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BP’S BEST LESSONS! RIGHT-HAND TECHNIQUE PICK TO POP READING 101
A NEWBAY MEDIA PUBLICATION
HOW TO PLAY JAZZ • BLUES • ROCK AFRO-CUBAN• AND MORE!
VICTOR WOOTEN
RYAN STASIK
JEPH HOWARD
REEVES GABRELS
JAKE CINNINGER
ADRIEN BELEW
CHUCK GARVEY
CHRIS VRENNA
JIM JAMES
NEW NEW
NEW NEW NEW
BRENDAN BAYLISS
CARL BROEMEL
CONTENTS TECHNIQUE
STYLE
BEGINNER
BEGINNER
BEGINNER
8
Fretting-Hand Muting
22
What’s The Form?
46
15 Blues Lines You Must Know
9 10
Pick Playing The Metronome Is Your Friend
24 25
The Octave Homework
50
Country’s Convenient Chord Cues
26
Chord Tones
12
Right-Hand Slap 101
52
28
13
Picking Joe OsbornStyle
The Major Scale & Fingerboard Basics
The Foundation Of Hard Rock/Metal Bass Tone
INTERMEDIATE
INTERMEDIATE
INTERMEDIATE
14
How And When To Use Slides
30
Rhythm ‘N’ Scales
49
Clave & Cuban Son
32
Riffs
54
15
6-String Crossing
33
Rhythm Recon
Practice, Practice, Practice
15
New Tricks
34
Learning Tunes Quickly
56
What The Funk?
16
Fist First 35
Chord Inversions
ADVANCED
ADVANCED
ADVANCED
18
36
The Minor Modes
60
38
Tensions
A Private Lesson With Ron Carter
40
The Complete Approach
62
Refining Your Sound
64
42
Use Subdivisions To Get Hip
Channel The Theory: Flea Lesson
Plucking-Hand Exercises
19
The Open Hammer Pluck
20
Vibrato
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THEORY
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FROM THE EDITOR Bas The Ultimate Guide to Technique, Theory & Styles For Beginning to Advanced Players
Senior EditorJonathan Herrera Associate EditorBrian Fox Consulting EditorKarl Coryat Senior Contributing Editor Chris Jisi Contributing EditorBryan Beller Staff WriterJimmy Leslie Art DirectorPaul Haggard Assistant Art Director Damien Castaneda Production ManagerAmy Santana Group Publisher Joe Perry
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BY JONATHAN HERRERA
[email protected], (650) 238-0325 Specialty Sales Adverting North Contessa Abono
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MUSIC IS A PECULIAR UNDERTAKING. IT’S A PROFOUND
and potent art form,perhaps unrivaled among humans’ creative endeavors. Music can heal, affect change, and is inexorably linked to our emotional and cultural landscape. But, it is also a craft, in the driest, most procedural sense of the word. Negotiating this duality—music as art and music as craft— is the peculiar responsibility of musicians, and it’s a dizzying challenge. It’s easy to believe onefacet supersedes the other. The artistic trappings of music—the notion that it’s all a matter of free expression, attitude, and cultural identity—are a constant distraction. There are those that ignore music’s academic foundation, rationalizing that any step toward technical edification is a step away from self-expression. Conversely, there are the musical gymnasts that confuse finely honed technique, harmonic sophistication, and speed with music’s more emotionally resonant gifts. We at BASS PLAYER hope you fall somewhere in the middle. Great artists know their craft, and they intuitively integrate its technical aspects into their work without self-consciousness. One could easily dismiss, for example, abstract expressionist painting as simplistic or farcical. But its most indelible practitioners were serious about their work, blending a scholarly attitude for color and aesthetics with a desire to realize an intrinsically personal vision. The same should be true of bass playing. Knowing your craft inside out gives you the biggest vocabulary for musical expression. To that end, we’ve assembled our second edition of Play Bass, a special issue that collects some of BP’s finest instructional content over the years. There is a lifetime of information herein, and I hope you make it a frequent reference in your own journey through music.
THE MUSIC PLAYER NETWORK Vice President John Pledger Editorial Director Michael Molenda Senior Financial Analyst Bob Jenkins Production Department Manager Beatrice Kim Sales Operations Director Lauren Gerber Web Director Max Sidman Motion Graphics Designer Tim Tsuruda Marketing Designer Joelle Katcher Systems Engineer John Meneses Office Services Coordinator Mara Hampson ADVISORY BOARD Kenny Aaronson, Jeff Andrews, Steve Bailey, Victor Bailey, Jeff Berlin, Brian Bromberg, Jack Bruce, Ron Carter, Phil Chen, Stanley Clarke, Art Davis, Nathan East, Mark Egan, Andy Gonzalez, Barry Green, Charlie Haden, Stuart Hamm, David Hungate, Anthony Jackson, Darryl Jones, Dave LaRue, Will Lee, Michael Manring, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Pino Palladino, John Patitucci, Josh Paul, Dave Pomeroy, Chuck Rainey, Rufus Reid, Steve Rodby, Billy Sheehan, Lee Sklar, Steve Swallow, Gerald Veasley, Rob Wasserman, Verdine White, Gary Willis, Doug Wimbish, Victor Wooten
Please direct all advertising and editorial inquiries to: BASS PLAYER, 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 238-0260; FAX (650) 238-0261;
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[email protected] NEWBAY MEDIA CORPORATE President & CEO Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer Paul Mastronardi Vice President of Web Development Joe Ferrick Director of Publishing Operations & Strategic Bill Planning: Amstutz Circulation Director Denise Robbins HR ManagerRay Vollmer IT DirectorGreg Topf ControllerJack Liedke BASS PLAYER is a registered trademark of NewBay Media LLC. All material published in ASS B PLAYER is copyrighted © 2010 by NewBay Media LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in B ASS PLAYER is prohibited without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. All product information is subject to change; publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. All listed model numbers and product names are manufacturers’ regis-
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tered trademarks. Published in the U.S.A. ASS PLAYER online at: Follow B
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TECHNIQUE BEGINNER
FRETTING-HAND MUTING Fig. 1
IT’S A PROBLEM: AS BEGINNING BASS PLAYERS,
our minds are swimming with cool new licks, so we’re naturally inclined to play lots of notes. Yet as we start playing in bands, we see that it’s often what isn’t played that matters. Knowing where to leave space is a life-long journey, but it’s easy to learn how physically to make space by muting a string. If there were no such thing as muting, bass playing would sound like a sloppy succession of queasy low tones, galloping or plodding along with no connection to rhythm. But choking off a note at the right moment to control its duration allows a groove to develop. Usually the fretting or plucking/picking hand (or both) does the muting, but there’s a lot more to muting, like plucking-hand rest strokes, palm muting, ghost-notes, and more. We’ll cover those topics in upcoming installments. We’ll first cover fretting-hand muting, which for me is the left hand. Fretting-hand muting involves fretting a note and releasing the fretted note by lifting the fretting finger and placing the other fretting fingers on the string being played. Don’t attempt to mute with only one finger by merely easing it off the fret (Figures 1 and 2). Not only does this leave your other fingers unprepared for the next note, it can result in a chimey harmonic—not exactly the ideal sound for space. Instead, try to simultaneously lift the fretting finger and gently lay the most comfortable-feeling available finger over the now deadened string (Fig. 3). If the fretting finger is your pinkie, lift it off the string and mute with the other three fingers behind it (Figures 4 and 5). Try to stick to the onefinger-per-fret rule—that is, let your four fretting fingers fall over a four-fret span, only playing notes on the fret that each finger naturally rests over (Fig. 5). This technique prevents fretting-hand entanglements and is the most efficient way to address the fingerboard. To get the most out of this technique, you’ll have to
Fig. 3
hone in closely on your fretting-hand habits. For now, take it slow, keep it low, and have fun exploring space!
Fig. 5
—JONATHAN HERRERA
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Fig. 2
Fig. 4
TECHNIQUE BEGINNER
PICK PLAYING TO PLAY WITH A PICK, YOU’LL NEED, WELL, A
pick. Think twice before boosting one off your guitarplaying friend. While some guitar picks make good bass picks, many are too thin and small to be effective when faced with our instrument’s thick, tense strings. For general pick playing, it’s good to aim for picks marked “heavy” or those with a thickness of at least 1mm. When you go to purchase picks (note the plural—you’r e going to lose every one eventually, so buy a lot), hold each in your hand to make sure its texture doesn’t feel too slippery. Before you get to playing the instrument, it’s good to know how to best hold a pick. Do what feels natural, but I’ve discovered that the following technique works well: Put the pad of your thumb on the top side and the side of your finger on the underside (Fig. 1). The pick should nestle into your finger’s first joint, anchored by the upward angle of your forefinger’s second joint (Fig. 2). Don’t choke up too far, as you want your pick to hit the string, not your finger. Good pick technique is all about developing a proper right-hand and right-forearm approach. Natural wrist and arm motion makes the bass line sound more even. My approach is to rotate my forearm and hand as one
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
contiguous unit, allowing the full weight of my arm to address the string, but allowing me to maintain control (Fig. 3). With this approach, it’s important to strike the string with the broad side of the pick to get maximum tone (Fig. 4). Using the pick’s edges has its place (it generally creates a sharper scraping sound), but for most pick playing you’ll want to get a good chunkof the pick’s flat side on the string. To practice, try playing simple bass lines and open strings with a metronome. Begin by playing only single and adjacent strings, and then move on to lines that employ string skipping, like notes on only the E and D strings. Also, practice both alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes and downstrokes alone. For a lot of heavier music, downstroke-only picking gives the bass line the weight it needs. —JONATHAN HERRERA
Fig. 4
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TECHNIQUE
BEGINNER
THE METRONOME IS YOUR FRIEND DO YOU OWN A METRONOME? NOT A DRUM tempos
machine, but an old-fashioned, tick-tock metronome? Drum machines disguise your groove with kick, snare, hi-hat, and toms that your playing can disappear into— but a metronome leaves you naked, stripped bare, so you can determine if you can play in time. Then and only then can you start building up your time chops. Eventually you could be laying it down with the rest of the bad boys of bass. Remember these words: The metronome is your friend. It is not your enemy. Consider the metronome a tool that will make you a better player, not something to be feared. It will bring you closer to your goal of being a musician who easily plays in time. To paraphrase Marcus Miller, “a great musician must have soul and perfect time.” When practicing with a metronome, set it to a tempo that’s easy for you. Don’t strain. Ideal starting
are often between 72 and 88
BPM
(beats per
minute). Pick easy material, like a major scale (Ex. 1). Play eighth-notes, four per scale degree. Try 78BPM; if that’s too fast to nail each note, slow it down to 72. If it’s too slow, relax and try to lock on. As you master easy material and it begins to sound relaxed, increase your tempo—but only one notch at a time. If after a few days you nail the new tempo, increase the tempo again by one notch. If you cannot groove at the new tempo, it means you aren’t ready to graduate to the next one. Stay at the previous tempo a few more days; then when you move up, you will be in control. If you are in control, you will play with confidence and conviction, and you will sound relaxed yet strong. That translates into attitude, and that’s what playing music is all about. —GLENN LETSCH
Ex. 1 = 78
4 4
T A B
2 2 3
3
3
3
5
5
5
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
5
5
5
2
2
2
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
Ex. 2
44 = 78
3
3
3 T A B
3
3
3
3
3
3
2 2 3
3
3 3
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3
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PLAY BASS!
3
3 5
5
5 5
5
5
2
2 2
2
2 3
3
3 3
3
3
5
5
5 5
5
5
2
3
2 2
2
2
3
3
4 4
4 4 4
3
4 5
5
3
5 5
5
5
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TECHNIQUE BEGINNER
RIGHT-HAND SLAP 101 limitations don’t allow the player to take full advantage THANKS TO LARRY GRAHAM, SLAP ARRIVED IN the late ’60s—and just like every other technique for our young instrument, there isn’t a consensus on the ultimate approach. The basic technique usu ally combines a wrist-twisting thumb slap with an index- or middle-finger pop. But the angle of the thumb to the
of the whole groovy slap world. I prefer the slap technique of players like Marcus Miller and Larry Graham, which is based on a thumb that’s parallel to the string (Fig. 2). Though thisapproach requires the bass to be higher on a strap, its benefits are
string, and the use (or disuse) or pops, vary a lot. Some folks prefer to slap with their thumb at a downward angle and their wrist roughly parallel to the neck (Fig. 1). They use their forearm’s back-and-forth rotation for the bulk of the slap energy, usually resulting in an aggressive tone and, because of the positioning of the index finger, a lot of popped notes. This technique is used to great effect by a lot of bassists—but in my oh-sohumble opinion, it’s not ideal. Though beginners seem to gravitate toward this approach without guidance, its
numerous. It results in a fuller, fatter thumb tone, perhaps because there’s more flesh hitting the string. It also seems to make the thumb more dominant, rather than the see-saw slap-then-pop motion of the other approach. This means that brash pops are available, but not an essential product of the physical technique. The parallel-thumb technique is also more controllable, allowing for advanced techniques like Victor Wooten-style double thumbing and cool syncopated ghost-notes and funk patterns. —JONATHAN HERRERA
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
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TECHNIQUE
PICKING JOE OSBORN-STYLE
BEGINNER
IF YOU PICK UP A PICK WHEN JOE OSBORN IS that’s
around, don’t even think about muting with the heel of your plucking hand. For the J-Bass style Joe used on hundreds of hits, you’ll first need to put that big hunk of chrome back on your axe. “The pickup cover gives you a place to pivot from,” says Joe. “Originally
what I thought it was for.” Check the photos: Joe rests the heel of his right hand on the cover and really get the string moving when he hits it. “The muting comes from your right hand,” says Joe. So you’d better listen. —RICHARD JOHNSTON
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TECHNIQUE
INTERMEDIATE
HOW AND WHEN TO USE SLIDES
moment. What happens in between is up to you; except WHEN WE’RE BEGINNING TO PLAY BASS, EASY IT’S
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PLAY BASS!
to get caught up in all the gory details, like proper rightand left-hand technique, knowing the notes on the fingerboard, learning scales, and deciphering rhythms. Don’t get me wrong; thesedetails are critical, but learning them can sometimes be a drag. Lest we lose our passion for practice, it’s important to integrate some purely fun stuff into your routine. To me, sliding is one of the bass’s biggest pleasures. There are few more feel-good moments than sliding all the way down the fingerboard into a hugeEstring finale or injecting a slippery slur intoa greasy funk line. When we slide, we’re flexing our bass muscles— there are few better ways to cut through a band and say, Hey, I’m here! Good sliding is all about attitude. It’s a yin-yang balance of recklessness and precision, but the balance shifts slightly in either direction depending on the type of slide. To me, slides fall into two big categories: specialeffect and articulation. Special-effect slides are the big
for starting and ending points, the slide itself can be done without much concern for notes. You’ll find that your brain intuitively figures when to begin and end the slide and how much neck to gobble as you develop the skill. Articulation slides tilt the slide balance toward precision, and they come in manydifferent forms. In music, articulation can be defined as what happens at the beginning and ends of notes. Therefore, sliding into and out of a note is a form of articulation. In contrast to bombastic special-effect slides, with articulation slides it’s usually important to be accurate about startingand ending pitches. Again, knowing how the slide fits into a rhythm is key. Often, slides are an alternative to separately plucking or hammering on successive notes that are close together on the fingerboard. Slides can make your bass line sound more legato, with the notes more smooth and connected.
neck-spanning, woofer-walloping sound explosions that happen when you fret a note and then slide your fretting hand all the way up, down, or upand down the fingerboard. They usually come between sections of a tune and are well suited to setting up a big change in dynamics, like going into a louder section. With special-effect slides, rhythm is key. The slide should begin in a rhythmically logical place and end at precisely the right
For now, practice inserting slides into your favorite bass lines. The only way to really integrate them into your playing is to get used to their special impact by messing around. Remember, slides are powerful, so when you hit the stage don’t overdo it. But trust me, when you nail it, you’ll be hooked for life! —JONATHAN HERRERA
TECHNIQUE 6-STRING CROSSING
INTERMEDIATE
THE MUSICAL EXAMPLES SHOWN HERE USE ALL SIX
strings, and they require patienceand dilligence. Please concentrate on your right-hand alternation and consistency. And play slowly! —STEVE BAILEY
Ex. 1
Ex. 2
Ex. 3
NEW TRICKS
INTERMEDIATE
GETTING BETTER AT BASS INVOLVES DIGESTING HUGE AMOUNTS
of new information, but it’s just as important to unlearn the bad stuff. Most of us picked up the bass without much initial guidance, and even though subsequent study can illuminate a better path, our individual approach is often cemented in those early moments of discovery. One extraordinarily common habit is to rest the forearm on the bass’s body, like in Fig. 1. I do it almost all the time if I’m playing with a traditional fingerstyle technique. Unfortunately, this is a perfect recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition that occurs when the passageway of bone and ligament at the base of the wrist compresses the median nerve. If that weren’t scary enough, the forearm muscles weakened position seems to rob the plucking hand of strength. Try the approach in Fig. 2, lifting the forearm off the bass. For me, it feels a little awkward, but I believe it’s technically a better option. —JONATHAN HERRERA F i1g .
