It might have a pulse but really it should have been shot at birth...
IMHO / YMMV/
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Groove Isn't The First Element of Bass Playing. It is Last!
- Thread starter JeffBerlin
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It might have a pulse but really it should have been shot at birth...
IMHO / YMMV/
- Apr 18, 2008
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- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Well said, @Fred W . It’s really rather pointless to seriously debate a topic without first clearly defining the key terms and concepts of that topic. I suspect that there are several different popular definitions of the word “groove”, but presenting one which has its roots in history and etymology is quite helpful. What are the other definitions, I wonder?
As far as the main topic of this thread, I completely agree with Jeff’s point. If one wants to perform a task well, one must first learn the basics. And for music, the basics involve understanding pitches, harmony, and rhythm. This begins as a left-brain, rational pursuit, including both music theory as well as the body mechanics involved in making an instrument produce sound. One must learn, rationally, which notes are consonant with which other notes, and which are dissonant, then the same within the various schools of consonance and dissonance (intervals such as a second might be considered dissonant within the context of 15th century minstrel music, and perfectly consonant for a 20th century big band chart). Once one learns which notes produce which effect, one must develop the skill to quickly and easily play those notes on their instrument. Then comes a basic understanding of rhythm and tempo, then dynamics, then perhaps all of those same concepts within an ensemble setting.
Once the left brain has mastered these concepts, then the right brain can begin to take over, and we move from being an instrument player to becoming a musician. The former is technically adept but emotionally rather cold, while the latter, freed from the conscious concerns of how to play something, can now concentrate on why to play something, which is the deeper artistic connection that we all enjoy.
None of this is specific to bass. A person learning violin first becomes a violin player, and then transforms into a violinist, and ultimately becomes a musician whose primary instrument happens to be violin. Many of my TalkBass brethren are bass players. Others are bassists. And many are deeply proficient and artistically talented musicians, whose primary instrument happens to be bass. There is no value judgment here, by the way; we all must pass through the preliminary stages of learning before we ultimately can become what we are destined (or desire) to become. And if any one of us finds that they’re content to simply be a bass player, then that is their right and prerogative. The point here is that a deeper understanding can lead to a deeper fulfillment, but it takes dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to expand one’s mental boundaries.
Back to this “groove” thing: if we all agree (as I think we should) that the definition of “groove” is as @Fred W stated, then it is clearly a right-brain experience, an almost subliminal collective experience, that simply cannot be attained if one is still struggling with the decision of which notes should come next, or with the mechanics of which finger should press down on which string to play that note. The basics must come first.
As far as the main topic of this thread, I completely agree with Jeff’s point. If one wants to perform a task well, one must first learn the basics. And for music, the basics involve understanding pitches, harmony, and rhythm. This begins as a left-brain, rational pursuit, including both music theory as well as the body mechanics involved in making an instrument produce sound. One must learn, rationally, which notes are consonant with which other notes, and which are dissonant, then the same within the various schools of consonance and dissonance (intervals such as a second might be considered dissonant within the context of 15th century minstrel music, and perfectly consonant for a 20th century big band chart). Once one learns which notes produce which effect, one must develop the skill to quickly and easily play those notes on their instrument. Then comes a basic understanding of rhythm and tempo, then dynamics, then perhaps all of those same concepts within an ensemble setting.
Once the left brain has mastered these concepts, then the right brain can begin to take over, and we move from being an instrument player to becoming a musician. The former is technically adept but emotionally rather cold, while the latter, freed from the conscious concerns of how to play something, can now concentrate on why to play something, which is the deeper artistic connection that we all enjoy.
None of this is specific to bass. A person learning violin first becomes a violin player, and then transforms into a violinist, and ultimately becomes a musician whose primary instrument happens to be violin. Many of my TalkBass brethren are bass players. Others are bassists. And many are deeply proficient and artistically talented musicians, whose primary instrument happens to be bass. There is no value judgment here, by the way; we all must pass through the preliminary stages of learning before we ultimately can become what we are destined (or desire) to become. And if any one of us finds that they’re content to simply be a bass player, then that is their right and prerogative. The point here is that a deeper understanding can lead to a deeper fulfillment, but it takes dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to expand one’s mental boundaries.
Back to this “groove” thing: if we all agree (as I think we should) that the definition of “groove” is as @Fred W stated, then it is clearly a right-brain experience, an almost subliminal collective experience, that simply cannot be attained if one is still struggling with the decision of which notes should come next, or with the mechanics of which finger should press down on which string to play that note. The basics must come first.
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