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BASS
GUITAR
BY DERRICK HORNE
(from
Spin 13, Spring 2000)
Be very sure of and spend time learning the notes on the
bass guitar all the way from the first fret to the highest
fret on every string. A lot of guys try to imitate fancy
licks and riffs, but they still don't know the notes, so
their attempts are somewhat tentative and sometimes distractingly
off. To be a truly fluent bass guitarist, you must take
the time to really learn all the notes on the instrument.
I call that "developing a relationship with your instrument",
and the main way to do that is to make sure you know all
the notes on it.
As a bass player helping lead worship, you must develop
the skill of knowing when to hold back and when to really
"let it rip" - that skill doesn't come right away. You definitely
have to feel it.
Bass is a support instrument. It's the bassist's primary
job to provide a rhythmic low end and support for the other
instruments.
BY
SHANE SMITH
(from Spin 14, Summer 2000)
By myself, I try to practice for about an hour every day.
I go through a scale in twelve different keys two to three
times. I start with E, then F, then F#, etc. I work on strength,
speed, and timing while I do the scales, which are so important.
I work on not only doing the scales fast, but more importantly
to stay in time with a metronome as I play them, to help
my rhythm. In addition to playing the scales, I go through
the book I'm using. The name of the book I've been using
lately is a Mel Bay book called "Slappin': A Complete
Study of Slap Techniques for Bass". The book will give
me an example, and I'll have the music in front of me, and
I'll learn by listening and looking at the music. The book
has a CD with it so that you can hear what it's supposed
to sound like. I would recommend using a book with a CD
because it keeps you in time. Mel Bay makes great beginner
bass books, too, and most of them come with a CD. When I
first learned the bass, I used the beginner Mel Bay bass
books. I highly recommend them.
When I practice with the band, I try to stay with the drummer
and see what he is doing. I always stick with the bass drum.
I try to keep in rhythm with the bass drum and then do something
similar to his fills in my rhythm. I play the same chords
the other guitar players are playing about eighty percent
of the time, but I want to stay in sync with the bass drum.
I always stay on the chord, but I don't always play the
root of the chord. Like in "Let Everything That Has
Breath", I start on an E and then for the next chord,
I go to an E-flat.
BY SHANE SMITH
(from Spin 15, Fall 2000)
When playing with the band, I play the same chords the other
guitar players are playing about eighty percent of the time.
Knowing when to do those variations the other twenty percent
of the time is really all about feel and learning what kind
of sound that you want for that place in the song. I might
play something other than the root on the chord the other
guitarists are playing, just for a stylistic difference. In
a major chord, I might walk down the root to the seventh note
of the chord. Or from the root to the seventh to the sixth,
which means in an E chord, I'm going from an E to E-flat to
C-sharp. I only do that because it walks the line and makes
a smoother transition, going on the steps in between from
chord to chord, staying in the same key, moving down the scale.
It makes the transitions sound smooth, but still adds some
variety. All this is done "in groove" with the bass
drum.
I've gotta emphasize practicing again. Adding stylistic variations
like the simple one I just described can't be done smoothly
or with much confidence and rhythm if you don't have a solid
base in lots and lots of just plain basic practice... going
through s ales, Mel Bay or similar beginner books, practicing
scales with a metronome, etc. Even if you can't get in an
hour a day of practice, it's more important to get in consistent
practice every day. Fifteen or twenty minutes a day is far
better than practicing three hours one day a week. This makes
it so much easier to keep building on what you practiced the
day before. You definitely grow rusty when you don't play,
especially with a metronome or a CD that will keep you in
rhythm as you practice. You'll grow rusty in keeping time
if you're not doing it at least a little bit every day. I'm
in my freshman year of college, and I have less time than
I did in high school last year to practice. For me, bass is
not only a hobby, something I love to do, but it's also a
priority that has a sense of responsibility with it since
I play regularly in a worship band (Ninth Hour of Atlanta).
If you let yourself grow rusty, any mistakes onstage could
be a distraction from people worshiping. I take seriously
what I do onstage helping to lead others in worship. This
makes me take my personal practice time seriously and motivates
me to be disciplined about it, and to make it a priority with
my time. Leading worship is not a place for the "non-committed"
individual in my opinion. If you're going to do it and you
believe God has called you and placed you in a position to
do it, you need to give it the commitment and time it'll take
to do it WELL. It makes me think of the verse in Colossians
3:23 that says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men".
BY
DERRICK HORNE
(from Spin 16, Winter 2000)
Make the right equipment investments, especially concerning
smaller things like strings and maintenance items. The care
that you give your instrument can have a great effect on
how you sound. If you don't take good care of your instrument,
it's going to be hard for it to sound its best. Keep fresh
strings on it. Keep the instrument intonated and in good
working order, with the action set up properly on it. You
can take your bass to an instrument repair shop and have
an intonation and string adjustment done on it. Intonation
helps ensure that once the instrument is tuned, it's in
tune all the way up and down the guitar, and it involves
adjusting the length of the strings between the frets. You
should do this at least every six to eight months. Expect
to pay anywhere from $20 to $35 to do this. Most of the
guys who perform intonations will also throw in a free set
of strings with it. Also, between playing times, keep your
instrument in a case that protects it and in a place that's
not too hot or too cold. Using a little polish every now
and then seems to help performance, too.
BY
SHANE SMITH
(from Spin 17, Spring 2001)
I just went through the process of searching for and buying
an additional bass guitar, and I'd like to tell you what
I learned from this experience. There are two general ways
for the bass' electronics to be rigged: with active electronics
or passive electronics. Active electronics cost more and
give the bass' pickups an additional boost in amplification
to clarify and strengthen its sound. Passive pickups are
the traditional rig. They cost less, they're lighter weight,
and they don't require any batteries. However, I definitely
prefer the new active pickup bass that I use instead of
my old passive pickup axe because I find the sound to be
much better and my equipment doesn't rely so much on my
PA system and amplifier to supply all the power.
My new piece is also my first 5-string. The standard 5-string
bass has an additional lower string on the neck, and since
it is still tuned in fourths, it is a low B string. While
I really appreciate the added depth of my guitar's sound,
I found the adjustment rather frustrating. I had played
on my 4-string so long that shifting to the 5-string bass
required a good bit of time in practice. All the instincts
I had developed for the 4-string had to be broken and rebuilt
to cater to the new string spacing. So, if you're able to
take a little time to re-perfect your neck movement (and
you've got the extra 100 bucks more than the price of the
same version 4-string), then I definitely recommend a 5-string
for its intensely low, growling sound. Also, I found that
buying a one-piece body bass (as opposed to the two-piece
bolt on neck basses) gives me a very nice sustain when holding
those high notes for lengthy periods. However, you should
also consider the weight of the bass: the heavy electronics
and dense wood do give a better tone and sound quality,
but they also make performing while standing up very fatiguing
to the shoulders and back. Lastly, if you are going to shop
for basses, the first question the salesman is going to
ask is "What is your price range?" You'll need
to know exactly how much you are willing to spend to determine
the quality of the bass you get.
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