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Adding Bass?
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Miguel de Maria
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
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 RE: Adding Bass? (in reply to guitarbuddha)
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Hmmm... seems like a rough way to go about it. There are open jams, but aren't those 90% guitar players? I looked on craigslist and there were a lot of bands looking for bassists, lots of guitarists looking to hook up. Surprisingly, there were a few bassists, but none of them appealed to me.
Right now, I am leaning towards looking for a keyboard player who has been around the flamenco/latin music scene. It would be nice if they had some of the songs already in their ears; even better if they'd worked with a nylon string guitarist before. They would be able to play bass, chords, and improvise. Maybe even read music! Also, I think keyboard players are more common.
My dream scenario is something like Baden Powell did with his trio. However, he was enough to carry the group and...I'm not!
It also reminds me, nearly 20 years ago, I decided to learn how to play bass. I asked to borrow my friend's Peavey. He said he would need a couple of weeks to get it. Within those two weeks, before I had even laid hands on it, I had been asked to join two bands.
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Date Feb. 5 2015 15:23:08
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Mark2
Posts: 1868
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco
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RE: Adding Bass? (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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Hi Miguel,
I've had bass players in my group and I felt for my group, it was very limiting. Since I play mostly rhythm, I have the freedom to extend sections or even do modulations without worrying about other players. The soloists can hear what I'm doing and adapt if need be, but mostly it allows me to build a structure for the soloist in real time. It also allows me to be sort of a conductor, as I have full control over the harmony, and can make changes in dynamics without hoping the bass player follows. Another thing I noticed is that the frequency of the bass really takes away something from the rhythm guitar in a rumba context. To me, what makes the rumba thing work without a bass is the tone of one or two flamenco players playing rhythm. It's really a complete satisfying sound to me, just two people playing rhythm. Add a good soloist and percussion, and it's a full band sound. Adding bass can really work in a concert setting where you have pro sound, but it's harder in a club IME. That said, I think recordings call for bass. At one point we had Pablo Tellez from the Santana band doing gigs with us, and it was pretty exciting. Another time, we had a good bass player doing a gig with us, and I thought he was too loud, so I told him to turn it down. He looks at me and says" I'm not playing!" I was hearing some low register feedback.....so embarrassed. I mentioned it to the other guitarist in the group and he said "Tell him to turn it down anyway!" :-) I would like to try your idea of just one guitar and bass, but as you wrote, you have to really play to make it work. Finally, after playing for dance and having the incredible freedom that that offers, any kind of band situation feels restricted by comparison.
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Date Feb. 5 2015 16:17:34
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Ricardo
Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
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RE: Adding Bass? (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria
So, any of you giggers use bass players? When I play with a duo, it's just me and a percussionist. Trio has been the addition of a flute player. But the bass is what really makes it rock, it seems.
I am kind of brainstorming about how to add the bass player. Bass or keyboard-bass? Charts or learn by ear? Even bother playing arranged things or just dumb it down and play GK, Bossa, standards, etc. that everyone knows?
Any thoughts?
I have in the past, but don't generally. Instead we have some bass lines on drum machine for a few tunes. If you are going to add any instrument, they have to be up to snuff and then it should be fine. In general I find bass players are too loud relative the ensemble (they don't realize bass frequencies carry much further and stronger in most cases), and fretless players are not always 100% accurate and it makes EVERYBODY sound out of tune. Those are my two pet peeves. If that is all good, I would let a player do as he or she pleases, though I prefer mostly bottom end vs Benevant type stuff.
Ricardo
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Date Feb. 5 2015 19:30:01
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Miguel de Maria
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
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RE: Adding Bass? (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
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Thanks for the thoughts. I wonder what you guys think of this?
My normal situation is a solo. I am playing classical South American or Spanish, bossas, a few Santana pieces, a few arranged rumbas--just one guitar, no tracks or anything. When I play with the percussionist, the more groove-based pieces work pretty well--since they are dance-based anyway, and my percussionist is fairly sensitive. It does eliminate certain types of solo pieces like the tremolos and Cavatinas, etc.
But I am looking to add another piece. As much as possible, I would like to "re-use" the core of repertoire. I also like to keep flexible so that the shared repertoire can work either solo, duo, or trio (ideally). I like the fact that my parts are relatively complicated, as it plays to my strengths as a solo guitarist, as opposed to cutting through a busy mix with fast picados or brilliant improvisations. I do use a looper a bit, something I picked up last year.
Any ideas on how to add pieces to the group?
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Connect with me on Facebook, all the cool kids are doing it.
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Arizona Wedding Music Guitar
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Feb. 6 2015 1:26:54
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