Yes! the drummer is absolutely key! and that's part of what I meant in my last bullet point, "If you can listen to the other members in your ensemble, compliment them, and put the overall sound of the group before the sound of your own instrument, you are a good bass player!" If I can't communicate and lock in with a drummer, I will never hire him again. Also, It's so important to be able to adjust tempo on the fly. As a bassist/vocalist, I'll tell a sub drummer on a gig right up front, if I feel the need for the tune to speed up or slow down, they need to listen to my bass and voice and adjust accordingly. I've been fortunate to find great players who are not only able to do this, but don't have big egos and arent' offended when I make an incremental push or pull to the groove. I LOVE those guys! and I try to give them a good deal of work :)
You are viewing a single comment's thread from: