tips on playing country bass?

[steveb98]

Well, I tried out for the band and they decided to pass as they are looking for more of a "studio" guy who knows the style better. Oh well. I learned a lot through the process anyway. THanks for all posts to this thread.

Bummer, but auditioning is good because it is a skill in itself. Did they describe what they call a "studio" player. To me that means good sightreading, can nail a tune in one or two takes, and know all the styles and cliches licks.

 

[deepestend]

They just e-mailed me and said that they had a lot of tunes and that they needed someone with a little more of a studio approach and feel. I learned 6 of their tunes between sunday and wednesday and I was not 100% on all of them. I was probably 85-90% on all of them-- so it wasn't a perfect audition. Plus, we did a little bit of jamming at the end on a progression that one of the guys had just written and I didn't play it so well. I'm still wrapping my brain around how to do the root 5 on the fly for any progression, and it took me some time to catch on while we were playing. So, I think you're right in your def. of a "studio" guy-- someone who can learn the song and get it right in 1 or 2 takes. That's just not me-- as much as I wish it was-- so that's fine. I told them that I liked their songs and wished them luck. It's a type of humbling experience that I haven't had in a while and it's an eye opener. If anything it will make me try a little harder in my playing.

 

[Bayou_Brawler]

root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth v root fifth root fifth vv v v vroot fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth root fifth

 

[Tomass]

my god man, im excactly in the same boat as you. I been taken into a country band with no idea on how to play country(still cant, ). Also i have to learn the songs that were written to a much older and more experienced bassist (only17). Btw i hate countrym but im doing this for an expereince working with a band, so that cant hurt

 

[txbasschik]

Well, I tried out for the band and they decided to pass as they are looking for more of a "studio" guy who knows the style better. Oh well. I learned a lot through the process anyway. THanks for all posts to this thread.

Aw shoot! I'm sorry you didn't get the gig.

I've pasted all the posts into a Word document...a "TB Country Bass Primer". I am going to be needing it. The new country band is auditioning a steel player. On Saturday. *This* Saturday. And I still haven't even gotten to listen to all the songs. Some are so old you can't find them online, uncorrupted. Sigh!

Flying by the seat of her pants *again*...

Cherie :-}

 

[Lazylion]

I played with a country band on Saturday. I don't listen to much country, and I've always been in rock or blues bands.
A lot of this advice is going to help me a bunch in the near future.

Butbutbut... you're from Texas! You don't need any help, it's in your DNA!

 

[tkarter]

Root 5 always sounds best on a bass strung with flats.

imho

tk

 

[Chace17]

I just picked up the bass to help out a buddies country band and I am wondering on which scale in which key I should learn.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I just picked up the bass to help out a buddies country band and I am wondering on which scale in which key I should learn.

The only time you will be playing a scale is when you are given a lead solo break. You will be playing the root and fifth of the chords used in the song. And a walk to the next chord will be expected. In Country the guys hear that walk and know a chord change is coming. Then your root on one tells them which chord. Most of the time you will be playing from fake chord sheet music. As was mentioned the time signature will probably be 4/4 or 3/4 waltz time. Almost 100% major keys.



Should you be given that lead break, you play the tune of the song in the key/scale the song is being played in. In Old time Country the lead electric or pedal steel will be getting the lead breaks, I doubt you will even be offered a solo.

Here is Willie Nelson's Crazy sung by Patsy Cline. The beginning IMO of new Country.



Now new Country is different and comes on over to Rock and Roll where you will find 8 to the bar and pentatonic scale solos.



Kacey is new Country, but, with old Country roots.

 

[Gasman]

I'm playing in a Dirty Country/Outlaw Blues band at the moment. These are the things I have learned along the way:

- Root 5 is king! You can get through a whole night tic tac'ing on Root-5 (well, you'll be boring as bats$%t but you will make it).

- follow the kick for your rhythm. If it's 'boom tic boom tic', you can play 'R . 5 .', if it's 'boom tic ba-boom tic' then you can just play 'R . R-R .' or you can play 'R . R-5 5'.

