The Role of The Double Bass:

In a Ballad Setting
The need for a double bass player is almost vital for most jazz settings, none more so
then when playing a ballad The bass helps when there is a need for a strong rhythmi!
pulse, a devi!e to help impli!ate whether the pie!e is straight, swung, or hinting at a
double time feel, a foundation for out lining the harmony, bringing out fullness to the
ensemble with the ar!o te!hni"ue and the instrument#s low resonant fre"uen!ies and a
devi!e to fill is spa!e
It is !ru!ial to have a bassist that has a solid time feel and that !an provide the
ensemble with a solid rhythmi! foundation in a ballad setting as a lot of the time the
drummer will be playing more of a washy sound, with hints of a underlying rhythmi!
pulse as apposed to something more up tempo where the drums will be outlying more
of the overall time feel The way the bass provides this first of all, is by playing on
beats $ and % This provides a sturdy rhythmi! foundation and outlines where the time
is for the rest of the musi!ians This !an then be enhan!ed by filling in between these
beats with either swung "uavers, straight "uavers or swung semi"uavers depending of
the style of ballad is being performed
To have an understanding for the impli!ation of straight, swung or a double&time feel
on a ballad is an essential part to performing the jazz ballad as when used !orre!tly
!reates rhythmi! interest for both musi!ians and the audien!e members 'owever,
when used in!orre!tly !an frustrate the other musi!ians of the ensemble and !an ever
been seen as immature The timing all !omes with personal e(perien!e and taste The
swung "uavers and straight "uavers style )and sometimes even the double&time feel*
!an generally be interpreted from the way the melodi! instrument performs the
melody The double&time feel !an be used underneath the soloist when he is
improvising using semi"uavers for a long period of time and is implying that there is
a double time feel In spite of this though, it is not re!ommended to !ontinue this for a
long period of time as this !an drasti!ally !hange the performan!e of the pie!e
The bass is also a vital devi!e for outlining the basi! harmony of a ballad It often
o!!urs, in a ballad setting, where the whole ensemble bar the melodist and the bassist
will drop out ma+ing the bass player provide the harmoni! outline and time feel
solely Therefore, for the most part, the bass must provide the fundamental harmoni!
progression so that the melodist +nows where he,she is This !an be done by playing
the toni! and the dominant of ea!h !hord on beats $ and % and therefore providing a
solid foundation to wor+ from The bass player may vary from this for some ni!e
!olour !hange but this is the basi! framewor+ to wor+ on
So +now matter where you are, the bass is a vital element in the ballad setting
-roviding a strong rhythmi! pulse, harmoni! outline and helping impli!ate rhythmi!
varian!e