Public Version

Unaccompanied Double Bass in Jazz Composition and
Performance: A Case Study of Three Works by John Patitucci
Author:
Hutchens, Eric
Publication Date:
2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/24255
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Unaccompanied Double Bass in Jazz Composition and Performance:
A Case Study of Three Works by John Patitucci
Eric Hutchens
A thesis in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Philosophy
School of the Arts and Media
Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture
July 2022
Abstract
This thesis investigates three solo double bass works composed and performed by John
Patitucci on his 2019 album Soul of the Bass. The purpose of this study is threefold: an analysis
of the three pieces for the purpose of identifying the influences that make up Patitucci’s
musical style as composer and improvisor; an examination of the techniques used by Patitucci
to create arrangements for solo double bass performances; and an inquiry into the role of
composition in Patitucci’s self-directed learning.
Whilst the double bass in jazz is becoming an increasingly popular topic for academic research,
little has been investigated in scholarly writing regarding solo double bass recordings and
particularly the solo double bass works of John Patitucci.
John Patitucci is a significant figure in the world of jazz, recognized for his contribution as a
side musician as well as a soloist, bandleader and composer. Soul of the Bass features twelve
works composed, improvised or arranged by Patitucci that showcase his wide-ranging musical
influences. My research focuses upon three of these, namely ‘Soul of the Bass’, ‘Morning Train
(Spiritual)’ and ‘Elvin’.
The analysis undertaken consists of melodic transcription and identification of stylistic,

melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic commonalities and differences within Patitucci’s practice and
across stylistic boundaries.
The results of this analysis reveal the influence of J.S. Bach; Mississippi Fred McDowell; and
Elvin Jones and John Coltrane upon Patitucci’s compositional style, and the techniques that
Patitucci has employed to arrange these works for the solo double bass. I also argue that a
reason for Patitucci’s composition of these works is to further enhance his musical expertise
through a process of self-directed learning.
i
Table of Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................i
Table of Contents.......................................................................................................ii
List of Figures............................................................................................................iv
Acknowledgements...................................................................................................vi
Recordings Cited......................................................................................................vii
Chapter 1. Introduction.............................................................................................1
Research Questions..................................................................................................... 3
Chapter Outline........................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2. Literature Review and Methodology........................................................5
Introduction.................................................................................................................5
Jazz Double Bass History and Practice.........................................................................6
Solo Double Bass Improvisation and Composition......................................................7
Solo Double Bass Performance Techniques...............................................................10
Self-directed learning in jazz......................................................................................12
Methodology............................................................................................................. 13
Transcribing recorded music......................................................................................13
Conclusions................................................................................................................14
Chapter 3. ‘Soul of the Bass’..........................................................................................16
Melodic Characteristics..............................................................................................17
Influence of J.S. Bach.................................................................................................21
Improvisation and variation.......................................................................................25
Expressive Devices.....................................................................................................28
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 29
Chapter 4. ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’...........................................................................30
Compositional aspects of McDowell’s ‘Back Back Train’............................................32

McDowell’s approach to performance......................................................................33
Patitucci’s performance of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’...............................................35
Scooping.................................................................................................................... 37
Hammer-Ons............................................................................................................. 38
Slides..........................................................................................................................39
ii
Melodic Variation...................................................................................................... 40
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 42
Chapter 5. ‘Elvin’............................................................................................................44
Structural Overview...................................................................................................44
The contribution and influence of Elvin Jones...........................................................45
John Patitucci’s performance of ‘Elvin’.......................................................................49
Rhythmic analysis of ‘Elvin’.........................................................................................49
Melodic analysis of ‘Elvin’...........................................................................................52
Harmonic analysis of ‘Elvin’.........................................................................................53
Blues elements.......................................................................................................... 57
Analysis of Patitucci’s improvisation on ‘Elvin’...........................................................57
Return of Melody.......................................................................................................59
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 62
Chapter 6. Self-Directed Learning, Jazz Improvisation & Composition......................63
Self-Directed Learning............................................................................................... 63
Self-Directed Learning and the Jazz Musician............................................................64
Self-Directed Learning and John Patitucci..................................................................66
Self-Directed Learning and Composition...................................................................67
Conclusion................................................................................................................. 69
Chapter 7. Conclusion..............................................................................................70
Bibliography.............................................................................................................72
Appendix 1. ‘Soul of the Bass’.......................................................................................81
Appendix 2. ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’........................................................................83
Appendix 3. ‘Elvin’.........................................................................................................85
iii
List of Figures
Figure 3.1 The Range of the Melody in 'Soul of the Bass' (notated one octave above
sounding pitch).............................................................................................................. 16
Figure 3.2 Timeline of 'Soul of the Bass'.........................................................................17
Figure 3.3 ‘Soul of the Bass’ A Section Bars 1 – 9 (Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E.
