I hope that the genre studies we’ve covered over the past weeks has proven beneficial and effective in increasing your understanding of how to function as a bassist in a broad range of musical styles! Fun stuff...

Important Preface:

This lesson will involve much more material than usual; it could actually, quite easily, be its own separate course. It is profoundly relevant to effective grooving, so I didn’t want to simply mention it in passing. Please don’t feel the need to “finish” it as a task; rather, I encourage you to digest the material at your own pace over the coming weeks/months/years and work to permanently assimilate the various concepts into your musical vocabulary.

We'll now turn our focus to “Bassic Communication”, or “saying what we mean.” There are innumerable ways that an intended verbal message can be conveyed, with greatly varying degrees of effectiveness. Similarly, the same piece of music can be played in a manner akin to a FedEx delivery (“Here’s your tune...please sign here.”), devoid of any discernable emotion...or it can be played in a way in which the listener finds himself or herself literally moved to tears. Effective musicians have the ability to truly communicate and convey passion on their instruments.

There are countless elements involved in effectively communicating instrumentally; some of them are quite esoteric, while others are practical, technical matters. I’d like to spend the remainder of this lesson focusing upon the latter, to which I refer as, “the spice”.

That term encompasses a number of different phrasing considerations that serve the same function, musically, as spices do in the culinary context. The spice in a particular dish is usually what takes it from being bland and uninspired...to really grabbing your attention - and communicating.

What are some of the different musical “spices”? The major ones would include vibrato, slurs/hammers, dynamics, ghosting, note duration, register, and various rhythmic devices.

Dynamics

This is the simplest of all the spices to incorporate. Fundamentally, it simply involves playing certain things louder (or with greater intensity), while playing other things quieter (lesser intensity). It is perhaps also the most often overlooked, which is ironic when we consider the enormous effect that dynamics can have upon the musical statement being made.

To acquaint ourselves with the power of dynamics, we need only to listen to the difference between a parent’s loving whisper of their toddler’s name at bedtime, and that same parent’s anguished shriek of that child’s name in a dire emergency. Same spoken word...but conveying two ENTIRELY different sentiments.

Musically, if we bulldoze our way through a set of tunes at full-throttle, “I’M-GONNA-RIP-THE-FRETS-OUT-OF-THIS-FINGERBOARD” intensity, it will lose most of its impact by the 2nd song. How long can we listen to someone screaming at the top of their lungs before it just starts sounding like loud talking? However, contrasting dynamics (even relatively minor dynamic differences) can make that part of the tune where you & your bandmates “turn it up to 11"...really have the desired effect.

In the same way that other forms of art or communication have an “ebb and flow”, with moments of pandemonium and car crashes interspersed between periods of quiet introspection and beautiful sunsets, music is generally enhanced with such diversity in dynamics.

Over the next month or two, I encourage you to make a deliberate and concerted effort to focus upon dynamics as you play your bass through familiar tunes. A great place to start is to play the verse, chorus and bridge sections of the tune, approaching each section with its own dynamic level. For instance, play the verse at a lower intensity, and spend the last two or four bars of the verse gradually building up to a dynamically heavy chorus. Then, as the chorus leads back into the next verse section, bring the dynamic level way back down.

For these purposes, I encourage you to go so far as to exaggerate the difference in dynamic levels between the sections. Listen intently as you go through this exercise. Do you hear how the tunes seem to communicate to a greater extent?

Ghosting

We’ve touched on this technique in earlier lessons, but let’s take a moment to dig a little deeper. Ghosting, or the playing of ghost notes, involves playing muted, rhythmic “thuds” between the notes that are actually being voiced or fretted. They allow the player to relay additional rhythmic information to the listener and other members of the band. It is an incredibly useful means of conveying to our drummers exactly how we are subdividing and feeling the groove.

If you’re unfamiliar with the basic technique, simply pluck notes as normal with your right (or plucking) hand, while lightly resting your left (or fretting) hand fingers on the strings. When the hands are executing this technique properly, the resulting sound will be rhythmic only, with no discernable pitch. It doesn’t take long to acquire a feel for the correct amount of pressure to exert with your fretting hand. Work through your scales alternating between fretted and ghost notes. Your right hand technique will be identical to that which would be used if playing the scale in 8th notes (two 8th-notes per scale degree). The left hand technique involves playing the first 8th-note as usual, then releasing downward pressure upon the string so that the plucked 2nd note is muted.

