How to get better at bass and writing my own parts?

[WishYouAway]

I've always casually played guitar. I'm not terribly good but I mean I know chords and can reads tabs and everything. However my band was looking for a bassist, and naturally, being the geniuses they are, thrust themselves into a show at my school with 2 weeks and no bassist.

Our set consisted of 2 covers and a pretty simple original, so I "learned" bass for it. Basically, I learned the tabs for the covers and had my guitarist write out one for the other and I nailed them down.

Since then I've kind of done the same thing, learned what my guitarist has taught me in the songs. I don't write much for myself. I am however, kind of a staple in the band now, since I've done a substantial amount of our booking and am the best people-person in the group, and stage presence wise I do kind of dominate in that category (I do the most moving, get the most into the music). Obviously this doesn't account for much musically. I mean, I hold my own, but I'd like to be able to consider myself a bassist.

But I've had no real teaching as far as bass. I really want to get very good and be able to hold my own musically, because the writing process for our group I don't feel is very cohesive (guitarist pretty much gets a vision for a song, writes it, I follow what he does, drums come up with their thing and he slaps on some lyrics) and I really want to be able to contribute.

So, is there any method to writing bass parts? Even for writing as I follow along as a sort of rhythymist (we only have one guitar) to his parts? Is there anything specific points to get a lot better?

I don't know if it helps, but I find I'm far better at picking than I am with using my fingers, and my band plays what I would describe as a post-hardcore/progressive mesh. The first bands we covered were Underoath and Coheed and Cambria, so I'm throwing that out there.

[ACA]

I've always casually played guitar. I'm not terribly good but I mean I know chords and can reads tabs and everything. However my band was looking for a bassist, and naturally, being the geniuses they are, thrust themselves into a show at my school with 2 weeks and no bassist.

Our set consisted of 2 covers and a pretty simple original, so I "learned" bass for it. Basically, I learned the tabs for the covers and had my guitarist write out one for the other and I nailed them down.

Since then I've kind of done the same thing, learned what my guitarist has taught me in the songs. I don't write much for myself. I am however, kind of a staple in the band now, since I've done a substantial amount of our booking and am the best people-person in the group, and stage presence wise I do kind of dominate in that category (I do the most moving, get the most into the music). Obviously this doesn't account for much musically. I mean, I hold my own, but I'd like to be able to consider myself a bassist.

But I've had no real teaching as far as bass. I really want to get very good and be able to hold my own musically, because the writing process for our group I don't feel is very cohesive (guitarist pretty much gets a vision for a song, writes it, I follow what he does, drums come up with their thing and he slaps on some lyrics) and I really want to be able to contribute.

So, is there any method to writing bass parts? Even for writing as I follow along as a sort of rhythymist (we only have one guitar) to his parts? Is there anything specific points to get a lot better?

I don't know if it helps, but I find I'm far better at picking than I am with using my fingers, and my band plays what I would describe as a post-hardcore/progressive mesh. The first bands we covered were Underoath and Coheed and Cambria, so I'm throwing that out there.

Listen to old RHCP and learn those songs.

[OveriseFan]

So, is there any method to writing bass parts? Even for writing as I follow along as a sort of rhythymist (we only have one guitar) to his parts? Is there anything specific points to get a lot better?

I think this might be part of the problem.

Drums and bass are the rhythm section to a group. While you should be aware of the progressions/whatever the guitarist is doing, you should by no means "follow" him. You should work with you drummer on constructing a solid rhythm section.

[ClydeMcAllister]

You probably noticed this already, but watch and listen to the drummer. Listen to the bass drum especially. If the guitar is playing a straight 8th note rhythm, follow the bass drum and accent it. try and throw in some intervals when you do this (5ths, octaves). That's a pretty basic way to get a bassline going. Also, when he does a fill, you can sometimes try and play something along with that fill.

Really the best thing to do is to just learn songs that you like. Eventually you'll start picking up on things other bassists do, and it'll probably show up in your playing.

What sytle of music does your band play btw?

[WishYouAway]

You probably noticed this already, but watch and listen to the drummer. Listen to the bass drum especially. If the guitar is playing a straight 8th note rhythm, follow the bass drum and accent it. try and throw in some intervals when you do this (5ths, octaves). That's a pretty basic way to get a bassline going. Also, when he does a fill, you can sometimes try and play something along with that fill.

Really the best thing to do is to just learn songs that you like. Eventually you'll start picking up on things other bassists do, and it'll probably show up in your playing.

What sytle of music does your band play btw?

Oh yeah, I get the forming with my bass parts, I'm just concerned as following a sound. Is there a certain root note I'd want to follow off of my guitarist?


And like I described, it's kind of a post-hardcore feel with some progressiveness to it. I don't know how to explain it.

I find myself having to explain to everybody that not every song needs a breakdown, so there's their mentality on it.

[theguy77]

you can just learn the bass parts to loads of songs, especially from indie bands where the bass is more prominent (death cab for cutie being a prime example.) the more you practice with songs where the bass has a melody of its own, the more you get accustomed to the kind of patterns you can make within specific chords. and eventually when you write for yourself you'll use these melodic patterns.

[miketrondson]

I think this might be part of the problem.

Drums and bass are the rhythm section to a group. While you should be aware of the progressions/whatever the guitarist is doing, you should by no means "follow" him. You should work with you drummer on constructing a solid rhythm section.

One of the simplest, yet smartest things I've ever read in the musician forum.

Your best bet, take artists you like a lot and learn their songs on bass. If your drummer is good, spend some time jamming with him.