estpany

I started with the drums also, and I don't think I could be so percussive and solid with my bass playing (but I speak only for me here) if I hadn't this previous drumming experience. I tend to like the melodic parts of the bass playing and all those small improvisations during a song, but none of these is about keeping the rhythm. Jaco P. started as a drummer (and his father was a jazz drummer) but after a nasty accident he couldn't play the drums anymore (miracles happen ). As for the paradiddle thing TheGreek mentioned (parenthesis : I'm a Greek too. Well.. not THE Greek but A Greek ) I could give a couple of ideas : First, one can play an octave up where the R (right hand) strike is. I think this sounds exactly like a drum paradiddle should sound (but very often it won't fit to the song). It goes like this (lets say playing "Do"): (1) L, (2) L, (3) R, (4) L / (1) R, (2) R, (3) L, (4) R ..... (1) Do, (2) Do, (3) Do up an octave, (4) Do / (1) Do up an octave, (2) Do up an octave, (3) Do, (4) Do up an octave ... Another way of playing the paradiddle (and can apply to the bass without affect the pitch) is to change the rhythmic subdivisions. Lets say we play quarter notes. When we alter hand in drums (R for a L) we'll play eight notes or triplets on bass. Goes like this : Drums (altered left /right hands) : (1) L, (2) L, (3) R, (4) L / (1) R, (2) R, (3) L, (4) R ......... Bass (quarter notes and eights) : (1) Do, (2) Do, (3) Do Do, (4) Do / (1) Do Do, (2) Do Do, (3) Do, (4) Do Do ..... or Bass (quarter notes and triplets) : (1) Do, (2) Do, (3) Do Do Do, (4) Do / (1) Do Do Do, (2) Do Do Do, (3) Do, (4) Do Do Do... P.S. : Merry Christmas to the bass community of Basschat !