arpeggio tips for bass player?

ive had some experience with arpeggios playing the guitar, but am now playing the bass guitar in a band. its a different mindset for me. arpeggios seem to work well, but can seem too plain. are there any tips about this transition?

I really wouldnt do arpeggio's on the bass. And on the off-chance that your talking aboutweep picking, it's out of the question. also, In general, it doen't work to well. The bass's main job is to hold down the rythm and play the root note in the chord progression that makes up the song. Thats your plain, basic, bass player. you can improvise doing scales in the key of the song but make sure it fits and dont get in the way of the rest of the band. If you guitarist is doing a solo, it is best to do something simple as to not complicate/ mess up his solo. complex bass improv is really for a little more advanced players.

Actually Bass sweeping sounds awesome. Look at Billy Sheehan. A bass is meant to keep rythm down, but durng small break or bridges, you can add whatever you want. Sweeping arps will sound killer on bass. If you want to effect on guitar, roll your tone knob down on your guitar, clean settings, and sweep on the e, A, and D string around the 12th fret. Sounds out of this world.

at this point improvisation isnt my concearn, i would just like to write something worthy of recording. ive just been sweeping on the same chords the guitar is in at any given point. i want something not necessarily more complex, but unique. but im thinking unique also means more complex, which i would warmly welcome. i know the bass should keep the rhythm but i dont want to just play one note in each progression. playing in high frets is a good idea to try, but it still is just picking up and down the chord. i guess my question might be more of a technique question than a theory question. anyone have any ideas?

thanks for your responses

do augmented chord sweeps.



HOTTTTTT

it sounds like sweeping the bass is a vote in, which does fit, but i would like to be able to be more unique or creative. arpeggios is the way i have gone so far, basically standard chord and power chord sweeping, but still it is a little too plain. what im getting at is are there any suggestions to spice it up a little? every instrument in our band would like to be a lead instrument at certain points in the song.

thanks for the feedback

Don't just sweep up and down the chord, try using some of the alberti bass techniques you hear in classical music. You know, root five three five root five three five, etc.

A bass player huh? Rep for you.

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for. But I thought I could post it anyway.
If you are already playing Major Arpeggios, you could play Maj7 arpeggios over a static Major chord or over a Major 7 chord.

The following are C Maj7 Arpeggios, in root position and two inversions; and lastly a tapping lick on the chord tones.

C Maj7 in root position
G-----------------4------------------------
D-------------5------5---------------------
A---------7--------------7-----------------
E------8---------------------8-------------

C Maj7 in first inversion (involves Hammer On and Pull Off)
G-------------4--H.O-5--P.O-4-----------
D---------5------------------------5--------
A-----7--------------------------------7----
E--------------------------------------------

C Maj7 in second inversion (involves tapping)
G---------4-H.O-5--------(T)9---P.O--5--P.O--4------------
D-----5-------------------------------------------------5---------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------

Tapping on the C Maj7 tones

G--4--H.O--5------(T)9------P.O-5----P.O-4----H.O-5------------(T)12--etc
D----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

this is more of what i was looking for, equator. im trying to develop bassline creation techniques. more than just playing the root note or sweeping a chord. any other suggestions would be appreciated

Well, basslines are pretty dependent on the harmony and melody... Usually roots, thirds, or sevenths of the chords being played, etc.

I agree with jolly that bass lines are more restrictive,for obvious reasons.It sounds like variety in technique is what you're after,as opposed to variations in key or melody.Using the Cmaj7 shape posted earlier,it is possible to do the old ascend,tap on the 7th,slide up to the root,and descend trick,among a million other variations.The tap-slide glissando technique is not exactly a new one,but as effective for bass as guitar.Scale and triad sequencing and pedal point are also useful techniques.In closing,it sounds like you're a guitar shredder in a bass players disguise.This leads me to believe that a 5 or 6 string bass or a return to guitar may be an eventuality for you.As was said before,I think the shredding bassist is best left for individual soloing,not in a song context.

It'd help a lot if you told us what kind of music you play. A good way to incorporate arpeggios into your playing is to quickly get you from the root of one chord to another. I play double-bass in a jazz band, and when I'm walking between chords, if I find myself far away from the next root, instead of using scale tones to try to get there, I'll throw in an arpeggio. And as equator was saying, try using some different arps, not just major or minor. I can give you some specific examples if you like.