Who likes to play pocket

[cordney]

so what do us "chop"-less players do in the meantime? i do be wondering if the occasional bass player that hears me thinks in his head "this dude is wack". i know im far from tearin the house down and i know people wouldnt be crowded in the corner around me like in those videos. everybody wants the people lookin over sayin "where did they get this guy. i gotta hear more" but just starting out I'm probably closer to  "where did they get this guy. get him outta here" LOL. i definitely cant stop playing and wait until i get chops.

My goal as a bassist when it comes to playing songs is not incorporate my own chops but to try to get my playing as close to the cd as possible.  Now if there is a nice lil chop on the cd...i'll (try to)learn it.  I come to realize that a lot of churches don't have a bassist.  When they see one playing and he sounds like the cd; they flock to the bass player.  I was playing over in Korea one night, I didn't do anything special on bass for any of the songs except play the songs like the cd.  After the service, the organist from another church came up to me and told me I killed the bass.  He wanted me to come out and help his service out.  I said that to say this, we as bass players may not realize or think we are jamming but there is someone always watching us and smiling at what we do or what lil we do.

[brotee]

I co-sign. my experience exactly.

[Browntiplocs]

*WARNING* Novice Bass Player on Board.  Maybe it's just my age (43) or my lack of experience (only 3 years) but I gravitate toward simple, melodic playing that compliments rather than riffs, runs, and solos that stand out.  At the end of the day I want to feel as though what I played fit the context and the spirit of the song, and frankly I want to call as little atttention to myself as possible.  Put it in basketball terms:  I'd rather be Tim Duncan than Kobe Bryant.

I agree with you.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with simple melodic playing.  To each it's own.  Kobe would not even mesh with the Spurs and I'm sure Tim wouldn't gel as much with the Lakers.  Two totally different teams with two totally different gameplans and/or approaches...yet both are succeeding. 

I appreciate Brown's point of view.  DW's as well.  But most of us aren't going to get called to do session work.  We're going to go every Sunday to (insert name of church here) and play to more or less the same audience every Sunday.  If what I play is pleasing in God's sight, if my church family likes it, if I look over at my keyboardist and she gives me a thumbs up, then I've done what I came to do.

No argument here.

[Browntiplocs]

My goal as a bassist when it comes to playing songs is not incorporate my own chops but to try to get my playing as close to the cd as possible.  Now if there is a nice lil chop on the cd...i'll (try to)learn it.  I come to realize that a lot of churches don't have a bassist.  When they see one playing and he sounds like the cd; they flock to the bass player.  I was playing over in Korea one night, I didn't do anything special on bass for any of the songs except play the songs like the cd.  After the service, the organist from another church came up to me and told me I killed the bass.  He wanted me to come out and help his service out.  I said that to say this, we as bass players may not realize or think we are jamming but there is someone always watching us and smiling at what we do or what lil we do.

Hmmmm Didn't work out so well for me....

[DWBass]

@Browntiplocs..........I checked out your track, "Life Is Tough", and that is totally 'in the pocket' playing!!

[DWBass]

@Browntiplocs..........I checked out your track, "Life Is Tough", and that is totally 'in the pocket' playing!!

Sorry............Life Is Tuff...........

[bassthumpa]

*WARNING* Novice Bass Player on Board.  Maybe it's just my age (43) or my lack of experience (only 3 years) but I gravitate toward simple, melodic playing that compliments rather than riffs, runs, and solos that stand out.  At the end of the day I want to feel as though what I played fit the context and the spirit of the song, and frankly I want to call as little atttention to myself as possible.  Put it in basketball terms:  I'd rather be Tim Duncan than Kobe Bryant.

I appreciate Brown's point of view.  DW's as well.  But most of us aren't going to get called to do session work.  We're going to go every Sunday to (insert name of church here) and play to more or less the same audience every Sunday.  If what I play is pleasing in God's sight, if my church family likes it, if I look over at my keyboardist and she gives me a thumbs up, then I've done what I came to do.

AMEN!!!

[brotee]

Hmmmm. I have done a ton of studio work starting in the late 70's. Chops are wanted, yes. But, in my experience, a bassist who plays for himself, independent of the rhythm section, will get shown the door with the quickness. I guess it depends on the type of music the producer is working on. The majority of the music I played on required simple laid back steady playing (all genres). I would not call it boring but it does take discipline to NOT embellish at times. IMO, urban gospel music seems to be the only genre where the bassists get to 'go off' more than usual. I just find it a bit self serving. Admittedly, some of it does sound good.

