Bass Tutorial Four
Whether other instrumentalists in the band will admit it, the bass is the most important instrument in the band. It is a big responsibility to be the bassist in a band. As the bass player you can never lapse, never lose concentration, never play a wrong note, (unless you cover it very cleverly). The bassist must maintain the integrity of the song being played. If it is time to be soft, be soft, if it is time to be hard, be hard.
The bass must be played with confidence. The bassist must have absolute confidence in his or her sense of time. The bassist must be able to know if the drummer is in time, rushing, or dragging, or varying in time during particular parts of a song. Because the relationship between the drummer and the bassist must work so intimately and effectively together, their personal, and musical, relationship must be harmonious.
I cannot speak more about how important the relationship between the bassist and the drummer must be.
All bassists must endeavor to play the bass line, with or without the drummer being in time, and do it in time, on time, and with great confidence.
End of Bass Tutorial Four