Double Bass Today's jam featured...

[Jimbo Williams]

Saturday we had 2 banjists, 3 guitarists, one hippie chick blowing a harmonica and my old man on the uke. My buddy that played a 12 string has a voice just like Neil Diamond.

We played some bluegrass, gospel and 60's and 70's songs. It was the most fun I've had with my clothes on. I've only been playing upright bass for around 12 months but I'm to the point where I'm able to offer quite a bit to the group and can easily jump in on songs I'm not familiar with.

 

[turf3]

Jimbo, you're where I was 5 or 8 years ago. Keep at it. Remember, the essentials for bluegrass bass playing are a big sound, solid time, and keeping it simple. I can tell you that playing the RIGHT note in the RIGHT way at the RIGHT time and controlling its duration to the RIGHT note length - that's a lifetime study, right there.

 

[Ed S]

Saturday we had 2 banjists, 3 guitarists, one hippie chick blowing a harmonica and my old man on the uke. ...

Cool. Did your old man play backbeat for you on the uke? I used to play often w/ a really good uke picker. When he wasn't getting too creative he was as solid on the 2/4 as any mando. Plus, the benefit is that, living in the same house, you've got plenty of time to work on being a killer rhythm section.

How do the guitarists divide their efforts? It seems unfortunate that so many guitarists either envision themselves always playing lead, or just settling into a boring non-dynamic strum.

Any violinists at school you could convince to join you? It would expand your group tremendously!

 

[Jimbo Williams]

Jimbo, you're where I was 5 or 8 years ago. Keep at it. Remember, the essentials for bluegrass bass playing are a big sound, solid time, and keeping it simple. I can tell you that playing the RIGHT note in the RIGHT way at the RIGHT time and controlling its duration to the RIGHT note length - that's a lifetime study, right there.

Thanks for the advice! I have actually been paying attention to the note duration of other seasoned players as well as watching video of myself playing in our church group to see what I need to work on. It really is a challenge to become a good steady player.

Cool. Did your old man play backbeat for you on the uke? I used to play often w/ a really good uke picker. When he wasn't getting too creative he was as solid on the 2/4 as any mando. Plus, the benefit is that, living in the same house, you've got plenty of time to work on being a killer rhythm section.

How do the guitarists divide their efforts? It seems unfortunate that so many guitarists either envision themselves always playing lead, or just settling into a boring non-dynamic strum.

Any violinists at school you could convince to join you? It would expand your group tremendously!

My Dad does sort of fill the role of a mandolin player. He has many years of experience and is pretty solid. There is one violin player who I know very well who may be interested. I have always wanted to play the fiddle myself, but then who's going to play bass?

Two guitarists are pretty much strummers, while one is an excellent picker.

 

[Aragorn35016]

Been bringing my kid to a local jam, 3 mandolins 2 banjos 3 guitar players myself and another bass player that's the regular. The regular bass player that's there every week is 97! We swap out when he goes to take a smoke break. I usually have my bass but as a lot of times Ill meet my wife and kid at the place after I have my lessons, but the last time went I didn't have my regular lesson and was late taking my son, so I didn't time to pack it up. I played his bass and that thing beat me to death. Its an old kay that I'm fairly certain has never graced a setup shop and equipped with the thickest synthetic string that I've ever had the displeasure of playing. I only usually play about 20 min or so and give the other guy the rest of the time (respect your elders kids). He drifts a lot in his harmony and tries to play 4 beats in a bar where it doesn't fit, but you can tell in his heyday that he was a good player. The sheer fact that he's 97 and will play that bass standing for almost an hour and a half straight is a feat unto its-self!

 

[Jimbo Williams]

Been bringing my kid to a local jam, 3 mandolins 2 banjos 3 guitar players myself and another bass player that's the regular. The regular bass player that's there every week is 97! We swap out when he goes to take a smoke break. I usually have my bass but as a lot of times Ill meet my wife and kid at the place after I have my lessons, but the last time went I didn't have my regular lesson and was late taking my son, so I didn't time to pack it up. I played his bass and that thing beat me to death. Its an old kay that I'm fairly certain has never graced a setup shop and equipped with the thickest synthetic string that I've ever had the displeasure of playing. I only usually play about 20 min or so and give the other guy the rest of the time (respect your elders kids). He drifts a lot in his harmony and tries to play 4 beats in a bar where it doesn't fit, but you can tell in his heyday that he was a good player. The sheer fact that he's 97 and will play that bass standing for almost an hour and a half straight is a feat unto its-self!

I hope I can still lug a bass around at 97. I'll find out in 44 years.

Smoke break? Maybe smoking isn't as bad as the experts say. My grandmother dipped snuff most of her life and lived to be 95. She said the Lord told her it was OK to keep dipping.

What's the etiquette on having 2 basses playing at a jam? Is that illegal in bluegrass circles?

 

[Aragorn35016]

I hope I can still lug a bass around at 97. I'll find out in 44 years.

Smoke break? Maybe smoking isn't as bad as the experts say. My grandmother dipped snuff most of her life and lived to be 95. She said the Lord told her it was OK to keep dipping.

What's the etiquette on having 2 basses playing at a jam? Is that illegal in bluegrass circles?

I usually sit out when he plays, as what he’s doing kind of distracts me, but I’m not sure what the etiquette is either.

 

[turf3]

It's very difficult to have two basses work out. One bass could bow long notes, I suppose, but trying to have two basses playing the traditional bluegrass bass part ends up being confusing, in my experience. Most bass players bring something else along to the jam in case it's necessary to share bass duties - I usually bring a ukulele so I can chop like a mandolin but not be very loud.

