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What makes a good blues bassist?

#21
I'm a massive fan of JPJ, as it happens. I really doubt there's been anyone better in the 'engine room' of a rock band. In fact, one of the main drives for me to learn standard notation was so I could get the music to Zep songs, to learn the man, to improve my playing. (Not interested in covering Zep songs, just learning JPJ to improve...if that makes sense :eek: )

Blues Basser... you talked of 'a book'. Not quite the same thing but any suggestion for me on buying a blues bass instructional book?
 
#22
Not quite the same thing but any suggestion for me on buying a blues bass instructional book?[/QUOTE]
Since about a year, I've been playing with a blues band (everything from Delta over Chicago to more rocky blues things). Even though I roughly knew what the basic blues progression was like, I thought some systematic learning would be useful. So I bought a book and worked my way through it : BLUESBASS The Complete Method, by John Liebman from Hal Leonard Edition (Bass Builders Series). It comes with a CD, so you can listen as well to check wether you're doing OK. Apart from explaining what blues is, and the terminology (tags, turnarounds ...), it gives a load of examples of bass blues lines in all keys and styles plus a chapter on soloing. It's in both standard notation and tab. In order to spice up my walking bass lines, I got from the same editor "Building Walking Bass Lines" by Ed Friedland. That also comes with a CD, but is only in standard notation, no tabs. Both books have been great help in improving my basic knowledge, and have made me confident about what I'm doing. With the band, we can jam up a blues in any key, rhythm or style, and learning the classics has become a lot easier.
ladybass
 
#25
I agree with Matt Till on Dusty Hill of ZZ Top and Berry Oakley with the original Allman Brothers and Allen Woody with the Allmans an Gov't Mule. The first Gov't Mule album is a graduate level class on blues rock playing! In addidtion to Tommy Shannon, who is the man, check out Greg Rzab, very under-rated. He played on Buddy Guy's breakthrough albums in the '90s.
 
#26
Rock based blues, or should I say blues based rock....is just broken up blues riffs.

What I would do is study traditional blues. How can you understand how to change blues to rock if you don't understand blues to begin with?

Blues or 12 bar blues is a pattern. Learn the pattern and you can apply it to any chord progression. Traditional blues being a 12 bar pattern relys on GROOVE and pocket, some guys already said that. Anyone can play blues patterens but to play them wit conviction you must know how to groove in the pocket with the drummer. Once you master the basics of 12 bar blues Jack Bruce, JPJ, those great late 60's and early 70's bassists that we all know and love will tell you thier secrets.
 
#27
My neighbor knocked on my door as I was typing my last post... what I wanted to say also was in addition to listening to the players I mentioned, you have to learn how to feel the blues. It's hard to explain, but if you listen close enough, you'll understand. Don't play anything straight, swing it! That's what JPJ always said set Zep apart from the clones, the clones didn't swing! Listen and you'll notice that a lot of the bass lines counter the drums. When I play blues, I love to do that. Mix up the rhythm. And on slow blues, learn how to play the note at the last possible instant!
 
#28
In the past few days I have had two reminders of how popular traditional blues is with many of the rock legends. The other day a friend who was in Albert King's band told me about the time Bono came to Albert's dressing room to pay a "fan visit."

Yesterday I was in a recording studio where my wife was doing a duet with a blues legend. We were listening to the instrumental track at the beginning of the session and I remarked as to how good the guitar player was and asked who it was. The producer turned and said, "Eric Clapton."

Clapton once said something to the effect that many of the geniuses he knew in music were bluesmen.
 
#29
KPJ said:
you have to learn how to feel the blues. It's hard to explain. Don't play anything straight, swing it! Listen and you'll notice that a lot of the bass lines counter the drums. Mix up the rhythm. And on slow blues, learn how to play the note at the last possible instant!
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Ahhh that's called grooving the pocket, or grease or whatever you want to call it. I play the drums so I think I can describe groove in technical terms. If we take a measure of blues music the "real" time is on the 2 and 4 or the measure, or when the drummer hits the snare. Boom boom "tap" (snare) boom boom "tap". Groove is when you drag the pocket or measure between the snare hits, that's it. Listen to some old school traditional blues. You will hear the sleazyness of the drums and bass and it's created by this dynamic. The bass line follows this groove, swing, of the drums which creates that feel. Applied to rock or any other traditional music sounds awesome. You will notice all good rock bands even modern rock bands have this dynamic. This is why I can't stand the electronic music scene because a computer is incapable of having that feel/dynamic to the music.
 
#32
bigtexashonk said:
Playing the pocket while keeping it so loose that it almost sounds like everything is on the verge of falling apart. Learn to play slightly behind the beat and avoid rushing at all cost.

A sense of telepathy with your brother drummer.

Well thought out walking patterns that don't just repeat over and over.

Knowing it's even more important to not play in some places.

Playing what best serves the song.
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+1, especially on the walking patterns that don't repeat over and over. A good "walk" isn't easy, it takes a lot of study and practice to perfect.
 
#34
bigtexashonk said:
Playing the pocket while keeping it so loose that it almost sounds like everything is on the verge of falling apart. Learn to play slightly behind the beat and avoid rushing at all cost.

A sense of telepathy with your brother drummer.

Well thought out walking patterns that don't just repeat over and over.

Knowing it's even more important to not play in some places.

Playing what best serves the song.
Click to expand...
:cool:
Well said.
Check out Keith Fergason of the Fab. Thunderbirds.
 
#37
bigtexashonk said:
Playing the pocket while keeping it so loose that it almost sounds like everything is on the verge of falling apart. Learn to play slightly behind the beat and avoid rushing at all cost.

A sense of telepathy with your brother drummer.

Well thought out walking patterns that don't just repeat over and over.

Knowing it's even more important to not play in some places.

Playing what best serves the song.
Click to expand...
+1

Lock in with your drummer. Your the foundation. Don't overplay, leave some space for the vocals and solo players.
 
#39
Fuzzbass said:
To answer the general question: being a blues player is all about the pocket. Of the artists you named, Jack Bruce of Cream and JPJ of Zep are much flashier than is standard for the genre. I'd suggest that you begin by listening closely to Tommy Shannon and Nathan East, and remembering that what you don't play is more important than what you do play.
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I've been playing the blues since '75 and this is good solid advice.
It's all about the groove dude.
 

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