Playing Country bass the "correct" way?

[Ljudsystem]

Hi guys

I play bass in a swedish country band (mostly classic stuff from the 50s, 60s and 70s).

I've been muting my notes on the snare hit but I saw some video on youtube where several commentators said you don't do that in "real country music". Listening more closely to my favorite artists it seems most bassists let the notes ring.

Are there any red blooded american country pickers here on the forum that would like to clear this up for me?

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi guys

I play bass in a swedish country band (mostly classic stuff from the 50s, 60s and 70s).

I've been muting my notes on the snare hit but I saw some video on youtube where several commentators said you don't do that in "real country music". Listening more closely to my favorite artists it seems most bassists let the notes ring.

Are there any red blooded american country pickers here on the forum that would like to clear this up for me?

1 5 1 5 5 1 5 1 3 1 3 4 5 2 1 7 1

 

[JKos]

Calling @BassCliff .

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi guys

I play bass in a swedish country band (mostly classic stuff from the 50s, 60s and 70s).

I've been muting my notes on the snare hit but I saw some video on youtube where several commentators said you don't do that in "real country music". Listening more closely to my favorite artists it seems most bassists let the notes ring.

Are there any red blooded american country pickers here on the forum that would like to clear this up for me?

It doesn't matter. If it sounds good, it is good. As long as you're alternating/walking with the the chords, it's all country.

 

[Biggbass]

Red Blooded Texan Country Music Player here....
I palm mute as needed and use fretting hand muting as needed to match the tightness of the drums, depending on the song, of course. Sometimes I use a pick sometimes I finger pluck, sometimes a thumb pick. Sometimes it's a J and sometimes a P, sometimes a fretless, sometimes an upright. Just depends.
There's no right or wrong though. Do what sounds best for the music you're playing.

 

[Abington]

If you are playing old stuff where your reference recordings feature the upright then I would say that you'll want to use some sort of muting to reduce your sustain. This can be done with left hand muting, right hand muting, palm muting, foam under the bridge. Flatwounds can help get that upright-esque punchy and low-sustain sound.

Further into the 70s style stuff I'd say it's more up to your preferences. I believe that there was a mixture of flats and rounds.

 

[RattleSnack]

I've been muting my notes on the snare hit but I saw some video on youtube where several commentators said you don't do that in "real country music". Listening more closely to my favorite artists it seems most bassists let the notes ring.

By muting, you mean you play on one, and just before snare hits, you stop that note ringing?
I am no authority on country, but I do play in a Johnny Cash tribute band, so that counts.
I almost always mute when doing quarternotes 1-5, and never when doing that eightnotes lead-on (1-5-6-7-). That sounds best to me and folks like it.

 

[Ric5]

 

[rtslinger]

Hi guys

I play bass in a swedish country band (mostly classic stuff from the 50s, 60s and 70s).

I've been muting my notes on the snare hit but I saw some video on youtube where several commentators said you don't do that in "real country music". Listening more closely to my favorite artists it seems most bassists let the notes ring.

Are there any red blooded american country pickers here on the forum that would like to clear this up for me?

That would be Bass Cliffs forte imo look for gig reports and you'll find him

 

[aprod]

It doesn't matter. If it sounds good, it is good. As long as you're alternating/walking with the the chords, it's all country.

And if it sounds bad it is bad.

 

[QweziRider]

Are there any red blooded american country pickers here on the forum that would like to clear this up for me?

I'm sure this won't help, but it totally depends on the song. Some sound great with a muted note, others sound great letting the note ring more. There is no "one right way" with Country. Hell, some nights I might switch it up on a given song because it strikes me as better that night to do it one way or another. Or I might use both methods in the same song, switching up between choruses and verses.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I've been in a similar situation, playing country with a band playlist that starts at Hank Williams and ends, more or less, at Merle Haggard. Here's a thought: The way I learned it was to think not in terms of muting but in terms of placement and duration. Where you play the note--on, in front of, or behind the beat. Gives you a whole new sense of all the potential locations of "one". And then how long to hold it. Those old guys playing double bass had these completely mastered(As an aside, if you think the groove is going off track, shorten that duration and hear everybody tighten up in response. You'll feel good about yourself for the rest of the song.)

Slightly O/T: My biggest challenge playing the old stuff is a lot of those guys didn't really care about regular meter. Nothing like an 11-bar mandolin solo to make you sit up and pay attention.

 

[jmlee]

Some good advice so far. I spent many years in an "old school" country band and it would seem to me that I've tended to shorten the beat-1/beat 3 notes as the tempo has picked up: letting them sing out more in ballad tempo and muting them shorter in up-tempo numbers. All bets are off in New Country stuff, of course, where the bass drum *thud* chews up too much of the scenery.

 

[Holdsg]

play how you feel after drinking 2 shots of Whiskey, you'll be fine.

 

[Killing Floor]

There's Nashville new country, there's Western, there's classic country, etc. What do you play?
Is it roots country? or is it contemporary adult easy listening or is it pop rock but the singer has a hat? I ask because it helps clarify the nature of the rhythm section.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

And if it sounds bad it is bad.

Yup. But, finding out is the fun part.

 

[ILIA]

Hi guys

I play bass in a swedish country band (mostly classic stuff from the 50s, 60s and 70s).

I've been muting my notes on the snare hit but I saw some video on youtube where several commentators said you don't do that in "real country music". Listening more closely to my favorite artists it seems most bassists let the notes ring.

Are there any red blooded american country pickers here on the forum that would like to clear this up for me?

When you hear someone say "real country music," run away as fast as possible.

If you are playing old stuff where your reference recordings feature the upright then I would say that you'll want to use some sort of muting to reduce your sustain. This can be done with left hand muting, right hand muting, palm muting, foam under the bridge. Flatwounds can help get that upright-esque punchy and low-sustain sound.

Further into the 70s style stuff I'd say it's more up to your preferences. I believe that there was a mixture of flats and rounds.

Or bring an actual bull fiddle, if authenticity is the goal.

 

[bassliner50]

Gotta get a big hat.

 

[TexasThunder]

I find that listening to the vocal melody helps me determine what's right in that regard, for any given country song.

 

[electracoyote]

I'm sure this won't help, but it totally depends on the song. Some sound great with a muted note, others sound great letting the note ring more. There is no "one right way" with Country. Hell, some nights I might switch it up on a given song because it strikes me as better that night to do it one way or another. Or I might use both methods in the same song, switching up between choruses and verses.

Exactly. I've played in a couple of outfits that most would quickly label "real" country bands, and it was definitely song- or phrase-dependent.