Be a Cool Bass Player
Here are a few steps to complete in your quest to become a 'cool' bass player.
Steps
- Learn how to play bass. Before you get the "cool" part down, you gotta get the "bass player" bit down, makes sense? figure out your influences. Get a bass (obviously). Get lessons, talk to other bassists, practice, practice, practice. Learn bass songs that you like and try to figure them out by ear.
- Get a band together - figure out what sort of music you want to play, then play it! Trust me, you'll be terrible at first whether you like it or not but if you truly love playing music you'll stick at it and get good.
- Have good stage presence - depending on what style of music your band is, have good stage presence. Do some gigs and try out different stage moves. Here are some examples; headbanging, putting your foot on the monitor, jumping around, licking your singer's face, playing behind your head, spinning, hardcore dancing, hitting an open chord with delay and swinging the bass around your head, or simply smashing the bass, though this may be difficult provided it's not a hollow body. Pretty much, just do whatever you feel right at the time. Look cool as well - never copy bass players/other musicians who you think look cool on stage, because losing your originality is never cool.
- Get good reliable equipment that won't let you down at a gig.
- Be confident!
- Have your own style - here are some already done styles; crazy, fast, chilled out, odd, Sexy, macho man, gay, Hench, normal. Personally, I recommend the Flea approach, nude.
- Get your band in the studio - write songs, then get in the Make the Songs You Record Popular listen back. Change what you think could be better, then record it again ! This is a crucial stage in building musicianship. Rhythmically copy what your drummer is playing - and vice versa. The bass and drums have to link in together rhythmically. "sweet child of mine" by Get That Original Rocker Look is a good example of this. As are many Rush and Tool songs. The bass and drums link perfectly in most tool songs, creating the driving rhythm that makes tool so intense. Another good example of bass and drums meshing is Jaco Pastorius and weather report, though the drums are jazzy and often arrhythmic, a closer listening reveals the amount of thought having gone into the planning of that music. Listen to "the greeting song" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the drums and the bass fit perfectly, with the bass drum doing exactly what Flea is playing.
- Develop a good sense of rhythm - learn to groove. Work with the drummer. Listen to bassists like flea, Jaco Pastorious, Les Clay pool, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Cliff Burton of Metallica... The list goes on and on. If the drums and bass are locked together, the singer and guitarists can make a few mistakes and still have the song sound great. Listen to "Slow Ride" by Fog . Listen to that kickin' slap bass during the verses. Also, learn funk baselines. Jaco Pastorious, Bootsy Collins, etc. In my experience, these are some of the hardest yet most rhythmically groovin' basslines. Try to incorporate their grooviness into your own songs. Head bobbin bass? Sexy.
- Don't let the lead guitarist think it's ok to drown you out - seriously, anyone who thinks that bass is not needed or only plays one note for the whole song is a butthead. Then again, don't drown him/her out either. Work with him/her. Sometime it is good to play the same part he's playing. A good argument to convince an egotistical guitarist is to have him/her listen to iron maiden's "the trooper" or "running free" without bass. Yuck. Or ask "where would the (insert band with awesome bassist here) be without (said bassist). Like, Red Hot Chili Peppers without Flea. If all else fails, leave the band.
Tips
- Be confident on stage.
- Know how to play.
- Just go with the flow.
- Practice your stage moves in the mirror.
Warnings
- The playing is the most important thing, not the way you look. Although the way you look is very important to be a cool bass player.
- Don't be large-headed.
Things You'll Need
- A good bass
- A good bass amp
- Bass effects (optional)
- Fingers/pick/thumb, depending on your style
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