What makes a great Blues bass player.?

[Tazziedevil]

Great Blues Bassists:

-know when to gently nudge those are get a little lost/behind/ahead in the changes
-have a great feel for when to play simple rhythms and when to embellish a bit - often changing measure to measure
-can actively listen to what the soloists are doing and react accordingly. If the guitarist seems to favor a certain riff or motif, lock on to it and make sure it gets heard and felt. Doesn't occupy the same sonic space for too long.
-can voice lead in different ways to the changes - chromatically, harmonically, diatonically and uses different approaches to get to the changes.
-knows when to use dynamics to build up tension

 

[2F/2F]

You don’t notice him/her...but the music just isn’t the same without him/her. The “silent leader” thing that is so rare among musicians.

 

[Lagado]

 

[bobba66]

Slap your ass off and make the harmonics pour down like rain.

 

[Samatza]

A lifetime of hard knocks and the adopted name of Lowdown Finger lickin’ No Good Hound Dog.... Smith.

 

[BluesQueen84]

What qualities does a great Blues bass player have, in your opinion?

Question prompted by looking at a book on Eric Clapton's performance and recording work since 1985.

You have to have the blues! I also think blues influences play a major part.... sure we have all felt heartache, but do you have the balls to say it/play it? It’s a vulnerable genre of music.... blues is the one where there is no rules or reason.... rhythm yes... rules no... either you have it or you don’t

 

[Hot Rats]

An empty stomach, no money and a P-Bass.

 

[BluesQueen84]

Clapton is a symbol of blues, but yet there are no best or wourth blues players and singers.

Clapton? I guess so... the blues is the black man’s music.... true raw blues is bb King, muddy waters, howlin Wolf, Memphis Minnie.... even bob Marley.... rock singers like Clapton started picking up the influential feel in the 70’s.... Janis Joplin....Rolling Stones... Elton john

 

[SgtHulka]

 

[Playbyear]

Clapton? I guess so... the blues is the black man’s music.... true raw blues is bb King, muddy waters, howlin Wolf, Memphis Minnie.... even bob Marley.... rock singers like Clapton started picking up the influential feel in the 70’s.... Janis Joplin....Rolling Stones... Elton john

Clapton was listening, studying and learning from American blues records as a teenager. He was busking and performing in blues bands by 1961. I don’t think of him as a blues pioneer or a prime example of a typical blues man, but he’s very good and he gets it.

 

[jerry]

I saw Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark playing with Ronnie Wood, Keef et al at Kilburn State Theatre many many moons ago.....Ron and Keef were a little over medicated.....

Willie and Andy were sublime......

Was Willie that first turned my thoughts toward bass even though it took me over three decades to do something about it.....

Newmark and Weeks are one of my favorite rhythm combos!

 

[Tazziedevil]

Clapton was listening, studying and learning from American blues records as a teenager. He was busking and performing in blues bands by 1961. I don’t think of him as a blues pioneer or a prime example of a typical blues man, but he’s very good and he gets it.

I think Clapton is an amazingly talented musician- he understands the blues on a cerebral level and can make it come out his guitar, but he just isn’t BB King, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Albert King...

this guys just GET the blues on a visceral level.

 

[Tazziedevil]

BTW if you need some new/different/under the radar blues artists check out this thread:

Underrated/under appreciated blues artists

 

[Ghook]

Best to be felt, rather than heard, without the need to be noticable. To be the groove

 

[klejst]

You're down and out and feeling sad all the time? I'll be here all week

 

[Zbysek]

Patience....to be able to lay down the groove for those never-ending blues solos...

 

[BluesQueen84]

Clapton was listening, studying and learning from American blues records as a teenager. He was busking and performing in blues bands by 1961. I don’t think of him as a blues pioneer or a prime example of a typical blues man, but he’s very good and he gets it.

Of course he gets it.... he’s a master but not blues.... of course it’s all perspective..... and yes I know his influence in blues roots.... but the blues is the black man’s music...Clapton tried his hand at everything.... but he is rock.... I shot the sheriff??? Bob Marley.... reggae.....the thrill is gone? Bb King.... mostly all of Clapton’s “blues” songs that you know him for are not his own.... you can’t borrow the blues... either you have it or you don’t.... even Clapton’s “bell bottom blues” was awesome yes but not his.... all I’m saying is don’t base you’re blues studies on Clapton...blues is heartache... you’re either will to tell the world about your pain or you rip off someone else’s pain and redo it to make no it you’re own... Bc the original composers made you feel it... hence Eric Clapton Bc he was born to rock n roll

 

[Playbyear]

Of course he gets it.... he’s a master but not blues.... of course it’s all perspective..... and yes I know his influence in blues roots.... but the blues is the black man’s music...Clapton tried his hand at everything.... but he is rock.... I shot the sheriff??? Bob Marley.... reggae.....the thrill is gone? Bb King.... mostly all of Clapton’s “blues” songs that you know him for are not his own.... you can’t borrow the blues... either you have it or you don’t.... even Clapton’s “bell bottom blues” was awesome yes but not his.... all I’m saying is don’t base you’re blues studies on Clapton...blues is heartache... you’re either will to tell the world about your pain or you rip off someone else’s pain and redo it to make no it you’re own... Bc the original composers made you feel it... hence Eric Clapton Bc he was born to rock n roll

No, I base my blues study on many of the same people that Clapton did.

I'm also a fan of north Mississippi blues. I don't think Clapton ever went there.

 

[The Bass Clef]

The ability to play I IV & V chords for 3 or 4 hours without falling asleep? Just kidding (but not really).

 

[Mike Whitfield]

Clapton? I guess so... the blues is the black man’s music.... true raw blues is bb King, muddy waters, howlin Wolf, Memphis Minnie.... even bob Marley.... rock singers like Clapton started picking up the influential feel in the 70’s.... Janis Joplin....Rolling Stones... Elton john

In my opinion assigning music on the basis of skin pigmentation or ethnicity is one of the worst conceits one could develop. If I were studying the blues as a subject, then obviously I wouldn’t start with Clapton. But if that’s the music the OP wants to emulate, nothing wrong with that. Clapton is a master of many genres and has the talent and success to surround himself with incredible musicians well worthy of emulation on their own merits.