Double Bass I V I V or more Walking?

[rusag2]

Hey you BG DBers.....A lot of the Monroe recordings have lots of Howard Watts' walking bass lines. Seems to me today that most folks playing the old tunes are using much simpler I V I V stuff.

Here's a sample from Anthology:
Little Georgia Rose

And here's a current band (just random YouTube search where the bass sticks to a simpler I V I V:
Contemporary Band

Thoughts from anyone? I think I'm going to start getting a little more "authentic" with my lines and see what happens.

 

[littlebill]

I've been going back and listening to the old recordings to pick up some of those old walking lines too, it adds a lot especially when the pickers are sticking with the traditional versions. They like it because it starts sounding like the originals. Get some of Monroe's recordings with his son James, especially if you can get your hands on some live shows.
Bill Yates' work with the Country Gentleman is definitely some of the best walking bass lines in bluegrass, listen to some of their stuff. Bill was bass player of the year something like 8 or 9 years in his day. He can't play anymore and I get the honor to pick with him a couple of times a year, his vocal work is still strong.
The I V is still good but it is nice to move around some, I use the walking lines more during breaks than the singing parts and of course in a big jam you have to keep it pretty simple.

Bill Miller

 

[superman]

Monroe's 40s stuff with Watts is played a lot different than latter bluegrass,,If you will listen most of the 40s Monroe music,Bill did not chop the mandolin,,which lets the bass play 4 beat with out steping on the off beat,,this music had a lot more swing or bounce,,than latter Monroe stuff,,its really hard these days to get bluegrass pickers to play this type of music, with the correct feel,Jimmy Martin understood it well,,and it showed in a lot of his recordings,,He and I talked about this very subject many times while I worked with him,,He loved to play that way but could'nt find band members who could,,or wanted too. Some of Flatt&Scruggs
early Mercury recordings also have this type of bass playing,,most of it too was Howard Watts

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Monroe's 40s stuff with Watts is played a lot different than latter bluegrass,,If you will listen most of the 40s Monroe music,Bill did not chop the mandolin,,which lets the bass play 4 beat with out steping on the off beat,,this music had a lot more swing or bounce,,than latter Monroe stuff,,its really hard these days to get bluegrass pickers to play this type of music, with the correct feel,Jimmy Martin understood it well,,and it showed in a lot of his recordings,,He and I talked about this very subject many times while I worked with him,,He loved to play that way but could'nt find band members who could,,or wanted too. Some of Flatt&Scruggs
early Mercury recordings also have this type of bass playing,,most of it too was Howard Watts

+1

My favourite of Bill Monroe's bass players was Ernie Newton. He was with Bill's band in the early part of the fifties and was the first real bass player he had, as far as I can tell. He can really walk and plays in tune too!

I love that whole band with Jimmy Martin on guitar, Rudy Lyle on banjo and Charlie Cline on fiddle - I think its the most powerful band he ever had.

 

[Gearhead43]

Ernie Newton's name pops up all over classic country music, I am a fan of his playing too, the Country All-Stars, Chet Atkins, Webb Pierce, and tons of other folks. Seems like he played with everybody at one time or another. He was one hell of a slapper too!

 

[superman]

Monroes music changed quite a bit though the years,,you listen to something from the 70s with Kenny Baker its great,,but its alltogether diff from the 40s stuff with Lester & Earl,,the stuff from the 50s was good too but it never had the spark that the classic 45-48 band did,,after the rock&roll in the late 50s Monroe about had to quit,,he often left town with only a guitar player,,or fiddler,,and just picked up musicians,,I think without a steady band his recordings suffered,,he often had Bessie Lee on bass (his girl friend)
she really played bad,,Ernie Newton was one of the first Session players in Nashville,,he played with lots of acts but mainly as a studio man,,Ernie was known for bringing the drum attachment to Nashv,,thats the drum you hear on some of Monroes 50s stuff,Ernie was on the recording because of Owen Bradley who produced Monroes recordings,,he demanded good players,none of them ever walked the bass like Cedric(Howard Watts),, but he was just playing the show if you will,I asked Don Helms who played steel for Hank Williams about Cedric,(Ced played bass for Hank also)Don said Ced really wasnt a serious musician,,but he was a good player,,
The Monroe stuff and the Flatt &Scruggs stuff he recorded is by far the best he ever did,,he is on some of Jimmy Martins early recordings,,and really dosent play very good,,misses lots of changes and some wrong notes.
but he really cooks on the Flatt&Scruggs Mercury stuff,,,
There is just not alot of that type of music being played these days,that would call for 4 beat playing,you have to have a band that all understands where in the beat your going to play,,just one guy draging,,or playing in the middle of the beat will ruin the feel,,its kinda hard to explain,,but the recordings speak for themselves.

 

[rusag2]

Does anyone know a place with some BG walking bass lines transcribed? I kinda do better when I can visualize....

 

[martinc]

Hey you BG DBers.....A lot of the Monroe recordings have lots of Howard Watts' walking bass lines. Seems to me today that most folks playing the old tunes are using much simpler I V I V stuff.

Here's a sample from Anthology:
Little Georgia Rose

And here's a current band (just random YouTube search where the bass sticks to a simpler I V I V:
Contemporary Band

Thoughts from anyone? I think I'm going to start getting a little more "authentic" with my lines and see what happens.

rusag: If you watch Youtube when the contemporary version is over, you will see another Bill Monroe version link to "Little Georgia Rose". It's done in 2-4 with no walking.



I prefer that over the Howard Watts version because it moves along smoother and the groove/timing is better.
But styles change over the years and we are lucky to get a taste of a walking version from seeing Bill's old videos.