Metal Bass Techniques
Playing bass for a metal band can be demanding and requires musical skills ranging from the ability to choose appropriate notes to playing at challenging tempos. Many of the techniques used by metal bass players are used by bass players in other genres of music, but there are methods you can use specifically to bring your bass-playing skills up to the challenge of metal music.
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Minor Keys
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Many bass players in metal use minor keys. Death metal, speed metal and heavy metal alike need a darker foundation for the music. Bass players often dictate the sound (key) of a song by the notes they choose. Playing in minor keys and adding the minor notes can help bring out the darkness of a song while the guitarist plays the power chords and musical riffs.
Speed-Picking
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Although a lot of bass players in other musical genres (and even some metal players) play bass with their fingers, many in metal bands use a pick and practice the speed-picking patterns of guitarists. Using your fingers can produce a deeper, fatter tone. The sound of the pick against the strings adds a texture to the music that can be complementary to the guitar sound. By holding the pick up high, as guitar players do when they are speed-picking, many accomplished metal bassists can churn notes out like a guitar player, creating a heavy, driving foundation that is essential to the metal style.
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Melody Doubling and Soloing
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The bass is traditionally a rhythmic instrument. That doesn't mean it can't function in other areas of the metal sound. Doubling the melody line or a musical phrase throughout the song is a technique often employed by metal bass players to establish the thicker, heavier sound intrinsic to forms of metal music. Bass players in metal can often be found playing bass solos as well, allowing the bass players the same spotlight as a guitarist.
Chords and High Positions
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Bass players in metal bands often play chords. This bass technique produces a fat (or heavy) base for the music. Notes on a bass are often two strings or less. When playing chords on a bass, special attention to the mix is important. The thicker strings tend to get muddy-sounding or lost in the mix when chords are played, but if the sound is mixed more cleanly, bass chords can be used for a more solid rhythmic foundation. Additionally, bass players in metal bands often employ notes above the 12th fret. Since the frets are spaced closer together in this position, it can facilitate faster playing.
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