LESS BASS  MORE MUSIC

Who notices the bass when listening to music ? Good question. When enjoying a symphony by that prince of the bass, Ludwig von Beethoven, a vast majority of ordinary folk are entranced by the pretty tune they hear the “fiddles” play while blissfully unaware that their precious tune would not be very meaningful were it not for that low-down counter melody the big fellows are providing. It is practically impossible in the present age to imagine the opening movement of one’s favourite symphony or concerto without the bass line since, not only do we know these works so well, but, the great master has succeeded in making melody and bass line so seamlessly interdependent that, to imagine one without the other would be to imagine Romeo without Juliet. The melodic idea without the support of the bass would be almost as banal as the basses without the melody. In the performance of symphonic music the bass parts have been so scrupulously constructed by the composer that, provided the bass player plays every note exactly as written, always assuming that he is a musical fellow, all will sound as it should.
In improvised bass, contrary to what many well meaning musicians believe, the logical construction of the bass part is no less important. When performing improvised music such as, say, jazz, rock’n roll or R&B, the freedom accorded the bass player is now subject to either the most astute invention or sheer criminal abuse, depending upon whose hands this potentially lethal weapon finds itself in. Freedom of invention does not allow us to disregard the law ! Music, improvised or otherwise, without rules is about as meaningful as tennis without a net. The aspiring young bass player should trouble himself to download a piece of Mozart and, as he familiarises himself with it, ask himself why the bass players, in spite of not being Jaco Pastorius, still manage to make the music sound so good.

I once spoke to a drummer called Bobby Economou who played on the first Pastorius album. When I remarked that it must have been wonderful play the drums with such a master he answered, “It was O.K. but we definitely needed a bass player in the band”.The point being that bass lines always sound stronger when they are simple and to the point. I hear a collective groan from young bassists ( and many older ones who ought to know better ) “But that is so boring!” they complain and I always answer that it certainly is dreadfully boring for anyone listening only to the bass. I would not enjoy sitting through a performance of the Choral Symphony with only the bass section playing. Any bass player listening to only himself is missing the point entirely The trick while improvising a bass part is to play one thing, ( the bass ) while at the same time listening to the song, the singer, the saxophone, whatever, and attempting to make the whole thing sound good. One way to make this feat of duality easier for yourself is to play something less demanding on the instrument. Less tiring is often less tiresome to listen to. This approach also prevents you from stealing the listener’s attention from where it should be : the song. Play less bass and the music will always sound more coherent. Less bass = more music.

G. S. Wolfaardt  2003