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Double Bass Melodic solos to transcribe

Toronto Bassist

Toronto Bassist

Jan 9, 2008
530
39
Toronto
www.vaughn-s.net
#1
It's often been said that a very good way, if not the best way, to learn to play over changes is to transcribe solos by the greats and see how they approach changes.

So I'd like to get to work on doing some transcribing and would like recommendations. But I must say at the outset that I like the melodic styles of guys like Steve Swallow and Rufus Reid over barnburners like Pattitucci or NHOP. Steve Swallow is a bass guitarist, but I think if you listen to his style of solo, you get what I mean. In fact the solos in question don't even have to be from bassists. Any suggestions? Obviously, records with a lot of standards would be handy. Thanks!
 
#2
In terms of melodic bassists.....here's the one and only.
It can't get any more melodic. He is tuned in 5ths here but he played just as melodic on four guts tuned in 4ths back in the 50's. He was my mentor and I love him very much.
Check his other stuff @ Youtube too.

 
#3
Have you done much transcribing already? It's work, but the more you do the better you get.

I'd suggest starting with Pres, Lester Young. Tenor (or metal clarinet) is easy to hear over the ensemble, Pres has just the greatest phrasing and timefeel, he has a wonderful melodicism within a fairly simple harmonic vocabulary.

Transcribing Pres did wonders for helping me develop a cogent and melodic approach to playing.
 
#6
Listening to tenor players, especially the giants IMO, is a wonderous thing for jazz bassists to do. Red tried to get Jug's sound on the bass when he was bowing solos.
And great singers. He listened to Sarah for some specific reasons....timbre, breathing and phrasing.
I was on the road with Anita O'Day for a while and after a few dates her stuff started showing up in my solos.
 
#7
Ed Fuqua said:
Cogent, you know, another guy. Like that song YOU ARE TOO BEAUTIFUL..."You are too beautiful for one man alone", so you need a CO gent....
Click to expand...

Wanna "Co gent" somebody when I get there? I'll bring the camera. Ray can do the shots.

EDIT: Hey Toronto, sorry about the silly. You got the great Don Thompson right up there. He's one of the great melodic jazz bass solosts of all time.
 
#11
Ed Fuqua said:
Have you done much transcribing already? It's work, but the more you do the better you get.

I'd suggest starting with Pres, Lester Young. Tenor (or metal clarinet) is easy to hear over the ensemble, Pres has just the greatest phrasing and timefeel, he has a wonderful melodicism within a fairly simple harmonic vocabulary.

Transcribing Pres did wonders for helping me develop a cogent and melodic approach to playing.
Click to expand...

I did a fair share of transcribing in college...my bass teacher made me transcribe solos by both electric and acoustic bassists, so I did stuff like Rufus Reid's solo on "St. Thomas", Jaco's solo on "Dolphin Dance", etc. But that was a long time ago and my skills have dropped off - both with transcribing and improvising. I will definitely take your suggestion into consideration.

Another thing - I've heard that Gary Peacock is very melodic, but have no idea which albums would be good to start with. So any suggestions there would be helpful.
 
#13
+1 for Red and Prez. I think I'd start with Prez though.. he's just too damn good.. everything he plays is just so beautifully melodic, and you'll be learning some really great and fundamental things about groove/time/feel/etc.

+1 as well for Paul's comment about transcribing the tenor greats.
 
#19
+1, of course John.
Our younger players, IMO, should make it a point to go back to the 4th tuning with gut strings days of Red's playing history. Just beautiful stuff.
You've been so instrumental in opening up the world of Red for the bassists of the next generation. Thanks for that.
 
#20
Toronto Bassist said:
It's often been said that a very good way, if not the best way, to learn to play over changes is to transcribe solos by the greats and see how they approach changes.

So I'd like to get to work on doing some transcribing and would like recommendations. But I must say at the outset that I like the melodic styles of guys like Steve Swallow and Rufus Reid over barnburners like Pattitucci or NHOP. Steve Swallow is a bass guitarist, but I think if you listen to his style of solo, you get what I mean. In fact the solos in question don't even have to be from bassists. Any suggestions? Obviously, records with a lot of standards would be handy. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Anything from Steve Swallow's 'Real Book'. The liner notes are an education in phrasing all by them self.
Anything from the Jim Hall - Ron Carter Duets
Dave Holland's solo on The Oracle from Extention
 

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