Hutchens, adapted from Jisi, 2019)................................................................................17
Figure 3.4 ‘Soul of the Bass’ B Section Bars 9 - 20 (Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E.
Hutchens).......................................................................................................................18
Figure 3.5 Example 1 from Patterns for Improvisation by Nelson (1966).......................19
Figure 3.6 Example 1 (Nelson) in D Major, Extended for an Extra Bar...........................19
igure 3.7 Bars 15-17 of ‘Soul of the Bass’........................................................................19
Figure 3.8 Bar 12 of ‘Soul of the Bass’.............................................................................20
Figure 3.9 Bars 13 – 16 of ‘Soul of the Bass’....................................................................21
Figure 3.10 ‘Bourrée I’ from Suite III BWV 1009.............................................................21
Figure 3.11 Opening Phrase of ‘Soul of the Bass’. Adapted from Jisi (2019)..................22
Figure 3.12 ‘Bourrée II’ from Suite IV BWV 1010 (bass notes shown in red)..................22
Figure 3.13 Section B of ‘Soul of the Bass’.......................................................................23
Figure 3.14 Section B of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with Suggested Chord Symbols. Adapted from
Jisi (2019)....................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 3.15 Bars 20 – 33 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with colour coded variations...................26
Figure 3.16 Bars 38 – 42 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with colour coded variations..................27
Figure 4.1 ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ Patitucci, Bars 1 – 8. Transcribed by E. Hutchens31
1Figure 4.2 ‘Back Back Train’, McDowell, Verse 1, Bars 1-8. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
.........................................................................................................................................31
Figure 4.3 Formal Design of ‘Back Back Train’................................................................35
Figure 4.4 Formal Design of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’.................................................35
Figure 4.5 ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ bar 1....................................................................37
Figure 4.6 ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ bar 8....................................................................38
Figure 4.7 ‘Back Back Train’ beginning of Verse 1.........................................................38
Figure 4.8 McDowell’s Lyric in Verse 4 of ‘Back Back Train’ (Bars 30-32). Transcribed
by E. Hutchens............................................................................................................... 39
Figure 4.9 Patitucci’s Elaboration of the Melody in Verse 4 of ‘Morning Train’ (Bar 25).
Transcribed by E. Hutchens............................................................................................39
Figure 4.10 Use of Slides in ‘Morning Train’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens....................40
Figure 4.11 Bars 11-12 of ‘Back Back Train’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens.....................40
Figure 4.12 Melodic Variation in ‘Morning Train’ Bar 11. Transcribed by E. Hutchens 40
Figure 4.13 Melodic Variation in ‘Morning Train’ Bar 17. Transcribed by E. Hutchens 40
Figure 4.14 ‘Morning Train’ Bar 30. Transcribed by E. Hutchens..................................41
Figure 4.15 Morning Train’ Bar 4. Transcribed by E. Hutchens.....................................41
Figure 5.1 Timeline of ‘Elvin’............................................................................................44
Figure 5.2 Elvin Jones – Resolution – Part 2 of A Love Supreme. From Jones’ Entry of
Drum Set at Bar 17. Drum Set transcribed by William Machado; Double Bass
transcribed by Dave Fink................................................................................................48
Figure 5.3 Bars 1 – 8 of ‘Elvin’ by John Patitucci. Transcribed by E. Hutchens...............49
Figure 5.4 Bars 17 – 25 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens.......................................50
iv
Figure 5.5 Blues to Elvin, bar 49 of second Coltrane solo chorus. Transcribed by Frank
Kofsky (1998, p. 361.......................................................................................................50
Figure 5.6 Bars 28 – 31 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens.......................................51
Figure 5.7 Bars 41 – 44 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens......................................51
Figure 5.8 Bars 29 – 32 of Resolution. Transcribed by William Machado.....................52
Figure 5.9 4:51 – 4:57 of ‘Pursuance’ © 1977 Jowcol Music...........................................53
Figure 5.10 Bars 25 – 27 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens.....................................53
Figure 5.11 A Diminished Blues Scale, Starting on A......................................................54
Figure 5.12 Major and Minor Triads Derived from the A Diminished Blues Scale..........54
Figure 5.13 The First Section of ‘Elvin’ by John Patitucci. Transcribed by E. Hutchens. .56
Figure 5.14 Showing the Blues Motif in Bar 19 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens...57
Figure 5.19 Bars 62 – 64 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens....................................59
Figure 5.21 Repeat version of the A Theme in ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens........60
Figure 5.23 ‘Elvin’ bars 24-27. Transcribed by E. Hutchens............................................61
v
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Alister Spence for his constant encouragement, support
and guidance. His empathy and wisdom have been invaluable in the development and
completion of this work. I would also like to thank my co-supervisor Professor Dorottya Fabian
for her feedback, guidance and expertise, and for helping to make this possible from the
beginning. Furthermore, I am grateful to Dr. Sandy Evans for her feedback and advice during
postgraduate reviews.
