# What the heck is going on with female bass players?



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

All of a sudden it seems like bass is THE spotlight instrument, and women are seizing the crown. For a little while, we were impressed with Tal Wilkenfeld (who IS impressive), but then we learn about Esperanza Spalding, Rebecca Johnson, Ida Neilsen, and now I finally clued in to the blaze that is Kinga Glyk. I had seen a few articles about her in guitar mags, but skipped over them. Then the other day I finally decided to give her a listen and see what the fuss was about.

HOLY JUMPIN! One does not always yearn for bass solos. Maybe the only thing more likely to elicit looking at your watch and wondering when "this will be over" is a tambourine solo. But this young woman makes you want the drum and keyboard solos to be over so you can finally get to the bass solo. At the moment she is only 23. Heaven knows where she'll be in 10 years. The next Jaco?


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Check out a Canadian woman bass player, M. J. Dandeneau. I first saw her on an APTN show called 100 Years Cafe. She is pretty amazing.



Marie-Josee Dandeneau | Bassist


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

laristotle said:


>


Rocco Prestia would be proud. Fabulous groove. I also didn't realize a person could be that nimble with a shamisen.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I met up with a forum member this past weekend and we were discussing a bunch of stuff including the record sales in 2020 posted by instrument manufacturers including Gibson and Fender with the interesting stat that for the first time, the proportion of sales to females outweigh males. The advent of taking lessons online and/or self studies online have greatly opened up the barriers of the past for women and making it a more comfortable experience. This is a good thing.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

It is. But I have to ask: why bass? With the space between frets (longer scale) and the thickness of the strings, it certainly can't be because it is_ easier_ to play (especially upright). Is it the role of the bass within a combo? Is it what a musician _doesn't_ have to do as bass player? (e.g., strike poses, make "guitar face", play long solos, etc.)


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

mhammer said:


> All of a sudden it seems like bass is THE spotlight instrument, and women are seizing the crown. For a little while, we were impressed with Tal Wilkenfeld (who IS impressive), but then we learn about Esperanza Spalding, Rebecca Johnson, Ida Neilsen, and now I finally clued in to the blaze that is Kinga Glyk. I had seen a few articles about her in guitar mags, but skipped over them. Then the other day I finally decided to give her a listen and see what the fuss was about.
> 
> HOLY JUMPIN! One does not always yearn for bass solos. Maybe the only thing more likely to elicit looking at your watch and wondering when "this will be over" is a tambourine solo. But this young woman makes you want the drum and keyboard solos to be over so you can finally get to the bass solo. At the moment she is only 23. Heaven knows where she'll be in 10 years. The next Jaco?


Thanks for posting these! I hadn't listened to any of these women before. I found Esperanza Spalding particularly impressive. Her playing was so fluid.


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

mhammer said:


> Rocco Prestia would be proud. Fabulous groove. I also didn't realize a person could be that nimble with a shamisen.


Great piece. Sort of an Asian take on Bela Fleck.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

I've been listening to Laura Lee's bass playing in Khurangbin and it's pretty damn solid. Also, who's that other young woman who plays bass with Jeff Beck? She's awesome too.


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

1SweetRide said:


> I've been listening to Laura Lee's bass playing in Khurangbin and it's pretty damn solid. Also, who's that other young woman who plays bass with Jeff Beck? She's awesome too.


Tal Wilkenfeld AFAIK.


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## polyslax (May 15, 2020)

1SweetRide said:


> I've been listening to Laura Lee's bass playing in Khurangbin and it's pretty damn solid. Also, who's that other young woman who plays bass with Jeff Beck? She's awesome too.


Love Khruangbin. Mark Speer is an amazing guitar player.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

mhammer said:


> It is. But I have to ask: why bass? With the space between frets (longer scale) and the thickness of the strings, it certainly can't be because it is_ easier_ to play (especially upright). Is it the role of the bass within a combo? Is it what a musician _doesn't_ have to do as bass player? (e.g., strike poses, make "guitar face", play long solos, etc.)


My guess : the trailblazers like Spalding, Wilkenfled and Rhonda Smith etc. Why did they go with the bass? I think given the fact that men have dominated the 6 string in terms of sheer number of players, women have seen it as an opportunity to make it their own niche....I don't know. Maybe it's all because of Jeff Beck......


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Why the bass?
Don't have to cut their nails?


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Nah, trimming is still necessary.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

laristotle said:


> Why the bass?
> Don't have to cut their nails?


