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Jazz tone?

D

Doctor DC

Guest
May 27, 2013
6
0
#1
First off, I would like to say hello to everyone as this is my first post!

I wasn't sure where to put this, so I posted this here in the General forum. Anyway, I would like to know how to get a Jazz tone out of my Jazz Bass (and amp). What's a "standard" jazz tone? What are the different popular tones for jazz? Does jazz even "work" on an electric bass?
 
#2
There is no standard Jazz tone IMO. Use your ears to find what is appropriate for whatever you're playing. Some people use a dark, thumpy sound(people emulating a double bass), some use a scooped sizzly sound(Marcus), some use a burpy bridge pickup sound(Jaco), some use a bouncy neck pickup dominated sound(Paul Jackson).
 
#3
this question bothered me for long time.
it really comes down to your own preference. when playing softer stuff most cats play with both pickups on full with a softer touch. some use the bridge pickup to sound like jaco.

personally, i don't like the typical electric bass sound in jazz except for fusion. i don't like how walking sounds on the electric. it does not have the dynamics of an upright it sounds dumb to me. i use r&b and soul elements to put groove and live into my jazz. my tone controls are neck pickup full bridge 20% tone 20%. i use flat wounds with foam and play near the neck. basically imitating a p bass sound.

james jamerson's sound is what i personally call the best electric sound for jazz.

jazz is a very broad genre. there are older jazz forms such as bebop and swing, there are more modern forms like fusion. then there is big band, cool jazz,acid jazz, new orleans, free jazz, bossa etc etc.
all sound differently and what works for swing might not work for fusion.
 
#4
I play electric and upright, though mostly upright these days. My electric is a de-fretted Ibanez with passive P/J pickups, and flats. My preferred tone for straight ahead jazz is the P pickup in the neck position, tone control just shy of all the way open.
 
#6
I started to venture down the jazz path playing on a fender jbass.

The music is interesting and like all genres I met some good people.

But I also sensed the preference of other musicians and amongst some bass people that jazz should preferably be played on upright.

So I just headed back to rock and blues.

I also think it is ridiculous that people use foam on a bg in a vain attempt to replicate an upright.

I figure its horses for courses. Electric is home turf for rock and blues and the upright guys can keep the jazz.

I use to think I was missing out on something by just sticking to rock.

But rock is what I grew up with and given that I play bass for the love of it and not for a living I don't worry about not being a jack of all trades anymore.

Everyone is different but my advice would be learn what you can from the jazz world but don't get hung up on what you refer to is a jazz tone.

Find the sound that defines you and devote your life to developing and refining it.

It is good to develop a wide tone pallet that can be applied to whatever genre you intend to work in but having a range of available tone choices is not the same as saying you can play a range of styles or genres.

Tone diversity and ability to play different genres are inter related but not the same thing.

You will know pretty quickly if a band likes your tone or not.

As an example I really like using a pick sometimes and when I started out on jazz I felt really comfortable with both my playing and tone.

But people I was with discouraged the pick. So I happily reverted to fingers to fit in. But it got to me a bit because I sensed that their view on the use of a pick was less about the sound quality and more about some entrenched idea in their minds that you just don't play jazz with a pick..

And that is because when people listen to jazz they anticipate an upright sound. It is a conditioning thing.

Having said all this I fully appreciate that a pick delivers a different tone to fingers as does a bg compared to an upright.

The lesson I figure is use the right tool for the right job. A bg can no doubt be used for jazz but an upright is better.

By the time blues hit Chicago electric bg had pretty well replaced uprights.

So that gives bg good legitimacy in blues.

Rock and all its derivatives speak for themselves with bg and within that the pick or fingers, solid state or valve et etc all become personal choices.

All of this obviously in my opinion and knowing this forum somewhat I will likely attract criticism for my views.

But the question interests me because of my practical experience. My comments are not coming from so theoretical perspective and if other people explain it differently because of their experience then so be it.

Jbrb:)
 
#7
Jbassrockboy said:
Everyone is different but my advice would be learn what you can from the jazz world but don't get hung up on what you refer to is a jazz tone.

Find the sound that defines you and devote your life to developing and refining it.
Click to expand...

I play jazz and upright, but I agree with these two statements. When I play jazz on electric bass, I'm not trying to duplicate the upright, nor am I striving for any particular "jazz tone." Much more important to me are note choice, articulation, phrasing, dynamics, etc.

I learned jazz on electric, and didn't start playing jazz on upright until quite a few years later (I played classical on upright). In my view, the two most important things for playing electric bass in jazz are:

1. Listening to a lot of jazz

2. Playing a lot of jazz
 
#9
You can't go wrong with a jazz bass.

That being said my fusion days begin with an Ibanez SDGR I bought because I wanted to copy Gerald Veasley. It was pretty nice for a starter/intermediate bass.
 

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