Funky Jazz Standards

[Brad Johnson]

Awesome, thanks Geoff. I think the problem I had was breaking the walking habit. Essentially I was trying to walk the line, but broken into a funk pattern if that makes any sense? Your example is grooving around the root, and throwing in chord tones occasionally to give the line some more harmonic meaning. I'll dig into this example some more and see if I can expand on it

Simplify

With the bass you have a couple of things to focus on... rhythym and the chord progression. The chord progression is the easy part, rhythymically what gets it done for me is realy listening to whomever I'm playing with. If you really "shut up and listen" (I don't mean that in a bad way), it's amazing what kinds of things you can hear that you can play off of. Layer the progressions on top of the groove and you're there.

Above all else, try to have some fun with it. For me, experimenting is fun. Can't imagine song "A" in a "B" kind of vibe? Try it. Then try a "C" vibe just for grins. Quote another song.


I've yet to see anyone mortally wounded over this

One other thing that just came to mind... repetition is cool in this genre... pretty much the opposite of walking a bassline, where you don't want to keep repeating yourself.

 

[Brad Johnson]

The song is Autumn Leaves (the song the original poster was referring to), which can be found in the New Real Book vol. 1, and most likely any other jazz fakebook since it is such a common tune. The chord progression is (off the top of my head, so that last chromatic cadence might not be exact):

[A]

C-7 | F7 | Bbmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | A-7(b5) | D7 | Gm7 | G7
C-7 | F7 | Bbmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | A-7(b5) | D7 | Gm7 | G7



A-7(b5) | D7 | Gmin7 | G7 | C-7 | F7 | Bbmaj7 | Ebmaj7
A-7(b5) | D7 | Gmin7 Gb13 | Fmin7 E13 | Ebmaj7 | A-7(b5) D7 | Gmin7 | G7 ||

Something fun to work into this is doublestops, alternating between root + 7ths and 10ths on the turnarounds.

 

[SBassman]

Yeah, but like I said, just buy a jazz fake book. Then I can give you a list of good standards, or there are also many lists online of the top 100 requested standards, etc.

But, more up your sleeve, as in more soundclips.
?


That first example was fun, and a good *exercise*.

 

[SBassman]

Something fun to work into this is doublestops, alternating between root + 7ths and 10ths on the turnarounds.

Sound clip?

 

[geoffkhan]

Sound clip?

Oh great, I've spoiled them. Sorry, Brad.

 

[dubblebubble]

Simplify

One other thing that just came to mind... repetition is cool in this genre... pretty much the opposite of walking a bassline, where you don't want to keep repeating yourself.

Yep, thanks Brad - with the two examples that geoff provided, it is easy to see that the KISS principle applies here. It is easy to get caught up in the "outline the chord, provide rhythmic interest, fill in all the gaps" mode of thinking - something that a walking line does fill quite well in jazz.

It is particulary hard to leave space with a three piece group (bass, guitar, drum), because as soon as you become less busy, the music has more holes in it - something that funk essentially needs.

I think that the hardest part is going to be providing chord outlines without filling up every available space especially throughout the guitar solo.

There is always more to learn

 

[Brad Johnson]

Oh great, I've spoiled them. Sorry, Brad.

One of these days I'll get around to recording myself on the computer.

The most common doublestops are either octaves or root-five (I-V). They work in most any situation but after a while tend to sound ordinary (depending on what you do with them of course). A great person to check out is Otiel Burbridge, great voicings and in a lot of cases you can simplify them down to a couple of notes that give the main voicing you want.

Bottom line, figure out what chord you're working with and play with that. A simple doublestop example is, when playing a major chord, playing the 5th and 10th, leaving the root implied. Or the third and octave. You can slide up or down to these. Nice effect and it even sounds like you know what you're doing . Of course three or more note chords are easier on electric bass so experiment there too.

Also, dead notes can be your friend. Use them rhythymically, think more percussively.

Upright and electric bass are two similar but very different animals... not that you can't play one like the other but as the old song goes, accentuate the positive.