The Blues... and what to do about it

[thepurpleblob]

Having got incredibly sick of the pub 'Classic rock' covers band circuit, I have recently fallen in with a blues band. I'm really enjoying it but I know next to nothing about blues. Most of the artists I have either never heard of or only vaguely recognise the names. I am getting on ok but I'm well aware that I'm right on the edge of my comfort zone.

So really, my question is, who are good/great blues bass players that are worth listening to and/or emulating? Can anybody recommend any other good resources to improve my blues credentials. There's clearly lots of little riffs, turnarounds and styles that I don't really know and it would be nice to pick it up a bit before I get found out

[geoffbyrne]

Go to charity shops & pick up as many old Blues CDs as you can, and do a lot of listening.

G.

[Cato]

What sort of blues?

The 'white man's blues' of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan is a long way from earlier recording artists like Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley and they in turn are quite different from the really early stuff like Robert Johnson & Leadbelly.

[KevB]

For modern blues you can do worse than pick up a cheap second hand copy of this:
[url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommy-Shannon-Double-Trouble-Bass/dp/B000RC1FDM"]https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B000RC1FDM[/url]
The Hal Leonard Blues Bass book is a very good starting poin too, comes with a playalong CD.

Edited November 23, 2016 by KevB

[chris_b]

Name some of the songs in your set.

[Coilte]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1479913826' post='3180246']
Name some of the songs in your set.
[/quote]

Good idea. I have often answered adverts for a "blues" band. When I get their set list, it is often a LOT different to my interpretation of blues.

FWIW my interpretation of blues and some artists bands to check out on You Tube would be :

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers...Buddy Guy...BB, Albert & Freddy King..John Lee Hooker...early Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Greene)....Johnny Winter...Chicken Shack...

As already mentioned...a good blues bass book I would recommend is :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/p/blues-bass-a-guide-to-the-essential-styles-and-techniques-including-20-great-songs-by-ed-friedland/91467042?_trksid=p2047675.l2644

[NJE]

Like someone said above, there are a lot of types of blues so an idea of what your playing would be useful. Joe Bonamassa's band is great and lots of good audio on youtube to listen to. Willie Weeks does some great stuff with Eric Clapton or have a listen to some Stevie Ray Vaughan, cant remember his bass player but there is a class live concert of his on youtube as well. Oteil Burbridge is pretty great too..

[Coilte]

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1479913137' post='3180244']
What sort of blues?

The 'white man's blues' of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan is a long way from earlier recording artists like Muddy Waters and Bo Diddley and they in turn are quite different from the really early stuff like Robert Johnson & Leadbelly.
[/quote]

Agreed...but the form is basically the same.

[thepurpleblob]

Here's a few. They seem like quite a spread to me...

Going Down - Freddie King
Messing With the Kid - Rory Gallacher
Let me Love You Baby - Buddy Guy
Rock Me Baby = Johnny Winters
Walk in my Shadow - Free
The Stumble
Born Under a Bad Sign

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1479915011' post='3180259']

As already mentioned...a good blues bass book I would recommend is :

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/p/blues-bass-a-guide-to-the-essential-styles-and-techniques-including-20-great-songs-by-ed-friedland/91467042?_trksid=p2047675.l2644"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2047675.l2644[/url]
[/quote]

Ordered

[Coilte]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1479915351' post='3180263']
Here's a few. They seem like quite a spread to me...

Going Down - Freddie King
Messing With the Kid - Rory Gallacher
Let me Love You Baby - Buddy Guy
Rock Me Baby = Johnny Winters
Walk in my Shadow - Free
The Stumble
Born Under a Bad Sign
[/quote]

Yep....these would be my idea of "blues". Great songs.

The thing to remember about blues is that while the form/structure is fairly basic, the challenging part is to play with [u]FEEL [/u] Also IMO playing a slow blues with feel is none of the hardest things to achieve.

[skankdelvar]

On a sort of spectrum from simple to busy you'd get:

* Billy Blough (George Thorogood and The Destroyers) pounding away on roots and cliche scale climbs / descents
* Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan) grooving in the pocket with a mixture of thump and tasty patterns
* Sparko (early Dr Feelgood) riffing hard and filling in the gaps
* Richard Cousins (Robert Cray) playing quite complex and interesting lines

All of these guys play solely to serve the song and all are worth listening to. As with country music the aim is to provide support and propulsion without being noticed.

[Coilte]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1479915529' post='3180266']
Ordered
[/quote]


I'm sure you won't regret it. I learned a lot from it.

[Conan]

I joined/formed a "blues" band many years ago - https://www.facebook.com/The-Lounge-Lizards-UK-129062863824521/?fref=ts, despite never having really listened to much blues music. I actually found that an advantage as I could put my own stamp/interpretation on the music instead of slavishly copying the (in many cases) plodding twelve bar original bass lines.

A lot of classic rock is rooted in the blues anyway, so you will probably be more familiar with the style than you think!

[ezbass]

Some players who give differing takes on blues bass playing would be: Roscoe Beck (Robben Ford and many others), Tommy Shannon (SRV, Storyville) and John McVie (early Fleetwood Mac). This is not to say that there aren't others, but these guys are a good place to start.

