Anyone dabbling in any bluegrass with your bass? Lots of root & fifths but was wanting to learn some different walk ups or downs. Just curious if anyone else is a fan or just me. You have to be so tight because of no drums so it’s a lot to take in. Any help would be appreciated! Stay frosty.
Also looking at an upright bass
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Hail @greggejustin !
I’m your guy here.
I toured with a folk/bluegrass/americana outfit for about 10 years. I played upright in the group, but all the songs and info work great on electric.
It’s either root-root, or root-fifth!
Make sure you can do the two shapes for root fifth - the fifth above the root, and the shape with the fifth below the root.
For the walk ups and walk downs - get two scales down!
Major scale (the ionian mode) and the natural minor scale (aeolean mode).
Most every walk up I ever played was 1-2-3 on the way to 4, or 8-7-6 on the way to 5.
You can also do the fancier version of playing the 3 chromatic notes preceding your target. For example, if you want a walk up to C, you’d play A,A#,B, then C (the target!)
The most important thing is - as you mentioned - being able to hold rhythm in a maelstrom of jangling strings without a drummer.
And also most important thing is - knowing the material! The genre expects that you’ll know the classic songs, so do your best to get to those jam sessions, the parking lot sessions, the late-night campfire sessions, ask questions, sit in and learn them tunes!
And then…
(my favorite part) the vocal harmonies!
But that’s bonus material.
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You sir are a true hero! Can’t thank you enough for this.
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my pleasure!
The bluegrass/folk music community was, to me (and to almost any bassist with an upright who is breathing) very welcoming, patient, instructive and down to earth.
It’s such fun music.
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