I ain't no bluegrass guy, but I got serious chills from this clip! This is real music. Thank you.
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I ain't no bluegrass guy, but I got serious chills from this clip! This is real music. Thank you.
Jason:
I think the "fascination with Grandfather's Clock" comes from Tom Gray with the Seldom Scene. Back in the 70's there was not much soloing going on (but in the 50's Joe Zinkan was amazing!) and Tom's break for Grandfather's Clock got lots of attention from new bluegrass fans. I think it also inspired other self trained, weekend bass players years afterwards to tackle a bass solo so Tom's break was a good place to start.
I actually prefer the slow/ballady/bluesy songs to take a solo break on. Gives your solo more room to breathe.
In my current band, I do a bass solo on:
Blues Stay Away From Me, and
The Thrill is Gone
And one other uptempo, I try to mimic the bass break on "My Sweet Blue-eyed Darlin"
In my current band, I do a bass solo on:
Blues Stay Away From Me, and
The Thrill is Gone
And one other uptempo, I try to mimic the bass break on "My Sweet Blue-eyed Darlin"
holdsg: "Blues Stay Away From Me". Great choice. I have a solo running around in my head for that already. Gotta go....I need to grab my bass right now and play it!
Another thought I had (because I had to access it the other night) is to start slow. I know that the OP was concerned about being thrown into the pool without warning but you will get some notice usually and you should always be ready for someone to turn to you and say "go man!". My advice: try to lead in with a simple but strong statement. This can be a single note pattern or a simple figure, but play it strong, take up the space, own the attention you are now being given. And by all means stay calm. You have them, now KEEP them. Start with something simple. Then expand. Try a melody fragment and mess with it. Try a rhythmic figure and show what you can do to break up the time. In short, take them somewhere. It doesnt have to be perfect, its a solo, the audience knows that. My hero Charlie Haden often stumbled into some of his solos and then slowly wove his magic. This journey can be very rewarding for and audience to take with you. Remember, it's your solo to take and do what you want with it. I believe you can take a one, two or three note solo and make something out of it if you are communicating to the audience what you are trying to show them. Show them what you got, not what you don't got. Be yourself, solo within your abilities, and do it with spirit.
Traditional bluegrass bands, if they do feature bass solos, give only two or four measures, often like jazz "trading fours." Slapping is usually featured.
If the recorded legacy of the first-generation bands is any indication, Bluegrass bass solos should be safe, legal, and rare. The handful that made it onto a record all seem to be straight ahead walks, typically on medium tempo bluesy numbers over a standard progression. (YMMV once you get into “progressive bluegrass” territory.) Play the melody at a jam if you want to, but unless the group is small and excellent (sort of a unofficial “band”), the bottom is likely going to drop out and you’ll be lucky not to bust the thing. Heck, that might also be true if you just walk, because it is the rare circle that knows how to “chuck” chords in rhythm behind a bass solo.