Why do some bassists change how they play live?

[mbell75]

Couldn't figure out the best way to word my question, but anyways. Learned this Gaslight Anthem song for a cover. Its called handwritten and it starts at 4:12 seconds in the video below. Its really easy, just 4 notes basically, A#, D#, F and G and his bass is in drop D. However, watching it live, he is all over the fretboard. Sometimes he's playing the G on the D string, sometimes he's playing it on the E (tuned to D) string, sometimes he's playing the D# on the 13th fret of the E string. Seems he alternates it between the chorus and the verse and then in the breakdown (at 6:43) he plays all 4 notes on the E string...why? Is it to cut thru better when the guitars get louder? I hate playing on the D and G string or above the 12th fret. I just play it on the 1st, 3rd and 5th fret of the E string and only alternate between the A# on the A string and playing it on the E. I see some bassists play a song the same way every time and some mix up where they play the notes thru the song like this. Just curious as to why.

 

[5544]

Maybe the parts were cut & pasted together to form the track that you hear on the recording and the person is just remembering the order that it was recorded.

 

[Gorn]

Improvisation.

 

[RyanOh]

In the 6:43 break, he's sliding up and down the neck to hit each note. If he wants to have long slides, that'd be a reason to choose a higher fret position on a different string.

He seems to favor long slides in playing, it's part of his sound.

Sometimes it's for tone too. Fatter strings vs. thinner strings, get more twang from the thinner string but in this song I think it's the sliding notes.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Playing the same songs the same way for even a few months at a time can make even the most exciting tunes boring after awhile. Most players that I know, including myself, will mix things up to keep a song fresh. Many players also cut back their playing while in the studio to help give more emphasis to the vocals.

 

[socialleper]

The studio and the stage are two completely different worlds. All musicians will play different, use different instruments, and use different techniques between the two.
Adding things will often happen because the recording is the first couple of times the band is playing the piece. It is relatively new to them. By the time you see it live, the band may have played it dozens or hundreds of times. They add things that didn't occur to them in the studio. It is also to give the audience something extra.

 

[BassLover668]

Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple too lol

 

[Clef_de_fa]

The studio and the stage are two completely different worlds. All musicians will play different, use different instruments, and use different techniques between the two.
Adding things will often happen because the recording is the first couple of times the band is playing the piece. It is relatively new to them. By the time you see it live, the band may have played it dozens or hundreds of times. They add things that didn't occur to them in the studio. It is also to given the audience something extra.

Unless we talk about bands like Dream Theater that the recording and live it is the same thing.

 

[organworthyplayer337]

I usually say it the other way around. Songs that are usually really busy on record are boring and simple live.

 

[brianrost]

1. Boredom playing the same thing all the time

2. Song evolves on stage after recording was made

3. Energy of live audience

4. New bass player

 

[bassbully]

Just being creative when playing the notes. Few bass players play the songs exactly like the recorded albums. To me their is studio playing and live playing.

 

[morgan138]

However, watching it live, he is all over the fretboard

I don't know if this is super obvious, but...how do you know this isn't also how he recorded it?

 

[interp]

I will not tell you how to play your instrument, but most experienced bass players like to use as much of the fretboard as possible. There are nearly endless subtleties of tone and resonance associated with the same notes played in various positions on various strings. IMHO a truly accomplished player knows the entire fingerboard and uses as much of it as necessary to serve the song.

Of course, YMMV.

 

[danosix]

I will not tell you how to play your instrument, but most experienced bass players like to use as much of the fretboard as possible. There are nearly endless subtleties of tone and resonance associated with the same notes played in various positions on various strings. IMHO a truly accomplished player knows the entire fingerboard and uses as much of it as necessary to serve the song.

Of course, YMMV.

I agree with how you said it the second time - as much of the fret board as NECESSARY is very different from as POSSIBLE - one implies intimate knowledge of strings, scales and tone, the other suggests over-playing (wanking as guitar-players put it).

 

[Mushroo]

Bb and Eb please, not A# and D#.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself, I know nobody likes a know it all. But my point being, maybe if you learn your scales and note names, you will be more comfortable playing up and down the neck like your hero from Gaslight Anthem. A good exercise is to play each of the 12 major scales over the entire range of the instrument and on every string. Go slowly, use a metronome, and say the (correct) note names out loud. Good luck!

 

[buldog5151bass]

In the studio, you want things tight - the song, and a groove/hook is the key. Playing live always gives you the opportunity to stretch out. Also, often there are fewer instruments playing live, since you don't have the ability to keep recording tracks, so there is more space to fill.

 

[fishstix]

IME - Often when playing something to match the recording exactly, a lack of "energy" seems apparent live. For example, recorded tempos don't often translate live well (they feel slow). Also, given the doubling of vocals/guitars/etc, reverb/effects, eq/compression available in the studio, adding fills or changing the way things are played live can be required to fill in the sonic void. Again IME and my .02

 

[KillerEddie]

Same reason drummers go wild in stage but are typically subdued in studio: when you have to worry about overall mix its best to stay basic. Plus live you have freedom to improvise. Look st how Trujillo plays For Whom the Bell Tolls live. Now granted he didn't record the original song as Cliff did that but he gets to put his own spin in it. Even when a bassist was the original in studio they often like to add flare that they couldn't in a studio. Drummers do it too how often do you see crazy solos on recordings? I mean yeah it happens (Iron Butterfly) but generally the crazy Animal drumming comes out on stages

 

[RyanOh]

I don't know if this is super obvious, but...how do you know this isn't also how he recorded it?

Thought so too, and you're right. I just watched the VEVO published video and listened for it. He's sliding up the E string and there's at least one shot of the bassist's left hand past the 12th fret. He recorded it this way.

 

[interp]

I agree with how you said it the second time - as much of the fret board as NECESSARY is very different from as POSSIBLE - one implies intimate knowledge of strings, scales and tone, the other suggests over-playing (wanking as guitar-players put it).

Your point is well taken. What I should have said in the first part was that experienced players KNOW how to use as much of the fingerboard as possible to pursue the goal of serving the song.