HowTo Play The Blues Bass

Instructions

1. Know Your Styles

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     Study. Though blues doesn't require the clinical study that other genres such as metal or classical music, knowing which style of blues you're playing will help you find the right bass line. Blues sounds different depending on the region of its origin, so it's helpful to know the difference between 12-bar blues, shuffle blues, jump blues, Delta blues and the other blues styles.
     
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     Listen. People become great blues players by listening to other great blues players. Taking in a night of music at a blues club, taking lessons from a blues bassist or simply listening to the recordings of masters such as B.B. King and Muddy Waters will help you get the right feel.
     
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     Work on your timing. Blues bass lines are largely spelled out by the style, but the timing is where the bassist makes a mark on the music. Many styles of blues, especially slow blues, sound more powerful if the bass is played "behind the beat," or lagging ever so slightly behind the tempo.
     
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     Work on your dynamics. A bassist can also influence the performance with the dynamics. Playing with dynamics means knowing the right times to play loudly or softly. Developing good dynamic skill requires good picking-hand technique---the best players can go from raging to near silent or anywhere in between in a single note, and it's all about how hard you're plucking the strings.
     
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     Study sheet music. Blues has a musical theory all its own, complete with modified versions of the standard major and minor scales of Western music. You'll learn these scales by playing blues tablature (sheet music made especially for guitar) to songs you know.
     
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     Experiment. The beauty of the blues is that it's emotional, not clinical. Though you should know and respect the standard styles, consider players such as Jimi Hendrix, who took his deep love for the blues and reinterpreted it so effectively that he became the best-known guitarist in history.
     
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     Play with others. Blues musicians have a brotherhood; they love to jam with fellow blues artists and share their secrets and techniques. Attending a local open-mic night at a blues club can put you in touch with people to teach you new tricks and tips. And though playing along with recorded music can be helpful, nothing beats performing with competent musicians.