New To Jazz

[Journey55]

Hey, so I am starting in my school's jazz band tomorrow and was hoping I could get some tips on playing styles and such. I've been playing for a year and mostly play the likes of Trivium and Avenged Sevenfold, etc. But I like playing bass so I thought I'd take a shot at jazz. Now I'm no going to be the best bassist there (there's four bassists and two have been playing for like 6 years) and I don't expect to be, but I was hoping to get some tips so I don't look like an idiot my first time playing. I can read sheet music fine but if there's chord charts the most I change it up it half steps before a root note and such.....thanks for your insight

[Nalte]

A couple years ago I did something similar - I started playing in a school jazz combo with zero jazz experience. You may already know some of this advice, but I'll say it just in case you don't.

As far as right hand technique, you want to play fingerstyle near the neck, and slur your notes just a little bit. You are trying to imitate the sound of a double bass.

If you want to play something other than the root note, you could try arpeggiating the chords. Use the 1st, the 3rd, the 5th, and the minor 7th. (For example, to arpeggiate a G, you would play G, B, D, and also an F to make it jazzy.)

Remember that jazz musicians do not make "mistakes" - it's called "creativity" so don't be afraid to try things out. Listen to lots of jazz to get ideas for what to play. Good luck, I hope this helps!

[Journey55]

Coincidentally about the double bass, our school has one that I'll probably be playing more often than the electric (I can play both)

[Nalte]

You can use a double bass, and you can read music? You're already two steps ahead of me!

[Journey55]

Originally Posted by Nalte

You can use a double bass, and you can read music? You're already two steps ahead of me!

Well, I was in my school's orchestra and I just played electric bass on the side, I don't really know the style of jazz of the improving of it though

[willieboy_sf]

Check out the "Jasmine" CD with Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden. It is just piano and bass, so you will get to hear a lot of great bass playing.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Nalte

As far as right hand technique, you want to play fingerstyle near the neck, and slur your notes just a little bit. You are trying to imitate the sound of a double bass.

I agree with everything you've said, Nalte, except this. only because jazz is a VERY broad genre and the tone that you would use for one tune might be completely different from the next. For example, the sound I tried to get when I played Birdland is completely different than the sound I wanted when I played All Blues.

Journey, as a bassist and the member (or soon to be member of a band) I think you'll know what sound you want on each song and if you don't I'm sure your bandmates will tell you what they think would sound good. Use whatever tone works best for the song itself to fall into the idea that there's a "best" sound for any particular genre or song.

[Mirios]

When I went into jazz band as a bassist I actually could read a little as well. A few of the charts had written bass lines that I actually used. It wasn't long after that I was writing my own. I have to admit when starting out it helped me get the feel. That and good lessons helped a ton as well. As well as listening to lots and lots and dare I say it, lots of jazz.

[SeaBassTheFish]

Are you talking about a High School jazz band?
If i'm not mistaken, just about everything published for HS bands will have a written out bass line, hopefully with chord symbols too.
Just by playing through the written lines you will start to notice certain patterns and approaches that work really well to get you from chord to chord. Over time you will start building an inventory of patterns that you can use when you want to branch out and play your own lines with the changes.

But the best thing you can do, and I can't stress this enough, is to listen, listen, listen to recordings. Or better yet, watch and listen on youtube. Don't just listen for notes, listen for style, articulation, and feel. It may just look like all quarter notes on the page, but a really great bass player will phrase those lines over several bars. If you find a recording you really like, try to learn the bassline by ear. Your ear is the greatest tool for learning in your arsenal.

Oh and don't follow the drummer. In jazz, the bass is the time. The drums just ride the time. They're just the icing, but you're the cake. Have fun with it and you'll be fine. Play jazz as if it's the coolest thing you could possibly be doing.

[Mirios]

Originally Posted by SeaBassTheFish

Don't just listen for notes, listen for style, articulation, and feel. It may just look like all quarter notes on the page, but a really great bass player will phrase those lines over several bars.

Very true indeed.

[skwee]

good luck, hope you enjoy.

[bigboy_78]

Originally Posted by SeaBassTheFish

Play jazz as if it's the coolest thing you could possibly be doing.

