Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:07 pm Posts: 7088 Location: Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Plucking the bass...
I've been helping a friend who is singer and guitarist record a band album recently. Rather than bring a bassist, we decided I might play the bass parts on The Stick, but mostly plucking the strings instead of tapping. The sound is great, halfway between an electric bass and an upright. It fits in great with the acoustic guitar, but holds its own with the electric guitar as well.
Routing Stickup into StepAbout into interface.
And it's a lot of fun jut being "the bassist". I'll let you know when the record is finished.
Nice, i love doing this kind of approach. I have a bunch of moments like this on the upcoming GEPH album as well. Looking forward to hearing your upcoming work.
Kevin Keith has sone really good examples of non "tapping" type approah to playing bass on the Stick:
Yes, I know he is still "tapping" but he is using combinations of thumbs like on a regular bass, actual plucking, etc rather than just straight up tapping.
A very cool approach!
Mon Dec 18, 2017 8:26 pm
Lee Vatip
Site Donor
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:06 am Posts: 3250
Re: Plucking the bass...
Funny this subject came up. I've been exploring my half fretless much more lately. Subtle plucking and subsequent sliding, creates sounds very much like an upright bass. The notes are extremely warm and swell up after the pluck. Incredibly big sound
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:07 pm Posts: 7088 Location: Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Re: Plucking the bass...
UPDATE
I just started mixing this. Sadly, my friend Paul Koors, who was only 39, died of an aortic aneurism in August. Plans are developing for the record to be released as a benefit for the John Ritter Foundation.
About the music: I love how the plucked bass strings lay in the mix with the drums and guitar(s). The looseness of the strings gives it a really different quality.
Played alto sax on a couple tunes as well.
Usually I get to mix things in the artist's presence, but now I can just hope he would agree with my choices.
The album I was referring to earlier in this thread will be released at a benefit concert on October 12 in Charlottesville.
Here's a montage of three excerpts from the final master. It should give you a sense of how I'm approaching this role, sonically and otherwise:
The Stick in question is a Grand with a Stickup, medium gauge strings, Classic (with a high bass 4th that was not used on this record)
It's not a genre I've ever worked in before, so it's been really fun expanding my horizons...
Greg,
I have now listened to the album a few times start to finish on Apple Music. What an amazing tribute. Well done. The “bass” really locks in nicely in that role. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and subsequently experimenting with that playing style.
One question: Are you using one finger on the pickup to stroke the string like a double bass technique or are you using two fingers like a fingerstyle bass guitar?
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