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TECHNIQUE INTERMEDIATE
FIST FIRST OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, MY PLUCK- perpendicular to the strings. Several years ago,
ing-hand technique has gradually evolved. I rarely play with a pick and slap only occasionally, so I’ve mostly been the typical twofinger guy (Fig. 1), with my plucking fingers
my changed approach. I spent a lot of time developing my palm-muted Essentially, I make a fist with my right hand, thumb technique, and I think it was that, plus plucking notes on the lower three strings with a desire to arpeggiate three- and four-note my thumb and alternating my index and middle chords across strings, that formed the basis for fingers for the top two (Fig. 2). If a bass line sits on one string and is fairly up-tempo, I’ll alternate my thumb and index finger, akin to the alternation of the index and middle fingers in conventional right-hand technique (Fig. 3). While I haven’t quite nailed this approach, I’ve found that in theory it allows for more speed, evenness, and agility across strings, and it isn’t dependant on a pickup or lower string for anchorage. For a somewhat different, much more highly evolved version of this approach, check out the lessons link on Gary Willis’s website: garywillis.com. —JONATHAN HERRERA
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
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TECHNIQUE
ADVANCED
PLUCKING-HAND EXERCISES HERE ARE A FEW EXERCISES THAT WILL HELP N what I
you’re doing, and to be sure that you are getting rid of bad habits. Ex. 2a and Ex. 2b, which involve playing 3rds, are a bit harder because youhave to come back to the lower string using the same finger. Ex. 2a shows the ascending pattern; Ex. 2b shows the descending pattern. Don’t try to play fast now—give your hands the time to learn the pattern slowly. Ex. 3a (ascending) and Ex. 3b (descending) involve triads that will get you accustomed to playing arpeggios. When you add arpeggios to your solos, they always sound melodic.
getting your technique up to speed. Following my plucking-hand fingering system, in which you use alternating fingers except when descending strings, we will play a C major scale in the middle of the neck using all four strings. We’ll actually start from B so that we can play three notes per string. Concentrate on your plucking hand; as I mentioned last time, to gain speed, you’ll have to learn proper plucking-hand technique. Ex. 1 will get you familiar with the scale and position we will be using. Watch your plucking hand to see
—BUNNY BRUNEL
Ex. 1
plucking hand:
1
2
12
1
1
2
2
1
1
2 79
7 9 7 7
2 1 2 10
1 2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
8 10
10
8
7
7 10 8
7
8
10
Ex. 2b
1
212 1 12
121
1 2 1 2 2
12
etc. 7
7 7 10 8
87
10
8
1st time:2 2nd time:1 7
9
1 2 21 1 9 7 10
1 2
21 2 12
1 2 1
91 07
1 2
2
9
2 1
etc.
7
10
10
8
10
10
3a E x .
3bE x .
1st 2 11 2nd time: time:
22 1
2 11
22 1
2 11
22 1
etc. 7
8 7
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7 8
10
8 10
1
2
1
7
8 1 0
1st time: 1 12 2ndtime:2 21
18
1
10 9
Ex. 2a
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97
10
1st time: 2 2nd time: 1 10
1 2 7
1 2
22 11
22 2 1 11 1 2 9
9
etc. 7
10
7
9 10
8 1 0
etc.
TECHNIQUE THE OPEN HAMMER PLUCK
ADVANCED
MANY TIMES PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AFTER A SHOW
and tell me that when I’m doing a thumb technique, they hear a lot of notes but don’t see a lot of motion. That’s because I have spent many hours figuring out ways to get the most out of each movement. This is what Bruce Lee and many others have called economy of motion. In this issue I’ll explain one of my techniques that utilizes this concept: the “open hammer pluck.” We’ll explore this technique over two lessons, and I hope you’ll then be able to explore the endless musical possibilities available with this approach. (You may also want to check out Abraham Laboriel and Brian Bromberg to see how they use open hammer plucking.) I will explain this with the assumption you are a right-handed player; if not, make the necessary adjustments. “Open hammer plucking” refers to hitting an open string with your right thumb, hammering a note with your left hand, and then plucking a note with your right index finger. It’s essentially a triplet. Ex. 1a shows the basic pattern; Ex. 1b shows an alternate rhythm. The basic O.H.P. technique is only the beginning— a reference point, to keep our thinking simple, rather than a set rule. The actual pattern may get more complex: as you can see in Ex. 2, the hammered note can be changed to play any note you wish. Ex. 2 uses the A major scale, but try this technique with a pentatonic scale, a blues scale, or with any of your favorite patterns. You can even turn a walking bass line into Ex. 1b triplets with this technique. It’s a little “too much” for many situations, but … oh, well. (If you are trying to lose your gig, this is a great way!) T LH P Ex. 3a and 3b show that the Fret: 0 3 0 “open” string doesn’t necessarily have to be open. And if you want, the hammered note can be two hammers, or you can pluck as may times as you like. So you see, the pattern can change as we move along. Although you may be playing quadruplets or quintuplets with open hammer plucking, it may help you to think of them as the basic O.H.P. If you are always thinking of the basic pattern, it will be easier to change the patterns and rhythms you play. Take these patterns, alter them, rip them up, and turn them inside out. Practice them in all the keys, at different tempos, and using different dynamics. But please
Ex. 1a
4 4 3
T
Fret:
3
LH P
0
3
0
T
0
3
LH P
3
0
T
0
3
LH P
3
0
0
3
T
LH P
3
0
3
3
3
P A U L H A G G A R D
etc.
4 4 T
LH
0
P
3
T LH
0
0
P
3
T
0
LH
0
P
3
T
0
LH
P
3
0
0
44
Ex. 2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 Fret:
T
LH P
0
5
T
0
LH P T
0
7
0
0
LH PLH T 4
0
0
5
T LH P 0
0
7
T LH PLH PT T LH P
0
0
4
0
0
6
0
0
7
0
4 4
Ex. 3a
3
T Fret:
LH P
5
3
3
3
3
remember to keep itmusical. The Music Police will be watching, and I don’t want them coming after me! One last thing: All of the notes in these patterns can be changed to protect the innocent. Ex. 3b (Wait, I’m sorry—too much TV.) I mean, the notes can be changed to suit your taste or to follow the chord changes of any particular song. T LH P
etc.
7
T
5
5
LH P 7
7
5
7
3
3
3
T LH P PLHT 5
5
T LH P 7
7
5
7
5
T LH PLH P T
T LH P
5
5
7
7
7
5
5
7
7
44
—VICTOR WOOTEN
Fret:
5
7
5
T
LH 5
7
P 7
T LH 5
7
P 5
T 5
LH 7
P 7
T 5
LH
P
7
5
etc.
PLAY BASS!
19
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
TECHNIQUE ADVANCED
P A U L H A G G A R D
VIBRATO the music changes. Or you might find it more ITALIAN FOR “SHAKING,” VIBRATO REFERS up TOasAN
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
20
PLAY BASS!
intentional periodic wavering of pitch in order to add expressiveness to music. Vibrato has several acoustical advantages. A solid vibrato aids in tone projection, which helps a soloist to be heard over a large ensemble or a singer to be heard without amplification in a large hall.
musical to match your vibrato speed to the music’s tempo, dividing your vibrations into musically appropriate subdivisions, such as eighth-notes, triplets, or 16th-notes. Another option to consider is keeping your vibrato
Also—although I certainly don’t recommend using it exclusively for this purpose—vibrato helps mask intonation discrepancies. Vibrato’s inherent expressiveness, though, is more important than any practical attribute. Vibrating sounds have a direct emotional appeal. There are two main ways for we string players to produce vibrato: The “classical” method entails pivoting the fretting finger along the length of the string; the “blues” method involves bending the string back and forth across the fingerboard. Each method has its adherents, and it’s not unusual for fans of one kind to look down at those who use the other. In my opinion it makes sense to try them both. As bass players it’s more important to note the significant difference between how fretless and fretted instruments respond to vibrato. In general, most musicians find fretless instruments to have more sensitivity to vibrato, especially the classical form. But this doesn’t mean classical vibrato isn’t applicable to fretted instruments.
speed fairly constant and varying its depth instead. As with speed, the greater the depth you use, the more dramatic the effect. If you really want to get people’s attention, try a vibrato so wide that your finger doesn’t just pivot but actually slides back and forth on the string. This produces an exciting sound, and many bassists use it to accentuate key notes in a line. Keep in mind you don’t have to vary your vibrato speed and depth in the same way. For example, you can make your vibrato wider yet slower as the music becomes faster and louder. (Deep vibrato is especially good for hiding intonation discrepancies. Again, I recommend dealing with pitch problems directly instead of resorting to tricks—but vibrato can be a godsend in an emergency!) One of the most important questions to ask yourself is when to use vibrato and when to lay off. Some forms of music use vibrato pretty much all the time— but it can be very effective to use restraint as well. Mozart’s father, Leopold, wrote a popular violin method
There are two primary attributes to vibrato: speed and depth. Consider both carefully and separately when faced with a new piece of music. For instance, you can link vibrato speed to dynamics. A faster vibrato tends to be more dramatic and will call more attention to itself, so musicians often use faster vibrato for louder passages. Of course the opposite approach can be very effective, too. You might find it helpful to establish a default vibrato speed that you can slow down or speed
book that said, “Vibrato must only be used at places where nature herself would produce it.” Speaking of restraint, it’s easier to hear vibrato on long sustained tones than on notes that fly by, so some musicians avoid it altogether on anything less than half-notes. Try starting a long note without vibrato and slowly introduce it as the character of the note begins to take shape. This can lend a sense of movement and detail to a melodic line. —MICHAEL MANRING
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THEORY BEGINNER
WHAT’S THE FORM?
Mathematically speaking, many basic forms are organized in powers of two, usually in the
bars. Remember to concentrate, count, and call and know where you are at all times. To lock the form in your brain, say “top,” “second eight,” out the sections to yourself. “bridge,” and “last eight” silently to yourself Some compositions are slightly uneven in
form of two-, four-, eight-, 12-, 16-, and 32bar sections. Most standard jazz and poptunes are structured this way. Let’s look at a few specific examples of chord charts, and how to recognize the form. The chord changes of the Duke Ellington classic “Perdido” Ex. ( 1) provide the basic structure for many other standard jazz compositions. The form consists of an eight-bar A section, which is repeated (the second A), followed by an eight-bar B section (the bridge), and finally a reprise of the first eight-bar A section (called the last A). The bridge jumps out because of the chord change to D7, but the three A sections can run together unless you concentrate
each time you start a new section. AABA is a tried-and-true song form for improvisers. Countless standards, like “Body and Soul,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” and “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise,” to name just a few, are based on the AABA form. John Coltrane’s “Impressions” and Miles Davis’s “So What” also share the AABA form. Both of these compositions have the same chord structure: eight bars of Dm7 , eight of Dm7 , eight of Ebm7, and eight of Dm7. The hard part about playing these changes is that there are long stretches of a one-chord sound. It’s easy to zone out in Dm7 and forget whether you just played the last eight bars, or the first eight
FORM IS EASY TO
UNDERSTAND.
Ex. 1
A
Cm7
F7
B
bmaj7
Cm7
F7
B
bmaj7
Cm7
F7
B
bmaj7
Cm7
F7
B
bmaj7
form. “All the Things You Are” has an ABCD form (8-8-8-12), with the D section being similar to A but with a four-bar extension. You can keep your place in this form easier than in a tune like “Impressions,” even though there are more chord changes. Ineach section of “All the Things You Are,” you start in a different key, which creates an automatic landmark for your ears. Saxophonist Benny Golson has given us many jam-session favorites with unusual forms, like “Stablemates” (ABA, 14-8-14), and pianist Horace Silver has contributed great standards like “Nutville” (ABC, 8-8-8; see Ex. 2). The trick in “Nutville” is to remember that the last
E bmaj7
E bmaj7
Dm7
Dm7
G7
G7
5
9
A
E bmaj7
Dm7
G7
E bmaj7
Dm7
G7
13
17
B
D7
G7
C7
F7
21
m 25 o c .r e y a l p s s a 29 b . w w w
22
A
Cm7
F7
Cm7
F7
PLAY BASS!
B
B
bmaj7
bmaj7
E bmaj7
Dm7
G7
two bars of Cm7 don’t mark the beginning of the form, even though the groove goes back to the srcinal Latin feel. When you get to that point in the tune, count to yourself and then say “top” when you go back to A. There are standards with even longer forms that jazz musicians like to play: “Cherokee” (AABA, 16-16-16-16), “Caravan” (AABA, 1616-16-16), “Night and Day” (AAB, 16-16-16), and possibly the mother of all standard song forms, “Begin the Beguine” (ABCDEFG, 1616-16-16-16-12-16). You won’t find this classic Cole Porter rumba being called on
jam-session night at the local jazz club, but it is often played at society gigs when the beautiful people get up to do their lizard dances. To start exploring form with easier jazz standards, take a look at “Cantaloupe Island” (ABCA, 4-4-4-4), “St. Thomas” (AABC, 4-44-4), or “Summertime” (ABAC, 4-4-4-4). To keep your place in “Summertime”Ex. ( 3), look at the chord that begins each four-bar section. The first chord in A is Dm7. The first chord in B is Gm7. The repeat of the A section in bar 9 begins on Dm7 like the first A. C, the last four bars of the form, begins on Fmaj7. Once you
know where each section begins, you are on your way to hearing and feeling the musical landmarks in the form. Memorizing the whole progression is now just a matter of filling in the harmonies between those landmarks. Always look at the form of a new song; you’ll learn the song faster. Take songs that you already know and check out the form.You might be surprised at the simplicity—or complexity—of your favorite songs. Above all, remember to concentrate on keeping your place, and you’ll always land on your feet. BP —JOHN GOLDSBY
Ex. 2
A
Cm7
5
9
B
C
Ab7
G7
b7
G
F7
Swing/walking bass
Ab 7
G7
Cm7
21
Latin/samba
Ex. 3
A
5
B
9
A
13
b7
D
Cm7
13
17
Fm7
C
Dm7 Swing/walking bass
Gm7
Em7(
Dm7
Fmaj7
b5)
A7(
Gm7
Em7( b5)
A7( #9)
Dm7
Em7(
#9)
C7
b5)
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
A7( #9)
PLAY BASS!
