any merengue bass players

[BlazeBass]

im new to bass playing and im interested in learning how to play merengue music, the bass lines are simple, i just don't know what to play, help, so any advice would be helpful

 

[garmenteros]

Juan Luis Guerra's Bachata Rosa is a great album and has some very good lines. Dont know if its a good place to start but it is a good album to listen to.

 

[Pacman]

1 and 5 man, 1 and 5. That's home in meringue. A salsa/meringue bandleader I used to work for called it the 'puerto rican two step'.

 

[7StringBassist]

add the 4th and you got blues pac !

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Juan Luis Guerra's Bachata Rosa is a great album and has some very good lines. Dont know if its a good place to start but it is a good album to listen to.

That album is a great example, but at the time it was released (1991) the overall style was very different. One of the main differences: The 5-string bass wasn't the norm. Los Hermanos Rosario was the first band I remember using notes lower than the open E on their music's basslines (in the early 90s), but Kinito Méndez was the artist who rewrote the way the Merengue should be played. It happened in the mid 90's and his album called "El Hombre Merengue" was the first notable album that reflected such change. You can hear the low B string's rumble on almost every measure. Fills and glissandos became more elaborated as well.

Of course, I'm talking based on how that evolution was received in my country. Maybe it happened earlier, maybe other artists were involved, but I received that stylistic change the way I'm telling it above.

So you have two basic Merengue styles to listen. For the old one, check the classic tunes recorded by Wilfrido Vargas, Juan Luis Guerra, Johnny Ventura, Bonny Cepeda, Los Hermanos Rosario, Coco Band, Los Vecinos, Sergio Vargas and Jossie Esteban & La Patrulla 15.

For the new style, check music from Kinito Méndez, Rikarena, Elvis Crespo, K-libre, Eddy Herrera, Tulile and Los Sabrosos Del Merengue.

Unfortunately for the genre (and in my humble opinion), Juan Luis Guerra is the ONLY Merengue artist that keeps making quality music. The only old-school bands that have been able to keep their relevance after the stylistic change (and embraced it) as for today are his and Sergio Vargas', but Sergio Vargas still relies on his old hits. His most recent music is nothing special to me.

The rest... well, they are great live bands with terrific musicians, but their music is totally disposable IMO. Anyway, for an example of a terrific live band, check Link Removed.

Finally, I'd like to share three live videos of my tropical music band playing some Merengue medleys. Not that great, but anyway hope you'll find them enjoyable:

Medley from Los Hermanos Rosario music.

Medley from Sergio Vargas music.

Medley from Jossie Esteban, Bonny Cepeda and Johnny Ventura music.

Let us know if you need further assistance. Hope this helps.

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Just for a side-to-side comparison, here are some examples of old-school and new-school Merengue (You'll hear the bass much better with a good set of headphones):

Old school: Link Removed

New school: Link Removed

 

[VroomVroom]

Two absolutely awesome posts...thanks! Entertaining and informative, with some awesome examples. I enjoyed your three videos too - great band and terrific bass tone!

 

[Chris K]

Try listenng to the roots of the merengue first - Angel Viloria!

It gives me... well, listen for yourself!

 

[Mazatleco17]

Juan Luis Guerra's Bachata Rosa, is a classic.

 

[L T]

yes.. points for Juan Luis Guerra's bass player (does some one know his name?)

elvis crespo has also cool bass lines, although they seriously sound pretty much the same all around.. still, what i like about 'em is the Misterious.. almost absence he uses! really really cool, never heard it before. he comes in in one.. maybe Two beats in a whole measure with a Low root note, sometimes leaves two or more measures of Silence, jaja as i said, really cool.. anyway.. juan luis guerra's bass line ROCK.

and carlos vives'... whew. latin rock bass ..this guy does Exactly what he should do.. no more. no less. here u go. carlos vives - enjoy!!!


l..l (if some one knows the name of J.L.G.'s bass playa plz let me kno!) gracias

 

[DWBass]

1 and 5 man, 1 and 5. That's home in meringue. A salsa/meringue bandleader I used to work for called it the 'puerto rican two step'.

