Bass Guitar Workshop. Michael Rossback

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1 Bass Guitar Workshop Michael Rossback

2 The role of the bass guitar in contemporary worship settings can commonly be misinterpreted. Often, we overlook the significance of our instrument in the band and resort to overplaying or competing with other instruments on stage. Worship music carries many similarities to rock music, and in turn the bass is a pivotal instrument in translating the dynamics and emotion of a song accurately. While there are many different styles of playing, this workshop emphasizes a few specific approaches to contemporary worship/rock that will help you sharpen your technique and ability on your instrument. Gear Multi effects stomp boxes Section #1 It's easy to get carried away with effects when there are boxes out there with literally thousands of different tones available on them. Generally I stay away from tones outside of clean and slightly distorted. I've found that getting too outside of a pretty neutral tone is more distracting that it is musical. Given, there are exceptions to this. If I were playing in a fusion, prog rock, or funk band there would be more room for exploring effects. However, in contemporary worship the bass is carrying a lot of the momentum of the song and needs to stay grounded. Tech 21 sans amp: This is a pre-amp/di used to boost signal of a passive bass and shape the tone of an active or passive bass. Tuner Boss TU-2: It's crucial to have a tuner that allows you to mute signal path and tune without unplugging Volume pedal: Useful tool in eliminating attack off of notes Distortion box: Helps bring definition to tone and saturation when using pick Octave Pedal: This can bring a serious dynamic boost when used tastefully on specific sections of a song. Cables: Anything with solid connections. Don't mess around with cables that have bad solder joints; throw them away.

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Here is a basic wiring diagram of my pedal board: Bass AMP Front of House Sans Amp/Di Distortion Tuner Volume Pedal Bass Guitar Hip Shot This can be a useful tool when playing a 4-string bass, but a

4 Here is a basic wiring diagram of my pedal board: Bass AMP Front of House Sans Amp/Di Distortion Tuner Volume Pedal Bass Guitar Hip Shot This can be a useful tool when playing a 4-string bass, but a low d or b is often needed. This costs around $70 and fits most basses. It s a more organic alternative to the octave pedal. Low B Tuning Often bass players prefer the feel of a 4-string neck but would like the lower register. This can be accomplished by putting the low 4 strings of a five-string set on a 4 string bass (There are set up adjustments that will need to be made). In-ear monitors vs. floor monitor/wedge Both in-ear and floor monitors are useful tools for monitoring the band and your own instrument. While there are a lot of benefits to having in-ear monitors over wedges, you can still accomplish what you need to with a floor monitor. Be aware of your own volume Often there is a bass amp on stage providing a lot of stage volume. It will greatly benefit the band and your sound if you're aware of your stage volume and keep it at a sensible level for front of house. When using a bass amp on stage, keep in mind it is typically used for monitoring/tone and is not intended to provide low end for the entire room. Bass amp placement If you're standing 1 foot away from the front of the bass cabinet, most of the sound is passing you by and beaming the lead singer and front row. Placing the bass cab at least 5 feet away from you will allow you to have a lower stage volume and still hear yourself.

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6 How Loud is Too Loud? As a bass player, you re going to be playing music with drummers and there is a good chance you re going to be standing right next to the drummers favorite crash ride. When a drummer hits a snare it can measure in at 125 db. Your ears can handle only a few minutes of 125 db before sustaining permanent damage. Also, guitar amps can easily put out over 110 db. Similarly, your own bass amp can put out some damaging volume as well. You can use sound baffling and position amps on stage to help remedy this. If the room is extremely live, we may put guitar amps back stage and put a shield in front of the drums. I think the point of this even more would be to consider the audience's experience. There is a balance of being "musical" and catering to the purpose of the music, and the audience's ability to participate without distractions coming from the stage. Floor monitor/wedge mix My approach to this setting is usually very minimal. When using an open monitor there is so much noise added to the stage that I try and keep it as basic as I can. My mix will typically have: Kick, hat, lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and my vocals, if I'm singing. The rest is usually loud enough on stage and adding it to my monitor mix only adds to the noise. There are exceptions to this depending on the size of the stage and room. In-ear monitors Making sure you have a set of in-ear monitors that seal in your ears is especially key when it comes to bass. If the in-ears you're using do not seal, you will naturally turn up your volume to a damaging level. If there is a proper seal you can run your level much lower and hear everything with definition. The temptation is to try and turn up your monitor level and try and "feel" the low end as much as you have when using a bass amp. There is a huge difference between these two environments and trying to accomplish the same "feel" with in-ears that you once did with an amp. It is impossible and you will end up doing permanent damage to your hearing. My in-ear mix usually will have more than a monitor mix in it since there is not a lot of stage volume to compensate: kick, hat, click, lead vox, my vox, acoustic, electric, and a small amount of bass. If there are a lot of aux instruments or singers in the band, I prefer to leave them out of my mix. This is a matter of preference, as many people would say you need to be listening to everyone on the stage. While I understand that logic, my preference is to keep only the essential instruments in my ears so there isn t a random onslaught of background singers. I'm focusing on locking in with the drums and following the lead singer. Having everything in my mix can become distracting. Think of it like a front of house engineer would, he doesn't have everything in the mix all at once. Instead, he's constantly adjusting levels depending on the arrangement of the song etc. In the same way, I prefer to have the core elements of the band in my mix.

