I used to stand in the back next to the drummer to lock in with his grooves. Than i realized the guys kept me back there because I'm so godamn ugly.

@kenbahr7235

3 жыл бұрын

🤣😂🤣😂

I play in a hardcore band so half the time I'm down in the crowd haha

As an actively gigging bassist, there are two things to always consider: rhythm and space. Never fall out of that pocket, no matter what you're playing that is what you engage the moment you unpack 'till the moment you leave. The other is when you are playing be conscious of your band, try to give them space to go somewhere. That lock between you and your drummer controls dynamics and phrasing for your soloist, you're the bus driver so give them a bus to sit in. I ask myself constantly while playing to step away from myself and pretend I'm watching the show, what does it sound like? What does it feel like? What do I want to see? What does it need?

@shodapad07

2 жыл бұрын

Self Awareness!

It is also important to stand somewhere where you have a good view of the guitar player's left hand. Especially if you aren't very familiar with the set list.

@FaelonZ

7 жыл бұрын

Shouldn't you know what you're gonna be playing before going to the gig? lol

@MaineUmphreak

7 жыл бұрын

Agree Anthony...especially when I am a hired gun for a gig and I ask for a set list and he says "Don't worry man, you'll do fine!"

@dogfancy

3 жыл бұрын

Lol too true too many times 😅

You've seen gigs where the drummer and the bass player are "literally miles away from eachother" woah, where were they performing?

@aurasky24

7 жыл бұрын

lmfao! made my morning

@ixa-3140

4 жыл бұрын

Just shut up prick it's called expression maybe if you and all your buddys who liked your comment understood expression, you would be better bass players.🤣🤣🤣Maybe then you would actually understand it in a musical sense.

Every one thinks differently; however, I agree that bass and drums/percussion should be together. I like to stand in the middle if it is my Jazz trio, and I don't mind not being by the hi-hat. With latin music I like to be between the piano and the congas because congas are the one basic instrument I want to follow. When I am the leader, I have to be in the front with my amp near the drums, you just have to listen carefully to every instrument. I TRY TO LISTEN TO EVERYTHING ACOUSTICALLY AND KEEP ONLY WHAT IS FAR AWAY FROM ME IN THE MONITORS (no bass no drums). One more thing, when you go to see a symphony, try to sit in the front and by the basses, you will understand what the basses are playing; thus, it makes you enjoy the whole experience because the fast lines from the basses can diffuse easily when you are far from them. I have been playing gigs since I was 14 and I am 54, the one thing I've learned is that not always you can have what you want, so be ready to adjust to whatever. Thank you!

This guy is classy as fuck.

You can find out about it on the 'about page' of my website. Thanks for watching man :)

Are you playing live? Check out my BIG performance tip for bass players!...kzread.info/dash/bejne/d5ihlrqnc67KlrA.html

40+ years as a gigging bassist. My stage position varies from band to band. In the situations where the drummer and I have worked together a long time, we could be at opposite ends of the stage and still lock because of our mutual respect for one another's instrument characteristics and careful adherence to time keeping. I seldom watch the drummer which "forces" me to actively listen and anticipate his output. My gear, which is compact ( typically 1 or 2 PhilJones C-4 cabs and one of various compact heads) goes in on a foldable equipment cart and stays on the cart when set up so I can move my rig easily as musicians arrive to make relocating for best results easy. This also keeps my rig off the floor for more sound definition.

Hey Jon, thanks for watching. I used to play double bass but because of the problems I have with my hands (which is why I have to wear gloves) I can't play double bass anymore.

I like to stay on the right of the drummer so I can see what I'm playing (fretting on the left hand) and see the rhythm of the drummer out the corner of my eye at he same time.

Great lesson Scott. In fact I 'd go as far as saying this is one of the most valuable bass lessons on the net because very few people mention it. I've been stuck on the Ride side on a gig for the past few months for one reason or another and I hate it. Locking in can become a real pain. Keep up the good work.

