Latest
The Devil Ain’t in the Details by Steve Gregory
Meet Steve Gregory –
Have you ever heard a song that you know well, performed in a way that made you feel like something was lacking? I am sure that most of us have heard a cover band play a song that we recognize, yet it feels as if something is not quite right. In these situations, the bassist may be playing “correctly”, but the performance leaves us feeling flat. This same problem exists in worship and plagues worship bassists. In these situations, the congregation hears a song that they have learned from an album or radio, yet something is off. Even when the band and the bassist appear to be “into it”, there is something that drains the worship experience. What is this terrible malady? Lack-of-attention-to-details-itis!
If a worship bassist rushes through a song, without paying attention to details, the congregation will absolutely notice. Worse yet, people will not experience deep, meaningful worship; rather, they will be distracted by the unsettled feeling we have described. The role of the worship bassist is to support worship and by not focusing to details our playing can divert attention from, not enhance, worship.
To illustrate what I mean by “paying attention to details” let’s look at the song, “Our God” by Chris Tomlin, which is found on the album “Passion: Awakening”. This song is not difficult (at least on the surface) and is exactly the type of song that bassists view as “simple” and often play without really digging into the details. First, the basic transcription:
A pretty simple song, right? The bass line is not overly challenging and never becomes more difficult rhythmically than basic eighth note figures. As far as notes go, the A# on the fourth measure of the chorus creates a nice tension that releases in the second half, while the D# in the third measure of Instrumental 2 is important. Looking at the rhythms, we can see the rhythmic intensity increase steadily throughout the song. The most noticeable whole band rhythm occurs in the Instrumental 2 sections, where the pattern starts on the second eighth note, instead of the “1”.
Playing this bass line as it is reflected on the page creates a performance that is correct, but lacking in depth. What details can we discover that adds to the music and deepens the performance? Let’s look at the next markup of the transcription.
If you pay attention to kick drum patterns, not only will you make your drummer happy, you will also be adding a detail to the music that creates real depth. In this markup, the kick drum is noted with a carat (^) underneath the bass line. The synchronicity between the bass line and the kick drum is obvious. Use this detail to your advantage: pretend that the beater of the kick drum makes two sounds happen: the drum and your bass note. My drummer and I have played this song and had a lot of fun with this, especially the small details such as the pattern found in the second chorus. The note on the “and” of 3 creates incredible, yet gentle propulsion to build into the first instrumental. The seemingly simple idea – analyzing the music to see where the kick drum and bass line match so that a rhythmic unity is created – makes a huge difference. The bass line becomes “connected” and the groove deepens. Does anyone in the congregation really know that you are placing special effort into understanding the bass-kick drum relationship? No – but they will feel the difference!
Now that we’ve added a level of detail, let’s add another layer.
Dynamics are, in my opinion, one of the most often overlooked musical elements in worship music today. Many times there are only two dynamic levels: Loud and Soft. These levels are then stereotypically applied to create the thought that Loud = Happy/Intense and Soft = Thoughtful/Contemplative. The “two option” dynamics system strikes me as both lazy and insulting to the listener. Further, I am positive that the use of dynamics creates a sense of depth that can be felt by the listener. As a bassist, we have the power to control the dynamics in a song. When you are working with musicians who listen well, the bassist can drive the entire band to raise and lower the dynamic level. To do this effectively, the bassist has to understand the dynamic structure of a song.
“Our God” thrives because of the dynamics! If we create a chart that maps each section’s dynamics, we can see a “big picture” overview of the song. Look at the overall shape in the figure below:
“Our God” – dynamics overview
From this overview, important details are seen. First, the song increases in dynamic level in a routine step-wise fashion from the intro through the second chorus. At this point, there is a dramatic steady rise, ultimately ending in the first instance of Instrumental 2. This rise should be steady and build in intensity until it explodes in the instrumental. After this first release, the music drops slightly to allow for the final tension-release cycle to occur, completing when Instrumental 2 is played again. Notice that immediately after the second instance of Instrumental 2 the dynamic drops suddenly to allow Chris Tomlin and the congregation to sing without the band.
