roll of bass: when and where?

[i am sam2]

ok im really bored with the other instruments forum there has been a lack of bass talk recently so i am going to ask this question and id like to read everyones responses...

what is your take on the roll of the bass in a band? when should it be simple, low, and driving, and when should it be melodic? when should the bassline be on the higher end and when on the lower end? when does the bass somewhat mirror the main riff and when does it go off by itself?
i realize a lot of this is purely based on the song its in, but give some examples (like "when the guitar does this kind of thing, the bass, in my opinion, should do this kind of thing").

again...this is just because we need some bass talk in this place

[Xiablo]

hm...i see a lot of bass talk..but anyway I think bass is there to keep the crowd movin and feeling good. I dont see there as being a right or wrong style. Some people assemble their groove more complicated then others.

bass is there to boost the rhythme section and fill that gap inbetween guitar and drums.

in my eyes it should have solo just as a guitarist does and just as much glory as a guitarist.

bottom like, we gotta keep em groovin'

just my view

[Macht]

Bass is a pure neccessity of any band. i get pissed when there is no bass in a band. i mena you might as well ask, what does the guitarist do. <shrug>

[i like tictacs]

It depends on the music. In music like punk and simple rock, the roll is to just play the root and reinforce what the guitar is doing. In country and pop...the bass needs to take a backseat to let the vocals and lead do the work. In jazz, certain types of rock (flecktones, DMB, Phish) the roll of the bass is to keep the growd grooving. and to fill out the sound.

[i am sam2]

Bass is a pure neccessity of any band. i get pissed when there is no bass in a band. i mena you might as well ask, what does the guitarist do. <shrug>

yeah i agree with you about bass being a necessity. (and i might have taken that last thing you said the wrong way) but im just trying to get some conversation into the roll of the bass just for something to read

[Macht]

Bass keeps that groovy/fonky/jazzy beat and gets the crowd really into it. a crowd can just listen to the bass and it helps them dance/clap/sing/get into it.

[bassman462]

Bass keeps that groovy/fonky/jazzy beat and gets the crowd really into it. a crowd can just listen to the bass and it helps them dance/clap/sing/get into it.

ya just look how much wooten is into it in macht's sig.

[Xiablo]

Your a real knowledgable guy tictacs, BUT i have to disagree with you on one thing. I don't listen to punk, but I think that punk could and should have bassists doing more then roots. I wouldn't look at playing roots and reinforcing the guitar in a punk band as their role, just something they choose to do - and I find it being a poor choice. Many punk bassists out there like matt freeman of rancid who really mix it up. Think punk needs that fast paced rthyhme to keep everything feeling it.

I just think punk bassists should get more creative, move up and down the neck instead of just staying in one spot, do some nasty fast solos and resort to more then just a pick. However, doing these things with posture. Inbetween vocal breaks and guitar chord transistions. Going nuts the whole song would ruine it.

just my view of it

[street fish]

I know it's kind of a cliche, but you just have to play for the song.

Within the same genre, even within the same band, you'll find that dramatic differences are necessary from song to song. A slow song might use a low, root-based line, it might use a higher melodic line, who knows. . . there isn't necessarily a right answer either. What you do will affect how the song as a whole sounds, and you as a musician and you as a band have to decide if the song sounds good and what each instrument needs to do to make it better.

Obviously, most times a hard driving song will be best served by steady eighth notes that follow either the guitar, the vocal, or a combination of both (see the chorus to Hello Again). If everything is pounding on the same rhythm and basic notes and there are fewer distractions, you achieve that effect. I'm sure there are other things that are kind of obvious, in which case, they are obvious and don't really call for discussion. Basically, if you decide the answer isn't obvious, you decide it is completely subjective, and you just have to decide what makes the song better.

Of course, step one as a musician is to learn how to play the song and not the instrument.