Calling all professional bassists (especially jazz)

ding_man · #1 12-27-2006, 11:07 AM

I'm looking to major in jazz studies with bass.

What level in ability is the minimum I should have for my audition. Right now I am correcting bad technique and learning scales and theory like crazy along with listening and analyzing jazz music.

Some opinions and advice would be well appreciated.

NickyBass · #2 12-27-2006, 11:14 AM

Try to get a list of the jury requierments. At the end of each year, you will have a jury (basically, you playing certain scales and tunes for the bass department faculty). Freshman year was pretty easy. Major, Minor, Mixolydian scales in two octave at 120. Then I had to have 5 or 6 tunes prepared and I walked for a chorus and soled for a chorus. Sight reading, and a few other things were tested.

Get a hold a a real book and start learning tunes. LEARN THE MELODY. That is important and will impress the faculty. Most bassists just know the changes. I think for my audition, I played through Autumn Leaves and had to play a few scales. There was probably a short sight reading peice. Oh, and I had to have a classical solo peice prepared. This was a few years ago though, so I don't remember everthing. They should have an audition requierments list.

jady · #3 12-27-2006, 11:22 AM

Learn your chords. It is more important to know chords than scales in a real world situation. As for juries, it's whatever they want. Listen to old walking jazz lines, Basie, Ellington, Dorsey. It's not as hip as Ron Carter but it is the basis for good walking lines.

Work on playing melodies, just the heads of standards. When you have to solo that will help you a lot. And when in doubt, keep it simple and outline the chords.

Snarf · #4 12-27-2006, 11:42 AM

Juries and meeting the grading requirements aren't really important. The things they want you to do are BARE minimums for competency. What is important is being able to have a great feel for expression, and just being able to hang. If you've got that down and can look at a chart and play it no problems first time and have an immediate understanding of the harmony involved, you'll be playing with plenty of people, and that's WAAAY more important than getting a good grade.

**Pacman** · #5 12-27-2006, 11:57 AM

Learn your chords
Learn to walk a bassline (this is the most important thing a jazz bassist can do - you'll study it for the rest of your life)
Know styles

ding_man · #6 12-27-2006, 07:20 PM

Thanks guys.

Yeah the college that I'm gonna be looking at doesnt have a 'bass guitar' major, but you can major in Jazz studies with bass guitar.

This is what it says:

Students will be asked to perform one solo in the jazz idiom which should be representative of their ability and experience with improvisation. The composition or tune should be chosen from American songbook standards, and/or classic jazz repertoire. Students should be prepared to demonstrate improvisation skills and sight reading ability.

**Mark Wilson** · #7 12-27-2006, 07:26 PM

Even if you don't do so well, that's why they're there. To help you get better.

Anyways, Sight Reading is important. I can't express that enough. I'm at Humber College for a Bass program, and sightreading is killer.

Also, Chords are great too. We were playing "Let it Snow" and I was comping with Chords over a bass solo. Really cool.

Scales are the foundation of Solo Jazz. In one way or another, scales tie into it. Learn the Major, Natural harmonic and Melodic Minor, Jazz Minor, Dominant Bebop, Mixolydian, and Dorian.
You'll more than likely learn those.

Good luck!

ding_man · #8 12-27-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBass

Get a hold a a real book and start learning tunes.

When you say that do you mean The Real Book series that are actually fake books or like real sheet music for bass.

Snarf · #9 12-28-2006, 11:35 AM

The Real Book. Preferably the New Real Book. Which are indeed fake books. You'll live by them as a bass player.

bassdblr · #10 12-28-2006, 01:57 PM

I have been looking at jazz studies programs. They all have different requirements, whether it be learning specific types of tunes, scales, sight reading, whatever. Whatever they want is exactly what you need to give them and what you need to spent your time on. You will be judged on your ability to give them what they want as far as admission requirements.

My best advice is to get with an experienced teacher for your tune who can give you constructive feedback on playing the tune with a good jazz feel, find someone, if possible, who has gone through this program. I would focus specifically in practice on exactly what they want. And, I would practice sight reading every day. Jazz and Latin grooves, probably, too.

