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Double Bass New Book "Dirt Simple Upright Bass" for beginners

brianrost

brianrost

Apr 26, 2000
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#1
New book from bassist Nate Sabat of the band Mile Twelve aimed at beginner bluegrass players. If that's you or you have a friend looking to take up the bass, it's worth a look.

Here's a video he posted showing basic posture, left and right hand plucking and fretting, the G major scale and teaching a tune in the key of G all in 15 minutes. The second half of the book discusses the bass function when accompanying vocals (and bluegrass is at it's heart a vocal music).



Here's the book. Includes link to audio examples.

Nate also has some free lessons on his YouTube channel.
 
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#2
Cool to see good basic info presented in the BG context. I wish him success.

Now he has me thinking, what are the 8 keys! And I suppose volume 2 will discuss how to use all those dots down his fb! ;)

I always thought of that song as "Lonesome Road Blues." Am I alone?

But thanks for sharing.
 
#3
No slap? For me it’s not bluegrass unless it’s got slap bass thrown into the mix. After all, double bass playing in that genre originated with slap bass; but I’m a purist when it comes to root music.
 
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#4
Keith Rawlings said:
After all, double bass playing in that genre originated with slap bass; but I’m a purist when it comes to root music.
Click to expand...

Back in the early days the bass player was often expected to be a comedian as well, like Cedric Rainwater.

Foggy-Mtn-Boys-1948.jpg
 
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#5
Ed S said:
Now he has me thinking, what are the 8 keys!
Click to expand...

According to the Idaho Bluegrass Association:

"Concerning the key of a song:
However, only 8 of these keys are commonly used at bluegrass jams: G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, and F, with banjo players tending to prefer G, A, Bb, and B over C, D, E, and F, and mandolin and fiddle players tending to prefer G, A, C, and D over Bb, B, E, and F."

Note the preference for sharp keys (5) over flat keys (only 2) as you'd expect for string players. I've been at old time sessions where they only play tunes in G, D and A.
 
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#6
Hmm. Guess that further attests to my not really being a pure BG bassist. Not sure I can ever recall playing a tune in B, and F tunes are mighty few and far between.

My string band really likes the minor keys. Our repertoire has several in Gm, Em, Am, and even Bm.

Looks like a lot of good info on the website. Thx!
 

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