Solo bass guitar for a beginner...

[Robert in Paris]

And notice he is playing beyond the 12th fret ...... melody needs to be in the higher frequencies.

That's what I'm learning as I listen to the clips that all of you are generously posting. And it make sense, when you think about it. In standard music, the notes that we really want to stand out are in higher registers.

 

[bherman]

One easy place to start (especially with your classical music background) is Bach. Mel Bay publishes a book titled J.S. Bach for Bass. I use it all the time as part of my daily practice routine. Beautiful music of course, but also will help you with learning how to move around the fingerboard on bass vs guitar.

 

[Robert in Paris]

Welcome to the wide-open world of solo bass. There is music you want to make and hear in your head, and there is an instrument in your hands to do it with. ALL bets relating to 'normal' bass are off and to me, that liberating realization has been exactly the beauty of it. Here's an example of my own.


Good luck with your solo project!

Thanks so much for this Jochem...wonderfully atmospheric stuff; for the first five minutes it felt like I was watching a horror film and the monster was about to enter the scene (smile). Also, I take your point about all bets being off...it's like the solo bass and the ensemble bass are two different instruments. Best, R.

 

[Robert in Paris]

One easy place to start (especially with your classical music background) is Bach. Mel Bay publishes a book titled J.S. Bach for Bass. I use it all the time as part of my daily practice routine. Beautiful music of course, but also will help you with learning how to move around the fingerboard on bass vs guitar.

Thanks for that useful info. I had planned to begin with Bach (sometimes I think everything starts with him...smile) and it will be very useful to have some pieces ready to consume. Thanks again, R.

 

[Robert in Paris]

Welcome to the wide-open world of solo bass. There is music you want to make and hear in your head, and there is an instrument in your hands to do it with. ALL bets relating to 'normal' bass are off and to me, that liberating realization has been exactly the beauty of it. Here's an example of my own.


Good luck with your solo project!

By the way, I've signed up to follow Greene Ave. Music and look forward to it. Best, R.

 

[nonohmic]

This thread is good stuff. With a job, a kid, and my other obsessions I have little time for bands.

 

[Robert in Paris]

This thread is good stuff. With a job, a kid, and my other obsessions I have little time for bands.

It's been an absolute revelation for me...

 

[fishdreams]

Thanks so much for this Jochem...wonderfully atmospheric stuff; for the first five minutes it felt like I was watching a horror film and the monster was about to enter the scene (smile). Also, I take your point about all bets being off...it's like the solo bass and the ensemble bass are two different instruments. Best, R.

Thank you so much for the kind words! I have been listening to various solo artists (bass or no bass) and I have been greatly inspired by what various fantastic musicians come up with when figuring out how to make meaningful music performed all on their own. Here's a few:

Sam Newsome - Sopranoville. (soprano sax). This is a fantastic new record, you can find it on Spotify. Sam has made many solo records, and also has a great blog on playing solo. Wonderful man and master musician.
Peter Kowald-Was Da Ist. (double bass). For me, hugely inspiring record, of sometimes almost unbearable intensity. A true bass classic.
Albert Mangelsdorff-Purity (trombone) very soulful album. He is btw also the leader of Trilogue, there's a great album with him, Alphonze Mouzon and Jaco Pastorius playing a very improvised live set. Among my favourite Jaco-things.
Evan Parker - Monoceros (sopranosax)
Simon Jermyn-Hymni (bass guitar)
Fred Frith-Solo Guitar. (guitar) a classic from the 70ties
Skuli Sverisson-Seremonie (bass guitar). Skuli's chops are beyond scary, he played in Allan Holdsworth band for years. Here he expresses a wonderful sound world of ideas
Ken Filiano-Subvenire. (double bass). Ken is a great friend, and undersung bass player. A beautiful record.

All the best,
-J

 

[Altitude]

Last Patitucci plug, I promise. This is one of my favorite tracks he plays on, actually on an Edward Simon album with Brian Blade on Drums. John plays the head and also has a beautiful solo:

 

[Badwater]

It all depends on where you're at with soloing. If you've done all you can do with Solo Guitar, than it's much like Soloing with the Bass. I gave up soloing on the guitar after several decades because I could only go so far in the world of amazing great talent. And any further improvement would require much more work and time than I could afford. Thus, I turned to bass, where I can still play all the music I want, and do it in a passive way. And have fun enjoying the music I like. And creating my own originals.

 

[swafran]

Thanks Swafran for the sound advice. It is particularly useful as I use pentatonics all the time on guitar in jazz, and particularly in blues. A lifetime of humble discovery suits me perfectly, and I look forward to it. Thanks again, R.

