The bass guitarist sometimes breaks out of the strict rhythm section role to perform bass breaks or bass solos. The types of bass-lines used for bass breaks of bass solos vary depending on the context, the sound, the intention, and the form of the song. In a rock band, a bass break often consist of the bassist playing a riff or lick during a place when everybody else is not playing or the dynamics are clearly really low in the song.
Funk:
In contrast to rock, in funk, it is possible that the bass is featured throughout the whole song by playing a bass groove, and the bass-line is normally very outstanding in the mix. In a funk or funk rock band, a bass solo may showcase the bassist's percussive slap and pop playing.
Jazz:
Electric bass is not a traditional instrument in jazz music. The big bands of the 1930’s and 1940’s Swing era and the small bands from the 1950’s Bebop styles were using the double bass. The electric bass started to be part of jazz during the 1960’s and 1970’s, when rock influences were mixed with jazz to create jazz-rock fusion. When the electric bass was introduced into jazz fusion, this fact permit the bass to be used in high-volume stadium concerts with powerful amplifiers, because it was a lot easier to amplify the electric bass than the double bass. The electric bass can be an accompaniment instrument, being part of the rhythm section, or a soloing instrument in jazz. When comping, the bassist should perform walking bass-lines, which is drawing the chords by playing the same rhythm of constant crotchets, for traditional tunes and "jazz standards". In a jazz setting, all the instruments are seen as equally important in terms of the role of each instrument. In jazz, the bass is often used as the bed for everything because is the one staying steady with a certain rhythmic figure, but it has a solo role as well, and it is much more generous than in most of the other popular styles.
During a jazz concert, a jazz bassist may have a number of lengthy improvised solos, which are called "blowing" in jazz language.
The Electric Bass is a mixture in between the rhythm section and the melodic – harmonic part. That is why the bass player has a place in the two parts of a band, and has to be supportive as an harmonic instrument, but has to be able as well, to play melodic lines through songs.
