Krist Novoselic’s advice for bassists
Alternative rock has its definitive set of great bassists, and arguably, none have been as influential as Nirvana’s towering four-string maestro Krist Novoselic. Given that he has always been reluctant to hog the limelight, Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl often take the plaudits for the elemental nature of the grunge trio, but Novoselic was there from the beginning and instrumental in all of the group’s searing creative heights.
For instance, even his work on Nirvana’s biggest hit, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, is much more complex than it would first seem. Comprised of ingenious slides and other subtle rhythmic tricks, such as uneven 16th notes, the bassline is a masterful means of glueing the music together. It provided a dynamic undercurrent to Cobain’s scratchy central chord progression and highlighted Grohl’s kick drum pulse.
Outside of this era-defining moment, though, Nirvana’s back catalogue is brimming with excellence on Novoselic’s part. A highlight of his ingenuity is the incredibly sinister ‘Polly’ from 1991’s Nevermind. With no drums, save from the crash cymbal that leads in the verses, Novoselic pushes his bass to its percussive limit, using it to provide the track with a basis from which Cobain crafts his wicked tale.
Novoselic is also celebrated for ramping up the grit on the band’s third album, 1993’s In Utero. In general, Nirvana took their sound down a much darker path than their predecessor, and their bassist relished doing so. From the thunderous power chords found in the chorus of ‘Heart Shaped Box’ to the droning buzz near the end of ‘All Apologies’, it made sense that on the group’s final hurrah before they crashed into the sun, Novoselic rewrote the handbook for modern bass playing on the record.
He did away with tradition and how a four-string player was expected to act, and using this punk attitude and a touch of natural creativity, he refreshed the instrument and made it more attractive to many budding musicians.
Given his significance, in the years since the 1994 breakup of Nirvana following Cobain’s suicide, Novoselic has been asked to provide insight into his approach. When speaking to Rick Beato in 2022, he offered his advice to bassists, which allowed fans to understand his approach and work in Nirvana better.
He said: “You know, I shouldn’t necessarily follow what the guitar is doing, So I’d listen to the vocal melody and just kind of triangulate and play off the vocal, and then you get a bigger sound that way, so that’s my advice for bass players. You don’t have to follow the guitar player. Well, the kick drum is your boss. The kick drum is the guy. But if you listen to the vocals, you can pull things out of the vocals, or you can play off the vocals, and then it just kind of comes together. Then, if they didn’t like it, they would shoot me dirty looks.”
Watch the clip below.