Scott you're a sage bassman! Your advices are always useful and this one is perfect! Thank you

Hey man - I've actually just finished recording an entire course on rhythm and how to apply it to the bass. It consists of 7 modules, one which is with an entire live band, and the entire thing is just over 11 hours of video footage! It's going to be called 'The Groove Academy' so look out for it! At the moment I'm busy transcribing all the music for it... 11 hours worth lol! It's a long process ;) Thanks for watching man. Scott

Thank you for making high quality free bass lessons, I appreciate them very much.

Great stuff and the tip about cutting back on the "boom" is spot on.

It becomes 1000 times trickier when you are also the singer for the band, you need to be listening to your own voice, and can't really use a monitor. My best stage tip is hang out with your drummer (really). Be best bros and following his drums will just come naturally

@josephfelice8308

2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like you need a better monitor mix

This really cleared a lot up. My worst gig was on an outside stage and it was freezing. I am/was really inexperienced in the gigging field and I didn't do any warmups and went straight on the stage. Naturally our first song was a really fast punk song. Since I barely felt my fingers it is safe to assume that I had a lot of trouble keeping in time. Felt really bad afterwards, but also got a valuable lesson - WARMUP.

Hey I have watched a couple of your videos. GREAT CONTENT. A couple of my friends and i have started a "band'. I put in quotes cause i don't really know what type of music we play we started like two weeks ago. I play bass so i really appreciate your videos

Hahahaha this dudes so entertaining to watch I love the faces he makes along with super informative content very glad I subbed

Even with in ear monitors and the ability to adjust your monitor right on stage, I found it helpful to be able to see what the drummer is doing. Thank you for these awesome videos.

As a drummer AND bassist, I totally agree with you, Scott,!

Hey scott thanks for your times ItZ'S really appreciate. I love your new concept of video lok classy and jazzy

You are the man, Scott!

thank you , your lessons are the best and you can truly inspire people to play :)

Interesting approach to choose the hi-hat side. I usually choose the other side to easily see the drummer while keeping an eye on the fingerboard. Thanks

HI Scott, Thanks so much, I really appreciate yr inputs. BTW great playing too. As it turns out, I always stand next to drummer.

Best teacher ever.... !!! cheers from Argentina

When on live stage I usually running around, :-D , switching places with the guitarist.. it's an attractive performance. . And I like it though.. when I loose a little bit tempo, I'll stop and concentrate on hi'hat sound.. Thanks Scott you always and always inspired me.. :-)

Flat wounds man. Thanks for watching! :)

You're absolutely right on with this tip. I also like to sit on the high side so I can see the kick drum if I need to.

All good points-if there's room. One of our semi-regular gigs has such a small area we are back against a glass"wall" w/ our JBL EON PA in between us line abreast.

Clap!!Clap!! Bravo Scott!

Ty Scott,another great video as always

Hey John. I'd recommend sticking to one bass. There's nothing wrong with trying out 5 strings, frettlesses etc, but I personally normally only play one bass for a long period of time. For example when I played fretless, that's all I really played for around 3 years. At the moment I'm loving the P bass. It also depends on whether you have to use a certain bass for a certain job. I've recorded in studios where the engineer wants me to record with a jazz bass... in that case, I'll use a jazz bass.

Thanks for answering and thanks for making the best online bass lessons. Your friend is also doing a great job!

Thank you, Scott :)

Great advice here! I've often played with Drummers that use a small Bass Drum/Jazz kit, so would also ask for a bit of Bass Drum in the monitor. It's essential that the Bass and Drums lock in with each other!

As always, good practical advice from Scott!

I don't man... I wish I could do that shizzle but I have to get a friend to do it for me. Thanks for watching man :)

Although we use in ear monitoring, as a left-handed bass player, I always like my drummer to be to my right. That way I can simply look down the neck of my bass and there he is. I can also keep an eye on my fretting hand at the same time. It is so helpful to make eye contact with him at times when he wants to let me know about an unexpected change he may be about to make (yeah, with a good bass/drummer team you can actually talk with just facial expressions) and of course I can watch him during difficult passages to know exactly what he's doing.

