The audience comes first, and I think people really dig a short, concise bass solo in jazz where it's given a chance to jump out, especially upright. It's a fun sound to many listeners, like a talking whale. But the key word is "short" IMHO.
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Playing during bass solos
- Thread starter jhatpro7
- Start date
I would prefer some discreet, tasteful backing that does not eat up space but still outlines the structure. Bass up one dynamic level from normal, everybody else one dynamic level down. As for the solo itself, please please PLEASE let it show some relation to the song. I am so sick of these stream-of-conscious noodling bass solos that appear to be connected to absolutely nothing and serve only to demolish the groove already established.
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
I'm not a great soloist, so in a jazz situation where a solo is expected (not already written), I usually like to do an embellishment on the melody. I'm currently playing in a small group - bass, vocal, guitar - so any sort of far reaching exploration would likely be lost on the audience as well as the other 2 band members, especially since the vocalist will have stopped singing. The guitar player can comp decently, but it's usually best to just have one pass through the melody with me taking the lead - based both on my desire to return to my part and the inevitable breakdown that tends to happen without me keeping time. FWIW, the guitarist I play with is a UNT jazz guitar graduate, so he's definitely better positioned to do the soloing, which he often does. I may only "solo" once or twice per night. It usually only works for songs where hearing the bass take the melody adds an interesting twist to the song. If I were playing in a larger group, I would probably only want the drums to keep the beat and then either a piano or a guitar to comp for me. Most accomplished players could also benefit from having horns or other players come in at an opportune time now and then. The main thing I would agree with from other posts is that it's bad form for other musicians to be noodling around over someone else's solo. It's one thing if you want to comp and support what is being played, but it's another to just randomly play over someone else.
If you have multiple horns, you could work out a thing whereby you occasionally outline an appropriate chord.
if the bass is upright acoustic, do that gently.
If it's electric bass in a more fusion-type setting, those horn hits could be slightly more emphatic...
but whatever happens, remember that the bass frequencies are less easily distinguishable in a crowd. So don't crowd the bass during a solo.
this is where working with an established leader is of immense help. They will know how to arrange things, and how to keep everyone out of each others' way.
I'm probably in the minority here but I hate upright bass solos and I hate when I have to play one. That being said, it's obviously easier to hear when everyone drops out but I strongly prefer some sort of comping that allows me to basically groove a little more rather than just straight up solo (think Nardis)
Everyone is different. I prefer when my band mates still play like the rythm guitar. I don't like soloing when it's just me playing.
I'm in a jazz combo too facing a similar quandry, and I've been asked to solo over "Naima" (I'm the bass player). I have to agree with all those who said that too much playing overcrowds the music and covers the lower bass frequencies (even when we play high on the neck). That being said, my combo found that the BEST sounding option is to have the drummer play, the guitarist quietly comp the chords, and everyone else basically silent during my solo. Not sure if your combo has a guitarist, but as a bassist this works best for me because I get a quiet outline of the chords and context for my solo without it being too much. Hope this helps! 
I prefer some interplay, but am willing to deal with it either way. Truth be told, in a lot of bands, they drop out because they're lost. Outside of the rhythm section, not all players develop that sense of knowing exactly where they are in the form and on the beat, at all times, even if they're in another room.
But I figure, if the band drops out, then nobody will know whether I'm following the form or not.
And if they don't come back in, it means they want me to keep soloing, right?
But I figure, if the band drops out, then nobody will know whether I'm following the form or not.
And if they don't come back in, it means they want me to keep soloing, right?
Yep it's your chance to hold down the low end and on the 1! 
It's very cool to have horns hit certain high points, or at least provide a little support.
A lot of folks just seem to drop out, I could never understand that unless you have no idea what to play.
Oh and by the OP, thanks for asking! Seriously.
Dirk
It's very cool to have horns hit certain high points, or at least provide a little support.
A lot of folks just seem to drop out, I could never understand that unless you have no idea what to play.
Oh and by the OP, thanks for asking! Seriously.
Dirk
There was a bassist in my locale who would motion for the whole band to drop out, and take his solo all over the place, changing the tempo, exploring different harmonies, you name it. When he felt that he had had his say, he'd bring them all back in again.
- Sep 4, 2010
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Good question!
Give the bass player space for the same reasons you'd give any other soloist space.
Other than that from a bandleader perspective it depends on the bassplayer you are working with. Some make great musical statements telling the story of the song and outlining the harmonies during their solo without any accompaniment, and they will close off with a great lead-in to the bandpickup. No need to do anything under or behind them.
Others get lost if some chord instrument isn't hitting the changes behind them.
Of course you can build the idea of a bass solo into a really cool arrangement too-then it is about good arranging skills, not so much the solo itself.
And you can always do 4x4 or variations thereoff.
Just ask the bassplayer what they are comfortable with and go from there.
Also, not every tune needs a solo from everybody all the time. You can make a song a bass feature for example: bass plays theme and solos, with minimal accompaniment.
This is to this day one of my favouritw pieces of music, bass or otherwise: Oscar Pettiford
One thing I always loved about Sonny Rollins is that in his bands there's typical just one long multichorus solo per tune. While he'd take the lion share of the solos, every other band member (incl. Rhythm section) gets 1 opportunity to lay out too.
For me it doesn't matter much I'm happy to play a feature and happy to play a solo over the 1st bars or no solo at all. Just listen and give me some space if you're gonna play something under me
Give the bass player space for the same reasons you'd give any other soloist space.
Other than that from a bandleader perspective it depends on the bassplayer you are working with. Some make great musical statements telling the story of the song and outlining the harmonies during their solo without any accompaniment, and they will close off with a great lead-in to the bandpickup. No need to do anything under or behind them.
Others get lost if some chord instrument isn't hitting the changes behind them.
Of course you can build the idea of a bass solo into a really cool arrangement too-then it is about good arranging skills, not so much the solo itself.
And you can always do 4x4 or variations thereoff.
Just ask the bassplayer what they are comfortable with and go from there.
Also, not every tune needs a solo from everybody all the time. You can make a song a bass feature for example: bass plays theme and solos, with minimal accompaniment.
This is to this day one of my favouritw pieces of music, bass or otherwise: Oscar Pettiford
One thing I always loved about Sonny Rollins is that in his bands there's typical just one long multichorus solo per tune. While he'd take the lion share of the solos, every other band member (incl. Rhythm section) gets 1 opportunity to lay out too.
For me it doesn't matter much I'm happy to play a feature and happy to play a solo over the 1st bars or no solo at all. Just listen and give me some space if you're gonna play something under me
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I'm a bit surprised that this thread grew to 4 pages with only a few commenters supplying the most obvious answer to the OP's question: "Ask your bass player what he/she would prefer."
Ewwwww!?!?It's a good time to go to the bathroom and grab a snack.
Sorry but thats the drum soloIt's a good time to go to the bathroom and grab a snack.
For me, it totally depends on the solo. I don't do it often at all, don't really like to. One in particular on one show was pretty much just me (with drums underneath). Cool. It worked. One night the guitarist snuck in something (I can't recall exactly what) that caught me surprised and I loved what it was. Just some kind of freakish whole notes under me.
What I definitely do not like is the drummer to disappear from me. On that same solo, one drummer we had completely stopped for those 30 seconds. No prodding of him could get him to start again. We spoke about it after the show. The next time he played exactly the same rhythm I did in one section (which had several stops). Again, I hated that - totally distracted me from what I was trying to do. I need that drummer to be right there with me the whole time and not backing off on volume.
