Lock to the kick drum.
If you are new to bass then the key that every experienced player will tell you is to start by locking your groove into the kick drum.- Think harmony.
Bass is actually a cross over between the rhythm section and the harmony. A really effective bassist will still lock to the kick but have a good grasp of the all notes in the chord being played, as well as some understanding of chord substitutions and passing notes they can use. These can all add harmony textures too. If you’re not familiar with chord theory then there’s plenty of it on our blog and our Intermediate bass course teaches you all you need to know. - Use inversions as well as root notes.
A great way to get started with harmony is to think about inversions. A basic chord uses the 1st 3rd and 5th notes of the scale the chord is derived from. So a G chord will have a G note or the 1st, a B note, the 3rd (G is 1, A is 2 and B is 3) and D is the 5th. So rather than just playing the root note you can play the 3rd (1st inversion) or the 5th (2nd inversion). Both give different textures and some work more appropriately than others so you need to experiment. Our beginners courses cover this in more detail. - Don’t play like a frustrated lead guitarist.
Many bass players who have transferred over from guitar can play the right notes but still think like a lead instrument rather than rhythm section. So a lot of bass players fill up way too many notes, partly because they have the dexterity to play faster than the music requires and because they get bored of the consistency and feel the need to express themselves. Bass is a team role just like drums. If that consistent underpinning of the song seems boring then you are probably playing the wrong instrument. - Timing is everything.
Cool riffs played out of time sound so much worse than even simple phrases in time. Especially if you are into playing damped ghost notes. These are pointless unless they are really in time so practice with a metronome if necessary. - Taste is everything.
I hear so many bass players throwing random notes into their licks. Chord tones (notes from the chord being played) is often a great start to tasteful lines. - Tone is not everything, but it helps!
Great tone is not just about the amp and guitar but also to do with your sense of touch. Don’t just pluck notes in the same area of the string. Experiment with playing over the neck or next to the bridge. Volume and tone controls can make a big difference too. - Careful of the funk!
Most bass players go through their funk stage, but please don’t inflict it on the rest of the church unless you are a) in a black majority church that can actually play funk b) in a black majority church that can actually play funk.
Previous posts in the 50 tips series
Communication skills for worship teams
Other posts on bass you might find helpful:
Downloadable drum grooves for practice
Recommendations on bass guitar strings
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring bass score
Ask the Expert – Singing while playing bass
Ask the Expert – Getting a cello sound from a bass guitar
Getting a brass-like tone from a fretted bass
11 Comments
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Laymond
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Number 8 on list, the one about not playing funk unless you’re in a “black majority” church is probably the most racist thing I’ve ever heard. You have to be black to play funk well? Or in a Black church?
Hey, Musicademy, I’m extremely offended by this comment and pray that you guys think twice before putting stuff like that up again.
probably the biggest over-reaction i’ve ever heard. chill out mate and get a sense of irony, it’s just a joke.
From my reading the comment suggests – don’t try to do something (ie. play funk) unless you can do it well or you will sound deeply naff.
I read it as saying;
‘don’t attempt to play funk unless you can do it really well, otherwise you have a tendency to sound tragic’
How is that offensive?!
‘the most racist thing you have ever heard’?? Seriously? Lighten up – the point is valid and absolutely nothing to do with prejudice against a certain race (which you’ll find is what ‘racist’ means). Think before you post next time.
We often interpret words through our own feelings and experiences, that’s what makes a phrase so powerful for one person, and meaningless for another. Arguing over the grammatical context and the intention does not alter the fact that certain words can trigger a very negative feeling for someone who has experienced racism within the church community.
Just be aware, our words have power, to build and destroy.
Re #8 .. (a) I assumed as I read it that it was, indeed, meant for humour and not as a racial slur – the fact it is repeated twice as a literary device should be a cue that they are shooting for funny (b) an excellent point is made taking it all in context “Most bass players go through their funk stage, but don’t inflict it on the rest of [us]” .. As a drummer, guitarist and former worship leader I have found “the funk stage” frustrating at one time or another in each role as it diminishes the foundation of what’s happening musically, typically in favour of “looking or trying to sound awesome” .. It is often done poorly and at inopportune or inappropriate times .. I think the point stands .. @cruzzer83 I pray you will think twice before playing more funk in church again *8)
regarding cruzzer83′s comment.
I am not sure you that you have the right end of the stick and that comment 8 about funk bass is more than obviously hinting at the appropriate sound and style for worship music. The comment is about the context. I do not read it as racist at all!
In my experience, as a bass player who loves 80s tinged funk, there is little space in the contemporary band led worship genre for funk at all… too many notes! Arrangements for songs don’t always lend themselves as a space for aspiring players to inflict whatever they’re learning on the rest of the group and congregation. In addition to point 8, i would like to add that any bass player trying to play powerfunk like the RHCP or Weather report should also not do it unless they can nail it and have a drummer who can oblige with the right groove! As a maxim for playing I never try to inflict my preferences on everyone else… i try to work with the band (drummer esp) as to what is right, what works and what helps people focus on God rather than me. Playing funk or any showoff style can take the focus of God… and that is not our purpose!
It’s not a racist comment! Period!
Hi Cruzzer83.
The thing about playing funk, or indeed any other style, is that in order to make it work, the whole band, not just the bass player, has to be able to authentically play it well, with detail, execution and meaning. Also the congregation has to be culturally comfortable with it so it doesn’t become silly or comedy. Plus, the style has to work within the context of the song so that again it doesn’t trivialise it, but makes it more alive and real. I once heard a ‘jazz’ version of Amazing Grace that a congregation was very proud of, but they couldn’t play jazz with any authenticity and the words lost their depth as it descended into a bad pastiche.
Funk is unusual because it’s one of the few music styles that is bass led or at least where the bass is the primary driver of the groove. I think many bassists go through the funk stage because they can learn some great chops that are a challenge to master and feel great to play. Thing is, I’ve seen so many times in a church context where a bass player obliviously and tastelessly injects all those chops, all the time, where the band can’t properly play funk and the congregation doesn’t really understand it. You end up with a really weird music recipe, a bit like fish ice cream.
More mature players tend to learn to hold back those chops for the right moment, in context. My point is, many black majority churches play funk really well because the band can all work with the grooves, the songs lean themselves towards it, and the congregation understand it as an intrinsic musical style that’s not alien to them and part of a natural cultural fit.
Having been the only white guy in an r&b worship band I have to (jealously!) admit there is an amazing groove in music of black origin that comes from a rich cultural heritage that is very difficult to replicate if you’re not black. I’m not being racist, and I’m not saying that no white bass player on the entire planet can play funk. It’s just in so many churches, bass players who try to hijack a worship song into a funk fest fail miserably because they are not skilled, aware or mature enough to realise what they are doing wrong. And its not just bass players, it applies to all of us – guitarists with constant overused blues licks, drummers with a Dave Weckl fetish and wannabe Mariah Carey–ists, with just too many notes.
Yes I was using a slightly tongue in cheek humour to hyperbolize or overstate my case to get my point across, rather than a drawn out, caveated, and boring statement that leaves no stone unturned, it was a tips article after all… If I’ve genuinely offended you or anyone reading this, I apologise, but I do stand behind my statement. We all use hyperbole to get our point across, so please be careful when throwing around racist accusations in future.