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Trademark: How Do Most Bassists Get Their Signature Sound? by Tim Risser
I’ve thought about this recently and there’s no simple answer. We learn to play bass via the internet, a good local teacher or just picking it up and laboring through; and initially, purchase a bass we can afford. This is a good start. As we progress we play the “trading” game- taking our used and cheaper version of whatever we initially fell upon in the guitar shop and upgrade. This is usually a fair way of expanding our sound and trying what others have. We don’t all start out with a high end bass and that helps us adapt and become good players. The compulsion to become a great bass player won’t be impeded by a bass with high action, below average pick-ups and an awful looking metallic blue paint job. A lot of us don’t own our first bass anymore, and it’s almost a guarantee that what we’re playing now is a massive upgrade!
*You always remember your first love.*
As we progressed in the early days of learning and developing, many of us wanted to emulate the sound of our favorite bassist. I know that countless players saw or heard the aggressive tones of John Entwistle and Jack Bruce, or were inspired by the slippery melodies of McCartney or Squire- and from that point on there was many aspiring players doing their best imitation, while creating their own musical soundscapes. Some bassists didn’t need more than a few listens from Jamerson’s Precision Bass and ever increasing songbook. Or what about the warmth and depth, when you first heard Jaco’s Fender Jazz Bass, blistering through Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee”? No one’s going to sound like the genuine article- “the original”, and those icons are still regarded as some of the best.
Creating your own sound is part of what drives the excitement!
And you want me to plug in where?
Imagine being dropped off in a remote corner of the world, where as a new bassist, you are handed a very archaic instrument: a bass with no Fender or Warwick etched in the headstock, very rudimentary electronics and settings, and little more than a small amp to drive the sound. You’re just learning and you have never listened to modern music as we know it. No salsa, no jazz, no rock & roll; and from where you not only adjust to being self-taught, but you also find a way to play that will eventually rely on the pick-ups and amplification a specific brand can accommodate. For now, you simply play with your hands and you just learn in a way that is not influenced by anyone.
A year later you’re dropped into Time Square and walk into a Sam Ash Music store. You know the one that has a 100+ basses from most of the major dealers? The sky is the limit and you have the resources to buy anything. What would you immediately look for? Assuming you know nothing other than there are four separate string tones from low to high and the bass can at least transduce a wide array of tones- how would you find something gratifying? Where would you start to comprehend all of your options? Remember, nothing has gotten into your mind to influence your decision.
It would be an amazing auditory and sensory exploration!
First, what feels good– the contours of the body, the weight and balance; and what about the neck, string tension and action, fretless or fretted- maybe a low B or high C string? How do certain instruments feel, cradled in your arms or pressed against you? The physical traits of a bass guitar are similar to the most desirable attributes that pull us towards a significant other. Think about your first love- or most recent: it was the visual perception, intellect and emotional make-up of a person that spurned the adulation. A bass and a partner are no easy choice, and most of us spend a lot of time deciding!
I sense an online musician/dating site on the horizon…
A year would be a long time to develop your understanding of playability and now that that availability is limitless, what would initially drive you? What about cost- even if it wasn’t an issue? We all have dealt with that over the years and most non-professional bass players have some limits set to it (and a lack of expendable income!). A player who knows that cost is a good mediator of quality might grab a Sadowsky and just walk out with that purchase knowing it was the “obvious” choice. But what is obvious isn’t always a slam dunk. I don’t think that cheap equals crap either- there is a lot of low end models that can do some major damage when placed in the right hands (ever see Killian Duarte play the Duff McKagan Fender P bass??). If we had nothing to gauge our listening experience on, we would require some mental experimentation and patience. The pleasure of sampling different models would single out what we like and what we can do without.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but tone is mostly in your own hands.
Playing close to the bridge, slap & pop in its varying executions and even coveting the neck a’ la “My Generation” might make your first experience in the music store an epiphany. Even the smallest upgrade would renew the playing and commitment you have for your artistry. You’ve had a year to learn, so where do you go from here? You would be overcome with the possibilities! Think back to the excitement of just holding your first bass—it’s a moment you will hold onto forever! For months leading up to my first bass, I held a hockey stick in my hand and mimicked what it might be like to play the real thing. Yes– I looked like a dork!!
We all had high expectations when we purchased our first bass. The music store or website couldn’t propel it into our hands fast enough so we could plug it in & plug away on it, convinced we’d sound like Flea or some other modern electric bassist!? Buying a Stingray or Modulus as your first bass is not gonna provide you with little more than Flea’s tone- minus the feel he exhibits, his style, and a whole lot of frustration as you begin your musical journey. You will get there– put your time in and enjoy the scenery.
Flea
It makes sense to start cheap, and put as much effort into execution as possible. Your level of appreciation will grow infinitely! My first bass was a $299 Squier Jazz bass with super low action and passive electronics. THAT WAS AN AMAZING 1ST BASS! There are plenty of luthiers out there making basses with individuality. There are even more options from large scale manufacturers. It would be terrific if specialized luthiers had a lease to own option for their instruments (check out payment plans some manufacturers & websites offer). I know it’s not realistic or financially viable, but it would allow a lot of players to branch out and try basses they might never have an opportunity to play, let alone find in the local Guitar shop. If you have musician resources and friends, then you will have the opportunity to scoop up their old gear as they upgrade.
And assuming you’re never dropped into a secluded part of the world for any extended period of time, spend your first few years learning from whatever resources are available on whatever bass makes you happy, so you can etch out your own style and sound: the trademark that makes you unique.
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
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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
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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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
