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The Evolving Bassist by Kilian Duarte
Meet Killian Duarte –
Of all the living creatures that have scurried across the face of this big, blue planet we call our home, very few have been put through the rigors at such a rapid rate of expansion/advancement in knowledge than those who holding down the nether regions. And while scientists may find this conclusion rather ridiculous, if you ask any passionate, professional low end guru, they would whole heartedly agree.
Bassists hold a unique role in a band. While they are required to have the finely tuned rhythmic sensibilities of their drumming brethren, a greatly developed sense of melody and harmony are also essential to truly make the Bass come to life and enhance a piece of music. The responsibilities are great, with far less publicly acclaimed glory that is usually bestowed upon more popularly played instruments such as guitars and drums. The role of the bassist is truly an underdog role that holds together all the elements of a band.
As times and genres change, the challenges facing the current professional are quite varied and sometimes very demanding. The enhancements in Bass guitar manufacturing as well as the myriad of effects available to alter the instruments sound have both expanded the technical as well as the sonic range of the instrument. It is not uncommon for a bassist to be doubling on upright as well as electric at a gig, while also enhancing the lead parts with ever increasing roles being added to the player. Since the 1960’s, bass has been made to not only be plucked and bowed, but also picked, slapped, thumped, popped, strummed, and even e-bowed. The instrument has also reached extended range levels that are at the very least quite daunting.
So how does one get all these things under their belt without feeling overwhelmed? Well, first, take a breath (sigh), and realize you are only mortal. That being said, all the greatest bassists on the planet are just as human as you and I. Stress is the enemy. It can make things seem a lot harder than they need to be and can stifle your musical development. Make a list of priorities…what is most pertinent to what you will be playing in the near future, or what projects do you want to conquer. Take on these goals at a calm pace if you can. Once again, letting a small problem seem like a bigger one will only hurt you in the end. Breath again (bigger sigh), and start to play your instrument in ways that slowly but steadily take you out of your comfort zone.
For example, if you are a jazz bassist, learn a classic rock song you’ve always enjoyed, and vice versa. Like the great Victor Wooten says, “Music is a language”. Once you understand it, picking up all the different “dialects and accents” are just a matter of familiarization. A common mistake many players make is failing miserably at developing personal self confidence in their abilities. Evolution and adaptation demand persistence and a lot of confidence, so insecurity is the enemy. Many young players will hear songs such as “Donna Lee” or “A Show of Hands” and just automatically consider these things impossible…rocket science works of genius their inferior brains will never grasp. This is the key mistake that stifles growth. Both Jaco Pastorius and Victor Wooten are human beings, yes indeed very gifted human beings, but none the less people. A player must realize that the right attitude towards approaching something daunting is the key to overcoming it, and growing.
Now that you have your new found sense of confidence, its time to push things a little further. Play a style that you would never usually play but you enjoy, or at the very least tolerate. Try to incorporate the grooves into your vocabulary. This is one of the first steps in becoming a more flexible bassist which will help increase your gigs and develop your own voice. The next thing to undertake is working with different tones and sounds. If you can, buy a synth pedal to recreate hip-hop or dub step bass lines. Try out some reverb and delay pedals and experiment with some ambient music. The possibilities are endless, and now you’re evolving not only as a player, but as a full fledged musician. Start writing more music using your bass. Create lead lines, harmony, and rhythm all off the one instrument.
While these steps may seem rather drastic, remember, it’s only your lack of knowledge that hinders you. Embrace the foreign and the unknown and realize you are capable of great things. Slowly you’ll see growth, and you’ll begin to evolve into the modern bassist that is required in today’s fast paced world. Never give up, and keep on thumping.
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Photo: Self-portrait by Melissa Auf Der Maur
Melissa Auf Der Maur is a Canadian bassist who played with Tinker, Hole, and The Smashing Pumpkins. She released her own work and is a photographer with photos published in Nylon, Bust, and National Geographic. She released her ‘90s Rock Memoir “Even The Good Girls Will Cry” on 17 March 2026.
