The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #67250 Message #1122838
Posted By: Frankham
24-Feb-04 - 04:15 PM
Thread Name: playing 'folk bass'
Subject: RE: playing 'folk bass'
For a tasteful example of folk bass, check out the recordings of Odetta with Bill Lee (Spike Lee's dad) who was (is) an excellent folk bass player. Why? Simplicity and taste. Not a lot of notes but the right ones. Most bass players tend to play too much. They forget that the function of the bass is the floor of the house. If a bass player tries to play too many notes he/she becomes a soloist and not a bass player.
Jazz bass doesn't often work for folk because it uses walking chromaticism. Sparse playing on the root and fifth of each chord with an occasional simple run is appropriate.
Frank