Playing during bass solos

[bcbassman]

When I was playing with my band, pre-covid, I was often asked to do bass solos, with no warning.
If I follow the changes of the tune, which I do, i can see that a chord downbeat on every change could be helpful, but no guitar soloing at the same time- that's annoying.
Some bass soloists do not follow the changes. In that case everyone else, except the drummer, should bow out.

 

[JohnMCA72]

I hate bass solos where everybody else drops out, leaving you to solo AND try to keep the groove going.

 

[BarfanyShart]

It's usually better if everybody lays out, except maybe the hi-hat. The bass as an instrument is not well suited to carrying the melody, people just don't hear it like that, so just about any other instrument playing diverts the attention. The worst is when a pianist wants to do the regular comping over your solo, the audience is totally going to hear that as a piano solo, every time.

 

[Ostie]

Bass players definitely don't like it when other players talk amongst themselves during a bass solo

 

[MrLenny1]

One thing I do not like is everybody dropping out during my solo.
I want chords and a beat happening to support the bass.
Imagine the band dropping out during your trumpet solo.
I think this evolved from when upright bass was not amplified and the
only way to hear the bass was have the band drop out.

 

[BarfanyShart]

Also, if I am getting a feature in a jazz band, I strongly prefer doing an introduction to a tune (especially a ballad) or the walking solo (maybe a couple) on a particularly fast tune. I've always felt like the bass taking a chorus in the middle of a mid-tempo tune kind of kills the energy.

 

[40Hz]

I'd rather trade licks or do a pas de deux with another instrument than do a "bass solo." I find bass solos boring to play and even more boring to listen to.

 

[MVE]

I hate when the other players neglect to play the chords/roots when I solo. Makes it quite obvious how much the bass was holding together the song when it's no longer there.

I agree. When I hear the whole band stop for a "bass solo" it just makes me think they were too lazy to actually learn the chords of a song.
When that happens, the bass is boxed into trying to "solo" while still holding the song together and, more often than not, that ends up being just another chorus of the same thing they have been playing the whole song.
When horns and guitar truly "accompany" the bass player by outlining the chords for just a few bars the way the bass player accompanies them all night, and let the bass player try to put a little melody on top of it, it can sound really beautiful.

 

[bherman]

Also, if I am getting a feature in a jazz band, I strongly prefer doing an introduction to a tune (especially a ballad) or the walking solo (maybe a couple) on a particularly fast tune. I've always felt like the bass taking a chorus in the middle of a mid-tempo tune kind of kills the energy.

This makes the most sense to me. What we do is so integral to the feel of a tune that it feels off when we step out of that role to solo. Starting a tune by playing the head, or maybe a few bars of creative walking, works better for me. It allows the audience to really hear what the bass player is doing, which sometimes gets buried in all of the layers. A well constructed walking line, using a pretty large range of the bass with a few drops and embellishments, sounds great on its own.

 

[mrcbass]

There's no one answer - depends a lot on specific context. But there's noting worse than either of the two extremes: band completely drops out or doesn't drop down at all.

For sure something soft in the background to maintain the form and what groove they can without you. JUst loud enough to be able to lean into a little bit. For a horn section, I would want them to play the same stabs they might be playing elsewhere in the song (softly). I probably would not want whole note chords from the horn section - hopefully the KB or guitar player is lightly providing that.

 

[Dr. Keebs]

I very rarely solo, but when I do, they're better than they sound.

I vote for "band lays back but provides context under the bass solo".

 

[jdthebassman]

When I get to solo on a jazz gig I like when the piano comps behind me.

 

[bassdude51]

 

[bass12]

I hate it when everything else drops out during a bass solo. I feed largely off what the chordal instruments, especially, are doing and if that backing disappears I feel as if I'm having the carpet ripped out from under me.

I'll add that, as an audience member, it's incredibly rare that I find a bass solo pleasing to listen to when there is no harmonic backing. There are bassists who can make it work but they are few and far between.

 

[JRA]

What do bassists prefer?

depends on the tune/arrangement --- different preferences for different vibes!

Is the root open to other instruments during a bass solo?

yes --- but that can be provided by the piano and/or the guitar...don't need much.

What do bassists definitely not like other players to do during their solos?

the attempt by anyone (especially horn players) to lead or follow the bass with versions of 'cleverness'. it's not clever unless it's worked out beforehand. wanking over a bass solo is tasteless.

i'm with the group that suggests you confer with your bassist: different tunes might require different strokes/approaches. good luck!

some of the posters here wouldn't know what to do with a bass solo: those posts are obvious and tangential.

 

[smtp4me]

IMHO.... a solo is, by definition, a time for one person to play and improvise. They of course need something to improvise over top of, such as drums with other instruments playing the underlying chord structure (or something similar). It also helps if the other band members lay back in terms of volume. Depending on the length and type of solo - if the solo is a little longer and the bassist likes to build to a climax - then the band can do the same with a combination of intensity and crescendo.

You could also have discussions with the entire band about trading riffs/phrases/measures during any solo (any instrument), to make it interesting. E.g. you as a horn player mimic a phrase or riff back after the bassist plays it.

 

[MisterUbu]

might be already mentioned but:

resist the urge for both you and the audience to talk over the bass solo

 

[Pings Bass]

I think you got your answer: for jazz, everybody lays out except light timekeeping from the drummer and maybe some light comping/cues from the pianist. No noodling over bass solos!

But....

As a bassist and as an audience member, I prefer no bass solos at all, with very few exceptions. Maybe some trading 4s/8s, but definitely not whole choruses. Good way to lose all but the most attentive in the audience IMO.

Not just because I'm a lousy soloist, I swear!

(But it's true, I'm a lousy soloist.)

 

[iiipopes]

Bass solo? What's that?

 

[smogg]

In my band, nobody plays during a bass solo - not even me, and I'm the bass player.