New to playing Blues

Subject: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 11:57 AM

Well, I have done it! I have been messing around for several years now playing folk (well, at least my rendition of folk) on upright bass. My options for playing are limited these days as my group has gotten too lazy to get together much and play, so in an effort to keep my hand in music, I went to a new blues club that had recently opened. I met a blues player that was playing, he said he would like to have me sit in sometime so the next day I found myself playing blues.   My only foray in this genre was playing a workshop at Getaway with Bobert a couple years ago, so at least I had already been exposed to excellence, but now I am having a blast playing a couple nights a week in some totally different music than I have ever done before. I find it to be really fun, rewarding music and hope to gain some level of proficiency.

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 12:08 PM

I am sure you will. People who do it for fun are what keeps the music alive. Good luck with it and have a whole heap more fun!

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: redsnapper
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 12:34 PM

Welcome to the Blues Club! Enjoy the music!

RS

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: dwditty
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 02:25 PM

Alright, jimmyt.

A while ago, I was playing out and a guy said he had his bass in the car and could he sit in. We had a blast, especially on a bunch of Tom Waits songs.

dw

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Fortunato
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 02:42 PM

now of course you need a nickname.   "Blind" or "Pegleg" or "Shorty" or something.

________ JimmyT.   

Perhaps we could have a contest to "Name that Blues Bassman"

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 04:34 PM

You know, that is a great idea! Please recommend names so I feel comfortable hangin' with the blues crowd! I wear my only black teeshirt and jeans and that helped! grin

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Leadbelly
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 04:40 PM

Just try to put your feelings in what you are playing. Like Leadbelly used to said: "It's so easy when you know how".
Good luck!

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Leadbelly
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 04:45 PM

Sorry, wasn't quite correct. New version:

Just try to put your feelings in what you are playing. And just work on your techniques. Like Leadbelly used to say: "It's so easy when you know how".
Good luck!

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 06:53 PM

Good on you, jimmy, and so glad to see you in here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jerry

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 09:53 PM

jimmy "biteman" t.

feel free to steal or ridicule the idea...*grin*

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 28 Jun 07 - 10:37 PM

Biteman? got possibilities!   Jerry! good to be back amongst the great musicians and away from "looking down in the mouth all day!"

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 06:21 AM

Good for you Jimmy - So how long before you start playing blues on the whistle ?

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 08:56 AM

Terry, I have already considered the possibility! I need to get a little more comfortable first, but mark my words, there will be whistle played within a month!   grin

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: dwditty
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 10:31 AM

Jimmyt, everything you need is in the Learn to Play the Blues in Seconds thread.

dw

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 12:19 PM

JimmyT: Congrats on your first steps...The Blues is an endless universe. It can be made fun of, listened to, and played on a superficial level by simpletons; or it can reach into the depths of the human soul and attain a level of high art. If you play upright bass, try on some Willie Dixon, or Stephen Barry from Montreal. It's not what you have. It's what you do with it. The Blues has endured countless trends and still thrives today. If you haven't checked out Martin Scorcese's series on The Blues, it's a good starting point. You could look at the painting of the Mona Lisa and say, "hey, it's just a woman sitting in a chair." Or, maybe you might have the eyes to see that what is there has touched the source of all creation... Your journey on upright bass in the Blues may be a long one. It's up to you. Best Wishes. bob

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 05:26 PM

Thanks Bob and DW and Leadbelly for the sound advice. I am loading up the car right now to go play a couple hours !

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 09:56 PM

great evening of blues! I got to play in G, D and E tonight and it made a lot of difference with the improv bass lines! Great music

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Jun 07 - 10:02 PM

Jimmy - Bear
in mind that Blues in E is a doddle on a D whistle , as the Flatted seventh takes out the most difficult half note to hit accurately !

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 07:36 AM

Thanks, Terry. Now, I got the E Blues, I got the D whistle, I even got the flatted 7th... but that the hell is a doddle?

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Leadfingers
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 07:49 AM

'Doddle' - British Slang ! Something that is Very Easy !

Invoice for 'English as she are spoke' sent under seperate cover .

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Bee
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 09:18 AM

Doddlin' Jimmy T?

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 12:27 PM

"Doddlin' Jimmy T"- Perfect! Even kind of harks to your day job, JimmyT!

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: jimmyt
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 02:21 PM

maybe the ticket Ebbie!!!

Subject: RE: New to playing Blues
From: birdman blue
Date: 30 Jun 07 - 07:23 PM

hello all,

I'm a new guy here to the mudcat forum-- though in the past I have used the site to find lyrics and sometimes chord progressions to songs I have needed to acquire rapidly (most recently I needed to know more than two verses to St. James Infirmary. I found what I needed and a whole lot more very quickly)...

on the other hand, I am very UN-new to playing blues (my first record was a "vinyl" lp released in 1967 back when we were still considered to be a subset of folk music by the people with a compulsion to name and put everything under the sun into categories ....aristotle was an early initiator of this neurotic compulsion to make semantic sense of it all.)

so, as a representative practitioner of the genre (or if you prefer: "folk music subset"): blues, welcome jimmy t!


bird