IMO listening to Nathan East answers the question. Melody in the bass line that compliments the song.
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What makes a great Blues bass player.?
- Thread starter IamGroot
- Start date
Just be one with the drums, and never lose track of where you are in the chord progression, 'cause that wanker in the front is secretly relying on you.
Time, tone, taste, restraint, swing. AND playing with a good drummer that has the same qualities.
The groove. The blues lives and dies by a pocked rhythm section, and that can be someone with chops or someone on day one who just has the feel, but it's the only non-negotiable.
And I know, other genre's need a feel and steadiness to them as well. Country, pop and rock can't let their time slack either, but there is something special about the blues. I think it is because it is almost more of a "format," than a genre, it has to be there in spades.
Quite right. I agree. That's because, IMHO, it isn't. And as for "genres", well, I guess there must have been a time when "genres" made some kind of sense. But now, other than a bland "starter for 10" they often seem so abstract that they are meaningless in terms of the real world. I mean, can you define "The Blues" in a way that is pragmatic and useful to bass players in the real world? I can't; but, then again, what do I know?
Well, what I can tell you, as a bass player, is that, when asked to play "The Blues", I need a little more information ... not much, just a few details (and some) ... but "The Blues"?; sorry, it's so vague; it's irritatingly irrelevant.
Feel, dynamics and being able to let others shine. Carl Radle and Tommy Shannon come to mind as a couple of the best.
I read a lot of the replays and there were lots of good points made and qualities mentioned that apply to playing Bass in any genre. What I didn't see mentioned though was what I think is the most important quality of all. You have to absolutely LOVE the blues, in order to play it with emotion. If you don't get excited and pleasure from playing the Blues, you will have a hard time conveying your feelings through the music to your audience and the other members of the band, you're playing with. It's a conversation. If you don't have anything to say, you can't have an interesting conversation.
lol sounds like me (or at least what I'm thinking of when I'm playing, not that I'm good or anything, but I am thinking those exact things!)
Wrong, Clapton was interested in the blues back in the early 60's, during what was called the British Blues Boom. He was playing with John Mayalls Blues Breakers back before his Yardbirds days. He's always been committed to the tradition of the blues. The likes of Clapton, The Stones and other UK musicians helped to revitalize the careers of many US black blues players who were largely ignored in their own country, outside of their own ethnic community.
Here’s what BB King thinks:
BB King Interview
Guitar.com: What do you look for in a bass player?
King:
One that will play what I want. That’s what I look for. I’m a blues player. I like one-three, I mean I, IV and V. Them blues chords. And I want the guy to spell them out, play ’em for me where I can hear em. Of course I’d like him to have a little more knowledge, so we could, you know, everything we play is not 12-bars.
Guitar.com:
Right, you do so much more than I, IV and V, he’s got to know a little more than that.
King:
But if he’s good with I, IV, and V, I still can live with him because I can teach him the other. If he’s good with that I, IV, and V, he’s my guy. And I want him to drive. I want him to be like the drums: I want him to drive. And that’s what I like in a bass player.
Guitar.com:
When you say you can teach him the rest what if the guy comes to you just playing I, IV, and V? Where do you take him from there?
King:
I’d teach him how to play eight bars. Eight bar blues has many changes. I’ll teach him, that ain’t no big problem. If he want to learn, I’ll teach him.
Guitar.com:
Some of the jazzy turnarounds and things?
King:
I don’t think of it as jazzy turnarounds, it’s just different from 12-bar blues. It always kinda gets my nerve when a guy says, “I’m a jazz musician.” I don’t like that. Or “I’m a blues musician.” I don’t like that either.
Guitar.com:
You prefer to just say you’re a musician.
King: Yeah. If it’s something I want. For example, if I came to town, and I was looking for somebody to play, I want em to play what I want. I ain’t looking for no jazz musician, I ain’t lookin for no blues musician. I want the guy to play what I want. Now if he studied jazz, fine, cause most jazz musicians are better with blues than actually the blues musicians, cause they’re more familiar with chords.
Guitar.com: Right.
King:
So that’s fine with me. But I don’t want a guy to say, “Yeah, I’m a jazz musician. I don’t play them old blues.” I put a X on his name. (laughs) Or “I’m a blues musician. I don’t play no jazz.” I put a X on his name too.
BB King Interview
Guitar.com: What do you look for in a bass player?
King:
One that will play what I want. That’s what I look for. I’m a blues player. I like one-three, I mean I, IV and V. Them blues chords. And I want the guy to spell them out, play ’em for me where I can hear em. Of course I’d like him to have a little more knowledge, so we could, you know, everything we play is not 12-bars.
Guitar.com:
Right, you do so much more than I, IV and V, he’s got to know a little more than that.
King:
But if he’s good with I, IV, and V, I still can live with him because I can teach him the other. If he’s good with that I, IV, and V, he’s my guy. And I want him to drive. I want him to be like the drums: I want him to drive. And that’s what I like in a bass player.
Guitar.com:
When you say you can teach him the rest what if the guy comes to you just playing I, IV, and V? Where do you take him from there?
King:
I’d teach him how to play eight bars. Eight bar blues has many changes. I’ll teach him, that ain’t no big problem. If he want to learn, I’ll teach him.
Guitar.com:
Some of the jazzy turnarounds and things?
King:
I don’t think of it as jazzy turnarounds, it’s just different from 12-bar blues. It always kinda gets my nerve when a guy says, “I’m a jazz musician.” I don’t like that. Or “I’m a blues musician.” I don’t like that either.
Guitar.com:
You prefer to just say you’re a musician.
King: Yeah. If it’s something I want. For example, if I came to town, and I was looking for somebody to play, I want em to play what I want. I ain’t looking for no jazz musician, I ain’t lookin for no blues musician. I want the guy to play what I want. Now if he studied jazz, fine, cause most jazz musicians are better with blues than actually the blues musicians, cause they’re more familiar with chords.
Guitar.com: Right.
King:
So that’s fine with me. But I don’t want a guy to say, “Yeah, I’m a jazz musician. I don’t play them old blues.” I put a X on his name. (laughs) Or “I’m a blues musician. I don’t play no jazz.” I put a X on his name too.
Go with the flow and know your 12-bar progression and all it's variants without thinking; relax and stay in the pocket, adding florishes only to set something apart. Rickenbacker 4003S is the bass for all tones required.
Even though it applies to all kinds of music, the term “ one foot in the pocket and the other up the soloists butt”, it’s applicable here too.
