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  • 9 - The Bass Guitar in Popular Music

  • from Part III - Musical Style and Technique
  • Edited by Jan-Peter Herbst, University of Huddersfield, Steve Waksman, Smith College, Massachusetts
  • Book:
    The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar
    Published online:
    08 November 2024
    Print publication:
    17 October 2024, pp 150-164

  • Summary

    This chapter provide an overview of the ways that the bass guitar is most often used in popular music. Rather than discuss the instrument in terms of genre, I focus instead on its wider musical functions. As I argue, bass lines can largely be categorized by five common performative strategies: basic accompaniments, rhythmic- and groove-oriented approaches, melodic-oriented approaches, slap and pop styles, and the use of alternative instruments and techniques. While these strategies frequently overlap, this simplified taxonomy is intended to help listeners better appreciate how the bass shapes the overall sound and feel of a recording. By using a diverse cross-section of examples drawn from classic rock, metal, pop, R&B, soul, funk, reggae, disco, jazz, hip hop, and more, this chapter also highlights bass guitarists’ profound, wide-ranging impact on music history.