Great advice Scott, keep on keepin on my low notes master. Cheers

As a professional bassist for over 40 yrs, I have had to learn where to position myself and my amp by trial and error, and everything you've said here is totally spot-on, IMHO. Stage managers and sound techs will sometimes fight you on this, especially if they are non-musicians. Stand your ground! If the bass and drums have to be cranked in the monitors because you can't hear each other directly, it means that overall stage volume will be insanely loud. Ears are not replaceable!

Ha! Awesome book Tyler! yeah - Willis also likes the hihat side :)

Good tips, Scott. I always make sure that I get in close to the drummer. I much prefer the snare side, but most often end up on the other side, but I still get to hear the drummer nice and loud. Different venues make it harder. Last night I played a gig in a marquee, where I was stood 20ft from our lead guitarist, but couldn't hear him at all! Knowing the songs inside out is REALLY important in these situations! Tomorrows venue is all stone and brick, different prospect, entirely!

thanks for the tips...I've always tried to be beside the drummer. but which side & what part of to listen to the most (ihhat) is a great tip! I will definitely now apply to my gig setup thanks :)

Great advice. I always stand to the left of my drummer and keep my amp close to him so we are locked in. We also do a lot of communicating without talking.

Funny I should see this video now. Just the other night we ended up playing on a pro stage with is something we don't get the chance to do very often and I ended up separated from the drummer by what seemed like a mile. He's usually about two feet to my right so it was quite a trip. Luckily the monitor guy was very helpful. I appreciate your tip on more hight hat in the monitor. Thanks Scott!

Hey Carl. Locking in with the drums means that the bass and drums should rhythmically be almost like one instrument. The bass and drums are like the foundation for the rest of the band to sit on top of - if your house has shaky foundations things aren't good ;)... same thing with the drums and bass - we've got to be locked together to form a super solid foundation and groove.

I like to stand on the right so I can look at the drummer, watch the drummer and make eye contact while still watching the leader for clues about where the songs are going. I can always hear as much drums as I want. Thanks for your thoughts.

I've been playing bass for many years with my brother (who's a drummer) and I've always played miles away from him. Just this week I was hired for a studio session and played really close to drummer and it really made a big difference on how we locked together.

Really helpful tips. .thanx mate

I find from a comfort point of view, I like being on the right of the drummer. It means that if I need to look at him/her, then to my fretboard, then back again, I don't have to keep swinging my whole body/neck/instrument around. However, next gig I shall try going on the left/side nearest the hi-hat. Also, putting amps on amp stands/chairs is a great piece of advice. Thanks!

I almost joined a band, but realized I need to work on stage performance and other stuff. This is helpful. I used to be in a band in middle/high school but we broke up and, even though we wrote some really good songs, it could’ve been better.

I really enjoi this, you are a great man. Bought myself a 1964 Fender P Bass a couple of months ago. Will stick to it for a very long time - It is the shit! Ps: Keep the great tips coming!

Since you ask for comments, a church in which I play (better not say where) has the music group on platforms, about 6 inches high, however, my friend has his bass 4x10 on the same platforms and only about 10 feet from the mikes, so there's a lot of transmission from bass to microphones, some via the air, some via the platforms. If I'm playing through his kit, I drag his speaker to a more solid place and get, to my mind, a better sound and less "mud" in the vocal feed. Great advice, Scott, as in all your videos, thank you.

@stevesanders6152

6 жыл бұрын

It's tough to find really good sound engineers in churches that know how to design a good setup.

