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Double Bass gypsy jazz sheet music help

#4
joe_sorren said:
Hello All,

I was wondering if anyone knows where to obtain any Louis Vola transcriptions? His playing with Django is so great, but it is hard to hear all the time, due to recording restrictions at that time. Any help wuld be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


joe
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Joe:
There is a great piece of software called Transcribe! put out by Seventh String Software that allows you to load up an MP3file (ripped off a CD -- you'll need iTunes or some such softwre to do this, or you can just load up the WAV file off the CD itself, which may or may not work depending on your computer's power) and then filter the bass so it is made louder while the other instruments are reduced. This will help you pick out his bass lines. The softwre will also digitally slow down the music without changing the pitch of the music, which is great. After you learn the bass part you can reverse the filter to remove the bass but leave the other intruments in, which gives you a nice Music-Minus-One type of piece to practice with, I highly recommend Transcribe! (their exclamation point, not mine), I use it for all of my transcription work.
Mike
 
#6
Gypsy is lively in California this Spring. I appreciate this thread.

Last night and Friday night had me back in Southern California attending the Djangofest in Laguna Beach. Got to attend with 5 musician friends, and hear some intensely talented groups/performers: John Jorgenson, Andreas Oberg, Angelo Debarre, more.

I met the proprieter of Djangobooks.com, a rhythm guitar player himself supporting Andreas Oberg at this event. I asked him if there were any books on learning Gypsy Bass. He stared at me for a moment with a very blank (perplexed) look, then said "no." All he could tell me was that it's a staccato style of playing (typically), so I prompted him with more questions, and the best advice he could tell me was to listen to the music obsessively. I pretty much picked that up already.

But one of the musicians I went with is a performing bass guitar player (mostly funk, R&B, and rock). Even he could not really nail down the basslines in watching these upright players, though the chord progressions seem straightforward.

Simon Planting has to be one of the most widely recorded, traveled, and recording double bassists in Gypsy Jazz, and his performances this weekend did not disappoint in slightest. (He was my inspiration for starting). But I didn't get a chance to pepper him with questions like I did last year. My points?

Please (anyone), keep speaking to Gypsy Jazz. But I've got to tell you - I think this genre is going to expand soon beyond the realm of the double bassist - for multiple reasons. One reason is that Gypsy musicians live the lifestyle - they travel all the time, play anywhere. Seems like a matter of time before someone, from somewhere, breaks into performing with a headless "travel" bass guitar instead. :-)

As for Gypsy instrumental workshops, lots of guitar players in audience at this event. I asked one if any bassists typically attended these workshops. He said no, but that if I brought a bass to a workshop, i'd be the most popular person at the event. Sounds promising for next year, or the Djangofest in San Francisco coming up in April.
 
#7
onewebfoot said:
I met the proprieter of Djangobooks.com, a rhythm guitar player himself supporting Andreas Oberg at this event. I asked him if there were any books on learning Gypsy Bass. He stared at me for a moment with a very blank (perplexed) look, then said "no." All he could tell me was that it's a staccato style of playing (typically), so I prompted him with more questions, and the best advice he could tell me was to listen to the music obsessively. I pretty much picked that up already.
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Robin Nolan of the Robin Nolan trio has put out a series of six books that cover the rhythm aspect of playing Gypsy Jazz. He plays tracks on the accompanying CDs with just himself and his bass player. On these CDs you can clearly hear what the bass player does to back the most prominent of the Gypsy Jazz tunes, although it won't be necessarily the way Louis Vola played them. There is no bass music however to follow; you will have to get all by ear, but the chord progressions are well indicated as well as the basic arrangements with some intros and outros, and some ideas for putting them all together. This is a very worthwhile, but not cheap, set of books and disks. You can get them through Robin's web site (Google him) or Djangobooks might have them here stateside. Another similar series of books are Colin Cosimini's, again available through Djangobooks I believe. He has CDs to go along with his chord charts, but I don't recall if any bass is played on them. The value of his boooks, up to four now, is he gives a lot of variation on the chord changes that are popular in Gypsy Jazz use.

I hope this helps.
Mike
 
#8
onewebfoot said:
One reason is that Gypsy musicians live the lifestyle - they travel all the time, play anywhere. Seems like a matter of time before someone, from somewhere, breaks into performing with a headless "travel" bass guitar instead. :-)
Click to expand...


When I travel with Gypsy Pacific, I often use my NS Design BassCello. It works very well in that band in the times when I can't line up double basses to rent.
 
#9
Marcus, I met someone named Mark (lead guitarist for Hot Club Pacific) out of Santa Cruz this weekend. They performed Friday evening, and I enjoyed them very much. I enjoyed everything immensely. I think you might be another person (another Marc or Mark), but it's exciting to hvae ongoing contact with people in the know. Many thanks for your observations.

DM Perry - thanks for speaking to the strategy and resource side of this discussion further. That was extremely helpful. I got to visit with the Robin Nolan Trio widely last year, and I hvae a lot of pics on my other system. Other than Simon, who performs regularly with Angelo Debarre also, the Nolan Trio did not perform in Laguna this year. Maybe they'll be in SF next month. Would love to support Robin's work with Simon on his instructional materials, and that will be the foundation that starts whatever I personally do with Gypsy. I'm very glad you spoke up. Many thanks, all. -Vince
 
#14
Thanks to Marcus Johnson tip, I checked out and ordered a few books from djangobooks. They arrived last night and a re VERY helpful.

If you want to learn a solid approach to gypsybass, check out Romane: La Guitare Manouche. Its acoustic guitar and bass only on the cd, and the bass plays great lines. They are not transcribed, but clear to hear, and easy enough to learn with some patience. The book lays out all the changes and guitar transcriptions, but it's the bass that steals the show.

So...heck it out if you want to learn gypsy style bass.

Heres the link:


Link Removed
 
#15
I just played with Gypsy Pacific last night, and I have to say that it's really become a surprising pleasure in my musical life. People just love that band. It started as a goof, just messing around at my house almost five years ago. If it's taught me one thing, it's the fact that music doesn't have to be so frickin' serious all the time. People just seem to smile a lot when that band plays.
 

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