You changed my life. I’ve been watching your videos for a long time now, and all those ours worth of video editing and making, made many of your subscribers great bass players. Thank you, for helping me reach my dream of a bass player.
Great point! I didn't realize I did the same thing. I noticed that my favorite bass players to their fills like you mentioned. It's always impressive to hear someone fill up the space no matter where in the beat they start but come back to the kick drum in perfect timing to end it.
I have often been accused of not honoring the "less is more" theory. At which point I proudly point out having no respect for such an idea. (secretly I envy those able to show restraint). The "space" you allowed between fill and line actually sounded refreshing to me. LOL. A guitarist once made a comment about my playing which I took for a compliment, but in retrospect may have been an insult. "I don't know where you go, but you always get back on one". Thanks for the video.
The reality is that "less is sometimes more." This is an example of where "less" is happening for unconscious reasons, so it is less likely to be "more" than if it's done on purpose. I should do a whole video on this "less is more" idea, I find it's blindly parroted by a lot of bass publications without much insight added. Thanks for the comment.
Groove = Space. Discuss. I'm sorry, that was flippant! But also, I do spend most of my time "trying to get a groove on" with not too many notes and following most of the pointers listed for groove as above. I play in a Dub reggae band wherein the main man likes to "dub out" live. This scenario is where all of the above from Harold and Isaac has been most valuable. It all just works. Putting it all together now, that is just a phenomenal amount of practicing I'm afraid. Daily in my case.
I think it's reductive to say groove is just space. I mean, you can test it out right now. Just listen to a silent room - all space - is that what you'd call a groove? Using space effectively (which is subjective) is one element of groove, but without any other elements, it's just this: th-cam.com/video/JTEFKFiXSx4/w-d-xo.html
Well that was seven minutes I'll never get back. LOL. Just kidding I used the fast forward button for at least six of those minutes. I think the "groove" concept was actually an act of contrition by bassists in an effort to comply with lead players constantly insisting "that's too busy". LOL. I'm kidding. (maybe). I'm not a groove player. (although many would disagree). I listen to the entire sound and adjust the complexity or busyness of my bass line to suit. But you are right, eventually skill and experience will evolve into your unique style and then your playing becomes subjective.
You bring up a good point with this video. I believe that a good reason for this is that too many bass players are just doing what they hear other do. As Rufus Reid said it, there are not that many THINKING bass players. Great point about navigating thru scales in any given key, that should give you confidence to fill your lines completely -when necessary-.
I love your lessons! I've been playing bass for over 20 years and am a firm believer that you can never learn too much.....and you've taught me some stuff I've never thought about. Like this lesson, for instance. Thanks Josh!!
Very good tip, Josh - something that's so often overlooked, and very common for bass players eager to get adventurous on the fretboard. Practicing with a good drummer is essential, IMO, and also adopting an attitude that basically says "Okay, maybe I'll flub it now and then, but I'm going to try, and I'm going to improve!" It's also helpful to think of the initial note of the grove you're flowing into as a target that you're aiming for. Practice those scales - and make your practice of scales interesting, fun, and most of all challenging - brutally challenging! Deliberate practice is the key! And yes, watch more of Josh's videos - that can only help! Thanks Josh!!
Hi Josh, I too never thought about this but your absolutely right about the tension relief I am now maximising on the fill without panicking back to the groove except my fills are a sharp pluck sound which contrasts with the grooves, thanks for making me aware the fills are more thought out and less improvised
Great video. I think the best part is where you explain WHY there's a tendency to pause at the end of the fill - it's to give yourself time to recall the main groove. Being aware of this, the solutions are clear... either memorise the groove so well you don't have to consciously recall it, or else start thinking about the groove before you've finished the fill but keep playing anyway, don't pause.
Planning ahead also helps ---- "when i've finished filling around after the next bar, i have to land HERE". Thanks for pointing this out, I often try to bail out with a slide.
I'm having kind of an opposite problem, where I lose track of time during my fills, and end late. It's become quite a frustrating road block in my improvisational skills. Well, I can hold my own at slower tempos (maybe 100bpm and less) but faster tempos still trip me up badly, even if I'm not trying to squeeze out 16th notes or anything too fancy like that.
This was great helpful knowledge, I'm a beginner trying to learn new fills and how they work, so this will help in my long journey of learning to play the Bass! I'm sure this will help me develop into a great bassists,! Thank you!