 

[Ed S]

It is simple - you take the 1s and give the other bass the 3s!

You could search for past discussions of this. As turf says, 2 basses is usu difficult. If neither has a 2d instrument, the best is usually to alternate every song or every couple of songs. It can be challenging if 1 bassist is a longtime regular - they may not be thrilled to give up 1/2 of their time to a newcomer. I've encountered that OFTEN - especially at camps. One guy will be squatting in a jam as tho he owns it. No ready answer other than to attempt diplomacy - or seek a new jam.

Added complication if the established bassist ain't that great.

I DO have one situation in which I am able to play w/ other bassists at the same time. We play outdoors at a farmer's market. There can be 20+ pickers in a HUGE circle. One side really can't hear what the other side is playing - so the quality of music isn't all that great. There are 2 other bassists who appear less regularly than I. I've played with them many a time in the past, and our sense of rhythm are spot on. You will likely find that there are some bassists you CAN play with - but many more that you'l just be "a little off."

But no small jam needs 2 basses. So either figure out how to split the duties, or learn anther instrument well enough to contribute. Unless you can work out something like THIS!

 

[Holdsg]

I've been vetted by one @dhergert and I've lived to tell the tale.
He's a fantastic jam host.
I wish I could make his online jam more often. Too often I have late work meetings that mean I cannot partake.

 

[Don Hergert]

We've missed seeing you there. But, we all understand schedules. No worries, please just come back when you can!

 

[michaeln]

how do you handle a new guy who wants to show up and you get vibes that he will not be any kind of a fit in the jam.

Mistakenly give him the wrong date / time / address for the jam.

 

[Tom Lane]

Mistakenly give him the wrong date / time / address for the jam.

I'm guessing you're joking? It IS amusing but I don't think it's funny if you're serious.

 

[Jimbo Williams]

Today at our general store we had a Uke, 3 guitarists, 2 banjos a great mandolin player who is also in our church gospel group, myself on bass and the washtub man was back. He's an older, lonely fellow so I'm glad he considers us friends. He also is a great singer and knows lots of good songs. He also brings the most awful smelling goat cheese to sell. It was a fun time!

 

[Ed S]

A new guy has been showing up at ourSat a.m. jams. He wears a vest that says "disabled vet." Apparently both mental and physical disabilities (tho I have no idea if they were service-related.) He simply bangs away on a guitar, without making any effort to pay chords or to play in time. He generally starts quietly, but eventually gets excited and starts banging away, resisting repeated efforts to quiet him down.

I wish him no ill, but I'm interested in making music - not participating in a therapy or babysitting session. I've got nothing against an open jam - but I think that should mean "open to people who have SOME idea of how to make music, and are making SOME attempt to do so. Or who are willing to play quietly in the background."

Looks as tho he is intending to be a permanent feature. Which means I may be rejoining my Sat a.m. golf league!

 

[Don Hergert]

Ongoing jams are two things: They are musical groups, and they are communities. Sometimes choices have to be made about which is more important to the majority of the participants.

 

[Ed S]

Ongoing jams are two things: They are musical groups, and they are communities. Sometimes choices have to be made about which is more important to the majority of the participants.

Yeah it is funny, because I KNOW how much they rely on/appreciate what I bring. On the weeks I miss, the following week they are embarrassingly effusive about how much they missed me.

I don't think they really know how hard I work to try to establish a solid groove w/ 1-2 other guys - and then massage that around whatever rubato warbling some yahoo is doing across the circle. And I don't want to make it a "me or him" thing. But it just isn't fun having to work that hard to block out that noise.

Playing outside at the farmer's market is fun, but I think we have options of a smaller group playing inside at a couple of our "winter homes."

I'm trying to think of what other group activities folk would engage in at a rather high level - like a pickup basketball game or something - where they would feel it is appropriate to let someone play who can't even dribble - and didn't even bring gym shoes!

 

[Keith Rawlings]

Man y’all must live in some pretty happening places to have all these readily available bluegrass jams to attend.

 

[Don Hergert]

Playing outside at the farmer's market is fun, but I think we have options of a smaller group playing inside at a couple of our "winter homes."

Yup, it's a great venue, but I suspect because of its visibility, it's highly vulnerable to having unknown people with unknown musical abilities and interests join you there. For the most part, house jams -- by invitation -- seem to more often provide good, somewhat controlled jams, with friends as participants; they are not technically open jams, but they feel like it.

 

[Ed S]

Yeah - the jam has been going since the mid-80s. (You can see various vides on YouTube - Oak Park Farmer's Market Band.) The community really views it as a resource, and many fans come to hear us regularly.

A couple of old-timers have been there pretty much from the start. I've played for 8-9. There is a solid core of maybe 7 of us, of whom 5-6 make it nearly every weekend. It s REALLY nice during the winter, because that group meets at a coffeeshop. Pretty decent level of picking on a good group of instruments. We can play 100s of songs we've all played before, as well as each week for bring new songs.

Playing outside is really nice - under a big tree, near where they sell coffee and donuts, and have chairs and tables set up. But the oldest timers say it should be a completely open jam. They don't want to turn ANYONE away, no matter who incompetent or annoying. The group will often swell past 15 - up to 20 or so. Usually the core of 4-5 of us hangs together, where we can keep something going among ourselves. But it has long ceased to surprise me how readily folk will ignore a rock-solid beat...

If they are going to keep allowing these mentally challenged people to play a center role, I'm pretty confident a couple of my favorite picking partners will happily splinter off - if not to a coffee house, then to one of our houses.

And Keith - come on up to the Chicago area if you want jams. I'm on the west side, where pickings are slim. Up on the north side, you could probably find a jam 4 nights a week!