uk_lefty Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Hi everyone - my new band is throwing in some country style music. I love listening to it but I'm showing myself up a little. Root-fifth.. root-fifth... attempted fill... root-fifth... I can play most rock genres in my sleep but struggling to crack country. Granted, I don't practice enough - but I'm looking for some tips to get a bit more out of playing. My lead guitarist has played country bass but i think he just played it like lead guitar, and he's not great at explaining or showing what he wants me to do. So - any country players... what would be good songs to listen to and learn? How do i get away from root-fifth, fill, root-fifth and play something authentic and not "soften" the feel? Is playing the Tenessee three style rhythm possible on electric bass? thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) Lots of chordal things going on here. A fun tune to play (but a lot easier if you can read dots). [url="https://youtu.be/iZRA-Dwv86E"]https://youtu.be/iZRA-Dwv86E[/url] Edited November 20, 2015 by stevie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 You can put lots of notes in if you want but that doesn't mean they will be right for the song. You can use a walking bass which will work on some tunes but I'd say KISS (keep it simple stupid). Listen to Johnny Cash. The lines may be simple but they are what is right for that music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Here's my tip ... buy this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Art-Country-Bass-Electric/dp/0793569923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448040241&sr=8-1&keywords=Lost+Art+of+Country+Bass Excellent piece of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1448040277' post='2912643'] Here's my tip ... buy this book: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Art-Country-Bass-Electric/dp/0793569923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448040241&sr=8-1&keywords=Lost+Art+of+Country+Bass"]http://www.amazon.co...of+Country+Bass[/url] Excellent piece of work. [/quote] I also recommend that book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philparker Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Unfortunately, with a lot of country, you have to provide beat and drive without runs and expression. When I was putting the bass line down for a recording of Jackson, a couple of years ago, I was also asked to reduce the number of 'lead-ins' to the root-fifth beat even when it didn't clash with vocals. I also had to keep turn-arounds simple. The only tips I can give is to emphasise the dominant 7th changes with both pre and post runs to the dominant 7th (i.e. to land on either the start of the dom 7 chord or to run up to and linger on the end of the dom 7 chord just before the change back) I do this on Jackson; to emphasise the minor chords (strong use b3's or b6's during runs) during breaks of vocals (e.g. It Ain't Me Babe); use the bluesy 6th arpeggios for rock n' roll sections (i.e. Country Girls) and finally use walkin' bass lines as and when appropriate especially when the vocals are strong enough to push the bass right into the background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 top advice, thanks - its opening me up to a few different ideas. Not wanting to play lots of notes, just to sound more authentic. thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lo-E Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I belive it was Dave Pomeroy who, when asked about playing country lines, said "Find the simplest line you can possibly play, then play half of that!" All kidding aside, he made an excellent point. Country bass playing is an absolutely ego-less excersize. Everthing is best when stripped down to the absolute core components. Surprisingly enough, it can be a lot harder to pull off than it looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 This is worth buying if you're into Country / Americana: http://www.amazon.com/STUDIO-BASS-MASTERS-W-CD/dp/0879305584 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejayen Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 I'm hoping to mess around playing/recording country bass over Christmas, so this thread is well-timed. I've just placed an order for "The Lost Art of Country Bass" as recommended above. I play guitar, but struggle when playing bass. I'm going to mess around recording a short tune which is in a Johnny Cash vein. The electric guitar will be doing some sort of alternate bass , and I wonder how the bass guitar will gel/clash with that. Do you generally play exactly the same notes, or would the bass drive things on a little more, and play additional fills? I listened to a tune this morning ("Just Because" by The Flying Burrito Brothers) which starts off with an alternate bass (with an interesting run - to me -from the 1-chord to the 5-chord) and moves onto a waking bass. I'd also be interested to know what sort of bass is being used, and how it's recorded. I can clearly hear the bassline in my old van, so it must have quite a lot of mid-frequency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 [quote name='Lo-E' timestamp='1448226142' post='2913853'] I belive it was Dave Pomeroy who, when asked about playing country lines, said "Find the simplest line you can possibly play, then play half of that!" [/quote] He's a very good guy is Dave - strangely enough we shared a flat in the 70s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 [quote name='deejayen' timestamp='1450353904' post='2931918'] I play guitar, but struggle when playing bass. I'm going to mess around recording a short tune which is in a Johnny Cash vein. The electric guitar will be doing some sort of alternate bass , and I wonder how the bass guitar will gel/clash with that. [/quote] Not at all sure what you mean by that. The bass+guitar thing in country music was traditionally the tic-tac system where the (muffled, muddy, badly-recorded) double bass was doubled two octaves higher on a Telecaster. Or something ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 And now, just to bring my last two posts together in a sort of Unified Theory Of General Country: http://www.bassplayer.com/gear/1164/retro-rama-1968-silvertone-1443/26638 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 (edited) Great example here of how what in theory should be dead simple can become quite demanding: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwws6XPZ1JM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwws6XPZ1JM[/url] Edited December 18, 2015 by Mykesbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1450468489' post='2933210'] Great example here of how what in theory should be dead simple can become quite demanding: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwws6XPZ1JM[/media] [/quote] Fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackerJackLee Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1448040277' post='2912643'] Here's my tip ... buy this book: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Art-Country-Bass-Electric/dp/0793569923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448040241&sr=8-1&keywords=Lost+Art+of+Country+Bass"]http://www.amazon.co...of+Country+Bass[/url] Excellent piece of work. [/quote] A great book for C&W bass... I've played country and western for years on Vancouver Island... an I got a big kick out of this book... from Johnny Cash root-fifth lines to Ray Price's walking country bass... while outlining the country tradition through a round-up of its most remarkable and prodigious bass players... reasonable price for what you get... Rosier also wrote a Jump Blues book... an I like it as well... Best way to learn C&W is to listen to it... it's like the blues or big band swing... you have to get the feel... when I first played in a country band, it was the first time I had played country... but my inner ear guided me along, because my parents had a big record collection that included hits from the country decades... just watch the ladies dancing (not too closely, though...) their feet and hips will keep you on your toes and give you the right feel... in country, the bass player is really a servant... you're just there for the dancers... from the root to the fifth... or triads for Ray Price's stuff... but a good band will play a little boogie-woogie, so's you can stretch out with major sixth and dominant seventh bass lines... You may find that you have more rhythm when you keep the note density down... root on one... fifth on three... four note walk up on the change... an a doe sie doe... you have to learn to walk up on your own, cuz no one is gonna tell you when... they're all depending on you to walk them into each chord... and don't be afraid to hit the same note twice in a row instead of root-fifth... it just sounds better sometimes... follow your ear, but don't walk sideways... they'll think you're crabby... But most importantly. lead in to each chord change... walk it up and back down again... the band and audience will appreciate it... they won't know why, but they will... Good Luck, Buckaroo...! Edited January 25, 2016 by CrackerJackLee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejayen Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Thanks very much, CrackerJackLee. I bought the book, and have been listening to the CD while driving for the past couple of weeks. I've just started to work on one of the first examples. Despite (or maybe because of) being a guitarist, I can see that some of the positions aren't what I would have expected, so some of the fingering is new to me. For example, my exercise in the key of A is based around the fifth fret, which will keep the bass in a more audible range. I just need to get more comfortable with playing bass, learn some of those walking in and out of the chord changes, and then work out something simple to go with what I'm playing on the guitar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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