Double Bass One Bassist per Jam

[glennreid]

yep..been there ..last time it happened there was a bassist from another city that brought his bass and an autoharp..i was more than willing to sit out and let him play ,but he didnt even unpack it or try to play...i used to play electric at a friends jam (rock) ,and he would hand me the bass when jam time came, and he would go to the bar and leave me up there the whole set ..i appreciated it ,but it was kinda his gig not mine

 

[Holdsg]

same here, if there are more than one bass player at a jam, I typically agree to rotate every few songs.
This has added benefits. Nobody knows every single song. And nobody gets bored, plus you can play longer into the night because your fingers aren't killed as fast.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Unless it is the same small group of musicians, I always looked at these kind of events as much as social events as performances.

 

[drivin5string]

Multiple basses work at the symphony or a baseball game. Bluegrass? Not so much. The problem? All-important groove. It varies from player to player, and nearly impossible to achieve with multiple bass players. Rotate. Listen. Form another jam. Whatever. It's like multiple banjos, a.k.a. purgatory. It's about making music - adding something (or not diminishing something) to the situation at hand - not just being heard.

 

[quickfix]

You can have as many bass players as you like. Only one can play at a time though. When I go to a jam I bring a bass, either Fender or upright, and a flat top guitar. When it's our turn I play bass. When it's not I comp on guitar.

 

[walking Bass]

The local rock/blues jam was run by a bassist who stayed on bass the whole evening. I stopped going.

 

[Neon Scribe]

I played a gypsy jazz jam with another bass. There were about 12 to 15 players in the jam and no audience. The two basses stayed on opposite sides of the room and it worked out fine. I asked a few of the other musicians if they were OK with having two of us and nobody said anything even slightly negative. If we had been playing for an audience perhaps it would have been a problem, but it seemed to go over fine with the players. For the most part as far as I could tell we were playing nearly the same lines. I would expect a bluegrass jam to be similar.

 

[jlmorgan84]

I think it's only fitting having had to tolerate a dozen different guitar players all playing their own "rhythm" pretty much every jam I've ever been to, that folks ought to be able to handle an additional bass now and again

 

[pisces_bass]

I play in a few public jam scenarios. In the bluegrass jam, I bring an acoustic electric and small amp. Most of the time I am the only bass player. If another does show, I talk with them and offer use of my amp. A little conversation leads to agreement on how to share bass duties. Often it’s a beginner who is content to quietly thump and listen.

Another is run by a local singer songwriter. She provides a song book and asks all who attend to bring an acoustic instrument. She knows three local bassists and reaches out ahead of time to determine who will support the jam. Again, a little communication is key.

 

[matthewbrown]

That’s got to be bluegrass specific. But why?

Back when I went to jazz jams regularly, we were usually three to five bass players plus the opening band’s bassist. I can’t think of any reason why this should be.

Best
Sidecar

Meanwhile, in the Celtic sessions, there's no bassist at all, for shame!

 

[buldog5151bass]

A good leader knows how to rotate musicians so everyone gets their share of time.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

In Bluegrass jams it is pretty much a rule there is only one bass. I've played at jams for years at a festival I attend twice a year, and it's been that way in the many dozens (maybe hundreds) of jams I've played. I have absolutely no problem letting someone else play, and in fact, I start trying to recruit a replacement for me around 1:00 AM, but anyone wanting to play earlier is welcome. I can pick up a guitar or fiddle if I want to stay in the jam.

 

[knirirr]

I thought the general rule in jams is once the house band has played their one set, each "jammer" plays 2 songs on stage, then get's off to let another person of the same instrument play. House band members making sure the rotation happens in a proper manner.

Although jazz not bluegrass, I have encountered:

1. Bassists bring their own instruments and alternate tunes with each other.
2. House bassist plays all night but lets someone else use their amp do a tune or two during the evening (e.g. one per set).
3. House bassist does a short set, then everyone else uses their equipment for the rest of the night and clears off whilst they have to pack it all away and try to find a taxi home.

 

[turf3]

I'm going to make a run at "tic-tac" bass in the next few weeks, to address the "two many bass players" issue. If successful I'll post here to brag. IF not successful, I never posted this.

 

[Remyd]

This is a thing that happens, usually we switch, but if the other bass player is bad, I just set the gear to sound muffled and play roots softly.