Wiktor Wise
The rock bass is a species of freshwater fish native to North America, specifically the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes system, as well as the Mississippi River basin. It is a popular game fish and is known for its red eyes and small size. The rock bass is also sometimes kept as a pet in home aquariums. On the other hand, the electric bass guitar, often simply called the bass, is a musical instrument that produces sound through the vibration of its metal bass strings. It is a central instrument in many genres of music, including jazz, rock, and pop. The Fender Jazz Bass, introduced in 1960, is a well-known electric bass model that was designed to emphasise the middle and upper registers of bass playing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jazz bassists | Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Stanley Clarke, John Pattitucci, Eberhard Weber, Jeff Berlin, Charles Mingus, Charlie Haden, Christian McBride, Miles Mosley, Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Milt Hinton, George Duvivier, Wilbur Ware |
| Jazz bass guitars | Fender Player Series Jazz Bass, Harley Benton JB75, Sire Marcus Miller v7, Squier CV 60s Jazz Bass, Sandberg California II TM 5 |
| Jazz bass guitar features | Comfortable playability, versatile sound, alder body, resonant sound, vintage-style tuners, four-saddle bridge, two single-coil pickups |
| Electric bass in jazz | Electric bass is used in jazz fusion and Latin-influenced jazz, electric bass players have a more expansive solo role in jazz than in rock |
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What You'll Learn
- Jazz bass guitars are available for all budgets and playing abilities
- The electric bass guitar replaced the double bass in the early 1950s
- Electric bassists in fusion bands play a foundational role
- Jazz bassists may play the double bass, bass guitar, or both
- Jazz bassists use amplification to control the tone of their instrument
Jazz bass guitars are available for all budgets and playing abilities
The Geddy Lee Jazz bass is a great choice for bassists looking for an American-made instrument without breaking the bank. It features black block inlays on a maple fretboard and American-made pickups. For bassists seeking vintage style and design, the Vintera line offers both a '60s and '70s variation of the classic Fender bass, with 7.25” radius necks and retro-wound pickups. The Player Jazz bass is another option that offers excellent value, with various combinations of finish and fretboard options, along with updated hardware and specifications.
For those seeking the very best, the Fender Custom Shop and Mod Shop are worth considering. The American Ultra is an excellent choice for bassists playing aggressive or more technical music, featuring active electronics, a compound radius fretboard, and noiseless pickups. Boutique builders also offer unique twists on the classic Jazz bass, such as the highly praised Sadowsky J/J for its high-fidelity tone.
When choosing a jazz bass guitar, it is essential to consider your budget, feature set, ease of use, and durability. The choice of pickups, tonewoods, hardware quality, and playability will also impact your decision. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned player, there is a jazz bass guitar to suit your needs and preferences.
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The electric bass guitar replaced the double bass in the early 1950s
The electric bass guitar was first created in the 1950s, marking the beginning of the end for the double bass in popular music. The first electric bass guitar was designed by Leo Fender in 1950s America. The initial model, called the Precision Bass or P-Bass, was mass-produced from October 1951 onwards. It featured a simple uncontoured "slab" body design, with a single coil pickup, similar to a Telecaster.
The electric bass guitar was designed to replicate the low pitch of the double bass, but with a broader tone. It was also much easier to transport, being far smaller and lighter than the hefty double bass. This was a huge advantage for bands on the road. The electric bass guitar also enabled bassists to create a sound that could complement the electric guitar, which was growing in popularity during the 1950s.
The electric bass guitar's versatility and ability to amplify and tweak its tone gave it an energy that the double bass lacked. Bass guitarists could now drive the song forward and experiment with how the instrument was played. The electric bass player could be positioned at the front of the stage and move around, performing bass solos in a more interactive way with the audience.
The electric bass guitar also offered a more expansive solo role than the double bass, which was more limited to brief solos in rock settings. In jazz, the electric bass could be used for lengthy improvised solos, or "blowing". The ability to play rapid bass lines that would be impossible on an upright bass also gave the electric bass a unique role in jazz.
The shift from double bass to electric bass guitar was part of a wider electric revolution across all music genres in the 1950s.
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Electric bassists in fusion bands play a foundational role
The role of the electric bassist in fusion bands is foundational. In the jazz fusion genre, which blends jazz with the amplified electric instruments of rock music, the electric bass provides a solid, heavy bass foundation. This is particularly important in fusion bands, where a drummer, electric guitarist, and synthesiser or electric piano player are also performing.
