In general, how to play bass for worship?

[HumbleS2]

How do you play GOOD praise and worship music with a bass? I find my self fustrated when I listen to praise and worship songs and hear the bass doing more just playing the note above the words, and then when I sit down to try to come up with something it dosen't sound good. Are there any tips you guys can give me? I have heard that it is just a feel thing, but I just can't ever get something to sound good. Does anyone know where I can find info about how bands like like SonicFlood, and Dlirious? I have checked the archives, and they helped but they are kind of limited. Thanks for the help, I need it.

[jmlouie]

Learn scales and pentatonic scales. also listen more progressive praise stuff for ideas. I often dig some groves I hear by the bassist on Matt Redmans CDs. There are some good lines out there, it just takes work. Also get some books, in rock, or jazz, if you want to slap and pop get a book on funk. Getting some lessons will help. It took me probably six months before things started to make sense and even now I feel your frustration a lot of times.

Oh yeah, place this request in teh Bass forum if you don't get enough responses.

[Brent]

Copied this to the bass forum and left a copy in Tabs, too... You'll get more answers in the bass forum from the bass guru's (I don't consider myself one, but I do play it...).

Brent

[JT]

I learned some theory, and that helped a lot. I get a lot of use out of major scales and chord tones (chords typically have 3 notes).

[N.tm]

I don't think there's an answer to 'How to play bass for worship', because 'worship' really isn't a style of music as such.

The role of bass can be different in different musical styles, but from a bass point of view most modern 'worship' music can be treated as 'pop-rock' or 'pop ballad'.

when I listen to praise and worship songs and hear the bass doing more just playing the note above the words

The 'note above the words' isn't a note, it's a chord, so it describes the context within which the bass line sits, not the bass line itself.

As far as tips, I'd suggest starting by mainly playing the basic root notes of the chords notated and concentrate on the rhythms you are using. With the right rhythm you can make a root-notes-only line sound great, but with the wrong rhythm the line won't work no matter what notes you stick in there. So yes, it is a 'feel' thing.

N.™

[frankthebass]

OK, generally your main worry is to keep a groove going with the drummer... while just playing the root is ok, it can get VERY boring... try looking at the sheet music of what you're playing.. instead of just playing the root of the chord, see what notes are in the chord, I.E. in a sus4 you have root, 4th, 5th, and 8th... so those notes are gonna be the ones that are gonna sound best with that particular chord. learn what notes make up each particular type of chord, and build your grooves around those. you can use the other notes in the scale as well... but as a general rule, these should be passing notes, cause they wont sound quite as nice as the notes in the chord.
sometimes it can be cool just to totally hang back and just play a groove with the root of each chord, throwing in little passing notes to the next chord. other times, you might want to make the groove a bit busier, to really get the song moving along... just be sensitive to what the particular song calls for...
any questions? email me.
r_wand@yahoo.co.uk

[DavidAM]

Just as an ecouragement, be patient and play. There is nothing wrong with keeping it simple at first, like just hitting the root of the chords.

There is more to playing than just the notes. There is also the beat, and the touch. Try keeping a good rythm with the root note. Then, start throwing in some thirds and fifths (eg G-B-D). Also, experiment with altering the attack by plucking hard with the the finger tips closer to the bridge, and going soft by brushing the strings with the pad of the fingers close to the neck.

[Ely]

i have been playing bass in a church worship band for 4 years and i have found that it is pretty muchly whatever suits your fancy. i used to just play the root note and leave it at that but then i started messing around with scales and such and have come up with some cool octave falls and stuff. i like to keep it as simple as possible though as to not draw the worshiper to what i am doing and not have to concentrate on bass as much as worshiping god. peace in him

[pUnKBaSs4GOD]

i've played in our youth praise band for almost a year now and i like to play the thirds or octaves with the root note, but changing notes i sometimes like to do a little run thing using whatever comes out and sounds good