I am thankful for the support received through an Australian Government Research Training
Program Scholarship.
Thank you to the subject of my thesis, John Patitucci, for your inspiration over many years in
both music and faith.
Lastly, I am grateful to my wife Jo and daughter Emily, whose unwavering support, motivation,
and love has been instrumental throughout the course of this project.
vi
Recordings Cited
I have included YouTube links to musical examples as footnotes throughout my thesis.

However, in awareness of the possibility of these examples being removed from the public
arena, I have included the following list of recorded performances that will be examined in this
work. The list is organised by chapter, with the performances listed in the order that they will
be discussed.
Chapter 2
Holland, D. (2013). Pork Pie Hat. [Song]. On Ones All. Dare2Records.
Coleman, O. (1960). Ramblin’ [Song]. On Change of the Century. Atlantic.
Patitucci, J. (2019). Soul of the Bass. [Song]. On Soul of the Bass. Three Faces Records.
Chapter 3
Patitucci, J. (2019). Soul of the Bass. [Song]. On Soul of the Bass. Three Faces Records.
Chapter 4
Patitucci, J. (2019). Morning Train (Spiritual). [Song]. On Soul of the Bass. Three Faces Records.
McDowell, F. (1966). Back Back Train. [Song]. On Amazing Grace. Craft Recordings. (1994).
Chapter 5
Patitucci, J. (2019). Elvin. [Song]. On Soul of the Bass. Three Faces Records.
Coltrane, J. (1965). Acknowledgement. [Song]. A Love Supreme [Album]. Impulse!
Coltrane, J. (1965). Resolution. [Song]. A Love Supreme [Album]. Impulse!
Coltrane, J. (1965). Pursuance. [Song]. A Love Supreme [Album]. Impulse!
vii
Chapter 1. Introduction
Four-time Grammy award winner John Patitucci (1959 +) is ‘one of the most respected and
recorded’ double and electric bass players in the jazz genre (Morrison, 2019, NP). As well as
leading his own jazz ensembles and long-standing collaborations with internationally
recognised jazz performers such as Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter, he has also performed
with pop musicians and Brazilian artists. He is a skilled performer of classical repertoire on the
double bass and is a Grammy Award winning composer; having composed and arranged
numerous pieces that appear on his albums, in his live performances, in concert halls (for
example Hypocrisy, 2020) and film scores (most recently Chicago: America’s Hidden War,
2021).
John Patitucci is recognised for his expertise in a range of styles. From a young age he was
inspired by Chick Corea’s fluency across a wide breadth of musical genres. Patitucci says, ‘I
wanted to be able to play both my instruments [double bass and electric bass], and then to
experiment with everything, all the different kinds of grooves and even classical music, which
[Corea] did so seamlessly through his career’ (Enright, 2021, paragraph 4). Piero Pata from Le
Coq records says [in choosing an in-house bass player for his new label] ‘I wanted a very
versatile player that could play any rhythm and style of jazz, Latin and flamenco that I thought
would suit our ‘honest jazz’ theme here at Le Coq Records. John is just that player’ (Enright,
2021, paragraph 11).
