Straight from Jaco...

[misterCRUSH]

I was first learning bass, and watching the interview with Jaco, his advice was to learn the melody to every song. I cannot emphasize enough how that has affected my playing. Just that one little nugget of advice, I may never play the melody in an actual session, but I have it, and I can hint at it during a solo, etc. After about a year of playing, and learning all these melodies, something else began to happen. My playing took on a more lyrical sound. My solos were more structured and musical. It has helped me, thank you Jaco...

 

[ONYX]

I was first learning bass, and watching the interview with Jaco, his advice was to learn the melody to every song. I cannot emphasize enough how that has affected my playing. Just that one little nugget of advice, I may never play the melody in an actual session, but I have it, and I can hint at it during a solo, etc. After about a year of playing, and learning all these melodies, something else began to happen. My playing took on a more lyrical sound. My solos were more structured and musical. It has helped me, thank you Jaco...

Long before that Jaco interview was ever done, I had a jazz instructor give me the same advice. No matter what instrument you play, you don't really "know" a tune unless you can play it's melody.

Besides, who doesn't like to hear "Over The Rainbow" played on a fretless........

 

[dreamadream99]

I haven’t done a lot of this myself, but it sounds like a good idea. I tend to think that most bass soloing isn’t melodic enough.

 

[JRA]

good advice!

 

[BassChuck]

Lester Young's advise was to learn the lyrics to every song.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

It's good advice because as bass players, we are generally not carrying a melody during the majority of our playing. When we decide to take a solo, it can sometimes take on a scalar sound in terms of both note choice and phrasing, because we haven't been conditioned to think in terms of melody the same way a horn player, vocalist, or pianist does. Learning how the melody is constructed helps with that. Most bass players, even if they start off with formal training, do not start their playing lives thinking like melody players, so there is a "de-programming" period that needs to be done when exploring solo playing.

 

[acleex38]

This is also why Jaco cited Sinatra as an influence on his playing.

I like to list Billy Eckstine, but that's because it gives me an opportunity to play the recording I have of him singing "How High the Moon" for people again.

 

[swooch]

It's good advice because as bass players, we are generally not carrying a melody during the majority of our playing. When we decide to take a solo, it can sometimes take on a scalar sound in terms of both note choice and phrasing, because we haven't been conditioned to think in terms of melody the same way a horn player, vocalist, or pianist does. Learning how the melody is constructed helps with that. Most bass players, even if they start off with formal training, do not start their playing lives thinking like melody players, so there is a "de-programming" period that needs to be done when exploring solo playing.

This was a very good analysis and you put something in words that I think I've only "understood" subconciously before. I think I very much suffer from this kind of thinking and playing in scales and patterns rather than melodies. So now I just have to find the time and fortitude to actually take Jaco's advice.