African bass lines?

[EdHunter]

I think its the Rough Guide for World Music

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[bass12]

My quick capsule review of "African Bass Bible" featuring Kibisi Douglas DVD.

First of all, Kibisi Douglas is not a legendary or even well known player. He is talented, but by no means mind-blowing.

Regarding the DVD - the production quality is very low budget and very European. There is a 5 minute interview with Kibisi mostly focused on his right hand technique. It is a very specialized approach, but I can see the value of developing it. Then there is 90+ minutes of exercises; 20+ playing examples. After each playing example there is a solo'd drum machine track to practice the given example (an ok feature, but kind of annoying). The "exercises" are basically just grooves in Kibisi's style which is primarily soukous. Many of the grooves are variations on previous examples, and there is no verbal explanation of any kind clarifying the context of the groove/style, etc.

This is certainly not an "African Bass Bible." It is not comprehensive by any means; do not expect some along the lines of "The Slap Bass Program" by Alexis Sklarevski. Kibisi's DVD is definitely a one trick pony, but it is a groovy pony. The DVD does have instructional value. I like it, and I can see it benefiting my playing, but I would have felt better paying $15 instead of $25.

I do expect to have fun learning these grooves though.

Reviving an old thread here because I just watched "African Bass Bible" and agree with most of what was said above. Wow - terrible audio quality. I had to turn the volume right up and even then I could barely make out certain parts. Also, it looks as if the DVD was burned instead of properly manufactured. The actual instructional aspect of the video is almost nil. As far as technique and music analysis is concerned, besides a brief discussion of the thumb/forefinger plucking technique and brief demonstration of a rhythmic pattern played on djembe, there's nothing. There's no footage clarifying what's being played via slow motion or a different angle and no discussion regarding what's being played. There are definitely places where it would be nice to hear the featured bassist (Douglas) tell us what he's doing ("here I'm using my index finger to pluck twice in a row versus using my thumb and then finger", for example). Because of the angle of the shots it can be difficult to discern at times how the strings are being plucked. The thumb/finger technique is foreign to a lot of bassists so it's really a shame that more attention isn't given to the mechanics of that approach, along with step-by-step demonstrations of the exact plucking patterns. And forget any discussion of different music styles - it's basically Congolese rhumba/soukous and that's it. Anyway, highly disappointing. It's actually amazing to me that there doesn't exist a greater number of instructional resources where African bass is concerned...

 

[Rhythmman535]

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[mcnach]

Zimbabwean music like chimurenga is great for ternary - check out max mapfumo (track called Mutserendende is really good example), thomas mapfumo, any mbira music, the bhundu boys, stuff like that

soweto music and township is great - there is a rough trade album from way back which I think paul simon got hold of which inspired him to make graceland - that's called 'sounds of soweto'. the bass player on that is great - it's different to most african stuff because it's really sort of punk-ish - very middy and up front. the guys name is something like sol malipane

also for the kind of afrobeat thing - fela obviously (although I never got much from the basslines in fela cos they're not really stand out - much more about tony allen if you ask me). Ebeneezer Obey and his inter-reformers, Sonny Ade is amazing (lots more bass instruments than just bass on that - weird talking drums and allsorts).

Tinariwen's bass player is sublime - their new album is their best - much more desert blues sound. They are from northern mali in the sahara.

Congolese music has the strangest rhythmic turnarounds you'll ever hear - check out a tune called 'sequestration' by awila longomba. I don't really know what the bass is doing in that but congolese music is very particular and intricate with the bass.

Extra Golden are a hybrid band - part american part kenyan, but the main songwriter, Ian Eagleson, writes all the bass and guitar parts, and he writes them really well. He is an ethnomusicolist and has studied benga music so he's really inside the style, but he really innovates so his guitar and bass lines are amazing - really interlocking grooves. Check out their first album with otieno on vocals, it's the best.

If you can find an lp called 'music of burundi' then there is some awesome bass frequency stuff played by a guy with and instrument which is a bit like a bass lute, which is intense.

Kanda Bongo Man (I like it anyway)

And this is the best resource of all, and one I should check out more,

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I know this is an old thread, but the information in it is fantastic. And this post in particular... very useful! Thanks!

 

[mcnach]

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Very nice!
I first came across this video below, liked it so much that I went to udemy and bought the lesson...

 

[Pbassmanca]

Here's a pertinent one!

 

[mcnach]

Here's a pertinent one!

!!!