How important is an 'interesting' bass part in the music you play?

[Cantdosleepy]

I used to be in a band that covered Plush by Stone Temple Pilots. I hate that song, but the bass part was satisfying to play an lollopped along in an interesting fashion.

I was listening to Anthem for a Seventeen Yeah Old Girl by Broken Social Scene the other day. I love that song to pieces but the bass is practically non existant.

So: Would you prefer to play songs you didn't much like, but had satisfying bass lines, or play far less engaging parts in music you genuinely think is excellent.

And minus ten thousand points if you answer "Well I like to play interesting bass parts in songs that I think are excellent." Ten thousand!

[BOD2]

Both !

I'm happy to play "dull" basslines in songs that feel great to play but I find it more difficult to play similar basslines in songs that I don't like.

Conversely, an interesting bassline can make a song I don't like more enjoyable....but it will wear off eventually.

So I'd probably rather play the songs I enjoy than ones that have interesting basslines as, in the long run, the enjoyable songs are more fun to do.

[Galilee]

Much rather do songs I like. Because I take lead vocal as well as bass, an interesting bassline isn't the be all and end all for me.

[Bilbo]

Its a moot point.

Is the music interesting? If so, the bass line is, by association, interesting. If the piece is poor, the bass line can be a doozie but it will still be a weak piece of music. A great bassline in a weak piece of music is, thus, an oxymoron. It doesn't exist.

[ahpook]

i don't do covers...if the bassline's dull to play it's my fault !!!

[Cantdosleepy]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='197276' date='May 12 2008, 04:31 PM']Its a moot point.

Is the music interesting? If so, the bass line is, by association, interesting. If the piece is poor, the bass line can be a doozie but it will still be a weak piece of music. A great bassline in a weak piece of music is, thus, an oxymoron. It doesn't exist.[/quote]

gunna hafta disugree wiv yuh there, bilbuh.

There's a large non-rational component to the enjoyment of music. You can dislike a piece that is musically interesting. It can be a strong piece that you don't like. The inherent musical interest of a tune doesn't always (or even often) translate into my enjoyment of it.

But you make an interesting point - a bassline can be appropriate, and interesting by association even if it's not challenging to play/containing interesting counter-melodies or whatsit.

[Dubs]

I almost refuse to play root note bass lines...but that doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally like listening to songs with boring root note bass lines in them, if you get my drift. I'm young and immature so the more complex the better - it keeps me concentrating and so I'm actually less likely to mess up a really complicated bass line that I would I really easy one, weird that but true.

[clauster]

+1 to BenWhite's comments.

Once I've nailed a complex bassline its in my head forever. The simple ones I can't remember a week later

[The Funk]

[quote name='ahpook' post='197277' date='May 12 2008, 04:34 PM']i don't do covers...if the bassline's dull to play it's my fault !!![/quote]

I'm happy to play a simple bassline where the song wouldn't hang together if I was showing off. (It also helps if I get plenty of opportunities to show off on other songs ).

[ahpook]

[quote name='The Funk' post='197344' date='May 12 2008, 05:55 PM']I'm happy to play a simple bassline where the song wouldn't hang together if I was showing off. (It also helps if I get plenty of opportunities to show off on other songs ).[/quote]

i don't do showing off either

what i'm saying is that as i get to decide what the bass is playing then by definition it's can't be dull...not cos i'm an amazing player, but cos if i have to play it i make it interesting (to me that is)

[The Funk]

[quote name='ahpook' post='197353' date='May 12 2008, 06:07 PM']i don't do showing off either

what i'm saying is that as i get to decide what the bass is playing then by definition it's can't be dull...not cos i'm an amazing player, but cos if i have to play it i make it interesting (to me that is)[/quote]

Yeah, I can understand that. How could you possibly write a part that would bore yourself?

[ahpook]

[quote name='The Funk' post='197357' date='May 12 2008, 06:11 PM']Yeah, I can understand that. How could you possibly write a part that would bore yourself?[/quote]

well, the part itself doesn't have to be jaw-dropping, as long as it fits in with the tune.

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='ahpook' post='197367' date='May 12 2008, 06:27 PM']well, the part itself doesn't have to be jaw-dropping, as long as it fits in with the tune.[/quote]

+1

One of my bands songs isn't overly complicated but it's all about dynamics and ends on a massive crescendo. The bassline for it is just root notes because I've tried doing something more "interesting" but it doesn't work for the song. Although the ending has some nice droning/chord stuff that's pretty good.

