Blues Bassists Please Chime In

[::::BASSIST::::]

Well, I'm turning 35 in March. I started learning bass a couple years ago. I played guitar before that for a few years, but I was never very good. Part of my problem was that I never really focused on one style of music, but dabbled in a bit of everything and never really got good at anything.

So I was thinking as a bassist perhaps I should focus on the blues. Its simple enough to learn relatively easily. Plus, I can also bring it to that improvisational stage when my chops are up to it.

What are some things I should know as a blues bassist?

Is there a website which has midi files to help me differentiate between the various blues styles?

[lowphatbass]

I've played a fair amount of blues over the years but in no way consider myself a "blues bassist", however I am comfortable expressing some opinions on the subject:
One of the things that I think is very under-addressed among a lot of less seasoned blues bassists is tone. I constantly hear bassists using a ton of high-mids/highs that are really unnecessary and seem to get in the way. I've been told things like, "your bass actually sounds like a BASS!", sort of a backhanded Guitompliment but more often than not they are the ones fronting the gigs and in many respects they are right, IMO. Rather than "cutting through" the mix, I try to "punch through".

[dmq89]

Thought I'd add my $.02 for you...

First, do a search here on the styles of blues - that's where I got my info from when I started (although the thread escapes me as that was a while ago!). This place is great when it comes to that kind of info!

Second, WALK WALK WALK. Learn all manners of walking bass lines. Also learn the blues scale and get into passing tones (i.e. walking up or down to the next chord). Learn the common chords used in blues and outline those to the best of your ability.

Third (and I may get shot for this ) don't worry too much about soloing. As I discovered (after playing in a lot of noodly rock trios), your job in a blues band is to stay in the pocket and hold the groove. IME, you really don't need to go too far past the 7th fret on a 4 banger. Of course, it is nice to have your chops up if there's a solo round with all instruments or the guitarist breaks a string, but the fundamentals are to hold it down for everybody else. Always remember: "If you wanna get noticed in a blues band, learn to play the harp."

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THAT BLUES IS EASY. Sure, the scales are basic enough, and the walking is okay after you get the basics down. However, if you're just getting by, you generally don't get a lot of work. IME, any good blues player should be able to be "on call" to any band on any night and fit with that band like they've been playing together all of their lives. (This happens a lot where I'm from - bands will hire other other players at the last minute. These guys will hit the stage without even a set list, but you'd never be able to tell. Happened with me a few times, too! )

Fourth, listen to a lot of blues - everything from Gatemouth Brown to SRV to Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Listen to the bass players. What are they doing? Where are they in the pocket?

(Don't forget my two fave blues bassists - TOMMY SHANNON (SRV) and Roscoe Beck.)

Of course, YMMV. I made pretty decent cash playing blues and had a good time doing it!

Sorry for the long post, but there's a lot of info here. Good luck!!!

Thanx!!!

[::::BASSIST::::]

Originally Posted by lowphatbass

I've played a fair amount of blues over the years but in no way consider myself a "blues bassist", however I am comfortable expressing some opinions on the subject:
One of the things that I think is very under-addressed among a lot of less seasoned blues bassists is tone. I constantly hear bassists using a ton of high-mids/highs that are really unnecessary and seem to get in the way. I've been told things like, "your bass actually sounds like a BASS!", sort of a backhanded Guitompliment but more often than not they are the ones fronting the gigs and in many respects they are right, IMO. Rather than "cutting through" the mix, I try to "punch through".

I hear you. Tinny toned blues bass is bad.( )

I'd be using my soon to arrive SVT-IIP tube-hybrid (same pre as the SVT-II).

[::::BASSIST::::]

Originally Posted by dmq89

Thought I'd add my $.02 for you...

First, do a search here on the styles of blues - that's where I got my info from when I started (although the thread escapes me as that was a while ago!). This place is great when it comes to that kind of info!

Second, WALK WALK WALK. Learn all manners of walking bass lines. Also learn the blues scale and get into passing tones (i.e. walking up or down to the next chord). Learn the common chords used in blues and outline those to the best of your ability.

Third (and I may get shot for this ) don't worry too much about soloing. As I discovered (after playing in a lot of noodly rock trios), your job in a blues band is to stay in the pocket and hold the groove. IME, you really don't need to go too far past the 7th fret on a 4 banger. Of course, it is nice to have your chops up if there's a solo round with all instruments or the guitarist breaks a string, but the fundamentals are to hold it down for everybody else. Always remember: "If you wanna get noticed in a blues band, learn to play the harp."

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THAT BLUES IS EASY. Sure, the scales are basic enough, and the walking is okay after you get the basics down. However, if you're just getting by, you generally don't get a lot of work. IME, any good blues player should be able to be "on call" to any band on any night and fit with that band like they've been playing together all of their lives. (This happens a lot where I'm from - bands will hire other other players at the last minute. These guys will hit the stage without even a set list, but you'd never be able to tell. Happened with me a few times, too! )

Fourth, listen to a lot of blues - everything from Gatemouth Brown to SRV to Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Listen to the bass players. What are they doing? Where are they in the pocket?

(Don't forget my two fave blues bassists - TOMMY SHANNON (SRV) and Roscoe Beck.)

Of course, YMMV. I made pretty decent cash playing blues and had a good time doing it!

Sorry for the long post, but there's a lot of info here. Good luck!!!

Thanx!!!

Cool. Thanks, dude.

[cosmicevan]

Originally Posted by dmq89

Thought I'd add my $.02 for you... ...snip...

Brilliant post! thanks for all the valuable info. the blues is something that i've always shyed away from because i always viewed it as too repetitive and constricting, but my playing has matuered a lot lately and i've found myself appreciating more traditional bass (really diggin on motown!). i appreciate all of your advice.

