Demigod of Thunder
I’ll never be the official GOD OF THUNDER as that position will be eternally occupied by KISS bassist Gene Simmons. However, I’m fairly pleased with the low-end mayhem that I occasionally wield. Last night at Preons rehearsal during one song I turned on the “ultrabass” feature on my amp, which generates a note an octave below the one being played. It was a fairly satisfying addition to the bass line in that song and added a new dimension of intensity to that part. Our guitarist noticed it right away with approval.
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As a result of working in this role I’m gaining some new knowledge in the musical landscape. The key discovery for me on bass (so far) has been in chords and voice leading. On guitar I usually prefer close-voiced chords because of the inherent complexity they present. In Jumbalassy the ensemble was large enough that I frequently omitted both the root and the fifth of chords; our bassist and keyboardist were already pounding out the root, and the horn section usually played the fifth. So for the sake of minimizing the sonic mud and finding a nice footprint for the guitar, I would just voice the third and seventh of chords, adding other notes for flavor. In bands like Ants Invasion I am filling a larger portion of the spectrum in a smaller ensemble, so I used full chords in fairly standard positions.
As a bassist, I look for opportunities to get away from the “root and fifth” paradigm that seems to dominate the instrument’s role. There are plenty of choices involving chord substitutions and passing notes. It’s amazing to me how few bassists do something truly interesting. While I’m working to lock up with our drummer, I’m also trying to weave a bass line into the song that gives it movement and a groove. There are a few bass players who are masters at doing this, and they are my greatest influences:
- Tony Levin – Probably the best bassist to ever grace our planet. He’s a wonderful guy and a musical giant.
- Mick Karn – Fretless bass shaman. Mick is the reason I wanted a fretless bass.
- Bill Laswell – Bassist and producer. He’s done a lot of great projects in a myriad of styles.
- Aston “Family Man” Barrett – Backbone of the Wailers. Bob Marley gave him the nickname “Family Man” because his bass lines held the band together as a musical family.
- Bootsy Collins – He’s funny, dresses strangely, and sometimes plays bass like a lead guitarist. He’s also a groove monster. Go listen to the early James Brown material. That’s Bootsy holding down the line on classics like “Doin’ It To Death”.
No, Gene Simmons doesn’t make the list 🙂 Although I do admire his fashion sense. Oh, and the fact that he occasionally breathes fire.
So, with the shoulders of giants to stand on, I’m on the path to my own style. Some day I’d like to have a small piece of turf on Mount Olympus where the other gods of thunder reside. In the mean time I’m enjoying the ride.