Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PagP
HAPTER I. CHORDS 4
OUIZ... .......... t 0
CHAPTER II. CHABT READING: ASTABTING GUTDE . .. ........ t l
CHAPTER III. STYLES ENCOUNTERED ........ 14
swtNc. .... ... .... 14
Leamingto Play í n theSwingstyle.. ' ....... t 6
Blues... ..,... 1l
TheTuo Beat ... ....... 21
THEJAZZWALTZ..... .....24
ROCK . . .......... 25
LATIN.. ...........27
Bocsa Nova .,.. 2t
Samba . ....... 29
Beggre.. ...... 29
CHAPTER I V. SOLOS . ...... 3()
BASS LTNES ....... 32
CHAPTER V. GETTINGA"NATURAL''SOUND. ........33
CHAPTER VI.
VI . MORE ON CHORDS ..... u
9ü, llth and t3th Chords . ........... 34
Divising Formulas for Determining Chord Memberc.......... 3g
Non€ordal Tones .. . ...... . 39
Scales and Chords . ..........,10
Diminished Scales ........... 42
CHAPTER VII. MTSCELLANEOUS ..... ......... 43
Sampl ingoÍÍ a chan...
amplingo ...'...43
leÍ s. '.
CleÍ ........... 44
Give the Chart a Chance ...... 45
A Word on Major/Minor ...... .[ 6
ln Addition ........46
CHAPTER VIII. DTSCoGRAPHY ........ 48
RAY BRoWN '.. '.. 5í
CHAPTEB I X. REFERENCE ...,., , ,, , 52
CHAPTER X. BASS CHARTS (From the album "Hate To See You Go") ........ 53
JOHN CLAYTON, born August 20,1952, has made great musical strides in the past years.
A list of the professionals with whom he has worked would be too extensive to list here.
He has studied with Ray Siegel, Ray Brown, Carol Kaye, Abe Luboff, Murray Grodner
and Eugene Levinson. ln 1975, he received his Bachelorof Music in Double Bass from
lndiana University. At age 19, he was the bassist for Henry Mancini on the television series,
"The Mancini Generation." He worked for two years with the Monty Alexander Trio.
John has played in many professional big bands and now tours with the Count Basie
Orchestra.
PROSPECTUS
The things that one learns and retains come, mainly, from experience. The purpose of
this book is t o present some of the more common situations with which a bassist will
-have to cope when reading Big Band music (of course, much will apply to other musical
styles and situations encountered). The purpose is to also persuade the bassist to do his
own research, especially in regards to stylistic influences and aural development (too
many bassists know only how t o read and have underdeveloped ears). t wllt talk about
certain approaches to solving problems most often encounterd. These will be SOME
of the solutions at your disposal. I strongly advise you to learn from as many souroes
as are available to you.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated, first and foremost, t o my firct musical inspiration. This
person was feeding music into my soul while I was nestling in the womb. .
Thanks, Mom.
John Sr., Ray & cil and rineke. And to those not mentioned (you know who you
are).
Many thanks to all of those who contributed the bits and pieces that make up thas
book. Your aid was immeasurable.
CHAPTER I
CHORDS
This is probably the most important section of the book. Many (and I mean MANY)
bassists don't have the understanding of the basic chords that they must know.
Learn this section. Listen to what each chord sounds like while playing it. The
purpose of learning this is t o condition your Í ef|exe
ef|exess to play the notes of a chord when
you see and/or hear the chord. For the sake oÍ creativity in bass Iine construction, later
(chordal given However, by
you won't need to play ONLY the notes tones) of a chord.
that time, when you see a QJ, you'll "hear" what it should sound like.
