bass playing advice

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metalj

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my band recentley parted ways with one of our 2 guitarists. We are going to continue to book shows until we find a replacement.

My question is. How should i adjust my bass playing to make up for the second guitar missing, especially during solos? Some people have suggested that i DO NOT just stay on the root note. they say to bounce around and riff to fill in the sound, vs just holding down the rythim.

any advice out there?? anyone with experience in this? i have always played with 2 guitarist so i have never had to think about this.

Our music is covers of current rock/hardrock the lighter side like...foo fighters, eve6, 3doors down, nickleback. pretty much straigh forward rock.

thanks peep's
 
Back in the 80's I was in a band with only one guitarist, a drummer and me playing bass. What I found was a whole lot of freedom. It was scary those first few gigs. Play some double stops, power chords when accenting beats and anything else that feels and sounds good in between. Know your pentatonic and blues scales and you'll be set. Good luck! :cool:
 
Well, your job has now become a bit more complicated. Instead of just having to sync your rhythm with the kick drum, you now have to coordinate your notes with the remaining guitarist. One thing that might really help you out during the solos is to occasionally (be sure not to overdo it) follow the guitarist's solo line on the bass for maybe a measure or two, and then drop back into your normal bass lines. You can also do a whole lot with ascending or descending bass lines to help the dynamic of the song flow better.

Just a couple of thoughts...
 
Fenderville said:
Have your singer learn those three chords.. :p :D
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you are too funny :) :)

not as easy as it sounds, for someone who does not play at all.

thanks for the suggestion though, you were really helpful. Jackass!! :)
 
Since your music is covers, just expand your basslines a bit to cover some guitar territory. That's useless without examples, huh? :p I think you should still keep it as simple as possible, but practice making your basslines more....interesting, whatever that is to you. If you just focuss on the drummer, try listening to the guitar too, and accenting him a little while you are locked with the drums. And do a lot a rehersal without that second guitar player. You will find out what works pretty quickly. Just don't get too crazy with it or it will sound like you are overcompensationg. Have fun!!
 
Zed10R said:
Just don't get too crazy with it or it will sound like you are overcompensating.
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Excellent advice. You really just need to get used to the way things sound the way they are now. Then you'll know what to do.
 
Perhaps you could try playing the third note of the chord more, just to give a little strenght to the major/minor difference.
 
add abit of overdrive to ur sound. it will add another dimention when playing.
 
thanks to all who have offered advice. i have given all of you a bump for taking the time to help me(as I always do on every post). i will seriously consider all suggestions.

I guess it will probably come down to just being patient with it and letting all of our ears in the band get used to the change, and hearing spots where i can do something different to help out as well as our guitar player not doing too much to soon, then communicating with each other on what each of us hears each night.

keep it coming if anyone else has something new or additional to add.

thank you
 
Know your scales. Not just the pentatonic and blues, but your major scales and all three minor scales. Luckily, playing scales on bass or guitar is as easy as learning one formation (I know there's a technical name, but I can't recall it right now) and moving it up and down the neck. Figure out what notes lead into the next chord change to keep continuity in the song. But don't be afraid to play it simple, especially during heavy choruses (chorusi? chorus'?) where the band focuses on rhythm more than melody and harmony. I'd say, keep practicing and playing without the 2nd guitarist and you'll figure out for yourself what areas can be filled more or less.
 
Take advantage of your situation. While a 3 piece band is limited when it comes to certain songs, they can still cover a lot of others. Three people can learn a new song faster than groups with more members, so this is a good time to increase your song list. Playing in a trio will help you to improve your playing as well as the other members. Yes, you will have to be a little more intense and fill a few more gaps but that will make you a better player in the long run.
 
From a non-technical standpoint, you'll find having less members makes you play more tightly together.
 
Well, to me I don't understand why bands have two guitarists in the first place. It depends on the music, but if it is hard rock the only reason I can see is to have the chords while one guitarist solos.

I've played in trios in most bands I've been in, and it has usually been a full sound with just one good guitarist (and drummer!). One good guitarist can overtrack in the studio better then two good ones. Plus 3 guys are easy to set up for a gig, and you make more money. Most audiences can't hear the nuances of two guitarists anyway in clubs.

What comes to mind is that not only the notes you play but your tone is important. You need the usuall bass to hold the bottom, but you also need to and some mids to your sound. This will add to the dynamic range of you and the band. You need more punch.

If the solo is over a D major chord, then be sure to begin on D to establish the root and then add in the third and 5th as you move around. Do plenty of runs up to the root.

The Who (the greatest rock trio of all time) used a good trick: Entwistle and Townshend both used the same Hiwatt heads, the same brand of strings (Rotosound), and, as I recall, the same tone settings.

Good luck.
 
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