Rhythmic Styles

[hdiddy]

In my bass development, I'm finding that I'm running into different styles the more I go along. I think I need to expand my rhythmic vocab. Rhythmic styles that many songs will employ and often times they are associated with a particular song. What I'd like to do is identify how many different important basslines can you guys think of. Things that would make you look stupid if you didn't know them on the bandstand.

For example, these are what I can think of...
* Swing/Walking
* 2 Feel
* Bossa
* Samba
* Tumbao
* A fast 6/8 groove
* Some sort of funk line
* odd meters 5/8 or 7/8

Tune related:
* All Blues bassline
* comp Autumn Leaves by playing the downbeat and it's leading note.
* Night in Tunisia bassline for the melody
* Poinciana?

The first couple are obvious, and feel free to add. What else?

[David Kaczorowski]

Add playing in 3 and the line to Footprints, Little Sunflower, and maybe Red Clay

[Marc Piane]

this brings up a question. Someone on the Latin scene here on Chicago told me that tumbao is not the name of a groove but a word talking about a groove of a certain variety. Can someone enlighten me?

As far as stock lines and hits there are tons.

[hdiddy]

Originally Posted by David Kaczorowski

Add playing in 3 and the line to Footprints, Little Sunflower, and maybe Red Clay

Yeah I forgot about playing in 3.

Another one that bugged me in the past is "Maiden Voyage".
Also, I've seen "Equinox" get called several times in open jams.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by fingers

this brings up a question. Someone on the Latin scene here on Chicago told me that tumbao is not the name of a groove but a word talking about a groove of a certain variety. Can someone enlighten me?

Earlier this year I started gigging w/ a drummer who has a Masters in Studio Jazz Drumming from the University of Miami. I am going to make it a point to have him teach me all the true flavers of "latin", not just the lame gringo type we're all probably familiar with. If I get some interesting s%^& to share, I will post.

[hdiddy]

Erm... something is coming to me...... when it comes to Cuban music there is a bunch of different little styles within just "salsa". I know alot of them have their own dance... Guaguanco, Son, Descarga, and a few others. So logically I think they might have a different tumbao pattern for each like how they have a different montuno on the piano or tres guitar. So when you say you want to learn cuban/latin music, you have to learn all parts for the little subgenres just as learning Brazilian involves learning differences between Bossa, Samba, Forro, etc. and how they're different with the various instruments.

So yeah, tumbao is just a rhythmic pattern (and some) for the bass parts as originally played on them wood boxes they used a long time ago.

Blah. I used to know more on the subject but totally forgot. Sorry for the clumsy explanation.

[Michael Glynn]

Well, it's really more of a melody than just a bass line, but all bassists should know "So What." It's probably the only tune where the band will actually ask you to play the head and expect that you know it.

[hdiddy]

Yep. Anything that'll make you look stupid if you don't know it on the bandstand automatically qualifies.

[Michael Glynn]

Ooh, ooh, I have some more song-specific ones.

Whisper Not - all the hits on the head and don't forget the march feel on the shout chorus.

All The Things You Are - the bebop intro

Recorda Me - intro and hits. Extra credit for knowing the original bass line for the first 8 bars of the head (from the album "Page One"). Sometimes people play it this way instead of with the big hits.

[Marc Piane]

Originally Posted by Michael Glynn

Well, it's really more of a melody than just a bass line, but all bassists should know "So What." It's probably the only tune where the band will actually ask you to play the head and expect that you know it.

When that tune gets called at a session I politely ask to play something else. I know it. Like the back of my hand. But it never fails that every time it gets called at a session every wannabe with a horn comes up and blows their best blues scale riffs for 10 choruses while you and the drummer look at eachother and wonder if there is enough booze in the bar to numb the pain.

I'm not bitter though.

[JeffKissell]

Originally Posted by fingers

When that tune gets called at a session I politely ask to play something else. I know it. Like the back of my hand. But it never fails that every time it gets called at a session every wannabe with a horn comes up and blows their best blues scale riffs for 10 choruses while you and the drummer look at eachother and wonder if there is enough booze in the bar to numb the pain.

I'm not bitter though.

Marco,
You just made my day!!
-J

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by fingers

When that tune gets called at a session I politely ask to play something else. I know it. Like the back of my hand. But it never fails that every time it gets called at a session every wannabe with a horn comes up and blows their best blues scale riffs for 10 choruses while you and the drummer look at eachother and wonder if there is enough booze in the bar to numb the pain.

I'm not bitter though.

I love that, too. When that happens, I love to start superimposing weird **** like phrasing in 5 or 7 and then always nailing the V-bVI-V bit right on time. It's like a game: stump the guy drooling into his instrument, but always be meticulously right on the form. It keeps the solos a lot shorter, and it's cheaper than drinking.

I'm not bitter either.

[hdiddy]

Thank you for your encyclopedia entry. I'm sure I'll look stupid not knowing afro-pop on a regular jazz gig.

[René_Julien]

Originally Posted by hdiddy

Thank you for your encyclopedia entry. I'm sure I'll look stupid not knowing afro-pop on a regular jazz gig.

Just a spammer. Already reported.

[Michael Glynn]

Originally Posted by fingers

When that tune gets called at a session I politely ask to play something else. I know it. Like the back of my hand. But it never fails that every time it gets called at a session every wannabe with a horn comes up and blows their best blues scale riffs for 10 choruses while you and the drummer look at eachother and wonder if there is enough booze in the bar to numb the pain.

I'm not bitter though.

Yeah, I actually really don't like playing this tune, but sometimes it happens. I agree that it brings out the worst instincts of mediocre horn players. I don't know what's worse, them playing their tired blues riffs for 10 choruses of So What, or them playing 10 choruses of random notes on Giant Steps. Being the house bassist at a weekly jam session, these are the thoughts that keep me up at night...

[frichter]

Originally Posted by fingers

When that tune gets called at a session I politely ask to play something else.

And then the tenor player says: "how 'bout impressions?"

[Marc Piane]

I once played a gig where So What, Impressions, and Little Sunflower all got called in the same set. Ugh.

[Phil Smith]

Tune specfic line, Señor Blues.

[joel kelsey]

Originally Posted by fingers

I once played a gig where So What, Impressions, and Little Sunflower all got called in the same set. Ugh.

D minor is the saddest of all keys....

[brianh]

Originally Posted by fingers

I once played a gig where So What, Impressions, and Little Sunflower all got called in the same set. Ugh.

That sounds like a lot of gigs...