I could use some help.

[Knixx]

For 10th grade I plan on taking jazz band as one of my electives but I have to audition first in May. The teacher said that I should work on my blues progressions and specifically Bb and F.

• What tunings are jazz bassists usually in? Electric by the way.
• Any tabs that I could use as an example?
• I am still a bit iffy on my understanding on what progression is so could anybody it to me?

At the audition I have to play a piece he lays out for me so I'm pretty nervous and I really want to nail it.

[Infernal Affair]

Originally Posted by Knixx

For 10th grade I plan on taking jazz band as one of my electives but I have to audition first in May. The teacher said that I should work on my blues progressions and specifically Bb and F.

• What tunings are jazz bassists usually in? Electric by the way.
• Any tabs that I could use as an example?
• I am still a bit iffy on my understanding on what progression is so could anybody it to me?

At the audition I have to play a piece he lays out for me so I'm pretty nervous and I really want to nail it.

I am sure that DocBop and all the more knowledgeable TBers will eventually chime in, but I'll break things down into simpler terms before they elaborate:

- Many jazz bassists keep in standard tuning, but it's not unheard of to do an alternate tuning. You're pretty safe with EADG though.
- I'm sure that your teacher is eventually going to start having you learn standard notation. My suggestion would be to get a good starter book like the Hal Leonard Complete Bass Method by Ed Friedland, and go from there. There's plenty of examples in the book, it comes with 3 CDs, and Mr. Friedland covers things in a very clear cut, fun manner. You'll learn standard notation as well as common song patterns and styles.
- Progressions are just the way chords are ordered or structured. This wikipedia article is pretty good at giving you the basic breakdown. If he means blues progressions then he's most likely going to cover 12 bar blues.

I'm not sure I understand what your teacher means by Bb and F. Perhaps he means keys?

[SmittyG]

Yep, Bb and F are the keys. In blues, You are mainly going to play in the keys of E, A and G (bump down a half-step for all the Vaughanabees and Hendrix-clones out there). In jazz, however, it is far more common to do a blues progression in Eb, Bb or F. Hope that helps.

[EddieN]

My son, also trying out for jazz band for 10th grade, has found the book Building Walking Bass Lines also by Ed Friedland quite helpful. Learn to read - skip the tabs. And good luck!

[251]

Jazz band arrangments usually choose a key that makes easy fingering for reed instruments. Bb suits Tenor & Soprano sax, Eb suits Baritone & Alto saz. F, Eb & Bb are notes found in each of those scales so, the fingering doesn't get much more complicated.

Guitar based Blues is likely to be in E, A or D

Stay calm & practice basics, with a metronome.. It's natural to be nervous & it's possible to perform well while you're nervous. Confidence helps. Above all, when practicing, do not stop when you make a mistake. Being able to play through mistakes is a basic skill to ensemble playing. The rhythm has to stay steady.

You can do this. Go for it!