In an interview with Jason Raso from Canadian Musician Magazine, Patitucci described how he
found his own voice on both the upright bass and the electric bass:
I think what happened was I just liked a lot of different kinds of

music, so it wound up that I needed both to play all these different
styles. It was kind of like, ‘Okay, this style really needs an acoustic
bass,’ so I really wanted to learn that. And all the styles of music
within each instrument, that was a big challenge, too. You know,
dealing with all the different styles from funk to Latin music, and then
Brazilian music later and Afro-Cuban music and Israeli music and all
the West African stuff that I got into… And then, on acoustic, the
different kinds of jazz, and then eventually I studied classical in
1
college for three years. I really
2
got into that. That was a big deal in terms of my foundation
technically, and musically and sonically. Learning to play with a bow
became a huge part of my musical life as well – chamber music and
writing stuff and even playing solos in symphony orchestras. (Raso,
2017, p. 45)
In 2019 Patitucci released his 16th recording as a leader, a solo bass album entitled Soul of the
Bass, that features a range of mostly original compositions and improvisations. This was a
landmark album for Patitucci because it fulfilled a goal he had set for himself ever since
hearing the solo double bass record Emerald Tears by Dave Holland in 1977. Patitucci says
‘[Dave Holland’s] playing inspired me, but it was a little intimidating’ (Kassell, 2019, paragraph
1). 40 years later, he felt the time was right to make a solo bass album of his own.
Whilst the double bass in jazz is becoming an increasingly popular topic for academic research,
little has been investigated in scholarly writing regarding solo double bass recordings and
particularly the solo double bass works of John Patitucci. Whilst interviews with Patitucci
discussing his approach to improvisation are becoming more prevalent online, there has been
little in academic writing that investigates his compositions or analysis of his improvisations.
Grove Music Online includes biographical and musical sketches of Patitucci (M. Gilbert, 2003;
Holmes, 2013) however there is no mention of his solo double bass works.
In choosing an album, or collection of albums, that will be conducive to revealing aspects of

Patitucci’s style, this album and these works – namely ‘Soul of the Bass’, ‘Morning Train
(Spiritual)’ and ‘Elvin’ – have been chosen because they showcase contrasting facets of
Patitucci’s wide-ranging musical influences in a clear and distinct manner. These three pieces
also provide varying examples of his approach to crafting solo double bass arrangements.
Furthermore, it is reasonable to hypothesise that Patitucci composed these pieces partly from
a desire to study the corresponding genre in more detail. In doing so, he may have composed
study materials for himself, as a creator. His way of doing that could be to go back to go
forward. By studying the style of his musical heroes, he can incorporate their vocabulary into
his own musical language. This hypothesis is substantiated by advice that Patitucci gave
students during an artist-in-residence visit at Concordia University Irvine in January 2022,
‘keep developing your language. Listen to other greats and imitate them.’ (Jazz Great Teaches
CUI Music Students, 2022, March 7)
3
The musical analysis is centered on three pieces from Soul of the Bass, namely ‘Soul of the
Bass’, ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ and ‘Elvin’. The analysis consists of melodic transcription and
identification of stylistic, melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic commonalities and differences
within Patitucci’s practice and across stylistic boundaries.
Whilst all three pieces are performed solo on the double bass, they each display differing
musical influences. ‘Soul of the Bass’ exhibits characteristics that reflect the influence of
Bach’s music for lower stringed instruments such as the Suites for Solo Cello; ‘Morning Train
(Spiritual)’ displays Patitucci’s skill in adapting the blues and in particular the music of
Mississippi Fred McDowell; and ‘Elvin’ reveals the rhythmic influence of Elvin Jones and the
harmonic and melodic influence of John Coltrane.
Research Questions
I framed my research around the following questions:
 What are the traditions, influences and innovations that contribute to Patitucci’s
musical style as both composer and improvisor, as manifest on the three pieces
selected for study?
 What techniques has Patitucci used to arrange his music for solo double bass
performances?
 How has Patitucci used composition to enhance and develop his own practice-based
study of the three music styles represented?
Chapter Outline
This Introduction (Chapter One) outlines the rationale, research questions and structure of the
thesis.
Chapter Two is in two parts: the Literature Review and the Methodology. Literature pertaining
to Patitucci; his music; and the field in which his music is situated; composition for jazz double
bass; solo jazz and improvised music performance; and self-directed learning is surveyed. The
methodology section outlines the methodological framework I employed in the analysis and
discussion of the three pieces selected for study.
4
Chapters Three, Four and Five are analysis chapters, representing one piece for each chapter
and the corresponding musical style represented by each piece.
Chapter Three: ‘Soul of the Bass’, I provide a transcription and analysis of the opening track on
the album. On this basis I investigate the influence of classical music composition techniques
such as using arpeggiation to describe a moving series of chords (Goldsby, 2010) as found in
the Cello Suites of J.S. Bach.
Chapter Four: ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’, I provide a transcription and analysis of Patitucci’s
arrangement of the Spiritual melody ‘Morning Train’. Following on from this, I examine the
characteristics of the Blues tradition and in particular the unique way in which Patitucci has
adapted the guitar and vocal performance practices of Mississippi Fred McDowell to suit
double bass performance.
