Good Frank Zappa Bass?

[MusicBertrand]

Hi, this is my very first thread

I really like Frank Zappa's music, and i was just wondering ... what are good, challenging tunes for bass to learn by Frank Zappa?

I'm looking to improve my technique as well as my hearing/sight singing through Zappa. (not reading)

thanks in advance! (and i hope im in the right section)

[gravesbass]

Roxy & Elsewhere (Echidna's Arf (Of You)
One Size Fits All
etc.... etc.....

Love what Scott Thunes did for Frank.

P Bass or Jazz bass works well for his tunes.

You really cant go wrong with anything Frank did. His music was genius.

[Bassist4Eris]

I enjoy playing Advance Romance. It's mostly pentatonic, but goes in unpredictable directions. (What? Not Zappa! ) I accidentally "found" a bit of the Floretine Pogen riff recently when I was noodling, so I kind of want to learn that. Actually, as suggested by gravebass, the entire One Size Fits All record has some great, funky playing courtesy of Tom Fowler. Echidna's Arf is a cool suggestion if you've got the chops. I suspect that one's beyond me.

[bongomania]

Start with The Black Page, and work your way down from there.

[StereoPlayer]

For a heavy rocking song here's this one...Jack Bruce on heavy fuzz bass!

"Apostrophe'" * Frank Zappa, Jim Gordon and Jack Bruce. Title track.

The whole album is good though, as well as One Size Fits All.

I like most all FZ.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Start with The Black Page, and work your way down from there.

Presumably you're suggesting OP learn the melody to "The Black Page" ...the bass line to that piece is actually pretty pedestrian.

But playing a thorny Zappa melody on bass has some impressive precedent: During his very brief tenure in Zappa's band, Jeff Berlin had to learn the melody to "Be-bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzman's Church)", a real knuckle-buster that's almost as rhythmically convoluted as "The Black Page". Would love to have heard that.

[RCCollins]

Patrick O'Hearn, Jim Pons, Roy Estrada and Tom Fowler all played P-bass, and that brings you through the mid-70s. Scott Thunes, too - most of the time, anyway. So a P or close equivalent would be my choice of instruments for a "Zappa bass sound". Go figure.

[the_stone]

Check out "Does Humor Belong In Music" with Scott Thunes in the band. The bass is pretty clear in the mix. "What's New In Baltimore" has a killer intro, and their version of "Whipping Post" has some great variations on the standard bassline for the tune.

Slightly off-topic - if you're getting into Zappa and you haven't already, check out Mike Keneally. He was Zappa's last guitar player, and he has a lot of cool Zappa information on his website, including the story of how he got in the band, and his tour diaries from 1988.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Roscoe East

Presumably you're suggesting OP learn the melody to "The Black Page" ...the bass line to that piece is actually pretty pedestrian.

Actually I was just being a smartass, suggesting the most difficult Zappa sheet music I'd seen. TBH, I had not even attempted to play it, so I did not know that the bass line was easy!

[ugly_bassplayer]

You're a Zappa fan and your having trouble finding difficult bass parts, your hearing must be busted.

[mbeall]

+1 for "What's New In Baltimore"

[mbeall]

Also the bass line of "Florentine Pogen" can stand alone as a piece of music in itself.

[Boot Soul]

Tom Fowler - Dupree's Paradise starting at about 16:00

Whoa!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnDqHppWS_Q

[mixtapelove]

A few that I like to practice from time to time:

Valley Girl
Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy
Eat That Question
Tryin to Grow a Chin
Broken Hearts are for A@%#Holes

[bassinplace]

I've always been partial to Tom Fowler's stuff myself, but you can't go wrong checking out any of the guys he had. Arthur Barrow was really great, Patrick O'Hearn, Scott Thunes, etc.

[lfmn16]

Originally Posted by ugly_bassplayer

You're a Zappa fan and your having trouble finding difficult bass parts, your hearing must be busted.

+1

Can't you listen until you find one that is challenging and you like??

[MusicBertrand]

thanks for all the suggestions! Now i'm working on Echidna's Arf (Of You)

[Rev J]

The live version of "St. Alphonzos's Pancake Breakfast" where Arthur Barrow doubles the marimba part.

C/S,
Rev J

[BoogerHook]

Try O'Hearn's solo from The Purple Lagoon.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by Rev J

The live version of "St. Alphonzos's Pancake Breakfast" where Arthur Barrow doubles the marimba part.