Country Music - How do you embellish?

[JTUK]

There is country and country and Johnny Cash isn't it, tbh. He only got away with it because it was his definitive style...
I'd hate to cover it tbh...
Far better examples of songs to go for...even if it is heresy to say that..

[lowdown]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1478701254' post='3171037']
The words "embellish the bass part" and "country music" don't belong in the same universe, I'm afraid. Embellishment in country is for the guitar, steel, fiddle or any of the melody instruments, but NOT the bass player, I'm afraid. Sorry. Just have to play the bag and save the adventurous stuff for another time.
[/quote]

This.
The best way to get 'The Never Again' on a Country gig is over playing, oh, and not really knowing the tunes.

[scalpy]

Someone on here said the formula for playing country was play as little as possible then halve it.

[Mykesbass]

Country music probably epitomises the ideal of "playing for the song", which, as you've probably gathered by now means nno embellishment from the bass.

Would love to work out the ratio of bass to guitar notes on this clip!!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwws6XPZ1JM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwws6XPZ1JM[/url]

[JapanAxe]

I play regularly in a country band. I have identified 7 approaches to use in country numbers:
1. Root and 5th
2. Pop
3. 1&2 combined
4. Latin style (syncopated)
5. Boogie (6th and 7th arpeggios)
6. Walking
7. 'Written' i.e. a part specific to the song - more prevalent in modern country and Americana.

For 1-6, once you know the approach and the key you are sorted.

[gjones]

[quote name='Surrpaul' timestamp='1478684346' post='3170833']
My covers band, like most I assume, get requests all the time from punters. We try our best to add some to our set if we think it'll benefit us long-term, as most fit into the genre of music we mostly play. Until Country was requested...

We get asked for Cash all the time. Every gig almost it seems, so we've decided to go for Folsam Prison Blues.

Its dead easy, pretty much E A B7 throughout, and whilst I am comfortable playing the original bass lines in the song, I can't embellish it the way I want to. I want it to be an authentic 'fill' when I do it. Some quick web searches throw up chromatic elements to scales but I want something in particular to make country music fans go "oh man, that bass line was sweet there".

My question, what would you do, specifically, to provide a quick fill/flourish to colour the dull monotony of the percussive element to the bass line in the song?
[/quote]

Slap bass solo?

[2elliot]

Line dancing.

[Geek99]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1478714784' post='3171169']
There is country and country and Johnny Cash isn't it, tbh. He only got away with it because it was his definitive style...
[/quote]
No, he was Western .

Edited November 9, 2016 by Geek99

[Geek99]

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1478708518' post='3171109']

Sometimes you hate people for being right

Actually it's going to be an interesting challenge, I might even have to pay attention to string damping.
[/quote]
Add some dead notes perhaps to mimic the percussive sound of a double bass ? That'll keep it interesting for you

[oggiesnr]

Every so often put in a melody or a harmony snippet as a filler. I do the same with the uke group I play with because otherwise I'd die of boredom.

[Surrpaul]

Some absolute gold here, thanks all for contributing.

[Cato]

Bit of slap bass always goes down well.

[Luulox]

Shout yee Haa on the down beat of every fourth bar, can't fail.

I'm not giving lessons.

[Cato]

Hammer on the roots with your left hand while cracking a whip with your right.

[NoRhino]

Listen to and learn the lines of Folsom Prison Blues from Cash's live album recorded at the prison. Note it's Folsom. Not FolsAm. If Marshall Grant's playing bores you don't play it and drop the song from your set. You, your drummer and guitar player arè providing the train rythmn that drives the entire song.

[Hobbayne]

Love this version from Later With Jools. Note the guitarist screw up the solo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibjTycdj9g4

[Geek99]

[quote name='Surrpaul' timestamp='1478730630' post='3171326']
Some absolute gold here, thanks all for contributing.
[/quote]
thinking about it, I did add a little something that you could use (maybe) . Its basic root and fifth,two to the bar, as you know, but every fourth bar I changed the riff to eighth/quarter notes and played

I-V-[color=#0000ff]II[/color]-[color=#00ffff]II-II[/color]-I - the two light blue notes are half the length of the dark blue one, to sound a bit like a train passing through points. Where I is E, V is B, II is F# etc ([i]such is my truly overwhelming talent level[/i])

Marshall Grant adds some eighth note lead ups just before a chord change, I dont think it needs more.

