Who regularly does bass solos in songs?

[Shenron]

Just curious about how many here have one or more bass solos to play with your band.

I don't mean doing a totally solo piece, but rather a few bars of soloing within a song.

Do you do bass solos in many songs normally, just a few occasions (like 1-2 songs per gig), or none at all?

If you do solos, do you do so because the original song has one, or do you add a solo to songs which don't have one?

If the solo is your own making, do you rather improvise it or fully craft it note-by-note in advance?

 

[JonathanPDX]

I solo at least once per set, on a jazz gig nearly every song. It's never written in advance, always improvised.

In the past, when I worked with bands that had established structure for everything, I might write some breaks or changes for them to play within a given solo section, but the vast majority of my career has been improvised solos.

 

[monkeyland]

I have a weekly gig in a keys, bass, drums trio. We do a lot of stuff that you might call "jazz adjacent", and because of that we end up with a good amount of improv. So yeah a good amount of solos for me. I do not consider myself a great soloist but I can hold my own, and I try to always approach it with an open mind. There are times where I say no when offered. Sometimes because it feels superfluous, and sometimes because my head might not be in the right space to play the way I want on those songs. With this group I don't have any solos that are prewritten, it's all off the cuff although like everyone I do have themes and licks that I explore regularly.

One of the biggest struggles that I've come across is simply playing melodically on the bass. We spend our whole lives supporting a melody and it can be very difficult to get away from just sounding like a busier bass line when playing solos.

 

[VicDiesel]

I play eastern European folk music. Many songs we land on a drone and the clarinetist or accordion will take an extended solo. (Fun: sometimes the clarinet will indicate that he's shifting harmony. Try hearing what he's doing and follow along.) If it's a slow song, where the groove doesn't matter too much, I'll take a solo. But I think my melodies are simplistic, bits of scale glued together. I should really work on becoming less obvious.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

So I would not say I solo but I try my best not to follow exactly what the guitar player is playing. Lots of fills and hooks and walking. I grew up listening to fast ska and punk so when I was younger I liked really flashy stuff and would try to come up with my own. I got a lot of compliments but when I hear back now I feel like I sound like I’m just showing off and not serving the song. Keeping the feel and serving the song is more important to me now. I do warm up most days with Maxwell Murder by rancid though.

 

[basslayer]

They look different on each type of show. My reggae bass solo is often the rest of the band laying out for some measures while I play the groove, while my fusion solos will have more variations.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Just curious about how many here have one or more bass solos to play with your band.

I don't mean doing a totally solo piece, but rather a few bars of soloing within a song.

Do you do bass solos in many songs normally, just a few occasions (like 1-2 songs per gig), or none at all?

If you do solos, do you do so because the original song has one, or do you add a solo to songs which don't have one?

If the solo is your own making, do you rather improvise it or fully craft it note-by-note in advance?

Outside of identifiable licks, genre constraints, and song form, one can get really creative, but pick your spots carefully.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I'll step up a couple of times per gig.
Rock or country. Nothin crazy fancy. Just a measure or two.
Something melodic, that keeps the fundamental.
Why should guitarists have all the fun.

 

[FullumMusic]

Not only do i try not to do any bass solos unless the band makes me, if i'm in charge of the band, no solos for anyone unless absolutely necessary.

 

[2112]

 

[HolmeBass]

Depends on the band. In a couple I am just soloing where in some cases the original artist had a bass solo.

In other bands I get a couple of solos a night. I try not to play more than one per set so sometimes I wave them off, especially if the groove is really cooking and I don’t want to leave the bass line.

I always improvise my solos. I have tried learning something composed before and, for me, it always sounds stale and canned. Improvising is how I play everything.

 

[matthewbrown]

Some of us don't play primarily as a band members. As a freelancer, how often I'll be soloing depends on the gig. A jazz trio? I'll be soloing on most of the tunes. In the theater pit? Almost never. When I played pop and rock, solos were the exception, and they were usually just breakdowns, not a chance to improvise.

 

[VicDiesel]

I'm waiting for someone to bring up "jazz odyssey".

 

[SC Bassboy]

Just curious about how many here have one or more bass solos to play with your band.

I don't mean doing a totally solo piece, but rather a few bars of soloing within a song.

Do you do bass solos in many songs normally, just a few occasions (like 1-2 songs per gig), or none at all?

If you do solos, do you do so because the original song has one, or do you add a solo to songs which don't have one?

If the solo is your own making, do you rather improvise it or fully craft it note-by-note in advance?

With my current project all the stringed instruments are basses, so there are plenty of solos to go around. With the old cover band I did at least one solo a night, usually by playing the Devil's parts in "Devil went down to Georgia" (which was a blast btw)

 

[Slade N]

Playing in a new jazz adjacent/soul jazz 5 piece First gig will be next Sat, will have at least two improvised solos for that set

 

[TomB]

I have no love for soloing, but one of my band leaders loves to toss me one a few times/gig. So I’ve had to prepare for it, and I really don’t mind.

 

[HolmeBass]

I will say I do not think of myself as a good soloist. But part of me feels like the rhythm section has a responsibility to provide some solos even if only for he sake of texture.

I personally tire listening to the same one or two people solo all night. A different voice, timbre, and range can really be a breath of fresh air, so in that sense even a perfunctory “C+” bass or drum solo can add something to a set.

I have taken a handful of really good solos in my life. I am 62, been playing since I was 16, and seriously, like 4 truly good solos in my life.

You can tell when you get it all, I can feel it if I am easily pre-imaging my next phrase, playing melodically, and phrasing well. In particular when the peak and the denouement fall easily into place. And then also the people let you know. Those precious few times the audience kinda went nuts. So yeah, only 4 times in 46 years. It’s still fun to try. And the folks in the audience don’t really know what their missing when I play my usual somewhat flawed solos.

 

[Jefenator]

Sometimes I never solo, sometimes I solo on every song and it's usually somewhere in between.
Just give me the nod, Todd...
I try to do new ideas every time, but I don't always succeed.

 

[pbass888]

I play with a guitar trio and a chordless trio ( trombone , fretless and drums). So I do solo pretty much every song doing jazz tunes (standards , American song book, fusion jazz, etc). Always improvised and like every performance , once in a while, everything sounds magical.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, how about 'Never'. Or 'Never-Ever'.
I've got nothing to offer as a soloist.
But that's just me.