Swing Bass

Why Guitar Players Don’t Always Make Good Bass Players

  It has probably happened thousands of times in the history of modern music. The bass player either quits unexpectedly, or a new band just cannot find a bass player. So in comes a guitar player who may or may not already be in the band, and volunteers to play bass. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

 There are several reasons why it is difficult for a guitar player to just switch to bass and do the job adequately. First of all, a guitar players job is to yes, play rhythm guitar parts at times, but also to play lead guitar parts. And guitar players with their inherent egos, would almost always rather play the lead parts because when they do, they are the center of attention. And we all love to be the center of attention. There are thousands of songs that have great guitar parts that people will remember forever. But when was the last time you heard someone whistling a bass part from some popular song? Bass players just get no respect.

 The role of the bass guitar player is to put the bottom in the music. He must work with the drummer in a structured way to lay a foundation for the other musicians. When the bass player and drummer are working together, the music feels good to them and listeners. When the other musicians put their parts on top of this foundation, the package is complete.

 Because guitar players are used to playing lead guitar, most have a difficult time playing the mostly simple bass lines required when they switch instruments. It is the rare disciplined musician who can make the change without weeks or months of practicing his new instrument.

 Bass guitar parts vary from the simple one and five Country Music bass lines, to the one, three, five lines of jazz and swing. There are bassists who play very busy bass lines but for the most part, bass players blend in and just do their job. Sometimes you don’t even notice the bass player, at least not until he drops out. Then you definitely notice him.

 There are and have been bass guitar players that have demanded notice and been stars in their own right, like the late Jaco Pastorious and Nashville Ace Victor Wooten. But most bass players are not and don’t try to be the stars of the show. Many guitar players have difficulty adjusting to this part of their new role.

 As a guitar player who made the switch to bass and then had the good fortune to work with some of the biggest names in the music business, my advice to any guitar players wanting or needing to become bass players is to take some time and really listen to what the bass is doing in some of the music you will be playing. Learn the bass lines to some of those songs, get a drum machine and play along with the songs using the drum machine. Tune your ear to the kick drum and train your fingers or pick if you use one, to strike the string just as the kick drum is hitting the head of the bass drum. It is the combination of the kick drum sound and the bass note together that gives the music that thud that hits you in the chest and makes you feel the music. If you are ahead of or behind the beat, the band will sound off and the music won’t sound right.

 Playing guitar and playing bass are like being in two different worlds and demands two different ways of thinking. If you find yourself at that crossroads where you have to make that decision, remember what a bass player is and what he does. If you are not comfortable playing second banana to the guitar player or keyboard player, if you can’t work in a controlled manner laying the foundation for the rest of the band, then admit it and stick to guitar. You have to love what you’re doing to be successful at it. Remember that.

About the Author

Joe Russ is a songwriter, singer, musician and Internet Marketer. You can read more of his articles on his blog Songwriting Nashville Style. He is also a featured writer on the new informative songwriting website Songwriters Marketplace.

How to improve your swing feel – WALKING BASS LESSON with Scott Devine

Fair Warning $3.94 No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: CDArtist: VAN HALENTitle: FAIR WARNINGStreet Release Date: 09/19/2000…

Cash: Ultimate Gospel $5.42 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed….

Bolling: Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano Trio $12.76 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed….

Lesson Private [VHS] $21.95 Learn to play drums. In this lesson, Gregg covers a wide variety of styles and techniques from rudimental snare segments to dynamic demonstrations with brushes. He covers rock, latin, funk, swing, double bass, beat displacement, solo and fill ideas, as well as ways to develop good time and groove….

