Posted by Mike on December 15, 2003 at 16:48:34:
In Reply to: Name That Chord Gig posted by Marty Neilan on December 15, 2003 at 16:26:50:
I've got two books of trombone duets that I'm adding bass lines to. We just play through them (with two trombone friends of mine) and I'll improvise a bass line as we go. I've pencilled in some chord changes and even gone so far as to write in the actual notes in a few cases. I find that being a bassist (electric tuba) has been a huge help to my ear in the ability to hear and understand harmony. Now if only I could read better on bass, and improvise better on tuba!
Mike
(in answer to your question, I've only rarely had to do this on a gig, and with about the same results you reported.)