If you follow this blog much you’ll know by now I’m a bass player and musician as much or more than a sound guy. Honestly, more than less. Good bass players live between the precision of the beat and the flow of the groove and we’re generally more aware of the whole picture than the rest of the band. Generally speaking, I’ve noticed that bass players are more likely to become engineers (live or recording) than the rest.
One thing good bass playing has is, bluntly… sex appeal. Seriously, good bass playing is straight up sexy. Not gonna lie. I’ve had a man-crush on more than a few players. Clearly, I’m no expert on sex appeal but I’ve read that the main ingredient is confidence.
Rules # 1, 2, and 3: Play and sing with confidence.
Feeling confident and playing with confidence are two different things – and it takes a little time and maturity to figure out how. This applies to every aspect of life by the way. So much of life is reflected in live music, don’t you think?
With that said here’s what most bass players are dying to say to you all. We do you no favors by keeping quiet.
- Play what you mean. Mean what you play. Always.
- Sing what you mean. Mean what you sing. Sing it wrong; just sing it strong.
- Attack the first note. Not the second, not the third, not the fourth. The first! The first note is the most important note of any phrase and if it’s not solid then the rest matter less.
- Get into it for chrimeny sake! Don’t stand there and eek out words and notes like it’s a transcendent humility at work in your soul. That’s the opposite of soul, my friend. Smile. Put some personality into it. If you don’t feel like you have any personality of your own then borrow some. (I actually mean that.) Playing live is not unlike acting. Don’t punish your listener with your lack of feeling it. Your job is to help them feel it, not you. That’s not faking; that’s caring and serving. Fake it till you make it. That’s what I say. (You might carry that advice into your marriage by the way.)
- Make it fun. Fun doesn’t mean it’s not serious. Playing with a tight, smokin band is seriously fun.
Sam out.
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Hear, hear Sam.
I find playing with a live band is always fun and some times things just don’t work correctly, but who cares, its live music.
Studio is a bear, its really hard to sound like your having fun on take 143. If you can get it in one then there is energy.
I don’t think I need to get personality, it just shows up at about the 3rd note. Right after the nervous part.
my 2 cents worth.