As a bass player singer its difficult to be alongside the drummer but I love being in front and feeling that bass drum

I'd like to say a couple of things, 1) I dig your playing, 2) I dig your attitude, 3) I always set up with my amp next to the drummer, can't stand next to him though since I normally do double duty on vocals, but since I play small stages in small venues it tends to not matter. Though perhaps setting up a small monitor system with a bit of vocals and a mic on the high hat/snare could help

This is critical that people realize the drums and bass form the dynamic center of the band.

I`ve been standing exactly where you describe in this vid at my last gig. The best place to be i think for shure. As a bassist, you have to play tight with the drummer, and keep in mind that you are building a foundation. And for the people that think their shy on stage, including myself. Try to just focus on the music! It helps me a lot.. And i personally like to see a musician that really is into his work on stage, and not acting cool.

good tip - thanks!

Being mostly deaf in my right ear from birth, I developed th "need" to be to the right of the drum kit. This gives me the everything the drummer does plus the vocals to keep me on track.

Also usually the drummer can't really hear the other instruments as well as the bass so it's great to have that closeness and eye contact

Great tips as always! Another good thing about standing at the side of the hi-hat is you'll be much more likely to have eye contact with the drummer. This is very important in my opinion, especially when bass and drums should be this tightly interlocking groove-train that feed off of eachother's energy to make 1+1=3 :)

always set-up.close to high hats when practicing but this does not always work when performing due to small venues,great tips and vids.

Good stuff man valid point definitely

Scott, you need to do a "bass face" lesson. We are dying to get that awesome face you have when you're in the groove!

great tip!

My favorite way to play is using avioms (headphones with a click track and what you are playing with customizable sound so you can hear whatever you want) I usually stand as close to the drums as i can although a lot of the time there are tvs and other equipment in between us.

thanks Scott!!!

I like the left side of the stage left to the left of the drummer. I play right handed so I am in a good spot to hear and communicate with the drummer. Many times, guitar players get up and are unfamiliar with the material so I can turn slightly right so they can see the key or key changes. When I play guitar I like stage right so I can see the bass players hand position easily and they don't have to turn all the way around to be visible to me. It's easy for me to turn far left with guitar to show visual to stage musicians, but much easier to turn the longer bass slightly right than radically left.

@OllytheOl

8 жыл бұрын

+Kaoiliulaokalani Mimura That's great advice. Thanks.

We use in-ears lots, and I ask for the hi-end snap of the kik so I can lock it in. Love your idea of more hi-hat too. Cheers.

I prefer the right hand side of the drums because I can look at the drummer for cues and such more naturally!

I'm still learning the fretboard and note theory, so I rely heavily on my ear. I struggle to hear myself sometimes (lousy bass amp, drums and guitarists in a loudness battle). My current earplugs seem to worsen the issue. I generally stand by the house amp, left of the drummer (unless I'm doing vocals). I find it easy to lock in with a drummer, as long as they're more competent than I. 😄

Great advice! In my case as the only lefty in the band(s), I usually set up far stage right or else we're banging necks together. I tend to rely on the monitors more.

Another practical reason for playing on the side of the hi-hat, is it has the best line of site to the drummer. It helps to have unobstructed eye contact with your drummer.

I always set up as Scott suggests....I find the drummers prefer that too. I place my amp there too for the same reason. I've played on some weird stages where the sound can be awful due to the construction of the actual stage. Scott's advice about moving your cab is really important too....some cabs are rear ported and need a wall behind but I often put my cab on its flight case if its rumbling through the floor. Sadly, the bottom end is affected but the audience wont notice if your playing through the PA. :)

Great video!

I love this p bass- flat wound- sound!!! Great videos. go ahead!!!

When I gig with my band usually we have the lead guitar on one side and the drums in the back and the "rhythm section" (bass and rhythm guitar) on one side. I play bass and I'm usually on the very end. Usually no trouble hearing the drums. Greetings from Washington, D.C.!

same with me. The hi-hat is my metronome. I sometimes have some problems with my tone (boomy), maybe you have a few more tips on that. Thanks for your videos, always happy when you show up on my YT subs.