Nearing the end of your course Beginner to Badass and asked for some more. Josh directed me to this earlier set of lessons. It's exciting and I am looking forward to working through them. Thanks for all you do.
Yepppers, I find myself ending early. But when I do, I’ll try to put a bend or some vibrato in it to make it sound more intentional. Thanks for the tips!!
As a drummer turned bass player, I can tell you drummers do it too! You would think that not being able to seamlessly transition from a fill back to the song would be enough to make the player say " You know, I should figure out a better version of this fill to make it flow back in or just play something else that does!". You'd think, right? Ego. Worst habit of all, listening to your ego! Btw, I hear keyboard and guitar players do it too, but as you point out, it's usually only with beginners. Usually, but not only! (Ego.😉)
good stuff, as always. I enjoy watching your lessons. You're a great instructor. I'll add this to my " things to pay attention to" list when I'm practicing.
Been guilty of this myself, fairly often. One thing I do notice, however, is that the more notes you pack into the back end of a fill, the more it turns into an amorphous 'bubbling" in a live-group context. Just my perspective. Thanks for this, i'm subbing in.
Well, it would depend on the live group context. Sometimes the best bass fill is... just keep playing the bass line! No sense filling space when there ain't none to fill.
Do you recommend beginner to badass for an intermediate player? I been playing for about 8 years but i want to get to know the neck better and know how to add fills whenever i hear it in my head.
You took me on the spot! I end my fills too and I think often: "Not bad but this one was not so sexy". Thanks for the analysis, it will help right away! ;-)
Yep spot on, from a begginer, who has advanced like mad- you got me cheers my man, people think im good listening to me doing this, HA HA you got me flowing straight away-hooked line and sinker baby
That cheeky thumb over the E string makes me feel validated I have a sort of similar tendency on guitar too (have mercy). I subconsciously add double strums before a chord change, because it lets you start to form the next chord early without sounding like the current one is being cut short. You get this transition where the open strings ring for a second, like "da-bah-doo", or a partial chord, or just a percussive sound. It can be really neat, but it's also a crutch! Had to train myself to just strum on the chord change and just get faster and more accurate
Pretty funny coincidence. I was just thinking about this whole package you were talking about. I do cut short so I don't loose the groove. In large because of my lack of scale theory. I have been working on learning a few scales fluid. I play primarily on church worship teams. I had a whole 4 weeks of lessons before I started playing a couple years ago. I had a bass. They had a need. Boy meets s girl kinda thing. All that aside the worship teams I have played on all leave it to the bass player to develop their own parts. Good bad or indifferent it made things easy to step into a 4/4 or 6/8 without much difficulty. Then I got bored just holding the root down. So I've been adding 1/3 and 1/5 and some blues scales into my fill. It's been a lot more fun but I have to get to a place like you're talking about here. Great video for me.
Something I'm going to try based on this video would probably be when practicing to try to make fills that's only purpose is getting back to the bassline. For simplicity sake just leave space and think of as many cool ideas to start the groove again so that part doesn't fall into being an afterthought at all.
So I noticed the "thumb save" at 4:20. How do you feel about this move? Should it be employed intentionally or do you reserve it for when you don't think you can get your index finger back up in time?
Hey Allan, I feel great about that move, ONLY because I've spent years training my left hand technique to be able to execute "properly" when needed. So for me the thumb just comes in when I feel like it, rather than acting as a crutch like it does in someone who hasn't worked their technique enough. I would say I employ it "intentionally," but it's really more like "whimsically," especially in live performance when I'm doing as many silly things as possible most of the time (overhand fretting, putting bass at weird angles, who knows what else).
honestly when you continue your lick to the very end of the break, I find its like apples and oranges. My taste would be more to the end the phrase with space so it stands out like a complete idea. Unlike all the extra notes that tend to sound like a run on sentence if you were speaking.IMO
Hi Josh, that was some good insight and a cool video idea. However I have to say one thing about this topic that you haven't mentioned and I feel it's very important on this issue. Thinking about our playing patterns and habbits that we do almost autimatically is always good so we stay fresh and have complete control of what we want and can do in a song. I think what you didn't say is the advantage of leaving some space (well maybe not complete blank space but a slide or a simple run up/down to the 1 note) and that is how you make that ONE stand out when it hits. In most music we wanna emphasize that one in a bass line. I think what you pointed out is very important but once people start to be able to do a complete 16 note fill they should consider where do they wanna put the complete fill and where to leave some space in the fill. Fills like the ones you have shown can be a bit too much for the song and make you sound like you're on dick measuring contest :D Also sometime just leaving empty space in a fill is a good thing when it's on the right spot and in a right circumstance (just like when playing a solo in a song) - we often need the empty space to give the notes more meaning. Anyways, good video, I agree that people who don't think of this should keep an eye on their fill habits, it's a very small but important advice. Cheers
I agree with everything you said! Hopefully it was clear in the video that I didn't mean to say "more notes is always better," but I could have gone into more detail on the aspects that you mentioned in your comment. Thanks for the feedback and commentary!
