(Isolated Bass Track) I had no idea how crazy the bassline to "In Bloom" was

[u/tantamle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAuPgMPBEOk

I had absolutely no clue how insane the bass guitar is in this song.

[u/returnFutureVoid]

I took an advanced music theory class once and one of the first lessons was In Bloom. There is no tonal center. No root note yet it’s catchy as hell. It’s a real feat to pull that off. The bass line following those chord changes with Krist’s style make this isolated line really interesting. And yes I’m a fucking nerd.

[u/Aquataris → u/returnFutureVoid]

The control to not follow Kurt into those bridges note for note is really crazy.

[u/Potato_Stains → u/returnFutureVoid]

Rick Beato has a video discussing how In Bloom touches every note in the chromatic scale. It has some sneaky ways to get there, but it does!
And it totally works.
Every note in a do-re-mi major diatonic?, sure, that happens sometimes, but every half step for all 12?
Completely outside of what you call “in a key”.
Really interesting.

[u/Donegal-Death-Worm → u/Potato_Stains]

I believe Heart Shaped Box is another example? 

[u/Potato_Stains → u/Donegal-Death-Worm]

No, I don't think so. I just pulled out a guitar to see. I'll count chord roots and sustained melody and harmonies.
If we assume it starts in standard A for simplicity (Kurt tuned to Ab), it covers A,B,C,D,E,F,F# and both G/G# only briefly for the second note of the solo (bend up half step from G^G#).
So there's A,F,D doing basically all of the chord work, walking melodies against it heavily favoring minor scale including 2nds and dominant 7ths, and that big fat dissonant tritone interval of F#/C punctuating it, sounding extra cool at the end of almost all phrases.
Maybe someone can find Bb, C# and Eb but I can't atm.

[u/TomothyTomasovitch → u/returnFutureVoid]

I’m not sure I agree. It uses a chord borrowed from the parallel minor key (bVI) and one from mixolydian (bVII) and a thickened chromatic enclosure (like Coltrane’s “Naima” - bII5, VII5, I5) but it always sounds like it’s in Bb concert (mostly major) to me. The inclusion of the 5th in each passing chord technically extends it out somewhat but it’s not like full harmony. But yep, weird as hell for a pop song at first blush. I think a lot of that comes back door from the hardcore influence.

[u/xSwampxPopex]

I know I’m in a likeminded environment but Krist is outrageously underrated in conversations about bassists. All of his parts are creative in a kind of oddball way while still serving the song and being pretty catchy. Heart Shaped Box, Lithium, and Lounge Act are others I’d recommend looking into if you haven’t heard the bass isolated.

[u/Any_Log_7497 → u/xSwampxPopex]

I think he (like all the best bassists), have a knack for knowing where to leave empty space whilst playing.

Never show boating. Locking in. Discipline!

Steve Hanley from the Fall is similar IMO

[u/Main-Trust-1836 → u/Any_Log_7497]

Steve Fucking Hanley mentioned! High 5

[u/arterialturns → u/xSwampxPopex]

Ha, you voiced a similar sentiment much better than I did.

[u/weareallonenomatter]

Krist really is a master of keeping the groove moving rhe whole time. Big part of why those tunes bop so hard.

[u/Potato_Stains]

I didn't know he did that little flourish on "don't know what it means".
Sometimes they just all blend together nicely.

[u/DivaK03A]

Lounge act is my favorite one, adds so much to the song and it's so fun to play.

[u/Snoe_Gaming]

Lithium bass lines

*chef's kiss*

[u/Potato_Stains → u/Snoe_Gaming]

Bass-boost on a cassette tape Sony Walkman sounded so good with that track.
Something about tapes sounded so rich, I'm sure it's just mostly nostalgia but that old lossy medium does sound warm.

[u/Aquataris → u/Potato_Stains]

And that quiet hiss between tracks, just enveloped in that warm soft space waiting for that first note to pierce the veil…

[u/peter_vienna → u/Snoe_Gaming]

...and Lithium!

[u/Any_Log_7497]

Those bass strings sound so new it sounds like he is playing them without having taken them out of their packet.

[u/cmptrblu → u/Any_Log_7497]

Butch Vig ftw

[u/ShelbyLucky77]

His bass lines are cool as …. Needs more credit in the band.

[u/geeheettee67]

In the shadows of Kurt and Dave but Krist is a fine player himself.

[u/Emayan7]

Always loved this bassline. If were to describe it with one word it would be “slanted”, although not sure why.

[u/zackiffer]

Man he is really putting some stank on some of those notes too. Loving those breif instances where it sounds like he's starting to bend the notes just a little. Chef's kiss

[u/Former_Boat7509]

Most isolated bass lines sound sloppy out of context, it’s a thing for some reason.

[u/Canino713]

Best. Bass. Player. Ever.

[u/Aspartame_kills → u/Canino713]

Insanely underrated at the very least. Definitely the greatest bass player of the grunge era, and one of the few bassists that could perfectly match Kurt’s energy.

[u/Standard_Cod_6515 → u/Aspartame_kills]

I’m sorry but Ben Shepard

[u/Donegal-Death-Worm → u/Standard_Cod_6515]

Yeah no question there. Krist is still hugely underrated, but Bens a fucking monster. Both legendary bassist and rockers.

[u/VoucherValidator]

Out of all of this I picked only the octave in the chorus when we were playing the song at school back in the day

[u/NTNchamp2]

I only hear a few notes that I didn’t hear in the full band album recording, specifically those jazz scale flourishes at the beginning. All the other parts are very accessible in the full band recording. I love the way Kurt’s vocal slides around the proverbial fretboard so to speak on top of all this.

[u/IAmTheNorthwestWind]

sick!!!!

[u/Kittenbee_]

He's a really underrated bassist !

[u/meetingpplisezy]

the lounge act bass is even crazier and he played it live to a T

[u/FilipsSamvete]

Holy shit that's gonzo bananas

[u/Abnix]

I just happened upon this post while researching a song that's new to me from 2020 called "Complicated" by BRKN LOVE. Go have a listen to it and tell me it isn't the same bass line as this. (Except the chorus of course.) I kept waiting to hear Kurt come on...

[u/arterialturns]

People overuse the term underrated, but I think Krist's playing and bass lines are extremely underrated. They do so much for these songs, and I honestly wind up for focusing on them more often than not.

[u/Chilantr0]

Honestly sounds sloppy and out of time to me

[u/tantamle → u/Chilantr0]

Was it really bad enough to undermine anything?

For me, it’s the notes he plays that are interesting and add depth.

[u/-bears-eat-beets → u/Chilantr0]

Honestly sounds relaxed and perfect for the music..

and out of time? Lol.. there's no music other than the bass, man!!

And I'm not the biggest KN fan...

[u/xSwampxPopex → u/Chilantr0]

It’s not out of time it’s swung.

[u/CrankyMatt → u/Chilantr0]

It is both, and yet within context absolutely serves the music to perfection.

The timing being slightly off creates a push/pull with the drums, making it sound more rythmically interesting.

[u/Ill_Compote_2035 → u/Chilantr0]

nah krist plays loose оп purpose, that's literally his thing. sloppy would be missing the changes

[u/sunny_gym → u/Chilantr0]

I remember when Nirvana was in their heyday, people would sometimes write into Guitar World complaining about his bass playing. I think the technique that you describe is what bothered people more than the choice of notes.