Electric bass in community concert bands?

[scottw]

The topic says it all---do you want an electric bass sitting next to you in such a setting? Is there any way you have seen it to work musically?
The reason for the topic is that, in the space of 2 days and 2 bands, this has happened to me quite out of the blue. I am pretty sure I do not like it, but I am careful not to judge too quickly. Also, know that I am a former string bass player, playing in many concert bands with that instrument. I view them as quite a different case. What say you?
Thanks in advance!
Scott

[TubaRay]

I have not seen this work well in any concert band.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

The only case I can see for this is a piece specifically written with electric bass in mind (Zappa's "Dog Breath Variations" for example). Doubling the tuba part? Yuck.

[r smith]

It works in our Community Concert Band with 3 Tubas & 1 Electric Bass. The Band is very good & we have around 55 members. It depends on the Electric Bass player. If he/she cranks the volume up like they are playing in a Rock Band it won't work. Our Bass player always plays under the Tubas.
Ron

[scottw]

I am not too concerned about the rock adaptations, or the Walt Disney stuff that everyone seems to play. The electric bass is probably better suited to the over-and-over riffs found in this stuff. I think that what concerns me the most is the lyrical pieces, with a bass thumping out whole and half notes, or a legato bass line. Remember, this is not a string bass with bowing and sensitivity possibilities; this is almost set-it-and-forget-it dynamics unless the player uses a foot petal--not!

[Rick Denney]

No way. Tell him to go audition for the local orchestra.

Rick "or loan him a string bass" Denney

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Our Bass player always plays under the Tubas.

Unless it's a case where your band is simply giving this person a chance to perform (which is a nice thing if it is the case, in my opinion), then what, pray tell, would be the point? 3 tubas seems like plenty for a band of 55 members.

No offense intended. If it works well for your band, great. I just hate the blended sound of electric bass and tubas(probably from many years of playing electric bass in the OSU basketball pep band).

How do you deal with the inevitable intonation issues???

[NDSPTuba]

An electric bass showing up in my community band would result in me voting with my feet walking straight out the door.

[scottw]

I'm an electric bass, upright bass, and tuba player.

I think that if the electric bass player has half a brain and can read music, it should sound great.

Won't you be my guest and come sub for me? Long-term?

[iiipopes]

In community band two seasons ago we had a gentleman that due to Parkinson's could not play bone anymore. But he could keep his hands steady around a bass guitar neck. As I also play bass guitar, we sat him right next to me so we could coordinate our parts. Depending on the piece, he either played the tuba part at pitch (meaning reading up an octave if it were transcribed conventionally for bass guitar or double bass), or some pieces had a separate upright bass part. HIs bass had good tone and sustain, so emulating arco was not a problem with a touch of compression. We used a smaller, clean amplifier with a small PA cab instead of a larger bass guitar cab so the low end would not rumble, and we worked at it until we had a great blend. He later took a position out of state and I was sorry to see him go. Done properly, as he did, it added a unique dimension to the foundation to the band.

[jonesbrass]

Even as an electric bass player, in general I don't like it. ONe of the bands I play in lost a tuba player just because a string bass player showed up.
In one smaller band, however, I am generally the only tuba player. We play in two formats, large band and small ensemble. On the 16th, we're playing a bunch of jazz and R&B tunes, so for those concerts, I'll be on my J-bass. No apologies. Becha By Golly Wow, Theme from Shaft, Birdland, Stormy Weather, Too Close For Comfort. Can be done very well on tuba, but works out better, IMHO, on electric bass.

[iiipopes]

On the 16th, we're playing a bunch of jazz and R&B tunes, so for those concerts, I'll be on my J-bass. No apologies. Becha By Golly Wow, Theme from Shaft, Birdland, Stormy Weather, Too Close For Comfort. Can be done very well on tuba, but works out better, IMHO, on electric bass.

As a junior in high school, my concert band had a medly arrangement of Shaft, probably the same one you're going to play. I had the 8-track at home, so I listened carefully and realized it was a "simplified" bass guitar part. Yes, the concert band arrangement actually had a real bass guitar part in addition to the tuba parts. After the first rehearsal, since I was the only person playing the part, I raised my hand and asked if the director wanted me to play what was written, or make it sound like the record. He thought for a minute, and said make it sound like the record. I did. It was great. Somewhere in the high school archives (read: old file cabinets in the basement) is a reel-to-reel 7 1/2 ips tape of the concert.

[iiipopes]

bloke, I'm sorry you felt that way. In addition to the Shaft medley, we had several other compositions, not just arrangements, but original published compositions, that had bass guitar parts in addition to tuba parts. And except for the Shaft medley, these were actually well-written parts that complimented the low brass and low reeds, and didn't just set up a dogfight with them. I got to play them all and loved every minute of it. Especially when the percussion would also be scored for trap set as well as standard instrumentation. We rocked! The students loved them, the parents liked them, the administration smiled, and we always brought home state "I" ratings for the band. Life was good.

[Dan Schultz]

There has never been an electric bass in my community band and I certainly will not be one to encourage it. I am also opposed to ANYONE playing the bass lines on a piano or electronic keyboard. To allow this to happen on a regular basis would discourage tubists from joining the section.

I feel the same way about allowing routine use of a drum set in a concert band setting. Once it's established that a drum set is the norm... there would be no percussion section.

Of course, there are circumstances where a piece of music specifically calls for a bass, keyboard, or drum set.

[MartyNeilan]

[Naptown Tuba]

Don't Need No Stinkin' Bass Giutar in the Community Band Just imagine.................."Them Basses"....or "Star and Stripes Forever" with a bass and amp. How deplorable. It'd be enough to notify P.B.O that we've got another crisis on our hands and "what's he gonna do about it"

[WakinAZ]

Hell no.

It happened for a concert or two in our group this last season. Nice guy, good player, but the sound is just so wrong. Either get rid of it, or turn it up even louder and the wind-powered oom-pah technicians will all go get a beer or something.

A well-played acoustic bass on the indoor stuff? sure.

Eric "shuddering at the memory" L.

[MileMarkerZero]

There are a significant number of jazz compilations out there (Tribute to Harry James, Satchmo!, etc.) that work very well with an electric bass. I would prefer a string bass for the walking lines, and can lay down a walkin gline on tuba that works just fine. But those are the only situations I don't mind an electric in a concert band.

[TUBAD83]

The first time I have ever heard of community bands having electric bass players in the TUBA section, I thought it was a joke--unfortunately I found out this does happen. Im currently in 3 community bands and NONE of my directors would ever allow it. We all know its hard enough to get a tuba section to play in tune consistently--you're gonna add an electric bass into the mix??? I don't think so.

JJ

[termite]

I imagine that some rock tunes etc. would sound better with electric bass but probably not with the tubas playing along. By the time you throw in a synth/piano/organ line the whole thing is turning into a rock band with an oversized brass and reed section - you have to ask what kind of ensemble you're running.

If you want a rock band put one together.
Electric bass may not be the best thing for stuff like Holst.

I'm not a huge fan of the whole idea of community brass and concert bands trying to "get with the times" and play the latest pop tunes to try to win audiences. It usually sounds painful compared to the record people are used to hearing. I would much rather play music which suits the ensemble and say to the audience "We are a wind ensemble - this is what we DO!!"

Regards

etc. etc.