Playing different styles

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Yo haven't been around here for a while been busy working and playing.

After 6 years playing metal I'm now playing 50's rock n roll in a casual band. It's great fun a refreshing playing something different. It's also brought even more appreciation for my Warwick $$.

Who else has changed to playing a different style of music and found it incredibly refreshing?
 

DiMarco

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I try to play as many styles possible but my hard rock background always shines through.
There is no possible way of hiding it. I have played in a Floyd cover project a couple of times and the bass has an entirely different role in there as in it being the glue that keeps things together.

So; not so much the different playing technique in different styles is what amazes me. The different role a bass has in different music styles is.

One thing stands firm for all different types of music though: Without a bass it sucks!
 

Nachobassman

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I love it too, playing the same style, with the same guys, forever, makes me feel stuck in the same place. It´s nice to have a change. I think this could apply to almost every aspect of our lives.

8:
 

DiMarco

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Ah maybe that's why there are so many divorces?
 
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music i listen to i hate to play and stuff i love to play i would never really listen to....metal is something i just cant play..i try but i suck..other than that ill try anything..pick playing has become a love of mine and is quite tricky after years of never using one..love disco basslines.. started back in the day with punk,the jam and the clash,blondie..each type of music has is own challange,....one thing i have found out over the years,,,playing slow songs improves playing more than anything else..timing and control sticks out a mile and there is no where to hide..i know lots of really really good players fast as hell but dont know what to do with a slow track...just my own view of course..
 

DiMarco

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Chris Squire and Les Claypool made me turn to bass. Those two are miles apart but both brilliant. I never ever listened or danced to disco as I hated it back in the days. Now my attitude towards different music styles is much more relaxed. A current bass hero of mine is Meshell Ndegeocello, her style is so groovy and relaxed she's a real eye opener to me.
 
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I play a lot of Rock and metal, but trying for a bit of Funk made it much more fun... and I play a $$ corvette as well, great instrument!
 
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The $$ is great. Always had it in single coil mode to cut through guitars but rock n roll being so open I've put it into humbucking mode with the eq flat so it's natural Warwick mids and the valves of my peavey sounding awesome. Also that style of music tests your stamina.

I have to agree about slow stuff. You have to be precise but at the same time it allows you room to play with different nuances.
 
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playing slow imo also teaches you to listen...sometimes less is more...you learn more also about melody....bernard edwards,paul mccartney,and my personal favorite rutger gunnarsson can in one bass line explain more about melodic playing and time keeping than a million words....learning only one style of music i think happens to most musicians at the start but as you grow you find it quite restricting..metal playing for me is just something i cant gel with,its not the speed or the notes it just always feels wrong...cant explain it..but i do try..and i love metal by the way..being average at all styles for me is so much better than being a master of one....one other thing to think about to help your bass playing is learn another instrument..piano and guitar has helped my understanding of what i should be doing and drums helped with my time...i suck but its not about being great its just tools i use to help my bass..
 
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@ridgebackdk:
You are absolute right! The expression "less is more" can't be said enough.

And there's nothing better than

1. Finding a very difficult piece (in 30000000bpm) to play

2. Turn this thing on:

Metronome.jpg


3. Make the display say 25 bpm

4. Increase like 2 bpm after 15 min of trying it in 25 bpm and go from there :)

on topic: I think everyone should try to play about any genre they can think of. There's is SO much to learn from everything I simply cannot see how you could possibly get progress in your playing without doing this. However, I also think it is very important to find something to "specialize" in :) metal, funk, jazz, rock, pop, classical, whatever genre you enjoy playing and have a huge interest for. In short; be open-minded, but everyone needs a passion to follow. :)
 
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Doc

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Welcome back, Sax! I am now playing in a country band...

The closest I ever got to that before was classic rock. I'm glad I took the opportunity, though - the audiences are a lot more receptive to the music and a lot less apt to "wallflower" as opposed to metal and hard rock (at least in my part of the world). Plus, I can be playing eighth notes at 180 bpm in one song and then be doing whole note 1/5's at 60 bpm the next.

Rocket science it isn't, but it's a lot of fun. :)
 
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The set list I'm working with now with my band is pretty broad and I'm liking it a lot. When I was younger I would have had strong opinions about some songs and would refuse to play them (which now seems so absurd; was that really me?). Now I find the joy in playing any song they throw at me. There are so many things to learn and practice.
 

da-vonk

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Welcome back Sax ... 8:

Don't wanna sound like da old wise guy but I've played in many different bandz with many different stylez and if there'z one thing that I've learned then it'z that if da chemistry (or da relationshipz between da band memberz) iz good it actually doesn't matter which kinda style of music ya play ... 8:
 
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Cheers guys.

It is also a case of growing up a bit I think. However you still won't find me playing greenday unless it's done like hayseed dixie.

But then what we did was a reasonable range: rock around the clock; great balls of fire; yakety yak; chantilly lace; lost that loving feeling; mess around (we messed that one up) and surfing bird. Some funny, some pure rock n roll. Whatever you do you just need to enjoy it.
 
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I have always kept it different. There was a point when I played in 3 bands at the same time; one was progressive death metal band, one was a Thrash band and the other was a Gypsy Kings tribute band. There was another time when I was in a Rock band while playing in a R&B band.

I've found that playing different styles kept my chops up and helped me as a bass player.
 
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