Did I overplay? Or is this tasteful? Please critique me!

b525

b525

Nov 16, 2013
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Jakarta, Indonesia
#1
Laid down some bass for my band the other night, did it DIY with a humble setup at home. I wrote the song and arranged the whole thing, did the backup vocals too. But when it comes to actually doing the bassline, I feel like I might overdo it sometimes. Get carried away, you know?

It's such a "patient" song like it's calm and restrained - I don't know if this kind of busier bassline approach is appropriate, or should I redo it simpler?



Any critique about the tone or playing is greatly appreciated! much love

p.s. bass is intentionally the loudest in the mix since it's a preview for the whole band group chat :bassist:
 
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#3
I like the song, overall. For my mind's video, I'm picturing two oblivious rainsoaked lovers, walking the streets of London, while chaos erupts all around them.

Regarding the song itself, I like the pattern you're establishing up front for the first verse, so I wouldn't stray too far from that.

At about 01:05, we get a flurry of notes from a couple of instruments (including the bass), and it sounds like they are competing against each other... but, for some reason, I like the same in the outro... more fitting, there.

It'll be interesting to hear the rest of your band's input, given time.
 
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#6
While I don't think it's TOO "busy", I really love that more simplistic bass line in the early part of the song. It sounds great, and is very hypnotic.

It sounds to me like you might have gotten bored playing it part-way through the song and decided to "liven it up" a bit. But in my humble opinion, I'd have stuck with that hypnotic line throughout the song.

I don't mean that to sound harsh at all. I'm sometimes guilty of doing the same thing!!! :D:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
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#7
I love it, great job. Your tone is something I don't use but it fits the song. I agree with others that at the 1:00 mark the tone is a little weird to my ears.

The only critique I have with only one listen is that the bass seems ahead of the beat and slightly rushed at times. This is just my opinion but I think the song would be better served playing slightly behind the beat.

Well done. Thanks for sharing.I
 
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#8
I like it. But do you? That’s really the only opinion that matters. Or would you prefer if some other people liked it but you didn’t?

Asking TB whether you’re “overplaying” (whatever that actually means) is a bit like asking us whether you’re putting too much salt in your cooking.
 
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#9
b525 said:
Laid down some bass for my band the other night, did it DIY with a humble setup at home. I wrote the song and arranged the whole thing, did the backup vocals too. But when it comes to actually doing the bassline, I feel like I might overdo it sometimes. Get carried away, you know?

It's such a "patient" song like it's calm and restrained - I don't know if this kind of busier bassline approach is appropriate, or should I redo it simpler?



Any critique about the tone or playing is greatly appreciated! much love

p.s. bass is intentionally the loudest in the mix since it's a preview for the whole band group chat :bassist:
Click to expand...

That’s really good. It’s awesome you wrote and arranged the whole thing. In this context, you’re playing what you think is good on your own song. If you’re playing bass on a session for someone else’s tune, at that point you’d probably want to keep it a little simpler (at least initially), but here, what you are playing works nicely.
 
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#11
Good work, but personally, I'd like to hear more sustain in the low end. I hear more pick sound than anything. Since the muted bass note is decaying so quickly, the song ends up sounding kind of "empty" in the bottom end.

Another thing about using that pronounced attack on a medium slower tempo song, is that it really has to be precise and locked in tempo-wise. Any little deviation in the time stands out more than if it's a softer bass sound.

Just my opinion, take it with a grain.
 
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#12
Oddly said:
Sounds fine to me...up to about the 2.10 mark where your tone changes. I personally prefer the simpler muted tone and amn't a fan of effects on bass anyway, so I'm biased there, but I don't think the latter part works.
Click to expand...
Yes on the past 2:00 mark. Too busy, leave slides out, bass guitar generally does not play along with the melody or over-play the beat.
This video may help
 
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#13
Oddly said:
Sounds fine to me...up to about the 2.10 mark where your tone changes. I personally prefer the simpler muted tone and amn't a fan of effects on bass anyway, so I'm biased there, but I don't think the latter part works.
Click to expand...
For me, the big change in tone starts at about 2:36. I am a fan of effects on bass in the right context, but IMO it doesn't work here.

BTW, I really like the song!:thumbsup: I'm looking forward to hearing it with the bass volume pulled back into the mix.
 
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#15
From the beginning to 1:05 is really nice. Sits the stage for a pleasant song experience. I could listen to that for the whole song.

1:05 to 1:14 not feeling it. It throws off the feel.

1:15 to 1:28 is ok.

1:29 to 2:36 is really nice. Back to what the whole song could use.

After 2:36 is whack. Perhaps completely due to the effects on the bass. You lose the song at that point. It would be better for the song to end at 2:36 than with what currently follows of almost a minute of odd effects.

Can you make another mix without effects on the bass in the last minute?
 
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#18
I don't think it's too busy.

But I don't think the "quirky" bits really land, especially the outro. You're not Brian Wilson and there's a lack of confidence and experience in the weird little parts that undercut what you're trying to do.

The bass also lacks bottom end to my ears. If it were me, I'd play a slightly simpler bass part with a fatter tone and then double it with a Bass VI, picked and palm muted which is what your primary tone reminds me off.
 
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#19
You wanted honest opinions so ...

I'm a fairly busy bass player (on songs I write), but I think you went a little bit overboard after the first (?)chorus(?) where the keyboards were kind of doing a "thing". I thought the bass took away from the keyboard "riff". A slide here or there would have been okay, but your bass line "confused" the keyboard section (to my ear).
 
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#20
I think there were a few busy moments that stood out to me, including some pickup/ghost notes that caught my ear
...but...
It is hard to estimate how much those will still stand out when you mix the bass down to the final level. I could see how they might be just the right amount of variety.
 
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