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Double Bass What makes a good Bluegrass Bassist ?

#62
lowEndRick said:
I love Dennis Crouch. He's one of the best, but isn't it Barry Bales who plays with Alison Krauss....or are we talking about a different Alison?
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Rick: Dennis toured with Alison and Robert Plante. I thought that was the context he was referring to especially when Barry Bales was so well-known.
I also thought Dennis fitted the description better of the playing styles he listed out when he talked about the top performers.
Maybe I misread JB's comments.
 
#64
martinc said:
JB wrote:
"that cat with Alison, and many other lesser knowns who are out there on the pro circuit."

JB: "that cat" with Alison is Dennis Crouch who has played with Aubrey Haynie and many other bands /recordings and was one of the founding members of the Time Jumpers. I would not class him as a" lesser known".
He is my definition of a perfect bluegrass player because he has magical time and perfect licks to complement it. Plus he has the taste to go with it.
He is also a disciple of the wonderful Bob Moore, the most recorded bass player in Nashville who brought the best of jazz and western swing playing to country and pop music back in the 50's and 60's. He also played and recorded for Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe, the Osbornes, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Mac Wiseman and many others. Any new bluegrass bass player could learn a lot from his authoritative and musical playing.
I think the qualities that Dennis Crouch, Tom Gray and Gene Libbea, for example, bring to bluegrass are a good knowledge of other genres of music. They know how to add non-bluegrass subtleties that add to the music without taking away the solid time.
As bluegrass music encompasses more and more material from outside the traditional form, bass players will need to be up to the challenge. Travis Book and Byron House are great examples of that.
At least that's my take as another bluegrass geezer!
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Whoa there! "That cat with Alison" is Barry Bales - we saw him last weekend with the Dan Tyminski Band and yeah, he's great! ;D
 
#68
Jake deVilliers said:
Hey Martin, I hadn't seen your post when I wrote my reply. ;)

And you're confusing Hall of Fame goalie Jacques Plante with the guy that shouts along with Alison Krauss, Robert Plant. :D
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Jake: :p I'll get you back the next time my Tiger-Cats wallop your BC Lions.

A couple of other great bass players I listen to a lot for new ideas are Mark Fain with Ricky Skaggs and Ben Isaacs. The band I am with ( Randy Morrison and Flatt River) burn on some of the high speed traditional tunes and instrumentals so I use Mark Fain's timing to help me keep in shape...and his walking and choice of notes is excellent. Ben Isaacs has a big sound and is so well rounded. He can do it all.
I'm still looking for new stuff to learn even after all these years....all the players I mentioned keep me motivated.:hyper:
 
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#69
I just found this thread and read through a lot of it... and have a similar question as it relates to playing old-time bass. I just got back from Clifftop and watched a lot of bass players trying to decide if any of them were using any kind of "technique" that is different from Jazz or Classical. I'm still undecided, but found that most of them did not, and rarely moved their position or put their thumb on the back of the neck except to play the occasional non-open string. Are there any old-time players who would like to comment on their technique or training and how it might differ from Bluegrass? I've been playing old-time on acoustic bass guitar for a few years and understand the timing and the bringing together of the other players through listening, but have only just begun playing a true upright. Also are there strings you prefer for the repeated finger plucking that don't take so much of a toll on your hands?
 
#70
ugufru said:
I just found this thread and read through a lot of it... and have a similar question as it relates to playing old-time bass. I just got back from Clifftop and watched a lot of bass players trying to decide if any of them were using any kind of "technique" that is different from Jazz or Classical. I'm still undecided, but found that most of them did not, and rarely moved their position or put their thumb on the back of the neck except to play the occasional non-open string. Are there any old-time players who would like to comment on their technique or training and how it might differ from Bluegrass? I've been playing old-time on acoustic bass guitar for a few years and understand the timing and the bringing together of the other players through listening, but have only just begun playing a true upright. Also are there strings you prefer for the repeated finger plucking that don't take so much of a toll on your hands?
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I was hoping to go to Clifftop for the first time this year, but it didn't work out; my friends who went there said it was great.

I've been playing primarily old-time for years now and I try to use classical left hand technique and "jazz" pizz technique as much as possible. I do use open strings a lot and stay in the lower positions most of the time (the highest note I ever play in a contradance gig is E on the G string, and I rarely go above C).

As you say about your acoustic bass guitar playing, listening, fitting in, and timing is what's important; old-time bass may have a unique feel, but good bass technique is good bass technique and is not unique to any genre. By all means, listen to other old-time bassists and incorporate their timing and note choice and feel if you find it compelling, but aside from a particular slap technique you might like, don't necessarily emulate any techniques you observe.

