Who invented solid-body electric bass technique?

[Edword]

I am wondering if anyone in particular is credited with having invented the technique for playing a solidbody bass as shown in the Mel Bay books, or if it's just an adaptation of stand-up bass technique. Any ideas?

[fdeck]

I have read that Carol Kaye wrote the first instruction book on electric bass, and in fact, the title of her book is the origin of the term "electric bass."

I have the Mel Bay book, so I will take a look and see if it uses upright bass technique.

[fdeck]

I just checked. I have "The Electric Bass Vol II" by Roger Filberto, published by Mel Bay in 1965. I got it in 1977, for $2.50. It uses 1-2-3-4 fingering, which is not the mainstream upright bass technique. So I would assume the technique is either adapted from guitar, or cut from whole cloth.

It's not a bad book.

[Edword]

I've just bought the latest revision of "Mel Bay's Electric Bass Method - 1" as a new student. The text is still by Filberto, and I'm presuming the same pics have been used for many years. Just curious as to whether he developed the technique in the book, or was just demonstrating it.

Thanks!

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by fdeck

I just checked. I have "The Electric Bass Vol II" by Roger Filberto, published by Mel Bay in 1965. I got it in 1977, for $2.50. It uses 1-2-3-4 fingering, which is not the mainstream upright bass technique. So I would assume the technique is either adapted from guitar, or cut from whole cloth.

It's not a bad book.

That pre-dates Carol Kaye's book by 4 years.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Pacman

That pre-dates Carol Kaye's book by 4 years.

i have carol's book from around 71 and it is copyright 1969........but it's a lot more fun than filibertos

[fdeck]

Learn something new every day! Thanks, guys.

[asberrys]

Originally Posted by fdeck

I just checked. I have "The Electric Bass Vol II" by Roger Filberto, published by Mel Bay in 1965. I got it in 1977, for $2.50. It uses 1-2-3-4 fingering, which is not the mainstream upright bass technique. So I would assume the technique is either adapted from guitar, or cut from whole cloth.

It's not a bad book.

Can I be anal?
I have this book and it says copyright 1963.
Filberto I guess was a Nawlins session musician.

Edit:I just noticed mine says vol.1.So you're right,I'm right.

[fdeck]

From the Mel Bay website:

Roger Filiberto needs no introduction to the guitar world, as his students are some of the finest artists in America today.

Roger started teaching tenor banjo in 1923. With his experience of playing in the Dixieland music era, he quickly became aware that the succession of chords C, E7, A7, D7, G7, back to C, followed by C7, F, Fm, and then ending with C, A7, D7, G7 to C would train almost any interested student to cope with the "faking" required of banjo players in that era. He taught this sequence of chords in all reasonable keys to all of his students. Beginning in the mid-1920's, Roger taught countless students to play banjo, steel guitar, Spanish guitar, and bass at his studio in New Orleans. After many years of teaching, he published his first book, the Melody Chord System for Spanish Guitar, with Forster in 1936. This publication was followed by a similar book for guitar, Chord Construction and Harmony as Applied to the Guitar, published by Gibson. The Gibson steel guitar book was later republished by Mel Bay Publications, Inc., with a comprehensive one-volume edition issued in 1968 under the title Complete Steel Guitar Method.

Given his background, I would guess that he simply adapted general purpose fretted instrument technique. There's not a lot about technique in the second volume, and I don't have the first.

But the history of electric bass technique is an interesting subject. Adding to the historical record, The Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid is copyright 1974. His book targets both electric and upright bass, and uses the method of Simandl.

[Sharko]

I did.

[Edword]

Well, specifically I wanted to find out who (if anyone) is credited with inventing the alternating two-finger approach to plucking. Looks like Fender guessed wrong that most people would pluck with their thumbs (as very few bassists seem to have made use of the P/J's 'tug bars"), so someone else out there developed the "Mel Bay" technique. Just curious who it was.

[PBass101]

It was probably many players figuring it out at the same time. I think John Entwistle helped make it popular. There's pictures of him using his right fingers to pluck the strings from 1963.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Edword

Well, specifically I wanted to find out who (if anyone) is credited with inventing the alternating two-finger approach to plucking. Looks like Fender guessed wrong that most people would pluck with their thumbs (as very few bassists seem to have made use of the P/J's 'tug bars"), so someone else out there developed the "Mel Bay" technique. Just curious who it was.

i doubt that any one invented it.......alternating fingers probably occurred naturally given that you don't have to hold a bow at the same time as piz db......those tug bars may have been designed with flat picks in mind

[RAM]

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

...alternating fingers probably occurred naturally given that you don't have to hold a bow at the same time as piz db......those tug bars may have been designed with flat picks in mind

Sure, that makes sense, but consider that upright bass players aren't taught to play using their fretting-hand ring finger very often.

[PJSShearer]

If I recall correctly, my Ivor Mairantz Bass Guitar Method (copyright 1963) discusses both methods (Double Bass and Guitar), but uses the "more agile" guitar fingering of 1 finger per fret.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by Edword

Well, specifically I wanted to find out who (if anyone) is credited with inventing the alternating two-finger approach to plucking. Looks like Fender guessed wrong that most people would pluck with their thumbs (as very few bassists seem to have made use of the P/J's 'tug bars"), so someone else out there developed the "Mel Bay" technique. Just curious who it was.

Two-finger pizzicato has a long history on the double bass. In Simandl book one on the chapter for pizz it's recommended that two fingers are used if the tempo is fast enough.

just checked. I have "The Electric Bass Vol II" by Roger Filberto, published by Mel Bay in 1965. I got it in 1977, for $2.50. It uses 1-2-3-4 fingering, which is not the mainstream upright bass technique. So I would assume the technique is either adapted from guitar, or cut from whole cloth.

Electric bass was picked up most readily by guitar players because the instrument was intended as a new member of the guitar family. In fact, original sheet music for electric bass was written in the treble clef, 2 octaves below pitch, because it was easier for guitarists to read it than learn a new clef. So it stands to reason that 1-2-3-4 was adopted early on because that's the general scheme for guitar.

[DeluxeRed]

The earliest picture I can find of someone playing finger-style is Shifte Henry from the early '50's. Before that, it's all thumbs.