Soloing- Straight from the Heart
by Glenn Letsch
reprinted by permission
Electronic Musician Magazine
There's an old musician's joke about an explorer traveling through Africa. Off in the distance he hears the faint but steady beat of tribal drums. The drums keep going and going. Driven to the edge by the seemingly endless percussive torture, the explorer asks when the drums will stop. His trusted guide remarks, "Drums stop-bad." Hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, and when he can endure no more, the drums abruptly stop. His guide intones, "Drums stop-bad; now bass solo." I always hated this joke. Keyboardists and guitarists told it, and I found their belly laugh insulting. Are bass solos really that long and boring? They certainly don't have to be. A bass solo should be like the D-Day invasion. It should surprise and overwhelm the audience into unconditional surrender-quickly! Normally, a bass player's job is to lay down a strong foundation, with a steady rhythmic pulse and a tasteful dose of harmony and melodic counterpoint. The bassist is the "glue" between the drums and the melodic voice and its chordal accompaniment. Soloing is the exception rather than the rule for bassists, so it can often be an underdeveloped skill. As a result, some players might be scratching their heads when it comes to constructing a concise and exciting bass solo. Here are some helpful hints that can make your solo the showpiece of the band's set. Lay it in deep. Don't play a guitar solo on bass; it sounds better on a guitar. The same rule applies for tapping a Bach fugue. It may be quirky in a cool way, but it sounds a lot better on harpsichord. These are just my opinions; I may be wrong. But the inherent function of bass is to make the music swing, so why not spotlight what the instrument already does best: groove. The bass solos with the most impact are tethered to a pulse. So start with a pocket and build from there. Tell me a story. Your solo must tell a tale. Don't just cut and paste a series of your favorite licks. It's not going to work. The phrases will sound disjointed and cold. In addition, don't expect to spontaneously come up with "the world's greatest solo" each night. The best solos are crafted works of art that take equal parts time and inspiration to construct. When you are comfortable with the format and the solo begins to prove itself, improvisation will come naturally. Homework. Listen to the great bass solos. Go to used-record stores; it's like going to a library for musicians. Check out Willie Weeks on Donny Hathaway Live or Jaco Pastorius's solo on Ian Hunter's "All-American Alien Boy." Listen to anything by the brilliant Ray Brown, Ron Carter, or Christian McBride on the upright bass. The list goes on and on. The important thing is to listen to and learn from great bass solos. Great players make it look easy. It is easy, but only if you have practiced a million times. Don't just copy the content; understand the form, as well. You shouldn't just steal ideas from other bass players; be original. Listen to the voice in your heart. If you listen closely and study the technique, you will hear some great ideas. For example, Jack Bruce performed a textbook bass solo this past summer while on tour with Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band. Classically trained, Bruce took a solo that exhibited the A-B-A form, though it was hardly classical in style. During Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like I Do," the song broke down to the famous "talkbox" interlude. Bruce played the melodic motif, typically sung by Frampton through his talkbox, on his fretless bass. He repeated the lick several times, creating a warm and inviting mood for the audience. He gradually began to embellish the motif with melodic twists and turns. The solo built up to a frenzied climax involving jumps over two and three registers. As things wound down to the original motif, the audience lay in ruins. It was a stunning performance. Find a great teacher. Study bass with someone who can help you develop your musicality. Music theory takes you beyond "how to play" into "why it works." If you've hit the wall, the college of musical knowledge will knock down that wall. Magic. Don't hesitate to use your bag of tricks, such as slap bass, picking, harmonics, and tapping. Effects pedals are great, too. See what works best for you, including fuzz, chorus, octave divider, digital delay lines, and reverb. These things can make your solo if used tastefully. Show biz. The audience is already there waiting for you to give it up, so give it up. Ironically, the most gratuitous slap bass routine may impress the audience the most. That's show business. There is nothing wrong with giving the audience what it wants. Just give it to them on your terms, and they will love you. Oh, just one more thing. Don't make the solo too long. I don't want to start hearing that "Drums stop-bad" joke again.