l have vertically categorized the chord types' Please make special notice of the diÍ
diÍ fe
fere
rent
nt
ways that these chords will appear (example: Q is also written as $ gf ) . Also, I have
Me, Í ^ R
( (r,,nt 7b
eb , __ ebnwoe ítbb
eb Ub- ebb
fuaj1
b b n ^ tb
?mt
mtiilÉ lIé ? Atlarat"al(o 6et€)il
úr^nl fik6)
óv'rha
é o1 (ane e9 ct
ctll
(01 Qana Aq oo1)
co1) eÜEs
rh Qarae aq oIü+ Cb1
lbPl kene Po
í lbPl ?01 + ?1)
*mra/or(
í 1hJ
1hJ0R
0R rnAfuR 06]uJ41 oé lail\| fuArGo ltftA
Cn,tMefl ffiL-
gbr,1
gb r,1tna
tnaíí 1)
Obr,r11na,1) ?br,16
rk-ot 8bM,N1?5)
1u1) (,-1óá
G mw(m1)
í0
CHORDS
outz
1. Fill in the notes belonging to each chord. The root should always be on the down beat.
flt+á bbPl bb
2. Construct a bass line using only chordal tones. Use roots on the down beat only when it
helps in constructinq smooth bass lines.
e* ,A
,Artpí
rtpí -(, c bbol
( ol f uű
20
MEMOBIZE
MEMOBI BLUES PROG
ZE THE BLUES PROGRES
RESSI
SION.
ON. I T I S A MUST FOR THE BASSIST.
Using the knowledge that we now have about blues progressions, we are able to put together
í9
wb1) yl Í . 1 b1
b1))
Many, many variations exist. These, in Í act, are variations on earlier blues progressions.
There may be times when the blues progressions you play may be extended (16 measures
instead of l2 measures, for example); or, it may contain only 3 chords----the 17, lV7 and
t8
Perhaps illustrating the above this way helps you in memorizing it:
it :
T1 t r7 T,II
T, T1
E1
olnn
ol
17
BLUES
There will be occasions when you get a chart that reads something like:
E h lÍ r lwau
wau < '
Beí ore you can walk the blues, you must learn the most often used chord progressions.
Beí
They are being found more and more in bass books these days (not t o mention other
instruments. . . . . .guitar, piano, et.al.).
r6
(play quarter
I t is generally god practice to "lay down" the time notes) @@ adding
"drops," triplets, etc', so that the band has an understanding oÍ exactly wherc the time
Í eel is. You are preparing a foundation upon which the rest oÍ the band plays, After you
sense that the band is sure oÍ where the time feel is, it is generally o,K. t o throw in other
rhythmic figures (with some bands, the bassist may have t o play quarter notes
notes Í or t he
duration of the song. With other bands, it may take only one measure). Also, unless a
sp
spec
ecial
ial efÍ ectt is desired, play quarter notes more on the legato (long} side than on the
efÍ ec th e
Find a recording of a blues (or a song that you know the chords to) that is in t he
swing feel. The tempo should range Í r om medium to slow. Ascertain the key.
Listen carefully to what the bassist is doing. lf you wish, write out the chords
being used. After MANY listenings (at least 10), play along with the recording.
You may be required to re-tune your instrument to the recording. The volume
oÍ the recording should be such that you can hear what you are doing AND
What the rhythm section on the recording is doing. lí they don't physically
get in the way oÍ your playing, headphones can be helpful. When playing,
listen for the choice oÍ notes that the original bassist is using; if you like them,
play them along with him whenever possible. lf you have some ideas that you
think go well with what is being done,
WlTH THE try them.
REcoRDlNG' lf done properly, All notice
you'll should be done
oÍ thisimmediately ií you
are a Í ractionn of a beat ahead or behind what was done on the recording'
ractio
Double bassists and fretless electric bassists should make left hand adiustments
when needed to retain good intonation (play your instrument with your ear
as well as with your technique). Concentrate on lockino in to what has been
done. When you are in a similar environment, you will be able t o play this
style with little or no problem. Perhaps you'll notice mistakes made by th e
bassist on the recording. Ear-mark them and avoid making the same mistakes.
This method is suggested for learning the feel for any style oí music.
ln the chapter on SOLOS (Chapter lV), I have explained and outlined the above technique
for learning solos and transcribing bass lines.
t5
ftI a uÍ Í Lé )rr?
