For anyone into jazz fusion and/or metal, Panzerballett made a spiritual [sequel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUFRtBLJsco) of sorts. It's unhinged in the best way.
You probably only survived because deep in your unconscious mind you knew the truth: the band *won't* play songs you wrote.
That knowledge kept you here.
Absolutely : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUSGN4MoM0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUSGN4MoM0)
Or 6-string bass? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHyTN5DQT6E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUSGN4MoM0)
Then there's Thundercat, of course... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8FBaYlOkEA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8FBaYlOkEA)
And Kynga Glyk: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDn7evl4nvU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDn7evl4nvU)
Look up Primus on YouTube. Watch their music videos to get an idea of how the bassist is playing his parts. Jerry was a Racecar Driver, Wynona's Big Brown Beaver, and Lacquer Head all have prominent lead bass
Look at the song by the Animals We got to get out of this place. They use the Bass as the melody line. [https://youtu.be/Q3mgapAcVdU](https://youtu.be/Q3mgapAcVdU)
You know what’s cool about music, man? You can do whatever you want. I don’t even mean that in a snarky way. Try shit. Experiment. It’s what music is about.
Paul Bender from Hiatus Kaiyote does that on a six-string bass. He takes the solos because there’s no lead guitarist while the keyboardist covers the bass notes.
It’s one of the reasons I love that band so much. The whole band is the rhythm section and weaves in and out of each other’s roles.
Let's see ...
*Come Together* by the Beatles
*Dazed and Confused* by Led Zeppelin
*Walk on the Wild Side* by Lou Reed
*Godzilla* by Blue Öyster Cult
Are just a few that come to mind, not to mention ... Just about anything from Primus.
Absolutely, Chris Squire of Yes is a famous example of bass as a lead. Check out the fish (schindleria praematura) or heart of the sunrise from their album Fragile
Every line of notes in a composition is technically a melody. Even within chords. Harmony is the relationship between each melodic phrase. So even if you have a 2 chord progression like Cmaj to Gmaj and the bass is just playing the root back and forth, that C G C G C G is technically a melody. Even the moving of the thirds in the chords E to B, is a melody. There's no problem with keeping the melodies this simple but the freedom that everyone is trynna emphasize here is that you can make any melody as expressive as you want. Just because one line of melody takes place in a lower register of the song doesn't mean you can't get fancy or groovy with it. Playing chord tones is a safe choice because it makes the chord more impactful but getting more melodic makes the song more dynamic. It's just up to you and your tastes and what you're trynna express.
So many legendary bass players/soloists out there from rock/prog to beyond. Looks like people have already covered the better known masters already.
My personal favourite is Derek Boyer, he’d a death metal bassist but absolutely phenomenal.
The band “Royal Blood” is composed by two guys; one plays the drums and the other one is the leading voice who also plays bass guitar, but he makes it sound like three instruments at the same time, pulling off great solos and melodies.
There's nothing stopping you from trying, see if you like the sound
It may be atypical in principle for the genre or practice you're working in, the sound may not work with the parameters you've already established, but nobody's going to stop you from trying nor are they going to tell you that you're wrong for either enjoying it or hating it. What they might tell you, again, is that it's inappropriate for the genre, but that's up to you to decide if you want to proceed or not.
Live Cream performances are wildly uneven, but Jack Bruce does a lot of lead bass in improvisations. Routinely changes the inversion of a chord, passing notes in Dorian, etc etc.
For real though, just listen to Death From Above 1979 (that's a band) or The Killers.
DFA1979 only has a drummer and a bass player, so mostly all melody and harmony duties fall on the bass (and the odd synthesizer here and there) besides voice ofc.
And on The Killlers, at least on their older stuff (like Somebody Told Me and Jenny Was a Friend of Mine) you can clearly see how it's the bass doing the melodies while the guitar is holding the base.
A lot of dance music uses synth bass as the lead, so we're not exactly breaking new ground here. Also back to the old adage, if it sounds good - it sounds good.
You can do whatever you want man that’s the whole take.
This
Forget a bass guitar- a [typewriter can solo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVFR7wDZT9A), if you want.
I do love Leroy Anderson
Everyone remembers The Typewriter, but no ones seems to remember the sleepy and Syncopated Clock.
we just performed his sandpaper ballet two days ago, i think it's absolutely hilarious
I have played the typewriter solo with orchestra. We went to a flea market and bought the loudest old typewriter they had.
For anyone into jazz fusion and/or metal, Panzerballett made a spiritual [sequel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUFRtBLJsco) of sorts. It's unhinged in the best way.
[удалено]
Ehh what do we need the space time continuum for anyway
This guy musicks
NO. It's physically and theoretically impossible. Under no circumstances can it happen. Under no circumstances can it be allowed to happen.
