Country Bass Guitar

pbass40 · #1 09-11-2009, 05:05 AM

Some friends from work want me to come over,and Jam.They play mostly Classic Old Country,but its something diffrent so it should be fun.Is old country just mostly Root-Fifth?

tinjenbass · #2 09-11-2009, 06:54 AM

Some, I recently joined a country cover band myself and found out how different that style of bass is. Play fingerstyle and stay in that pocket. Some country bass lines look something like this for example:
G-----------5----5----7---7
A--5---5------5----5----7---7
E----5---5-------------------

And so on...

J. Crawford · #3 09-11-2009, 06:57 AM

Listen to lots of Johnny Cash.. Lots and lots of 5ths work.

A P bass, or a 50s style Pbass would make it sound better, IMO.

countrybassist · #4 09-11-2009, 07:37 AM

Older style country bass playing is quite abit different than the newer style. Being that I've been playing for 31 years, I've done and still do both. As far as the older style, yes 1,5 is a common pattern. But also 1, perfect 4 is just as common. Please note that in the NNS, a 1 5 1 p4, is shown as 1 5 1 5. To chose the 1 p4 is at the descretion of the bassist. It creates the feeling of movement. Charting it as 1 5 1 5 even though it may be 1 5 1 p4 is so that there is no confusion and the bassist doesn't actuall go to the 4. Also outlining the chord is used alot too and the use of tension notes. Just make sure that you know whether or not your playing over a M or m progression. Check out the Joe Nicholls tune "Tequilla makes her clothes come off" You'll notice that is the first measures the bass is 1 5 and also at the end. Throughout the middle sections is 1 p4.

JTE · #5 09-11-2009, 09:56 AM

Hmm... so you're saying that under a G chord, you'd play G and C, C being the perfect 4th of G?

My experience (I quit playing country when Garth Brooks' fans ruined country music) is that it's mostly R 5, with the root repeated on the last measure before a chord change (i.e, if the progression is four measures of C, then I'd play C/G for three measures, and C/C for the fourth). There're also stock walks from chord to chord, e.g. C D E to get from C to F. The other big component was simple walking lines (think "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline) for country shuffles.

John

MNAirHead · #6 09-11-2009, 10:04 AM

Garth Brooks - touche

countrybassist · #7 09-11-2009, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

Hmm... so you're saying that under a G chord, you'd play G and C, C being the perfect 4th of G?

My experience (I quit playing country when Garth Brooks' fans ruined country music) is that it's mostly R 5, with the root repeated on the last measure before a chord change (i.e, if the progression is four measures of C, then I'd play C/G for three measures, and C/C for the fourth). There're also stock walks from chord to chord, e.g. C D E to get from C to F. The other big component was simple walking lines (think "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline) for country shuffles.

John

Yes the forth of G is C. However the perfect forth of G is D and octave lower than the 5th of G which is also a D. To get the p4 that you count back 4 from the G which is D.

countrybassist · #8 09-11-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

Garth Brooks - touche

Dave Pomeroy played some awesome bass for Garth!!

DeluxeRed · #9 09-11-2009, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbass40

Some friends from work want me to come over,and Jam.They play mostly Classic Old Country,but its something diffrent so it should be fun.Is old country just mostly Root-Fifth?

Yes, and in the key of A.

Modern stuff is basically Rock. We learned that insipid "Save a Horse..." for a special event, and the bass part was on a 5-string. A 5-string! Heavens to Betsy, my dad would be havin' a fit!

Jim Carr · #10 09-11-2009, 10:39 AM

Like all styles, country has changed by synthesis, fusion, and innovation. There are a wide variety of bass styles paralleling the lap-steel/upright/slap era of Hank and Lefty, Roy Husky, Tic-Tack, Red Sovine, Dave Dudley, Merle, Classic late 60's-early 70's Nashville, Dylan with Charlie McCoy, Norbert Putnam, Buck and Porter's Fender equipped nudie suit/TV trip, Ray Price's shuffles, the Parson-Hillman-Emmy Lou-Pederson fusion, Wille/Waylon and the Boys, and on to Garth, B&D, Shania, Brad, Sugarland, Dierk Bentley, Swine Grantt, Dave Pomeroy (a super nice guy--btw), etc.

To describe this rich world as "mostly root and fifth" seems to me a little superficial.

countrybassist · #11 09-11-2009, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

To describe this rich world as "mostly root and fifth" seems to me a little superficial.

Very true. I just wish that I could have said it so well!

DeluxeRed · #12 09-11-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Like all styles, country has changed by synthesis, fusion, and innovation. There are a wide variety of bass styles paralleling the lap-steel/upright/slap era of Hank and Lefty, Roy Husky, Tic-Tack, Red Sovine, Dave Dudley, Merle, Classic late 60's-early 70's Nashville, Dylan with Charlie McCoy, Norbert Putnam, Buck and Porter's Fender equipped nudie suit/TV trip, Ray Price's shuffles, the Parson-Hillman-Emmy Lou-Pederson fusion, Wille/Waylon and the Boys, and on to Garth, B&D, Shania, Brad, Sugarland, Dierk Bentley, Swine Grantt, Dave Pomeroy (a super nice guy--btw), etc.