I found a good song to practise "fills" to is Crossroads. I personally play the main part, (A to octave A and so on) and ad lib the fills. Its quite a good tempo, and so "busy" that it will help in my opinion with what you are describing in your video. (Awesome video by the way, you really helped my playing develop when i was younger, shame my right hand technique was god awful before i found your vids haha). Another bit of advice i would give for people trying not to leave space at the end of basslines is to practise a sort of walking bass fill, like in Smoke on the water, from verse to chorus.
Sometimes, the fill creates tension that needs to be emphasised with the space you mention before the resolution. I think the fills at the beginning of the video sound great too.
As usual great lesson. Any thoughts on a video about the anatomy of a good bass fill. I struggle with that and even though I'll use the pentatonic is sounds uninteresting. Thanks
Love your stuff, thanks Josh...will start by adding fills in the first place :) What kind of beginner lessons were you referring to in the beginning of the video?
a good mix is key. tension plus void.....then tension throughout...then void.....then void plus tension... mix it up....that's what you're saying...I think....which is what I do...maybe not on purpose...but just as a matter of learned chops/experience...ellipses...
Seriously awesome video! I never thought of fills so meticulously before , I sure will now ^^ On a side note, I absolutely loved some of the fills you did like at 4:18 , could you plz name the notes you played for that fill in order xD? And do you have a video where you elaborate on how to find cool fills like that?
Hey Jeremy, it's all G blues scale, I would recommend just trying to learn it by ear/eye from the video! You can always watch at half speed, or download the video from one of those video converter sites and then slow it down with Transcribe or something.
Josh Thank you for this.. As a good drummer/sort of self taught bass player; in your examples, I noticed that as a drummer, I would have filled in the last two notes with a Ta TA TA on the snare or some short tom roll so in some bands, perhaps the Bass may have been drowned out by that, or at least may not need to 'finish the fill?'
if you wanna see an example of great bass fills in bass lines there is a ton in japanese music in almost any genre. Its pretty much what josh is saying we should aim to do.
Well I've been playing bass on and off for about 30 years now and YES, I am guilty :-) . Doing my best to avoid this now unless it's really called for. Thanks!
For my nicer playalongs I'll usually do everything in Logic (and then throw it in Live as a loop), but this was just some crappy built-in drum sounds in Live.
A great eye and ear opener as always Josh. Try this as well though, put on the long version of "Papa was a rollin' stone" and just try and play the three notes. Just the way it was played. Damn that took my brain to another level today. The young guns out there may well use a looper or sampler to do the same job, but try not to play a fill on it. LOL.
Muff Evans My problem when playing limited notes such as you describe is, I start thinking about other stuff at the same time (I call it "writing shopping lists") & then totally forget what I'm playing. I have to be more involved, but then I freely admit that I'm broken sooo... meh
Hey Isaac, one trick I use is to think about other musical elements, like note length and articulation. Sure you're playing limited notes, but are they starting and ending at the exact right time? Did you articulate them the way you wanted to? Could they work better with a different fingering/string arrangement? Did the fill feel good? Could it have felt better? That's how I kept myself engaged when doing a Patsy Cline musical many many years ago and it's always stuck with me!
Jazz musicians approach it the opposite way!! You already know where you are going, so you approach it from beat 4 before the down beat, then beat 3 , beat 2, so on so forth. That’s also a great way to build up your approach note vocabulary 😉
That's a great way to do it, maybe even a more practical way to start working on this if it's not immediately coming to someone. Is it still an approach note if your target is 5 notes away? :P
Brother I have a question. I'm a long time guitarist trying bass for fun. What I need to figure out is those fills you do at the beginning of your 1st example. I mean, that chromatic run you do when you start jamming in G. You go G........then E, F, F#, back to G. Stuff like this sounds gold and I'm having trouble finding lessons about it.
I like sustain so having that "space" is ok to my ear as long as it's a sustained note during the pause. Not sure if that still counts as a pause though.