Swing Vote [VHS] …

A Rhythmic Twist – Triplet Concepts for Drumset – Book and CD Package $14.99 Can you learn how to swing? Yes, and this book will show you how, giving you a huge vocabulary of creative triplet grooves and fills to play in every style. The book does this by taking common, comfortable 16th-note patterns and adapting them into a triplet feel. The results are amazingly musical and refreshingly creative, and will give any drummer tons of new ideas to play within any swing-based groove. Jeff Salem covers many concepts, including solidifying your basic triplet grooves in various styles, moving around the drumset with triplets, incorporating the bass drum into your fills, creating interesting triplet grooves using 16th note-based rhythms, applying paradiddle concepts to triplet grooves and fills, incorporating rests into your swung phrases, and more. In the later chapters, the triplet rhythms presented are applied to fills that can be used in blues, R&B, rock and hip-hop settings, and are also applied specifically to jazz concepts to broaden your independence and vocabulary in a traditional swing setting. An introductory section with basic triplet feels and a listening guide is designed to start beginning-level drummers on the right path to understanding swing-based styles. The book comes complete with an MP3 CD presenting play-along tracks in many styles, which are designed for you to apply the concepts learned in the book. The disc also includes demonstrations of nearly every example in the book.

Acoustic Guitar $29.99 Anyone interested in learning to play acoustic guitar can pick up this well-paced, comprehensive method and get started right away. Beginning concepts include right- and left-hand technique, reading music, basic improvisation, barre chords, picking technique, playing bass lines, and basic arranging. Intermediate topics include alternate tunings, scales, how to play in upper positions of the fingerboard, and a rundown of styles like acoustic funk, New Orleans, gypsy swing, Celtic, bluegrass, Cajun, and more. This comprehensive book concludes with more advanced techniques, including machine gun strums, right-hand muting, slapping, tapping, slap harmonics, and tremolo?as well as styles like reggae, African/Brazilian, norte?o, and conjunto. Whether you are starting to learn acoustic guitar or an advanced player looking to improve your playing, this is the one book on acoustic guitar you will ever need. An MP3 CD for demonstration and play-along is included.

Alfred 00-21352 12th Street Rag – Music Book $15.32 Alfred Music Publishing is the world s largest educational music publisher. Alfred produces educational #44; reference #44; pop #44; and performance materials for teachers #44; students #44; professionals #44; and hobbyists spanning every musical instrument #44; style #44; and difficulty level. Geoff Haydon and Jim Lyke bring this well-known ragtime solo by Euday Bowman to life again in their two-piano arrangement. The melody is expertly divided between the two pianos and requires careful attention to the syncopation. The jump bass accompaniment typical to this style of music is perfect for dividing between the hands. The bright #44; swing tempo captures the character and spirit of ragtime making this an arrangement that will delight both listeners and performers alike.

Alfred 00-22465 Lefty s Cool Strut- for left hand alone – Music Book $13.68 Alfred Music Publishing is the world s largest educational music publisher. Alfred produces educational #44; reference #44; pop #44; and performance materials for teachers #44; students #44; professionals #44; and hobbyists spanning every musical instrument #44; style #44; and difficulty level. This solo for left hand alone is sure to appeal to students with its jazzy style and beat. Written in C major #44; it begins with a descending bass line that sounds very much like the opening of a jazz solo played by a stringed bass. Various accidentals and swing eighth notes are used to further enhance the style of the piece. This solo is also an excellent review of bass clef reading and gets the left hand moving freely around the keyboard.

Alfred 00-23269 A Jazzy- Jolly Christmas – Music Book $9.01 Alfred Music Publishing is the world s largest educational music publisher. Alfred produces educational #44; reference #44; pop #44; and performance materials for teachers #44; students #44; professionals #44; and hobbyists spanning every musical instrument #44; style #44; and difficulty level. This suite contains three enjoyable intermediate-level arrangements for celebrating the holiday season. Creatively exploring jazz idioms #44; this entertaining suite contains two upbeat swing pieces and an exquisite ballad. quot;Up on the Housetop quot; features a walking bass line in the left hand with a cheerfully syncopated right-hand melody. A unique ballad arrangement of quot;Jolly Old St. Nicholas quot; contains wonderful #44; lush jazz harmonies. Gorgeous harmonic colors and an imitation of an improvisatory jazz solo are sure to make this piece a favorite. The suite concludes with a spirited arrangement of quot;Jingle Bells #44; quot; featuring a playful syncopated melody that appears in both hands.