Playing BASS in a jazz band is the coolest thing you could possibly be doing.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by bigboy_78

Playing BASS in a jazz band is the coolest thing you could possibly be doing.

Except when there's four of you.

[FretlessMainly]

Good points so far, but what I would add to make your jazz bass playing a true jazz experience - learn the non-chord tones in addition to the chord tones.

While I tend to shun rules, there are some that make sense when getting into jazz. First of all, the "common" response of the bass player to written chords is to play chord tones. This can work fine in jazz, but at some point, it's going to sound like something is lacking. What will be lacking are those non-chordal connecting notes that are generally more common to the jazz idiom than they are to a rock idiom.

More next post (the post window argues with me at times).

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by FretlessMainly

Good points so far, but what I would add to make your jazz bass playing a true jazz experience - learn the non-chord tones in addition to the chord tones.

While I tend to shun rules, there are some that make sense when getting into jazz. First of all, the "common" response of the bass player to written chords is to play chord tones. This can work fine in jazz, but at some point, it's going to sound like something is lacking. What will be lacking are those non-chordal connecting notes that are generally more common to the jazz idiom than they are to a rock idiom.

More next post (the post window argues with me at times).

I'd certainly agree that just sticking purely to chord tones will at some point sound as if something is lacking. But hey, rock players use non-chord tones too, you know.

[FretlessMainly]

Originally Posted by FretlessMainly

More next post (the post window argues with me at times).

I jazz, you're likely to see II V I and also II V of II V I. On a chart, what this would be is, in C Major:

II V I: | D-7 | G7 | CMaj7 | CMaj7 |

II V of II V I: | E-7(b5) A7(b9) | D-7 | G7 | CMaj7 |

While you could just play root/third/fifth over these, what makes jazz hip is the linear-scale and/or chromatic approach to these common changes.

In many situations, feel free to play D E F F# G F E D C over the | D-7 | G7 | CMaj7 | - the F# is the leading tone to G(7), so it almost always works even though the chord is D-7. Or try D B C E G A B D C.

I don't want to get ahead of you (or be behind your knowledge) - so ask questions. Off to bed; will check in tomorrow.

[Ed Fuqua]

There's always this...

[tspivey]

Originally Posted by SeaBassTheFish

Are you talking about a High School jazz band?
If i'm not mistaken, just about everything published for HS bands will have a written out bass line, hopefully with chord symbols too.
Just by playing through the written lines you will start to notice certain patterns and approaches that work really well to get you from chord to chord. Over time you will start building an inventory of patterns that you can use when you want to branch out and play your own lines with the changes.

But the best thing you can do, and I can't stress this enough, is to listen, listen, listen to recordings. Or better yet, watch and listen on youtube. Don't just listen for notes, listen for style, articulation, and feel. It may just look like all quarter notes on the page, but a really great bass player will phrase those lines over several bars. If you find a recording you really like, try to learn the bassline by ear. Your ear is the greatest tool for learning in your arsenal.

Oh and don't follow the drummer. In jazz, the bass is the time. The drums just ride the time. They're just the icing, but you're the cake. Have fun with it and you'll be fine. Play jazz as if it's the coolest thing you could possibly be doing.

^ This.

Good luck today. I played in Middle School, High School and College Jazz Bands. Probably the most helpful thing about the situation you are about to enter is that the charts you get will be written in an accommodating way. They are usually written so that an inexperienced player can learn while an experienced player can grow (simple written lines accompanied with chord symbols allow you to experiment and learn as you grow).

Jazz Band is the biggest musical influence I have. I found it to be a rich and rewarding learning experience. The opportunity to rehearse with an ensemble daily is something that most people don't get outside of school and is really something to take advantage of. I wouldn't trade my time in Jazz Band. ENJOY!

[FretlessMainly]

Originally Posted by bassybill

I'd certainly agree that just sticking purely to chord tones will at some point sound as if something is lacking. But hey, rock players use non-chord tones too, you know.

My jazz days are, for now, in my past (but the style never completely leaves). I'm a progish rocker these days, so I do know!

[Snarf]

Listen to jazz records, study some books. Take some lessons if you have the time/money/teacher.