)rr?ppé as by austin and s apaug h
6nss arr. by gary pot t e r
taro /ur4,9a47/o't/
I I l^ v a- lr
a4ár
-r @^ ffi
ff i? By Jim Edison
- '-
14
CHAPTER III
STYLES ENCOUNTERED
SWING
ln order to capture the swing feel, you must familiarize yourself with it. This is done
by listening; absorbing this feel into your ear and conscience. Playing along with records
is the second important step to truly understanding this and other styles as well (and, of
course, it is important to eventually get some experience working with other musicians).
I won',t attempt to define swing. I will, instead, try to explain what is expected of a bassist
who must play in this style.
J)
I
The quarter note ( is the important metric unit here. You create a bass line within
TechnicallY,
it is simple. ln glancing at a piece of music, if you mainly see quarter notes, you can usually
assume that it is in the swing style.
?oo?Le h r b
Swing style:
r3
S
6
F"
H
s
\ ouö
a< o
al
$
<" :o* ÚI
H* '
;l :t,
\
sb
a'.
l'^
o:
r
s
O,O5
:4 .
r'3. g
:- a
OOo
l
sgq
6'l
6'
to
l x
..,
.. ,
J
S
$
tbs
c-
s{
s
l..
t2
2?
ffi-ffi ffiffiffi
Fj
s ffi B
9
z
;(])
6
+
@, i
..-r
ol
::9
; io
c
-
U,
-9-
ar
" 'j *
:a
ffi- oz
'.
;j
qo
j-
z
o
cr
ffi o=
sg
D
11
CHAPTER II
The situation: You're a beginner when it comes to reading big band charts (bass parts).
been given a guitar part, for instance. A quick glance at the clef will also help
determine this.
Look at the key signature.
Take note of the time signature.
Note the instructions given (style, tempo).
GLANCING THROUGH
Now, as you glance quickly over the music, make a mental note of repeats, lst and
2 bar ending in unison with the rest of the band, for instance).
2l
The 2 Beat
ln the swing style, the bassist often has to play ,,in 2,.,with
2,.,with a,,2Í
a,,2Í eel,,,o
eel,,,orr a,,2 beal,,
pattern. These terms all reÍ er to the same thing: the bassist plays, basically, on beats 1
and 3 (in the 4/4 meter). lnterpretation varies. Some bassists play half notes when playing
in 2:
22
'}. ft €
Here, the zbgg sections have notated bass lines that you are to play. You walk an improvised
line starting in the sth rneasure and go back to thezbge feel in the gth measure'
I t is not uncommon to see the term SWING used in place of WALK.
I t should be pointed out that the 2 beat style is not always a strict 2 beat; i.e., there are times
When the 2nd and 4th beats are played. This is done in a way that preserves the 2 beat Í eel
but allows the bass part to remain interesting, giving it a lift, keeping it unpredictable. Here
23
by Tillman Buggs
AAe
fy-Í
@
' At-
21
Note that beats 2 and 4 arc generally left unplayed. When given a bass part that is in the
th e
2 beat feel and containsgl' the rhythm ) ) t ,ro, unoften take musical liberties
t o make the part more interesting by expanding upon what has been given you (as in th e
example above). lt is the occasional additional rhythms (that include playing on beats other
than |ust beats 1 and 3) that he|p to make the 2 beat Í eel more interesting.
THE JAzz wA
wALLÍ z
Here are four basic rhythmic patteÍ ns often played for Jazz Waltzes:
patteÍ
t.
When there are two different chord changes per measure, Example No 3 is probably the
th e
best to use. Here is a bass line to illustrate what you might play iÍ given only the chords:
brtleil bb
bb11 a AN ?,r1 81
play a SWlNG
Example No. 4 is usually p|ayed when a chan calls Í or a bassist to WALK or
feel in 3/4.
25
ROCK
This has turned into a general term throughout the years. lt is hard to be specific about
what elements are oommon to all rock and roll because of its divercity. There is Acid rock,
Funk, Bossa rock, Boogaloo feels, Punk rock, Gospel rock, Reggae rock and who knows how
many other kinds that cropped up while you and I were sleeping last night.
Generally, when you see "Rock" indicated m a style in which you are t o play, the eighth
notes are played even or "straight."