Video Example 1

 

Compare two versions of the same bass line.

In this example, a simple groove in A utilizes no ghost notes, and implies an 8th-note subdivision. Notice how the bass line itself is rather ambiguous regarding the underlying pulse and feel of the groove.

Video Example 2

 

In the next example, the groove now incorporates ghost notes to imply a 16th-note feel that was not present in Example 2.

Video Example 3

 

You’ll notice that the subtle difference results in two distinctly different feels. Work on employing ghost notes in your own grooves, where appropriate.

Incidentally, substituting fretted notes with ghost notes is perhaps the most effective way to simplify and refine a groove that seems too busy. Francis Rocco Prestia’s work with Tower of Power can provide much inspiration and further insight into the practical application of ghosting.

Slurs

This often-overlooked element of phrasing is more than just a tool to help convey musical ideas emotively; it can also be extremely effective at smoothing out a potentially obtrusive embellishment or lick.

A slur can be easily accomplished by plucking a fretted note, then sliding the fretting finger to a different note (without releasing downward pressure by the fretting finger, and without plucking the string a 2nd time). Generally speaking, this technique tends to be most effective and tasteful when those two notes are within a whole step (2 frets) of each other. Let your ears and musical sensitivity guide your application of this phrasing technique. Let’s check out two versions of the same lick.

Here’s a straight version, with each note being plucked individually.

Video Example 4

 

Let’s now include a few slurs to smooth out the line.

Video Example 5

 

Notice how the 2nd version (Example 5) sounds a bit more like it’s being “sung” on the bass, than simply being played? Great vocalists use slurs frequently to make a line sound more natural and less mechanical. We instrumentalists can learn volumes by exploring and emulating the phrasing of talented and emotive vocalists.

Note Duration

Alumni of The Art of Groove, Level 2 will recall we touched on the impact of note duration; we’ll explore the topic in a bit more detail here.

An amazingly effective way to enhance the degree to which your playing “talks”, is through the use of variations in note duration. Simply put, it involves letting certain notes ring or sustain, while muting other notes so that they are virtually “thuds” that vanish immediately after being played.

The terms legato and staccato are used to differentiate between these two types of phrasing: the term legato describes music where the notes are long and smoothly flow into each other, while staccato describes musical phrases that are “choppy”, where each individual note is distinct and separate from the next.

Playing in a legato manner is actually surprisingly challenging to execute cleanly. Try to play a bass line that uses quarter-notes, and play through it at a slow-to-moderate tempo. Concentrate on letting each note ring for its full value. That should result in notes that ring all the way up to each successive note (but with no overlap), and no discernable rest between them.

For staccato playing, take that same bass line and try to mute each note immediately after it is played. Ensure that no other extraneous noises (i.e. clicks, ringing open strings, etc.) are evident between notes.

Incorporating variations in note duration can have a dramatic effect on the overall band performance of a tune. If you’re phrasing a driving 8th-note line in a very ringy, washy manner, the drummer will likely open the hi-hat slightly to give the groove a bit more energy. Conversely, if you tighten up that same line and phrase it in a really staccato manner, you’ll probably find that the drummer (provided listening skills are employed!) will close the hi-hat and tighten up the overall feel. The other instrumentalists respond to these differences in feel, whether or not they are consciously aware of them.

Experiment with utilizing this concept for transitions between different sections of a tune. If the verse builds into the chorus, it is very effective to use the last bar or two of the verse to progressively let the notes ring out more and create a sense of escalating into the chorus. Then, when bringing the tune back down after the chorus, tighten up the bass line once again.

Variations in dynamics work well in conjunction with this, by the way. Try to let those transitions coincide with similar peaks and valleys dynamically.

Vibrato

The use of vibrato is a big factor in making our instruments emote. Take the example of a singer: if a particular vocalist never utilized vibrato (well...in every other genre besides rock, perhaps!), that person would probably sound relatively bland and musically lifeless...or at least lethargic. The same phenomenon applies to instrumentalists. Appropriately-placed vibrato is a very effective device to help a vocalist or instrumentalist communicate on a deeper level.