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8 Be aware that you should not be the loudest instrument in your mix. If you feel like you need to have your bass over everything else in your mix to get through a set, chances are you're rushing on top of the beat and you probably don't know your neck or material well enough. Getting familiar with your neck and the songs to the point where you don't need to hear so much of your instrument will allow you to feel the music more and get into the pocket with the drums and rest of the band. There are often times in the studio where one particular instrument will be ahead of the rest, and 9 times out of 10, it is because all they re listening to is their own instrument and not the rest of the band. Click track and Stems Playing with a click track or stems live can seem like a daunting task at first but the more familiar you get with it the more relaxed you become with it. Stems are generally a supplementary track that you play along with, consisting of instruments that are not in the band (strings, drum loops, programming, pads etc.). A loop is typically a phrase or a few bars of programming or a drum loop that continuously repeats throughout the song. A click track is only used in a stage set up where in-ears are being used. They should never be used in floor monitors or in front of house. Be aware of your room Every room will resonate or build up at particular frequencies. Some rooms are better than others, but it's crucial to find out what notes are building up in the room and address them with your front of house engineer. Each note you play on your instrument represents a frequency that can be adjusted using EQ. The goal would be to even out your tone as much as you can. Accentuating notes that overload the room are distracting and can inhibit the front of house engineer from putting together a good mix. Below is a chart that shows instruments in relation to their inherent frequencies.

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10 Section #2: Style and Approach Approaching a Song It's not a bad idea to start by learning the song how it was originally recorded. There is nothing wrong with putting your own spin on an arrangement of a song. But first things first, learn it how it was originally recorded. A lot of thought goes into the production of a record, and while it may seem as though the bass player was just a beginner playing 8 th notes, chances are there was a long road of idea's and different approaches that lead to the final arrangement. Furthermore, having the sensibilities to know when to lay a rhythmic foundation and when to deviate is the difference between a player who is seasoned and a player who just wants to be noticed. Make every note count I get to talk with a lot of different players who have a hard time not overplaying. I get the temptation too, but a busy bass player is as bad as a drummer who puts a fill in every bar. The headspace I'd like to encourage would be: 90% of the time you're laying down great feel, groove, and tone and that margin of 10% is where your musical sensibilities come into play. A misinterpretation of that would be: 90% of the song is boring and anyone could play it. 10% of the song I get to show off. That is not at all what I'm trying to convey here. Make the entire song feel amazing, deviate melodically in the right moments. Record your rehearsals Often we are blind to our weaknesses and hearing constructive criticism from a band mate can be a shot to your pride. As painful as it may be, record yourself and find ways you can grow. While listening ask yourself questions like: Does the relationship between the drums and the bass feel right? Am I overplaying or adding in too many fills? Could I be more creative? Does my tone sit right in the mix or is it too bright or too muffled? A General Approach Breaking a song down into sections will help you add dynamics. Usually the chorus is dynamically the "biggest" section of the song. Leaving room for it to fill that role can only be done be setting it up in your verse. Here is a list of tips that can contribute to the dynamics of each section.