Two words : Dolly Parton


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Yes, women are taking to music in general in greater numbers than men. And it seems that among young people, bass is the "cooler" instrument - probably a result of much of modern music being bass-driven. I've had more female students than males for years now and I suspect if you look around there are also proportionally increasing numbers of female guitarists out there - it certainly seems to be the case in the world of classical guitar.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

bw66 said:


> taking to music in general in greater numbers than men.


among other things
i've got 3 teenaged kids and it might be a bit of generalizing but i'd say my daughter gets a heavier dose of "yes we can!" than my sons do whether in music or other arts or STEM subjects or sports or farm projects or whatever she wants to try 

just listening to some kinga glyck now on the ol spotify and there's a big portion of late '80s Al di Meola in there. Interesting how that sound has come around

j


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

They've been doing it for years....decades for some. Carol Kaye for instance....the only female in the Wrecking Crew. Suzi Quatro for another. Tina Weymouth was a member of the Talking Heads. I think it's not so much that they're suddenly playing, I think it's finally that people are finally noticing. Tia's been playing professionally for what 14/15 years.


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## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

Back when I started playing bars in the 80's, we'd often play for a percentage of the bar sales. If you were good, and had a crowd, you could make some decent ca$h. Bass solos were a guaranteed way to get folks up to the bar to order another round for their table. 

Call it Pavlovian conditioning, but to this day, I still get thirsty when I hear a bass solo.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

It's certainly true, EG, that there have been plenty of female bass players over the years. It's definitely not a new thing. But the majority, even the well-known ones - Quatro, Weymouth, Kim Gordon - were simply _there_, holding up their own with the band, and weren't considered virtuosos. Carol Kaye is competent and a legend for playing on all the things she did, but she is rarely spoken of as an innovator and virtuoso. Not to take anything away from her, but I never hear anyone talk about a Carol Kaye solo.

Thanks for reminding me about Rhonda Smith, who I might add is Canadian.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)




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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Well School of Rock & the Rocker both featured female bass players.

maybe that was a mainstream reason/influence.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

The one and only time I played in a band (early 70’s) we had a female bass player. She was the lead guitarists’s girlfriend. She ended up sleeping with the drummer. There went my career in rock n roll. The band broke up after a few weeks. But there have been several good female bass players over the years. Sarah Brown from Austin was always good.

Don’t forget about the female drummers...


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

mhammer said:


> It's certainly true, EG, that there have been plenty of female bass players over the years. It's definitely not a new thing. But the majority, even the well-known ones - Quatro, Weymouth, Kim Gordon - were simply _there_, holding up their own with the band, and weren't considered virtuosos. Carol Kaye is competent and a legend for playing on all the things she did, but she is rarely spoken of as an innovator and virtuoso. Not to take anything away from her, but I never hear anyone talk about a Carol Kaye solo.
> 
> Thanks for reminding me about Rhonda Smith, who I might add is Canadian.


Like I said, they're finally getting noticed more. I think part of it stems from the fact that for a long time you could basically only hear them, same as with any other player in the band especially for ones like Carol Kaye who was an innovator and there were not a lot of bass 'virtuosos'. You didn't hear a lot of bass solos. At least not in Rock and not for this long.




Blues and jazz yes, but not rock. Not a lot heard about the Wrecking Crew or The Section, the same as not a lot of people heard about the Swampers or for that matter knew who was playing what instrument. I don't recall Leland Skylar playing a lot of solos. For that matter over the years I don't recall a lot of solos from guys like The Ox, John Paul Jones, Cua or Junstrum either. The main one for years was Dusty and I don't recall a lot of solos from him. The bass player was the last person you'd expect to hear a solo from. Now, if you have one and it's set up that way, you can bring up whoever on your phone if you want. 







Paul M said:


> Back when I started playing bars in the 80's, we'd often play for a percentage of the bar sales. If you were good, and had a crowd, you could make some decent ca$h. Bass solos were a guaranteed way to get folks up to the bar to order another round for their table.
> 
> Call it Pavlovian conditioning, but to this day, I still get thirsty when I hear a bass solo.


Yup, if it was a rock band and the bass player did play a solo people left their seats to get a drink.....kinda like an intermission. Blues or Jazz bass solos they'd call the server to bring drinks to the table.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

greco said:


>


Gail Dorsey and carol Kaye as +2 and +1. Cool.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Electraglide said:


> I don't recall Leland Skylar playing a lot of solos.


