Day 7 - Less is More

This past weekend has been a rather enlightening one:

Event 1 - Smart Percussionist

During my church band rehearsals, our band leader spoke. He is one of the very few people who's words have an impact.He either says something hilarious, like how he can never accept someone's unfinished chapati because he doesn't like moist chapatis (unless he moistens them himself), or something really smart. There are two main reasons why I really respect and look up to (that's funny because his Masaai genes have blessed him with some serious height) this moist-chapati-hating man. Firstly, he, quite like myself, I believe, is a very deep thinker. He has a great mind, and this is also apparent in his musicianship. He is the type of person who would go for a concert and quietly stay in his chair, analyzing the music. In relation to this, the second reason why I really respect him is because he is a percussionist/drummer. As opposed to other instrumentalists, percussionists are usually looked down upon because it is perceived that their musical ability begins and ends with rhythm. This guy, however, understands chords and their quality, musicality and performance. Back to the main point....Before our rehearsals, he gave a little speech, which in summary was:

• It's about Jesus on Sunday, so let it not be about your virtuosity 
• Always step back a bit as we get in worship mode, to allow us and the congregation to focus on what's really important
• If you're going to add funky stuff, only do so if it compliments the message of the music

Event 2 - Words of a Soul Singer

I have this friend who is an amazing vocalist. She has a powerful voice and is not afraid to let her insides pour out. I usually don't have much respect for today's singers because most of them lack artistry and musicianship. I've worked with some who have no concept of musical timing and some who can't tell when they are in the wrong key, and then get offended when you tell them. I really admire this one though, because she is an artiste in the true sense. Not only does she have a powerful voice, but sings and writes from the heart. Additionally, she has a great musical ear and the ability to produce accurate pitch. I remember at one of her rehearsals, she wanted the saxophonist to play a particular line for her song, so she sung the line. At the exact pitch. Her voice even sounded like a saxophone! Anyway, she visited me, and of course you cannot have two musicians in the same room and not talk about music. So we were watching videos of some of the newer African musicians, and critiquing them. One was of a Nigerian artiste, on which she commented that the lyrics were as if the singer was addressing a bunch of five year olds (quite simple), but they were very catchy and got to the people. Basically, you have failed as a musician if your audience can't remember your lyrics (or licks in my case). You don't always have to complicate matters.

Event 3 - Bassists Unite (and support the rest of the band)

I was recently on an online bass forum and the topic of discussion was basically "what makes a good bassist". The role of a bassist is mainly to support the band and and help the rhythm section. The main issue of debate was therefore, how much is too much. Here are some of the viewpoints (and my opinion in brackets):

• Basslines are like vocal lines....if it can be sung, it's a good one (agreed...it doesn't have to be overly melodic to compete with the singer/lead guitarist, but a decent amount of melody is good as opposed to sticking to one rhythm note. I used to only stick to root notes, played at the rhythm of the bass drum. This is not so bad in certain genres, like pop or soft-rock, or in certain places of a song e.g. at the intro or outro. However, it's very boring and your audience will definitely not notice you.)
• Technical ability makes a good bassist (agreed to an extent. Technical ability and understanding of your instrument is key in your playing. However, some musicians take to over-showing their technicality that the musical essence gets lost. It's no longer music but just a bunch of...technique. I find this particularly the case with guitar shredders, especially those who go past 20 seconds during their solos. Even 20 seconds is stretching it.)
• You need a 6 or 5 string bass to do good lines (disagreed...a good line can be done on any bass. It's up to you to know how to work it. Flea, pictured above, has some very memorable lines. He is among the world's top bassists, but I have never seen him playing a bass guitar with more than 4 strings. A 5 or 6 string can be good for certain sounds, but even then, simplicity is key. A very good example is in Zahara's cover of Brenda Fassie's "Vulindlela". The bassist here plays a 6 string, but keeps it quite simple, yet it has a line that can be sung, supports the lead and still keeps the rhythm. Quite memorably tasteful, if you ask me. Watch it here ->> Zahara - Vulindlela (Brenda Fassie Cover) )
• Keep it simple, listen, and only add in fancy fills where there are empty spaces (fully agreed. I couldn't put it better.)

What I've taken from this encounters, is that as a bassist, I should remain simple but augment the music with fills where necessary, have a holistic musical view, communicate the music, and that it is okay to be a supporting character as long as you do it well. 

Sidenote: In Sebene music it's a bit different as the lead, rhythm and bass guitars all have counter-melodies. I am still working on it and am yet to fully understand the playing. But it's quite fun to play and I imagine that since, compared to other genres, it's very interactive and the main purpose is for dancing, that everyone has a main role in one way or another to add to the adrenaline.