Originally Posted by dmq89

Fourth, listen to a lot of blues - everything from Gatemouth Brown to SRV to Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Listen to the bass players. What are they doing? Where are they in the pocket?

(Don't forget my two fave blues bassists - TOMMY SHANNON (SRV) and Roscoe Beck.)

got any specific must have albums, tracks, or even bassists to look out for?

[Andrew Jones]

Anything on alligator records with Johnny B Gaydon. He's on most of the Albert Collins stuff.


Great example of a modern Blues Bassist,Probally will get rid of that silly Blues Bass is easy notion also.




Aj

[KPJ]

Blues is more about feeling and expression than it is about technical virtuosity. Yes, chops may help you get out what you are trying to express, but don't make the music too technical.

Also, don't just listen to electric blues. Listen to as much of all type of blues as possible. My first inspiration as a blues bassist was Robert Johnson's thumb. Listen to the old solo acoustic blues greats like Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Son House, Lightning Hopkins, etc and hear how they accompanied themselves on their recordings. Internalize those rhythms. Hearing how the solo guys played rhythm can help you understand what is going on in the later recordings.

To re-emphasize, don't think that the blues is easy! You have to know how to subdivide the beat, how to swing, how to feel the groove. Know when to play with the drums, when to play against them, when to push the song, when to lay back. Much of that just comes from immersing yourself in the music, listening to as much of it as you can, and playing with people who KNOW the blues.

[202dy]

Check out Complete Blues Bass by Mike Hiland published by Mel Bay. There are tons of usable lines in all blues styles. By usable I mean you can use these on a gig tomorrow. The book is written in both standard notation and tablature. It is almost 200 pages but it is easy enough that if you put in an hour a day you can zip through it in a month or two. After that you will be able to hear everything else.

[speedrabbit]

+1 on the Complete Blues Bass book. I've also found blues bass books by Jon Leibeman and Ed Friedland (sorry can't remember the exact titles). Also found listening to Duck Dunn with Albert King & the Blues Brothers, Greg Rzab with Buddy Guy and Dave Bronze with Eric Clapton to be really good.

I played in a blues band for about a year. It was really interesting learning to walk for the first time and using lots of different variations within often fairly simple chord progressions. Taught me a lot about working closely with the drummer as well as discipline.

[dlb1001]

Another aspect is time. I'm taking lessons through the School of Blues and the instructor really emphasizes having a good sense of time. The faster tempo songs I can handle but the slow ones, like Stormy Monday, is hard because it is so easy to get ahead of the beat.
Finally, got learn how to play shuffles in 1 3 5 6, uptown ascending (1 5 flat7 8), uptown descending (1 8 flat 7 5), etc.

[steveb98]

Most people underestimate what it takes to be a good Blues bass player. They overplay because they aren't listening to the other band members to play a part that fits. Also playing Blues is all about dynamics and you need to be able to control that with your hands, can't be play with your volume control all the time. Also need to be very alert most tunes are head arrangements and even change while playing. Who ever is in the spotlight at the moment its there band so have to watch the singer or soloist and follow them. Biggest thing is Blues bass is all about simple and solid time.

[Kenny Allyn]

And once more it ain't as easy as some folks think ... at least to do it right.

Love your drummer you and the drummer are a unit, he is going to just know when your gonna be "behind" the beat and when your gonna come back and nail it.

You can go off on little excursions with the guitar players, you might be surprized at how often that works.

Lots of both right hand and left hand technique involved ... one of my guitar players was watching my right hand playing just a funky little line and he just shook his head and muttered something like "I never knew it took all that"

When walking watch an upright player and his left hand technique, they clutch a string rather than just play the note solid ... it's a good tehnique to learn.

It comes with time but learn when you can interchange 3rds and flatted 3rds ... and how and when to drag a 5th.

... We had two members of or band leave last week ... replaced them with two seasoned blues players ... in one nite we are better than before ... experiance counts!

[arbarnhart]

I am in a similar situation but with even less time on the bass. I was never very good on the guitar, I have played mandolin for a couple of years and I do okay with it, but not great and I have high hopes for the bass but right now I am still not very good (a quick trip to my SoundClick link will confirm that, but that is not my best work; just some "one takes" from a single night for practicing with and I really sucked that night; oh well). I am using a blues bass book with a few lines in different styles and a play along CD but I am still scattergunning a little bit; I also have a rock book I am working through and a blues mandolin book. But I am 48 and pretty much accepted that I am not all that skilled at music and it's a hobby and social outlet. I have decided it's OK to bounce around some. I am working on my timing and doing a better job laying down a good bass line consistently. But enough about me - what about you? Why are you playing? What is your goal?

I have noticed that when I use set patterns and pay strict attention to staying on beat, the first time or two around the guitarists tell me I am doing great. But after two or three times, they start telling me to try some different walks sometimes and occasionally do a fill or run. A run up and down the blues scale is about all I do for a solo, but it is really just to be acknowledged/introduced.

[KPJ]

For help on playing slow blues, practice playing the note at the last possible moment. Set up a drum machine pattern or a metronome and play the note WAAAAAAAY back on the beat. Practice that until you can internalize it. Then play around with dynamics, play it softly, than harder. Try that when playing with a band and you will build a great deal of tension that you can release with a nice fill on the turnaround. It's great to play like that when supporting a slow burn solo, be it a guitarist, harp player, keys. Start out soft and lay way back, then slowly build it and know when to push it.

It's a lot like good sex!

[Bobbo 77"]

KPJ & Arbarnhart.....GREAT advice! Relax and groooooove! Keep dem ear's open. And, listen to the different STYLES of blues (Chicago, Texas, Jump and Funky blues style's ect.)
Bobbo 77'

[Lowtonejoe]

Here's a list of some really cool blues tunes.





Joe.