question about the blues

sgbass321 · #1 06-04-2009, 08:21 PM

i love the blues but i really dont know that much about the that style of music.

i mean i know the basics like I-IV-V progression and the blues penitonic...but i wanna get deep into the blues...what should i learn to like become a master blues bassest?

Toronto Bassist · #2 06-04-2009, 08:23 PM

Transcribe basslines by great blues bassists!

**Pacman** · #3 06-04-2009, 09:10 PM

Not technique related. Moved to General Instruction.

Jim Campbell · #4 06-04-2009, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgbass321

i love the blues but i really dont know that much about the that style of music.

i mean i know the basics like I-IV-V progression and the blues penitonic...but i wanna get deep into the blues...what should i learn to like become a master blues bassest?

listen to willy dixon,muddy waters,howlin wolf,buddy guy,albert,and albert,little walter,then go south to the delta,texas,,the piedmont,ragtime, roots........there are lots of directions to go,even some white guys like stevie ray,rory gallagher,peter green,.....and a ton of other guys i missed

meta · #5 06-04-2009, 10:42 PM

you gotta feel the blues to play the blues. the best blues bassists seem to get the groove and just play sad. if the bass ain't sad, the guitar sure ain't sad, and the drums can't be sad by themselves. if you can do that then there isn't anything more to it besides technique, and that's kind of secondary depending on which plateau you're on.

Lowtonejoe · #6 06-04-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meta

you gotta feel the blues to play the blues. the best blues bassists seem to get the groove and just play sad. if the bass ain't sad, the guitar sure ain't sad, and the drums can't be sad by themselves. if you can do that then there isn't anything more to it besides technique, and that's kind of secondary depending on which plateau you're on.

Now that was sad!

Bwahahaha! Me so funny!

Joe.

aus_bass · #7 06-04-2009, 11:01 PM

To play the Blues, you gotta have the Blues.........

Lose your job, get kicked out by your ol' lady, lose a month's wages at the casino, etc. You get the idea ?

Lowtonejoe · #8 06-04-2009, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus_bass

To play the Blues, you gotta have the Blues.........

Lose your job, get kicked out by your ol' lady, lose a month's wages at the casino, etc. You get the idea ?

Oh yeah?

Check out the song 'Another Fine Day' by the Ford Blues Band.

Nothin' but good times my friend!

Joe.

Dogbertday · #9 06-04-2009, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meta

you gotta feel the blues to play the blues. the best blues bassists seem to get the groove and just play sad. if the bass ain't sad, the guitar sure ain't sad, and the drums can't be sad by themselves. if you can do that then there isn't anything more to it besides technique, and that's kind of secondary depending on which plateau you're on.

Drums by themselves playin' the blues IS rediculously sad... just think of a slow blows drum beat and nothing else....

Jaydin Nathan · #10 06-05-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogbertday

Drums by themselves playin' the blues IS rediculously sad... just think of a slow blows drum beat and nothing else....

I think he means if the bass isn't sad, then the guitar can't be sad. And that leaves the drums, which can't be sad if the bass and guitar aren't sad.
But drums playing a blues beat would be pretty interesting

Dogbertday · #11 06-05-2009, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJaydin

I think he means if the bass isn't sad, then the guitar can't be sad. And that leaves the drums, which can't be sad if the bass and guitar aren't sad.
But drums playing a blues beat would be pretty interesting

Maybe with toms tuned to some blue notes...

fearceol · #12 06-05-2009, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meta

you gotta feel the blues to play the blues.

I see this stated quite a lot and it's not true IMO. If it was, then all the great blues bassists would be suffering from manic depression.

fearceol · #13 06-05-2009, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meta

the best blues bassists seem to get the groove and just play sad.

There are lots of upbeat happy "blues" songs also. How is a "sad" bassist supposed to cope with these ?

Fergie Fulton · #14 06-05-2009, 05:42 AM

Listen to the music and play what you hear, listen to the music and play what you hear, listen to the music and play what you hear. I say the three times to hammer it home listen to the music, not the bass lines but the music. Play what you hear, is not just play the bass line, but play a bass line.
In Blues more than any other form of music i have found mediocrity and laziness can be justified as "the Blues".
As for copy cat players who think they are the "real deal", if i see the "next Steve Ray or the new BB King, my shoulders drop. Why? because Stevie and BB were original and inovators not copy cats.

Blues encompasses many styles from Delta to Chicago blues, from Texas to British Blues. Piano, harp, guitar, accordian etc there are many lead instruments in Blues with as many styles for bass to play with, so listen to the music and play what YOU hear.

MEKer · #15 06-05-2009, 07:04 AM

sad-schmad.......play a brown note when "blueing" and watch sad go to mad real quick. Mwaahhhaaahhaa-imagine a whole room of now-not-so-cool-people in such distress. But YOU might end up with the black and blues.

..........i'm so bad

wildhorse · #16 06-05-2009, 07:09 AM

Yeah funny but the Blues always cheers me up.

fearceol · #17 06-05-2009, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEKer

sad-schmad.......play a brown note when "blueing" and watch sad go to mad real quick. Mwaahhhaaahhaa-imagine a whole room of now-not-so-cool-people in such distress. But YOU might end up with the black and blues.

..........i'm so bad

Yes, but the point is, a brown note is probably just a mistake in this context, and could be played regardless of your frame of mind.

JTE · #18 06-05-2009, 08:42 AM

Duh- PLAY WITH OTHER PEOPLE!! It's all about the interaction between musicians (ALL of 'em, including singers).

So, listen and play along with good blues musicians on record (Wolf, The King Family, Muddy). But also dig into the roots, so spend time with Robert Johnson, Son House, Skip James, Robert Lockwood Jr., etc. Then get thee to a blues jam (I can't believe I'm telling someone to attend that peculiar form of torture called an open-mic blues jam). The first time maybe just hang out, listen to what's going on, talk to other players (not just bassists), learn the protocol. Then the second time take your bass, make yourself overcome doubt and sit in. Expect to fall on your face. Pick yourself up and learn from that.

But if the blues jam is full of Stevie Ray Wannabees, then it's probably NOT blues, but rock 'n' roll with annoying guitar solos, so move on...

jte

dmusic148 · #19 06-05-2009, 08:48 AM

I prefer blues in the modern style. My favorite example of playing exactly the right thing in exactly the right way is SRV's 'The Sky Is Crying.' Makes the hair on my neck stand up, literally.

Bassgrinder77 · #20 06-05-2009, 09:07 AM

Rhythmic phrasing. Great blues players don't have a lot of scale notes to use. It's where you put the notes, rhythmic dexterity, timing, feel, how you push the song. Forget looking for any theory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgbass321

i love the blues but i really dont know that much about the that style of music.

i mean i know the basics like I-IV-V progression and the blues penitonic...but i wanna get deep into the blues...what should i learn to like become a master blues bassest?