21 tips from GREAT BASSPLAYERS 1. Play the roots of the chords. Its a start.

Its the #1 golden rule of bass 2. Support the chords but play with the drummer. You are in the rhythm section. Thats you and the drummer. You two are the backbone of the band. 3. Look after the shop while the guitar player solos. Still support the chord progression as you would in the verse and chorus. The guitar solo is not the place where you have a solo too. 4. Set up as near to the drummer as you can. Remember the 2 of you are a team. 5. You should use all of the 5 golden rules of bass in each song. 6. Dont be too loud. Its easy to drown out the soloist. Get some feedback from your friends regarding your volume coming off the stage. Always ask if the balance is right. You will be the last one to know if your hearing is deficient in the low frequencies. You will turn up to compensate. In your head youll have a balance. In reality you are too loud. 7. Work on your bassline yourself. Do not rely on the guitar player to tell you the chords. Hell get them wrong, your band will sound crap. Do this and youve lost the plot because you cant be bothered. 8. Your basslines travel to outside the venue. I often listen to the bass player from outside the venue and decide whether or not to go in. 9. Mimic the bassline? Only if it is crucial to the track. You have to evaluate each basslines contribution. 10. Analyse. Analyse. Analyse. Why is the bass player choosing those notes? What scale is it? Why play so many/so few notes? Which Golden Rule is being applied? 11. Play more when you have less players in the band, play less when theres more players. This is where lots of bassplayers fail when they cover a bass part. A bass line on a track with lots going on with brass and keys wont work with just gtr / bass/ drums. The opposite is true. You cannot hide behind Its just like the record. 12. Be sensitive. Its in short supply. Listen to the band as you play. Being in the right place in the song doesnt really count if you are the only one there. Dont be clever, play as a band, its not a competition. 13. Practice your scales as well as the songs you have to perform. 14. Always have something you are trying to accomplish in music. Music is never ending and limitless, so why switch off? Music is a Pandoras box of possibilities that change, when you play with different players and different songs. 15. Do not dumb down or over simplify. Remember your lines can be heard outside of the venue. Every note you use is a musical footstep that must mean something. Dont make it say you cant play. 16. Get some gear that sounds great and wont let you down. A great bass sound is the first thing that attracts people to your band. Ive joined bands simply because of the great sound coming from the bass rig. 17. Avoid active bass guitars. Great for the studio, but, live playing is about how you interact not how trebly or loud you can be. 18. Know the song. Know where the verses and choruses are. How long is the intro? This is the song structure. Master it in every song. Dont be a lame duck. Aim to get it right first time through, in rehearsal. 19. Defend your bassline. Its the only thing that counts. Not your appearance or your fancy gear. What do you want people to remember from your performance? I remember watching a bass player performing that was wearing a hat and holding a pipe in his teeth. No, I dont remember any of his lines. Not a player then? 20. Do not buy a wireless link from guitar to amp. You have to stay on stage. Not walk around the venue because you can. Utterly pointless. You have to be onstage at all times. You are part of the show. 21. Use a pleck and your thumb and your fingers. Also if you want to play the bass with a house brick thats fine, just dont try to dislike any of them. Youll be asked if you can do these styles one day. Say yes, get the job. KingofChords.com and Kingofchords.info