Hrm. I just analysed some of the bass solos of my own that I've recorded and at the end of every 2, 4, or 8 bar interval I do kind of sit on a longer measure of note in the style that I'm playing (kinda fast funky stuff) I think it's a good pause for the listener to digest I like the concept of your video but my perspective is it's as if you're having a conversation where you're saying a full paragraph with about 4 or 5 sentences total but you don't use a full stop or comma to pause and differentiate between the points you're trying to make.
I tried to make this point in the video, but I'll say it again: I don't mean to say "filling up the end of the bar is always better than leaving blank space." I notice that a lot of bass players leave blank space unconsciously because of limitations to their musicianship, and this is intended as an exercise to open up some other possibilities so that you can make a conscious musical choice in those situations, whether that's filling space or leaving space. I certainly do both in musical context, but it's nice being able to choose rather than defaulting to an unconscious tendency. Hope that helps clarify.
Definitely an awesome concept that you've broken down. Even though the point I made about 'ending each sentence with a full stop' isn't a problem in the context of my playing, I'll admit I wasn't aware of the way that I was automatically doing things that way until seeing this video. You're right to point it out; what you're saying does open up more possibilities when I look at constructing a melody. Keep up the unique content! And thanks for the detailed response :)
Well i guess i've somekind of input brainlag too. Seeing you having trouble just talking and playing reminds me how crazy Claypool is singing and doing his crazy slap strum thing.
My 2 hands can't coordinate well. Sometimes my picking hand goes faster and my fretting hand stumbles mid-fill which ruins everything and sometimes the other way around. This has been my issue in playing both guitar and bass in which i'm having little to no progress at all pls halp.
never noticed I did that until now, thanks for opening my eyes haha
You're so welcome! Really glad to see a few comments like yours, means I'm saving the world one bass fill at a time just like I'd hoped. :)
MetalProfile can you please do it little bit easy ? Love to know it
Guilty as charged
@Mekhi Taylor this is a 4 year old video with not many views, yet you feel the need to promote a site that nobody is going to use, amazing
You changed my life. I’ve been watching your videos for a long time now, and all those ours worth of video editing and making, made many of your subscribers great bass players. Thank you, for helping me reach my dream of a bass player.
You just made a bad habit difficult to ignore. Thanks for this and you have a new subscriber. Thumbs up.
Mwah hah hah! You got it Ron. :)
Right when he said is it you? I liked and subscribed as well! Haha
Great point! I didn't realize I did the same thing. I noticed that my favorite bass players to their fills like you mentioned. It's always impressive to hear someone fill up the space no matter where in the beat they start but come back to the kick drum in perfect timing to end it.
CONGRATULATIONS JOSH!
I'm fascinated for your right hand technique. (Self-taught bassist here)
I have often been accused of not honoring the "less is more" theory. At which point I proudly point out having no respect for such an idea. (secretly I envy those able to show restraint). The "space" you allowed between fill and line actually sounded refreshing to me. LOL. A guitarist once made a comment about my playing which I took for a compliment, but in retrospect may have been an insult. "I don't know where you go, but you always get back on one". Thanks for the video.
The reality is that "less is sometimes more." This is an example of where "less" is happening for unconscious reasons, so it is less likely to be "more" than if it's done on purpose. I should do a whole video on this "less is more" idea, I find it's blindly parroted by a lot of bass publications without much insight added. Thanks for the comment.
Groove = Space. Discuss. I'm sorry, that was flippant! But also, I do spend most of my time "trying to get a groove on" with not too many notes and following most of the pointers listed for groove as above. I play in a Dub reggae band wherein the main man likes to "dub out" live. This scenario is where all of the above from Harold and Isaac has been most valuable. It all just works. Putting it all together now, that is just a phenomenal amount of practicing I'm afraid. Daily in my case.
I think it's reductive to say groove is just space. I mean, you can test it out right now. Just listen to a silent room - all space - is that what you'd call a groove? Using space effectively (which is subjective) is one element of groove, but without any other elements, it's just this: th-cam.com/video/JTEFKFiXSx4/w-d-xo.html
Well that was seven minutes I'll never get back. LOL. Just kidding I used the fast forward button for at least six of those minutes. I think the "groove" concept was actually an act of contrition by bassists in an effort to comply with lead players constantly insisting "that's too busy". LOL. I'm kidding. (maybe). I'm not a groove player. (although many would disagree). I listen to the entire sound and adjust the complexity or busyness of my bass line to suit. But you are right, eventually skill and experience will evolve into your unique style and then your playing becomes subjective.
