So You’re Thinking About Becoming A Bass Player?

Congratulations! You’ve taken your first step in becoming a key player in a band situation!

Bass players are often overlooked in most bands, but they play a key role in the creation of music!

So let’s briefly discuss the role a bassist plays when it comes to writing and performing music.

The main role of a bassist is to lay down the ‘groove’ and rhythmic foundation of the track, for the other musicians to build upon and fill out the overall sound of the band.

The rhythmic foundation is a lot like a heartbeat or a pulse, and giving the song a great feel is key for any bass player.

A good bass player works closely with the drums, to form a rhythm section. Together these two instruments can create a fantastic dynamic for the guitars and vocals to expand upon. A perfect example of a solid rhythm section would be Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) from the Ozzy Osbourne fronted 70’s heavy rock band Black Sabbath.

Originally swing musicians, they crafted darker sounding music, using complex rhythms and you can really hear the ‘bounce’ of the rhythm section in tracks like ‘Fairies wear boots’.

Other famous Bassists, like Mark King from Level 42 use a technique called ‘slap and pop’ which gives the bass a much more unique sounding Timbre and takes what is usually a background instrument and brings it to the forefront. The ‘Pop’ emphasises the high notes, whilst the ‘slap’ adds much more to the rhythm.  This technique is also widely used by Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and in lots of funk style music.

There’s a whole range of talented bass players out there, such as Victor Wooten, Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, just to name a few! Get out there and listen and learn, as there is so much you can do and each one has their own style!

Whatever style you are thinking of playing, here at Rimmers Music, we have a full range of basses to choose from. From Fender to Ibanez, Rickenbacker to Hofner, we’ve got something for everyone and we can help you on your journey to becoming the next big thing!

Come on down to your local store for more information, have a look at our range of bass guitars!