Music For Bass Lovers

Here are some tips of soloing from the experts,

Mark Egan :
Learn the basic and how to be supportive, but because bass is now a recognized solo voice, by all means, keep experimenting. Listen to master soloist on all instruments in every style of music. Trumpet solos are an excellent source for melodies and ideas to try on bass because of their unusually limited range. Strive to always play with conviction and dynamics, and most essentially with good time and phrasing. If you have those three covered, whatever notes you play will have an impact.

Marc Johnson :
Start slowly and play simple melodies using quarter-notes, half-notes, or even whole notes. There's a preconception that bass solos have to be in the upper register, but I like to use the whole instrument.
It's also helpful to learn to play horizontally, moving through the changes using common tones, scales, and voice leadings as opposed to vertically, jumping from root to root using arperggiated chords. Soundwise on an instrument like the bass is to develop smooth legato lines and to articulate using vibrato, slurs, slides, hammer-ons, and so on. New ideas can be discovered simply by forcing your hands and fingers to move in directions contrary to the ways they're used to travelling.

Doug Wimbish :
When I'm about to solo, I have a destination in mind based on the song and the time I have. I then envision a path to that destination, which I try to travel down at a comfortable pace - I may jog through it at some points or stop and count the daises. For example, I'll take a fragment of the melody and expand on it or play a counterpoint to it. I like to introduce something startling for an instant, utilizing, say, an effect pedal or a dramatic run involving a change of technique, and then come back to the groove, emphasizing the pulse the whole time.