Double Bass Retiring “Thumping”

[statsc]

Well, that was fun! Never knew there was so much passion about bluegrass bass-playing! My original post was in no way meant to be a criticism of anyone, actually, just the opposite! It was really more of an appeal for bass players in bluegrass to tap into their better selves and look beyond where they might be at the moment. Words have power; the words we use to describe ourselves and what we do can have a powerful influence on how we do what we do and what we aspire to. Make no mistake, I am a huge fan of traditional bluegrass. It is in fact my favorite of all the variants of bluegrass. The magic created by Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Flatt & Scruggs, et. al. is intoxicating, and provides the foundation on which J.D. Crowe, The Country Gentleman, The Osborne Bros., The Seldom Scene, and countless others created their own variants and innovations, all the way down to today. It should be kept in mind that the original fathers of bluegrass were innovators in their own times also, taking the old-time string band music and hymns handed down to them through their families and modifying and super-charging it into the bluegrass we all know and love today. So change and innovation has been baked into the music from the beginning.

As we all know, playing music is a living, breathing thing. Even when we're not consciously trying to, we are injecting a little of ourselves into it by being humans plucking strings. All I'm saying is, embrace this side of it a little more. If you want to stay traditional, great, but try out adding a little more of yourself into it; see what fits and what doesn't; keep and build on what does and discard what doesn't. I guess this is what I meant by "retiring thumping." I think Bill and Ralph would approve!

 

[unbrokenchain]

This is about the pinnacle of bluegrass for me... I love the gritty recording, the way all the instruments besides bass drop out while the vocal harmonies swell on the chorus... they just don't make 'em like they used to. But they should!

 

[statsc]

I've always loved how in more traditional bluegrass like this example the 3-part vocal harmonies are so tight and blend so well that you could be standing right in front of them and still not be sure who was singing what part! Also a bit of "non-thumping" here in the bass part!

 

[turf3]

As I said, even listening to old lo-fi recordings of the masters, I usually hear clearly defined pitches with carefully chosen note lengths from the bass.

 

[bcamp]

A rose is a rose is a rose...

Now when it comes to jobs, an individual bassist in an orchestra is just a small piece of the total but in Bluegrass, my role is to simply drive the bus and give the soloists something to have fun with. I'll get my chops in on the next jazz gig.

 

[Keith Rawlings]

I understand your concerns, but I'd much rather hear a bassist "thumping" roots/fifths consistently and accurately than somebody throwing everything in his bag of tricks at a tune without regard for time, appropriateness, or tone.

I totally agree. Many bassists (and drummers for that matter IME) suffer from “diarrhea of the fingers” when it comes to overplaying a song into sheer oblivion. The best of us know when to say when and keep it simple; soloing is of course another story.

 

[Ed S]

I totally agree w/ the last 2 posts. The vast majority of times I do anything other than "thump", I realize it is for my own enjoyment, rather than what is best for the song. Sometimes in a jam I'll intentionally try to play as little as possible, just to see what it takes. It is generally surprising - and humbling - to hear how good that sounds, when I REALLY concentrate on making the others - and the song - better.

Of course, the problem comes when some idiot looks at you and says, "Take it, Ed!" And you proceed to throw up all over yourself. I'm eager to get back w/ my regular jam-mates, so see where I can "take it" given the recent non-BG work I've been doing.

 

[BargeOn]

"Fump"
That was Dizzy Gillespie's nick name for Milt Hinton.
Guys, it's how we sound to most of the world.
If the shoe fits . . .

 

[AOBASSMAN]

So in our group, my job is to maintain pace and timing. I’ll always pick my spots to add inflection - change octave, chromatic runs up/ down, slap when appropriate (Mystery Train!) or use the bow at the end. Call it thumping, bumping or booming...I’m happy to be playing.

Pros like Paul K, Edgar M and Mark Schatz are amazing...but pros like Mike Bub and Mike Barber simply bring it steady and solid.

 

[Keith Rawlings]

I’ve always been partial to the term “Thumper” as it has been a nickname of mine for 25+ years. I think of it as a term of endearment as an upright bassist.

My band’s original drummer engraved my Zippo back in 1996 with this design for me. He worked in a sign shop at the time so we got lots of free band banners to use at live shows.

 

[Sam Reese]

I believe the term "Thumper" will long outlive this TalkBass thread.

 

[Keith Rawlings]

I believe the term "Thumper" will long outlive this TalkBass thread.

Absolutely!

 

[Bruce Calin]

In my experience most professional and other violinists I have known refer to their instrument as a "fiddle". It can be some absurdly expensive old Italian instrument but it's still a fiddle in conversation among themselves. I don't see where thumper is that much different. It's just a casual term. We can call ourselves or our instruments thumpers no matter what we're playing and it's not a derogatory term as long as we don't use it as such.

 

[Sam Reese]

Mother Thumper! (sorry)

 

[Who da Ville]

My experience as a hobbyist playing in folk/country/roots/even jazz bands is that most of the people I play with, as well as any audience that may be present are looking for the 'thump' from my bass. As long as I provide that 'thump' in the proper places, I can do whatever else that I want (within reason) to keep myself interested in playing the song. As long as it doesn't get in the way of that all-important 'thump'. Do your job first, then have fun if you can...