- walkups and downs are great embellishments as you change chords. Use scale walkups and downs rather than chromatic ones for true country, chromatic walkups work well for country blues.

- passing notes as you change chords are great, but again use mainly scale tones or dominant 7th as passing tones, not semitones.

- blues scale and your basic pentatonics are good scales to use for filling in or jamming.

- use short staccato notes if the drummer is using a closed hi hat, longer notes if the drummer is using open hat or other cymbals. Hopefully the band will be following, but if the rest of the band is chopping their comping chords, then you should use staccato as well.

- learn a couple of pentatonic, or classic country endings for songs.

All these are your emergency rules of the road for country type songs to get you going. Once you hear what the others are playing you can start to mess round a lot more, but keep it very, very simple in rhythm - play round more with the pitch you play instead of the number of notes.

Check my profile for a link to the band I'm in and a couple of tunes - I have been told they are pretty typical alt country type songs.

This is it. Perfectly stated, concise, and true. I'm in a similar band, and it's like you've been watching me play!! Or maybe vice versa!

 

[bassbully]

To me the biggest thing about playing country or blues is staying with the kick and the drums. Get tight with those and it will all flow.

 

[Lownote38]

For faster songs, single root note lines, or one - five lines, and for the ballads, just hang on the root notes unless otherwise directed. Do not embellish anything, or do anything fancy. You're basically there to NOT be noticed.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

+ 1,000 - felt more than heard. But, the vocalist is counting on you being there so they do not speed up. Keep it simple so your steady beat can be felt and heard by the rest of the band.

A lot of Country bands will only have a drummer sit in for the "big" gigs - so if there is no drummer - you are the beat master.

 

[WaywardSoul]

Root 5 is the standard for any classic country songs but you have a lot more freedom in contemporary or outlaw country. Like funk Root on the one and if you play with the kick with a few passing tones either to spice it up at the changes then you're probably the right amount of busy. if you want an example of busy bass playing check out Jeremy Polk of Cross Canadian Ragweed. Probably THE busiest bass player in country music.

 

[Lazylion]

For faster songs, single root note lines, or one - five lines, and for the ballads, just hang on the root notes unless otherwise directed. Do not embellish anything, or do anything fancy. You're basically there to NOT be noticed.

And if you feel that you are not being noticed, try making a mistake.

 

[Lownote38]

And if you feel that you are not being noticed, try making a mistake.

HA HA!!! That'll get you fired from the gig!

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

After all these years, nothing has changed.

 

[s0c9]

I don't know what kind of country you guys posting on this thread have been playing or when, but current Nashville Top-40 country isn't simple root-5 any more. CLASSIC George Jones Country maybe, but you'll be hard pushed to find a simple root-5 in most of Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Justin Moore and others music.

Been playing Country for almost 3 yrs now, and I thought the same thing (root-5) when I started. To be sure there's plenty of older waltz/root-5 IN Country music, but there's more newer stuff that is not. It's rock 'n roll with a twang!!

Everyone in my band grew up on rock and switched to country - mostly because we get double-header bookings (Fri and Sat at same venue) and it pays better.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I don't know what kind of country you guys posting on this thread have been playing or when, but current Nashville Top-40 country isn't simple root-5 any more.

It's rock 'n roll with a twang!!

Yeah, it's frickin' sad, ain't it? I know this comment is bound to set off a stream of debate, but to my ears, the "new country" sounds mostly like repetitive crap pandering at the masses who don't know any better. Boooooring eighth notes and lyrics that are mostly about trucks, tailgates, and gettin' drunk. The old stuff moves my soul a lot more than the "new" spasm.

 

[JTE]

Yep, that stuff that's sold as "country" today not only doesn't seem related to country music's heritage, it seems to actively eschew any connection to it. And that's what I despise about it. Jason Aldean Screaming "she's country" over a track that combines the worst of '80s pop rock drums and a bed of pseudo AC-DC guitars is anything but country. And Blake Shelton proclaiming that because he's CMA's artist of the year, he gets to define country music. And whoever made that putrid turd of bad white boy rap about save a horse, ride a cowboy...