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Posted

Hey all,

So, I want to learn some good, tricky blues rock bass lines, but I don't really know where to start. I play soul and some rock normally and am a pretty reasonable player (I can knock out a few Tower of Power songs), so I'd like to challenge myself, but also learn some cool songs. I wondered if anyone could make a few recommendations. Thanks.

Flunkie :)

Posted

I know nothing of blues rock, but for blues listen to:

Anything by Robben Ford and the Blue Line, with Roscoe Beck on bass.

Lucky Peterson, several gigs on Youtube.

Tommy Castro, Nasty Habits

Anything by Albert Collins

Anything by Etta James.

Posted

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1381086840' post='2234258']
I just bought a Stevie Ray Vaughan Bass book on Amazon and all the blues rock songs are too tricky for me to learn note for note. :-(
[/quote]

Well don't bother with the books and listen to the songs. They really aren't that difficult. Start with Texas Flood and work your way through them by ear. You'll be amazed by what you can pick up. Tommy Shannon was no Jaco Pastorius. He kept his basslines pretty simple.

Posted (edited)

[quote name='flunkie' timestamp='1381071709' post='2233978']
Hey all,

So, I want to learn some good, tricky blues rock bass lines, but I don't really know where to start. I play soul and some rock normally and am a pretty reasonable player (I can knock out a few Tower of Power songs), so I'd like to challenge myself, but also learn some cool songs. I wondered if anyone could make a few recommendations. Thanks.

Flunkie :)
[/quote]

Joe Louis Walker's bassist,[font=arial, sans-serif][size=2][color=#444444][size=4]Henry Oden, is a cool cat and comes up with some great blues basslines. Like this one[/size][/color][/size][/font]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr96I3bRoWU&list=ALBTKoXRg38BAbte-ohUV2GHnii3b_APGg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr96I3bRoWU&list=ALBTKoXRg38BAbte-ohUV2GHnii3b_APGg[/url]

Edited by gjones
Posted

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1381072621' post='2233990']
Start by buying a "Best Of" for Freddie King.
[/quote]

Thanks for the tip, Happy Jack.
Do you know whether the Shelter Records period is to be avoided or good enough as to this aspect?

Posted

This[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1381090901' post='2234334']
I know nothing of blues rock, but for blues listen to:

Anything by Robben Ford and the Blue Line, with Roscoe Beck on bass.

[/quote]

And this
[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1381089551' post='2234305']
"the real me" by The Who.

[/quote]

Posted

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1381089551' post='2234305']
"the real me" by The Who.

Although the WASP recorded version is easier to hear. Better mix.
[/quote]

Excellent song (both versions).

Posted

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1381093888' post='2234363']
Thanks for the tip, Happy Jack.
Do you know whether the Shelter Records period is to be avoided or good enough as to this aspect?
[/quote]

Hard to go wrong with this as a start-point: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/King-Of-The-Blues/dp/B001JPUPCS/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381131249&sr=301-2"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/King-Of-The-Blues/dp/B001JPUPCS/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381131249&sr=301-2[/url]

EXCEPT that he was a prolific bluesman and even a double album won't necessarily have everything that's worth having.

For what it's worth, my personal favourites by Freddie include:

Someday After A While (You'll Be Sorry)
The Stumble
Hideaway
Lonesome Whistle Blues
Key To The Highway
I'm Tore Down
Going Down

It's worth checking out who's playing bass on some of these. Freddie's version of [i]Key To The Highway[/i] is comfortably the best I've ever heard. I'd been playing along with it for years before I discovered it was Duck Dunn on bass ...

Posted

Thanks, Mate!
Bought that album. Quite many songs on it are from the Shelter period (roughly half of them I'd geuss), so I guess the answer is Yes.
Will try and delve into it soon. Watch me become a bassplayer noob!

Posted (edited)

The bass playing on the Muddy Water Blues album by Paul Rodgers is spot on, as you might expect from Pino Palladino...

If you're interested in the more rock side of blues rock, try listening to the excellent Mars Cowling's playing with Pat Travers. The live album 'Go For What You Know' is a good place to start - that should keep you going for a while...!

Edited by peteb
Posted

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1381089551' post='2234305']
"the real me" by The Who.

Although the WASP recorded version is easier to hear. Better mix.
[/quote][quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1381089551' post='2234305']
"the real me" by The Who.

Although the WASP recorded version is easier to hear. Better mix.
[/quote]

+1 Great song

Posted

No sure exactly what "blues/rock" is... but this line is great, and pretty challenging to learn and play:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r_sg5rIzZw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r_sg5rIzZw[/url]

Posted (edited)

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1381090901' post='2234334']
I know nothing of blues rock, but for blues listen to:

Anything by Robben Ford and the Blue Line, with Roscoe Beck on bass.

Lucky Peterson, several gigs on Youtube.

Tommy Castro, Nasty Habits

Anything by Albert Collins

Anything by Etta James.
[/quote]
Thanks for that one Chris.
From your post I found this vid which is pretty useful:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF-K0TW20xQ[/media]

I also like the "Almost Blue" album by Elvis Costello -
[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Almost-Blue/dp/B003VI6B74/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&sr=1-1&keywords=Elvis+Costello+BLues"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Almost-Blue/dp/B003VI6B74/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&sr=1-1&keywords=Elvis+Costello+BLues[/url]

Edited by Grangur
Posted

I am amazed no one has mentioned Andy Frazer and Free yet . Just about any Free record is packed with amazingly inventive and effective blues rock basslines courtesy of Mr Frazer. He is a master of the genre and well worth checking out .

Posted

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1381156823' post='2235089']
....From your post I found this vid....
[/quote]

One thing always leads to another.... also try Jr Wells, Little Milton, Buddy Guy and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Posted

Check out the following bands, Burning Tree, The Winery Dogs, Clutch, ZZ Top, The Atomic Bitchwax, The Black Crowes. They all have Blues/Rock roots but take the concept further than 12 or 16 bar.

Posted

Southbound - The Allman Brothers
Big Leg Woman - Charlie Musselwhite (simple but really grooves!)
Touch Of Grey - Grateful Dead
Funk 49 - The James Gang
Thats what love will make you do - Little Milton
Get outta my life woman - Arthur Miles (the Derek Trucks version of this is very cool too..)

I could carry on... but then I'd end up pasting in half our set ;)

Posted

Can't find it as a single track, but Pat Travers' take on Howlin' Wolf's "I Ain't Superstitious" is a killer. It's track 6 (22:13 in):

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ3-i6X4GhI[/media]

There's an absolutely mental version of 'Mystery Train' in there as well (28:55).

Another test of stamina, along with some great moustache & Wal action can be found here:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxPrIHnS2fM[/media]

P.

Posted (edited)

[quote name='Bloodaxe' timestamp='1381189917' post='2235705']
Can't find it as a single track, but Pat Travers' take on Howlin' Wolf's "I Ain't Superstitious" is a killer. It's track 6 (22:13 in):

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ3-i6X4GhI[/media]

There's an absolutely mental version of 'Mystery Train' in there as well (28:55).

Another test of stamina, along with some great moustache & Wal action can be found here:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxPrIHnS2fM[/media]

P.
[/quote]

The 10 years After clip is blues/rock guys trying to play jazz! it isn't really jazz -- the structure is pure 1/iV/ V 12 bar blues, but it swings and MAN they are SMOKIN'!!!

Edited by Lowender

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