Playing bass with dobro in Open D tuning

[petesh7]

I have a session this week with a guitar player who plays a dobro in open d tuning. I am looking for some tips etc re accompying in these circumstances. I have a working knowledge of how open tuning work in relation to chords etc but I'am not to sure how to approach this form a bass palers perspective

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[superfunk47]

Posting duplicate threads really won't get you more responses, you know. It's just annoying.

[petesh7]

It was done by accident. First time user and I did not put in a title the first time round

[Sartori]

I recently played session bass for my friends' band because their regular bassist couldn't make it. Normally I tune my basses in standard, but they tune to drop C. So I put some heavier strings on and tuned my bass's strings, from lowest to highest: C F Bb Eb

One song they tuned up to standard D for, so I just borrowed my friend's Fender Jazz and tuned it D G C F. I find that tuning in 4ths as is standard, no matter what the lowest note is, is most comfortable for me.

[petesh7]

Thanks for that

[JTE]

I don't see as it's any different from playing with a guitarist, a keyboard, or a kazoo orchestra. Your job as bassist is the same thing. Define the harmony and connect the rhythm with the melodic parts of the music. I utterly fail to see what a Dobro, or it being in open tuning has to do with what to play.

Can you elucidate?

jte

[Bofee]

I played for years in a duo/trio with a guitarist that regularly used half a dozen different tunings, drop D, double drop D, open Gm, drop C, etc. As long as you can hear what he's playing and know something about structure of the song, you can ignore the fact that his tuning is different and play your bass. This is true if you're playing along side a mandolin, ukulele or piano, so why should a retuned guitar/dobro be any different? I'm not trying to be a smart @ss, really. What I'm saying is don't worry about it, dive in and have fun. If all else fails you can always say, "What chord is that?" or "What are you playing there?", I do it all the time. Or use the puzzled look on your face and pointing at the fingerboard method, that works, too.
(It's funny how every other instrument expects the bass to be able to just follow along, but the vast majority of them can't follow the bass when you outline a chord progression.)

[petesh7]

Thanks for those responses you have more or less confirmed that I was on the right track.

[tobie]

Originally Posted by JTE

I don't see as it's any different from playing with a guitarist, a keyboard, or a kazoo orchestra. Your job as bassist is the same thing.

Agreed. I play dobro too and I don't expect the bassist to do anything different to accommodate me. Vice versa: if I play bass I don't do anything different to accommodate another instrument (other than perhaps locking in to the drums).