Harold Manley that's a compliment
You bring up a good point with this video. I believe that a good reason for this is that too many bass players are just doing what they hear other do. As Rufus Reid said it, there are not that many THINKING bass players. Great point about navigating thru scales in any given key, that should give you confidence to fill your lines completely -when necessary-.
2:00 alright you got me
The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. :)
Bailing with an awesome slide, never done it, not once....ever
I love your lessons! I've been playing bass for over 20 years and am a firm believer that you can never learn too much.....and you've taught me some stuff I've never thought about. Like this lesson, for instance. Thanks Josh!!
Thanks Kevin! Isn't learning great?
It is! Like I said, you never stop learning, no matter how long you've been playing.
Very good tip, Josh - something that's so often overlooked, and very common for bass players eager to get adventurous on the fretboard. Practicing with a good drummer is essential, IMO, and also adopting an attitude that basically says "Okay, maybe I'll flub it now and then, but I'm going to try, and I'm going to improve!" It's also helpful to think of the initial note of the grove you're flowing into as a target that you're aiming for. Practice those scales - and make your practice of scales interesting, fun, and most of all challenging - brutally challenging! Deliberate practice is the key! And yes, watch more of Josh's videos - that can only help! Thanks Josh!!
Hi Josh, I too never thought about this but your absolutely right about the tension relief I am now maximising on the fill without panicking back to the groove except my fills are a sharp pluck sound which contrasts with the grooves, thanks for making me aware the fills are more thought out and less improvised
Pretty awesome man, this is some of the best advice out there for bass players!
Thanks, glad you dig it!
Great video. I think the best part is where you explain WHY there's a tendency to pause at the end of the fill - it's to give yourself time to recall the main groove. Being aware of this, the solutions are clear... either memorise the groove so well you don't have to consciously recall it, or else start thinking about the groove before you've finished the fill but keep playing anyway, don't pause.
Planning ahead also helps ---- "when i've finished filling around after the next bar, i have to land HERE". Thanks for pointing this out, I often try to bail out with a slide.
I'm having kind of an opposite problem, where I lose track of time during my fills, and end late. It's become quite a frustrating road block in my improvisational skills. Well, I can hold my own at slower tempos (maybe 100bpm and less) but faster tempos still trip me up badly, even if I'm not trying to squeeze out 16th notes or anything too fancy like that.
Just a Beginner BASS Player, but, I really appreciate this advanced Wisdom, Bro! Thanx and Peace... Beautiful Instrument btw.
Thanks Mike!
yeah, Peavey makes a good bass! :) Good stuff Josh
This was great helpful knowledge, I'm a beginner trying to learn new fills and how they work, so this will help in my long journey of learning to play the Bass! I'm sure this will help me develop into a great bassists,!
Thank you!
Josh, as always: humorous, instructive and right on the money!
Thanks Christoph!
Nearing the end of your course Beginner to Badass and asked for some more. Josh directed me to this earlier set of lessons. It's exciting and I am looking forward to working through them. Thanks for all you do.
Yepppers, I find myself ending early. But when I do, I’ll try to put a bend or some vibrato in it to make it sound more intentional. Thanks for the tips!!
As a drummer turned bass player, I can tell you drummers do it too! You would think that not being able to seamlessly transition from a fill back to the song would be enough to make the player say " You know, I should figure out a better version of this fill to make it flow back in or just play something else that does!". You'd think, right? Ego. Worst habit of all, listening to your ego!
Btw, I hear keyboard and guitar players do it too, but as you point out, it's usually only with beginners. Usually, but not only!
(Ego.😉)
great vid josh thanks dude I put my hand up and say yes I do this more than I would like … always trying to improve my bass skills...
Hey thanks makes perfect sense. Now to get there 😁
good stuff, as always. I enjoy watching your lessons. You're a great instructor. I'll add this to my " things to pay attention to" list when I'm practicing.
Now I'll be on the look out for this in my playing. Thanks for giving me something to think about :)
You're welcome, thanks Ben!
Omg. This really helps me. You totally make sense about the tension thing. Nice!
Great Topic & Presentation.
Been guilty of this myself, fairly often. One thing I do notice, however, is that the more notes you pack into the back end of a fill, the more it turns into an amorphous 'bubbling" in a live-group context. Just my perspective. Thanks for this, i'm subbing in.