[chris_b]

The title says it all. The OP thinks that 2 in the bar is boring and wants to make the number more interesting for him by adding more notes to his playing.

In Country simple is best, but simple isn't easy. You've got to work hard to make 2 notes per bar interesting because the interest isn't in the notes but how you play them and how you make those 2 notes interact with the rest of the band.

[tauzero]

Have a listen to Miley Cyrus's recorded version of Jolene, available on a Youtube near you. There's a nice little bit of bass embellishment on that which works for the song. The bassist on the live duet of Miley Cyrus and her godmother Dolly Parton doesn't play those fills though.

[Damonjames]

[quote name='acidbass' timestamp='1478698006' post='3171004']
Try practicing restraint rather than embellishment. A much more useful skill.
[/quote]

This.

Country bass is meant to be simple. Study some of the greats of the genre and stay close to that. New country is mostly 80's rock based, so you can't reallly stray too far here either. Remember, people actually DANCE to country music, you go messing about with the groove and people
Will be banging into each other!!

If you want to embellish, go play jazz. If you want someone in the crowd to hear your lines and say "wow", you need to choose another instrument 😄

Remember, there is a dignified art in just holding down the groove, honour it!

[Surrpaul]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1478784038' post='3171612']
Have a listen to Miley Cyrus's recorded version of Jolene, available on a Youtube near you. There's a nice little bit of bass embellishment on that which works for the song. The bassist on the live duet of Miley Cyrus and her godmother Dolly Parton doesn't play those fills though.
[/quote]
The back yard sessions? It's a brilliant version. Miley is a fantastic singer when she isn't being a clown.
Speaking of Jolene, have you heard Dolly's version at 33rpm? YouTube it if you haven't.

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Surrpaul' timestamp='1478855005' post='3172092']

Speaking of Jolene, have you heard Dolly's version at 33rpm? YouTube it if you haven't.
[/quote]

Or even better... listen to The Little Willies' version. Norah Jones on lead vocals and a sleazy, greasy, downbeat feel... stunning!

http://youtu.be/M3d8KobWVwk

[EliasMooseblaster]

I will suggest this with the full disclaimer that I'm not a big fan of Country generally, and so am not professing any expertise, but...

Stu Cook?

I know Creedence Clearwater Revival are a bit of a stretch away from Country, but there's a lot of Country-sounding stuff on their later albums, and he was always very good at serving the song while also throwing in a bit of interesting but subtle variation. Might be worth poring over a few of his basslines from [i]Willy and the Poorboys [/i]or[i] Pendulum.[/i]

Edited November 11, 2016 by EliasMooseblaster

[ivansc]

I made my living on the UK country circuit for many years & spent 10 years in Nashville as a working musician all through the eighties.
Met and played with some of the greats.
Trust me, country music IS simple music for simple people.
But that doesnt mean it is easy to play.
The art in country bass playing really is in the groove. Same applies to drummers.
It really is hard for some people to just hit the groove and hold onto it in spite of the pyrotechnics coming from the guiraists, steelies fiddle players etc.
And of course there are some interesting little rhythmic things involving things like slipping the odd bar of 2 into a 4/4 which generally destroys most rock and pop players.
Try the Tennessee stud. 5/4 bluegrass.
So dont approach it as "oh sh*t - all I get to do is root five" If you "get" it also and manage to find a decent country drummer to work with it is SO much more (or less, depending on how you look at it)

A good way to understand country music is to find an article on how the Nashville Numbers system works, with emphasis on the things like staircases and diamonds. Just knowing the shorthand will help you tremendously

Edited November 11, 2016 by ivansc

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1478857412' post='3172126']
Or even better... listen to The Little Willies' version. Norah Jones on lead vocals and a sleazy, greasy, downbeat feel... stunning!
[/quote]

Like that a lot!!