Parts 1- 4 of this style file come from the pages of Bass Guitar Magazine, issue 24. If you’d prefer to download this lesson and print it out, a printer friendly pdf version will be online soon…

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Welcome to the first in my series of Style Files. A working bassist must have a grasp of different styles in order to accept various gigs and keep that rent paid! Every issue, I’ll present a popular style, addressing a little history, bass sounds and some authentic lines to get you sounding confident and ready for the gig. .

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A Brief History of the Blues

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.The Blues was born in the Mississippi Delta just after the civil war. Musically, it incorporates elements of African music, field hollers, church music and ballads. In the fields, slaves sang refrains using call-and-response, where a soloist would sing the lead line and the group would answer. As the guitar became popular, the sound of the Blues evolved into the call-and-response of a vocal phrase answered by a guitar lick.

Traditional Blues was known as ‘Gut-Bucket’ blues and was a raw, earthy style. It was often out of tune and had a very free approach to time. The performer’s emotion, usually one of sadness or despair, was considered more important than a virtuosic performance.

Essential Blues Bassists:

William James “Willie” Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992) was a well-known American blues double-bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. His songs, including “Little Red Rooster“, “Hoochie Coochie Man“, “Evil“, “Spoonful“, “Back Door Man“, “I Just Want to Make Love to You“, “I Ain’t Superstitious“, “My Babe“, “Wang Dang Doodle“, and “Bring It On Home“, written during the peak of Chess Records, 1950–1965, and performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter, influenced a worldwide generation of musicians. .

Jack Bruce (born 14 May 1943) is a Scottish musician, composer and singer. He is best-known as a bass guitarist, harmonica player and pianist, and was most famous as vocalist and the bass guitarist for the 1960s rock band Cream. He lives in Suffolk, England.

Hailed as one of the greatest and most skilled bassists of all time, his improvisational skill and utterly unique, free-spirited approach to composition and performance would forever change electric music. His pioneering, full-toned, free-wheeling playing on the electric bass revolutionised the way the instrument is used and influenced the playing of countless bassists today, including Sting, Mark King and Jaco Pastorius.

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Tommy Shannon (October 25, 1946–) is an American bass guitarist best known as a member of the blues-rock group Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and Johnny Winter (1970 to 1980).

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Roscoe Beck is a multi-Grammy Award winning record producer and bassist. He has recorded and played with Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Leonard Cohen, The Dixie Chicks. He also has his own signature electric bass: the Fender Roscoe Beck Bass, used by many other players.

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Strange but true: In early Blues, the bottom end was provided by a ‘gut-bucket’ or ‘washtub’ bass, an overturned metal bucket with a wooden pole screwed on. It had a single string and was used to play very basic root-fifth bass lines. . .

Getting Sounds

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The sound of Blues bass needs to be deep and full. Many definitive Blues recordings feature the deep thud of an upright. Boost that low end and add in some low-mids if you have a mid-shift control. If not, just leave the mids flat. Finally, get rid of that top end! .

Flatwound strings can help and if you have two pickups, use the neck pickup. Using a pick or fingers are both good options and you can pluck toward the bridge for a punchier sound or toward the neck for a rounder, smoother sound. If you have a vintage bass, use it! Many Blues players frown on 6-string basses, headless basses, LEDs etc. If you want to make the scene, look the part!

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Blues Style File Part 2