Well, it would depend on the live group context. Sometimes the best bass fill is... just keep playing the bass line! No sense filling space when there ain't none to fill.
this is almost like the first time of actually understanding the use of minor pentatonic scale as a fill. thak u.
Nice! Glad to hear it. :)
Thanks for making me aware of this!!!
Very instructive, thanks !
Do you recommend beginner to badass for an intermediate player? I been playing for about 8 years but i want to get to know the neck better and know how to add fills whenever i hear it in my head.
Top advice! Thanks, Josh. Loving your work.
You took me on the spot! I end my fills too and I think often: "Not bad but this one was not so sexy". Thanks for the analysis, it will help right away! ;-)
Absolutely love your videos man!!
Very good lesson!
Thanks zip!
Fantastic lesson. Thanks a lot.
Jose.
Thanks Jose!
Yep spot on, from a begginer, who has advanced like mad- you got me
cheers my man, people think im good listening to me doing this, HA HA
you got me flowing straight away-hooked line and sinker baby
Totally guilty of all the things you've said!
Thanks for your advices. 😘
You're welcome Arlene!
That cheeky thumb over the E string makes me feel validated
I have a sort of similar tendency on guitar too (have mercy). I subconsciously add double strums before a chord change, because it lets you start to form the next chord early without sounding like the current one is being cut short. You get this transition where the open strings ring for a second, like "da-bah-doo", or a partial chord, or just a percussive sound. It can be really neat, but it's also a crutch! Had to train myself to just strum on the chord change and just get faster and more accurate
Amazing man, I've never noticed I had a problem !
:)
I certainly like the gaps at times, especially when the last note of the full is sustained but I definitely know what your getting at
Pretty funny coincidence. I was just thinking about this whole package you were talking about. I do cut short so I don't loose the groove. In large because of my lack of scale theory. I have been working on learning a few scales fluid. I play primarily on church worship teams. I had a whole 4 weeks of lessons before I started playing a couple years ago. I had a bass. They had a need. Boy meets s girl kinda thing. All that aside the worship teams I have played on all leave it to the bass player to develop their own parts. Good bad or indifferent it made things easy to step into a 4/4 or 6/8 without much difficulty. Then I got bored just holding the root down. So I've been adding 1/3 and 1/5 and some blues scales into my fill. It's been a lot more fun but I have to get to a place like you're talking about here. Great video for me.
Cool, glad it helped Randy!
I don't know how you talk while playing simultaneously , spot on !
Years of teaching. :)
Something I'm going to try based on this video would probably be when practicing to try to make fills that's only purpose is getting back to the bassline. For simplicity sake just leave space and think of as many cool ideas to start the groove again so that part doesn't fall into being an afterthought at all.
So I noticed the "thumb save" at 4:20. How do you feel about this move? Should it be employed intentionally or do you reserve it for when you don't think you can get your index finger back up in time?
Hey Allan, I feel great about that move, ONLY because I've spent years training my left hand technique to be able to execute "properly" when needed. So for me the thumb just comes in when I feel like it, rather than acting as a crutch like it does in someone who hasn't worked their technique enough. I would say I employ it "intentionally," but it's really more like "whimsically," especially in live performance when I'm doing as many silly things as possible most of the time (overhand fretting, putting bass at weird angles, who knows what else).
Really helped me! Thank you!
Nice to see someone using a Peavey! I was feeling kind of lonely out here. Great video, never thought about that before.
honestly when you continue your lick to the very end of the break, I find its like apples and oranges. My taste would be more to the end the phrase with space so it stands out like a complete idea. Unlike all the extra notes that tend to sound like a run on sentence if you were speaking.IMO
Thanks a lot, very specific advice!
Appreciated
Hi Josh, that was some good insight and a cool video idea. However I have to say one thing about this topic that you haven't mentioned and I feel it's very important on this issue. Thinking about our playing patterns and habbits that we do almost autimatically is always good so we stay fresh and have complete control of what we want and can do in a song.
I think what you didn't say is the advantage of leaving some space (well maybe not complete blank space but a slide or a simple run up/down to the 1 note) and that is how you make that ONE stand out when it hits. In most music we wanna emphasize that one in a bass line. I think what you pointed out is very important but once people start to be able to do a complete 16 note fill they should consider where do they wanna put the complete fill and where to leave some space in the fill. Fills like the ones you have shown can be a bit too much for the song and make you sound like you're on dick measuring contest :D Also sometime just leaving empty space in a fill is a good thing when it's on the right spot and in a right circumstance (just like when playing a solo in a song) - we often need the empty space to give the notes more meaning.