[chris_b]

As people are saying.... the song is the important thing. You have to play what is best and what fits. Two of my favourite songs are "Every Breath You Take" by Police and "Everyday People" by Sly And The Family Stone. Neither would be half as effective with any other bass line.

[ahpook]

[quote name='jono b' post='197376' date='May 12 2008, 06:44 PM']One of my bands songs isn't overly complicated but it's all about dynamics and ends on a massive crescendo. The bassline for it is just root notes because I've tried doing something more "interesting" but it doesn't work for the song. Although the ending has some nice droning/chord stuff that's pretty good.[/quote]

my outlook exactly...if you're not playing for and with the piece of music, pack up and go home.

[Kiwi]

I'm starting to find something slightly interesting about Jewish Horah medley songs. If I'm capable of, that I reckon I can find interest in just about anything...

...apart from prog metal maybe.

[paul, the]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='197407' date='May 12 2008, 07:19 PM']I'm starting to find something slightly interesting about Jewish Horah medley songs. If I'm capable of, that I reckon I can find interest in just about anything...[/quote]
Klezmer :wub:

[Jono Bolton]

I think The National Anthem by Radiohead is a good example of an "uninteresting" bassline being important to the song. It's drives the track along and loops over and over while it's everything else that does all the interesting stuff. 4 notes is all it is but anything else just wouldn't work.

I'd rather listen to a good song than an average one with an interesting bass line.

Edited May 12, 2008 by jono b

[ahpook]

[quote name='jono b' post='197509' date='May 12 2008, 08:54 PM']I think The National Anthem by Radiohead is a good example of an "uninteresting" bassline being important to the song. It's drives the track along and loops over and over while it's everything else that does all the interesting stuff. 4 notes is all it is but anything else just wouldn't work.

I'd rather listen to a good song than an average one with an interesting bass line.[/quote]

damn fine choice as an example...part of the reason why the song works is that the bass just chromatic things whilst it al goes mad around it.

to me it's a fantastic example of how powerful something that seems uncomplicated can be.



[size=1]lets forget it wasn't played by the bassist !![/size]

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='ahpook' post='197520' date='May 12 2008, 09:19 PM'][size=1]lets forget it wasn't played by the bassist !![/size][/quote]

[BigRedX]

As others have said the song is the boss. As a bass-playing songwriter I do have a slight tendency to hand off the boring parts to the keyboards (sequencers don't complain) or the second guitar part., but I'd have no problems playing a single note in 8ths all the way though with everything else going mad around it if that was the best for the song.

[Mr Fudge]

I've certainly been known to go off on one.

[Russ]

I'm all for each part of a song having its own identity, ie, if you soloed a single instrument from the band (ie, just the bass, or just the guitar, etc), you'd be able to easily identify the song, because each musical part is an equal contributor to the overall sound. That's just down to good songwriting. I'm a big believer in the notion that a good song, although often sounding better when played by a whole band, can be played solo with just an acoustic guitar or a bass and not lose its identity.

A band who do this brilliantly are The Cure - Simon Gallup's bass parts are so well crafted to the song, and the song could happily stand alone with just his bass and Robert Smith singing over it. They're not technically amazing, they're just melodic, they outline the chords well, and are very well written. This is the direction I'm going in... I've done the whole slapped-32nd-notes flashy thing before, so now I'm trying to be a bit more intelligent about it.

[trent900]

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='197250' date='May 12 2008, 04:03 PM']So: Would you prefer to play songs you didn't much like, but had satisfying bass lines, or play far less engaging parts in music you genuinely think is excellent.

And minus ten thousand points if you answer "Well I like to play interesting bass parts in songs that I think are excellent." Ten thousand![/quote]

Less engaging parts in music I like, a million times over. For two reasons:

1. I can stop thinking about bass and listen to the song, which as previously discussed, is a good one.
2. If it's a 'less engaging part' there's probably less chance I'll cock it up.

Sometimes however things can be taken too far, may I draw the thread's attention to 'Dance the Night Away' by the Mavericks which [i]will[/i] give you carpal tunnel and is a criminal affront to all that is good and right in this world even at the best of times.

Edited May 12, 2008 by trent900

[Sarah5string]

Covers wise I play what I like... if they're my own basslines I don't like to write simple lines unless the song will benefit.