joshplaysthesax Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Hi everyone, I'm reaching out to bass players to get some advice / ideas. I am a baritone sax player and am putting together a set list for evening events, playing pop songs to get people dancing and in the mood. I have experimented with a few different things and have found my groove - playing along, and riffing against the bass part in pop songs. It really works IMO, as long as the pop song and bass line are catchy and groovy enough. So far I have the following songs: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder on the Dance Floor Dua Lipa - Dance The Night Miles Cyrus - Flowers Charlie XCX - 360 Dua Lipa - Levitating (I find Dua Lipa songs to have excellent basslines!) Wondering if any bass players can suggest some (more modern) pop songs that folk will recognise and be able to dance along with, as well as be super fun for me to play along to. Cheers, Josh 3 Quote
Mykesbass Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Much older, and more Soul/Funk than pop, but I reckon that Cissy Strut by the Meters would sound amazing on baritone sax. 1 Quote
bass_dinger Posted January 4 Posted January 4 (edited) I want you back, by the Jackson 5. It was played on the bass guitar, by a saxophonist. Here, all the dots for you Take the same chord sequence and bassline, transpose it down a semitone, and it fits with Taylor Swift "we are never getting back together ". Two pop songs for the price of one! There used to be a mashup of both songs on YouTube, but no longer. This is the closest that I can find - Edited January 4 by bass_dinger Quote
SICbass Posted January 4 Posted January 4 I don’t know how playable this is on a Bari, but the song is popular on party gigs… Quote
SICbass Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Or this….. I‘m happy to zap you bass charts if it saves you any time Quote
Gasman Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Interesting question. I've played basslines on 2 hour gigs using a baritone or bass sax, but always for classic jazz bands (think Bix Biederbecke/Adrian Rollini), usually playing just root and fifth with the occasional run and 16 bar solo - it's very hard on the lip and sanity! I wouldn't underestimate the amount of wind you'll need to do the same for a reasonable set of pop/funk numbers with long notes low down on the instrument as per the dance monkey number above... Two questions if I may: 1) What prompted you to want to this on sax - maybe to become the Charles Berthold of brass? 2) What other instruments would you be playing along with? Good luck... Quote
fretmeister Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Uptown Funk works very well. My old big band did that and the baris would either play the bass part or trade with it. Sir Duke definitely works too, as does Poker Face. 1 Quote
miles'tone Posted January 5 Posted January 5 (edited) Donna Lee? I kid! Sounds like a great idea, also interested in what other instruments you'll be playing with. Edited January 5 by miles'tone 1 Quote
miles'tone Posted January 5 Posted January 5 1 hour ago, fretmeister said: Uptown Funk works very well. My old big band did that and the baris would either play the bass part or trade with it. Sir Duke definitely works too, as does Poker Face. My kids love the soundtrack to this and I think I prefer this brass/wind low end version of Uptown Funk to the original. Apart from the chipmunks 😄 Quote
joshplaysthesax Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 (edited) Thanks for everyone's comments so far. So far I have been playing along to the song itself (a DJ will likely put on the music i prepare for them). I originally put togehter a background music set (pop love songs set against Latin Grooves) but all folk seem to want in Glasgow is high energy, power hour evening sax! TBH, I am actually having more fun doing this as pickign out the bass lines and playing along on the bari feels great. Some great suggestions, esp like the Justin Timberlake track (great bass line) and the Jackson 5, Uptown Funk too. Was also thinking of Justice - D.A.N.C.E. Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso Thanks, Josh Edited January 5 by joshplaysthesax 2 Quote
Quatschmacher Posted January 5 Posted January 5 A few years old but the bassline to Mel C’s “Blame It On Me” would probably sound good done on bari. 1 Quote
StingRayBoy42 Posted January 5 Posted January 5 TOP TIP! You may already know this, but if you get a Bass clef part, read it as if it's treble, knock three flats off the key signature and you've got the right notes. 1 Quote
Woodwind Posted January 5 Posted January 5 As a fellow bass woodwind player I thoroughly approve of this! I'm a complete sucker for the Bari'. A covers band playing in a pub would normally signal my time to leave, but a baritone blasting out alongside some popular hits is going to fuel my night nicely. I hope you can get some good bookings throughout the year! As for suggestions I'm completely biased as I'd just be recommending things I'd want to hear - current pop (dua lipa etc etc), dance/pop stuff from that sweet spot 2015-2017, early 2000s hits intermixed with high energy anthems from the 1980s and 1990s. All the best with this. Please keep us updated 1 Quote
joshplaysthesax Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 22 minutes ago, Woodwind said: As a fellow bass woodwind player I thoroughly approve of this! I'm a complete sucker for the Bari'. A covers band playing in a pub would normally signal my time to leave, but a baritone blasting out alongside some popular hits is going to fuel my night nicely. I hope you can get some good bookings throughout the year! As for suggestions I'm completely biased as I'd just be recommending things I'd want to hear - current pop (dua lipa etc etc), dance/pop stuff from that sweet spot 2015-2017, early 2000s hits intermixed with high energy anthems from the 1980s and 1990s. All the best with this. Please keep us updated Love this - thanks for the positivity. 1 Quote
StingRayBoy42 Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Bass sax player here! Some suggestions: Ain't nobody Forget You I feel good Pick up the pieces Seven Nation Army Sir Duke I wish Tequila Don't start now Billie Jean 3 Quote
joshplaysthesax Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 Great suggestions above. The Skee-Lo track is a great shout! Chaka Khan too I love, and Feel Good too. Cheers 1 Quote
joshplaysthesax Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 Sing it Back by Moloko might be fun to learn too, and v recognisable too 1 Quote
joshplaysthesax Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 On 05/01/2025 at 18:35, StingRayBoy42 said: TOP TIP! You may already know this, but if you get a Bass clef part, read it as if it's treble, knock three flats off the key signature and you've got the right notes. Just tried this, great tip, it works!! 1 Quote
StingRayBoy42 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 2 hours ago, joshplaysthesax said: Just tried this, great tip, it works!! Accidentals get a bit tricky... in fact, they're an accidental waiting to happen. 2 Quote
SICbass Posted January 10 Posted January 10 On 09/01/2025 at 12:09, StingRayBoy42 said: Accidentals get a bit tricky... in fact, they're an accidental waiting to happen. Please make your way directly to the Famous Quotes thread. 1 Quote
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