CamMcIntyre · #11 12-28-2006, 02:24 PM

I think one of the best ways to prep for an audition is to schedule a bass lesson w/one/the bass teacher at the school. This serves 2 main purposes-gives you a chance to see if you and the teacher click well, and as a way to double check on what they want you to know how to do.

I remember my audition to CCPA/Roosevelt, the main difference between your audition and mine is that i'm a doubler.

Here's what i had to do: I prepared 6 tunes-they asked me to pick the 2 tunes that best showed what i could do on the different basses. The tunes i picked were Jive Samba & The Chicken [jaco version]. I *failed* to prepare the melody to these tunes-that is something i wish i would have done.

They also had me: sight read a head, comp a chorus of blues & then solo over it. The drummer couldn't find cymbals [later-this same drummer was my combo coach 2nd semester freshman year-Phil Grateau, killer cat and really nice]. So we ended up doing the tunes as piano & bass. I still think that was the most awesome sounding version of the chicken i've ever heard. Piano player was Jo Ann Daughtery [i probably butchered her last name]-very great player.

My opinion of how my audition went? I butchered the sight reading really bad-like i was lost & lost time......pretty much the 2 worst things you can do as a bassist. Blues-was OK i played a really simple version-literally just a I IV V not the more "hip" changes. My tunes i played pretty well IMO. At the end-they complimented me on my tone and said "you did well". Apparently-i did good enough to get accepted to the school w/a bit of scholarship assistance.

So moral of my post: check with the school to see what the audition requirements are, actually communicate with the bass professor!!! this is vital IMO, and if/once you get in-expect to learn upright. If you are dead set against this-i'd make sure to talk to the professors ASAP and consider looking into a school that is more electric orientated-from what i understand University of Miami, Musicians Institute, and Berklee are a few of the schools that let you actually major in electric bass.

take it easy.

Snarf · #12 12-28-2006, 02:54 PM

^^ Honestly, if you want to go to school for music as a bass player, you'd be a complete idiot if you didn't take up upright. You will get more respect (if you can hang, of course. Hanging on electric doesn't mean much) and more opportunities to play. Two very important things.

Of course, by the same token, you'd be an idiot not to play electric extremely well. RnB, pop country, etc. are styles that require electric, and it's more likely that you could make some money (if you're lucky and a sick player) there than as a jazz double bass player. But to make the connections in the first place, and play with the best players, upright will often be your ticket in with them (IF you can hack it.)

ding_man · #13 12-29-2006, 07:20 AM

Yeah I'm in band at school so I kind have tons of advisers. They're all saying the same stuff.

I have been told to get into upright but they said that they will probably have me to that in college and that with the ammount of practice time I have it wont be a hard switch.

hateater · #14 12-29-2006, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ding_man

Yeah I'm in band at school so I kind have tons of advisers. They're all saying the same stuff.

I have been told to get into upright but they said that they will probably have me to that in college and that with the ammount of practice time I have it wont be a hard switch.

I followed you here from your profile (since you left such a great post on my djembe topic), and let me tell you, there is a lot more to getting a degree in music than most people think. First off, unfortunately, you won't get as much credit just playing jazz as you would if you played both jazz AND classical. Most bassists i know shooting for a college degree (myslef included) play String Bass as well as Electric.

once you get in, you will have to start playing lots of piano, learning theory/composition and you will need to take a class called sight reading/ear training.

good luck.

bassdblr · #15 12-29-2006, 11:23 AM

hateater,

Yes, you are absolutely right about all of this. I am spending just as much time shedding classical on upright bass as jazz, even though my main interest is jazz studies. I have also gotten some good classical gigs along the way too, and classical really helps with technique. I am hoping to do an arco piece for a jazz studies audition too. Might be a plus. Piano, yes, always piano. I have those basic skills, but need to get going in jazz too. Piano is essential, and a knowledge of piano will really help with all that theory. Learning upright takes a lot of time. Took me years before I stopped sounding like %&$&$.

