Barry Bales
Bluegrass Double BASS TUTOR
Barry Bales is a legendary bluegrass and country double bassist, songwriter, and producer who has performed and recorded with Alison Krauss and Union Station for over 30 years. As an in-demand session musician Barry has recorded with some of the biggest bluegrass and country music stars including Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Susan Ashton, Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, and The Cox Family, as well as on many movie soundtracks such as “O Brother, Where Out Thou?”.
Barry Bales is a celebrated artist as the winner of 15 Grammy awards, 23 International Bluegrass Music Association awards including four for bass player of the year, a Country Music Association Award, and two Academy of Country Music awards. As a songwriter, he won the Academy of Country Music Award for Country Music Song of the Year in 2016 with co-writers Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman for their song “Nobody to Blame”.
Known in Nashville and beyond as the first-call bassist in country and bluegrass music, he is renowned for his huge, warm bass sound, rock-solid timing and tasteful bass lines. Barry Bales is based in Tenessee with his wife, Aliceson Bales, and family where they run Bales Farms.
“Barry is as great a musician as Aliceson [Bales] is a cook.
He is equally as great human being. Barry has played bass on some of my best records. ”
Barry Bales playing live with Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss:
Our first interview with Barry Bales, where we discuss all things bass gear and strings.
My Approach to Bluegrass Bass
by Barry Bales
Take a deep dive into the world of Nashville’s bluegrass scene with the bluegrass legend and 15x Grammy award-winning bassist, Barry Bales.
This online course is designed to teach you how to play bluegrass on the upright bass! It comprises 33 lessons over more than 2 hours and covers a wide range of topics on bluegrass bass playing including walk-ups, runs and licks, bass lines, playing fast, right and left-hand technique, intonation, and more.
This course features eight classic bluegrass songs performed with a mandolin (or banjo) and guitar accompaniment, including tracks such as Bill Cheatham, Banks of the Ohio, Red River Valley, In the Pines, and Train 45. We have also recorded play-along tracks of each song with three mixes:
Full band
Mandolin or banjo and guitar
Solo upright bass
Detailed transcriptions of Barry’s bluegrass bass lines are included in the course (sheet music with standard notation). There are 36 pages of sheet music, so you will have everything you need to practice at home.
behind the scenes of the recording sessions:
