Bass Player: Morten Strypet

MEER started out as a duo in Hamar, Norway in 2008, and since then the duo has expanded considerably to become what it is today – an eight-piece eclectic collective whose music is a mix of orchestral pop, classical music and progressive rock. With their grandiose string arrangements and polyphonic vocals, MEER’s sound is far from minimalistic and flows in seemingly constant motion.

Today’s line-up comprises Johanne Kippersund on vocals, Knut Kippersund on vocals, Eivind Strømstad on guitar, Åsa Ree on violin, Ingvild Nordstoga Eide on viola, Ole Gjøstøl on piano, Morten Strypet on bass and Mats Lillehaug on drums.

The attached chart features bassist Morten Strypet’s bass part for the tune ‘Child’ from the 2021 Meer album, ‘Playing House’. Some very challenging counting required with odd bar lengths and weird counting. The main pizzicato violin part and the lead vocals make it very difficult to determine where the ‘one’ is and, consequently, the chart is only one way of presenting. The piece is not technically demanding in terms of it requiring lots of chops but it, nevertheless, requires considerable concentration and counting to pull it off. The part is for the live version presented here rather that from the recording itself.