lownote Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 For those who think blues bass should be a melodic drum and never allowed above the 5th fret, and certainly never ever given a solo, and anything else is the Devil's work, I'm gonna call old Nick right out of his hole. Is there anyone on here who plays blues and has the hippy/ loony left/ revolutionary audacity to play a little bass lead? I'm not looking to start yet another bored Sunday morning exchange on the role of the bass, just to find out if any blues man or blues band is exploring the possibilities of a lead solo for the bass now and again. If so and you're that person I'd like to open a chat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 (edited) I've found myself playing mainly blues over the last couple of years, and to keep it interesting will "dual" with lead guitar during his solo and do the occasional short solo break (I'm not much of a fan of extended bass solos in any genre! ) John Entwhistle - who was always fond of a solo / lead part - was essentially rooted in blues, but for for sheer technical skill within very simple song structures whilst dovetailing effortlessly into the band sound I don't think you'd need to look further than Norman Watt-Roy's playing with Wilko Edited August 20, 2017 by Shaggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I've been asked to play a solo in a blues before now (normally the 12 bar format). One of the best examples I can think of a blues song (albeit a jazz one) with solo bass is Goodbye Pork Pie Hat - the Marcus Miller version is nice and the bass solo towards the end has some killer phrases. http://youtu.be/iAeeKDTPEw0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I play in an R'n'B trio, and my style of playing has always been quite lead-based (ie I play too much!). In our (blues structured) big finale, I have to take a little solo. I've always been a fan of Noel Redding - ex-guitar player - but his work with Hendrix never fails to impress. Maybe not a bass player in the traditional sense (he is to me, he played a bass), but live, he would play multiple runs and almost solo at the same time as Jimi. Not a 12-bar, but a great example of NR's style, and always a good excuse to post one of the greatest live clips in TV history - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw3UZ_XEkiA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I play bass like a guitar during the solos in my blues band, probably a result of growing up listening to Jack Bruce on the live Cream stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1503217067' post='3356433'] I play bass like a guitar during the solos in my blues band, probably a result of growing up listening to Jack Bruce on the live Cream stuff. [/quote] That's great to hear....you are not alone, FD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 [quote name='lownote12' timestamp='1503213734' post='3356407'] For those who think blues bass should be a melodic drum and never allowed above the 5th fret, and certainly never ever given a solo, and anything else is the Devil's work, I'm gonna call old Nick right out of his hole. Is there anyone on here who plays blues and has the hippy/ loony left/ revolutionary audacity to play a little bass lead? I'm not looking to start yet another bored Sunday morning exchange on the role of the bass, just to find out if any blues man or blues band is exploring the possibilities of a lead solo for the bass now and again. If so and you're that person I'd like to open a chat. [/quote] You need to check out the work of the amazing Colin Hodgkinson with Back Door, solo, Alexis Korner, many others. Here's Robert Johnson's 32-20 Blues to get you started http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVfqvIGLLp0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SICbass Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 This tune isn't a typical blues, but it's one of my favourite bass solos, played by the very excellent Dave Bronze with Eric Bibb. The bass solo starts around 3:15. http://youtu.be/uwSbiWkY15I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mybass Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Always....and on my trusty fretless too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 (edited) Jack Casady, with Jefferson Airplane (obviously...), but also in Hot Tuna with Jorma Kaukonen or more, held his own in the 'bass to the fore' genre, playing blues and much, much more. An example..? OK, but there's so much, it's tough to pick just one, but there's a neat tempo shift in this one... [media]http://youtu.be/mjfhsLuOEWI[/media] Edited August 20, 2017 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I'm not strictly a blues player, but it's where I started with learning bass & many of my bands over the years have had some blues songs in there. I'd never dream of staying down by the nut, that's just not right. I'm not saying that every song I try & play a lead line or solo, far from it. What I do is try & emphasise what the singer is doing or build a crescendo up to a chorus or break. If you listen to a lot of the upright players, not many of them stay at the nut, so why should the shoulder slung one be any different? There should be no dusty end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 (edited) - Edited February 25, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 [quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1503230710' post='3356555'] Finally, don't expect applause! It happens, but the only guaranteed clapper is a drum solo, no matter how bad! [/quote] People applaud the drummer at the end of his solo. They are celebrating the fact that it's over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1503234665' post='3356582'] People applaud the drummer at the end of his solo. They are celebrating the fact that it's over. [/quote] You know, that's probably true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 [url="http://youtu.be/xOHNYFIDLpc"]http://youtu.be/xOHNYFIDLpc[/url] its the only way you'll get me near 'The Blues' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 In a blues three-piece I try to keep the pulse while pushing the bass more into the foreground, little embellishments that sort of thing. In bigger outfits I fade into the background and keep it ridiculously simple. For three-piece R&B (the British pub variety) or Blues Rock I either hammer the roots or support the riffs. On occasion I've gone batsh*t crazy and harmonised riff intros or endings (e.g. Rory's version of Messing with the Kid) but only by prior agreement; some guitarists can experience alarm and nausea when you whip away their foundation. Full-on solo? Never been asked and I'd politely decline if I were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 [quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1503238420' post='3356604'] [media]http://youtu.be/xOHNYFIDLpc[/media] its the only way you'll get me near 'The Blues' [/quote] Haha... Excellent.! On another note 'Hen Hoe Down' just put a big smile on my face...I mean that is you? Yes ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Only solo if your're a s good as Dave Bronze or Tal winkelfeld. If you aren't, then step away from the solo. Even if you are, there's only so many bass solos an audience can bear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgffDVO2UyA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectoremg Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtvGR8UX1L0 Bass solo? Strictly for comedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 The guitarist I'm playing with is fond of calling for bass solos on bluesy stuff during gigs, usually when we haven't discussed or rehearsed it and not even on the same songs each time. I always feel a bit deer-in-headlights about it, but it usually comes off OK. For some reason, I'm much more comfortable with it when doing acoustic gigs on double bass than I am on electric bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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