He has only one that I know of; the track "Get down Pildown" on the 2nd album by The Section. More a sort of "experimental" track than a solo, but you're essentially correct. I'm not especially familiar with Jack Bruce's full catalog, but my own recollection is that the sum total of his soloing is a bit of the _Wheels of Fire_ recording of "Spoonful".

So I guess the question I should have asked is "Why have bass solos recently acquired the status they have?". Again, not that bass solos started yesterday. One of my favorite segments on "A Love Supreme" (1964) was the bass solo. And I was fortunate to see Jaco Pastorius do his thing when Weather Report played Convocation Hall in '79 or so.

But perhaps that only serves to underscore your point about bass solos being rare, or even anathema, in rock, and far more common in jazz. Perhaps the recent emergence of bass virtuosity comes from the manner in which funk and hip-hop have allowed for the importation of jazz sensibilities. Certainly all of the female bass players I mentioned show off their skill within a more or less jazz-funk framework. I suspect that probably occurs because that genre encourages the player to essentially play rhythm AND melody, and holding down both roles requires at _least_ some minimal degree of virtuosity.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

mhammer said:


> He has only one that I know of; the track "Get down Pildown" on the 2nd album by The Section. More a sort of "experimental" track than a solo, but you're essentially correct. I'm not especially familiar with Jack Bruce's full catalog, but my own recollection is that the sum total of his soloing is a bit of the _Wheels of Fire_ recording of "Spoonful".
> 
> So I guess the question I should have asked is "Why have bass solos recently acquired the status they have?". Again, not that bass solos started yesterday. One of my favorite segments on "A Love Supreme" (1964) was the bass solo. And I was fortunate to see Jaco Pastorius do his thing when Weather Report played Convocation Hall in '79 or so.
> 
> But perhaps that only serves to underscore your point about bass solos being rare, or even anathema, in rock, and far more common in jazz. Perhaps the recent emergence of bass virtuosity comes from the manner in which funk and hip-hop have allowed for the importation of jazz sensibilities. Certainly all of the female bass players I mentioned show off their skill within a more or less jazz-funk framework. I suspect that probably occurs because that genre encourages the player to essentially play rhythm AND melody, and holding down both roles requires at _least_ some minimal degree of virtuosity.


One thing I've noticed is that a lot of the solos, especially the longer ones of today by anyone, have more a jazz sound/feel than a rock one. some older rock you almost didn't hear the bass




I think part of what it boils down to is bass players, in the last 15 years or so, are finally following the guitar players and drummers leads and making records. This would have been unheard of not that long ago, a bass player as the lead instrument and the player singing. 




Doing a Cohen song to boot.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

cant believe noone has mentioned melissa auf der maur yet...generational thing I guess.


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Diablo said:


> cant believe noone has mentioned melissa auf der maur yet...generational thing I guess.


Well does she do extended solos, or is she 'just a bass player'? 
There's a certain level of innovation and virtuosity that has to be upheld you know.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Diablo said:


> cant believe noone has mentioned melissa auf der maur yet...generational thing I guess.


Her dad was a regular shit-disturber around Montreal, but well-liked: Nick Auf der Maur - Wikipedia


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## TheYanChamp (Mar 6, 2009)

Alex said:


> My guess : the trailblazers like Spalding, Wilkenfled and Rhonda Smith etc. Why did they go with the bass? I think given the fact that men have dominated the 6 string in terms of sheer number of players, women have seen it as an opportunity to make it their own niche....I don't know. Maybe it's all because of Jeff Beck......


Nah. Tal was what, 14 or 16 at live at Ronnies when she really took off? That was about the same time I played with a 14yr in highschool jazzband that was notorious for showing up much more trained, much richer dude who used to go to Wooten bass camps every year and had a 10k upright bass etc. This was pre-youtube, and they were both damn good but she could always steal the show.

Lets just go ahead and thank Jeff Beck and Prince. They always had sexy monster women players on tour. Like always. While back then it was more trying to sound like Bootsie Collins in a funk context rather than the more trained jazz fusion influences that you see now. 

Wooten had vhs/dvd videos when they would have been budding players that focused on rhythm and the fact that you don't need big hands to be efficient. I think he is a huge influence.

Plus, bass is a pretty sexual instrument. Its what gets asses moving, grooving and watching an attractive women do that is that much more sensual, especially for fellow players such as us. 

Prince knew this.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)




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## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

They covered it twice


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