Ah yeah that's right you already play, sorry, of course you know about that. Hey so for me, THE bass book, is The Improviser's Bass Method by Chuck Sher. It includes some transcribed solos in back by famous jazz and fusion bassists. It would also be a great all around reference for someone transitioning from another instrument (extended scale fingering charts, approach specific to the bass, etc).

 

[Robert in Paris]

Last Patitucci plug, I promise. This is one of my favorite tracks he plays on, actually on an Edward Simon album with Brian Blade on Drums. John plays the head and also has a beautiful solo:

That's splendid, Will. Superb trio. By the way, I was unable to watch the video you posted as it shows "This video is not available". I was able, however, to dig it up on YouTube. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Best, R.

 

[Robert in Paris]

Ah yeah that's right you already play, sorry, of course you know about that. Hey so for me, THE bass book, is The Improviser's Bass Method by Chuck Sher. It includes some transcribed solos in back by famous jazz and fusion bassists. It would also be a great all around reference for someone transitioning from another instrument (extended scale fingering charts, approach specific to the bass, etc).

Many thanks for the info on the Sher book. It's already ordered...found it on Amazon France with zero difficulty. Also found a half-price used one on Alibris but, by the time they added shipping from the States it was more expensive than a new one from Amazon. So it goes. Thanks again. Best, Robert

 

[Robert in Paris]

It all depends on where you're at with soloing. If you've done all you can do with Solo Guitar, than it's much like Soloing with the Bass. I gave up soloing on the guitar after several decades because I could only go so far in the world of amazing great talent. And any further improvement would require much more work and time than I could afford. Thus, I turned to bass, where I can still play all the music I want, and do it in a passive way. And have fun enjoying the music I like. And creating my own originals.

I understand where you're coming from, Badwater. For me, this is the beginning of an exploration into a world that has always intrigued me. The exciting thing about explorations is that you never know where they'll lead you. Thanks for your note. Best, R.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

another cool bass soloist

Zander Zon


Saddly there is no repertoir of bass solo as it is the case for classical music. One part is because bass guitar is a very young instrument and born in Rock'N'Roll and so a lot of people see the instrument as a role and nothing else. I'm baffled that so much people won't ever try to play melodies or try to do something else than be the team player even though the bass is great at that.

Here two interview that I like a lot with two people very known for their solos

 

[Ironbar]

I knew that you meant "solo bass"by the context of your post.
Here's a favorite of mine.

To me this is not playing bass. It doesn't sound like a bass, it sounds like a guitar. Different strokes.

 

[Watchootognbout]

To me this is not playing bass. It doesn't sound like a bass, it sounds like a guitar. Different strokes.

You're right.

But this thread is about "solo bass'
Not regular bass playing.

It sounds like a guitar because he's playing above the twelfth fret.
He's not playing a low bassline.
He's playing the whole piece.
The bass and melody!

Many of the bassists mentioned in this thread DO play regular bass in a group.
But NONE of them are just "playing bass" in these examples.
That's the purpose of "solo bass"

Look at Clef de fa's post of "Michael Manring at BassPlayerLive 2013"above.
From 20.00 minutes in MM explains why he and many others don't JUST "play bass"

 

[aussie_owner]

Really interesting thread. I'd not really considered the bass as a solo instrument for myself, but I'm rethinking that. I'm in the midst of a build that I was planning on making a fretless baritone, and solo bass is the perfect application. I started playing bass only a couple years ago, so I'm basically a guitar player trying to sound not too much like a guitar player playing bass. Embrace it, I say.

I had the pleasure of seeing Michael Manring with Michael Hedges in the mid-90s, 1994 I think. Two virtuosos on the same stage, amazing show.

 

[bholder]

I knew that you meant "solo bass"by the context of your post.
Here's a favorite of mine.

Kind of reminds me of a bass version of Michael Hedges. Very cool.

 

[Robert in Paris]

Really interesting thread. I'd not really considered the bass as a solo instrument for myself, but I'm rethinking that. I'm in the midst of a build that I was planning on making a fretless baritone, and solo bass is the perfect application. I started playing bass only a couple years ago, so I'm basically a guitar player trying to sound not too much like a guitar player playing bass. Embrace it, I say.

I had the pleasure of seeing Michael Manring with Michael Hedges in the mid-90s, 1994 I think. Two virtuosos on the same stage, amazing show.

Looks like we're in a very similar situation, but you're a couple of years ahead of me. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the bass, but this thread has been liberating for me. It has been a real pleasure to benefit from the knowledge and the generosity of the members here. Best, R.