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Double Bass TB/DB Tune-learning Masterclass

J

JBarz

Supporting Member
Mar 6, 2015
1,970
3,272
#1
Back in my school days, the studio used to meet every week and play for each other the tunes we were working on to hold ourselves accountable, offer constructive criticism, and dig on our shared common passion.

I miss that social element of music practice, but luckily us nerds have each other and it’s super easy to upload to YouTube with modern internet tech.

I propose this thread as a place we can post weekly informal videos of new tunes we’ve been shedding.

I’m personally trying to make sure with each tune I’m learning the melody and the most common bass line devices, lyrics if applicable, and I’m not going to let ‘em fly unless I can play a one chorus minimum effortless (ish) solo and its 100% consistant ’gig ready’/‘A-list’ material

I wanted to start easy with a tune I already knew from my saxophone days, ‘Manya de Carnival’…

 
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#4
Thank ye! Exactly the kind of feedback I’m looking for! And golly that video of Luciana Elizondo sure is lovely… Appreciate ya’ll!

Furthermore, I have no illusions of being anywhere near the caliber player some of you lot are, but really appreciate being able to interact with ya’ll here. Please don’t worry about hurting my feelings if’n ever you might have a piece of pedological wisdom or suggestion that might help me get to the next plateau with this stuff - I’m looking forward to this process hopefully kicking my playing/timefeel/tone/lines/intonation, et all to the next gear.
 
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#5
Ed Fuqua said:
Isn’t it MANHÃ?
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You're right!

Manya de Carnival by, Art Johnson and Gary Scott, is a pleasant ca 2020 light jazz arrangement of the original "Manhá de Carnival".

That said, to this bluegrasser they sound like essentially the same song, and I'm not sure which our @JBarz was modeling (or if it really makes any difference :) ).
 
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#6
Ed Fuqua said:
Isn’t it MANHÃ?
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Ed, you learn any new tunes recently? I bet dollars to doughnuts 90+% of us would be mighty grateful if’n you could make a quick video example demo’n your ‘how to really learn tunes’ methodology in real time. It doesn’t have to be polished, just for communal pedagological use ( please and thank you, punch and pie)
 
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#9
JBarz said:
Ed, you learn any new tunes recently? I bet dollars to doughnuts 90+% of us would be mighty grateful if’n you could make a quick video example demo’n your ‘how to really learn tunes’ methodology in real time. It doesn’t have to be polished, just for communal pedagological use ( please and thank you, punch and pie)
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I have to say that’s the thing I had the most problem with during the Covid lockdown - not being able to play with people. The whole “record yourself playing solo” thing does not appeal to me.
There’s plenty of audio and video out there of me doing what I like to do - playing with other people-if anyone wants to check it out.
 
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#10
I’m a fan of what you do, for sure.

No worries, thanks anyway - I don’t blame you - I would be very reluctant to post any acapella saxophone tune-learning practice regimen stuff at this stage in the game (if I could play right now, that is — I’m on surgeon mandated sax break until 2026 until this latest bone graft takes, ugh…). I have much lower expectations and a lot less conditioned self-criticism stuff wrapped up in my bass playing, though - thank goodness.
 
#12
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#13
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Life is too busy for me to take part in anything like this here regularly, but i thought I'd post my method for learning any tune: https://chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/do...n/?wpdmdl=940&refresh=68b70e061f5811756827142
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This is great - thank you! I’ve been trying to codify something akin to this for years. Can you elaborate on what you mean by a walking line “stretching the harmony a bit”? …

Since we’re in full on process nerd mode, I assume we’re talking about very deliberate tune-specific substitution changes and not just a “looser”, more intuitive take on the interpretation of the harmony - or am I mistaken?
 
#14
JBarz said:
This is great - thank you! I’ve been trying to codify something akin to this for years. Can you elaborate on what you mean by a walking line “stretching the harmony a bit”? …

Since we’re in full on process nerd mode, I assume we’re talking about very deliberate tune-specific substitution changes and not just a “looser”, more intuitive take on the interpretation of the harmony - or am I mistaken?
Click to expand...

Strictly outlining would be always playing the root on the downbeat of every chord change. So at 1 chord per bar, where R= Root and A =Approach Note, your lines would always go R??A/R??A/R??A etc. I have a book chapter about this on my website, and several videos on the subject.

Stretching the harmony a bit would start with loosening the restrictions on the downbeat to go beyond the root, to include other chord tones. Now the formula, where T=Target (chord tone) and A=Approach note, becomes T??A/T??A/T??A

This is only a first step toward a true "Hadenesque" open line, but it's a good first step, IMO.
 
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#15
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Life is too busy for me to take part in anything like this here regularly
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Golly you’re not kidding. I might have to turn this into an every-other-month kinda thing to accommodate the deeper dive into this material than I’m used to ( a good thing! ).

I sure do hope some other folks hop onboard in the meantime, though! We’re all friends, no judgement here - just loving encouragement!
 
#16
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Life is too busy for me to take part in anything like this here regularly, but i thought I'd post my method for learning any tune: https://chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/do...n/?wpdmdl=940&refresh=68b70e061f5811756827142
Click to expand...
Love this. To my own similar list I do something that goes like:

Invent a melodic fragment, repeat it over 8 bars (and keep repeating the same 8 bars till smooth) then move to next 8 bars do the same but modulate it so that it fits the new chords.

Take a 2-4 bar fragment, make it minor sounding (or major sounding if already minor), repeat

Same thing but up/down a half step, resolve however it most makes sense.
 
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#18
Huy Nguyen said:
Alright here's a shot. Feedback welcome. I've been spending the last month really trying to fix an inconsistent pulse I've had for years and I think I'm finally close. I need to play amplified more so I can hear all that good ol' intonation lol.

Jazz arco is so much fun.

Click to expand...

Sounds like the bow hair is not really gripping the string. That could be as simple as needing rosin, but it sounds like a weight, speed, and placement relative to the bridge.
 
#19
bassically_eli said:
Sounds like the bow hair is not really gripping the string. That could be as simple as needing rosin, but it sounds like a weight, speed, and placement relative to the bridge.
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Good ears. It’s just the crappy Mongolian horsehair that came with my Chinese bow. It just needs a rehair but I’ve been lazy to make the appointment. LOL

I also have challenges with setup as this bass is still set up for pizz playing and so I accidentally touch the other strings on occasion. Still working on my bow crossings.

Edit: these are also Spiro Red Mitchell Weichs so there’s that too
 
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