23
THEORY
THE OCTAVE BEGINNER
Fig. 1 IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE, BUT NEARLY ALL WESTERN
Fig. 2
music was, is, and will be composed using the same 12 notes, tuned to the same basic pitches, obeying the same fundamental rules of consonance and dissonance. From Mozart to Metallica, music’s elegant vastness is the result of 12 ever-present ingredients, mashed and molded with infinite variety. Slowly realizing this basic fact, spiritual in its profundity, is one of the most beautiful parts of becoming a bass player. As hard-working beginners, our minds steadily illuminate, awakening to the fingerboard’s patterns, hearing and feeling our instrument’s cosmically deep potential. My journey began with the octave. Until I recognized its potential, the bass’s fingerboard was an arcane peg-game board, randomly dotted and divided. But discovering octave patterns was like getting that game’s rulebook: Suddenly, I perceived the fingerboard’s wondrous economy, the visual repetition at the core of bass technique. This perception was the seed of everything I’ve since learned. An octave is an interval that represents the distance of eight diatonic degrees between two notes of the same name. When played consecutively, notes an octave apart sound similar, only lower or higher in pitch. To see the octave’s potential, it’s essential to appreciate that notes an octave apart are the same note—so any pattern played in one position on the bass can be exactly duplicated in a different range by beginning on the note an octave above or below.Fig. 1shows every appearance of the note G on a 21-fret, 4-string fingerboard. To play the riff in Ex. 1, use one of the blue note locations from Fig. 2; I’ve also shown the riff in a few other locations with red dots. The bass’s pattern penchant is bittersweet. Reinforced by position markers, our tendency to favor symmetry can rule our visual interpretation of the fingerboard. We’ll play certain licks just because they follow a geometrically logical pattern, despite the musical consequences. Ideally, we should think of each note on the fingerboard as having equal priority; bass lines and licks that fall into shapes merely do so through coincidental convenience. But as beginners, understanding the fingerboard is our main path, and the octave and its patterns are step one. —JONATHAN HERRERA
Ex. 1
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
3 3
4
5
5 3
24
PLAY BASS!
3
G
C
F
C#
D
G
C
C#
D
C
F
C#
D
G
C
C#
D
F
THEORY
BEGINNER
HOMEWORK its authority over our ears and hearts. One interesting area to I KNOW. YOU THOUGHT YOUR HOMEWORK DAYS were long behind you. Sorry. Turns out, annoying though it
explore is the circle of 5ths and its rather nifty clues on cadence.
was, homework had a point—that whole learning thing. And BASS PLAYER is all about making you a better player, so think of this assignment as a bit of prescribed fun—that class that you secretly (gasp!) actually liked. Each month I’ll give you a brief task, you’ll do it, and you’ll post any thoughts, comments, critiques, and insights from it in a special thread on BASS PLAYER’s Low Down Lowdown Forum (click forum at the top of www.bassplayer.com to get there).
By now you’ve probably encountered the circle of 5ths (COF), most likely in the context of learning about key signatures (if not, hit up Google). But the COF is way deeper than a legend to the accidentals in a key; it’s a remarkable visual representation of functional harmony. The fundamentals of harmony dictate many possibilities, but perhaps the most frequently adopted are the use of chords whose roots move down a 5th (or up a 4th) to the next chord’s tonic. This resolute root motion is appealing to the ear, and when it takes place within the diatonic constraints of a key, we hear a logical progression to the note of maximum gravity, the tonic. Look at Fig. 1. I’ve taken the circle of 5ths and added diatonic chord qualities and theircorresponding Roman numeric designation for each diatonic root note in the key. I’ve also added arrows that show the most fundamental progression of chords in C, starting with tonic, moving to the IV chord, and then cycling through the secondary, subdominant, and finally, dominant chords to arrive back at C. The resulting progression—Imaj 7, IVmaj7, VIIm7 b5, IIIm7, VIm7, IIm7, V7,
Running up and down scales, endlessly ’shedding arpeggios, intervallic studies—isolated, music they do not make. Rote exercises may improve technique and unlock a few fingerboard mysteries, but creativity requires more than mere vocabulary; rather, the developing player should try to practice musically relevant exercises that marry the intellectual to the more transcendent aspects of music, like harmony and
Imaj7—is the basic structure of countless songs; a fact I hope you’ll jive with once you’ve stared at the chords for awhile. Now, the point. Try practicing scales and arpeggios that are diatonically related to the COF. The tried-and-true method of picking a single scale or arpeggio and running it through the COF is cool, but I suggest playing diatonic scales or arpeggios for practice through the COF, using the progression described above. Say you were practicing the major modes in C. In order, you’d play: Ionian (C), Lydian (F), Locrian (B), Phrygian (E), Aeolian (A), Dorian (D), Mixolydian (G), and finally, back to Ionian (C). This runs through all the major modes, but instead of chromatically or arbitrarily, it’s directly correlated to chord movement, preparing the hands and ears for the inevitable onthe-gig confrontation with this sequence. Apply the same fundamental structure to all keys, and don’t limit your practice to full scales and arpeggios—try diatonic tensions, intervallic sequences, and the like. It’s an extremely useful way to get that much deeper into the music’s peculiar magic, all while ’shedding the same old warhorses. BP —JONATHAN HERRERA
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
Fig. 1
PLAY BASS!
25
THEORY
CHORD TONES
BEGINNER
NO ONE CAN DISPUTE THAT MUSICIANS ARE
A chord is a group of three or more notes played at the same time. An arpeggio is the sounding of chord tones in succession.
artists. So if bass players are musicians (no comments from you smart-aleck guitarists, please), then bass play-
In general, we bass players aren’t quite as free as the other members of the band. We usually play one note at a time in a way that establishes a song’srhythmic feel.
ers are also artists. But as beginners, we don’t feel like we’ve got much in common with Jaco,Jamerson, Geddy, and the bass world’s other equivalents to Van Gogh, Shakespeare, and the rest. But we do! Bass is art becaus e it’s inherently creative and expressive, just like painting, sculpting, writing, or dancing. And the core aspect of being a good bass player—and good bass artist—is developing the creativity to make first-rate bass lines. As bass players, we’re expected to know how to create a bass line from day one. The usual scene: Your guitar- or piano-playing buddy brings a song over to your house or rehearsal space, excited to try it with a bass. He or she tells you the chords of the song, or they’re written down on a piece of paper. Your friend says, “I’ll play it, and you come up with something.” You panic— what will you do? First, you’ll need toknow which notes go with which chords. Some people call the series of chords in a song a “chord progression,” others, referring to the way that
This often means playing the root note of a chord on the first beat of a measure and perhaps continuing to play it throughout that chord’s duration. The root note is typically a chord’s letter designation. So, if you see a G written on a chord chart, you know that the note G on your bass is the root of that chord. Sometimes you’ll see a slash chord, like G/A, in a song. This chord, usually described as “G over A” or “G with an A in the bass” means that instead of playing a G, you play an A. Always playing root notes is like eating nothing but vanilla ice cream: Sure, it’s good once in a while, butisn’t vanilla with chocolate sauce and whipped cream even better? To spice up your bass lines, you’ll want to season them with notes other than the root. To begin with, try playing chord tones, the notes that make up the chord. For triads (chords with three notes), the chord tones are the root, the 3rd, and the 5th. Figures 1 and 2 show a few ways that 3rds and 5ths look on the fingerboard in relation to the roots. Memorize these shapes and begin
chords change throughout a song, the “chord changes” or simply “the changes.” One of our primary responsibilities when creating bass lines is to reinforce and outline the changes in a solid, musical way by marrying them to the song’s rhythm. In most songs, the other instruments in the band colorfully outline the changes by implying the changes with chords and arpeggios.
experimenting with these additional notes in your bass lines. Be aware, though, that the root note will generally sound the most stable and solid, so try to use your ears as a guide for when to add the other notes. Get these shapes under your fingers, and don’t be afraid to explore chord tones like colors on a canvas. —JONATHAN HERRERA
5 5
b3 3
1 1 5
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
Fig. 1. Major chord tones in relation to the root.
26
PLAY BASS!
5
b3 3
Fig. 2. Minor chord tones in relation to the root.
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THEORY
THE MAJOR SCALE & FINGERBOARD BASICS
BEGINNER
THE MAJOR SCALE IS IMMEDIATELY
recognizable from that swinging little Julie Andrews number “Do Re Mi,” from The Sound of Music. Rodgers
scale degree is always underyour 4th finger on the lowest string of the pattern. In addition to numbers and fingerings, you also need
and Hammerstein did the world a real service by embedding the major scale in everyone’s musical subconscious. It’s very important to understand this scale; it’ s the foundation for most Western music, and we musicians also use it as the reference point for the scale-degree system we use to communicate. Ex. 1 shows the C major scale; the suggested fingering pattern is 2–4–1–2–4–1–3–4. Play this scale up and down to get comfortable with the fingering, and then play it with a metronome set to 60 beats per minute, giving each note two clicks to keep the tempo slow. Pay close attention to the click, and try to nail each downbeat precisely. Above the notes in Ex. 1, you’ll find a line labelled “scale degrees.” These numbers (1 through 8) are assigned to each note in the scale, and they form the basis of how we talk about music. As you practice this scale, pay attention to how the scale degrees correspond to the fingering; the goal is to learn where the scale
to know the actual note names of the scale. The musical alphabet uses the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, and then it repeats. Our major scale is in C, so the letter names for each note in the scale areC, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Say them aloud as you play the scale. Notice that in the key of C, there are no sharps (#’s) or flats (b’s); all the notes are natural (n). In other keys, some notes are made sharp or flat, depending on the key signature. The major scale has a very specific construction. The spaces that occur between the notes (i.e., the intervals) follow a certain pattern of whole-steps and halfsteps. A whole-step (written here as “WS”) is a distance of two frets, and a half-step (“HS”) is one fret. Ex. 2 shows the intervallic construction of the major scale; notice that the half-steps occur between E and F (scale degrees 3 and 4) and B and C (scale degrees 7 and 8). Now let’s learn the notes on the fingerboard. It’s important to remember the half-steps are betweenE and F, and between B and C; all the other notes have a chro-
degrees are located in the pattern. For example, the 2nd
matic (sharped or flatted) note in between. Fig. 1 is a
Fig. 1 STRING G
G#/Ab
A
D
D#/Eb
A
A#/Bb
E O
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F #/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
1
2
8
9
3
4
5
6
7
10
F
F#/Gb
G
B
C
C#/Db
D
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
D
D#/Eb
E
E
C#/Db 11 1
2 FRET
Ex. 1 Scale degrees:
Fingering:
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
T A B
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
2
4
1
2
4
1
3
4
4
3
1
4
2
1
4
2
2
4
5
5
4
2
2
3
5
5
3
2 5
3
3
5
PLAY BASS!
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THEORY Ex. 2 Note names:
C
DE
F
GA
B
C
C
BAG
F
E
D
C
Intervals:
WS
WS
HS
WS
WS
WS
HS
HS
W
S
WS
WS
HS
WS
WS
diagram of the first 12 frets of the fingerboard, with all of the notes labelled. As you can see, each of the chromatic tones has two names;
all of the E’s on the bass. Then play your low F, and find all of theF’s. Repeat these steps with each note. The next step is to do this exercise
the major scale. First, play the major-scale pattern up and down five times in a row, beginning with different notes. Keeping your fingers
for example, G# is the same note as Ab. Which name you use depends on what key you are relating it to. In the key of Eb, you would call it an Ab; in the key of A, it would be a G#. For now, just be aware of the two names for each chromatic tone. Here’s a good exercise to help you learn the locations of notes on the fingerboard: First, study the chart and look for the patterns of recurring notes. Starting with the lowE, find
with a metronome. Set it to 40 beats per minute, and give each note four clicks; start again with low E, and do the entire exercise. It’s important to do this in tempo, because you need to learn how to get to a specific place on the bass at a specific time. If it’s too fast for you, give each note more clicks. Above the 12th fret, he t entire fingerboard repeats, so you can use the chart to learn the notes up there as well. Here are some more things to practice with
in the same position, use your knowledge of the scale degrees to play them in these patterns: (1) 1–2–1–3–1–4–1–5–1–6–1–7–1 –8–8–1–7–1–6–1–5–1–4–1–3–1–2–1 and (2) 1–6–2–5–3–6–2–5–1–3–4–2–3–6–2–5–1. Getting used to the major-scale degrees takes time, and so does getting to know the fingerboard. So practice these exercises a little every day, and remember to have fun! —ED FRIEDLAND
INTERMEDIATE
JAZZ CONCEPTS
RHYTHM ’N’ SCALES YOU KNOW THE FEELING WHEN YOU
practice: Sometimes it seems like you’re just playing exercises and that music is something else. The problem lies in our choice of what we practice, and how we approach the material. We do need to separate technique from music when we practice, but we should practice tech-
nique in a musical way to get the best results. Let’s look at rhythms and scales, basic staples of any practice routine. A lot of players approach practicing scales this way: They start on the root and play up and down the scale in quarter-notes, or eighth-notes or 16th-notes, gradually increasing the speed until the fin-
gerboard is smoking and their tendons are about to pop. This method gets boring quickly because there’s no real musical learning going on, just motor coordination. Using this system, you can eventually play a boring scale very fast, but there are better ways to make practicing basic technical skills
Ex. 1
Cmaj7
Ex. 2
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
C7
7
30
PLAY BASS!
Fmaj7
continue through cycle...
THEORY
a practical musical experience. By changing some of the typical rhythms and starting notes, you can find new ways to liven up your daily practice workout.
to the 2nd note of each scale as the 9th. Why should we even worry about starting on the 9th? It’s good for a bassist to be focused on the root, but sometimes we also want to start on other, more colorful notes of the scale.Ex. 1 shows a practice method for major scales. This exercise sounds cool and will cure you of “rootitis.” Once you can play the scales inC and F,
Ex. 4 is a rhythmic grouping of three eighthnotes against the basic 4/4 pulse. In bar 2 (the beginning of the phrase), the F quarter-note plus the F eighth-note move to theEb quarternote (two tied eighths) plus theEb eighth-note and on down the scale. Putyour metronome on beats two and four at a pedestrian tempo and see if you can keep the groove. The scale is an
Eb Lydian-dominant, associated with an Eb dom-
All of the examples in this article start on the 9th of the scale. The 9th is a beautiful sound; it does not define the chord like the 3rd or 7th, but it gives substance to the basic color. The 9th is the same note as the 2nd, only an octave
keep moving through the cycle of 5ths, playing all the major scales starting on the 9th:Bb, Eb, Ab, Db (C#), Gb (F#), B, E, A, D, and G. This approach is different from what you find in most technique books, which have you start on the root, and then play up the scale and back down. Ex. 2 demonstrates how you can make a rhythmically tricky little piece of music out of a descending C Mixolydian scale. Too easy, you say? Put on the metronome and give it your best shot … looks are deceiving. The goal is to “hear” the rests on the offbeats and always nail the whole-note on the root C. After playing the root of Gmaj7#11 in Ex. 3, you jump to the high A and come down the G Lydian scale. Examples 2, 3, and 4 train your ears, mind, and hands to feel the “missing” downbeat. Remember that you’ll create a good groove and good time by placing the notes and
up. Both terms are correct, but here I will refer
the rests in the pocket.
