Double Bass Concepts for Bass Soloing

[Kevin Hsieh]

Milomo speaks much wisdom.

Kevin, the reason you are stuck with scalar ideas and limited harmonic concept is that you haven't learned enough horn or piano solos. James Moody was the first cat to tell me "learn to play like a horn player." Their world is so different from ours, and it takes alot of work to get across that divide. As Milomo says, Armstrong is a hip place to start. All my students do a horn solo first- usually Miles off Kind of Blue, because the harmonic possibilities are limited, and the melodic stuff is sooo hip. Plus, you learn about the lydian dominant when you do Freddy the Freeloader... Much better than wasting 100 bucks and days of your life reading the George Russel book!

PS if you are in LA and haven't gotten a lesson with John "jazz yoda" Clayton, you're totally missing out!

PPS of course I'm not fuming that you're working out of a book. Just trying to help you out, young gun.

Thanks! I'm actually transcribing Dexter Gordon's solo on Billie's Bounce right now. Is this ok? I really dig some of the chromaticism and the lines he uses. I'll do Freddie Freeloader next. I was considering taking a lesson from John Clayton (he's a professor at USC now), but I think I've still got a long way to go before I ask Yoda to tear me up. Maybe next time I go home.

Funny you mention the George Russel Lydian Concepts or whatever it's called. My tenor player that I'm playing with in college next year is studying out of that right now.

All books do are to adapt the original material (that P.C. solo from the record), either by re-presenting it (transcription books), or derive new material from it, in the form of etudes or exercises. Either way, you're better off starting with the original material, and going from there. Whatever solo you like, learn it by ear (don't write it down, at least not until you can play the whole thing flawlessly from memory), then analyze it thoroughly, either on your own, with a teacher, or by then using one of those books. The most important part of the whole process is inputting the information using only your ears. The ear training you get doing this is priceless, and all you do by learning solos from a book is to add a middleman, the page. In my experience you retain the information much better learning things by ear than by reading them, then memorizing that. And don't just learn bass solos, check out horn players too (and guitar and piano for that matter), that's what Blanton, P.C., and LaFaro did. You could start with Louis Armstrong, nothing bad could come from that!

Thanks for the tip Milomo. I used to memorize a passage and then write it down and check it again. BUt i'll try it by ear completely. I actually don't own any transcription books right now but I remember my teacher was fooling around with the PC one.

 

[chicagodoubler]

Milomo- nice singer gag. Do they come equipped with ears these days? "Oh God, not Lush life...."

Kevin- there's no bad transcription to do. And. Go. Get. A. Lesson. With. Clayton.

It's never to early to get a lesson with a heavy. Who cares how far along you are? Your goal is not to impress him, but rather, to grow as a player. One lesson with him will fix SO many things about your playing. Immediately.

Off to the shed I go...

 

[dleecountdown]

I second the clayton recommendation. He is a phenomenal teacher. Did we mention he is one of the baddest players ever?

 

[TroyK]

Third. And he's a good guy and I'm certain would be happy to work with you regardless of what he heard. He responds well to sincerity.