KB: Did you always want to be a singer-musician growing up?
I’ve played music my whole life. In school, I played trumpet and sang in a children’s choir, so music was always within me. My mother was the first female disc jockey on the Montreal airwaves; her record collection played a huge role in my inspiration and love of music.
KB: When did you start playing bass, and why this instrument?
When I was 19, the early 90s music explosion began to percolate in tiny clubs around the world. I was lucky to be a ticket girl at Montreal’s underground music club. In one year, I saw Hole, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, White Zombie, and The Breeders – all had female bass players. That’s when the seed was planted. By the age of 22, I was the bass player of Hole.
KB: Which brands of basses have you used in your career, and which one are you using now?
The first bass that I learned on was a vintage Squier Precision. Hole was sponsored by Fender guitars, so I upgraded to Fender Custom Shop Precisions. That is all I play, but I have a cool vintage 8-string Greco that I use on recordings to thicken up guitar parts.
KB: What equipment do you use or have you used with your basses?
Ampeg SVT amps and cabinets, a couple of Sans-Amp pedals, and that is it.
KB: How did you become a member of Hole, and what is your fondest memory of that time?
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins was helping scout a replacement for (RIP) Kristen Pfaff, Hole’s bass player. My band, Tinker, opened for them on the Siamese Dream tour, so Billy had seen me play and could vouch for me. Courtney trusted her talented friend, and that was it. I initially said “no thank you” due to my commitment to my photographic studies and the drama and chaos surrounding the band during the “Live Through This” album release. Courtney took it as a good sign that I said no, so convinced me to reconsider, and soon after, I accepted their invitation, in the name of helping put females in the male-dominated landscape of rock music. My fondest memory is every show we played as a mostly female band, symbolizing what a woman could do in a rock band. Every show had a purpose: get more women to play music.
KB: You are a photographer as well. What makes a great picture? Do you shoot in color or b/w?
I started shooting photographs at age 15. Initially only shot black & white and worked in the art school darkroom. In university, I took a color photography course, and shifted mostly and forever to that, because it was easier to process film on the road when I joined a rock band. I experimented with many cameras, point and shoots, manual, polaroids, medium format, and vintage finds. The trick to a good photograph is to shoot many and all the time – the magic is in the edit and selection process.
KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?
??I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some of my favorite musicians in my career. I would still love to collaborate with a new generation heavy electronic artist on an analog bass, heavy electronic drums, and synths collaboration project. Take me out of my usual zone, merging the past and future: my love of 80s dark new wave and new artists exploring that genre. It was very futuristic back then, and we are now, after all, living in the future. I am in the mood to play bass to heavy beats I want to dance to.
KB: What are your 7 favorite bass lines in music across all genres? And why these 7?
“Mountain Song” – Jane’s Addiction (love a rambling, rolling bass line – feels like the ocean waves)
“Black Top – Helmet” (was the first bass line I taught myself)
“Gold Dust Woman” – Hole from “The Crow 2” Soundtrack (it was my first bass line contribution to the band)
“Get Ready” – The Temptations (Motown just feels so good, because of the bass)
“Lucretia My Reflection” – Sisters of Mercy (makes me want to hit the dance floor and play bass simultaneously)
“Be My Druidess” – Type O Negative (full chord bass playing at its best by iconic, demonic, Peter Steele, RIP)
“Romantic Rights” – Death from Above (1979 – unique distorted overdriven tone, combined dance rhythm and melodic intelligence, all in one shot – also! Shout out to a bass & drum only band, which is awesome, and we should have more of, but the bass player needs to be a killer to fill that role.
KB: What are you currently up to?
Releasing my ‘90s Rock Memoir “EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY”. Visceral healing process, it was to get it out of me and write it, but I suspect the real magic will begin by putting it into the world and reflecting with others on what the magic of the ‘90s was all about. Powerful music decade that carried us into what is now a brave new world of digital corporate weirdness – may the past shed a light on our future. That’s my hope for this book release and tour.
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