The electric bass guitar's ability to be amplified to loud volumes saw it gain prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when jazz and rock music were blended to create the fusion genre. In this era, a new breed of jazz superstar was born: the electric bassist. The electric bass was not new to jazz, but it quickly became an important component in fusion bands, with bassists becoming prominent as soloists.
In a fusion band, the electric bassist's role is to provide a solid, heavy bass foundation, while the other instruments are playing. To achieve a good bass sound, a fusion electric bassist will often use a powerful bass amplifier and a larger speaker cabinet than an upright player. The use of amplification gives the player more control over the tone of the instrument, allowing them to accentuate certain frequencies.
The electric bass also allows for more improvisation than the double bass, with electric bassists in jazz fusion bands having a more expansive solo role than in most other popular styles. While in most rock settings, the bass guitarist may only have a few short bass breaks or brief solos during a concert, in a jazz fusion setting, the bassist may have a number of lengthy improvised solos, known as "blowing" in jazz.
The electric bass in fusion bands has been described as having a "fat and buttery" sound with "plenty of bite". This unique sound has been used by bassists such as Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, and Victor Wooten to create a new and unique sound in jazz fusion.
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Jazz bassists may play the double bass, bass guitar, or both
In the 1890s, the double bass was introduced to jazz music to supply the low-pitched walking basslines that outlined the chord progressions of the songs. During the Swing and big band era of the 1920s and 1930s, through Bebop in the 1940s, and up until the 1960s-era "free jazz" movement, the resonant, woody sound of the double bass anchored everything from small jazz combos to large jazz big bands.
In the early 1950s, jazz bass players began to use the electric bass guitar to replace the double bass. The electric bass guitar was easier to amplify to loud volumes onstage, and gained prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the emergence of jazz fusion, which blended jazz with the powerfully amplified electric instruments of rock music. In fusion bands, electric bass players provide a solid, heavy bass foundation for the band while a drummer, electric guitarist, and synthesizer or electric piano player are all playing.
While most jazz bassists specialize in either the double bass or the bass guitar, the ability to "double" (play both instruments) is common. Some jazz bassists who have achieved virtuoso skill on both instruments include Stanley Clarke and John Patitucci.
When the electric bass is used in jazz, it has both an accompaniment and a soloing role. The electric bass player can play all of the same types of bass lines played by the double bass, but the guitar-like design of the electric bass allows for rapid bass lines that would be impossible on an upright bass. For example, an electric bassist in a fusion or Latin band can play a bassline composed entirely of rapid, syncopated sixteenth notes.
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Jazz bassists use amplification to control the tone of their instrument
The use of the electric bass in jazz began in the 1950s, with the first widely available electric bass being the Fender bass. The electric bass gained prominence in the 1970s with the emergence of jazz fusion, which blended jazz with the amplified electric instruments of rock music. Notable electric bassists in jazz include Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, and Stanley Clarke.
The choice between a double bass and an electric bass guitar depends on the desired sound and style of jazz. The double bass has a deep, woody tone created by plucking the strings, while the electric bass guitar produces a different sound due to its metal frets. The electric bass guitar is easier to amplify to loud volumes and is more portable, making it a popular choice for jazz fusion.
Jazz bassists can also choose between fretted and fretless basses. Fretless basses are associated with jazz and jazz fusion but are also used in other genres. They allow for expressive techniques such as glissando, vibrato, and microtonal intonations. Some jazz bassists may use both fretted and fretless basses in their performances, depending on the material they are playing.
The volume and tone knob settings on a jazz bass can vary depending on the desired sound and style of playing. Bassists may adjust the neck, bridge, and tone knobs to achieve the desired balance of bass and treble frequencies. The pickup settings can also be adjusted to reduce hum or drive pedals harder. Additionally, the type of strings and playing style can impact the tone produced by the instrument.
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Frequently asked questions
Jazz bass is the use of the double bass or electric bass guitar to improvise accompaniment and solo basslines in a jazz or jazz fusion style. It is a versatile instrument that can be used for a variety of genres.
The double bass is a large instrument that produces a deep sound with a woody tone. The electric bass guitar is easier to amplify to loud volumes and allows for faster, more complex basslines.
Some famous jazz bassists include Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, and John Pattitucci.
Recommended jazz bass guitars include the Fender Jazz Bass and the Squier Debut Series Precision Bass. Jazz basses can range in price from $/£150 to $/£5000, with more expensive models offering higher-quality hardware and a wider range of tones.
Yes, you can play jazz on an electric bass guitar. While the double bass is traditionally used in jazz, the electric bass has become more common since the 1950s and is often used in jazz fusion and Latin-influenced jazz.
