Bass Line Transcriptions to Standards

[erikwhitton]

there's an aebersold book - i think it's called rhythm section workout - which has transcribed bass lines and solos (inluding some arco) played by todd coolman. there is a nice variety of chord changes, tempos, and styles. sounds like it would be helpful, one benefit to aebersold is the CD that comes along with the book.

hope everything is spelled OK,
erik

[peteroberts]

Jazzbo!! What's up?!?! Long time since we met at Sonoma plaza...

Jazz took me forever to get...I'm a rock player who fell in love with jazz. I started out playing blues progressions in the jazz style. Listened to PC and Ron Carter a lot. Here's kinda how it went for me:

1. started playing blues progressions REALLY SLOW, walking over them. Taking a lot of time to understand the movement of the line...e.g. it goes from the seventh of this chord to the third of that chord, etc.

2. Made a tape of about 10-12 jazz tunes and played with them. I played with this one tape forever, for about 6 months or so. There were many times when I'd put down the bass, wipe my brow and think 'I'm never going to get this'

3. Picked up the Aebersold books/CDs and listened, then played. Didn't try to copy the recorded bassist, just tried to get lines that would fit with what the rest of the trio is doing.

I would struggle most of the time, working hard, but there would be these occasional epiphanies...that is what you are looking for. As Jeff Berlin once said: 'the second you *get it*, you are a better musician than you were the second before'.

It took about 3-4 years before I would get up and jam with some other folks. When I did, they liked what I played and complimented me.

So keep plodding along, dude, hope to see you again soon.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Bump.

[kiwlm]

Originally Posted by jazzbo

True. This becomes part of it. I mean, I know the scales and the chords as they fly by on the chart. I know how to apply what sort of methodolgy, but I'm not hearing the chromaticisms that I may want to hear. I'm not hearing the non-chordal diatonic tones that may add flavor. My head plays a groove, and I feel it, and I hear it, but my hands aren't translating it. I put on the CD, and I can sing a bass line I like, but my hands won't translate it.

Bump, so JazzBo, mind sharing your 3 years experience, and how much you have learned, and how you go about learning it?

[jmpiwonka]

heh, funny i see this thread now.
my bass teacher just asked me if i do transcriptions, i say no, then ask if i should be....he smiles and says yeah like he knew that i wanted the answer to be no.....

so i ask him if he did, he just says, ray brown, jaco, scott lefaro, eddie gomez, stanley clark, goerge mraz there were a few more in there but i forgot them by now.
he says i should transcribe to analyze what the players are doing.

i think it is probably a good idea so that i can train my ear to hear intervals accurately, i already think about what players are doing when i'm listening but i think i am probably thinking differently from what they actually ARE doing.

i'll agree, jazz is hard.