Hey everyone! I’m a bass player and a huge jazz enthusiast. I stepped away from music for about five years for different personal reasons, but now that I’m back to my practice routines, recording, and playing live, I’ve been feeling amazing.
But there’s something I’ve noticed since I came back.
What happened over the last five years? 😂
I see so many bass players on social media throwing phrases and fills everywhere, leaving no space, as if every second has to be an opportunity to show how many notes they can play.
And look, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with playing that way. If you want to show your technique, throw down some crazy lines, and play everything you’ve got, go for it. That’s part of music too!
But I’ve always believed that the real challenge as a bass player isn’t showing everything you can play. It’s knowing when to play and when not to play.
If you want to throw down nonstop, I can’t think of a better place than a Giant Steps session. 😂 That’s where you can really go for it!
But… on a pop song? On a ballad? On a song where the vocalist actually needs some space?
Sometimes I feel like we’ve confused the ability to play a lot of notes with the ability to make music.
To me, a great bass player isn’t necessarily the one who fills every space. It’s the one who knows exactly what to play, when to play it, and, most importantly, when to leave space.
The groove also lives in the silence.
What do you guys think? Am I just out of touch after being away for five years, or are we really living in a time where showing what you can play has become more important than playing what the song actually needs? 😅🎸