TIPS FOR PRACTICING RHYTHM AND SCALES
1. Do not always start on the root. Start on other chord tones like the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th. 2. Start at the top of the scale and go down, then back up. 3.Use various rhythms to practice a scale. 4. Play scales using groups of three notes in 4/4 time, or groups of four notes in 3/4 time. 5. Isolate only one or two musical concepts for each scale exercise. For example, start on a particular scale tone and use a certain rhythmic pattern. 6. Play your new scale exercises through all 12 keys and at various tempos.
inant 7 chord with a raised 11th (or raised 4th). You might be asking: Who needs to know these scales and rhythms anyway? Eggheads and fusionites? You should know this material, no matter what style of music you play. By using these tips, you can tackle all of the mysterious scales and rhythms you’ve heard about but have never known how to practice. Once you get the hang of this practice method, you might never go back to starting on the root and running up and down major scales in eighth-notes. Find new scales you need to work on, and play them rhythmically. Invent your own exercises, but limit the variables by starting on a particular scale tone and using a repeated rhythmic figure. Remember that your goal is to play music, so make sure that you practice technique in a musical way.BP —JOHN GOLDSBY
Ex. 3
Gmaj7#11
6
Ex. 4
Eb7#11
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
6
PLAY BASS!
31
THEORY
RIFFS
INTERMEDIATE
HUMAN BEINGS LOVE A GOOD RIFF. NO
matter what our fave style, short and repetitive musical phrases, or riffs, are usually the sound’s soul. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (da-da-da-da aaa) and AC/DC’s “Back in Black” (da-danana-danana) may not appear to have much in common, but they both rely on killer riffs for a solid foundation. A simplified version of the riff equation goes something like this: If bass = foundation and foundation = riff, then bass = riff! As beginners, we must respect the riff, as it’s usually our responsibility to play it over and overwhile soloists and singers get their rocks off. You could lament the lameness of this repetitiveness, or you could revel in the sheer potency of a riff well played. The latter will be a big step in your mastery of the bass’s uniquemind-game.
Good technique is your best friend, but it’s important to know when to bend it to suit the riff. When your hand, body, mind, and spirit are jiving as one, your endurance and focus make for awesome riffage. Practicing riffs reveals the impact that subtle changes in physical attack can have on sound. Examples 1 and 2 show a short riff I came up with. Check out the tablature: Ex. 1’s fingering places everything in the same four-fret range, while Ex. 2 obligates a position shift. While Ex. 1’s fingering would be proper, Ex. 2 gets extra heft because of the shift. Play it, and you’ll see what I mean. Try messing with the fingering of riffs you know. Diving into the details usually uncovers a whole new layer of coolness. BP —JONATHAN HERRERA
Ex. 1
1 3 3
3
3
3 3
1 3
1
1
Ex. 2
3
1 6
1
1
1
4
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
Above: Fingerboard diagrams showing the riff’s two fingerings.
32
PLAY BASS!
THEORY
INTERMEDIATE
RHYTHM RECON badness (the good kind) is often defined by
breathing life into the notes on paper or in our
notes in each bar. So, in 4/4 meter, there are four quarter-notes in each bar. Since 4/4 meter
lightbulb-moment landmarks—little gems of experience and insight that help shape our musical personality. A big one for me was this question, posed by a teacher on the first day of class in music school: “What is rhythm?” Hands leaped to the ceiling. “It’s like beats … right?” “Yes and no,” the teacher smirked. A few hands timidly descended. “It’s the pulse; the thing that makes you bob your head.” “Yes and no.” More hands dejectedly sunk. “It’s repetition.” “Well, in a way.” All hands went below desk, chins nervously dipping in unison. How could we expect to be masterful musicians if we couldn’t even define rhythm? Sensing our mental exhaustion, the teacher prompted an exciting discussion about rhythm. Turns out, there is no clear definition. I won’t get into the details of our rambling dialogue, but we all left that class with a renewed respect
head. Knowing how rhythm works is essential to being a versatile, competent bassist, and being able to understand rhythmic notation will go along way toward helping you realize this goal. Most Western music (almost everything on the radio in the U.S.) is based on a predictable, straightforward pulse based on groups of four. There are many other types of rhythm, but let’s focus on this most prevalent type first. Ever notice how counting to four while listening to rock or pop music seems to make everything line up? That’s because each pulse— which we’ll now call a “beat”—is packed into groups of four. Musical events, like fills, riffs, new sections, and breakdowns generally occur within this four-beat organization. This organization is called a song’s “time signature” or “meter,” and these groups of four are called
is so common, it’s sometimes replaced with a “C” for “common time.” Once you’ve got your head wrapped around meter, it’s time to dive into understanding the relative time value of each note, what these differently valued notes look like, andtheir equivalent rests. Ex. 1 shows the basic note types and rests. At the top is the whole-note, which lasts the duration of two half-notes, four quarter-notes, eight eighth-notes, and so on. Rests are those all-important note-less moments in music where we pause playing for the duration of the rest’s value. There is much, much more to understanding rhythm, and it can get confounding quick, so take it slow. For now, try listening to music with a heightened awareness. Try counting the beats and bars, figuring out how the music falls into the framework they pro-
for rhythm and a deeper awareness of our special bass-endowed rhythmic responsibilities. Music without rhythm is like a highway without lanes: chaotic and potentially disastrous. When rhythm is strictly followed, it provides solidity and structural reassurance for the player and listener. When it’s bended, morphed, or temporarily ignored, it functions as a stable springboard for creative interpretation. Our unique task is to help imbue a song’sharmonic
“measures” or “bars.” Notes that last the full length of each beat are quarter-notes, because each one fills one-quarter of a bar. That fraction-looking thing at the beginning of each bar in Ex. 1 is the time-signature, and it identifies the song’s meter. The bottom number shows the type of note that will be used as the song’s beat. Quick tip: Replace the top number with a “1” to figure out what this basic beat-note is. The top number is the number of each of these
vide. Notice how it isn’t just beats but bars themselves that are often organized intogroups and multiples of four. Excited? Tackling rhythm and rhythmic notation is like getting a secret musical decoder ring that gets better each time you practice. Put in enough work, and suddenly the whole universe of rhythm and feeling will begin to materialize in your head. Aren’t we bass players lucky?
AS BEGINNERS, OUR PATH TOWARD side (chords, notes, and melody) with rhythm,
—JONATHAN HERRERA
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
PLAY BASS!
33
THEORY INTERMEDIATE
WHADDYA KNOW?
LEARNING TUNES QUICKLY “WHAT’S UP? I MEAN, WHAT TUNE play it in
do ya’ wanna play—whaddya know, dude?” You’ve heard these or similar words countless times at jam sessions and gigs. Hornplay-
C. Sing the melody starting on G, and play your bass line starting on theC below that. Ready, go: “Happy birthday da dah, happy birthday doo dah . . . .” Go on, sing!
time to analyze the changes before jumping in and playing. You probably don’t need to read the “Cantaloupe Island” chart ever again. (If I do catch you reading the changes, you’ll
ers, pianists, guitarists, and vocalists call tunes, and you’re supposed to give a nod of the head and magically float through the chord progression to any standard as smoothly as your drummer friend sneaks through the buffet line ahead of the guests at a fancy wedding reception. On typical jazz gigs, weddings, casuals, or club dates, you are expected to lay down a bass line—without music—to everything from “Kansas City” to “Chameleon” to “My Way.” How can a bass player remember all that stuff? When you pull out a fake book, you might help yourself get through “Love for Sale” (not a great wedding standard, considering the lyrics), but you aren’t helping yourself actually learn the chord progression so that you will remember Cole Porter’s gem forever. Let’s look at techniques and tricks for learn-
Hopefully, you nailed this. If not, don’t be discouraged; it’s actually a tricky littletune. Let’s assume you have never heard “Happy Birthday” before, but you want to learn it. In addition to just singing and playing it over and over, you should look at the song’s form— how it is divided into sections—and look for the key harmonic spots. Ex. 1 shows the “Happy Birthday” chord progression in all of its splendid simplicity. It’s eight bars long and contains four two-bar phrases. You can think of the beginning of these phrases as landmarks. If you hit the landmark, you know you’re keeping your place in the chord progression. After studying Ex. 1, see if you can write out thechanges to “Happy Birthday” from memory. Don’t cheat. It’s good practice to step away from the bass and analyze a chord progression that you
have some explaining to do). As a teacher, I’ve noticed that bass players often stare at achart for chorus after repeated chorus, even though they could memorize the chord progression with minimal effort. So don’t just gawk at the music and let your fingers do the walking. Take a minute, analyze the music you are learning, and note the following characteristics:
ing songsand remembering chord progressions. It’s possible to memorize changes to standard tunes and build a huge repertoire of music that you can play off the top of your head, but you must understand both the theoretical and the practical sides of the music. The famous acting teacher Sanford Meisner encouraged his students to memorize their lines so well that they could then forget them. Similarly, bass players must have a song’s form and harmony deeply ingrained in order to relax and make music. Let’s start with something basic—a tune you’ve been singing since you were two years old: “Happy Birthday.” Don’t give up and flip the page until you’ve proven to me (and to yourself) that you can actually do this. Let’s
want to learn. Take a tune like Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island,” which is a 16-bar form: four bars of Fm7, four bars of Db7, four bars Dm7, and four more bars of Fm7. Think about the form for a minute or two without your bass and envision playing through the chords in time. Now pick up your bass and play a medium, rockish bass line over the chord progression while you say the name of the chord on beat one of every measure. If you want to keep things simple, you can just play the roots on each downbeat. Be sure to call out the chord on one of each measure. Now you can play “Cantaloupe Island” from memory—not because you’re reading the changes (Ex. 2) but because you took the
• Form How long is the whole song, and how is it divided into sections? For example: does it have four-bar, eight-bar, or ten-barphrases, or a combination of phrases of different lengths? • Key centers Which key does the song start in, and does it move to other key centers? • Landmark chords Look for the first chord in each new section, and look for harmonic cadences—where the progression finally comes to rest on a tonic chord. If you are learning a song byear (without written music), the same techniques apply: Listen for the form, listen for various keycenters, and listen for landmark chords at the beginnings of new phrases and at harmonic resolution points. But what about really long and tricky progressions? Next time, we’ll look at John Coltrane’s “Moment’s Notice” to learn how to apply these simple memorization techniques to a complicated harmonic structure. Until then, look for new songs to memorize. You already know two classic chord progressions: “Happy Birthday” and “Cantaloupe Island,” and that’s the start of a great set list.BP —JOHN GOLDSBY
Ex. 1 Medium rock C6 tempo
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G7
C7 5
34
F6 6
PLAY BASS!
G7
2
F 7
3
#dim7 8
G7
C6
4
C6
THEORY Ex. 2
Medium rock tempo
Fm7
Db7 5
Dm7 9
13
Fm7
INTERMEDIATE
CHORD INVERSIONS next WHEN WE’RE FIRST LEARNING ABOUT chords, we rightly focus our lines on their essential tones, giving the tonicnote maximum priority and letting the other chord tones fall below it in a perceived hierarchy of musical relevance. This is an excellent approach, particularly when constructing solid bass lines— but getting better demands a more nuanced understanding. Great musicians see chords as an ephemeral clue into available notes, letting the music dictate their lines’ use or neglect of particular tones. Rather than seeing a maj7 chord as 1-3-5-7, and playing those notes in that order, an experienced musician may invert these tones, add passing tones, or choose notes from an associated scale. One way to free your lines from plodding through root-position arpeggio shapes is to integrate inversions into your practice with exercises like the one here. Take the changes below and write a line that uses the lowest available chord tone (we’re talking 1, 3, 5, or 7) and places the
available chord tone on the following quar- your own using a different set of changes (look
ter-note, moving up from the lowest string and falling within the four-fret range from the nut to the 4th fret. You’re limited to the notes within the range of the open E string to the B on eth4th fret of the G string. When you’ve reached the highest chord tone available within this four-fret range, work backward toward the low string, and so on. Take a look at my example and then do
at a fake book for help with real-world chord progressions). You’ll notice that this obligates a new perspective on chord construction, freeing your hands from rehashing the same physical pattern you’ve come to associate with each chord type. It’s also a superb method for constructing more sophisticated walking bass lines. BP —JONATHAN HERRERA
A7
Em7
Chord tone: 1
3
5
7
5 0
7
1
7
0
2
0
2
2 0
3
G7
Dm7 3
3
1
3
0
7
5 3
1
7
1
0
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
3 2
3
2
3
PLAY BASS!
35
THEORY ADVANCED
THE MINOR MODES modes of the major scale, but 21come from the I PRESENTED THE MODES OF THE MAJOR
(melodic minor). (Formal theory dictates that the descending melodic minor is identical to the natural minor scale. Don’t worry about this,as it’s not relevant for our use.) When the major 6th and 7th are applied throughout the subse-
scale in July ’08, but before moving onto the minor modes let’s briefly review how we arrived here. First, we had to understand chords and chord symbols since chord tones are the basis
minor scales. I know what you’re thinking: Holy crap, how am I ever going to learn all these? Relax. Always remember that the chord tones are the foundation for our lines and solos, so
for a strong bass line. We discuss ed each chord’s “tensions” and I presented the modes as available scales for playing over chords. It takes time, persistence, and repetition for these tools to become a natural part of your playing. Right now let’s learn the vocabulary. Let’s look at the modes within the minor tonality. I use “tonality” as opposed to “key,” because there are actually three minor scales for possible use on a I minor chord: natural, harmonic and melodic minor. Just like with the major scale, modes can be made from the notes of each of the threeminor scales. There are seven
when you understand chord symbols, you can quent scales, we end up with the modes of the create strong bass lines. Plus, some of these harmonic and melodic minor scales. Notice how modes occur much more frequently than othoften the parent chord is the same between ers, so by prioritizing you can work on the more modes, but the notes in the modes differ slightly. important ones. I placed an asterisk next ot the Awareness of this will prove useful in adding modern flavor to our lines and solos. modes I encounter most frequently. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the I chord in a The melodic and harmonic minor scales are minor key tune is often a triad, asopposed to a an essential component of modern jazz, and the Im7 or Im6 chord. That’s because there are poten-chords they suggest offer a rich palette for explotially three scales and three chords to color this ration. In future articles I will present applications basic triad.Ex. 1 shows the natural minor scale, of these modes, but serio us time in the ’shedis then the minor scale with a major 7th (harmonic needed to learn this basic vocabulary. Get to it! minor), and harmonic minor with a major 6th —ED LUCIE
Ex. 1
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
36
A natural minor
Am7
9
A harmonic minor
Ammaj7
9
A melodic minor
Ammaj7
Bm7b5 (Locrian)
Bm7b5
Bm7b5 (Locrian n6)
Bm7b5
b9
Bm7 (Dorian b2)
Bm7
b9
Cmaj7 (Ionian)
Cmaj7
PLAY BASS!
