Hi,

Last night we had a band rehearsal for some upcoming gigs in April. For these gigs, we're playing mostly blues with a few classic rock tunes thrown in. With the exception on our lead guitar player (who we're featuring), none of us make a living from music. We're all what I term "serious amateurs".

At the end of the rehearal, I got into a conversation with our lead guitar player (who makes most of his living teaching guitar these days) about blues bass playing. He likes the way I play, likes my lines, harmony, and all the right notes are there. But he made an interesting statement, and I quote;

"Allot of the really good blues bass players frequently use vibrato and play with their thumb to achieve a certain tone for blues. They do this because blues bass playing is not as cerebral as jazz, and that they need to get more out of the few notes that comprise blues bass lines."

I don't know if I agree with this statement based on what I've seen live and in videos, or heard on the original artist's tunes.

To put it into context, he's a terrific blues and jazz guitar player, but he's more inclined to play "ouside the box" and rarely plays anything straight. I'm not dissing it, it's just his style. The vibrato he's talking about is akin to what a guitar player would use in a solo, and not what a classical bassist would use.

I'm interested in what your thoughts are on his statement, and thoughts on blues technique in general.

Thanks in advance,

Lawrie

ignore it... he's a guitarist...

"Allot of the really good blues bass players frequently use vibrato and play with their thumb to achieve a certain tone for blues. They do this because blues bass playing is not as cerebral as jazz, and that they need to get more out of the few notes that comprise blues bass lines."

I think I understand what he's trying to say. Jazz style (generally) has a larger chord vocabulary and so the collection of notes for a jazz bass line is larger and so a player can satisfy the requirements for that style by using that larger vocabulary. A blues player has a smaller collection of notes to choose from and so, to satisfy the style he (she) needs to make use of musical devices (such as vibrato, grace notes, attacks etc etc) other than note choices.

A good jazz player would be well advised to make use of the same devices that the blues player uses... and a blues player can expand the vocabulary for greater expression.

ignore it... he's a guitarist...

+1

I think I understand what he's trying to say. A good jazz player would be well advised to make use of the same devices that the blues player uses... and a blues player can expand the vocabulary for greater expression.

I understood what he was saying, and I agree with your comment since I play both blues and jazz. Sometimes I don't think he realizes is how "outside" he tends to play. His chord subs and lines when he solos can get a little wanky. Some of tunes that we play hold up fine when he does it while some of the tunes I feel should be played more as originally recorded.

Having said that, when he starts going outside, I play more simpler lines and along the basic changes in order to try an keep the basic structure of the tune together. I will also try and focus more on our drummer to maybe enhance the tune rhythmically. When he plays straight ahead, that's when I feel I can be a bit more creative harmonically.

Next time you play with him do a vibrato on every note.

choice and liking of tones is personal aint it? if you find it fits real cool then do it if you dont you dont

Sounds ridiculous.

Guitarists sometimes, well, most of the time forget or don't understand the role of the bass at all. In jazz, blues, rock, country, and everything in between, unless it's some kind of expirimental or different music project like Primus, the role of the bass is foundational. We are to be the foundation of the band, not the windows or the siding so what we do may not be as flashy as what a guitarist does. You can get away with a little more playing blues than in jazz but a good, well rounded bassist can play any technique in any genre of music and make it work because he'll know what works and what doesn't. If you want to use vibrato in jazz go ahead, as long as it works. A good bassist will know what works.

Next time you play with him do a vibrato on every note.

hook up a vibrato pedal. make the room warble! lol

Guitarists sometimes, well, most of the time forget or don't understand the role of the bass at all. The role of the bass is foundational. A good, well rounded bassist can play any technique in any genre of music and make it work because he'll know what works and what doesn't. If you want to use vibrato in jazz go ahead, as long as it works. A good bassist will know what works.

I'm in total agreement with your comments. In fact, my response to what he said were along those lines......with carefully chosen words, and spoken diplomatically. In view of the fact that we have a couple of gigs coming up, I want it to be a pleasant playing experience and fun for the whole band. It's quite evident that we differ dramatically on our approaches to playing a tune.

I'm a "less is more" kind of player, while he likes to embellish everything. What's important right now is that the friends who have dropped in on our rehearsals think we sound great, which is how we got the gigs to begin with.

But after we play both gigs, I'm going to let him have it :)