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Any song ideas for upright newb?

Eight

By Eight,
in EUB and Double Bass

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Eight Collaborator

Eight

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I've decided this month is the time to start using that double bass I bought years ago which has done little else but stand and gather dust. (Bought it before I had a bass guitar and then realised I didn't have a clue where to start on a bass instrument).

Looking for any suitable song suggestions (pizz not arco) to help me get going. I can play some scales, and can slap a little but that's about it.

Cheers guys.

BTW This is also the first time I've ventured into this area of the forum. It's like going into the back room of that local boozer. :)

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Bilbo Grand Master

Bilbo

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A Quick Sketch from this Herbie Hancock Quartet CD. Ron Carter on bass.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quartet-Herbie-Hancock/dp/B0012GMWUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274693581&sr=1-1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quartet-Herbie-Han...3581&sr=1-1[/url]

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TPJ Proficient

TPJ

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Some of the old Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong stuff is fun to play. Easier standards with great arrangements.
I think the trio for a lot of it was Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass and various drummers.

Glad to hear your delving back into DB. Enjoy

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Eight Collaborator

Eight

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Thanks for the extra suggestions.

Just been trying My Baby Just Cares For Me... this double bass thing is harder than it looks :rolleyes: But coming along.

[quote name='TPJ' post='846431' date='May 24 2010, 12:26 PM']Glad to hear your delving back into DB. Enjoy[/quote]
Cheers mate. First time around was a bit of a false start really - but now that my ear is better and I actually know a little about bass, I'm hoping to make more progress. :)

Edited by Eight
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thisnameistaken Mentor

thisnameistaken

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I stuck on the Graceland album on Spotify the other day, there's some stuff on there that sounds great on double bass and also that's interesting enough to just jam around if you're not good enough yet to play the stuff Bakithi played on it.

Also try some old '60s soul tunes, and '60s ska/rocksteady stuff.

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Greydad Apprentice

Greydad

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[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='847103' date='May 25 2010, 01:58 AM']I stuck on the Graceland album on Spotify the other day, there's some stuff on there that sounds great on double bass and also that's interesting enough to just jam around if you're not good enough yet to play the stuff Bakithi played on it.

Also try some old '60s soul tunes, and '60s ska/rocksteady stuff.[/quote]

I got into it by starting off with some bluegrass stuff - much of it simple root-fifths initially but good practice anyway, you need your timing to be solid and you have plenty of time to work on your (simple) intonation. I also got to gig almost immediately and that is the fastest way to get down the first part of the learning curve. Moved from there on to walking lines (some pretty fast in bluegrass) which leads into blues - straightforward blues lines in different keys are another good area for practice.

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bassace Mentor

bassace

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Try some nice walking lines. Start with a 12 bar blues - look at the Major's Boot Camp in the Theory posts. Vary the lines you take and you will get a nice feel. Play in Bb, F, Eb and C - you will see how easy it all falls to hand. Much easier that the sharp keys - G,D,A,E in my opinion. Then find the chords for 'All the things you are' by Jerome Kern ( Musos tend to call it 'All the Chords There Are') for a real walking work out. Use a metronome. See Jakesbass for lessons. Keep at it and enjoy!

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  • 2 weeks later...
grumble Community Regular

grumble

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Been lurking on this thread coz I was thinking of posting the same question so just to say a huge thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Ticked My Baby Just Cares for Me and Moon Over Bourbon Street off the list now working my way through Fever and realising what a fscking great song it is !
Many thanks ladies 'n' gents.

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Eight Collaborator

Eight

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[quote name='grumble' post='860340' date='Jun 7 2010, 08:55 PM']Been lurking on this thread coz I was thinking of posting the same question so just to say a huge thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Ticked My Baby Just Cares for Me and Moon Over Bourbon Street off the list now working my way through Fever and realising what a fscking great song it is !
Many thanks ladies 'n' gents.[/quote]
Hahah. I did My Baby and Fever (not to a high standard I might add). I feel like I should try this Moon Over Bourbon Street just so we're on level pegging. :)

Although I do feel the allure of A Boy Named Sue... not a phrase I ever thought I'd utter.

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thisnameistaken Mentor

thisnameistaken

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I've just spent the evening with a nice bottle of Rioja, jamming over [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyXmp-FiPJo"]Lisa Hannigan[/url]'s album on Spotify, some Duran Duran, Beach Boys (Good Vibrations has some forays into thumb position for the verses and a thump-a-long chorus that exercises intonation quite nicely on the E, A and D through several positions), some of OK Computer, bow practise with some ELO (call me every name under the sun I don't care I love ELO :) I also got the bow out for some of the OK Computer stuff), and finished off with a bunch of Jamaican-ish tunes (Take It Easy - Hopeton Lewis, Can't You See - Ken Boothe, Once Upon A Time - Delroy Wilson, Stupid Marriage - The Specials, Man At C&A - The Specials, Bed's Too Big Without You - The Police, It's Hard To Confess - The Gaylads, Drop The Ratchet - Stranger Cole & The Conquerors).

I can't get enough of DB now. I only pick up a bass guitar when I'm required to really. I still enjoy playing BG in the band but if I wasn't doing a band I probably wouldn't pick it up at all.

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grumble Community Regular

grumble

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[quote]call me every name under the sun I don't care I love ELO[/quote]
I loved ELO in their earlier albums (10538 Overture still sounds superb) but got bored with Lynnes production later on, so you wont find me calling you !

Once I've got to grips a little better with my EUB (maybe 'proper' DB soon) I want to have a go at some of the Ska etc. you mention.

[quote]Hahah. I did My Baby and Fever (not to a high standard I might add). I feel like I should try this Moon Over Bourbon Street just so we're on level pegging[/quote]

Standards ? No-one mentioned standards !
Race you to A Boy Named Sue , first to fsck it up wins :)

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Bilbo Grand Master

Bilbo

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[quote name='grumble' post='860340' date='Jun 7 2010, 08:55 PM']now working my way through Fever and realising what a fscking great song it is ![/quote]

Don't be fooled. Its crap.

Captain Smith and Pochahontas? What the hell is THAT all about :)

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grumble Community Regular

grumble

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[quote name='Bilbo' post='861892' date='Jun 9 2010, 10:55 AM']Don't be fooled. Its crap.

Captain Smith and Pochahontas? What the hell is THAT all about :rolleyes:[/quote]

I meant great as in 'no guitards/keys/horns '. Ignore the lyrics ( Captain Smith and Pochahontas? not exactly a classic love story I suppose ) everything else is great :)

The original drum n bass ?

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bassace Mentor

bassace

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[quote name='Bilbo' post='861892' date='Jun 9 2010, 10:55 AM']Don't be fooled. Its crap.

Captain Smith and Pochahontas? What the hell is THAT all about :)[/quote]

Oh c'mon Bilbo, it's not complete crap. The changes are a tad subtle and it's not that easy to play right first or second time. There are plenty of first time 'jazzers' that are not so demanding - 'My Baby Don't Care' for one.

I bet the bass line in Fever turned a lot of young guys on to the double bass in the sixties in the same way that some very good jazz guitarists of today were hooked on Barney Kessel's riffs in 'Cry me a River'.

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  • 8 months later...
alyctes Grand Master

alyctes

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Snakefarm's reading of 'St James Infirmary' is worth a look (not to everyone's taste, but there you go).

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuzrgu55lkA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuzrgu55lkA[/url]

Edited by alyctes
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