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Double Bass Bluegrass Bowing

#44
Hey great, I'm so glad it worked out. I still see inconsistencies, all the triplett stuff. Occasionally the same part is written out differently but I guess that just gives you two different reads on the same passage. It was a good exercise for me to drag out the garageband and see if I could figure out the notation program. I'm sure it will do everything but I was still having a tough time correcting some passages. It would have been easier to write it out;) If you have any questions just let me know. At least this gets you the notes, the rest is in your bow... Cheers

I just realized it's written in 4/4 time, I think it is really in 2/4 but if this reads to you, that's good enough for jazz....or "fiddlin'"
 
#45
Jason, I gave a listen to your tracks on myspace. Very impressive. I've been looking to incorporate some bowing on my bluegrass gigs. I've got some 'shedding to do. You've given me, and I assume some others, food for thought. Thanks.
 
#47
Just a note...

After reading this thread, I was inspired to pick up the bow for a tune my (new) bluegrass band picked up.

"Ashokan Farewell" is a very legato piece, so I thought it would be cool to bow the last verse. The band loved it.

TalkBass is a good influence.
 
#48
Jason, I just checked out your myspace and am blown away. Within the past couple weeks I've decided to start bowing again with the hopes of playing traditional fiddle tunes and seeing your videos has inspired me. Thanks a ton for putting those up. And the klezmer(?) band sounds awesome.

Does anybody know of any books or cds that have fiddle tunes for bass? My focus is on old time/bluegrass, but at this point I'll take what I can get.

Thanks
Alan
 
#50
I'm thrilled to finally hear other bluegrass bassists talking about bowing...and playing fiddle tunes!

At one festival my band played, I took a break with my bow. Afterwards, a bluegrass purist told me that "when you play it with the bow, it's a cello!" :)
 
#51
andy rice said:
Anyone on here ever tried to get the percussive chop that fiddle players and cellists like rushad eggleston do? I've been working on it, and was wondering if anyone has had any success with it.

i've got a couple of examples on my blog at Link Removed and i've been trying it out live and did it on a couple of records in the past couple of years.
Click to expand...

I've been working on it off and on for a while. I find that the technique Rushad uses of chopping parallel to the strings doesn't yield the same effects on the bass, and more often than not breaks a ton of bow hairs. I've been trying to get the same effect by chopping perpendicular to the strings (in line with usual bow movement). Also, I find the chop works better on the higher strings than the lower (in contrast to the cello or fiddle chop, where they tend to chop on the lower strings). You get more of the "cccrrch" sound.

What about you?

Darrol Anger's 'Chops and Grooves' DVD is a pretty good intro to the technique, for those who don't know it. Just wish it wasn't so cheezy to sit through.
 
#54
Jason Sypher said:
Natalie Haas plays cello and has an assortment of chops that she uses to great effect.
Click to expand...


i love her playing! i've been checking her and rushad eggleston out for a few years now...trying to adapt what they do to the bass. also, darol anger and casey driessen are monsters with the chopness.

i've been employing it alot this summer at live gigs.

i'll hopefully throw some video up on my blog soon.
 
#55
gp_bass said:
I've been working on it off and on for a while. I find that the technique Rushad uses of chopping parallel to the strings doesn't yield the same effects on the bass, and more often than not breaks a ton of bow hairs. I've been trying to get the same effect by chopping perpendicular to the strings (in line with usual bow movement). Also, I find the chop works better on the higher strings than the lower (in contrast to the cello or fiddle chop, where they tend to chop on the lower strings). You get more of the "cccrrch" sound.

What about you?

Darrol Anger's 'Chops and Grooves' DVD is a pretty good intro to the technique, for those who don't know it. Just wish it wasn't so cheezy to sit through.
Click to expand...

i actually learned alot from the video and i chalked the cheesyness up to those guys being pretty goofy....they kind of are.

i definitely break some bow hairs...at least one per tune that i chop on. i'll have to try that perpendicular thing...

i usually aim for the d string when i go for the chop, for the same reason you said....the low strings don't speak as easily.
 
#56
I threw these up in the last couple of weeks. Nothing heavy-weight, just me working some simple tunes into my bass fiddling. One is an irish original from Liz Carroll and the other is a standard bluegrass/oldtime chestnut, Big Sciota. It's been a good exercise to just play these into my laptop camera and force myself to hear, see and share them. I'm learning a lot from the experience. Enjoy...

 
#60
Jason Sypher said:
I agree with the post above. I played this tune as a bass player at festivals for years. So I had the tune in me long before I tried it on the bass. And furthermore, I tried it on the bass many times and thought I couldn't get a piece of it so I just gave up. Then I got a recording recently by French Carpenter and there the tune was again. He played it with two parts but hearing it helped me assemble it in my head and then on the bass. Of course, it doesn't sound too good at first. You've just to take it phrase by phrase and see if you can get any of them happening.
A lot of it has to do with the bowing and phrasing as you can see when these tunes are written out they look very childlike. There is a pulse or swing that keeps the damn thing in the air so try to practice that simple shuffle a bit. I could make you a super slow file and send it to you?

I found a free download here:
http://music.download.com/morgantownrounders/3615-8240_32-100620010.html
Click to expand...

Alright, laid up sick today and passing time reading old threads 😁

Jason, any chance you’ve still got these fiddle tunes posted somewhere?
 

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