Chapter Five: ‘Elvin’, I provide a transcription and analysis of the seventh track on the album.
Subsequently, I explore the rhythmic influence of Elvin Jones and the harmonic and melodic
influence of John Coltrane in relation to Patitucci’s composition.
Chapter Six: I investigate the connection to self-directed learning in the motivation behind
Patitucci’s composition and performance on Soul of the Bass, and particularly his use of
composition to enhance musical expertise.
Chapter Seven: a discussion of the conclusions reached in the analysis chapters and a
suggestion of ideas for future research.
5
Chapter 2. Literature Review and Methodology
Introduction
There appears to be a gap in the literature concerning John Patitucci and the
remarkable contribution he has made to not only double bass and electric bass
performance but to composition. The limited availability of academic sources has
created a challenge but also an opportunity to add to the current body of literature.
Most of the information directly related to Patitucci has been gathered from non-
academic sources such as interviews in magazines, the trade press and online sites that
record his thoughts and insights on improvising and composing such as for the works
on the album. These include: Raso (2017), Chinen (2019), Jisi (2019), Kassel (2019),
Morrison (2019), Paste Magazine (2019), Russonello (2019) and Enright (2021). These
interviews have been invaluable in enabling Patitucci’s voice to be heard in each
analysis chapter in this thesis.
Cavalli (2016) made an in-depth study on Patitucci’s technical approach to playing the double
bass and electric bass. This study provided helpful information on Patitucci’s use of expressive
techniques on the bass. However, it only touches lightly on Patitucci’s compositional output,
and having been submitted in 2016 it does not mention the Soul of the Bass album (2019).
Whilst the double bass in jazz is becoming an increasingly popular topic for academic research
(some examples are: Oh, 2005; Ousley, 2008; de Neef, 2014; & Phipps, 2017), little has been
investigated in scholarly writing regarding solo double bass recordings and particularly the solo
double bass works of John Patitucci. This again reveals a gap in the literature and highlights
the need for a study that will showcase Patitucci’s performances and compositions for solo
double bass.
In seeking to position my research within existing scholarship, this review is organised into four
sections that contextualise the project within my stated research questions: jazz double bass
history and practice; solo double bass improvisation and composition; solo double bass
performance techniques; and self-directed learning in jazz.
6
Jazz Double Bass History and Practice
Texts on jazz double bass history and practice can be roughly grouped into two categories:
pedagogical texts that are primarily concerned with learning technique, scales, chords and
bass line construction; and scholarly works. Pedagogical texts that have been useful in the
writing of this thesis include The Total Jazz Bassist which mentions Patitucci as part of a ‘new
generation of bass masters like… John Patitucci… who [is] highly skilled in both classical and
jazz and [is] taking modern bass playing to levels never before achieved’ (Overthrow &
Ferguson, 2007, p. 114). Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary
Bassist James Jamerson includes a brief bio of Patitucci (up to 1989) and a discussion of his
musical influences, as well as recordings of him playing excerpts from three Motown songs. As
informative as this book is, due to its date of publication it focuses on Patitucci’s early career in
Los Angeles and in particular his electric bass playing, rather than on his jazz double bass
playing (Dr. Licks, 1989). The Jazz Bass Book: Technique and Tradition discusses the
contribution of several influential jazz bassists mentioned in this thesis such as Jimmy Blanton,
Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus, Scott LaFaro, Jimmy Garrison, Charlie Haden, Ron Carter and
Dave Holland. Patitucci is not mentioned in this book as the author focused his attention on
bassists ‘who came on the scene before the late ‘60s.’ (Goldsby, 2002, p.226). A recent
publication written by Patitucci is John Patitucci: Walking Bass which, whilst being primarily a
pedagogical text on walking bass line construction, includes an up-to-date biography, mentions
his album Soul of the Bass and acknowledges the influence of Ray Brown, Ron Carter and Rufus
Reid on his musical development (Patitucci, 2021).
I have used Berliner’s work of jazz scholarship Thinking in Jazz (1994) to establish background
information on the role of the double bass in jazz. Berliner’s benchmark text provides much
useful information regarding jazz history and particularly relating to how musicians learn to
improvise. Whilst his work does not specifically mention John Patitucci, it is a useful text for
informing an understanding of the development of jazz double bass performance, and even
more so for exploring ideas of self-directed learning in jazz (as will be discussed later in this
chapter).
