Thursday, June 12, 2014
"People should try to be more beautiful"
I play the electric bass because the moment my fingers roll off that thick metal string, it feels like my soul has found its voice.
And it does. It's something to do with the timbre of the sound. And low growly sounds which you can feel deep in your bones... and playing the bass lets me get that out to everyone who's listening, whether they're aware of it or not.
I don't just want to play music that I can sing along to, I want to play music that I can feel... and can make me feel.
People say the bass player is the person with the least say - sure I suppose so, if you talk about "democratic" decisions and "democratic" votes - but basically, we can make the song sound good or bad. I'm serious. If it's supposed to be an upbeat song and the bass is just dragging its feet along no number of guitar solos or drumrolls are going get it to sound like it's supposed to. Similarly the way the bass is played can give the entire music a change - and really, if your bass player is a good one - he can make it sound extremely poppy with rapid-fire eighth notes like a hi-hat gone crazy or snazzy with those walking blues steps for a contrapuntal effect or anything in between anytime he wants. And you can't do a thing about it, because no one listening will know what the line's originally supposed to be (there is nothing to contrast the bass to, it can be used in so many different ways) and you will go nuts because that's just how he's pushing your sound in the musical direction he wants it to go.
Oh and yes, we have complete veto power. If I say I don't know the song, you can't say "oh, but it's just these chords!" because a bassline is more than just tone, it is rhythm and it is feel. So yup. Or we can choose to play terribly and have everyone notice that no one's sounding quite as good as usual.
Playing the bass
is the best decision I've ever made.
This is a frickin' awesome song. Lead by bassline.
...and hell
yes that is Michael Steele on bass. It's a Music Man, Sabre I think, though it may be a Stingray (but my bets are on the Sabre). But it is a lovely, lovely instrument that I'd buy if I had the money. Which, in case you can't tell from the tone of this, I don't.
Posted at 11:20 PM
