The bass player in a bluegrass jam plays two notes for each chord: the root and the fifth. Those notes land on the downbeat, and every other player leans on them. A bass player who keeps steady time with those two notes can play in almost any circle.
What the bass does in the circle
The bass is the clock. It plays the low note on the downbeat. The mandolin chop and the guitar strum answer on the offbeat. Count “1 and 2 and.” The bass plays on 1 and on 2.
The bass also tells the circle which chord is playing. A player who is lost listens for the bass note to find the chord.
Root and fifth
The root is the note the chord is named for. The root of a G chord is G. The fifth is the fifth note up the scale from the root. The fifth of G is D.
Play the root on beat 1. Play the fifth on beat 2. Repeat until the chord changes. Then play the root of the new chord on the first beat of the change.
| Chord | Root | Fifth |
|---|---|---|
| G | G | D |
| C | C | G |
| D | D | A |
| A | A | E |
| E | E | B |
| F | F | C |
| B | B | F sharp |
A bass is tuned E, A, D, G from low to high. The fifth of each open string is the next string up at the second fret, or the string below it, open. In the keys of G, A, and D, many of the notes you need are open strings.
Walking between chords
A walk is a short run of notes that leads from one chord to the next. It tells the circle a change is coming.
From G to C, play G, A, B, and land on C on the first beat of the change. From G to D, walk up A, B, C, and land on D. Or walk down from G: F sharp, E, and land on D. Play one walking note per beat, so the last note leads into the new chord.
Use walks with care. A walk into each chorus is plenty at first. Too many walks blur the beat, and the beat is the job.
Waltz time
A waltz has three beats in each bar. Play one note per bar, on beat 1. Use the root in the first bar of a chord and the fifth in the next bar. The guitar and mandolin fill in beats 2 and 3. See how to play a waltz in a bluegrass jam.
Fast songs and slow songs
On a fast song, stay with the root and the fifth. Leave out the walks. Short, clear notes help the band stay together.
On a slow song, let each note ring longer. A slow song has more space for a walk between chords.
How to follow a song you do not know
Watch the guitar player’s left hand. The shapes for G, C, and D look different from across the circle, and the hand moves just before the chord changes.
Listen through the first verse if you need to. Most songs use the same chord pattern for every verse and chorus. The Nashville number system makes this faster. A singer who says “1, 4, 5 in A” has told you the roots: A, D, and E. For more help, read how to hear chord changes in a bluegrass jam.
When you are not sure of the chord, play the root of the 1 chord soft until you find your place.
Keep the tempo steady
The leader of the song sets the speed with the kick-off. The bass holds that speed. Circles tend to speed up during loud choruses and fast breaks. Do not follow them. Play the downbeat where it belongs, and the circle will come back to you.
Do not slow down during a guitar break either. Guitar breaks are quiet, and players sometimes drag. Play softer and keep the same speed.
Volume
Play loud enough that the player across the circle can hear the downbeat. Do not play louder than that. In a big circle, stand near the center or behind the leader of the song.
One bass at a time
Two basses at once make the downbeat muddy. If another bass player is at the jam, trade off every few songs. This is one of the firm rules in bluegrass jam etiquette.
Endings
Watch the leader during the last chorus. Most songs end on the 1 chord. Play the root of the 1 chord on the last beat and stop with the group. Read how to end a song in a bluegrass jam.
Practice at home
Play along with recordings. Play only roots for one whole song. Add the fifths on the next pass. Then add one walk into each chorus.
Practice with a metronome clicking on the offbeat. Your notes fall between the clicks. This trains you to hold the downbeat while the band answers.
For more on the instrument, see the bluegrass bass guide and the list of bluegrass bass players.