7
b9
9
11
11
9
11
11
11
11
b13
b13
11
b13
13
13
13
THEORY TENSIONS
ADVANCED
referring to tensions because tensions are often IF YOU’VE EVER READ A CHORD CHART,
A NOTE TO AVOID
you’ve likely encountered symbols like this: Cmaj7#11, G7b9, or Dm7b9. Depending where you were at on your journey toward harmonic brilliance, you either knew to play a Lydian sound over the Cmaj7 #11 chord, an altered dominant scale over the G7b9, and a Phrygian tonality on the Dm7b9 or you simply ignored the 11s, 9s, and 13s and stuck to outlining the
Using the system inEx. 2, we see that theCmaj7 chord contains a note,F, which actually sounds ugly against the chord (if you have a piano, try playing a Cmaj7 with an F on top. Yuck.) This ugliness is why the 11 is considered an “avoid” note. While its playable as a passing tone over a major chord, emphasizing the natural 11 sounds clash-y with the 3rd ofthe major chord.
played in a range above thechord tones, mostly because a large bunch of notes clustered in single-octave register sounds harsh. If you’re ever confused about what note a tension number refers to, just subtract seven. When speaking of tensions, you’ll often hear terms like “available tensions” and “avoid notes.” While music is infinitely filled with breakable
root triad or seventh chord. While the latter rules, in most circumstances, there’s a system for While half-step distances between a chord tone approach is perfectly acceptable, it excludes deriving which tensions will work on a particu- and a tension are common, clashing with the the colorful tones that help make music interlar chord. To start off, the simplest way to pick all-important 3rd is a bit too much for our ears esting. These “extensions” or “tensions” are diatonic tensions for a given chord to is stack diato handle. Because of this, the 11 is often raised tonic triads starting at the 7. The bottom staff of a half-step over major chords, creating a #11 notes beyond the basic 1, 3, 5, and 7 formula Ex. 2shows all the diatonic 7 chords starting from of chord construction, andunderstanding them and making for a prettier sound. This is one of is a crucial step in any player’s musical develthe I chord (I’m usingC major in this case, but several examples of a tension’s sound dictating opment. these rules apply to all major keys). The top staff a departure from thediatonically available notes. A chord gets its primary sound from the root, shows the diatonic tensions for each chord, their We’ll explore some more examples in an 3rd, 5th, and 7th, although the 5th isn’t quite as intervals from the root, and the quality of the triadupcoming column. important as the other three chord tones. Chang- they produce. The first bar of Ex. 2 shows Cmaj7 a There’s much more to cover with tensions. ing any one of these chord tones while leaving chord in the bottom staff and the notes D, F, and Perhaps most important, tensions help clue an the others the same alters the chord’s harmonic A in the top staff.D is the 9 ofCmaj7, F is the 11, improviser into an appropriate scale for a given a triad. function. Tensions don’t affect chords harmonic and A is the 13, and together they areDm chord. For example, anAm7b13 chord suggests The rest of the bars of Ex. 2 show the available an Aeolian scale—a minor scale withb6 function but do add color and texture and can a (b13). improve voice leading between chords. The num- tensions for the other diatonic chords in a major But with an Am13, the composer is clearly sugbers 9, 11, and 13 simply represent th e 2nd, 4th, key. I suggest memorizing the “tension triad” for gesting a Dorian sound, a minor scale withnata and 6th of a chord but an octave up. Ex. 1 shows each diatonic chord in major harmony. For exam- ural 6 (13). Tensions start getting really crazy a C major scale in two octaves. Note that I’ve ple, the tensions forCmaj7, or any I chord, could over dominant chords, as these already tense numbered each note, but that I didn’t start at 1 again when I hit the first octave. Asyou can see, the D, F, and A are numbered 9, 11, and 13 in the second octave. We use thesenumbers when Ex. 1
5
4
minor
13 11 9
minor
Imaj7
7 5 3 1
IIm7
Ex. 2
7
6
3
2
1
13 11 9
Tension triads
b7 5
b3 1
Diatonic 7 chords
Ex. 3
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
Cmaj13 1
3
also be described as a minor triad a whole-step chords love to be decked out with asmuch tenup from the root. Similarly the tensions for the sion as can be piled on. For now, try arpeggiatIV chord, in this caseFmaj7, make up a major ing diatonic major chords beyond the 7th.Ex. triad one whole-step above the root. 3 demonstrates the first three arpeggios in the key of C; you’ll have to figure out the rest on your own. 15 14 13 12 Regarding naming, the tension 11 10 9 8 number that follows the chord symbol usually implies that chord tones and tensions b 13 b13 13 beneath it are also available, so 13 b13 major 11 11 minor b5 11 minor major #11 b9 major 11 9 a 13 chord generally includes 9 9 b9 the 9 and 11, which are natural unless otherwise specified. Also, if you have access to a piano, b7 b7 b7 b7 7 5 5 5 experiment with playing the IIIm7 b53 IVmaj7 V7 VIm7 b5 bb53 b3 VIIm7 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 chord tones in your left hand and the tensions in your right. You’ll immediately hear their Dm13
5
7
9
11
13 1
b3
5
b7
9
11
13
beautiful benefits. BP
Em7b9b13 1
b3
5
b7
b9
11
b13
2
5
—JONATHAN HERRERA
etc. 10 9 7
12 10
10
8
38
14
12
PLAY BASS!
16
14
3
12 10
13
2 0
3
5
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THEORY
ADVANCED
THE COMPLETE APPROACH YOU COULD COAST IN YOUR BAND FOR Ex. 1
years by thumping through the songs and hitting most of the roots. However, if you want to
Am7
D7
2
4
3
1 learn why certain tones work on some chords better than others—if you want to become a great bass player—then you need to know your 1 2 3 IIm-V-I progressions, inside and out, fromevery 0 2 3 note of every scale. (IIm-V-I’s, pronounced “two five ones,” are also written as ii-V-I’s or just iiEx. 2 V’s.) Only then can you tell your guitar player Am7 Very slow & groovy with confidence, “Noooo, Dude! You’re playing the natural IV against the dominant V chord. Go back to the woodshed!” In our last couple of columns, we’ve looked at how the IIm-V-I progression permeates many styles of music, from jazz to Latin, pop, and 5 rock. This month, we move through every possible starting place in each scale to find new Ex. 3 Am7 ways to outline the IIm-V-I progression. All of the examples here are built using the G major scale over the IIm-V-I progression in G major (Am7, D7, Gmaj7). Examples 3–9 are melodic
patterns starting on every scale degree. Musicians use numbers to describe chord progressions as well as the placement of notes in a scale. The IIm-V-I progression in G major starts on the II (“two”) chord ( Am7, which is the chord built from the second note of the G major scale), the V chord ( D7 , which is the chord built from the 5th note of the G major scale), and the I chord (Gmaj7 , which is the chord built from the 1st note of the G major scale). As shown in Ex. 1, we can describe the scale degrees of the G major scale using numbers: 1 (G), 2 (A), 3 (B), 4 (C), 5 (D), 6 (E), and 7 (F#). Often, musicians use Roman numerals to describe the corresponding chords: I, IIm (or ii), IIIm, IV, V, VIm, VIIm. (Lower-case Roman-numeral letters indicate a minor chord.) Start by listening to each scale used in the IImV-I progression. The seven notes for each
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
chord/scale are all the same—they are the notes of the G major scale. If you start the scale from the root A, you play an A Dorian minor scale, which sounds good over the Am7 chord. The
6
5
7
1
7
3
4
5
6
0
2
4
7
0
1
2
3
0
2
4
4
5
6
7
1
0245
4
6
5
D7
2
3
4
0
2
3
5
6
7
0
2
4
Gmaj7
5 5
5
5
5
3
33
D7
3
33
Gmaj7
25 25
42
42
4
5
4
5
5
3
2
5
5
3
Ex. 4
Am7
4
D7
2 42
9
Gmaj7
797
2
2 5
2
2
2
5
5
5
Ex. 5
Am7
D7
Gmaj7
54542 523
42 42
5 53 0 1
20 20 2
Ex. 6
D7 #11
Am7
54
Gmaj7 #11
21
1 2 3
2 2
4 4
5
7
2
3
2
PLAY BASS!
Gmaj7
6
5
1
3
7
40
4
3
2
6
5
THEORY Ex. 7
Am7
D7
4 2
2
Gmaj7
2
5
59
75
4
54247
7542
5323
5
5
20 3
Ex. 8
Am6
#11
D7
Gmaj6
1 4
2 4 2
4
1
2 3
2
0 2
3
2
0
2
0
2
3
5
Ex. 9
Am7
D7
Read more about navigating chord pro-
Gmaj7
gressions in John Goldsby’s The Jazz Bass Book [Backbeat Books], the definitive guide to jazz bass players and their techniques. Also check out John’s new CDs 4 5
2
2 3
0
5
5 4 2 5
4
3
2
2 5
4
4 5
2
2
5
3
Space for the Bassand The Visit [www.goldsby.de].
numbering system is shifted to describe the scale and chord tones of the A Dorian minor scale: 1 (A), 2 (B), 3 (C), 4 (D), 5 (E), 6 (F#),
called the “9th” because the note is usually found voiced more than an octave above the root. The 2nd and the 9th always share the
uations. The #11 on the Gmaj7 #11 also projects the hip, urbane, I’m-too-cool-for-basicharmony vibe. Ask a piano player how they
and 7 (G). Start the G major scale from the root D, and play a D Mixolydian (dominant) scale, which sounds good over the D7 chord. Here, the numbering system is shifted to relate to the notes of the D Mixolydian scale: 1 (D), 2 (E), 3 (F#), 4 (G), 5 (A), 6 (B), and 7 (C). Play through the three scales in Ex. 1 slowly to get the sound in your ear. Each scale has a certain characteristic color. In order to put the exercises in a musical context, vamp on Ex. 2 for a couple of minutes to lock in the root movement of the IIm-V-I in G major. To practice effectively, go back and forth between the new patterns in Examples 3–9, and the solid, bass-line vamp in Ex. 2. Example 3shows a line using patterns starting on the root, or the “1” of each chord. The pattern outlines the Am7 arpeggio, to the D7
same note name, even if they are played in different octaves. If a note is the 2nd tone of a scale, then you can call it the “2nd” or the “9th.” This tone creates an open sound over each chord. By going back and forth to the root of each chord, you emphasize the beautiful singing quality of the 9th. Example 5 shows a line starting on the 3rd of each chord. On beat four-and of bars 1 and 2, there is a chromatic passing tone between the 2nd (or 9th) and the 3rd. This leads into the 3rd of the new chord in bars 2 and 3. It is common practice to place chromatic passing tones in certain spots so that a chord tone is forced onto a “strong” rhythmic release point (usually beats one or three in a 4/4 measure). The 4th scale degree is an interesting starting point (Ex. 6). On the Am7 chord, the 4th (D) sounds great. On the D7 chord, however,
play #11s on dominant and major chords. Make ‘em play it for you real slow on the piano— they’ll be impressed that you are even asking. The 5th of the scale is a great place to start a line (Ex. 7). Notice that in bars 1 and 2 there are no roots, but you can still hear the progression. Example 8 uses the 6th (13th) as a starting point on each chord. The 6th note of Am6 (F#) sounds very hip. The 6th of D7 (B) also suggests using a #11 ( G#). Notice the E triad in the middle of the D7 line. Example 9 shows one of the most common starting points for a solo line—the 7th. In this example, the Am7 is outlined with the arpeggio, the D7 with the scale, and the Gmaj7 with the arpeggio. A good practice technique is to play all of your arpeggios “backwards” by moving down the arpeggio or scale from the 7th. After you understand the basic concept of
arpeggio, to a melody moving down the scale on the Gmaj7. A defining element of harmony is how notes change with each new chord. By outlining the arpeggios and some of the scale tones, you can create a clear sonic picture of the harmony. The line in Ex. 4 begins on the 2nd degree of each scale. The 2nd scale degree is often
the 4th of the scale (G) would just not work. If you emphasize theG on a D7 chord, it clashes mightily with the 3rd of theD7 chord, the note F#, and you are screaming “n00b!” to anyone with jazz ears. However, you can play a #11 (or #4 as it is also called) on a dominant 7 chord. It’s a handle-with-care note, but it works in a lot of sit-
the IIm-V-I progression and have the sound in your ear, try to invent some of your own w melodies starting on different scale degrees w and chord tones. Once you take a complete w .b approach to practicing chords and scales, you’reas s on your way to becoming a complete musi- pla y e cian. BP r
.c o m
—JOHN GOLDSBY
PLAY BASS!
41
THEORY
ADVANCED
ODD METERS DEMYSTIFIED
USE SUBDIVISIONS TO GET HIP pieces. Complex rhythms are easily subdivided SO-CALLED “ODD” METERS ARE SCARY terrain for many musicians. Defined generally as time signatures that fall outside the common 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meters, the relative infrequency of their appearance in Western music means they aren’t in our musical DNA like the conventional meters. In odd-meter music, bass players are often the primary time-keepers, so for us, being rhythmically secure is the key to feeling relaxed and free within the music. I had a terrible time learning how to play odd-meter music. My feel seemed so wrong, and reading tied rhythms over the bar-line just knocked me out. Then a drummer taught me the subdivision concept as a way to untangle metric problems. At last I had found a consistently effective procedure to interpret rhythmic figures!
into various groups of 1, 2, or 3 beats. Larger rhythmic groupings are just compounds of these smaller units. Using this technique, you can master any syncopated figure in any meter, odd or even. Here’s the trick: First, find the lowest common rhythmic denominator for the rhythmic figure in question. This would be the shortest note value in any lick. Once you’ve found the lowest common rhythmic denominator you can then organize it into groups of 1, 2, or3. Longer rhythmic groups will be composites of these three smaller rhythmic units. No matter how the music is notated you can use thistechnique to find the melodic rhythm of the bass line.
This is important: Work out the rhythms before you apply them to a bass line. Tap or clap the rhythmic figures out. You need to do The basic premise is that by thinking and feelthis physical process to get the rhythm out of ing smaller rhythmic groupings, you can subyour head and into your body. Feel the basic divide rhythmically intricate music into familiar pulse in your feet while you play all the sub-
Ex. 1
Ex. 2
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divisions with your hands and sing theaccents. Your bass lines will be constructed of the longer rhythmic groupings of the accented notes you sing. The Indians are major proponents of this approach. Check out Jonathan Herrera’s Homework column in July ’08 for tips on using the Indian art of Konnakol to sound out the rhythms. Once you’ve worked out the rhythms and have considered which pitches to play, you should finally practice with a bass. Use a metronome to regulate the tempo. In 5/4meter with rhythmic figures involving eighth-notes, use an eighth-note click to hear the smallest rhythmic unit involved in the figures. If the rhythms involve 16ths, use a 16th- note click. Let’s apply this concept to an odd-meter rhythm. Ex. 1 shows several interpretations of 5/4. Bar 1 has five quarter-notes. In bar 2 you can see beat three divided into two eighthnotes. In 5/4 you have to think in an eighthnote pulse to divide each group of five
THEORY
quarter-notes evenly (ten divided by two equals five eighth-notes). Bar 3 shows the eighths and quarters tied together, and bar 4 is the same, written with half-notes on beats one and four tied to the eighths in beat three.