Rock:
as opposed to
Swing:
=9-+
Bnss
NIEW
OArS
TIhE
,$\tlErDW
By Russell Peck and Kurt Carpenter
Fagr Q=III
26
Quite often you'll be given an example oÍ a rock pattern and will be instructed
to improvise
your own rock pattern, similar to the example given t o you.
h v)Ü
)Üíí ű ) fuM)a1 u ű ?)
The Í eel will not be swing when you see the pe
perÍ
rÍ ormanc
ormancee instruction JAZZ ROCK.
The eighth not6 are sti[ prayed "straight" and shourd not be prayed
in the swing styre:
ú nr
F:a:."-El.r.ta
gb Abl €7 Ca7
27
LATIN
A few styles encountered that take their roots from south America and the west lndies
(via Africa) are the Bossa Nova, the Samba and Beggae.
Bosa Nova
The baic Bossa Nova beat is ) , il, ) . ,n. eighth notes are ,,straight.,, you can
pattern (this is also a probable bass line for the chord changes given above):
lla.hsn
_-
28
fleb.Sw
zsse kt
ktee
This rhythmic Í iguree is also used for the,,Soft Rock,'style:
igur
--
Samba
For those that are unfamiliar with the Samba, it is usually best to start off by thinking
of it as a fast Bossa Nova. This is a good starting concept. As your experience wíth Latin
music grows, your knowledge of bass parts and how they work in this style will grow also.
Here is an ex
excerpt oÍ a typical Bossa chart that goes into a Samba feel toward the middle.
cerpt
@;ffi
el, d'J 22o A1 (ril 4AnbA-
Reggae
At this writing, there are few big band bass parts written in the Reggae style. With its
it s
growing popularity, I imagine that there will be more and more written. Below you will
find a few examples of some Reggae bass lines. Note that the emphasis is on beat 2,
primarily, and that the lst beat is generally left unplayed.
ELat)C
rfré
rfré ae,
n
Recorded examples of this style can be heard by such artists as Slinger Francisco ("The
Mighty Sparrow") and Lord Kitchener.
30
CHAPTER I V
soLos
I t takes a long time to be able t o play mature-sounding bass solos. Let's not put it of
offf
another day' one oÍ the main reasons that many bassists don't know what to do when
given the chance t o solo is because they are not afforded the opportunity to do so as
often, say, as a trumpeter or saxophonist. ln order to build this weak point in our
playing, we have to consult those who are more adept at it than we are: back t o th
thee
"Borrow," whatever (solos, that is). First, you must íind records of bassists playin9
solos that appeal to you and are not too far advanced for you, technically. Do not be
afraid of being a "carbon copy" of someone. Nine times out of ten, the musician that
you are admiring did the same thing' Besides, ií t works, Why not? Your future
alterations to their ideas will be the things that dlstinguish your voice from theirs.
Your reje
rejection oÍ t he things that do not excite you enough to borrow help in developing
ction
your voice.
After finding a solo that you would like to learn, here is a guide that I recommend using
t o help learn the solo:
1. Listen to the solo 'l0 t o 20 times (you may Í ind that you need to listen to
ffi your eai is well devé
devé loped, you may not
loped,
need listen even 10 times). This must be done with the utmost concentration.
You must absorb every slide, glis, gí ace
ace note and other nuances used.
4. Plav the solo in unison t o the recordinq without sinqinq. This is so that you
áí bettei hear what you are doing. lt is possible to get wrapped up in your
singing and drown out any mistakes that you might be making, especially in
regards to intonation.
40
( 'ű bb,í1 en
I will use the above formula to determine the scales for the chords that remain in our 4 bar
progression.
39
NON.CHORDAL TONES
When a bassist plays bass lines, t o help in constructing a linear or smooth bass line,
he/she will play notes that don't necessarily belong to the chord (or scale of the chord).
They are acceptable passing tones and alterations that are usually played instinctively.