11 Verse Pre Chorus Chorus Playing higher on the neck takes up less space in the sound, allowing more room for the chorus to dynamically grow. Using less subdivision allows for the section to feel more open Waiting to come in all-together Dropping down to a lower register Adding in cut/muted notes or more subdivision Ending the pre on a higher not in the register to give lift to the chorus Adding in subdivision Dropping to a lower or changing your register Playing and Singing I am frequently asked to play and sing at the same time. This can be challenging if your mix is not dialed in how you need it. My main priority when singing is that I have enough of the lead vocal, my vocal, and a melodic instrument in my ears so that I can hear and follow pitch. Having too much of your own vocal will cause you to not project your vocal as much as you need to and most likely you'll sing sharp. In the same way, if your vocal is too quiet in your monitors you'll over-sing. Find a good balance in your level and memorize the bass part. Trying to remember the progression/reading a chart while focusing on pitch is a recipe for a train-wreck. Know your Role There are countless viral videos of musicians overplaying or upstaging the rest of the band. While most of the time it s the drummer in a wedding band taking his gig a bit too seriously, it s not something I haven t seen in a church setting and bass players are especially susceptible to this. There are things that have helped me with this. Don t be self-doubting Don t be arrogant An insecure bass player who is always asking, Do I sound okay? or Did you hear that mistake I made on the bridge? can be a cumbersome band mate. We all find ourselves in that position depending on our comfort level with the people we re playing with and the material. The more familiar you are with the songs, the more confident you ll be with your playing, and you won t find yourself looking for compliments. At the same time, don t be that overconfident bass player who is playing slap bass on, Open the Eyes of My Heart. The goal is to be humble and confident in your playing, not insecure masked with arrogance.

12 Be open to critique No one likes to work with someone who is stuck in his or her ways and believes that their way is right. Try to always hold your ideas loosely and be open to being wrong. Adapt easily. You re part of a band and must be a team player. It s important to keep the leader and audience in mind. Keep things positive You re going to have conflict with a band member at some point. It could be over something as petty as a kick pattern or a heavy left handed keyboard player. Keeping positive honest conversation with each other is key. Support your leader We might peg our leaders as scattered, unorganized, and lacking any sense of timing but a really nice guy. They are dealing with pleasing their pastor, connecting with the people, working with a volunteer band that has its strengths and weaknesses. It s important to cover them as much as you can. Nothing inhibits people from connecting with the music more than someone in the band rolling their eyes because the worship leader was talking and missed the downbeat of verse 2. Roll with it. Cover them. Encourage them. Harmonic Foundation More often than not the bass is put in a category of almost a tonal kick drum. While we are not confined to that box, a major part of the bass is supporting the harmony by playing the root. When we hear several notes played at the same time in a chord, we generally hear them relative to the lowest sounding pitch or the tonic of the chord the bass note. A guitar player could be playing a dissonant set of notes that only make sense with the bass is playing the root. Know your Audience Adding a fuzz or a auto-wah to your tone may seem like a brilliant idea to you, but don t forget the purpose of the music you re playing. The goal is to help people connect with the songs and not be distracted with your playing. I m not limiting what tones I think should be used, I m more stressing that knowing your audience will eliminate bad tone decisions. If you are that guy who sound checks at half volume then turns it up at your favorite part of the song, then you re hurting the band more than helping The front of house engineer most likely is getting requests from a wide range of people critiquing his ear and abilities. The last thing he needs to think of is chasing your gain structure

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14 Section #3: Practice/Charting Practice, Technique, and Charting music Much of our skill set is found in muscle memory and repetition; this is accomplished through a few different methods of practice. Clarity and Good Tone Each note you play should ring clearly with a full, pleasing tone. This means you should avoid Fret buzzing Unintentional muffled, or muted notes Unwelcome open strings ringing in the background Unwanted unintentional harmonics Other accidentally produced extraneous noise - sliding fingers on strings Tips for playing with clarity Be aware of where your fingers are landing between frets Don t pull notes sharp by pressing too hard on string Develop muting technique by muting unused strings Maintain tuning during the set Monitor yourself at an optimal level to avoid playing too hard Maintain your bass s set up Playing with a band This is priceless. Getting familiar with the people you play with is key to becoming a more musical unit. Practicing modes and scales While this seems to be one of the more taxing/less musical aspects of your instrument, it can t be stressed enough how learning to fluidly move through a variety of modes and scales will help you know your neck more, and develop the muscle memory to play consistently for longer periods of time.

The following are six basic scales that will give you a good foundation in your knowledge of scales. Here are some tips for practicing them: Use a metronome or a drum loop.

