Re: Bass - the dark side

On 2010-08-06 12:43:35 -0400, TD <topper.doggle@xxxxxxxxx> said:

I played some bass at today's jam and was told I am a "natural" and I'm
"playing the wrong instrument". This was flattering and a bit shocking.

But I don't really fancy learning a new ball game, I see 6-string guitar not
so much as a soloing instrument but as a songwriting tool, and for laying down
riffs and rhythm patterns, and playing bass would remove some of that, I'd
become "just" a musician.

It just makes me even more determined to get my chops and theory together, so
I can be the best 6-stringer I can be (no matter how good I could become on
bass).

don't think of it as a "new ball game" - think of it as a challenge.

For my music, I play both - and sometimes, I've actually written tunes where the bass line came first, and then the chords followed. And it's an interesting balancing act, especially harmonically. Using a judiciously placed and pitched bass note can often make a tired progression more interesting. Also coming up with melodies within the song itself .

There's Paul McCartney (good example). John Deacon from Queen is also a pretty good example - though primarily known as a bassist, he also wrote on guitar and piano. And he wound up writing quite a few good tunes for Queen, several of them becoming blockbuster hits. (Some of those bass lines he came up with for Freddie and Brian's songs are pretty tough to get right!)
--
Dan Dreibelbis, CGN (Cerified Guitar Nerd)
http://guitarnerd.ca
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=121942
http://www.myspace.com/dandreibelbis
Current Songs - "Not What You Think!" and "In Your Arms

.

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