Easy bass solo transcription ideas?

dont start with Rufus solos first of all. I love his stuff and he's a great guy but he's too complex for a beginner. I would start with either Blanton, who generally used alot of patterns or someone like Ray Brown, especially early Ray. If you find ray solos from when he was with Oscar Peterson then you'll find that they arent that technical and they swing like mad. Also, this is before he moved out to LA and became a studio musician. His technique really improved after that point, especially with the bow. Hope this helps. There's a Todd Coolman book which is a collection of bass solos that you should examine.

 

Paul Chambers is always great as well. Some recordings of him can be kind of hard to pick out all the notes, but they're usually good and not too hard for younger players.

Also, Wilbur Ware would be a great one to transcribe. Pick up Sonny Rollins "A Night At The Village Vanguard". There are some great Wilbur Ware solos on there (plus it's just one of those records that you should own anyway) and they're not notey at all, but highly rhythmic and fun to play and transcribe.

 

+ 1, I was just going to suggest that one. I don't about easy, but it is so clear that it is at least easy to hear.

 

Thanks for keeping me honest, Damon. Easy isn't exactly the word I should use, but perhaps less complex would work, especially when compared to Rufus Reid or some others...

 

there is a great bass solo of Red Mitchell on ornithology (=how high the moon): not too fast, very melodic, very jazzlanguage and clear (sound of recording) It's on an album under his name called "jam for your bread". (there is a transcription on my site http://www.olafmeijer.nl/transcripties.html)

Anotherone is (believe it or not) a solo by Dave Holland over "moonriver" on a Bill Frisell album called "Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones" This solo is very melodic, technically not so difficult. The only thing is the rhythm, but if you just play along you can get a lot out of it.

There are also a lot of nice solo's by Oscat Pettiford. I like a lot the recording he made with Thelonious Monk: "Monk Plays Ellington". Sometimes his solo is just playing the melody again, but for sure worth checking!!

Olaf
http://www.olafmeijer.nl
http://www.jazzsupply.nl

 

I would recommend charlie haden solos, for his melodic playing...hardest thing is the rhythmic aspect with him, because of how he will place the notes, sometimes speeding or slowing a longer phrase...

 

To be more specific, I think "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" is killing.

 

Indeed. I've transcribed every note on both versions. Killer stuff.

 

I just finished transcribing "Big Butter and Egg Man" from Wynton Marsalis' Standard Time Vol.3: A Resolution of a Romance. The bass player is Reginald Veal. This is a great study on swing feel. I want to start transcribing the piano solo, (Ellis Marsalis) which really is a perfect solo.

 

Very nice transcription of the Red Mitchell solo. Your website looks good; wish I was fluent in your Language; Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. Sorry for my ignorance! One small suggestion; Maybe you could put the chord changes over the solos. This might help if the changes aren't already memorized. students and other bassists could see how the the basic chords have been altered/expanded.

 

It's actually Dutch.

 

The ultimate classic for a simple and yet beautiful bass solo is Charlie Haden's solo over "Segment" on the Quartet West ablum "Haunted Heart".
Here is my version of it.

 

Miles Davis solo on So What...

 

Talita-

I would also suggest transcribing some bass lines too. It will be a lot easier than a full blown solo and it's worth it's weight in gold when it comes to helping you write your own walking lines. This is a great way to get your feet wet with transcribing....

Pete

 

I know this is a couple years late, but I transcribed an easy, and melodic Red Mitchell solo off Hampton Hawes Trio, Vol. 1 called "Blues the Most"

 

That was one of the very first Red things I copped in about 1956. I don't transribe....I just.....copped it. I love that solo. Red made a tune out of it later with lyrics. I can't remember which of his later recordings it was on. Your cop is in F right?
Nice call.

 

I'm doing Softly As In A Morning Sunrise on Village Vanguard.

Its really wareing me out.

 

lol.