15 The following are six basic scales that will give you a good foundation in your knowledge of scales. Here are some tips for practicing them: Use a metronome or a drum loop. Start with ¼ notes playing a simple scale. Periodically increase subdivision and the rate you play the scale. As you raise subdivision slowly, pull back the down beat and quarter notes until the rhythm is more felt than heard. Focus on controlling your movements. If you re struggling to keep your hands firmly on the neck or to maintain control of your hands, slow down and build your way up. You will find you re going to need control and precision in a set much more than you will speed. Scales and modes to Practice Harmonic

16 Major Minor Whole-tone Melodic ideas Stay out of the way of the vocal Look for the gaps in-between phrases where you can add your line if there is room in the arrangement Explore your bass line with a recurring melody in the song or possibly the hook the guitar is playing Charting and playing by ear Using the number system will free you up to memorize the song more efficiently and also quickly chart new music without the use of confusing notes lyric charts. In its most basic form, the number system is derived from assigning a number to each note in the scale you are in. I ll use an example in C since there are no sharps or flats. A major scale consists of seven different notes, the key of the scale is referred to as the tonic and in this case, C is our tonic. The numbers that would correlate to the notes in a C major scale are as follow: C=1 D=2 E=3 F=4 G=5 A=6 B=7 and then the octave C which takes us back to 1. The advantage to this mode of thinking is mainly found in the ease of transposing songs, and creates somewhat of a universal language for different band members to

17 communicate with. More often than not, the keys of songs change depending on the leader and the audience. Youth groups are not afraid to sing songs way more in the shouting range whereas, on Sunday mornings with a mixed crowd, songs tend to be in a lower key. Again, the idea is to give the audience something they can engage in and hopefully sing along with. Here is a quick chart example of King of Heaven. In this example each number has a 2 bar value because of the phrase length. Verse: Chorus: Bridge: Notice in the Verse and Chorus, the 6 and 4 are in the same brackets so they get 4 counts each. Given, this is a very simple song to notate, but it is a good example of how to start practicing in this method of charting. I ve found that my best way to get familiar with a song is to listen to the track and chart it as I go. After I have a chart that I m familiar with, I listen to the song and read my chart before playing it. This is important since when our instrument is in hand; our focus shouldn t be divided between playing and learning the song. Lastly, I play the song down with the chart. This is not foolproof, as there are songs out there that have more complicated arrangements, but this really will help you get comfortable with new material in a short period of time. Ear Training Ear training takes a lot of practice and can take time to grasp. Some people have a natural ability to hear intervals and pitch, while others have to work at it. A good way to begin ear training is to try and find what key the song is in or the Tonic of the song. If you can find the 1 of whatever song you re listening to, all of the other intervals will fall into place when the number system is applied. Another tool for ear training is knowing the intervals of a familiar song and applying that knowledge to songs you are currently listening to. Memorization Relying on a chart can become a crutch and inhibit you from playing with the band. The best way to memorize a song is to listen to the notes instead of playing them off a chart. This may result in a few wrong notes, but you will internalize the song much more quickly. The more you internalize the music to where you don t need a chart to play, the more you will free yourself up to listen to the rest of the band and become more musical in your approach.

18 Section #4 Set-up Bass Guitar Set-up An advantage to knowing how to set-up your own instrument is adjusting it to accommodate the way you play. That means it plays in tune, is easy to play, and feels comfortable to fret the strings. A good indication that your instrument set-up needs attention is if you tune your bass, yet it still plays out of tune. Or if there is a significant amount of distance between your strings in their resting position to being fretted. There are 4 basic elements you can adjust on your bass The straightness of the neck: 1 st and 14 th The height of the bass strings: Action found on bridge Intonation: Found on bridge Pickup height: Adjusted by screws on either side of pickup Set-up tips to remember Adjust truss rod first. Fret 1 st & 14 th to see how much bow is in your neck Adjust action to a height where buzzing is minimal playing at full strength Adjust intonation (tuning 1 st fret and 13 th ) Bass Maintenance tips Lemon oil on the fret board (maple or rosewood) Wipe down strings after every use Place cloth between strings and frets while stored in case to avoid unnecessary wear on the frets Frequently change battery on active pickups If you live in a dry climate, put a humidifier in your case to avoid drying out your neck. This prevents frets pulling from the fingerboard Tape off fret board and lightly dress frets with steal wool Take a very light grain sand paper to the back of your neck to remove any build up

19 Parts of a Bass Head Stock Tuners Nut Fret Board Frets Body Pick Guard Pickup Bridge Saddle

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