• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

marcus miller lesson!!! help!!!

hey guys just wondering if any one has learnt the Marcus miller song DETROIT off his new album renaissance. i need just a pointer in the right direction at least don't really know how to go about learning the song any help will be much appreciated thanks
and if you haven't heard the song please do yourself a favour and head over to youtube and hear it.!!!! cheers
 
Get the song in mp3, open up your windows media player or winamp (anything with a slow down plugin), and start playing along, imitating all the nuances you hear him play. Or try singing along with what he plays, it will help you figure out how to play it on the bass. Singing along to anything is hard at first, but even a mediocre bass player like me can do it with some practice. See if you can find chords to the song online. Good luck!
 
Hey,
I have transcribed parts of the song for my Jazz combo. Even though the song may sound very difficult it is relatively easy to understand the harmony and the rhythm (slapping it in time is a different thing - "double thumbing" etc.): It is based around the g-minor pentatonic = G Bb C D F. In certain phrases (e.g. the line that marks the beginning of the melody) you hear a Db (the "blue note" = b5). An example: The first line that the trumpet and sax play is
Db (b5) C (4) Bb (b3) G (root) Bb (b3) F (b7) G (root).
If you try to follow the main bass riff start on the 5th fret of the D-string with a "pop" and then "slap" the 3rd fret of the E-string. The whole riff is based around the 3 fret. The melody starts on the 10th fret of the G-string (F =b7), followed by a hammer-on to the 12th fret (g = root). In order to understand the rhythm you need to think in 16th notes. Just slap muted 16th- notes to get into it (metronome).
Sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker.
Greetings,
Bimbam
PS.: I could send you the sheet music of the main riff.