Bass solos could be an incredible resource for us guitarists.

[Mick-7]

To decipher the chord progression of a tune, I often had to transcribe the bass line, since bass players usually outline the chords. That was really the only reason I transcribed them, I never tried to develop the walking bass technique.

I heard Barry Harris say that bass players should be able to play what horn players play.

o.k. I guess, as long as they're not doing a lot of that, those who did made the task I mentioned, i.e., figuring out the chord progression, more rather than less difficult.

[Bob_Ross]

I read somewhere that the guitar is much closer to the bass (because of its two-handedness) than it is to a horn or piano. It might make sense for us to learn from bassists.

As a bassist primarily, I find ^^^this notion completely backwards. Bassists -- and guitarists -- would do well to learn soloing from horn players and piano players, as those folks are rarely constrained or coerced by the physical layout of their respective instruments.*

Finding a bassist who is as facile and fluid on their instrument as even a modestly talented jazz saxophone player is like finding a needle in a haystack. Finding a sax player who solo'd like 90% of the jazz bassists out there would be just plain weird, because everyone would wonder why their lines sounded so rigid, inelastic.

But in a more general sense I do think all improvisors should study the works of instruments besides their own; you can learn from anybody.


*I suppose I could be convinced that the physical layout of the piano keyboard is somewhat constraining/coercive. But I rarely hear anyone make that claim.

[sully75]

I saw Pasquale Grasso play with a bass player who sounded EXACTLY like Paul Chambers with the bow. It was interesting. I think for whatever reason that Paul Chambers bass sound was recorded poorly, but, that said, it always sounded like super shit to me. Bass was my first instrument but I was always like...fuck that sounds awful. Not that I'm a huge Stanley Clarke fan but his bowed sound was pretty great.

I hate to say it but the PG show was incredibly boring and I left. But it was cool to hear what Paul Chambers might have sounded like in person.

[Bob_Ross]

Not that I'm a huge Stanley Clarke fan but his bowed sound was pretty great.

I always feel a bit sheepish when I'm discussing "Favorite Upright Bass Players Tone-wise" with other upright players and I mention Stanley Clarke...but I also feel like Stan had a somewhat unfair advantage: So many of the records he made in the early parts of his career had both larger recording budgets, and a less "traditional" aesthetic guiding the engineering approach. But it's mostly in his hands. I love his tone, pizz or bowed.

...but back on topic: Imagine playing a Stanley Clarke bass solo on guitar. Or trumpet. Or piano, etc.
Might be a nice chops-building etude for the woodshed. Alone. Not something I'd want to subject listeners to from the bandstand though.

[sully75]

Stanley Clarke's bass sound is pretty beautiful. The music could venture into the slightly cheesy territory but he could play. Pattitucci has a great bow sound.

The only bass player I really want to transcribe solos from though is Jaco. Really not too many bass solos that I think stand on their own other than him.