Any tips for soloing over twelve bar?

I-Love-Ratm · #1 05-30-2007, 08:47 AM

Got a blues gig on Saturday and I've never gigged blues before.I may be called on to solo.Any tips or advice for soloing in a blues situation?

Cheers
Mike

middy · #2 05-30-2007, 09:03 AM

Blues bass players don't solo.

But, if you really must, I would just try to make it a little more jazzy and chromatic than normal, throw in some 16th note ghost notes, and turn up your bridge pickup / play closer to the bridge / hit the "bright" switch on your amp / stomp on an equalizer pedal, or something like that to give you a tone that pops out more during your solo.

Above all, don't try to flail, wail, or shred... I'm sure the guitar player has that covered. Just be tasty.

Chad.mundt · #3 05-30-2007, 09:11 AM

If you get called to solo on the blues, play the blues scale. That should be fine. And, no, don't shred. Play fewer notes than you think.

Blues scale in C: C, Eb, F, F#, G, Bb

BTW, if you don't know how to solo now, you won't learn in a week. It takes years and lifetimes.

middy · #4 05-30-2007, 10:19 AM

Oh, and if you don't know already, follow the changes. In A blues, you need to be playing the D blues scale over the IV and the E over the V. You'll sound like an amateur trying to stick to the one scale through the whole progression. Yeah, the key is shifting all the time, and the blues doesn't really have a resolving cadence. No wonder the guitar solos get so long

The major pentatonic or mixolydian scales would probably be better than the "blues" scale for bass, depending on the song and how minor it's sounding, but usually you can get away with both the minor 3rd and the major 3rd during a solo.

I-Love-Ratm · #5 06-03-2007, 01:37 PM

Ya I know the scales etc.The gig went well.Two solos.First one was a surprise and wasn't great.Second was ripping though!

Dave Muscato · #6 06-03-2007, 11:30 PM

Glad it went well. I've very rarely been called upon to solo in a blues situation. When I am, I close my eyes and think "WWBBD" (what would BB do [if he were a bassist]?)

- Dave

HaVIC5 · #7 06-04-2007, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by middy

Oh, and if you don't know already, follow the changes. In A blues, you need to be playing the D blues scale over the IV and the E over the V. You'll sound like an amateur trying to stick to the one scale through the whole progression. Yeah, the key is shifting all the time, and the blues doesn't really have a resolving cadence. No wonder the guitar solos get so long

The major pentatonic or mixolydian scales would probably be better than the "blues" scale for bass, depending on the song and how minor it's sounding, but usually you can get away with both the minor 3rd and the major 3rd during a solo.

Actually, if you're switching blues scales for every chord, you'll sound way more amateurish than just sticking on the tonic's blues scale. Playing the b13 of the key is just about the unbluesiest sound you can get. I'd recommend sticking to the pentatonics if you've never done anything like this before. Tried and true, and its relatively easy too. If it was good enough for BB King, it's good enough for you.

trasser · #8 06-04-2007, 05:17 AM

This is a good opportunity to ask a question I've wanted to ask for a very long time.
Most blues is played with dominant chords. So why is the blues scale called a blues scale? You can't play it over most blues, since the scale has a minor 3rd, and the chords are dominant! Or am I wrong?

middy · #9 06-04-2007, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HaVIC5

Actually, if you're switching blues scales for every chord, you'll sound way more amateurish than just sticking on the tonic's blues scale. Playing the b13 of the key is just about the unbluesiest sound you can get. I'd recommend sticking to the pentatonics if you've never done anything like this before. Tried and true, and its relatively easy too. If it was good enough for BB King, it's good enough for you.

Not if you slide it up to the 13. Then it sounds awesome.

There's a balance to be maintained there, but I think I play better when following the chords. It sounds more jazzy than BB, though, so maybe I should lay off it a bit, at least on the IV.

Also note that I suggested the mixolydian and major pentatonic scales. You have to know when it's OK to hit that minor third...

But I absolutely don't agree that you'll sound more amateurish playing over the changes. It does give it a more jazzy sound which may not be appropriate for blues, depending on the style.

slybass3000 · #10 06-04-2007, 03:30 PM

The minor Blues scale is good but the Major Blues scale is really practical:

C,D,D#,E,G and A.

If you look at it closely it is the A minor blues but starting on C instdead.
If you play a Blues in C use it all the way trough. Just be careful on the IV chord (F7) not to emphasis the E natural and use the D# or Eb to make it blues. That's it!

SB

cowsgomoo · #11 06-05-2007, 01:34 AM

true to Talkbass form, we have another thread about soloing and virtually every post is about what scales to use and the word 'phrasing' isn't mentioned once

sloppyjaloppy · #12 06-05-2007, 01:43 AM

a good starting point for soloing over the twelve bar progression i think is to make up 2 part phrases - part one of the phrase from the root scale, and kind "answer" it with the second part from the relative minor blues scale. e.g if you were in say Bb your first part of the phrase would be based around the Bb scale and the second part of the phrase or "answer" part would be based around the G blues scale. hope this makes sense.

asahobby · #13 06-05-2007, 02:09 AM

Timing is important also if it's a 4/4 you might have some fun,I used to dig the bassist in Ten Years after. He soloed along side Alvin Lee and had it nailed down pretty good for blues.

synaesthesia · #14 06-05-2007, 02:21 AM

tips for taking a solo?

er.... make musical sense?

DocBop · #15 06-05-2007, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

true to Talkbass form, we have another thread about soloing and virtually every post is about what scales to use and the word 'phrasing' isn't mentioned once

+100 I'm as guilty of that as anyone. I think part of it is it takes so long to explain where a music example illustrates best.

Simply put solos need to breathe just like talking or singing. Use simple motifs and build. Too many play everything in first few bars and leave themselve nowhere to go. Have to plan a little. Singing the shape of you solo helps, doesn't worry about singing note-for-note what you are playing grunt out the shape of your solo, ascending direction, decending direction, loud, soft.

I heard Victor Wooten talk about he not only thinks about what he is doing in a solo so he builds it. He thinks about his solos over the course of a show. That isn't going to be doing all his fancy stuff in earlier tunes he will build up from tune to tune so he has his best stuff left for end of the show. Then Jaco and others like Patitucci since they play same tunes regularly would refine and arrange their solos. why their solos were truly spontaneous composition with form and direction.

middy · #16 06-05-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

true to Talkbass form, we have another thread about soloing and virtually every post is about what scales to use and the word 'phrasing' isn't mentioned once

Oh yeah...

You should use phrasing.

There.

slybass3000 · #17 06-06-2007, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

true to Talkbass form, we have another thread about soloing and virtually every post is about what scales to use and the word 'phrasing' isn't mentioned once

I would like to say that in a forum like this it is much more easier to explain something with scales and notes choices then something like phrasing which is important but practically unexplanable with words in a forum. It's like saying "Play by feel dude",which could be true too

SB