I want to be the jazz bassist next, I'm fairly good at reading bass music notation, ik adequate theory, I played guitar for five years so ik major, minor scales, and the pentatonic variants. Any tips on how to be a better jazz bassist? Auditions are in 16-18 weeks an I've got some competition.
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How to prepare for a highschool Jazz audition?
- Thread starter JagMaster37
- Start date
I also have some prior bass playing experience. Ik how to slap well and I've had my fender jaguar since Christmas.
A lot of the times the bass isn't notated, but left for improvisation. You will often only be given only the chords. Know these chords and their abbreviations and be able to arpeggiate them on the spot while creating smooth transitions between chords.
This. Listen to some standards and practice playing walking bass lines along with them. As jbl said, many times you will be the only member of the band given a simple chord chart, while the parts for the rest of the band are "spelled out" in notation. Some of your parts (at the high school level) will be written out. Some won't.
Ask the band director if you can borrow the bass chart/music folder to make some copies. Or at least ask him if he will tell you the "set list" of what is in there. That way you can listen ahead.
Good luck!
^^^ I understand that the Ed Friedland books on these topics are excellent.
4 months is a lot of time to woodshed (practice). Try to get your hands on the band's charts and learn them.
I'd also recommend working with a teacher if you can. Personally, I can't self-teach anymore. having a teacher has helped me keep my focus on the things I need to learn to reach my goals.
Don't worry about slapping at this point.
Practice with a metronome, and play along with recordings of the songs. Work on nailing the "one" every bar and holding a solid groove. In a larger jazz ensemble like this one, locking in as part of a grooving rhythm section is as important as getting the notes right (actually, it's always important). PLus it feels awesome.
I hope you get the gig. 36 years ago, I had a similar opportunity (without the competition part). Most of my few good high school memories are of jazz band. I've been in love with the low end ever since.
Good luck!
4 months is a lot of time to woodshed (practice). Try to get your hands on the band's charts and learn them.
I'd also recommend working with a teacher if you can. Personally, I can't self-teach anymore. having a teacher has helped me keep my focus on the things I need to learn to reach my goals.
Don't worry about slapping at this point.
Practice with a metronome, and play along with recordings of the songs. Work on nailing the "one" every bar and holding a solid groove. In a larger jazz ensemble like this one, locking in as part of a grooving rhythm section is as important as getting the notes right (actually, it's always important). PLus it feels awesome.
I hope you get the gig. 36 years ago, I had a similar opportunity (without the competition part). Most of my few good high school memories are of jazz band. I've been in love with the low end ever since.
Good luck!
Also, learn the melody of the piece. It can help you while soloing (if you choose) and it can also help you to develop more melodic bass lines and walks.
The Evolving Bassist by Rufus Ried is specifically taylored to the jazz student. And, it's not just about being able to walk off of the changes. You need to know the different grooves and feels. Swing, blues, jazz waltz, ballad, straight, shuffle, latin, two-feel, cheese jazz-rock, et al... And if your school has an orchestra program, introduce yourself to the director and see if you can get some practice time and a little instruction with a double bass.
One other perspective - learn and understand the difference between playing the bass and guitar. I can usually tell when a relative beginner has shifted from guitar - note choice, rhythm, but most of all is focus on tone. Many doublers (not all, so nobody get offended by my comment) play bass like a guitar with thick strings - too many notes, thin tone, lines that sound more like lead than bass. Its rare that they understand the bass' role as a rhythm instrument.
Good luck with the audition!
Good luck with the audition!
I want to recommend The Real Easy Book again. It is written for High School students, has Real Book type charts, and a recommended bassline for each song.
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217156.shtml
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217164.shtml
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217512.shtml
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217156.shtml
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217164.shtml
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217512.shtml
I would think the instructors would give you the charts & have time set aside to work with you during study halls or before/after school. That's how it was back in my day. My sophomore year this was the hardest tune in the set.
Definitely ask the instructor to let you borrow a few typical bass parts, so you have an idea of what to study for. Showing an interest in preparing for the audition won't hurt you either.
Our band instructor was a horn player, so most of the attention was directed at the horn players. My bass lines were 100% improv - I'd listen to the recordings to get a feel for them, and try to play them note-for-note until I had them down. Then I'd give them my own twist. I love walking bass lines, but in my experience, the "less is more" approach works really well. Along with adding your notes to the mix, you're also adding rhythm. It's your time to shine, because bass is so important to jazz. Just make sure you're not outshining, because that takes away from the song.
I think that for a high school jazz band audition, the best advice is to play the ink. For one thing, reading will be an important factor in the audition. Also, there are plenty of different settings where you can develop as an improviser, but nothing like playing in a big-band to improve your reading chops. A chance to turn yourself into a good jazz reader is like free money. And finally... some of the most modern, coolest big-band music also has the most strictly arranged and written-out bass parts.
I've played in big-bands almost continuously, with just a couple of gaps, since middle school. Right now I play in a "concert" big band that plays some pretty challenging material -- roughly half of the members have music degrees. And I get calls from a number of other big-bands in the area. So I'm grateful for having been given a chance to play in school jazz bands.
I've played in big-bands almost continuously, with just a couple of gaps, since middle school. Right now I play in a "concert" big band that plays some pretty challenging material -- roughly half of the members have music degrees. And I get calls from a number of other big-bands in the area. So I'm grateful for having been given a chance to play in school jazz bands.
