Roots Archives Forum

Hey roots archivers,

Maybe some of you actually play the bass... would you know a good database for bass lines ? I made a quick search for reggae bass tabs on google but it it wasn't very helpful. Or maybe someone has a personal database ?

Thanks for your help,
Pluie.

Hi Pluie,

I play Bass i'm also a Bass teacher and i feel i must let you know where i stand on bass tabs.

If you are a beginner then tabs are a good way to get you going but once you get your left and right hand coordination going, start learning to read proper notation.the reason is this:

1) Knowing where 3 on your E string is won't help you when the keyboard player says "we're in E flat"

2) You will never train your ear to Zone in on the bassline.

3) Reggae basslines aint that difficult to learn!

Tab is a shortcut to learning your instrument and music is a language.The fastest way to learn a new language is listen and interact with the natives.

If you're serious about bass get yourself a good teacher if he gives you tabs find another one.

For the best teachers for the music go to the source,the musicians who were there, many people on this site will help you out .

Flabba Holt is the Bass player i recommend you start with as his lines are very simple and repetitive but groove like a mother! You can find him on any cd's where they state Roots Radics band as backing.

Start with this:-

Robin Hood-Barrington Levy

email me donchandler@btinternet.com

check this out http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =293575130

good luck

Don

The first line should read i'm a bass player.duh !

donstrumental wrote:The first line should read i'm a bass player.duh !

Use the 'edit message' tab at the bottom of each post and you can edit your own words if you mess up first time

Thanks Leggo,just re read the original thread and the grammer was correct the first time,too much time on this site,think i need some sleep.

I have played Reggae Bass for many years, I have never used any kind of tabs, or other music for that matter.
I do have a reasonable knowledge of that stuff, but have never used it for Reggae.
I just listened and jammed along until the groove felt natural and I began to play the bass lines from records right. Then I started to write my own, again it took a while to get the feel right, but it is all about feel, the more you play the more you get to know the shapes that are being used in Reggae and you recognise them in the songs you are hearing.
Reggae is about feel - if you don't appreciate that you will never play it right. So the best way to learn it is by ear. You need to know the basics of your instrument to be able to do that though.

MightyZ

MightyZ wrote:I have played Reggae Bass for many years, I have never used any kind of tabs, or other music for that matter.
I do have a reasonable knowledge of that stuff, but have never used it for Reggae.
I just listened and jammed along until the groove felt natural and I began to play the bass lines from records right. Then I started to write my own, again it took a while to get the feel right, but it is all about feel, the more you play the more you get to know the shapes that are being used in Reggae and you recognise them in the songs you are hearing.
Reggae is about feel - if you don't appreciate that you will never play it right. So the best way to learn it is by ear. You need to know the basics of your instrument to be able to do that though.

MightyZ

this is true, if you listen to enough reggae music and jam along you cant help but figure it out

Hey, thanks for your answers !

I actually am a beginner, but I've been playing other instruments so i can read proper partitions. Since I have a bass guitar I use to play records and try to find the bassline, and usually it's ok and I think that's a good way to proceed for reggae music. But sometimes I am unable to find out the bassline, that's why I was asking for a free source (usually they are tabs).

And Don that's true, Flabba's riddims are easy but groovy !

Thanks again,
Pluie.

Try "Baby I Love You So"/"King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown" for a more complicated but nice and melodic one, being a leftie on bass and guitar I just learnt it by ear as I find it hard to relate written music to the fingerboard.