Your favorite quarantine bass discoveries?

[IamGroot]

I practice a lot during this down time and make several "aha" moments a day. Some are deep, some are "Why are you just finding this?".

Anyway, this morning I was transcribing this. The main riff is Gb maj7 9 to Bbm 9 b13. I notate it in Db. The aha moment is that the scales in this groove only differ by one note - C nat vs Cb.


What are you discovering?

Or do I need to get more?

 

[IamGroot]

Correction: Make that Gbmaj7 9 #11.

So Gb Lydian is Db Aeolian is Db. Doh..

 

[Big Boz]

I have discovered the high hat. Maybe it's just stronger in the songs that I have been working on lately but I swear that I can hear it more clearly than before. Maybe I've progressed a bit and am not focusing so much on just hitting the correct note, which frees up my brain to focus on the timing better. I dunno, but I like it.

 

[CallMeAl]

Discovering some Duck Dunn and McCartney bass lines in the books I just got.

Discovering my reading is getting better with steady practice.

Discovering I really like GHS Pressurewounds. Discovering that I don’t need too much in way of gear, but also discovering those new strings were a real “shot in the arm” after 8 weeks of solo playing!

 

[jsbachonbass]

I discovered that if I actually sit down and practice, I actually improve!

 

[IamGroot]

I have discovered the high hat. Maybe it's just stronger in the songs that I have been working on lately but I swear that I can hear it more clearly than before. Maybe I've progressed a bit and am not focusing so much on just hitting the correct note, which frees up my brain to focus on the timing better. I dunno, but I like it.

In Jazz, the high hat calls time.

 

[Bob_Ross]

LOL! My "favorite quarantine discovery" was that the fretless basses that have been gathering dust in my bedroom closet for the last 14 months (!!!) are really fun to play!

 

[IamGroot]

Correction: Make that Gbmaj7 9 #11.

So Gb Lydian is Db Aeolian is Db. Doh..

Bb aeolian. Dammit

 

[consectaneus]

Just jazz walking bass lines. Funny because I'm not a jazz guy. I'm hearing this stuff for the first time when trying to play it. I have to blame Jim Stinnett on youtube for demystifying it for me and making me believe I can do it. Now I'm obsessed with Paul Chambers atm. The thing is, as study it perfectly fits the bill for me. It's the bare bones of what bass does, but so deep at the same time.

 

[IamGroot]

Just jazz walking bass lines. Funny because I'm not a jazz guy. I'm hearing this stuff for the first time when trying to play it. I have to blame Jim Stinnett on youtube for demystifying it for me and making me believe I can do it. Now I'm obsessed with Paul Chambers atm. The thing is, as study it perfectly fits the bill for me. It's the bare bones of what bass does, but so deep at the same time.

Chambers was a master. Definitely worth studying because his lines fit so well.

 

[CallMeAl]

Just jazz walking bass lines. Funny because I'm not a jazz guy. I'm hearing this stuff for the first time when trying to play it. I have to blame Jim Stinnett on youtube for demystifying it for me and making me believe I can do it. Now I'm obsessed with Paul Chambers atm. The thing is, as study it perfectly fits the bill for me. It's the bare bones of what bass does, but so deep at the same time.

I don’t play a ton of jazz. We'll occasionally play an old crooner tune like How high the Moon or The Way You Look Tonight. we’re really a blues n rock band. But I’ve really gotten into learning jazz transcription the last year or so. It really strengthens my fret board knowledge, internalizes the pulse, and is just plain fun to play!

 

[SunByrne]

What are you discovering?

That the best 2:44 of most days consists of playing Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." The way Redding just attacks the bass, so much fun to try to nail that line.

 

[CallMeAl]

That the best 2:44 of most days consists of playing Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." The way Redding just attacks the bass, so much fun to try to nail that line.

I have a similar relationship with “Sir Duke.”

I played “Fire” in my very first cover band. Love playing that tune, thanks for the reminder!

 

[SunByrne]

I played “Fire” in my very first cover band. Love playing that tune, thanks for the reminder!

My pleasure.

It's not like it's super complicated... not a particularly difficult song to play in terms of making the right notes happen at the right times. But it's not quite so easy to play, if that makes any sense.

 

[jsbachonbass]

I discovered that if I actually sit down and practice, I actually improve!

Seriously though, I was practicing a lot of figured bass keyboard exercises using variations of arpeggiated bar chords and spread triads.