Latest
Going Vamping by Steve Gregory
There are a number of musical devices that can be used to build deep, meaningful worship experiences. One such device that is often used in both live and recorded worship music is the vamp. A vamp is defined as a short musical progression that is repeated, often as an introduction to another section. In vamps within the worship setting, the worship leader often speaks, prays, or ad-libs vocally while the worship team repeats a single chord progression a number of times. During this section, the worship team is responsible for keeping the music alive and responding to the worship leader. In a very common implementation of this technique, the dynamic level of the song is lowered at the beginning of the vamp section and then slowly built to a point to where the song “tips over” to the final chorus or two. Time spent watching live performances of worship teams will inevitably result in seeing this done.
What I find to be most interesting about vamping in worship is the enormous disparity between the possible effects. When done well, the swell of emotional worship can be overwhelming and amazing. When done without thought, the vamp section ends up sounding awkward and clumsy. On one hand you have an eruption of worship; on the other hand you have worship dropped to the ground.
Since this technique is so common and can have dramatic results (both good and bad), it is important for us as worship bassists to think about what can be done to make a vamp section successful. To begin, it is very important to realize that one possible pitfall is the vamp structure itself: usually consisting of 1-4 repeating chords, there is not a big song structure to hide behind. In addition, the consistent, repeating nature of the vamp is used to heighten worship and increase congregational involvement and therefore takes away drastic reharmonization as an option. Since so little is given in chord variance, it is important to look for other areas with which to work. Here are a few suggestions of techniques to improve the vamp experience:
Dynamics
I will admit that this is an area to which I give a lot of attention both as a bassist and as a teacher, but I do so for good reason. Dynamics give the worship bassist dramatic “shaping” abilities that apply perfectly to vamp sections. When playing a vamp, think about the shape that the section should take on: does it start soft and rise steadily to loud? Are there “hills” or “valleys” that a particular vamp demands? Will this change, depending on the worship leader?
Do not be afraid to implement effective dynamics and use the whole range of sound to your advantage. If the vamp goes for a longer time than you expected, it is very easy to run out of headroom too early. This is a quick way to reach the aforementioned “awkward and clumsy” stage!
Rhythm
Rhythm is a great tool for the worship bassist when building a vamp. In some cases, rhythm can provide the ability to shape the vamp section much like that which can be done with dynamics: longer, held notes at the beginning of the vamp lead and build to a busier rhythmic line toward the end of the section.
In other cases, the bass rhythm figure may be important to maintain, but accents on certain notes can propel the line forward. This is particularly true when working with a drummer who listens and carries on a musical conversation with the bassist. A single accent, played on the same rhythmic pattern, can change the effect entirely.
Arpeggiation
As I mentioned above, the vamp offers a static progression from which to work. In many cases, the melodic and rhythmic interest of a bass line can be increased by playing patterns derived from the arpeggios of the chords. It is important to regularly practice arpeggios and put on big ears when using them in worship, as it is very easy to lean into a note that does not sit with the group or walk yourself far away from comfortable transitions within the progression. Once again, the line between “awesome” and “awkward” can become very thin!
This is a very small list of possible techniques worship bassists can employ during a vamp, but it is important to remember that they are just techniques. Musical approaches such as these are simply tools to be used thoughtfully, not parts to put together in a formula. Every vamp will be different and will require the worship bassist to listen to the worship leader and the other instrumentalists. The bassist has the ability to lead with their choices (you will be amazed at how many musicians look to the bass for dynamic, rhythmic, and melodic cues!), but must also be willing to be led. Vamping can be tricky, but can ultimately create worship beyond compare.
Since I have listed only a few ideas about vamping, I would love to hear your thoughts! Let me know what you have found to be effective in your worship vamps by leaving a comment below.
Until next time, I hope that your bass playing is blessed and that you can bless others through your bass playing!
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
Featured Videos
Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
Latest
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
Click to follow Bass Musician on Instagram @bassmusicianmag
FEATURED @foderaguitars @overwaterbasses @mgbassguitars @bqwbassguitar @marleaux_bassguitars @sugi_guitars @mikelullcustomguitars @ramabass.ok @chris_seldon_guitars @gullone.bajos
Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