[blue]

BB King , Live And Well. Pick up a copy.


I'm lucky as it's the genre I grew up with and spent hours on end for years in basements and garages as a teen playing the blues back in the 60s and early 70s.

This background is why improvising comes second nature to me.

I thought everyone could improvise until I went to an open mic a few years ago. Me and the drummer laid down a blues groove in G minor. The young guitarist comes over to me a whispers, " I only know songs".

Sad

Blue

Edited November 23, 2016 by blue

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1479921637' post='3180332']
BB King , Live And Well. Pick up a copy.


I'm lucky as it's the genre I grew up with and spent hours on end for years in basements and garages as a teen playing the blues back in the 60s and early 70s.

This background is why improvising comes second nature to me.

I thought everyone could improvise until I went to an open mic a few years ago. Me and the drummer laid down a blues groove in G minor. The young guitarist comes over to me a whispers, " I only know songs".

Sad

Blue
[/quote]

I too, pretty much, only know songs.

Well, I can get by with some basics but I've no background in improvisation. I just haven't done it. It's not really required in a wedding band.

Edited November 23, 2016 by thepurpleblob

[mikel]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1479915011' post='3180259']
Good idea. I have often answered adverts for a "blues" band. When I get their set list, it is often a LOT different to my interpretation of blues.

FWIW my interpretation of blues and some artists bands to check out on You Tube would be :

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers...Buddy Guy...BB, Albert & Freddy King..John Lee Hooker...early Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Greene)....Johnny Winter...Chicken Shack...

As already mentioned...a good blues bass book I would recommend is :

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/p/blues-bass-a-guide-to-the-essential-styles-and-techniques-including-20-great-songs-by-ed-friedland/91467042?_trksid=p2047675.l2644"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=p2047675.l2644[/url]
[/quote]

Quite. A lot of so called Blues bands are 12 bar bands. Often the same format though.

[rushbo]

I play in a Dr Feelgood style, edgy R&B band...two guitars dovetailing nicely, so not a lot of room for anything too floral on the bass....check out Andy Frasers early stuff with Free, Norman Watt-Roy's stuff with Wilko and the "Beano" album, with John Mcvie playing like a badass.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1479921637' post='3180332']
I thought everyone could improvise until I went to an open mic a few years ago. Me and the drummer laid down a blues groove in G minor. The young guitarist comes over to me a whispers, " I only know songs".
[/quote]

I assumed timing was innate and easily felt by all musicians until I started playing in bands.
In fact, I actually thought timing was innate to humans. Both of these were wrong.

[Grangur]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1479922350' post='3180345']


I too, pretty much, only know songs.

Well, I can get by with some basics but I've no background in improvisation. I just haven't done it. It's not really required in a wedding band.
[/quote]
I don't know the book you've ordered, but assuming it's a book of a variety of generic 12 bar blues lines, go through the book and learn a mix of those and you'll begin to learn a variety of different ways to play a 12. You can then use those as building blocks that you can swap around and pick from to start to work with.

The book I used was John Liebman's Blues Bass. That's a good book.

I should add; to improvise it's useful to know scales and know about using the 3rd, 5th 7th and root. Then adding some passing notes. This is where guys who play Tabs-only get lost, because they only know to play what they're told. With tabs you don't learn why those specific notes are used.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Grangur

[blue]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1479922350' post='3180345']


I too, pretty much, only know songs.

Well, I can get by with some basics but I've no background in improvisation. I just haven't done it. It's not really required in a wedding band.
[/quote]

Well , the key to blues is improvisation. If your a quick learner and have a sincere interest in the blues and your motivated you can do it.

If you don't have that motivation and interest factors, you might want to re-think the whole blues thing and look at other options.

This is why I tell young players, regardless of your genre of choice, rock, rock & roll, jazz, metal, pop,prog or punk start with the blues. It a great foundation for any genre.

I like the blues, it comes naturally to me. It's not a mechanical or technical type of thing. However, if I had a choice I'd go with a wedding band. Those that read my post and know the business know why.

Blue

Edited November 23, 2016 by blue

[scalpy]

This is useful and anything that features Robben Ford is usually worth watch- as is the monster stack of Trace kit if I recall.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-bxHMnbYI0

[blue]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1479931461' post='3180428']


I assumed timing was innate and easily felt by all musicians until I started playing in bands.
In fact, I actually thought timing was innate to humans. Both of these were wrong.
[/quote]

It's not, I've been playing for over 50 years and I still periodically practice my timing with a metronome.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1479931461' post='3180428']


I assumed timing was innate and easily felt by all musicians until I started playing in bands.
In fact, I actually thought timing was innate to humans. Both of these were wrong.
[/quote]

Because I came into playing bass in the 60s and early 70s when blues was really popular and really how I learned how to play I thought improvising was a natural thing and everybody could do it. Probably because in my part of the world and at the time everyone in the circles I ran in could

Back in those days we had serious jam sessions improvising all night We didn't have what younger folks call the "open mic" thing.

Blue

Edited November 23, 2016 by blue