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Double Bass in 'Pop'


NJE
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Hello,

I have recently picked up a EUB and I have started looking around for song to play along with and learn, to get myself into the instrument. I am not a massive Jazz fan so I have been looking for 'Pop' music with double bass parts or songs that could be played on double bass quite easily.

Now by 'Pop' I mean fairly contemporary, commercial music. To give an example, I am a big fan of Seth Lakeman so I have been listening to his bass player a lot, I have also been listening Christian McBride's playing on the Live DVD Sting did in Tuscany. I know other bands like Mumford and Sons have a double bass player and whilst they are not pop in the same vein as say Kylie, they are a 'Popular' band and are played on Radio 1 etc.

So can anyone maybe suggest some bands or songs to check out?

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It also depends on your definition of pop. Does it go as far back as Johnny Cash and 'Fulsom Prison Blues' etc? I assume probably not.

I know this is not a chart-topping band, but my previous band Rattlin Bone got me into DB playing and the lines are very easy and quite poppy. They are generally blues progressions - here's a free link http://rattlinbone.com/2011/the-life-and-death-of/

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[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1338894178' post='1680587']
Guillemots? Skip to 1:10...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EaAYi64Rpo[/media]
[/quote]

LOVE THAT!! heard the band name before but never heard them, Love her too!!

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[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1338895500' post='1680643']
It also depends on your definition of pop. Does it go as far back as Johnny Cash and 'Fulsom Prison Blues' etc? I assume probably not.

I know this is not a chart-topping band, but my previous band Rattlin Bone got me into DB playing and the lines are very easy and quite poppy. They are generally blues progressions - here's a free link [url="http://rattlinbone.com/2011/the-life-and-death-of/"]http://rattlinbone.c...e-and-death-of/[/url]
[/quote]

Will have a listen, Johnny Cash is pretty much contemporary. I have seen Rattlin Bone stuff before, will check it out agin now I have upright though.


[quote name='keeponehandloose' timestamp='1338897398' post='1680703']
Eliza Dolittle , her bass player uses upright almost exclusively.
[/quote]

Good Stuff, youtube-ing now!

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Am I the only one who likes to try out on the upright the easier basslines I learn on bass guitar? Pop or rock, or whatever I've been learning at the moment, I will try just for fun, unless the bassline's too fast or jumps around the fretboard too much for my present skills.

Edited by bluejay
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I try things out on an electric piano first, to get the sound in my ears. Then my dodgy intonation doesn't mislead so much.
NJE - you might like a listen to Skinny Lister, recently signed by Sunday Best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCgv6ruGCB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAkDfQXj6b4

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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1338899153' post='1680749']
Am I the only one who likes to try out on the upright the easier basslines I learn on bass guitar? Pop or rock, or whatever I've been learning at the moment, I will try just for fun, unless the bassline's too fast or jumps around the fretboard too much for my present skills.
[/quote]

+1
I'm (slowly) working my way through the transition from tab to notation and I find it easier to work out the lines on the bass guitar, to get them in my fingers/brain, then try out on DB.

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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1338899153' post='1680749']
Am I the only one who likes to try out on the upright the easier basslines I learn on bass guitar? Pop or rock, or whatever I've been learning at the moment, I will try just for fun, unless the bassline's too fast or jumps around the fretboard too much for my present skills.
[/quote]
I do that and I find what's most interesting about it is that, often, I'm really not going to play exactly the same on the upright. It's likely to be simplified and to contain more open strings.

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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1338933076' post='1681446']
I do that and I find what's most interesting about it is that, often, I'm really not going to play exactly the same on the upright. It's likely to be simplified and to contain more open strings.
[/quote]

Yup, but that happens to me on the HB, which looks and - more importantly - sounds much more like a double bass than my NXT. On the latter, too many open strings sound as bad as they do on bass guitar, due to the type of strings it's got on and its passive electronics.

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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1338933435' post='1681453']
.. too many open strings sound as bad as they do on bass guitar ...
[/quote]
I actually really like open strings, I don't think they sound bad at all, and play them a lot, seems odd not to, but on fretless or upright I use them even more as an intonation reference.

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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1338933661' post='1681457']
I actually really like open strings, I don't think they sound bad at all, and play them a lot, seems odd not to, but on fretless or upright I use them even more as an intonation reference.
[/quote]

They don't necessarily sound "bad" but they muddle the sound when you play a lot of them in succession (E and A for instance, etc.). The same doesn't seem to happen on a DB. My NXT, however, has reference dots on its fingerboard so I try to fret the notes when possible.

Edited by bluejay
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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1338933661' post='1681457']
I actually really like open strings, I don't think they sound bad at all, and play them a lot, seems odd not to, but on fretless or upright I use them even more as an intonation reference.
[/quote]

Dig. I also really love the idea of Ed Friedland's "open string bounce" - good way to move quickly up the neck!


(Edit - not that Ed was the first or only guy to think of this, just he has a good name for it)

Edited by Hector
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