unique sound to the album.
on Vintersorg's VFTSG and TFB Steve did an amazing job and the bass is not on background, it's like a '3rd guitar' and it blends perfectly with the Asgeir's intrincate drum work.
On one ov my bands (prog death) I make always a different melodic line than the root notes and I'm very appreciated by the guys who see us live, it's weird but the drummer and I always shine so much more than the 2 guitarists, even when they do really hard job in guitars.
Maybe the change ov perspective ov the bass is on our hands and our creativity and show and demonstrate the bass is so important than the guitars or the overtriggered drums.
EDIT: The metal bass players are most headbanging than guitarists. On my band it's the same and I tell them always: I dominate better bass than you the guitar, that why I can shake my head on 360º while you are playing looking the fretboard. (btw, I play fretless too).
Finding your spot...
Well ,all i can say is: Ive recorded with the band i play in a full lenght album .Borrowed ther a beautifull setup - EBS head ,full tube , with famous Ampeg 8 x 10 fridge .
Got enormous sound (50 hz at maximum
very solid and sweet (fretless) lots of energy. Recorded. Some mistakes were made , I still learn the parts. Then ...
1.Made serious mistake in not playing-on-time.Its 22:00, after 9 hours of working with the sound .Engineer says: " ok. it wasnt so bad lets leave it , nobody will listen to your parts anyway"
2.Got the first mix - had to put all bass eq near to max to hear just the proper bass-drum-bass work ...
Fight for Your spot I say!
Well ,all i can say is: Ive recorded with the band i play in a full lenght album .Borrowed ther a beautifull setup - EBS head ,full tube , with famous Ampeg 8 x 10 fridge .
Got enormous sound (50 hz at maximum
very solid and sweet (fretless) lots of energy. Recorded. Some mistakes were made , I still learn the parts. Then ...1.Made serious mistake in not playing-on-time.Its 22:00, after 9 hours of working with the sound .Engineer says: " ok. it wasnt so bad lets leave it , nobody will listen to your parts anyway"
2.Got the first mix - had to put all bass eq near to max to hear just the proper bass-drum-bass work ...
Fight for Your spot I say!
HippieOfDoom
The 13th Monkey
PerennialQuest1349
Member
- Jul 2, 2007
- 31
- 0
- 6
people air bass to me because i shred so hard, instead of mimicking the fretting hand, they mimick my (steve's ;]) triple finger plucking technique.
tomas_almeida
nope
This is interesting. I would like to know how you improvise Steve on the recordings when doing fills. Do you have some sclaes or modes as reference or you simply improvise by ear and muscle memory?
Higon
No Blest´s Bassist
Finding your spot...
Well ,all i can say is: Ive recorded with the band i play in a full lenght album .Borrowed ther a beautifull setup - EBS head ,full tube , with famous Ampeg 8 x 10 fridge .
Got enormous sound (50 hz at maximum
1.Made serious mistake in not playing-on-time.Its 22:00, after 9 hours of working with the sound .Engineer says: " ok. it wasnt so bad lets leave it , nobody will listen to your parts anyway"
2.Got the first mix - had to put all bass eq near to max to hear just the proper bass-drum-bass work ...
Fight for Your spot I say!
Quite the same thing happened to me.
Went to record our EP. First time on studio. Guitar and drums were ready, just bass, solos, and vocals to go. I was on fire that day and laid all our songs in the first go, not a single mistake, it took me about 40 minutes to finish (just 6 songs). The engineer was amazed that I could play that way and sing at the same time...
Compliments apart, the first mix came up and where is the bass? Nowhere that could be heard. Just a monstrous barrage of guitar that sounded like a beehive. Had to ask him to add some more bass to the mix, but even that way, wasn't what I expected...
Bummer... ¬¬
Eligos
Problem Yet to be Solved
Yeah, we're in the process of mixing my band's demo at the moment, and I finished my most creative song relatively easily. Everyone in the band, and the producer, was saying things like, "I like your fill in this part. It complements the atmosphere very well."
I'm hoping I don't get lowered in the mix. It would be quite troublesome.
tomas_almeida
nope
Man, you've got to be there in the moment they're mixing it. Make them make the bass noticiable I say! Use force if necessary!.... lol
Eligos
Problem Yet to be Solved
Editing session today, in about forty five minutes. I'm excited and worried at the same time. I have allies in my band, though. We don't let ego dominate our music.
Eligos
Problem Yet to be Solved
Alright, so we put up a couple songs from our demo, since we finished editing relatively quickly today (we were quite satisfied with the sound). Check it out, Tomas. Tell me if my level was high enough... and what you think of my EQ.
htt://www.myspace.com/kastigation
Oh, and when we release it, be sure to BUY THE DEMO! It'll be worth it.
htt://www.myspace.com/kastigation
Oh, and when we release it, be sure to BUY THE DEMO! It'll be worth it.
tomas_almeida
nope
tomas_almeida
nope
I gave it a listen. You're audible, but I would boost a little between the 350hz and 400hz, but just a little. Cooç black metal though.
Eligos
Problem Yet to be Solved