*Side note: I owned and ran my own project studio for about 10 years when I lived in NY.

It's good that we all have different opinions. It just shows and proves that we all come from different places and have our own unique experiences.

Tad Dal..Kudos!

[MrEdabass]

who likes to play pocket! I DO!!

[smittydv]

Straight up pocket player here bro.  Holdin' down the bottom and ridin' the groove.  It's an old school thang. :-)

[BassMan2000]

People seem to remember the pocket players the most.  My brother and I attended an concert different styles and all, but most people like the pocket player. I like the other bass player, but being a Bass Player I hear all the bass notes. My brother liked the pocket player too. I asked him did you hear the riffs and licks, but his answer was I can not hum riffs. Out of every song played, the old song by the Staple Singers " I'll take you there" was remembered the most"

[bass_mann1]

I have to agree with DWBass, there is nothing wrong being in the pocket, adding some fills brings out the individual, but to completely overpower the song isn't necessary, every song doesn't have to be busy

[brotee]

I have to agree with DWBass, there is nothing wrong being in the pocket, adding some fills brings out the individual, but to completely overpower the song isn't necessary, every song doesn't have to be busy

Right Right

[Ken Felder]

Whats up Fellas its been awhile but this threed is very instresting. i Agree with DW the pockett is where the money is at. When it was time for my boi michel Ross to do his live recording a lot of bass players wated to get on that joint. it came down to three of us a dude ironicly his name is Fitzgerald, Ben Bennet and Me. I Was the least experiance at the time but my pockett was so tight i won the spot over two cats who had been playing pro for a long time. But none of them could stay in the pockett. and belive it or not some bass players sound better in person than on a CD. I Still turned the Gig down because they called me a little late and wanted me to learn twelve songs in two weeks. wich is a possible, but at the time I had another concert i had to do  that i had been preparing for weeks. and they both ran a day apart. So My Boi Fitzgerald took the gig and yes he killed it almost to much.  He over played the songs. To Agree Whith Brown when he said its on the producer. the producer wanted  him to play all over the song showing off his skills. i end up getting the workshops and when i took the same songs that he did and played it in the pockett it sounded better. play in the pockett you get mor calls that way.

[brotee]

Whats up Fellas its been awhile but this threed is very instresting. i Agree with DW the pockett is where the money is at. When it was time for my boi michel Ross to do his live recording a lot of bass players wated to get on that joint. it came down to three of us a dude ironicly his name is Fitzgerald, Ben Bennet and Me. I Was the least experiance at the time but my pockett was so tight i won the spot over two cats who had been playing pro for a long time. But none of them could stay in the pockett. and belive it or not some bass players sound better in person than on a CD. I Still turned the Gig down because they called me a little late and wanted me to learn twelve songs in two weeks. wich is a possible, but at the time I had another concert i had to do  that i had been preparing for weeks. and they both ran a day apart. So My Boi Fitzgerald took the gig and yes he killed it almost to much.  He over played the songs. To Agree Whith Brown when he said its on the producer. the producer wanted  him to play all over the song showing off his skills. i end up getting the workshops and when i took the same songs that he did and played it in the pockett it sounded better. play in the pockett you get mor calls that way.

Perfect!

[mjl422]

I always had the philosophy that I don't really want people to notice me until I'm gone.  Most of the time, when you're just holding down the bottom, people don't even notice you.  But, when you're not there, they notice something's missing.

[jcsgroove]

The pocket is what will get you HIRED!!! Trust me,I know from experience! :-) I'm gonna give you a perfect example of what happens when the ENTIRE BAND plays in the pocket...

Listen to THIS>>>>> 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62h8n1cQCL0

Everybody is on the same page and no one is trying to get the spotlight...it's all about the GROOVE!!!!!

Peace,

Jackie

[DWBass]

Now that was some 'deep' pocket right there!

[dhagler]

I always had the philosophy that I don't really want people to notice me until I'm gone.  Most of the time, when you're just holding down the bottom, people don't even notice you.  But, when you're not there, they notice something's missing.

+1

[bassthumpa]

The pocket is what will get you HIRED!!! Trust me,I know from experience! :-) I'm gonna give you a perfect example of what happens when the ENTIRE BAND plays in the pocket...

Listen to THIS>>>>>  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62h8n1cQCL0

Everybody is on the same page and no one is trying to get the spotlight...it's all about the GROOVE!!!!!

Peace,

Jackie

Now that was some 'deep' pocket right there!

Man, that groove was TIGHT!  Makes me wanna go buy that DVD to hear the rest!