I’m getting lost counting to five, so in Ex. 3, Ex. 4 shows one way to play a 12-bar blues that’s in 5/4. Learn theline here, and then come I’ve grouped the 20 16th-notes into four 3+2 units in bar 1 and four 2+3 units in bar 2. In up with your own. bar 3 you see the 2+3 16th-note groupings writYou can mix up these subdivisions at will. ten as an eighth-note and a dotted eighth. In Thinking in these small rhythmic groups cre-
Dividing a 5/4 bar into four equal parts requires a 16th-note subdivision, as in Ex. 2. Bar 1 groups the 16th-notes into five groups of four against the quarter-note pulse. In bar 2 you see four groups of five 16ths. Now that I’m thinking in groups of 16ths,
bar 4 the groups of three and two 16ths are notated respectively with a dotted eighth and an eighth-note. Either way, you end up with one odd and one even grouping that gives you some aural reference to delineate the beginning of the bar.
ates unusual melodic phrases that become the melodic rhythm of your bass line and are easy to remember. I hope you’ve enjoyed our odd time together and been inspired to do some experimenting in odd meters. BP —TIM EMMONS
Ex. 3
3
Ex. 4
A7
D7
0
2
2
2
0
2
0
5 2
5 7
0
0
7 5 7
A7
7
7
7
E7
D
6
5
7
6
7
5
0
7
7
2
9
2
5
0
A7
E7#9
7 0
7
11
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
9 5 0
7
0 2
2
7
3
© 2008 Timothy Emmons ASCAP all rights reserved
44
0
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5
7
9
7
7
9 7
7
7
5
7 7
5
5
5
STYLE BEGINNER
15 BLUES LINES YOU MUST KNOW WHETHER YOUR BAND COVERS SWING
to you to continue these lines across the IV and the V. In many cases, this is as simple as moving the I chord’s root note up one string (toward your feet) to hit the IV, and then over twofrets (toward your bridge) for the V. Of course, you should always be on the lookout for other, smoother, more interesting ways to traverse the changes.
standards, ’50s oldies, or most of Led Zeppelin II, you must be able to play the blues. And if you’re a bassist without a band, there’s no shorter road to gigsville than the Blue Highway. The ability to nail down chorus after chorus of 12-bar, three-chord jamming is the hallmark of the working bassist. So put down that advanced harmony book and those four-note chord exercises for a minute and dig into some classic blue grooves. A note about the music: The vast majority of blues and blues-based tunes incorporate just three chords: the I, IV, and V. (In the key of G, these would be G, C, and D.) Most of the following examples are oneor two-bar excerpts based on a song’s I chord; it’s up
Walk The Walk Let’s get to it: Ex. 1 is the blues bass line. This majorscale-based beauty was developed in the 1930s, and it’s still widely used today, as it’s appropriate beneath almost any jump or swing groove. Those quarter-notes can be played straight (as written), doubled up and played as
Ex. 1
G
G7
4 4 T A B
2
2
5
5
2E ax .
T A B
2
5
2
3
2E bx .
2E cx.
G
= 80
2
2
A
= 112
7
44 44 T A B
T A B
2
2
5
5
3
4
5
4
555
3
2
5
5
2
3
6
44
E
= 160
T A B
7
5
6 6
3 3
6 6 4 4 3 3
3 3 6 6
6 6
Ex. 3 Ex. 4
3
4 4 4 4 44
=
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
T A B
46
G7
= 104
5
5
3
3
5
3
PLAY BASS!
3
5
T A B
C7
= 104
3 3
5
3
3
5
5
T A B
C7
5
5
3
3 5
3
3
5
3 5
5
STYLE
straight eighth-notes, or played as swing eighths. The second half of Ex. 1 shows the most common variation on this line. Notice how much more “bluesy” things get with the simple addition of the flatted 7th (in this case, Fn ) on beat one of bar 2. Ex. 2a through 2c present a trio of boogie-woogie
The keys that drive Ex. 2b, a popular mid-tempo groover, are the quick 4ths (Dn ’s) in beatthree and that #4 (D# ) passing tone in beat four. Guitar great Albert King based many of his classic tunes on grooves similar to Ex. 2a and 2b. Ex. 2c, meanwhile, is a brisk walking line with a distinctly jazzy feel. Jumping down to
lines derived from early piano-blues grooves. Ex. 2a, the most basic of the bunch, has a nice rolling feel due to those eighth-notes in beatfour, as well as the momentum they carry into the quarter-note root on beat one.
the major 3rd on beat two and then climbing back up to the root is a jazz-approved move that imparts a real uptown vibe to a song’s low end. This line, too, works with quarters, eighths, or swing eighths. Ex. 5b
Ex. 5a
128 68
A7
= 64
T A B
A7
7
6
5
5
5
6
T A B
7
5
3
2
0
3
4
Ex. 6 Ex. 7 3
Gm7
= 120
Am
=
4 4 T A B
5
3
5
3
5
5
5
5
3
T A B
5
5
5
5
3
5
3
Ex. 8
= 84
G7
C7
44 3x
T A B
5
5
(5)
5 5
3
5
4
9 Ex .
5
5
(5)
5 5
3
3 3
4
3
3
(3)
3 3
3
1
2
1 0E x .
C7
= 92
C7
4 4 4 4 T A B
3
3
3
1
2
T A B
5
3
5 3
5 2
3
4
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
5
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47
STYLE Dance The Blues We’ve all heard Ex. 3 a thousand times, but it’s still worth a close look. Most effective when played as a shuffle, this line provides elemental groundwork for a variety of upbeat blues grooves. Strive for clear, even articulation and a pumping, bouncy feel. Variation: Play the final, beat-four eighths as an eighth-note triplet. This is a very effective way to punctuate a chord change—especially if the third note of the triplet becomes a passing tone into the next chord. In the late ’50s and early ’60s, many popular blues artists put a dancefloor-savvy spin on the root–octave b7–5 sequence from Ex. 3, injecting this old standby with slippery rhythms and some funky attitude. The two 16thnote-laden lines in Ex. 4 aregroovy examples of the kind of thing you’ll often hear underneath the highly danceable R&B instrumentals of guitarist Freddie King and harmonicist Junior Wells. Notice how hard these riffs work the 5th andb7th across beatstwo and three, even though they always dedicate the downbeat to the root and end the measure with the octave. This approach reached its apex with Jerry Jemmott’s incredible work alongside B.B. King and sax great King Curtis.
Take It Slow Every blues bassist needs a pocketful of slow blues grooves in his repertoire. Tommy Shannon is one of the greats in this crucial arena; Ex. 5a is a line Shan-
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Lay back, lock in with the kick, and really land on that b3rd (C) in beat three.
Funk It Up Ex. 8 outlines the I–IV change across bars 4 and 5 of a gritty soul stomper. The masterful Chuck Rainey spun out sweaty grooves like this beneath many a classic recording by Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, and Donny Hathaway. Don’t gloss over those ghosted 16ths at the end of beat two (they really bring the line to life), and pay close attention to the varying rhythms from one beat to the next (especially that killer 16th-eighth-16th figure in beat three). The key to nailing the change is that C# in beat four, the true-blue flatted 5th of the G chord, which just happens to lead chromatically into the root (Cn ) of the IV. Very cool. Ex. 9 is pure gut-bucket funk.This stuttering groove has its roots in early-’60s Chicago (dig Howlin’ Wolf’s supremely funky “300 Pounds of Joy,” with Buddy G uy
non might have played on a slow, 12/8 blues with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Dotted quarter-notes on beats one and three establish the line’s dominant flavor by nailing the chord’s root andb7th, and that chromatic walkup to the 5th in beat four is a great tension-builder. It really sets up the whole band to come crashing down on the subsequent downbeat. Ex. 5b is a slow-blues classic. This heavy, 6/8 Estring groove can anchor everything from Texas slowburn to ’60s-style rock-blues. Hit bar 1’s root and b7 hard, and consider some wobbly finger vibrato to enhance the line’s plodding, psychedelic vibe. If this crawling tempo leaves you a bittoo dazed and confused, take things up to a smooth 60 BPM, and you’ve got one of B.B. King’s favorite slow grooves. Variation: Play the dotted quarters as quarter/eighth figures. Sure, less is more—but sometimes a few additional notes can keep things from dragging too much.
on bass!), but it works equally well beneath chickenscratch rhythm guitar or hard-edged metalloid blues. No laying back here; punch those eighth-note roots with everything you’ve got. Variation: Swap then7 passing tone in beat four for another low 5th, and you’re on your way to the greasy Louisiana grind of Slim Harpo’s swamp-blues classic “Got Love If You Want It,” or the take-no-prisoners charge of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers’ “Steppin’ Out” (with John McVie on bass).
Get Minor Few things will get your guitarist going like a mid-
downbeat root. Many imitators followed, but few even came close to Zep’s mighty, blues-based bombast. Jimmy Page gets all the credit—but it’s John Paul Jones’s bass thunder that makes these righteous riffs rock.
tempo minor blues. Ex. 6 is a rolling, syncopated line that’s perfect for those late-night, Chicago-style jams. Notice that this line actually skirts the b3rd, which would outline the minor tonality; let your ears be the judge, of course, but know that it’s often perfectly acceptable to let the horn players or the guitarist define a
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
tune’s tonality. Windy City guitar giants Otis Rush and Buddy Guy can ride a minor line like this ’til the cows come home, and somewhere between Ex. 6 and Ex. 2a lies Albert King’s legendary “Crosscut Saw” groove (with Duck Dunn on bass). Lewis Steinberg, Duck Dunn’s predessor in the MG’s, owns one of the all-time great minor blues grooves: the stone-simple, root–b3–4 figure that fuels the timeless M.G.’s chestnut “Green Onions.” (See Ex. 7.) Advice:
Rock The Blues Ex. 10 revisits our old friend, the root–octave– b7–5 figure. This time, though, we’re filtering Ex. 3’s basic box pattern through Led Zeppelin’s infectious strain of riffrock. Really emphasize the major 3rd (E, tied across beats two and three) that begins the dramatic walk up to the 5th (G). Variation: Play that final, eighth-note 5th as two 16ths—the first as written, and the second an octave lower—thereby surrounding the upcoming,
—GREGORY ISOLA
Many of these music examples were excerpted from Mel Bay’s Complete Blues Bass Book by Mike Hiland.
STYLE INTERMEDIATE
CLAVE & CUBAN SON next chord on beatfour as opposed to the downbeat. THE CLAVE (KLAH-VAY) IS A TWO-BAR
rhythmic pattern that forms the most crucial element in Afro-Cuban music. This pattern is played on two wooden sticks, called claves, that are about one inch in diameter by eight inches in length. Much like the way jazz and rock uses beats two and four as the strong beats, in Afro-Cuban music, the clave pattern forms the underlying accent. Composers and arrangers need to understand clave when they write in this style of music, and a musician or writer well versed in the idiom can immedietly hear and feel if a melodic phrase or rhythm pattern is “cruzado”—meaning undesirably “crossed” against the clave. It is believed that clave was born out of 6/8 rhythms. When you hear Afro-Cuban music, listen closely to its underlying 6/8 feel, and check out how the rhythm section seems to weave in and out between the 4/4 and 6/8 feels seamlessly and with some elasticity. Two forms of the clave used today are the son clave (Examples 1 and 2) and the rumba clave (Examples 3 and 4). As you can see, both forms can be played in either of two variations: Examples 1 and 3 show what is known as the 3:2 variation (with three accents in the first bar and two accents in the second bar), while Examples 2 and 4 show the 2:3 variation. All Afro-Cuban percussion patterns, piano montuños, bass tumbaos, melodies, and improvised riffs must adhere to whichever clave is being used in a particular piece. Since the clave is a two-bar pattern, composers and arrangers add or subtract a measure at the end of a section if they want to reverse the clave from 3:2 to 2:3 within a song. Son is one of the traditional forms of Afro-Cuban from which contemporary forms have evolved. This music is written around clave, so it’s important for us bass players to understand and feel clave in order to make this music swing! The tumbao (repeated bass pattern) that we play does not change with the clave. The bass pattern used in son is played on beatone, the “and” of two, and beat four, which is tied to the following measure’s beat one. Most of the time the bass doesn’t play the downbeat; in fact, it may play thedownbeat only on the tune’s first bar! After that, beat four is always tied to beat one of the next measure; therefore, the band needs to play the
Those of us who have played R&B, jazz, rock, and pop are used to playing on beat one, so this can get a little confusing! Set your metronome at a comfortable tempo and start walking on beats one and three. Now try playing Ex. 5. Once you are comfortable with it, move on to Examples 6 and 7. We are going to look at playing through changes in the next lesson. In the meantime, try to get your hands on some Afro-Cuban music, and —HUSSAIN JIFFRY go salsa dancing!
Ex. 1
Ex. 2
Ex. 3
Ex. 4
Ex. 5
A7
Ex. 6
A7
Ex. 7
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
A7
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STYLE BEGINNER
COUNTRY’S CONVENIENT CHORD CUES you also need to make sure the second note functions LIVING IN THE SOUTHWEST, ONE TYPE OF JOB I encounter often is the corporate country gig. During the winter, local resorts attract big companies from out of town, and the groups are always treated to a “Western night” where they might go to a dude ranch to have barbecue, beans, and beer. The band plays country, and if enough beer is consumed, the crowd usually gets a little rowdy and whoops it up. I recently played one of these events, filling in with Rancho Deluxe, a band that has played these gigs for many years. Unfairly, a lot of folks snicker at country music. Some bassists who are into rock, jazz, blues, R&B, funk, or metal won’t go near it. I think every bassist should learn how to play country, because it’s bass playing in its purest form: roots and 5’s, half-notes, quarter-notes, scale walkups to the next chord, etc. These elements are the foundation of all good bass playing. While many of my jazz buddies turn their noses up at C&W, most of them would have a hard time simplifying their play-
well with the next measure. There are ample opportunities to play scale “walkups” to the next chord, but ou y have to know to not overuse them. Ready to saddle up? Begin by internalizing the beat shown in Ex. 1, a typical two-step drum pattern. Once you’ve got it, move on to Ex. 2, which shows a basic country progression—it’s easy to play, but you have to commit to simplicity to make it work. Tempted to add “just a little more” to this line? Don’t. One of the big challenges on a country gig is faking your way through a tune you don’t know. Sure, most classic country is built from the I, IV, andV chords (with the occasional II or VI making an appearance), but the trick is in knowing exactly where and when it changes. Most of the time, it’s obvious where the chords are heading, but some tunes have unusual chord placement, and considering that you play mostly half-note roots on beatone, when the change comes, you’re either
ing enough to do it right. The chromaticism of jazz offers many hiding places, but if you blow it on a country gig, everyone knows. Being able to play “Donna Lee” but not “Hey Good Lookin’” is like building a house on a fault line—one day it’s gonna fall down all around you. Country music is generally pretty simple, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t involve skill. Capturing the basic 2/4 feel requires you to nail the downbeat, hold your half-note for the full length, and feel the connection to the backbeat. Note choice is critical—you usually play only two notes to the bar (hint: hit the root on one), but
on it, or you’re not. On the Rancho Deluxe gig, I had many unfamiliar tunes thrown at me, and like in any gigging situation, I had to keep my ears wide open for musical cues. Fortunately, there are a number of classic musical hints that helpful guitarists might throw your way on these gigs. Ex 3 shows one: If a progression is heading from a I chord to the IV, a guitarist might cue you by plucking this bass line. Examples 4a and 4bshow you ascending and descending cues from the I to the V. Furthermore, Ex. 5 is a cue to the II chord—the first part of a II–V turnaround—and Ex. 6 shows how you
Ex. 1 hi-hat snare kick
Ex. 2
(I)
C
F (IV)
(I)
C
3
3
(V)
G D (II)
= 55
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
0 3
3 3
50
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2
3 3
3
3 3
3 45
5
0 3
2
STYLE
Ex. 3
C (I)
F (IV)
cue to the IV .....................
0 3
3
2
3
3
3
Ex. 4a
C (I)
ascending cue to the V ........
2 3
3
4
G (V)
5
3 3
Ex. 4b
C (I)
3
Ex. 5
descending cue to the V ... .....
3
C (I)
3320
3
cue to the II ..............................