I thnk you could do jazz studies with electric, not very common, but in my searches of schools I am only usually seeing electric bass as applied to commerical music types of programs, the programs for rock, fusion, funk, RB, etc. I think you can play any type of jazz on electric, but the realities of the working world: they always seem to prefer upright unless you are doing new, current jazz. Always.

About jazz studies, check out the thread I started on the pros and cons of jazz studies programs: I think it is called: Considering a Jazz Studies Program, but a search on Jazz Studies will bring it up. Many good points there to put this all in perspective.

lefty007 · #16 12-29-2006, 11:30 AM

I think that doublers (acoustic and electric) are the coolest people on earth. I only play electric.

ding_man · #17 12-29-2006, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hateater

I followed you here from your profile (since you left such a great post on my djembe topic),
good luck.

Ha no offense was intended sorry.

Yeah Piano is not stressed enough. I took lessons for awhile, but I couldnt afford them very long so I got the basics now I'm trying to study independently.

As for electric.. the schools I am looking at I can do it with electric. You're right though most schools only use string bass or intermix them. At the one private university I started looking at you can try out on electric, but then they switch you to string bass.

As for all the advice I'm being given I guess I'm lucky to have wise musicians all ready in contact with me cause I knew all this stuff, but reassurance is always great cause if one person says something then two more peopel say it.. most generally its right haha.

Thanks again guys.

hateater · #18 01-03-2007, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ding_man

Ha no offense was intended sorry.

Yeah Piano is not stressed enough. I took lessons for awhile, but I couldnt afford them very long so I got the basics now I'm trying to study independently.

As for electric.. the schools I am looking at I can do it with electric. You're right though most schools only use string bass or intermix them. At the one private university I started looking at you can try out on electric, but then they switch you to string bass.

As for all the advice I'm being given I guess I'm lucky to have wise musicians all ready in contact with me cause I knew all this stuff, but reassurance is always great cause if one person says something then two more peopel say it.. most generally its right haha.

Thanks again guys.

It is tough, but what you may want to do is (obviously) be as good as you can with with the sight reading of jazz charts (bass), as well as classical music for the piano, that way you can maybe come into school being at a certain level.

I think that SRET (sight reading and ear training) usually comes off as the "hardest" part of musical education, as many musicians never think to sing to sheet music. So, you may also want to start playing chords (not just M and m, but dim, aug, various 6 chords, etc) and singing the parts, as well as maybe singing jazz charts.

bassdblr · #19 01-04-2007, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hateater

I think that SRET (sight reading and ear training) usually comes off as the "hardest" part of musical education, as many musicians never think to sing to sheet music. So, you may also want to start playing chords (not just M and m, but dim, aug, various 6 chords, etc) and singing the parts, as well as maybe singing jazz charts.

I have been working at piano and ear training because I want to be able to enter school (if I do this) at a higher level.

Every teacher I have studied with has also talked about the importance of being able to sing what you play. I am thinking of joining a school vocal group too, jazz oriented, just to get my vocal chops going, because this does not exactly happen naturally for me. I sure would like to reach a point where I think first of singing something, sing while I walk bass lines, and can just sing anything written put in front of me, because I think that will go a long way in increasing musical ability.

CamMcIntyre · #20 01-04-2007, 11:55 PM

Ear Training-start ASAP. This is the part of school that kicks my butt. Our ear training curriculum involves: Chord ID, Interval ID, Harmonic Dictation, contrapuntal diction, melodic dictation, and various kinds of singing-patterns and sight singing. I've been able to do pretty well in the written side of theory, but i am a slow learner on aural. It's weird-if i'm in a group setting with my bass, i can play what people want if they say "play this" & then play something through a few times. In class when it's only in my head with a pencil? Well, let me just say that i've taken each theory class twice because of my lack of ear. It's been, the first time i struggle but then start doing much better at the end.....not enough to pull up my grade to the required level though for the tests. So the 2nd time through, i start where i left off [progress wise] and get much better because the material is familiar to me and i've hit the point where i know what way works best for me to learn the given stuff.

Take it easy.