Consider the following example:
e, í1 (, u
fl
ln analyzing the notes that I have chosen to play here, we see that there are, in each
measure, notes that don't belong to the chord. , . but they sound good. I was not
ing í rom a scalar approach When l constructed this line. Nor was l thinking about
thinking
think
chordal tones and non-chordal tones. I HEARD a bass line in my head that would fit
fi t
wellwith the chords l was confronted with. ln order to do this, you must Í ind rec
record
ordss
with interesting bass lines on them. . .thingo that you really like. Play these same lines
yours
you elÍÍ (write them out or memorize them). DoN'T
rsel ANALYZE THE BAss LlNE
UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO. The important thing is to get a flow of good bass
lines surging through your veins. When you feel the need to analyze, go ahead. Analyze
your head off. lt's Í u n. Holding precedence over qlyglg oÍ bass lines is construction
of bass lines.
38
DEVISING FORMULAS FOR DETERMINING CHORD MEMBERS
' e) Cvvv\,/
Examole: C^ = E G gb
M3 m3 m 3 M3
D
or or or or
B) 4 3 3 4 (half-steps)
A) The distance from C to E is a maior 3rd.
The distance om E to G is a minor 3rd.
Í r om
The distance from G toBb is a minor 3rd.
The distance Í r om Bb t o D is a maior 3rd.
OR
B) From C t o E there are 4 ha
halÍlÍ -steps
-steps..
From E t o G there are 3 halí -steps.
-steps.
From G t o Bb there are 3 half-steps.
From Bb t o D there are 4 ha
halÍlÍ -steps
-steps..
lf this section is too hard for you, you probably haven't gotten a Í ul
ulll understanding oÍ
Chapter l. lf this is the case, you should go back and review Chapter l.
37
Qbl
blx^
x^ nt9
(eb st11
st
36
6bt)
I
Gb-1
gt, bnwl
í0 (nt,l1
e,, fl-1
OI, D-1
-
-
35
34
VI
CHAPTER
MORE ON CHORDS
the thinp that you will when pursuing and analyzing this.
ln the beginning, three examples will be given to you. The remaining 9 should be filled
in by you. Starting in the Minor 9th section, only one example is given. You are to fill
in the remaining 1 1.
By the time you reach the example of a C Mai. 13, you should have grasped the pattern in
my examples. When comparing the chord types, we can see that the 9th is an extension
of the 7th, the 11th is an extension of the 9th, and so on. By the time you reach t he
Major 13th column, you should not find it necessary to complete columns on the Maior
9th and Major 11th chords. They are both contained in the Maior 13th chords.
3it
CHAPTER V
GETTING A "NATURAL" SOUND
( Í or Double Bassists)
Your sound is so nething personal' lt often helps the rest oÍ the band if you strive for a
soÍÍ nething
"punch" or a bit oÍ "edge'' in your sound. Some people add a bit more treble on their
amplifier setting to help in getting the edge. Be careÍ ul, though, not t o lose the ,,bottom,,
careÍ
rcund when doing this.
Here is a system that you can use in setting your ampliÍ
ampliÍ ier
ier to help obtain and retain th
thee
you
sound that want:
1 . Turn volume completely down.
2. Play a scale or line covering 2 octaves, ascending and descending.
4. Repeat step 2.
5. Make tÍ eble
eble and/or bass ad|ustments on the amp
ampliÍ ier so that you are able t o
liÍ ier
retain the sound you were getting beí
beí ore the amp
ampliÍ ier volume w6 turned up.
liÍ ier
6. satisí ied, turn volume up t o t .
When satisí
7. Repear step 2.
8. Repeat step 5.
9. Continue process until you have reached the volume at which you normally play.
stuÍ Í in
ingg towels
towels in F_Holes helps cut down on feed-back (for those oÍ you that must play
Í airly
irly loud).
A FEW CONTRIBUTING FACTOBS TO YOUR SOUND:
1, Your amplifier settings.
2. Your instrument.
3. How hard you pizzicato.
4, Where you pizzicato (how you adjust your hand regarding vertical height).
5. Where your strings are "set" (how far away from the fingerboard they arel.
6. Your pick-up.
iting,, the tvr,o mo6t popular pick-ups Í or double bass are the Polvtone and
At this wÍ iting
@@_b.and pick-ups. Others are available, but these seem to be the most popular.