As you’re probably aware, vibrato is generally a slight modulation in pitch that in fact gives a note a singing quality. It is usually applied to a note with a duration of a half-note or longer, but context and song tempo (as well as the subjective area of taste!) may dictate otherwise.

The actual technique can be accomplished in a number of different ways. There’s what I refer to as a side-to-side vibrato that is accomplished simply by slightly rolling the fretting finger (once the note is struck) alternately toward the headstock and the bridge of the bass, while not releasing the fretted string from the fingerboard. The actual range of fretting-hand motion for the type of vibrato I’m describing is no more than an inch or so. It tends to be more of an acoustic guitar type of technique, although some bassists find it effective. I actually don’t use it very much on bass, except when playing fretless. In that context, it really shines, and tends to help attain that coveted fretless “mwah” sound! For fretted basses, it usually is a bit on the subtle side of things...but it’s one of several possible vibrato techniques.

Video Example 6

 
 

One that I tend to use more often is the up & down type of vibrato, which allows me to cover the range from subtle or fairly overt with minimal exertion. The basic fretting-hand position is similar to that of the aforementioned side-to-side method, but the motion of the fretting finger essentially alternates between pulling the fretted string toward the floor and pushing it toward the ceiling. For me, however, this method is most easily accomplished by keeping the fretting finger stationary and letting the up & down motion be initiated in the forearm, as opposed to an up & down motion isolated to the fretting finger alone. I encourage you to experiment and determine which is most comfortable for you.

Video Example 7

 
 

There’s also what I call, “The Abe,” after renowned bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr. This technique isn’t one that he invented, but I feel that his style of funk bass playing really defined this type of vibrato. One can hear examples of it all over in his playing, and he uses it to great effect.

Video Example 8

 
 

It’s basically a side-to-side vibrato...on steroids. It is a bit more radical, and actually crosses over the frets. In other words, where the side-to-side vibrato has a typical range of motion of approximately one inch, this method generally increases that range to approximately 2-3 inches. It involves a comparatively lighter touch, and the fretting-hand thumb acts as a pivot point. By the way, the fret buzz associated with this type of vibrato is actually desirable; it tends to give it that funkier tone.

In terms of context, “the Abe” is probably the least subtle of the vibrato techniques, and is something that you’ll most likely want to use sparingly. However, when appropriately placed...it speaks volumes!

The next time you’re practicing through your band’s material, try to find points where your bass line is fairly legato and might lend itself to some subtle vibrato. Although it is effective on low notes as well, you might find it even more so on higher notes (such as that bass player favorite lick involving that slide up to the 9th !)

Try to think of your phrasing in a manner similar to a vocalist. In much the same way that most great singers will hit and hold a note briefly before employing vibrato, instrumentalists can sound more relaxed and natural by easing into vibrato. It will likely lose its specialness if applied full-tilt to every note being played.

Experiment with the vibrato rate (vibrato’s-per-minute, if you will!): you may find that a soft introspective ballad may benefit from a relatively slow rate, while an uptempo fusion tune might be more conducive of a faster rate. Again, the best barometer for this is likely to be whether or not you can picture a vocalist singing the part as you’re playing it.

*****

I’ve heard it stated that words only constitute a small percentage of verbal communication...the vast majority is the manner in which the words are being spoken, the gestures, the posture, the facial expressions, etc. The parallels of this to the musical application of the “spice” considerations we’ve discussed are obvious. The proper notes and rhythms are only a small portion of the musical statement.

My challenge to each of you is to approach your music from this day forward with a commitment to make your bass musically convey what is being conveyed lyrically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. If the lyrical message is jubilant and celebratory, apply the spice (dynamics, phrasing, ghosting, etc.) to your bass line to make me want to jump to my feet and sing at the top of my lungs. If the song is expressing anguish, make your bass line drive me to tears. I’m not advocating cheap emotional manipulation, by the way; rather, it’s a matter of letting the music and lyric be consistent in what they’re communicating.