As for strings, I use Bel Cantos because I prefer the relatively dark sound (compared with Spirocores) and I rarely slap; they're moderate tension steel strings. Some old-time bassists use gut or low tension gut-like strings, especially if they slap. I don't think that any particular string is the key to combatting hand fatigue: having a good set-up and playing regularly in moderation will let you strengthen your hands over time and help you to stay relaxed. You might want to try other players' basses with different string types and set-ups to see what feels comfortable, but you'll need to balance the sound you want against comfort, and realize that your bass may react differently to a particular type of string.

I think old-time bass playing is an under-appreciated art. Good luck with exploring it.

Thanks,
Pete
 
#73
martinc said:
Jake:
This is the first season in a long time that I have been able to say that! :D
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True enough, but they are sucking so hard this year its painful. The defense is keeping them in games but the offensive squad is pitiful. If the QB isn't throwing picks the receivers are dropping wide open chances. :(
 
#74
ugufru said:
I just found this thread and read through a lot of it... and have a similar question as it relates to playing old-time bass.......

I've been playing old-time on acoustic bass guitar for a few years and understand the timing and the bringing together of the other players through listening, but have only just begun playing a true upright. Also are there strings you prefer for the repeated finger plucking that don't take so much of a toll on your hands?
Click to expand...

I was trained in the classical style nearly 50 years ago, then took about 30 years off, and recently began playing again. My current passion is bluegrass - one of the main reasons for that, other than I love the music, is that it got me right back into performing with minimal experience (in fact, I had never played BG in my life), as the music in of itself is easy.

That being said, I often jam (and jam often) for 2 to 4 hours straight with musicians of all levels. I have discovered that playing first position (I usually shift up for B flat on A, or E flat on the D) allows me to play for a long period of time, playing open strings as much as possible. That probably isn't an issue with a bass guitar, but try playing an acoustic upright for 4 hours straight, and you will be begging for mercy if you don't play open strings whenever it makes sense.

Even though my skill level is fairly low now compared to when I played classical (so far, improving daily) I am able to help drive the group when things are supposed to be quiet or loud and provide the basic platform for the music, and because of that I'm in fairly high demand, if I do say so. Of course, there aren't a lot of SUB players around here!

One of the reasons I play bass is because I consider myself a backup musician. Bluegrass does not sound right, especially if no electrons are allowed, without a bass. I'm perfectly comfortable being the glue that holds the entire group together, without so much as a moment of glory.
 
#75
wallawallabob said:
I'm perfectly comfortable being the glue that holds the entire group together, without so much as a moment of glory.
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Wallawallabob - if you would like a moment of glory, just stop playing for 8 or 12 bars, and everyone will start looking around.

When you start playing again, watch for the look of relief on everyone's face!

I do this now and again, when I'm feeling a bit ignored!!

Happy pickin.
 
#76
Like most bass players, I usually show up at the last minute or else slightly late. Heck, there's only 4 strings to tune.

What I really like to do is come in about the middle of the second or third song. That way the audience and the jam can all breathe a sigh of relief at the same time!
 
#77
MT Spaces said:
Oh Yeah ..... I Forgot ..... Listen to and Play like this Guy ...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] :D .

And His Pop weren't too-bad neither :smug: .... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_the_Circle_Be_Unbroken .

Get the Jimmy Martin Bear-Family Box-Set and hear the Originals playing Bass .... Roy M. (Junior) Huskey, Joe Zinkan, Floyd (Lightin') Chance, "Cedric Rainwater" (Howard Watts), and Robert "Bill" Yates .... Those Folks are our mentors.
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Heres his "Pops"---http://www.juniorhuskey.com/
 
#78
superman said:
Heres his "Pops"---http://www.juniorhuskey.com/
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MT Spaces wrote:Get the Jimmy Martin Bear-Family Box-Set and hear the Originals playing Bass .... Roy M. (Junior) Huskey, Joe Zinkan, Floyd (Lightin') Chance, "Cedric Rainwater" (Howard Watts), and Robert "Bill" Yates .... Those Folks are our mentors.

Bob and Superman ( who I am sure will agree):

All those fellers for sure. But we also have to add one more....the Master. Bob Moore. He was the most recorded bass player in Nashville (for good reason!) and also played on many early bluegrass albums with Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe (overdubs) and later with the Osborne's Bluegrass Collection.

Check out: http://www.nashvillesound.net/

What an incredible career. Without his playing and sound as a guide, I would have given up playing long ago. Or until Dennis Crouch came along!
 

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