The effect is stunning. The song grows slowly at first, but then builds the intensity to a fever pitch through the long climb to the first Instrumental 2 instance. This intensity is felt by the congregation and creates a noticeable tension that releases and allows the congregation to sing, dance, clap, and worship completely. The drop into the outro from the fortissimo instrumental leaves room in aural space to allow the congregation to be engulfed in worship without the band continuing. These dynamics take the notes and rhythms of the basic bass line and add a layer of meaning to them. Dynamics, in this case, breathes life into the bass performance.
By adding attention to details, the bass performance can be enhanced greatly; however, when bassists first consider this approach, two common arguments arise. The first argument is that analysis such as the one presented in this article is too time consuming and it is impossible for the worship bassist, needing to prepare 4 or 5 songs per week, to do. I would counter by saying this: adding attention to details, like everything else with the bass, has to be practiced. By doing this consistently, analyzing the details becomes second nature. When you activate this part of your bass musicianship, you listen and play differently and your playing is taken to another level. The second argument I have heard is that analysis drains feeling from playing. My response to this is simple: nothing could be further from the truth. There is a quote that I have heard attributed to both Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, which I will paraphrase here: in order to completely “feel” a song, you have to study and learn a song with incredible intensity and then “forget” it. In other words, by paying attention to details, the song opens up before you and you have freedom to play your bass lines in way in which you never have before, with incredible ease.
For “Our God”, I analyzed the kick drum-bass relationship and the dynamics. These areas were chosen only because these details jump out as important for the bass performance of this song. We could have looked into tone, the length and attack of notes, and many other aspects. For each song you perform areas of detail that demand attention will become obvious. These are the area on which to focus.
Pay attention to the details so that you can take your bass playing to the next level. I would love to hear how you apply these ideas! What songs are you playing and what areas of detail do you think are important? Let me know by joining me in the Bass Musician Magazine community or by leaving me a comment here. I can’t wait to hear what you find!
Until next time, I hope that your bass playing is blessed and that you can bless others through your bass playing!
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
Gear News
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass…
Esopus Guitars is proud to announce the new “Tailwater” bass guitar, from legendary bass luthier Stuart Spector. This 32” scale bass is handcrafted by Stuart using the only finest woods and components at the Esopus Guitar workshop located near Woodstock NY in the Catskill Mountains.
From its fully carved spruce top (the top is carved on both its exterior and interior surfaces) with a thumb rest that is elegantly carved into the top, to its custom-made Fishman piezo pickup and super hard Carnauba wax finish, every detail of the Tailwater is part of creating the ultimate playing experience.
The Tailwater bass features a fully chambered spruce over alder body (15.5″ lower body bout width, 2.25″ body thickness measuring from the peak of the carved top) that delivers a super comfortable tonal tool for all your low-end needs.
Each Tailwater bass is hand-signed and numbered on the back of the peghead by Stuart Spector. A very limited number of Tailwater basses are handcrafted each year at the Esopus workshop.
“I am proud to present the Tailwater bass, a bass that I have spent the last three years perfecting. The Tailwater is a culmination of all of my 45 years of experience, knowledge, and passion for bass guitar crafting. I am so eager to hear what fellow musicians create with this exciting new instrument.” -Stuart Spector
Direct Pricing : $4995.00 plus options.
For more information about Esopus Guitars and Stuart Spector’s handcrafted instruments, visit www.EsopusGuitars.com.
Bass Videos
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
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 @officialspector @bqwbassguitar @brute_bass_guitars @phdbassguitars @ramabass.ok @tribe_guitars @woodguerilla_instruments @mikelullcustomguitars @jcrluthier @elegeecustom
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Interview With Bassist Edmond Gilmore
Have Fret Sprout? Sharp Fret Management… a How-To Video
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
New Album: Avery Sharpe, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