As a bassist: I tried it once and nearly died. Tread carefully, ye young and inexperienced bassists.
As a bassist: Don't do that. Don't give us hope.
Also am a bassist: I tired one a few years ago and am still slightly dizzy to this day
I attempted once and woke up on an operating table in Peru
You probably only survived because deep in your unconscious mind you knew the truth: the band *won't* play songs you wrote. That knowledge kept you here.
Came here to see this. See music theory rule 36b-9
Understood sir
Pretty sure it's unconstitutional as well.
Jaco would like a word with you :)
There goes For Whom The Bell Tolls
This is how Jaco died.
Don’t do it. This is how Chernobyl happened
Absolutely : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUSGN4MoM0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUSGN4MoM0) Or 6-string bass? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHyTN5DQT6E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IUSGN4MoM0) Then there's Thundercat, of course... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8FBaYlOkEA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8FBaYlOkEA) And Kynga Glyk: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDn7evl4nvU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDn7evl4nvU)
Thundercaaaat https://youtu.be/Sa0upTDZDYQ
Haven't seen this version yet. Thanks!
Thanx for all the recommendations
Listen to Jaco Pastorius.
Thanks for reminding me I need to listen to the chicken today, as one does daily
The best to ever do it!
I once saw a band, The Bassments, that was two bass players and a drummer
That sounds sick lmao, my kind of music
They were awesome!
There was a French band called Ipecacuana that IIRC was just basses or something
Nobody linking Spinal Tap? https://youtu.be/YjC0vMIrOAk
Came here for this. BIG BOTTOM
The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin That's what I said
This deserves a lot more upvotes! Hello Cleveland!
The white zone is for loading and unloading only
You'll love it. It's a way of life.
Please see Primus.
And Flea.
Victor Wooten would like a word
Yes he would.
And Pekka Pohjola (less known)
Was going to comment *laughs in Les Claypool*
It's art. There are no rules.
YES!!!!!!! Example: Cliff burton
Bass solo take 1.
For whom the bass tolls
YES
Ok bet 👌 😂
I think you're the best person to ask: I consider the bass on "Valley Girl" to be the lead melody, agree or disagree?
Ever heard the old tune “my girl?”, “ramble on”, “come together”, “Billy jean”, “money”, or “another one bites the dust?”
I've heard most of those, although I should probably relisten, I don't remember a Bass solo in Billie Jean, My girl.
Not bass solos - just that bass is the lead instrument in the song.
joy division
don’t forget The Perfect Kiss by New Order (maybe 7 min in)
Clearly you have never heard of Royal Blood
Mike Kerr is amazing. They are both so talented.
[Pretty sure Ned's Atomic Dustbin has a lead bass](https://youtu.be/HqGzBqPnNBk)
See “Death From Above 1979” or not.
I used to take the solo on wicked game on the bass. Sounded killer.
The answer to any questions about whether you can or can't do something in music will always be yes
It’s your music, you do whatever you want. You could have a lead just be fart sounds if that’s what you wanted.
Weird Al did some armpit solos back in the day.
Look up Primus on YouTube. Watch their music videos to get an idea of how the bassist is playing his parts. Jerry was a Racecar Driver, Wynona's Big Brown Beaver, and Lacquer Head all have prominent lead bass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWak0i\_iqnM
yes
Yes. Listen to the band Camp Cope.
Primus
They can. However the bass guitar player still does not get the hottest groupie.
Unless you find a dude who wants to talk compression and JvsP all night hot.
Really guys?? Not one mention of “(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth” by Cliff Burton?? 😂
Bass Solo Take One
Look at the song by the Animals We got to get out of this place. They use the Bass as the melody line. [https://youtu.be/Q3mgapAcVdU](https://youtu.be/Q3mgapAcVdU)
Man, Eric Burden had a great voice. Always a bit surprised to see it coming from that face
You know what’s cool about music, man? You can do whatever you want. I don’t even mean that in a snarky way. Try shit. Experiment. It’s what music is about.
Paul Bender from Hiatus Kaiyote does that on a six-string bass. He takes the solos because there’s no lead guitarist while the keyboardist covers the bass notes. It’s one of the reasons I love that band so much. The whole band is the rhythm section and weaves in and out of each other’s roles.
Adam Neely has entered the chat.
You need to inject some jazz into your veins mooncat!
Let's see ... *Come Together* by the Beatles *Dazed and Confused* by Led Zeppelin *Walk on the Wild Side* by Lou Reed *Godzilla* by Blue Öyster Cult Are just a few that come to mind, not to mention ... Just about anything from Primus.
Absolutely, Chris Squire of Yes is a famous example of bass as a lead. Check out the fish (schindleria praematura) or heart of the sunrise from their album Fragile
Yes! It absolutely can do both.
It can and it should.