32
This has proven to be a useful technique for aural development for students that l've
had. The good thing about this is that the solo becomes a part oÍ you. . . . . .not notes
orgottenn and sometimes never really HEARD by us (that
on paper that are often easily Í orgotte
is t o say, we'll sometimes be a bit lazy and iust PLAY the notes instead oÍ really hearing
what we are doing).
Bass Lines
Learning bass lines Í rom records is recommended also. However, it is harder (but not
rom
impoesible) t o memorize a chorus
chorus oÍ bass lines, usually, than it is to memorize a solo.
I recommend writing out bass lines that you find interesting by using a condensed version
ormulaa given Í or solo
oÍ the Í ormul solos.
s.
BASS LI NE TRANSCRIPTION :
1. terr listening to the song in its entirety a few times, figure out how much of
AÍ te
the arrangement you are going t o transcribe.
3. Write down what you hear (if unsure of yourself at first, take time out t o
play what you have written down. )
5. Start playing the recording again. Check to see that the notes that You've
written down are correct and transcribe 2 - 4 additional notes
Continue this process until your goal has been reached. lf you have a hard time distinguishing
some notes, listen t o the notes in question a Í ew times' sing them, if necessary. Play them
on your instrument, iÍ necessary' Doing this should enable you to write them.
31
5. Plav the solo without the recordino. Now you can really hear yourself.
Check yours elí t o see iÍ you're pleased with the type of sound that you're
yourselí
getting. Double check orr the inflections in the solo (perhaps, for instance,
your gliss is too Í ast)' Now, too, is the time to make changes that you might
want t o make. Perhaps a note or two on the recording was out of tune oi
missed. Ta ke the libertí eli to correct the intonation and play the note that
Take
the other bassist did not.
Review:
-- Always keep the volume of the recording at a level that enables you t o hear t he
recording and yourself (whether you are singing or playing or both).
-- Use headphones oNLY if theY do not physically get in the way oÍ your playing.
-- Be prepared t o retune your bass to the recording (recordings are usually about
a 1/4-tone sharp) unless you have a pitch control device on your recorder or
turntable.
-- Find solos that you like and work at your own pace. lt should be an enjoyable
experience and not a chore.
The more solos that you absorb, the better prepared you will be to deal with the musical
situation that requires you to play one. Don't be Í rustrated if, after five solos or so, you
rustrated
still are Í reez
reezing up when it comes time to solo or your solos don't sound as ,,good., or
"proÍ essional"" as the ones on records. lt iust takes time' YoU'll notice quite a bit oÍ
essional
se
selÍlÍ _improvement
_improvement With the increasing amounts oÍ solos
olos that you learn.
4l
From the preceding analysis, lrv€ are able to see that there are 2 sca]es used for the progression:
When tryang to utilize the preceding Í ormula for a chord that has alterations, proceed as
ormula
usual. However, reverse the alteration so that there are no alterations in the chord and it
remains a seventh or minorseventh chord.
Example: cr{bs) = c,
After the scale has been determined, add the alteration (to the note from which it wc
removed) to the scale. This will give you the @rrect scale for that particular chord.
Example:
1. c7(bs) = c E cb gb o FA
2. (with alteration removed) c7= cE
cEG
GBbDF
BbDFA
A
3. CT= CEGBbDFA = (one flat) F maior ( F G A gb C o e)
4. C7 = F maior scale
5. c7(b5) = F Gb A Bb c D E (alteration added)
42
DIMINISHED SCALES
Here are the three Diminished Scales that should be committed to memory. The larger
note heads indicate the chordal tones of the diminished chords that they represent. The
one oÍ the chordal tones (large note heads).
scales can be played starting from any one
43
CHAPTER VII
VI I
MISCELLANEOUS
SAMPLING OF A CHART
You
will find an example of a chart below,......an honest-to-goodness chart. The
arrangement has been charted out Í or you. lt is not that difficult t o figure out. however:
You have been given a key signature (Bb) and time sign ature (4/41. Notice, too,
that the key and clef appear only once. They apply the duration of the song
unless otherwise indicated.