Anyways, good video, I agree that people who don't think of this should keep an eye on their fill habits, it's a very small but important advice. Cheers
I agree with everything you said! Hopefully it was clear in the video that I didn't mean to say "more notes is always better," but I could have gone into more detail on the aspects that you mentioned in your comment. Thanks for the feedback and commentary!
I found a good song to practise "fills" to is Crossroads. I personally play the main part, (A to octave A and so on) and ad lib the fills. Its quite a good tempo, and so "busy" that it will help in my opinion with what you are describing in your video. (Awesome video by the way, you really helped my playing develop when i was younger, shame my right hand technique was god awful before i found your vids haha). Another bit of advice i would give for people trying not to leave space at the end of basslines is to practise a sort of walking bass fill, like in Smoke on the water, from verse to chorus.
Nice man simple but effective
Glad it helped Daniel!
HEY THAT'S COOL YEAH I GET IT THE FILL!
Sometimes, the fill creates tension that needs to be emphasised with the space you mention before the resolution. I think the fills at the beginning of the video sound great too.
As he said, it isnt always a bad thing
As usual great lesson. Any thoughts on a video about the anatomy of a good bass fill. I struggle with that and even though I'll use the pentatonic is sounds uninteresting. Thanks
Love your stuff, thanks Josh...will start by adding fills in the first place :) What kind of beginner lessons were you referring to in the beginning of the video?
Hey Shane, you can find (at least most of) my beginner videos here: th-cam.com/play/PLMIGBQ8tBb8nLegl6rehRsEKGF8L4sryB.html
Awesome Josh, thanks a bunch!
a good mix is key. tension plus void.....then tension throughout...then void.....then void plus tension... mix it up....that's what you're saying...I think....which is what I do...maybe not on purpose...but just as a matter of learned chops/experience...ellipses...
Well put... and well ellipsed... :)
Seriously awesome video! I never thought of fills so meticulously before , I sure will now ^^
On a side note, I absolutely loved some of the fills you did like at 4:18 , could you plz name the notes you played for that fill in order xD? And do you have a video where you elaborate on how to find cool fills like that?
Hey Jeremy, it's all G blues scale, I would recommend just trying to learn it by ear/eye from the video! You can always watch at half speed, or download the video from one of those video converter sites and then slow it down with Transcribe or something.
Josh Thank you for this.. As a good drummer/sort of self taught bass player; in your examples, I noticed that as a drummer, I would have filled in the last two notes with a Ta TA TA on the snare or some short tom roll so in some bands, perhaps the Bass may have been drowned out by that, or at least may not need to 'finish the fill?'
What a magnificent bass you have..
Thanks! I like it too. :)
I bet you do xD That brawn with gold and black combination is really beautiful. What was the price for that bass?
(I won't comment on your skills because I am pretty sure you already know how skilled you are xD)
great stuff... thanks
2:01 Me every single time my friends and I are jamming.
Dude you make sense brah!
Right on.🤘
So true (need some free time to reconnect with the bassline)
a fill hits a wrong note.
this is how jazz is born.
Premature de-fill-ulation....now ive got the cure! Thanks Josh!
You got it Marc. :)
if you wanna see an example of great bass fills in bass lines there is a ton in japanese music in almost any genre. Its pretty much what josh is saying we should aim to do.
great video mate i am guilty of this for sure
i need more practice
good bass tone too👍
Thanks Rusty!
Nice...do you have any toturial on how to make these fills? Hehe
Well I've been playing bass on and off for about 30 years now and YES, I am guilty :-) . Doing my best to avoid this now unless it's really called for. Thanks!
Happy to help! :)
thanks!
you're welcome!
This is good
I've never heard of this before and it's so useful to understand. Guilty? Yes
dude thank you, i used to do it like that until now lol
Do you have a tab for that fill in 3:04 ? :D
Good point on bass fill. Drummers also need to play beats, e.g in bar 4 that will flow back to the rhythm.
Good stuff Josh! What are you using for the drum accompaniment?
For my nicer playalongs I'll usually do everything in Logic (and then throw it in Live as a loop), but this was just some crappy built-in drum sounds in Live.
Ok, thanks for the reply!
A great eye and ear opener as always Josh. Try this as well though, put on the long version of "Papa was a rollin' stone" and just try and play the three notes. Just the way it was played. Damn that took my brain to another level today. The young guns out there may well use a looper or sampler to do the same job, but try not to play a fill on it. LOL.
