Double Bass What makes a good Bluegrass Bassist ?

[curlygirl]

Permit me to throw a monkey wrench into the equation. Try singing and playing the bass. Its a whole new dimension to the phrase, "Good bluegrass bass player". Not meaning to stir anything up, but to do both is very difficult. Sometimes, I am jealous of the bass player that only has to play. Thoughts?

ES1

Hey there...been reading this thread and if the singing-bassplayer thing was answered I must have missed it. I would love to hear ideas, theories, experiences, or tips.

Many thanks!

 

[pnut166]

Developing good walking lines as opposed to just root V`s - when appropriate, adds a great melody / counterpoint. As already mentioned by many, it`s mastery of all the subtle techniques, and having a deep toolbox to pull from, that make a great BG bassist. Put a mediocre player next to a pro, playing nothing but root / V`s, and the contrast is staggering.

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Hey there...been reading this thread and if the singing-bassplayer thing was answered I must have missed it. I would love to hear ideas, theories, experiences, or tips.

Many thanks!

Practice, practice, practice!

My wife sings lead or tenor on every song in our bluegrass band and her timing and intonation is great.

I don't play enough bass to be entirely fluent but if its a song I've played before I can sing on the chorus. My public bass playing is confined to subbing in a local band so I've never been in the position of having to sing lead and play a DB. Guitar, on the other hand, is a piece of cake - I've been doing that for ~40 years!

 

[michaeln]

Think "TUBA"

 

[MNAirHead]

I grew up in this stuff..

overall --- ability to sing harmony and play with clockwork time.

Few folks can really pull this off.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I think you may have been referring to my post Jason, forgive me if I read it wrong. I just want to clarify that I agree with you. I didn't say it is "easy to play bluegrass bass well". I said it is easy to play root-five over the changes with good timing. I should have stated more clearly that I believe it takes more than root-five with good timing. You have to know how to play in a way that drives the band which usually means playing ahead of the beat or really on top of it. Or sometimes knowing when to play slightly behind the beat. I see lot of players who are not aware of all those subtlties.

Your post really nails many of the dynamics and musicanship skills that you need to be a really good bluegrass bass player.

I wasn't singling you out at all. This is an old thought I've had banging around for years. You make some fine points.

 

[Jason Sypher]

This is such an old thread and, though my thoughts remain the same, perhaps I am less vigilant in my expression of them. What I have found to be generally true is that it is never easy to play any type of music, well. The best expressions of a music are subtle and difficult to master. We may not always detect the greatness of a player who is playing a simple line but, if the music is truly moving us, then it is likely because those players are great at what they are playing. Also it has served me well to never underestimate the players around me, on or off the stand, it does nobody any good.