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Double Bass What is it with Bluegrass players?

Wings

Wings

Feb 6, 2005
38
47
Bellport, NY
#1
This is an honest and sincere question so please no flaming. I want to try to understand what's going on.

I've been playing guitar for over 50 years. I've been playing bass guitar for over 15 years and once I started playing the bass guitar I almost never picked up a guitar again. The bass is my instrument.

I play a Fender Jazz bass, a Kala Ubass, and a two string washtub bass that I electrified and now sounds like the voice of God.

My loves are acoustic blues, old timey music, folk, and jug band music. I'm not a great player, but I'm regularly asked to play gigs backing up other musicians and I've been asked to backup other musicians when they recorded their CDs so I can't be all that bad.

For 7 years I've run a local acoustic jam twice a month and 20 to 25 musicians show up every two weeks to join in. The skill level at the jam is from beginner to pro and it's been a joy to see beginners blossom and go on to join bands and play paying gigs. My number one rule is to be inclusionary rather than exclusionary. Even though I'm electrified, I have no problem fitting in with acoustic players. In fact, I'm often asked to turn up the volume a little.

So finally, here's my problem.

There's a local bluegrass club that meets and jams once a month. I've tried joining in several times, but it's been made very clear that if I'm not playing a DB I'm not welcome. About 35 players show up at their jams each month, but there's usually only one or two DB players.

The funny part is that the four or five leaders of the bluegrass club come to my jam every two weeks. When they do, they sit and stand near and around me and seem to be enjoying themselves.

So, what's the deal with bluegrass people? I've heard similar stories from around the country that bluegrass people are snobs. At one point I considered buying a DB so that I could fit in, but after I thought about it, I decided that I didn't want to become one of these people.

So, once again, what is it with bluegrass people?

I feel better now :-)
 
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#3
I was asked to join a bluegrass band once, and they knew I played electric. Later, when we had all the songs worked out and they found a DB player I was let go because of the electric. I don't feel bad though, I only enjoy performing that music as a novelty anyway, but letting me stay and work out the music was not cool. Funny thing is, I stayed friends with them and at a rather big show their DB player couldn't make it, so I was asked if I could fill. I did gladly and during the show proceeded to add in runs that were not very bluegrassy, but sounded okay - kinda modernized it for them :laugh:. They took it just fine and we all had a good time there on the group W bench - but I can tell you I was never asked back again! To answer your question, I think they are alright people, but just have a very defined preference for instruments. Sorta like showing up at a metal gig with an acoustic. I would think your Kala would have done great though. In the end, I prefer NewGrass.
 
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#5
I guess that could be it.
But why can't we all just be players of varing skill and learn from each other instead of wanting to show your better by knocking someone else?
We went to a festival last Saturday that had 8 different acts from all over the state and while most of the music was not my style the groups were very tight and polished and I picked up a few things.
Sorry if this is a little off topic it just hit a note with me.
 
#6
Here's my view on the question: some bluegrass players/bands are focused on "keeping the tradition alive." They typically gravitate to songs that are considered classics, and want to play instruments that are considered to be appropriate for bluegrass. Their interest in keeping it traditional goes beyond DB or EB. I remember back in the 90's when I bought a Taylor 910 and took it to a jam. The most common comment was "it's nice, but it's no D28." Never mind the fact that over the years Martin has made some really bad-sounding guitars.

I was fortunate to play in a band for about 20 years that respected the classics, but loved contemporary bluegrass and acoustic music. Although I played a DB, I worked as hard as I could to add color and dimension beyond the "root - five" envelope. I don't think your experience is typical of all bluegrass players, but it is a very common sentiment. Is there a solution? Probably just seek out players with a more open view of the music.
 
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#7
I forgot to mention this in my post above: I now play two nights a week with a guitarist/singer in two bars down in Naples, FL. We're doing all the typical bar music that everyone knows - Buffett, Eagles, Clapton, Prine, Beatles, CSN, CCR, etc. with me on DB. So, there's the polar opposite of your bluegrass experience - me playing a DB in a bar setting that would normally use an EB. Go figure. Of course most of the patrons don't know what it is; they often remark that it's the biggest cello they have ever seen.
 