3
3
2
G (V)
3
4
D (II)
5
3
Ex. 6
C (I)
cue to the VI .............................
3
3
3
2
1
A (VI)
0
3
might approach a VI chord. Once you have a firm grasp on a tune, these are great ways you can cue selected chord changes to your bandmates. One tune I learned on the fly was inA major—the keyboard player flashed me the numbers with his left hand while singing the tune! It was a short eig ht-bar form
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
that went I–III–IV–I–II–V–I/IV–I/V (“/” indicates two chords per bar.) Turn on your drum machine or metronome and see how fast you can figure out the right bass line; then play it in different keys. Once you get it, you’ll be cueing changes ’til the cows come home! —ED FRIEDLAND
PLAY BASS!
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STYLE BEGINNER
STRIKE FORCE: The Foundation Of Hard Rock/ Metal Bass Tone GREETINGS ONCE AGAIN, INTREPIDreaders.
Against their better judgment BP’s editorial chieftains have granted me this space to write about Playing Rock and Metal Bass Guitar. Barring some massive fail on my part (or a subscriber revolt on your part), this will be the first of many installments on the topic. I can hear the snark: Thanks, Beller … there haven’t been enough columns written on this topic already. Here’s my angle: There are players who somehow arrived from the womb with their axes swinging just above their knees, a variety of hard rock techniques built into their hands, killer metal tone that works both live and in the studio, etc. In my experience, they’re a rare breed, and this column isn’t for them. It’s for the rest of us who grew up playing a little of everything— pop, rock, funk, R&B, fusion, jazz, country, Latin, polka, honky tonk, whatever—and are interested in nailing a more authentic hard rock/metal sound and feel, even while playing fingerstyle, as I do. Are you with me? In 1993, when I first started playing with Dweezil Zappa, I’d play along with his insanely technical material in headphones, and it sounded fine to my ears. Then at rehearsal, on a big soundstage, the bass disappeared in a swirling mass of distorted guitars and kick drums. I could still feel my playing, but the attack was lacking, and the notes didn’t have the roundness and presence they had in my headphone mix. Dweezil noticed, and asked, “Can you play harder or something?” It would be years before I knew what he was driving at. He wanted a more “rock” bass sound. Seeing as I didn’t play with a pick, he wanted something with that aggressive initial attack, followed by a stronger, dirtier note. Without me throwing down 2,000 words of pure tonal nerditude, let’s just say that, tone-wise, hard rock/metal bassists have a challenge unlike those playing funk or pop. There’s less sonic space available, Bryan Belleris the touring bassist for the metal“band” Dethklok from the Cartoon Network’s AdultSwim show Metalocalypse, and has played with Steve Vai, m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
Mike Keneally, Dweezil Zappa, Wayne Kramer, and more. His most recent solo album isThanks in Advance [Onion Boy]. Follow him onTwitter (@bryanbeller) and find out more at www.bryanbeller.com.
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STYLE
thanks to those crunchy guitars up high and the kick drum down low. So if you’re out there like I was, playing Rage Against The Machine riffs correctly but with a tone that isn’t cutting it, what do you do? I have three starter solutions: 1. Use a Jazz Bass-style instrument (with two single-coil pickups).Turn both volume knobs all the way up, or if there’s a pickup blend control,set it in the middle. Why? Precision-style basses (with one split-coil pickup) lack treble edge and typically aren’t focusedsounding enough for hard rock, while single-bridgepickup basses can sound too throaty and midrangy to mix well with guitars. (Are there exceptions? Yes! Please stop yelling.) A Jazz-type setup—one neck pickup, one bridge pickup—is the best starting point for these purposes. Throw on some new stainless steel strings while you’re at it. 2. Overdrive the sound.Not full-on Big Muff fuzzy distortion, just something that adds dirt. This can come
and metal, though, you leave it on as a default, and kick it off when the guitars go clean. 3. Fingerstrike through the string. This is crucial, and what this column is really all about. Normally when playing fingerstyle, we pluck with the fingers resting close to the strings, and use a combination of striking and pushing down on the string for our attack (shown in Figures 1 and 2). This works well for most genres needing a clean, fat sound. But here we need a stronger “chime” on the attack. In Figures 3 and 4, see how far away my finger is from the string. I’ll wind up from that far out and use the top of my fingertip ot strike through the string, as opposed to using the middle of my fingertip to push down and past it. If you do it right, the sound should become way more metal—especially with overdrive on. Achieving consistency in string attack requires practice. Your fingers may be wild at first, so warm up with some basic scales. Then try Examples 1 and 2 both
from any proper “vintage” tube power amp, or a decent pedal in front of a solid-state amp. Overdrive adds harmonic distortion to the fundamental note, enhancing your sound’s position in the mix in complex ways. I’ve found the resulting tone sits better with crunched-out guitars. Under normal genre circumstances, you’d kick on the overdrive for heavy or solo parts; in hard rock
ways, traditional and “rocked out.” From there, it’s a quick leap to nailing killer tone for playing along to your favorite Lamb Of God or Hatebreed tune. (I think.) Check out the BP website for a thorough demonstration of the strike-through technique. I’ll be back soon enough. Until then, lemme see those horns: \m/ —BRYAN BELLER
Ex. 1 = 108
0
0
3
0 5
(3) 3 (1)1
0
0
3 0 0 5
(3)3
3 3 1
Ex. 2 = 108
0
0
3 0 5
5
(3) 3
(1)1
0
0
305
5
(3) 3 3 3
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
1
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STYLE INTERMEDIATE
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE THERE ARE TWO KEY QUESTIONS
you should often ask yourself to insure you’re staying on track in your development as a bassist: (1) Am I practicing thecorrect things? and (2) Am I practicing these things correctl y? This month, I’ll give you a list of things to practice. You can think of it as the table of contents to the book that taught me how to play; I could write out all of it for you, publish it, and then try to sell it to you for $20 (it’s worth $24.95)—but instead I’ll just give you the basic outline so you can write your own book. (You will learn more that way.) The list is a good jumping-off point for you to develop your technical and musical skills. If you do not understand certain items, ask a teacher or another player to explain them to you, demonstrate them, and play you examples from recordings. You can also dig deeper by checking out jazz theory and improvisation books. I recommend Creative Jazz & Improvisation by Scott Reeves [Prentice Hall], The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine [Sher Music], and the Jamey A ebersold play- along series [ Jamey Aebersold Jazz Aids]. Ultimately, though, the best answers to all of your musical questions can be found within the huge body of jazz recordings. Listening can take you from being an averJohn Goldsby can be heard on several new releases, including John Marshall’s Keep On Keepin’ On [Mons], Frank Vignola’s Look Right, Jog Left [Concord Jazz], The Return m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
of the Great Guitars [Concord Jazz], Olivier Peters’s What Is New [New Classic Colours], and Andy Fusco’s Big Man Blues [Double Time Jazz]. You can reach John by e-mail at:
[email protected]
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age bass player to a great one. Your playing is filtered through your knowledge and understanding of the jazz tradition, and your playing reflects the recordings you have (or have not!) listened to. Check out my column The Tradition, which ran from July/Aug ’92 through Jan/Feb ’95, for insight into some of the great bassists throughout the history of jazz. On an immediate level, when you play and practice, you need to listen intently to what is going on and hear how you are complementing what’s happening around you. You
derive from them. Practice things slowly, or even out of time, to make sure you nail the notes and fingerings. I think the metronome is a useful tool when practicing, as are “play-along” CDs and drum machines—but always remember you want your bass lines and solos to groove on their own. A good bass player can groove alone or with a drummer, with a click track, or with stuff falling down stairs. It’s up to you to make it feel good. You also need to be able to groove at all tempos. Practice “extreme” tempos (both fast
don’t get hired because you can play fast; you get hired because you can listen fast. Some of the “easy sounding” exercises on my list are not really so easy. Take, for example, the first one: “open strings.” I have not heard many bass students who can play four quarter-notes on each string in time with every note equal in volume and tone. Dave Holland has practiced open-string exercises … Rufus Reid practiced them … I practice them, and you should, too. It is a small technical skill that will have a marked effect on your sound. Don’t ignore or gloss over what may seem to be a simple technical exercise; great technique is built by combining many simple technical skills that have been practiced to perfection. As for scales, you should practice them many different ways, not just up and down. Practice all scales in thirds, fourths, fifths,
and slow), and strive to stretch the limits within which you can groove. You should learn to feel smaller subdivisions of time when playing slowly; at the opposite extreme, you should feel fast tempos in “one” (i.e., feel the downbeats rather than one, two, three, and four). The emotional and human side of bass playing is often slower to develop than the technical part. Practicing technique will not cripple your ability to express yourself on the bass; in fact, your personality as a bassist will come through only when you have some kind of technique to bring it through. Your technique gives your playing a unique musical accent. Technique is only a means to an end, “the end” being music that communicates something. This is my last Mastering Jazz column.
sixths, sevenths, and octaves. You can practice scales in broken-triad or 7th-chord patterns. Also, play scales with at least two or three different fingerings; you should be able to play the same scale up and down different strings and in different positions. There are thousands of ways to practice scales, and there are limitless melodic patterns you can
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again soon in the pages of BASS PLAYER. In the meantime, here’s the list. Get to work! 1. Open strings: single-string and string-crossing exercises 2. One-octave major scales, practicing each in all 12 keys
STYLE P A U L H A G G A R D
3. One-octave Dorian modes 4. One-octave dominant scales (the Mixolydian mode) 5. All other modes of the major scale (Phrygian, Lydian, Aeolian, Locrian) 6. Major- and minor-triad arpeggios 7. Bass line construction: 4/4 walking blues, standards, “Rhythm” changes 8. Playing along with recordings, emulating the sound and feel 9. Playing with a metronome clicking on the two and four, as well as practicing without
27. Diminished scales (there are only three) 28. Diminished arpeggios 29. Diminished scale patterns 30. Major/dominant scales with chromatic half-steps (bebop scales)
the metronome 10. Playing with the metronome clickingonly on the two, or only on the four 11. Reading and learning melodies 12. Chromatic scales 13. Blues scales 14. Pentatonic scales 15. All scales in two octaves 16. Triad arpeggios in two octaves 17. Arpeggios to the 7th and 9th 18. Bossa nova and Latin bass lines 19. Scale patterns 20. Melodic patterns 21. V–I patterns and IIm–V–I patterns, walking and soloing 22. Melodic-minor scales (the ascending melodic minor, also called the “jazz minor”) 23. All modes of the melodic-minor scale
BECAUSE YOU CAN PLAY FAST; YOU GET HIRED BECAUSE YOU CAN LISTEN FAST. 31. Harmonic-minor scales 32. Playing all scales from the lowest note pos-
(melodic minor, susb9, Lydian augmented, Lydian dominant, Locrian #2, altered/diminished, whole-tone) 24. Altered dominant chords, arpeggios, and patterns (e.g., C7#9#5, C7#9b5, C7b9#5, and C7b9b5) 25. Whole-tone scales (there are only two) 26. Whole-tone scale patterns
sible on your bass to the highest; also, starting on the upper notes of the scale, playing down and back up 33. Bebop melodies 34. Thumb-position scales 35. Thumb-position arpeggios 36. Long tones with the bow 37. String crossings with the bow
YOU D ON’T GET HIRED
38. Arpeggios and scales with the bow 39. Vibrato 40. All styles of tunes: swing, bebop, standard, hard bop, modal, contemporary, free jazz, fusion, Brazilian, and salsa; memorize the form and the chord changes 41. Playing ballads, memorizing the chord changes and melodies 42. Playing songs in all 12 keys 43. Transcribing bass lines and solos from CDs or tapes 44. Tritone substitutions 45. Using pentatonic scales to imply altered scales 46. Using pentatonic and chromatic scales to go “outside” the key center 47. Superimposing triads on top of chords to imply the upper extensions of the chords 48. Improvising on a single chord or scale for a long time without stopping 49. Using pedal points when walking or soloing 50. Using classical method/étude books (play études both pizzicato and arco) 51. Using method books written for other instruments (such as trombone, piano, or guitar) 52. Practicing with and without your amp 53. Recording yourself while you practice or perform 54. Writing out your own exercises 55. Transcribing horn, piano, guitar, and drum solos w 56. Breaking up the time in 4/4 and 3/4 w w 57. Playing in odd-meter time signatures .b a 58. Using dynamics s s p 59. Singing la y e 60. Playing the piano . . . . r
.c o m
—JOHN GOLDSBY
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STYLE INTERMEDIATE
WHAT THE FUNK? HIP-HOP, R&B, URBAN CONTEMPORARY, rap,
A FUNK PRIMER:
drum-n-bass, nu-jazz—call it what you want, but it’s got to be funky. The term “funk” has become a blanket description of anything with a booty-moving bass. You know it when you hear it, but what is it exactly?
5 ESSENTIAL SIDES
Let’s look at some funk basics: the must-know music, the players, and their techniques.
History
1. James Jamerson
Funk bass pioneers reigned throughout the ’60s and ’70s on dance and pop records. Four decades after he recorded most of the tracks for the Motown label in Detroit, players today still agree that James Jamerson was the king of funky Motown bass. Jamerson had a knack for laying down a solid rhythmic foundation while simultaneously inventing bass hooks that defined top hits of the era. Larry Graham was one of the first funksters to bring slapping into the arsenal of electric bass techniques. His pop-and-slap style—which he calls “thumpin’ and pluckin’” (see BP, May ’07)—emulates the drums: The thumb represents the bass drum thud, the pop being the snare drum crack. He contributed the defining sound to Sly & the Family Stone from 1967–72, and later went
with the Funk Brothers, Standing in the
Shadows of Motown: Deluxe Edition [HipO-Records, 2004] 2. Bernard Odum with James Brown,
Live at the Apollo [Polydor, 1968] 3. Larry Grahamwith Sly & the Family Stone, Stand! [Legacy, 1969] 4. Larry Grahamwith Graham Central Station, Graham Central Station [Warner
on to form his own group, Graham Central Station. William “Bootsy” Collins appeared on the radar in 1970 playing with the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown. Bootsy played with the J.B.s, as the rhythm section was called, for only one year. He went on to funkify groups like Parliament/ Funkadelic and Bootsy’s Rubber Band, and most recently, Prince. He is still active and plays and produces music in the P-Funk mold.
Bros., 1974] 5. Bootsy Collinswith Bootsy’s Rubber Band, Ahh...The Name
Is Bootsy, Baby! [Warner Bros., 1977]
Ex. 1
Ex. 2
= 92
= 92
Many bassists contributed to the James Brown sound, including Hubert Perry, David “Hooks” Williams, Charles “Sweets” Sherrell, Fred Thomas, Tim Drummond, and the inimitable Bernard Odum. Logging over a decade of gigs with the Godfather of Soul, Odum’s legacy of definitive funk grooves stands out. To funk up your playing, the key first step is listening to the masters (see sidebar). There are many ways to play funky. There are probably even more ways to try to play funky that miss the mark. Don’t mess up the funk! Listen, emulate, and work through theseexercises.