+1 Merengue isn't hard to play at all. When you get to other latin styles is where you'll get stumped if you have no rhythm!

Speaking of.... Yes lawd! I worked in the Bronx for over 20 years and listened to this music daily!

 

[DGbass70]

Alvaro covered a lot of the folks that are good in the genre....here's a few more:
Limite-21
Olga Tañon
Millie Quesada
Karis
Toño Rosario
Grupo Mania
Caña Brava
Melina Leon
Zona Roja
Jose Medina

 

[EdMerc]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I felt that some absolutely essential salsa songs are missing here. Song from the so called Golden era of Salsa.

Periodico de Ayer - Hector Lavoe
Vasos de Colores - Marvin Santiago
Fuego a la Jicotea - Marvin Santiago
Payaso - Andy Montañez
Tu Con El - Frankie Ruiz
25 Rosas - Paquito Guzman
Llorars - Oscar D'Leon
Todo Tiene Su Final - Cheo Feliciano
La Cura - Frankie Ruiz
Ven Devorame Otra Vez - Lalo Rodriguez
Como Lo Hacen - Tommy Olivencia
La Rueda - Orquesta La Solucion
Casi Te Envideo - Andy Monteñez
Esa Mujer - Tony Vega
La Carta - Oscar D'Leon
Bailando - Frankie Ruiz
Vivir Lo Nuestro - India (Marc Antony duet)
Me Voy Pa Cali - Oscar D'Leon

That's just a taste, but it's enough to bring the house down if you have a mature salsa crowd. Trust me.

Ed.

 

[RooseveltOnBass]

I am a Dominican Bass player of Latin-jazz and Merengue I am also a Historian of Dominican music..

Merengue bass is in fact quite simple. It is historically a 1-5 under the respective chord. However, in recent times the Bass has been playing a much more active role. Dominican Bass players are using alot more Slap, Chorded Glissando and extreme pentatonic fills(FUNKY STUFF!)

Now remeber, Just like Reggae or Afro-cuban music, there are many styles of Merengue music as well. There's Merengue Tipico(otherwise known as Pericio Ripiao), there's Merengue derecho (Straight) and Merengue Mambo(a very urbanized and currently the popular form of merengue. In each of these distinctive styles, the style of bass playing differs slightly.


this link is a good example of what merengue bass players are doing in "Merengue Mambo"


P.S
Look up Pedro Valdez and Joe Nicholas. Pedro Valdez is arguably the best dominican bass player out now and Joe Nicolas was the first Dominican bass player to sort of "modernize" merengue bass by introducing some of those funky licks I was talking about.


I hope this helps, DM and I can give you more references if you are intrested.

 

[bass12]

I am a Dominican Bass player of Latin-jazz and Merengue I am also a Historian of Dominican music..

Merengue bass is in fact quite simple. It is historically a 1-5 under the respective chord. However, in recent times the Bass has been playing a much more active role. Dominican Bass players are using alot more Slap, Chorded Glissando and extreme pentatonic fills(FUNKY STUFF!)

Now remeber, Just like Reggae or Afro-cuban music, there are many styles of Merengue music as well. There's Merengue Tipico(otherwise known as Pericio Ripiao), there's Merengue derecho (Straight) and Merengue Mambo(a very urbanized and currently the popular form of merengue. In each of these distinctive styles, the style of bass playing differs slightly.


this link is a good example of what merengue bass players are doing in "Merengue Mambo"


P.S
Look up Pedro Valdez and Joe Nicholas. Pedro Valdez is arguably the best dominican bass player out now and Joe Nicolas was the first Dominican bass player to sort of "modernize" merengue bass by introducing some of those funky licks I was talking about.


I hope this helps, DM and I can give you more references if you are intrested.

Great post - thanks!

 

[RooseveltOnBass]

I know this thread is old. but the link in my previous posting is actually an example of Merengue Tipico! (typical).

 

[Manuel101]

Here are a few of my merengue videos hope they help

 

[Manuel101]

Some tutorials in spanish