For bass players, stepping into the spotlight can be daunting enough. Take away the rest of the band, and suddenly there’s nowhere to hide – just four strings, an amp and the challenge of carrying an entire performance on your shoulders.
That’s the premise behind the first annual Solo Bass Guitar contest, which is inviting bassists to put their creativity, technique and musicality front and centre.
“The goal is to celebrate bass musicianship and bring the bass community together,” says Phil Jones, founder of Phil Jones Bass and sponsor of the event. “We already have contestants planning to attend from across the UK, Europe and the United States, making this a truly international gathering of bassists.”
The finalists will compete for a haul of prizes including Phil Jones Bass amps, basses, effects and other bass gear, with the competition offering a chance to showcase just how far the instrument can be pushed beyond its traditional role.
Few bass players understand that challenge better than Michael Manring. A pioneer of the solo bass guitar, Manring has spent decades exploring the instrument’s melodic, harmonic and textural possibilities, proving that a bass can be far more than the foundation of a band.
With the countdown to the contest now underway, Manring has offered some advice to the players brave enough to step out on their own.
“You have to get used to being the only one onstage,” says Manring. “But there's real beauty in solo bass guitar if you're not afraid to look for it.
“For most of us, it's kind of a shock to find yourself having to create all of the entertainment, especially if there's not even a drummer to fall back on. But once you get past that, I think the challenge is to create interesting and engaging music with the tools available to you.”
What are the common pitfalls of solo bass guitar?
I find there’s a danger in that once you learn to make relatively full-sounding music by yourself, there can be a tendency to think you’ve reached peak badassery, but there's always more to learn.
In my opinion, it's a good idea to strive for structural and expressive elements that make your music compelling regardless of format, as opposed to just a collection of cool sounding random tropes.
What first inspired you to start approaching the bass as a solo instrument?
As a teenager I started getting interested in a particular way of thinking about music that, in addition to orthodox aspects like functional harmony, orchestration and counterpoint, incorporates concepts such as resonance, spectralism, ethnomusicology, music cognition and just intonation.
Solo bass, especially fretless, is a really good tool for exploring these ideas as opposed to, say, piano, which tends to lead you down more conventional paths. For me, it's always been about trying to find a language that can communicate something meaningful in this time and place.
Why do you think it’s still relevant for today’s bass players.?
In addition to conventional playing I always encourage my students to work on a few solo bass pieces. I think it teaches us a lot about harmony, melody, composition, groove and how to create complete musical statements. I'm convinced that doing a bit of solo bass makes you a better ensemble player.
Are you still finding it as inspiring?
Absolutely. It's as much an obsession as always.
Are there players still taking it in new directions?
Yes, I think so. Everyone who gives it a go is going to add their own particular spin. In a context as exposed as solo bass, your individual personality is going to be pretty conspicuous, and there's not much to hide behind. I think that kind of situation offers a good opportunity for expressive individuality.
- The UK's first-ever dedicated solo bass guitar competition takes place on September 5 in Penarth, Cardiff, Wales. For more details, head to Phil Jones Bass.
