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Celtic bass lines/Celtic bass players

B

Bio-Bassist

Jan 17, 2011
210
8
#1
So i've been wondering about celtic bass lines and was looking for vids on how to play and them being played and just wanna find some good examples, and also if there is any good celtic bass players out there, I know only bout Guy Christian whatever else his name includes who played with Jean Luc-Ponty and im just wonderin who else is out there that i could look into, thanks! :help:
 
#2
I play in a Celtic/pop band as my main gig. There's a CDbaby link in my sig so you can hear what I do, then judge for yourself whether or not I know what I'm talking about ;)

In trad Celtic music, as in a whole lot of acoustic music, there's a heavy focus on the root/five, wit the occasional run down a major or minor scale for flavour. That being said, even a quick listen to Leahy's B Minor Medley or Spirit of the West's Home For A Rest ( which still kicks my arse nearly every time we play it ), you'll hear a lot more going on. Younger Celtic bass players are bringing a lot of different influences to the music they play, and they're making the scene much more exiting because of it.
 
#4
Bio-Bassist said:
Thanks man, ill check them and you out, and hey everyone has to add their own dash of flavor to what they play, especially me whose not afraid to play anything
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I'll be interested to know what you think of those bands. Er... I wasn't trying to sell you a copy of my CD, by the way. I just meant you could listen to the samples.

I'm pretty sure there are other Celtic bass players that I'm forgetting to point you at. If I think of someone else, I'll post the name.
 
#5
Bluegrass has Celtic roots, so it might be helpful to check out the bass progressions in some bluegrass tunes. Might have to throw a dot on some of the notes to make it feel and sound right, but there you go. Also, the 1-5 advice posted above is right on. I think the biggest mistake a lot of players make, and not just in Celtic music now that I think of it, but making the bass lines too busy is worse than making them not busy enough. Rhythmically, it needs to be busy. That's part of the beauty of Celtic music. Note-wise, just play what fits with rhythm, even if you're just hanging on the root.
 
#6
tuckomf said:
Bluegrass has Celtic roots, so it might be helpful to check out the bass progressions in some bluegrass tunes. Might have to throw a dot on some of the notes to make it feel and sound right, but there you go. Also, the 1-5 advice posted above is right on. I think the biggest mistake a lot of players make, and not just in Celtic music now that I think of it, but making the bass lines too busy is worse than making them not busy enough. Rhythmically, it needs to be busy. That's part of the beauty of Celtic music. Note-wise, just play what fits with rhythm, even if you're just hanging on the root.
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+1 to this. Some songs will let the bass player stretch out, but generally, the bass just keeps it tight so that nobody's interfering with the fiddler or tin whistle player.
 

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