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In an upright bass dilemma...


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Posted

The Situation:

I've been playing upright bass for around 11 years and took orchestral lessons for about 4 of those years. I've only recently gotten over thinking my playing's crap (a complex developed from being taught by a classical boffin), and have realized that my technique and intonation are actually pretty damn good. The styles I like to play are jazz standards, swing, contemporary stuff, ...anything that isn't endless slapping or endless walking.

 

The Problem:

My ability and musical tastes are in between the two types of playing that people seem to want upright players for! On one hand, the rockabilly bands I've come across just want me to dress up like a greaser and slap out "classic" rockabilly bass lines. While on the other, fancy pants jazz guys want me to play perfectly intonated walking lines over their complex harmonic progressions.

 

There doesn't seem like any middle ground out there!

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Posted

 

The Situation:

I've been playing upright bass for around 11 years and took orchestral lessons for about 4 of those years. I've only recently gotten over thinking my playing's crap (a complex developed from being taught by a classical boffin), and have realized that my technique and intonation are actually pretty damn good. The styles I like to play are jazz standards, swing, contemporary stuff, ...anything that isn't endless slapping or endless walking.


The Problem:

My ability and musical tastes are in between the two types of playing that people seem to want upright players for! On one hand, the rockabilly bands I've come across just want me to dress up like a greaser and slap out "classic" rockabilly bass lines. While on the other, fancy pants jazz guys want me to play perfectly intonated walking lines over their complex harmonic progressions.



There doesn't seem like any middle ground out there!

 

compose your own music and form a band that would be my suggestion.

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Posted

So play jazz standards and swing! And see if you can find anyone who's into gypsy jazz--it's good jazz, less walking, and not frustratingly convoluted like the hardcore stuff. I'm sure you're familiar with Django Reinhardt's stuff.

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Posted

"Fancy pants jazz guys" I like that. I was trying to get something together with a jazz guitarist who had played here in Cleveland for years. He couldn't understand why his last two bass players took off on him. It turned out the guitarist was a sniper kind of person and for all his experience the only time he said "hey that was good walking" was when I was lost! He knew it all, though. He had 20 some years experience, though. He knew enough to criticize me. It was just that he really didn't know anything, just wanted to sound that way.

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Posted

I suggest you attempt to hook up and jam with some progressive bluegrass/Dawg Music types. They will let you strech out a little but you wont have to walk for days on end. They will appreciate you ability to handle more complex time signatures than just straight ahead Bluegrass. They should appreciate your ability to swing.

And probably, no darn durmmer to contend with!

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Posted

I suggest you attempt to hook up and jam with some progressive bluegrass/Dawg Music types. They will let you strech out a little but you wont have to walk for days on end. They will appreciate you ability to handle more complex time signatures than just straight ahead Bluegrass. They should appreciate your ability to swing.

And probably, no darn durmmer to contend with!

 

Personally, I've found that a combination of the above to be quite effective. :cool:

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Posted

I use mine to play blues stuff on! Gets the crowd going, so I don't really care what style of music most people think you should play upright on, I just jam away!

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