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#8
I've found it's important, in life in general and music in particular, to stop labeling people with strong opposing opinions as "snobs." We all have different sensitivity in our hearing, and just because you can't hear the difference between an electric bass and an acoustic bass, does not mean people who can hear the difference have invalid opinions. I agree there are a lot of intangible splitting-hairs type discussions on TB ("what is the difference in sound between maple and rosewood fingerboard?" or "what brand of capacitor should I buy for my tone pot?") but the audible difference between doghouse and slab is rather pronounced in my experience, and it is common/normal for bandleaders in all genres to have a strong preference one way or the other.
 
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#9
Hard-line "Traditionalists" are what choke, stagnate and kill off a musical genre.

I've seen bluegrass jams/bands on youtube with all manner of bass instrumentation: DB, U-Bass, Slab, & Washtub. Bass harmonica. Sounds to me like the OP, Wings, needs to fly away somewheres else and find some new folks to blow bluegrass with.



There's a bass-guitar player hiding a ways back behind the Reverend G.
[Edit: Not exactly a bluegrass band, I know]
 
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#11
Their house, their rules. What's the problem? It isn't snobbery, it's just a preference. I'm finding three hour gigs on the upright to be hard on my hands as I get older, and prefer to play either an acoustic bass guitar (I have Tacoma Thunderchief and a Guild B-50) or even a slab when I can, but if the gig calls for the upright, that's what I'll play.
 
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#13
'Trad Police' is exactly what you're encountering. I've experienced the same thing in old time groups. As result, I have no interest in old time music anymore. so much of life is prescribed I have no need for hidebound traditionalists when it comes to music. It's the one place to be free.
 
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#14
As one of those 'bluegrass people, I'm intrigued by your professed love of "acoustic blues, old timey music, folk, and jug band music" and your statement that you play electric bass guitar at the jams you host.

So I have to ask: Would it be okay for me to show up at your "acoustic blues, old timey music, folk, and jug band music" jam with my Tele/Strat/SG and Mesa Boogie, or not?
 
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#15
Jake deVilliers said:
As one of those 'bluegrass people, I'm intrigued by your professed love of "acoustic blues, old timey music, folk, and jug band music" and your statement that you play electric bass guitar at the jams you host.

So I have to ask: Would it be okay for me to show up at your "acoustic blues, old timey music, folk, and jug band music" jam with my Tele/Strat/SG and Mesa Boogie, or not?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't have a problem with it.
 
#16
Its the whole reason why I bought myself a DB and started to learn.
As long as I was playing with buddies, it was OK to play bluegrass with whatever I brought to the jam.
But once I started playing with perfect strangers at jams and festivals, I just knew DB was not going to raise anyone's shackles.
 
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#18
Hi Jake, I'll tell you how I handle it. At the acoustic jam the issue isn't what you're playing, it's how loud you're playing. Again, I want to be inclusionary, not exclusionary. If all you have is a Strat, come on down. The only thing is, I control the volume of your amp, not you. I had the same problem when a guy showed up with a full drum kit. I had to ask him to just play with brushes on a practice head or newspaper. Problem solved.

Actually, playing too loud is an issue with everyone. We all have to be able to hear each other so I ask everyone to play at least one notch below whoever is taking the lead singing or playing. The dynamics of music and listening are important skills for them to learn. It usually takes only one gentle reminder to get the volume under control for the evening.
 
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#19
I play both slab and upright. I got my first upright specifically to play bluegrass, I had been doing bluegrass gigs on slab and didn't feel it fit properly.

Yes, I know many bluegrass outfits prefer to use slab for a variety of reasons...easier to travel with, easier to hear the bass line on stage, only way you can get John Cowan to join your band :bassist:, etc.

I'm not a knee jerk purist, well played bass is well played bass but I still prefer the sound of the upright in bluegrass.

M0ses said:
If you can't play a washtub in bluegrass when CAN you play it?
Click to expand...

In a jug band :woot:
 
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