We had just formed as a band two months prior to our first show. It was a outdoor venue inside of a revival / circus tent in the dead of winter. Only two monitors for the stage and I didn't get one. Placed stage left by the crew next to one of the mains I couldn't even hear myself let alone the drummer. I opted for line of sight and watched his hands for timing and counted. I looked out mid-set to a packed house! We pulled it off! Frozen hands and ringing ears. You gotta know your songs!

In a two guitar rock band. Joined 3 years after creation, so the stage set up had already been established. I am on the Tom side of the drum kit. We have actually had several sound guys freak out because I set up on the "wrong" side. Thing is #1 I don't have any issues hearing the high hat from 5-6 feet further away. #2 I kinda like the fact that by looking at my neck, I have the drummer in my line of sight as well. #3 My lead guitarist has some wonky timing, he put himself next to the high hat for a reason. Probably a solid choice all things considered.

I usually go for the spot that leaves me the best opportunities for some awesome powerslides!

Understood and i have always been on the High Hat side, But being the Bass player i am, Witch is one that is all over the stage and sometimes i actually come off the stage to interact.. Depending on the venue and such..

my "home" spot is next to the hi-hat. most comfortable there on stage. but i prefer rehearsal settings where everybody is in a circle and can see everybody. in that case i like my amp next to drummer, but me facing him

thanks scot for your tips

I personally like to stand next to the ride-cymbal when it comes to jazz gigs :)

thank you man !!

In a rockband I'm playing I'm usually behind the guitarists and singer due to the lack of space on stage so I automatically am right next to the drummer. In a jazz band I have a lot more to choose from since I'm the bandleader. Then I tend to go to the left side of the stage so that I can see everybody and when turning I wont bump my headstock into anything. And ofcourse I'm close to the drummer. Thanks for the video. Now I know I should stay where I always felt most appropriate. :D

What I've noticed is if you are running thru a system and there is monotoring, reduce you cabinet load. Room holds 200-350 2x10 as your own monitor. 500-1000 4x10 and bigger use discretion. If youre giggin big time they probably have a suitable back line.

Three piece band. Guitar amp by the hi-hat side and bass on the other side. It works very well for us, but we have a lot of communication on stage, especially between the bassist and drummer. Also, the bassist is usually our sound guy and no matter the size of the venue we mic the bass drum so he can put it into his monitor and that helps him keep time he says. Most of our venues have been very small pubs and low ceilinged clubs so we're practically sitting on the drumkit anyway, the few times we've played a stage with real distances involved we've had everything micced and monitored.

i typically play at bars, so small stage but some monitors. my drummer is new to the group and has lots of trouble locking in with me on fast tempos. i always have that amp next to him on his right side. so i guess its the wrong spot ill see if i can switch it. but whenever we have issues or i feel its moving to much i just turn a little to make eye contact. so we can get back groovin. we also have stuff with chord changes it always help to make eye contact. if we can't i try to make the change really obvious. but when we have a monitor system i try to get the drummer to have mostly bass and vocals if we have them. the guitar and horns are important but im generally the loudest in most monitors. i also try to hear the solos, for dynamics

Good tips

Also, can you do a video on comparisons of basses? I think that would help give bass players an idea of what to buy according to what sound they are looking for.

Agree, and try to place myself that way!! However, I sing as well, and while singing you loose the eye contact with your drummer! This ads yet another challenge, and really the only way out is to be so well rehearsed that you know exactly whats coming. During solos, well then we can stare each others eyeballs out!! :) I mainly play in a three piece band and even though our songs are fairly well set, we change them just a little every time, and the key there is the eye contact! JMO :)

This is right out of Gary Willis' book on bass tips. Good stuff imo

I like to take a pair of step-ladders with me and play from the top of those.

played bass in different bands and was also the set up guy - drummer and I would arrive first - drums first central/corner location - bass and cab on left/ hihat side- guitar and rig on right - everyone angled kinda facing - horn player front and center at main mike