2H tapping, left hand accompaniment?

[o b s]

I'm quite good with right hand technique, not a virtuoso but competent and developing well, I think the biggest improvement I could make to my playing is the left hand accompaniment. At the moment I think its pretty boring, just hitting even roots or root/fifth to a rhythm. I prefer to play 'melody with an accompaniment' type stuff, can anyone suggest any ways to add interest to the accompaniment without taking it away from the melody?

[Akira]

As a bassist, the accompaniment should be your forte, lol.

Anyways, just use chord tones in simple rhythms.

[o b s]

As a bassist, the accompaniment should be your forte, lol.

Anyways, just use chord tones in simple rhythms.

I don't understand the logic behind cheapshot/state the obvious replies like this. Seriously, why even post?

Anyway, I usually play 'pseudo counterpoint' type accompaniment, see the song 'Ziggy Stardust' or most of Paul McCartneys bass work with The Beatles for an example of the kind of thing, not viable when you are 'improvising' your/over your own chord changes, at least at this stage. I'm really mainly looking for people with experience in this technique to give me a few hints/pointers to set me off so I can develop my own style, recommendations of pieces to look at and learn from, excersises (already done Havics lessons) etc. I think the kind of thing I'm really aiming for the the kind of thing George Smed does in his version of yesterday, I'm looking at that currently.

[Led_Zeppelin678]

You might want to learn Victor Wooten's Norweigan Wood. Really awesome tapping in that one!

[o b s]

You might want to learn Victor Wooten's Norweigan Wood. Really awesome tapping in that one!

Checked it out a while back but I don't really like it, Wootens playing is amazing as always on it and the original is one of my favourate songs ever, but he basically tears it apart with a flurry of notes. Thanks though.

[EADG]

I don't understand the logic behind cheapshot/state the obvious replies like this. Seriously, why even post?



I don't think it was a cheapshot and half of his post was helpful


but anyway

if your right hand is boring, play different rhythms. Work on your co-ordination. Write some basslines as you usually would, then play them with one hand and work on incorporating a melody overtop


or as George Smed says, don't think of your tapping as playing with 2 hands, think of it as one hand with 8 fingers. that perspective really helped me out.

[Akira]

I don't understand the logic behind cheapshot/state the obvious replies like this. Seriously, why even post?

It was a just a joke.
Not to mention I followed it up with some real advice.

[naut]

I don't understand the logic behind cheapshot/state the obvious replies like this. Seriously, why even post?

wow who gives a ****.

[HaVIC5]

Try walking basslines, that'll definitely give you a mental workout for your left hand.

[EADG]

Try walking basslines, that'll definitely give you a mental workout for your left hand.

then try throwing in chords on the offbeats

[HaVIC5]

That's impossible to do convincingly with a melody on a 4-string, in my experience. But if you have a 6-string, yeah.

[EADG]

That's impossible to do convincingly with a melody on a 4-string, in my experience. But if you have a 6-string, yeah.


I should have specified you pretty much need an ERB to do it well. My bad


6 string would be best but I think you could pull it off on a tenor 5.