Not doing fills is a great exercise too! Wouldn't make a very exciting video though, lol. :)
I tried that a few weeks ago. Playing three slow notes for 7 minutes is hard. And talk about temptation to add stuff in. OMG. So hard.
I saw the pun there, well done sir, nice one.
Muff Evans My problem when playing limited notes such as you describe is, I start thinking about other stuff at the same time (I call it "writing shopping lists") & then totally forget what I'm playing. I have to be more involved, but then I freely admit that I'm broken sooo... meh
Hey Isaac, one trick I use is to think about other musical elements, like note length and articulation. Sure you're playing limited notes, but are they starting and ending at the exact right time? Did you articulate them the way you wanted to? Could they work better with a different fingering/string arrangement? Did the fill feel good? Could it have felt better?
That's how I kept myself engaged when doing a Patsy Cline musical many many years ago and it's always stuck with me!
Great video. Super accessible and instantly useful. Sure I'm guilty of all these things. :)
Glad to help! :)
Josh great job man big up...the fingering man kills me bro
Jazz musicians approach it the opposite way!! You already know where you are going, so you approach it from beat 4 before the down beat, then beat 3 , beat 2, so on so forth. That’s also a great way to build up your approach note vocabulary 😉
That's a great way to do it, maybe even a more practical way to start working on this if it's not immediately coming to someone.
Is it still an approach note if your target is 5 notes away? :P
Yes. But I mean it in a way as in “targeting” and not so much, say for example ,enclosures” etc.
Brother I have a question. I'm a long time guitarist trying bass for fun. What I need to figure out is those fills you do at the beginning of your 1st example. I mean, that chromatic run you do when you start jamming in G. You go G........then E, F, F#, back to G. Stuff like this sounds gold and I'm having trouble finding lessons about it.
Light bulb moment.
So useful and relevant to most of us.
You're right.Spaces in the fills aren't necessarily a bad thing depending on the groove.
Hi. What would you say about keep filling after one, let's say, a beat or 2?
So which channel should we follow to become a bassssssexpert? Haha i just found out you have a second one
I like sustain so having that "space" is ok to my ear as long as it's a sustained note during the pause. Not sure if that still counts as a pause though.
Makes sense. Next level, here I come! :-)
So guys... Help me out here. When I'm playing a fill, what do I use? Pentatonic, the song scale, or just relative notes?
Use your ear! :)
Guilty. I play in a classic rock band right now so we do lots of grooves in G so I may borrow your riff..
Just make sure to whisper "trademark josh fossgreen" under your breath when you play it. :P
How is the black background done?
Hrm. I just analysed some of the bass solos of my own that I've recorded and at the end of every 2, 4, or 8 bar interval I do kind of sit on a longer measure of note in the style that I'm playing (kinda fast funky stuff) I think it's a good pause for the listener to digest I like the concept of your video but my perspective is it's as if you're having a conversation where you're saying a full paragraph with about 4 or 5 sentences total but you don't use a full stop or comma to pause and differentiate between the points you're trying to make.
I tried to make this point in the video, but I'll say it again: I don't mean to say "filling up the end of the bar is always better than leaving blank space." I notice that a lot of bass players leave blank space unconsciously because of limitations to their musicianship, and this is intended as an exercise to open up some other possibilities so that you can make a conscious musical choice in those situations, whether that's filling space or leaving space. I certainly do both in musical context, but it's nice being able to choose rather than defaulting to an unconscious tendency. Hope that helps clarify.
Definitely an awesome concept that you've broken down. Even though the point I made about 'ending each sentence with a full stop' isn't a problem in the context of my playing, I'll admit I wasn't aware of the way that I was automatically doing things that way until seeing this video. You're right to point it out; what you're saying does open up more possibilities when I look at constructing a melody.
Keep up the unique content! And thanks for the detailed response :)
Well i guess i've somekind of input brainlag too.
Seeing you having trouble just talking and playing reminds me how crazy Claypool is singing and doing his crazy slap strum thing.
what scale did you use???
Can we have pdfs of fills
who do play with josh I like to hear you in a band
i never noticed but yeah i have the same problem sometimes
My 2 hands can't coordinate well. Sometimes my picking hand goes faster and my fretting hand stumbles mid-fill which ruins everything and sometimes the other way around.
This has been my issue in playing both guitar and bass in which i'm having little to no progress at all pls halp.