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In a rut - Help me fellow bassists!

L

LeleLele

Jul 6, 2010
10
0
Turin, Italy
#1
I've been transcribing for a couple of years now. I did a lot of jazz stuff (Coltrane, Cannonball, Lucky Thompson, Miles, J.J. Johnson, Paul Desmond), basslines (Ron Carter, Jerry Jemmott, Pino Palladino) and so forth.

I've got the hang of it, and my reading has improved a lot.

Problem is, my playing is still stiff and unimaginative. I don't know what to do with all that material. How do I pick out what patterns to use? How long must they be? How do I go around practicing them?

I know this sounds kinda idiotic, but I really need help. Can you suggest a way to incorporate that music into my playing?
 
#2
LeleLele said:
I've been transcribing for a couple of years now. I did a lot of jazz stuff (Coltrane, Cannonball, Lucky Thompson, Miles, J.J. Johnson, Paul Desmond), basslines (Ron Carter, Jerry Jemmott, Pino Palladino) and so forth.

I've got the hang of it, and my reading has improved a lot.

Problem is, my playing is still stiff and unimaginative. I don't know what to do with all that material. How do I pick out what patterns to use? How long must they be? How do I go around practicing them?

I know this sounds kinda idiotic, but I really need help. Can you suggest a way to incorporate that music into my playing?
Click to expand...

Are you playing the stuff you transcribe as well as transcribing it?
 
#5
I just made some fake chord on "His eye is on the sparrow" the first couple of lines in the chorus are an example of letting our ears help. The song is in 6/8 time.

5.. /... /...../..... /...R ... /... //
I sing because I'm happy,

5../.... /..../..... /....R
I sing because I'm free;

Singing the song under my breath I need a couple more notes after happy. But, not after free.

Singing and flowing with the tune. One note per lyric word - two syllable words get two notes - seem to let the groove develop, i.e. I needed two more notes after happy, but not after free. With out singing along with the song I would have not picked that up. Be flexable enough to feel that.
 
#6
You probably want to start deconstructing the solos. Think for a while like a Bebopper. Sort through your transcriptions & separate the fills from the melody or the motif the soloist stated from the beginning. The transcriptions will make it easier to visualize how the solo was constructed. When you're done, you will have a notebook full of riffs & fills for metronome practice. Next, select 6 or 8 & get them under your fingers. Pay attention to the changes. Fills over ii/V or ii/V/I will come up often & are worth knowing.

Now start to build your solos. My music tutor encourages me to invent little melodies. For example, simple 3 note enclosures, starting on beat 2, like |x|3|5|4| - a quarter note rest, a half note & 2 eighths, followed my a 1 measure rest. Repeat, transposing if the changes demand it. Repeat with a fill in the 2nd measure, Repeat changing the rhythm, repeat changing the fill ... Do something similar for the B section. Return to the A section motif building tempo & harmonic tension & resolve to 2-4 bars walking with a turn around.

Don't be fooled by the simple explanation. This takes practice, concentration, determination, an ability to hear yourself play badly & most of all a strong desire to let the music inside you come out. FWIW, I rarely remember what I have played.

BTW, it should be fun, too. 8-0
 

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