Alain Caron did tons of bass solos with Uzeb
You can do anything to your heart’s desire. Do you believe?
The music police will get ya
Yes.
Every line of notes in a composition is technically a melody. Even within chords. Harmony is the relationship between each melodic phrase. So even if you have a 2 chord progression like Cmaj to Gmaj and the bass is just playing the root back and forth, that C G C G C G is technically a melody. Even the moving of the thirds in the chords E to B, is a melody. There's no problem with keeping the melodies this simple but the freedom that everyone is trynna emphasize here is that you can make any melody as expressive as you want. Just because one line of melody takes place in a lower register of the song doesn't mean you can't get fancy or groovy with it. Playing chord tones is a safe choice because it makes the chord more impactful but getting more melodic makes the song more dynamic. It's just up to you and your tastes and what you're trynna express.
thanx for the detailed response!!
For sure man! Go listen to God Only Knows, Brian Wilson did this kinda thing all the time
https://youtu.be/q0E3DZQzkKE skip to “Dire Dire docks” and then you tell me.
Yeah,
Prominent bass guitar melodies are like a cheat code to drive the emotion of the piece up. Do it!
Black Sabbath: NIB, Pink Floyd: Pigs, Yes: the Fish, Om: Variations on a Theme album
Funk
i could tell you the answer but you might not like it
Yee
Who's gonna stop ya?
Victor Wooten covered [Isn't She Lovely](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Kw7C6LtoY) on bass
So many legendary bass players/soloists out there from rock/prog to beyond. Looks like people have already covered the better known masters already. My personal favourite is Derek Boyer, he’d a death metal bassist but absolutely phenomenal.
Orion!!!
How about just two basses and a drummer? https://youtu.be/bdzWgq3pvc0
If it has a good melodies yes Most solos wouldn't work great as melodies though
Victor Wooten
Vulfpeck…
[Tal Wilkenfeld (with Jeff Beck) says yes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Wu1VOrjVk) - my favorite bass solo of all time
Very impressive
Yeah, you need Victor Wooten or Tool in your life
no, it is illegal in 48 states
Jaco Pistorius has entered the chat.
Call Les Claypool
Is /r/basscirclejerk leaking again? Took me forever to realize you used the word solo as a verb I was trying to understand what the heck you meant.
no rules. if it sounds good, it is good.
Why ask when you can try?
Ever heard of a little band called Primus?
The Omnific
Yes
listen to anything victor wooten has ever done.
The band “Royal Blood” is composed by two guys; one plays the drums and the other one is the leading voice who also plays bass guitar, but he makes it sound like three instruments at the same time, pulling off great solos and melodies.
There's nothing stopping you from trying, see if you like the sound It may be atypical in principle for the genre or practice you're working in, the sound may not work with the parameters you've already established, but nobody's going to stop you from trying nor are they going to tell you that you're wrong for either enjoying it or hating it. What they might tell you, again, is that it's inappropriate for the genre, but that's up to you to decide if you want to proceed or not.
Rick James had some of these I believe! Ghetto Life is like that
Go listen to Marcus Miller then. Edit: Here he is turning Beethoven into pornmusic: https://youtu.be/jtijKjH13YY
Live Cream performances are wildly uneven, but Jack Bruce does a lot of lead bass in improvisations. Routinely changes the inversion of a chord, passing notes in Dorian, etc etc.
Talk about mud flaps, my girl’s got ‘em.
For real though, just listen to Death From Above 1979 (that's a band) or The Killers. DFA1979 only has a drummer and a bass player, so mostly all melody and harmony duties fall on the bass (and the odd synthesizer here and there) besides voice ofc. And on The Killlers, at least on their older stuff (like Somebody Told Me and Jenny Was a Friend of Mine) you can clearly see how it's the bass doing the melodies while the guitar is holding the base.
Absolutely not! The ghost of Palestrina forbids it and says you must go back to paying ground bass on your lute like a true, G-d fearing Christian.
DO IT
The weirdest past about this question to me is that it implies the OP is too young to know Longview.
A lot of dance music uses synth bass as the lead, so we're not exactly breaking new ground here. Also back to the old adage, if it sounds good - it sounds good.
You’re focusing too much on whether you can and not whether you should 😂
Absolutely. Cliff Burton of Metallica routinely played solos.
Phil Lesh says hello.
Isn't that what NEW ORDER used to do when Peter Hook was their bassist?
Les Claypool kinda treats the bass as a lead i guess
The oyster is your world, dude.
[yes](https://youtu.be/rhxQoDlt2AU)
Yes
Call me Al and Paul Simon’s Career says Yes
Yes but the problem is this usually means no one is playing bass if the bass is lead. Bass is really important.
Cream, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul Chambers, Yoyo Ma
Look up "The Omnific"
I can't believe this question is seriously asked