Talking Timbre

 

A few days ago I watched a video on YouTube about a poll that was taken about what the worst bass sounds were on a record. Jaco, John Entwistle, and even James Jamerson were on the list. 

 

What I realized is that we're too focused on the sound of the bass.The bass primarily has a function. If a bass part is scored, the sound doesn't matter. Obviously it does in a production sense because we have to choose one sound over another, and in the context of a series of songs on an album. But like cello or double bass parts in an orchestral score, the function is all that matters, unless the composer is specific about a particular sound (e.g. "a la Slam Stewart"). Also, timbres are created by combinations of sounds, or with unisons and octave doublings--like the Roundabout bass part being doubled on a guitar, or simply multing the part and tweaking the EQ and/or effects. Electronics obviously give us lots more textural options, but require more work to really make that a signature sound that works in lots of different contexts.

 

What's important to me is that a part is well-conceived, and you can twiddle with sounds later. Even with Jaco, his parts weren't always well conceived (at least in a live context), but that's jazz. But Jaco was all about the sound, which he achieved mostly though his hands, and the natural sound of a fretless Jazz Bass and an Acoustic amp. But who knows--if Jaco, John Entwistle, and James Jamerson were 25 in 2021 with the technology we have now, they would have a totally different sound, and we never would have had people copying their sounds. Would we have needed that sonic evolution to get where we are now? I tend to think we wouldn't because the way amplified or electronic instruments sound is now driven by new technology. But of course, Jaco's sound improved on Jamerson's sound, but their technique was elemental and foundational.

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P.S.

Brian Eno Diary (re collaboration with Elvis Costello):

"...One very interesting thing about the piece: his orchestral approach. So a bass that only plays about five notes in the whole song - something no bass player would do spontaneously."