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Double Bass Bluegrass Licks etc.
- Thread starter gypsydjango
- Start date
Many of the DB players in bands I see out here on the left coast of the USA are doing harmonic walks (and sometimes chromatic walks depending on the song), often near the end of phrases to help bring the next chord in. The standard bass line is still emphasized, but other work is integrated around it. And I'm seeing a number of folks are taking melodic breaks in selected (generally not all) songs. It isn't unusual to hear a little slap or tap going on too.
Personally I tend to prefer to hear enough creativity in the DB that I don't fall asleep, and I like hearing the DB take a break in a song occasionally.
Often this all depends on how traditional a band wants to be -- I'd be surprised if this kind of thing isn't discussed among folks in most bands to make sure the total sound is going in the direction they want. And that may be regional too, depending on how "traditional" the audience is. I know our band has talked and talks about it and we try to be sensitive to the audiences we play for. Jams are similar too, it pretty much depends on who is jamming and what their desired bluegrass sound is.
Personally I tend to prefer to hear enough creativity in the DB that I don't fall asleep, and I like hearing the DB take a break in a song occasionally.
I recently read that Allen Lomax called bluegrass "country jazz"
Blues and jazz books would be a good start.
The key is to stick with the arpeggios more than the chromatic, add a 6th, minor 3 or 7 for flavor, sparingly
Or you will get looks
Blues and jazz books would be a good start.
The key is to stick with the arpeggios more than the chromatic, add a 6th, minor 3 or 7 for flavor, sparingly
Or you will get looks
I'm not strictly a BG player - tho I play a lot of BG tunes.
I found it easier to play interesting breaks when I got more comfortable playing the melodies of some of the more common songs. You could figure them out by ear, or there are several books that have them written out for you. IMO, the
Fiddler's Philharmonic series is pretty helpful. There are several books. For each song they give the chords and a simple bass line, then a simple version of the melody, then a more complex version. Once I got more used to hearing and playing melodies, I found it easier to adapt them into breaks. One problem with many fiddle tunes is trying to play them to speed, so get used to dropping a ton of notes. One of the most challenging things for me is remembering which note the melody stats on - generally not the tonic.
Another idea I play with is working off the octaves and "inverting" patterns. Interchange between arpeggios that go up from the low G, and then down from the high G. Basically just different walking patterns. Working on playing up the neck allows a whole different range of tones.
BG purists might object, but I like like messing with some syncopation. Don't overdo it, but if you are playing a really straight pattern throughout the song, a judicial use of syncopation can make your break really stand out.
I enjoy playing some breaks at paces different than the song. So if the song is blistering, play a melodic break w/ a lot of half notes. Or the opposite. For a slow song, perhaps try something a tad busier.
Another thing is to figure out which tunes you feel comfortable taking breaks on, and which you don't. It always sorta surprises me when I'll be playing what I think is a really neat line throughout an entire song, and someone says, "Take it, Ed." I'm thinking, "The whole damn SONG is a bass break! That's all I got!"
I found it easier to play interesting breaks when I got more comfortable playing the melodies of some of the more common songs. You could figure them out by ear, or there are several books that have them written out for you. IMO, the
Fiddler's Philharmonic series is pretty helpful. There are several books. For each song they give the chords and a simple bass line, then a simple version of the melody, then a more complex version. Once I got more used to hearing and playing melodies, I found it easier to adapt them into breaks. One problem with many fiddle tunes is trying to play them to speed, so get used to dropping a ton of notes. One of the most challenging things for me is remembering which note the melody stats on - generally not the tonic.
Another idea I play with is working off the octaves and "inverting" patterns. Interchange between arpeggios that go up from the low G, and then down from the high G. Basically just different walking patterns. Working on playing up the neck allows a whole different range of tones.
BG purists might object, but I like like messing with some syncopation. Don't overdo it, but if you are playing a really straight pattern throughout the song, a judicial use of syncopation can make your break really stand out.
I enjoy playing some breaks at paces different than the song. So if the song is blistering, play a melodic break w/ a lot of half notes. Or the opposite. For a slow song, perhaps try something a tad busier.
Another thing is to figure out which tunes you feel comfortable taking breaks on, and which you don't. It always sorta surprises me when I'll be playing what I think is a really neat line throughout an entire song, and someone says, "Take it, Ed." I'm thinking, "The whole damn SONG is a bass break! That's all I got!"
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At the risk of sounding old and in the way (which could be accurate), I don't believe bassists should think about licks, regardless of genre. I hear that word and I picture electric lead guitarists attempting to show off. Maybe use the word techniques, of which you can't have too many.
I think the most common technique for bluegrass bassists taking a solo (and BG solos are generally very brief) is slapping... adding slap to a "walking" scalar or arpeggiated line. And, as @Ed S writes, perhaps some syncopation. The slap takes practice and the line itself takes musical knowledge and awareness.
It's ALWAYS helpful to have a song's melody in your head, whether you're soloing or not.
I think the most common technique for bluegrass bassists taking a solo (and BG solos are generally very brief) is slapping... adding slap to a "walking" scalar or arpeggiated line. And, as @Ed S writes, perhaps some syncopation. The slap takes practice and the line itself takes musical knowledge and awareness.
It's ALWAYS helpful to have a song's melody in your head, whether you're soloing or not.
I know this isn’t exactly what you mean, but…
In the saxophone world, it’s not uncommon for folks to try to pedagogically codify commonly used “licks” of famous players.
I’m considering doing a similar study on Edgar Meyer’s bluegrass vernacular. He’s got a whole arsenal of little devices he uses to milk maximum music outta the instruments technical restrictions - fascinating stuff. But yeah, OP, you right : it’s all on the recordings.
In the saxophone world, it’s not uncommon for folks to try to pedagogically codify commonly used “licks” of famous players.
I’m considering doing a similar study on Edgar Meyer’s bluegrass vernacular. He’s got a whole arsenal of little devices he uses to milk maximum music outta the instruments technical restrictions - fascinating stuff. But yeah, OP, you right : it’s all on the recordings.
Leaving aside slapping, it's pretty much walkups and walkdowns, either in half notes or quarter notes. Frankly this device gets way overused by beginners (including me!); to the experienced musician doing a walk into chord changes all the time is like screaming "CHORD CHANGE NOW!!!" constantly.
Another thing I do fairly often is to play the scale note ABOVE the next root - so for example from C chord to G chord I might do this sometimes:
|(C chord)C G|C A| (G chord) G D| G D|
But I wouldn't call that a "lick" I'd call that "playing an approach note". I suppose there's a little faint implication of a brief D7 when I play that A.
In Western Swing, and some blugrassers that shade into Western Swing, there's a lot of 4-beat walking, where I basically do what I would do on a straightahead jazz tune but without the tritone substitutions.
Another thing I do fairly often is to play the scale note ABOVE the next root - so for example from C chord to G chord I might do this sometimes:
|(C chord)C G|C A| (G chord) G D| G D|
But I wouldn't call that a "lick" I'd call that "playing an approach note". I suppose there's a little faint implication of a brief D7 when I play that A.
In Western Swing, and some blugrassers that shade into Western Swing, there's a lot of 4-beat walking, where I basically do what I would do on a straightahead jazz tune but without the tritone substitutions.
On the other hand, transcribing some things, sticking them in a collection and publishing under "The great Amrican blue grass double Bass licks" may just be an opportunity door opening.. ;-) or should it be "DB Licks that make the audience cheer and not leave to go to the bar.." ? ;-))))
Indeed, I observed that when progressing from the I to the V chord, the 6 is frequenltly the most convincing approach note.