To describe this rich world as "mostly root and fifth" seems to me a little superficial.

I'm sorry, I have to throw the BS flag here. 99% of what I hear on the local C&W stations around here, which range from AM old-school to Kickin' Kountry, IS extremely simple, predictable, and, really, pretty durn boring. It is extremely formulaic (regardless of the era), with very few innovators and certainly no bass-forward standouts. I've been saturated with this stuff (I won't call it crap, out of respect for the workin' bassists who might read this) all my life, and R-5 snoozin' describes it very well. IMO/IME/YMMV. So there. Phhhth!

(I will give props to the C&W dancers, though. They take that pretty seriously, which is why they probably don't appreciate "fills" and other modern stuff messing up their rhythm!)

Kirkowitz · #13 09-11-2009, 11:15 AM

Sounds like somebody don't like country music....

but seriously, if you can't hear the difference in the bass between Hank and Waylon- you ain't listenin'

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeluxeRed

I'm sorry, I have to throw the BS flag here. 99% of what I hear on the local C&W stations around here, which range from AM old-school to Kickin' Kountry, IS extremely simple, predictable, and, really, pretty durn boring. It is extremely formulaic (regardless of the era), with very few innovators and certainly no bass-forward standouts. I've been saturated with this stuff (I won't call it crap, out of respect for the workin' bassists who might read this) all my life, and R-5 snoozin' describes it very well. IMO/IME/YMMV. So there. Phhhth!

(I will give props to the C&W dancers, though. They take that pretty seriously, which is why they probably don't appreciate "fills" and other modern stuff messing up their rhythm!)

two fingers · #14 09-11-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeluxeRed

I'm sorry, I have to throw the BS flag here. 99% of what I hear on the local C&W stations around here, which range from AM old-school to Kickin' Kountry, IS extremely simple, predictable, and, really, pretty durn boring. It is extremely formulaic (regardless of the era), with very few innovators and certainly no bass-forward standouts. I've been saturated with this stuff (I won't call it crap, out of respect for the workin' bassists who might read this) all my life, and R-5 snoozin' describes it very well. IMO/IME/YMMV. So there. Phhhth!

(I will give props to the C&W dancers, though. They take that pretty seriously, which is why they probably don't appreciate "fills" and other modern stuff messing up their rhythm!)

First of all, the OP was talking about classic country only. And second, I gotta throw the BS card at YOU. There are a lot of really nice bass lines coming out of Nashville these days. But to take it one step further, if you are doing your job, staying on task, hitting the pocket, and allwoing yourself to "dive in" so to speak, ANY style of music can be challenging, and a lot of fun to boot! 90% of 80's rock was 8th notes on the root, but I had a blast playing that stuff. I've done pit orchestra show tunes to metal and everything in between. There are no EASY styles of music if you do it RIGHT.

To the OP, just keep doing what you always do. Pay attention to what's going on around you. DON'T prejudge anything. And let yourself have some fun.

J. Montgomery · #15 09-11-2009, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countrybassist

Yes the forth of G is C. However the perfect forth of G is D and octave lower than the 5th of G which is also a D. To get the p4 that you count back 4 from the G which is D.

Huh?

G scale is:
G: 1st (root)
A: 2nd
B: 3rd
C: 4th
D: 5th
E: 6th
F sharp: 7th
G: 8th (octave)

There no way around that, the 4th is a C and the 5th is a D.

DeluxeRed · #16 09-11-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two fingers

...There are a lot of really nice bass lines coming out of Nashville these days...

...And let yourself have some fun.

Well, not on that B&R song, that's fer sure. I am actually somewhat of a fan of the old-school stuff, you know, Patsy, Senior, those cats. But I think TV killed them even before it killed pop/rock.

But +1 on the Have Fun part. Ain't no problem with that! I'll do anything--even play B&R--to get people scootin' their boots!

3wavylines · #17 09-11-2009, 11:48 AM

For classic country bass, I really like this book - The Lost Art of Country Bass by Keith Rosier. Not all root-5th.

countrybassist · #18 09-11-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Montgomery

Huh?

G scale is:
G: 1st (root)
A: 2nd
B: 3rd
C: 4th
D: 5th
E: 6th
F sharp: 7th
G: 8th (octave)

There no way around that, the 4th is a C and the 5th is a D.

huh???? Yes there is and you're wrong. One can find an interval by either going up or down. Obviously you're unaware of that. The perfect forth of a C is a G. In theory one would descend five half steps from the root which is a perfect 4th,

deckard · #19 09-11-2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countrybassist

Yes the forth of G is C. However the perfect forth of G is D and octave lower than the 5th of G which is also a D. To get the p4 that you count back 4 from the G which is D.

Oh, for cryin' out...

This is just not true at all.

And it is "fourth" not "forth".

(walks away shaking his head)

deckard · #20 09-11-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countrybassist

huh???? Yes there is and you're wrong. One can find an interval by either going up or down. Obviously you're unaware of that. The perfect forth of a C is a G. In theory one would descend five half steps from the root which is a perfect 4th,

No, YOU'RE the one that is wrong. Period.

Try "Music Theory 101".

Sheesh!

(reaches for Excedrin)