Double Bass Strategies for playing in a larger bluegrass group

[Steve Swan]

Many early Bluegrass groups were small, with only 3-4 players compared to the standard 5 members. Flatt & Scruggs sometimes toured with 7 players. Ricky Skaggs' Kentucky Thunder is another current example that has a lineup expanded beyond the basic 5 people. My main performing group, Keith Little's LittleBand, usually performs with 6 members now that Blaine Sprouse is our primary fiddler. Featuring another added vocalist in about 1/3 of the sets of our concert performances this year, we have up to 7 people on stage and 6 players all contributing to the rhythm. For those of you who also play in larger groups, what kinds of strategies have you developed to keep the rhythm pumping and focused and choreography safe for instruments and players alike?

 

[Jay Corwin]

Are you doing single mic?

 

[Steve Swan]

We use a single large diaphragm vocal microphone for vocals (up to four singers on gospels) and a few satellite microphones for instruments. The choreography is only trouble when the stage depth is shallow. I play large 7/8 basses, so moving those hippos gracefully around on stage can be tricky when the space is tight.

 

[anightintunisia]

For choreography watch some JD Crowe videos. JD Crowe always had a good system whoever he was playing and singing with. Even if they weren't using a single condenser, they would set up three vocal mics and during three part harmony, lead vocal would step over to stage left mic, baritone in the middle, and tenor on the right. Good system that works. Check out their set up in this video.



Del Mccoury band has also nailed the choreography thing. Watch them and take notes.

As far as how to keep the rhythm section going, if the rhythm is getting off, brake into small rehearsal groups and find out who the problem is or where the train is braking down and fix it. Also figure out who is in charge of playing back up when. If mandolin takes a brake, designate someone available to be the chopper during mandolin breaks. Having two or three people chopping at the same time is very often a bad idea. It's very difficult to chop at the exact same time, and can sometimes lead the group to slow or speed up. Work out who does what at what times. If people aren't sure what to do on larger groups, listen or watch Flatt & Scruggs, Bluegrass Album Band, Kentucky Thunder, etc. All have large groups but have everything figured out. Instruments like Dobro can sometimes muddy up a group if they are chopping with a mandolin chop or rolling during a banjo break. Hope this helps.

 

[BobKay]

I would suggest you also look at the Nashville Bluegrass Band as another example. Gene Libbea always seemed to be centered behind the mic, if I remember correctly. Do you have vocals? If so, then centered would mean less moving of the bass to be heard on the mic. I've never played in a group with that many people - the largest has been 6 - mando, banjo, resonator guitar, lean guitar, rhythm guitar and bass.

 

[Steve Swan]

On the mentioned videos Gene Libbea really does a great job of being present and ready to sing or to make way for a wandering instrumental soloist. I have not been doing as many vocals as I would like, partly due to choreography on shallow stages and maneuvering with the huge and somewhat heavy old german 7/8 bass that I used for the first year. A more moderate and light weight 7/8 bass has replaced "Big Mama" for now. If the sound system or concert hall acoustics are funky and I have troubling hearing Keith Little's guitar, the visual aids of Blaine Sprouse's fiddle bow chop and Mike Witcher's full body english resophonic guitar chop both really help to keep me in sync. Both of them play a very straight time offbeat chop with no syncopation, except for occasional accents. Seven people on stage is a real herd!

 

[martinc]

Steve: to answer the question you ask......I would like to pass on some advice given to me by the great Bob Moore:

``Play the ONE and get the heck out of the way.``

That`s very good advice but it`s what he does between the 5 and the one that keeps me going!

Bob Moore had a great musical sense about everything he played and always allowed the music to breathe. Another solution to playing in a large group.
Mark Fain, `Kentucky Thunder`s original bass player, played the same way. He is another great role model for any new bluegrass bass player.

 

[Steve Swan]

That is pretty much what I do in this large band, play a big fat fundamental-toned note of short duration. Quite often I leave the fifths out entirely and just play ones all the way through. It keeps the clutter down and the solid pump up.

 

[martinc]

That is pretty much what I do in this large band, play a big fat fundamental-toned note of short duration. Quite often I leave the fifths out entirely and just play ones all the way through. It keeps the clutter down and the solid pump up.

Steve: Yup. I found that as long as the band knows where the one is there is probably also room for some grace notes and non-cliche passing notes in there somewhere. To me, the hardest part in a large group is finding players that know how to listen for the pulse when they are playing.