44
-E[E' The signs used t o indicáte a certain amount oÍ measures or choruses vary.
the case at Letter "C," however. When presented with a numeral above it, it indicates measures.
so, at Letter "C,'' we have 10 meirsures oÍ walking the blues. lf WALKhad not been indicated,
tne wouto have represented 10 measures of rest. Use your good judgment in these
ff
ambiguous situations to determinrs what the copyist wants,
theopportunityto,,improve,'uponwhatiswritt
theopportunityto,,improve,'uponwhatiswritt en.Howeve
en.However,Í
r,Í irstgivethec
irstgivethechartac
hartachanc
hance'
e'
your ideas
This is also a good way to show the band and band director how much better
may be when compaÍÍ ed t o thos€ oí the arranger's (as Í ar as a bass part may be concerned)'
compa
Be ca
care ul,, though. The arranger may have in mind for you to reinforce, harmonize'
reÍÍ ul etc"
another part. After reading through a chart as is, l'll often ask the conductor if he/she
Wants me t o play exactly what i;written. lÍ not, l've got a bit more Í reed reedom'
om'
nore interesting for all if, after you have thoroughly learned
lt maY also help to keep charts Í nore
the chart.and Í in bitt ooÍÍ freedom, to try difÍ
that you have a bi
indd that erentt thingE' Use your better
difÍ eren
iudgmenttodetermineiÍÍ thecha
iudgmenttodeterminei thechartisthes
rtisthesortoft
ortofthingthatyouc
hingthatyoucen,,s
en,,stretchout,,wit
tretchout,,with.h.
Let the chart act as a quide; a vehicle for your creativity' Again, it is important
to learn
45
CLEFS
Here is a chart which may help you wlren you encounter the other cleÍ
cleÍ s that bassists
are often required to read; the Treble Clef and the Tenor CleÍ
leÍ ' The notes have been
arranged so that when viewed vertically you can determine what a particular note is in
(é ^ Jo? cÉ (
.l.lcc
AWOBD ON MAIOR/MINOR
Thg indi
indica
cation oÍ Minor (min., mi., m,
tion oÍ after tho len.r naÍ
naÍ no oí t chord
-}
(Example: C min'l always reí erc t o altering th€ third. making its distance írom t he
rmt a minor third (3 ha
halÍ
lÍ * tepe}} . So, you can see a chord with more than one
tepe
alteration (Example: cr| t uut ií u gl does not immediately í ollo
ollow
w tlre letter
thiiÍ d will be maior (4 halí -stepsl.
name of the chord, the distance Í r om the root to the th -stepsl.
The indication oí Ma|or (Mai., M,A ) after the letteÍÍ name oí a chord (Example: C Mai.l
lette
it t rÉ
rÉ aÍ r s hat the se
seventh oÍ the chord is Major and there is alrc a ninth in the ciord
venth
(CEGBD).
A combination oí the 2 is poBsible. Example: Cmin.Ma|.9 = eb c ao
c
You will na'er see CMai.min.7. ln order for the D .' in the preceding example t o eÍ í ect
thiÍ d, it must appaar l EElE 4y after the chord's letter name (C4 q.Ma|.7l. ln
the thiÍ
traditional theory, the phrase "Major Minor Seventh'' is used t o reí er t o a Sanenth chord.
So, a C"Malor Minor Sanenth" = C7.
I N ADDITION
Suspended, Srs. 4. Sus' or 4 (appearing after the letter name oÍ a chordl all mean that t he
speciÍ ic bass notes. There will b€ tim6 when a bassist runs acrocs rcmething
chords with speciÍ
like this: FrlC. The F, above the slash (/) tells us what the chord is. The note below
the slash (Cl tells us the note that is to be played in the bass.
47
48
CHAPTER VIII
DI SCOGRAP
SCOGRAPHY
HY
The suggested recordings and discographies are Í or thothosse who don't know where t o start.
The Ray Brown recordings were picked for their clarity in order to make it easy for the
bassist t o hear and analyze. lt is not mandatorv t o acquire thes€ particular recordings,
especially if the studeni has other rec6TdTnnTTFat he/she enioys more that illustrate what
is being discussed.