Get Started, Get Funky You can cop a feel for funk in a simple, deep way by playing quarter-notes on beatsone and three, while leaving big rests on beatstwo and four. Ex. 1 shows the basic groove. Attackone and three precisely. The line under
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a
3
3
3
3
3
Ex. 3
Ex. 4
= 92
= 92
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33
5
3
3
56
3 3
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3 3
33
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a
33
5 5
3 3
4 e & a
3
1
3 5
3
3
1 3
4 e & a
©
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STYLE the quarter-notes (called atenuto line) means that the notes are long—held for the full quarter-note length. There’s some mojo at the end: Cut off the note just before the attack of the snare drum onbeatstwo and four. Great bass players pay attention to the length of notes and exactly where each note should stop. Think it’s simple? See if you can play the groove for ten minutes or so without stopping. By that time, your dog should be hypnotized by your unfaltering command of the un-played backbeats on two and four. Don’t have a dog? Play the groove until the neighbors
notes of beat one, followed by the third and fourth 16ths of two. Make sure that you feel the rest on three after playing the two 16th-notes. The feeling of the empty beat three makes the line funky. Many funk bass lines incorporate a pentatonic scale for melodic variation. The five-note scale shown in Ex. 4 sits perfectly on the bass fingerboard—it’s easy to transpose to various chords, just asking to be funked with! Play the basic pentatonic melody with the same careful attention to rhythm and groove that you used in Ex. 1.
ring the bell and ask if everything is okay. Repetition, consistency, and a solid groove are essential when playing funk. You can make your bass line dance by adding some syncopation—notes rhythmically placed on the off-beats or “weak beats.”Ex. 2 shows the fat downbeat, followed by the third and fourth 16th-notes of beattwo. To analyze the groove and keep your place, count out loud: . Play one-e-and-a, two-e-and-a, three-e-and-a, four-e-and-a this line until the dog gets back in the zone. Don’t answer the door this time when the neighbors show up again. Ex. 3 offers another variation: the first two 16th-
Wanna play a game? No, not with Jigsaw from the Saw movies—this is more of a Sudoku for funksters, a mix-and-match to give you some new ideas about funk grooves. Look at the five different two-bar funk grooves in Ex. 5. You can play the exercise as written, or take any pattern from column A and combine it with one from column B to create new patterns. Ex. 6 shows a couple of the funk patterns that you can find by mixing the patterns from the previous example. Now you try—play the patterns from Ex. 5 over and over, mixing and matching to create your own variations. —JOHN GOLDSBY
Ex. 5 = 92
A
5
B
3
5
A
5
3
5
5 3
3 3
3
A
5
55
5
5
5
3
3
A
B
5
5
3
5 5
3
A
5
5
3 3
B
55
B
3
3
1 3
5 3
3
1 3
B
3
333
3
333
x . 66 Ex. = 92
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
5
3
5 5 3
58
PLAY BASS!
33 3
5
5
5
3 5
3
333
33
1 3
STYLE
ADVANCED
A PRIVATE LESSON WITH RON CARTER lime, so you can mix your concreteand shape the bricks SO YOU WANT TO STUDY PRIVATELY WITH RON Carter? Well, bring your upright bass, but leave your preconceptions at home. On a sunny June afternoon, Carter graciously invited us to sit in on one of his hour-
the way you want. But it all starts with the fundamentals.” Where does he begin with a student? “I ask new students to write down what they feel I can show them
long lessons in the mirrored music room of his stately Upper-West-Side Manhattan apartment. While we waited for his student to set up in an acoustically optimal corner of the room, Ron shared his goals and misgivings about teaching. “People come in here wanting to know about licks I played on Nefertiti or E.S.P., or they want to come to ‘hang out,’ but they don’t want to learn about the nuts and bolts of the instrument,” he laments. “They don’t understand that’s what all of those licks and lines are based on. That’s why I won’t give just one lesson; I can’t show a player what they really need to improve in one session. My objective is to build a
and what particular areas they want to improve on, and I continue to have them write a list of questions for each lesson. I try to get them to be an active part of what they need, based on what I see.” Ron’s student on this day is Philadelphia native C H R I S J IS I
concept for students based on how to do what I do and then enable them to develop their own voice around it. When you walk out of here for the final time, you’ll have the sand, the water, and the Dwayne Burno, a 16-year New York upright vet whose recording and touring credits range from Betty Carter, Roy Haynes, and Freddie Hubbard to Donald Harrison, Greg Osby, and Stephen Scott. Carter played on the same bill as Burno in Germany recently, and he watched the younger bassist’s set, took mental notes, and spoke to him afterwards. “I later asked Ron if I could study with him in back in New York,” says Burno. “This is my second lesson, but I’ll take 200 if I need to. I have to unlearn 20 years of habits.” Carter fills us in on week one with Dwayne: “The first thing we discovered was that Mr. Burno’s bass was too high and it was throwing off his intonation, so we lowered the peg [endpin] a notch. We also adjusted how he stands with the instrument.” Burno reports, “The first gig I played with the new stance felt strange, but by the end of my second gig it felt much better.” Ron proceeds, “Another problem for Mr. Burno is he tended to move his plucking hand north and south on the fingerboard. This meant he was attacking the
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strings in different ways at different angles and getting different tones and volume output, which compromise his sound. So we decided to find out where on his bass, within a small range, Dwayne can execute the sound he
be able to play an entire song in half and first positions.” To assert his point, Carter takes Burno’s bass and demonstrates on the 12-bar blues, issuing smooth intervallic lines without a hint of hesitation between note choices.
wants to be known for. Then we marked that spot by putting two pieces of Velcro on the fingerboard enclosing an area that his right thumb should not move on either side of. We also talked about keeping his right hand on the fingerboard, especially when playing on the E string. A lot of players float, and you’ll find thumbnail marks on their instruments. I’ve been playing the same bass for 40 years and there are no thumbnail marks on it.” Next, Carter asks Burno to play Bb and F major scales, which he counts off while walking around his student. He checks hand positions as he listens closely to each note. Ron emphasizes easiness of sound, so that open strings sound no different from fingered ones. “People tend to play the acoustic bass too hard because they see this big box. The secret is to find out how hard can you not play and still fill this box with the necessary energy to get a big sound. You can’t develop a sound in a
Dwayne takes over, and after falling into a few traps, he’s soon sailing through triad, 5th, and octave shapes confidently, adding dominant 7ths in the appropriate measures. The hour concludes with Carter reading questions from Burno, the topics of which he promises to address in upcoming lessons. He then gives Dwayne a set of his La Bella Black Nylon Tape Wound strings to try, advising, “These are brighter than your strings and may make your bass speak more easily and clearly.” For Burno, ease and clarity have fast become what his time with Ron Carter is all about. —CHRIS JISI
club with all the variables. Right here is where you develop your sound.” Ron stops Dwayne a few times for bunching up his left-hand 4th finger against his 3rd while playing notes with his 1st or 2nd finger—but his peek up at his left hand alarms Ron the most. “Don’t look at the neck, man! You’ve got to feel where that area and that note is. You have to be able to wake up at 2 am, go over to your bass in the dark, and play a Bb on the A string without looking.” He encourages Burno to look at his hands in the walllength mirror in front of him. “I tell students to invest $4 in a 12" x 12" mirror they can put on a music stand to look at their hands while playing.” For the lesson’s second half, Carter has Burno play a blues-in-F walking line with the following stipulations: Play all quarter-notes (no rhythmic additions, such as eighths or triplets), use only chord tones, and play strictly in the first position. As a guide, Ron brings out his Hal Leonard book Building Jazz Bass Lines and turns to a 12-bar progression. He explains, “This is how you build a bass line—from the ground up. I’m also trying to get you to think more horizontally, across the bass, without relying on shifting to make the line work. There are so many choices in the first position; there’s no need to go way up the neck for a line. You should
w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
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STYLE Steve Swallow
ADVANCED
REFINING YOUR SOUND THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING A SOUND OFPICK UP A PICK
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your own is an act of imagination: What is your sound? You might want to listen intently to your favorite bass players, focusing analytically on their tone and articulation. You might also profit from listening to players of other instruments; I think I’ve learned the most from singers.
While it’s paradoxical that a pick (and in my case, a very hard pick made of copper) can produce a warm, singing tone, I noticed that Jim Hall was able to doit on guitar, and reasoned that I ought to be able to do the same on bass. I looked carefully at his right hand and imitated it. I’ve also
But in the end you’ll need to be able to use what you’ve observed about sound to imagine your own, distinctive sound. You’ll then begin to realize it, in ways both conscious and unconscious. You can’t move toward achieving your sound without a sense of what it is. Progress toward the sound you hear is incremental. It’s a life’ s work, but it’s fascinating, gratifying labor. I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned over the years.
looked at the picking hands of many of my other favorite guitarists, among them Mick Goodrick, John Scofield, and Pat Metheny. My primary stroke is up, not down; I think this instinctually resulted from my experience as an acoustic bass player. The upstroke mimics plucking an acoustic bass string with the index finger. There is a practical limit to the intensity with which you should strike a string with a pick, and this
PLAY BASS!
STYLE
limit falls below what is physically possible. It’s counterproductive to pick as hard as you can; beyond a certain degree of force you’recausing distortion and actually weakening your signal. You need to discover the precise point at which this occurs, and then develop the discipline not to cross that line. This is something learned on the gig, as the heat of battle tends to produce fits of physical excess.
When you pick, notice that your forearm rotates; look also at your thumb and index fingers, as their controlled motion during each stroke has a lot to do with generating tone. They influence the angle and the intensity with which the pick touches and releases the string . You need also to examine where along the string’s length you’re picking. There’s a tendency to pick where the arm most naturally
ing up, but doing it so slowly that it wasn’t readily evident he was playing at all. An effective way to develop your tone production is to play a single note with as much deliberation as possible, as inEx. 4. When you do this, you’ll notice that once the right hand has set the string in motion, its work is done, and you’ll want to pay attention to the role of the left hand in sustaining and shaping the
Given this limit, it’s necessary to learn to play as softly as possible, in order to achieve the greatest dynamic range. This is not as easy as it might seem, and the kind of restraint and delicacy it requires is learned as much away from the practice room as in it. Use Ex. 1 to develop your sense of dynamics, and try extending the number of notes in this exercise. See how many gradations between fortisissimo and pianisissimo you can achieve. The key to widening dynamic range, and thus expanding your range of expression, lies in practicing slowly, and carefully observing what your hands are up to. Take it easy. Compare the sound of the upstroke and the downstroke—the goal is to make them similar (see Ex. 2). When you execute an upstroke you may be attacking and releasing the string from different angles—and with differing inten-
falls, but this position may not produce the tone you want. As I’ve moved closer to the sound I hear, my right hand has migrated away from the bridge; I’m presently lacerating the high end of my fingerboard with every stroke.
note. How’s your vibrato? Vibrato is crucial to developing an individual sound.
sity—than with your downstroke. Again, play slow; the faster you play the less you’ll learn about tone.
sat with his guitar. His responses to my comments were sometimes faltering anddistracted; it took me months to realize that he was warm-
TAKING THE TIME
The left hand influences a note throughout its duration. To my ears, Percy Heath has the most delicately calibrated sustain and release of any bassist; I’ve spent days on end marveling at how he controls the envelope of every note, and the tiny sliver of silence between each of them. To achieve this kind of control, you’ll have to focus intensely on the left hand. It’s best to practice long tones, like a horn player would (Ex. 3). When I was in my early 20s and playing with Jim Hall, I would often chat nervously with him before the gig, as he
FEELING IT
As you play, examine what’s happening with your upper arms, shoulders, back, the base of the spine, and even your legs and feet. (To fully grasp the implications of this, look into the principles of Kundalini yoga.) Your whole body contributes to your sound. I generally get a better sound when I’m standing up. Miles Davisadvocated bending the knees and placing weighton the balls of the feet, but Sonny Rollins gets a massive sound planted on his heels. Go figure. Also, your breathing is terribly important. A significant result of well-modulated breathing is efficient oxygenation of your muscles, which allows them to work well and avoid cramping. Regular, deep breathing is also essential to the calm, centered state you’ll need to be in to play well, and to enjoy doing it. —AS TOLD TO ED FRIEDLAND
Ex. 1
= 60
Ex. 2
= 60
(downstroke)
(upstroke)
Ex. 3
= 60 w w w .b a s s p la y e r. c o m
Ex. 4
= 60
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STYLE
ADVANCED
CHANNEL THE THEORY: FLEA LESSON BY THE WAY ON THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS’ ,
Flea explores pick playing, fretless bass, and even a trad Mexican groove—all while still delivering his raw, unmistakable feel and energy. Ex. 1 is similar to his furious finger-funk chorus on the title track (also the disc’s first single). Flea, who tunes his E string down to D on the tune, chuckles, “It’s one of those bass lines that you start playing and go, ‘That’s kinda cool. Whassup, fellas?’”Ex. 2 shows the essence of the main “Venice Queen” line. Play the laid back, soulful 16ths legato; the feel is reminiscent of Flea’s part on “Down and Out in New York City,” from Gov’t Mule’s ATO release The Deep End, Vol. 1. Ex. 3 approximates the verse bass line of “Midnight.” Both Flea and guitarist John Frusciante toywith the similarity of the F#m and Dmaj7 chords. Ex. 4 is
Ex. 1
Ex. 2
= 90
= 125
Meloow soul rock Mellow soul-rock
Funk rock
Em
D5
4 4 4 4 H T A B
0
3 5
0
3
(3)
H
H
H
3 5
0 3
3 5
0
0
H
3
(3)
0 5
PO T A B
5 3
7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5
Ex. 3
= 94 Trippy ballad
1.
2.
44 F m
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T A B
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11
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Dmaj7
9
7
6
4
2
0
2
Dmaj7
4
4
2
4
6
STYLE Ex. 4
44 = 176
Ska rock
Bm
G
0
T A B
4
4
A
7
0
4
2 4
4
2
2
2
4
0 2
2
F
2
2
2
2
4
4
0 4
0
4 4 Ex. 5
A
= 82
Amaj7
A
F m
11 9
18 16
Rock ballad
etc.
7
T A B
9
16 14 11
9
Ex. 6
= 104
similar to Flea’s main “On Mercury” bass line. His edgy part, as well as the overall feel, merges medium ska with a cheesy wedding-band vibe. Ex. 5 is in the style of Flea’s opening fretless
Rock
C
D
Em
4 T A B
4 3
5
3
4 3
5
4
3
5
5
5
7 7
5
7
Ex. 7
44 = 114
Gothic ballad
B
C
let ring --
let ring --
S
8
T A B
E
S
10 13
7
7
14
11
11
9
9
12
Ex. 8
= 124
Driving funk rock
N.C.
44
m o c .r e y a l p s s a b . w w w
T A B
66
7 5 5
5
PLAY BASS!
0 5 5
5 5 0 5
3
0 0
7 7 0
7 7
3 0
3
fills on “I Could Die for You.” He recalls using either a Music Man or fretless Fender. “I had never really played a fretless before. It was a challenge to keep it controlled and in tune, which was good because it probably stopped me from playing too much. I was trying to create melodies that went against the vocal, almost like harmonies or countermelodies that could be keyboard or horn parts. I waited until the vocal melody was down so I could play off it.” Ex. 6 illustrates Flea’s rock-solid “Dosed” chorus line. Note his use of non-chord tones, such as the F#’s in bar 1 and the G and A in bar 2. “We were jamming at rehearsal, and I started playing a simple part based on the chord pattern.” Ex. 7 is similar to Flea’s pick part on “Warm Tape.” His use of 10ths going to octaves adds melodic tension to Frusciante’s winding keyboard line and Anthony Kiedis’s angular vocal melody. Flea laughs, “John’s part is a trip and Anthony’s melody is totally wild. I was like, What else are they gonna think of over this weird-ass music?”Ex. 8 approximates his killer opening (and recurring) bass line on “Throw Away Your Television.” The C’s at the end of bar 2 throw the ear a tasty little curve. —CHRIS JISI
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