49
Richard Davis MUSES FOR RICHARD DAVIS BASF 20725
Eric Dolphy Memorial Album - ALONE Veelay 2503
TOGETHER
Richard Davis & Elvin Jones - HEAVY SOUNDS lmpulse A9160
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis - CENTRAL PARK Solid State 18058
NORTH
RI SE AND FALL OF THE THIRD
Joe Zawinul - RISE vortex s2002
STREAM
Eddie Gomez THE BILL EVANS ALBUM Columbia 30855
BILL EVANS AT THE MONTREUX JAZZ Verve V68762
FESTIVAL
Bill Evans - SI
SIMPLE
MPLE MATTER Verve 68675
Bob Cranshaw Lee Morgan - SIDEWINDE R Blue Note 84157
Sonny Rollins- NEXT ALBUM Milestone 9(X2
Sonny Rollins & Co. - THE BRIDGE RCA LST2527
50
CLASSICAL DISCOGRAPHY
Gary Karr Serge Koussevitzky - CONCERTO FO
FOR
R cRt s-248
DOUBLE BASS
Karr - BASS VI
VIRTUROS
RTUROSO O Golden Crest 8E7031
(Suite and Sonata for double bas and piano
and lor double bass and guitar)
ROMANTICMUSIC
BAROOUE MUSIC
MUSI CFOR THEDOUBLE
FORTHE DOUBLE BASS
BASS Piper Records
P. O. Box 1713
Cincinnati, OH 45201
ALBUMS ON WHICH RUFUS REID CAN BE HEARD
ls lt ln - Eddie Harris Atlantic SD 1659
Charlie Parker Memorial Concert cadet 60002
The Chase Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon Prestige I ff)l0
Kaleidoscope - Nancy Wilson Capitol ST852
lnstant Death - Eddie Harris Atlantic 161 1
Eddie Harris Sings the Blues Atlantic 1625
Excurcion - Eddie Harris Atlantic SD231 1
5t
RAY BROWN
There are so many bassists t o listen t o and learn from that l've found many bassists to
be co
conÍ
nÍ used as t o where to start lin regards to jazz solos). At first, l thought it unwise
used
to single out any one bassist for fear oí tampering With stylistic iniluences] However,
for the. sake of those who.just don't know where to start; l'll single oneout: Ray Brówn.
He is almost always recorded well and clearly, thereby making it iairly easy to di;ttngJish
what he is doing. His rhythmic time is good. His intónation is consisiently good. His
elen1{ d usually approactred from a melodic stand_point. TÉ ls s NoT
P-Lo:9 9 99 elen1{
TO IMPLY THAT THERE ARE NOT OTHER GOOD BASSI BASSI STS THAT YOU OR i
CAN CHOOSE TO LEARN FROM. This is A start (not THE start) for those who need
a point of departure.
I have listed some albums upon which Ray Brown can be heard:
52
CHAPTER I X
REFERENCE
COMPREHENSIVE
COMPREHENSI VE CATALOG OF AVAILABLE LITERATURE FOR THE DOUBLE BASS
by'This
Murray Grodner
calalog presents literature available Í or the Double Bass. lt includes all works under
the headinó METHoDs, ETUDEs & oRcHESTRAL sTUDlEs, soLo LITERAT_URE'
cHAMBEá MUSlC and coNTEMPoRARY BooKs ABoUT THE DoUBLE BAss.
AISO iNCIUdEd iS A IiSt Of AVAILABLE REC ORDI NGS OF SOLO WORKS FOR THE
RECORDI
DOUBLE BASS. lt lists publishers, prices, level of difficulty and other essential, useful
information.
Available through: LEMUR MUSI CAL RESE
RESEARC
ARCH
H
Box 71
Bloomington, lndiana 47401
53
CHAPTER X
BASS CHARTS
ln order to allow you t o use many of the techniques displayed in this book, I have
included this chapter. This will allow you to see bas charts as they will often appear.
This was the way the music appeared before me. My interpretation of the following
charts can be heard on the record, "HATE TO SEE YOU GO," by Al Cobine. lt can
This is a guide for those who don't have the funds t o purchase some of the many
recordings mentioned in the discography. I hope that you'll enjoy playing these
charts along with the record and that learning these styles will be a pleasant challenge.
JOHN CLAYTON
54
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