Since the double bass became almost exclusively used in jazz by the second decade of the 20th
Century (after replacing the tuba, which had its origins in the New Orleans marching band
tradition), its role has primarily been a time keeping and harmonic one. Among jazz double
7
bass players, keeping a regular sense of time is valued, as is the spontaneous creation of
harmonically connected bass lines. Whilst the main role of jazz double bass players has
traditionally been to support the higher-register melody instruments, bass players also
perform as soloists within the ensemble (Berliner, 1994, p. 70).
Berliner states that a key figure in the development of the double bass as a solo instrument
was Jimmy Blanton, who rose to prominence with his featured solo in Duke Ellington’s 1940
composition ‘Jack the Bear’ (1994, pg. 131). As I discuss in the upcoming section Solo Double
Bass Improvisation and Composition, since Blanton, the role of the jazz bass player has
changed to include being a soloist as well as timekeeper. These days it is expected that all jazz
bass players are improvising soloists, to the extent that it is generally the focus of their craft.
Seminal jazz double bass improvisers include: Oscar Pettiford (1922 – 1960), Charles Mingus
(1922 – 1979), Ray Brown (1926 – 2002), Paul Chambers (1935 – 1969), Scott LaFaro (1936 –
1961), Ron Carter (1937 -), Charlie Haden (1937 – 2014), Dave Holland (1946 -), John Patitucci
(1959 -), and Christian McBride (1972 -). These performers ‘attained a level of virtuosity as
improvisers comparable to that of other exemplary jazz instrumentalists’ (Berliner, 1994, p.
131).
Monson’s Saying Something (1996) is another important contribution to the field of jazz
scholarship and the double bass in jazz. Monson’s work focuses upon the rhythm section (the
accompanying instruments in a band, such as piano, bass, and drums). In this study, she refers
to the historical and conventional roles of double bass playing in jazz as being used to provide
the important components of harmony and rhythm to the sound and function of the rhythm
section (Monson, 1996, p. 29). This is important because a discussion of double bass solo
performance needs to consider the traditional role of the bass in jazz, and how, for instance,
the elements of harmony and rhythm are realised in a context where the double bass is
performed unaccompanied.
Solo Double Bass Improvisation and Composition
The first improvising double bass player to record an entire album as a soloist was Barre
Phillips (Journal Violone, 1968), but it was Dave Holland’s solo double bass album Emerald
Tears (1977) that brought the format to the attention of a wider section of the general public,
8
and set a precedent for future double bass players (Gilbert, 2018, paragraph 6). In two
Downbeat interviews, John Patitucci says,
In 1979, I heard Dave Holland’s solo record Emerald Tears. That

really inspired me – his authority and the way he presented his
musical ideas all alone. It’s just wood bass the whole way through.
It was an important record for a lot of us bass players. (Morrison,
2019, paragraph 9)
That was a big deal for me, because I had heard Dave Holland’s solo
bass album, Emerald Tears, in 1979… and it was very daring. There
weren’t any records like it that I’d ever heard. And Dave’s sound was
really beautiful and well recorded. So, it took me 40 years to get the
courage to do a solo bass record. I was almost 60 at the time. And I
felt like, it’s kind of now or never; I need to get up the courage to try
to do this. Otherwise, I never will. So, I went for it. (Enright, 2021,
paragraph 14)
These two quotes from Patitucci demonstrate that his recording of a solo double bass album
was the fulfillment of a long-term personal goal, and one that he only felt ready to make after
a 40-year career. Consequently, the fact that a remarkable player such as Patitucci had
reached a point in his career where he felt ready to present his solo voice on his instrument
adds further weight to the significance of this album from Patitucci’s perspective and
reinforces the value of this album as an area of study.
According to Schaffmeister, who documents a list of solo double bass albums on his website,
more than 800 recordings of unaccompanied double bass music have been issued since 1964
(Schaffmeister, 2012). A brief list of examples from the jazz and classical worlds are: Miroslav
Vitous (1985, Emergence – ten original compositions and one pre-existing composition), Ron
Carter (1988, All Alone – five original compositions and one jazz standard), Michael Formanek
(1998, Am I Bothering You? – ten original compositions), Eberhard Weber (1993, Pendulum –
nine original compositions), Mark Dresser (1995, Invocation – six improvisations and one pre-
existing composition), and Edgar Meyer (2000, Bach: Unaccompanied Cello Suites Performed
on Double Bass). The Schaffmeister website shows that amongst the double bass community,
9
the idea of a solo double bass album is not the rarity that it once was. Interestingly, most of
these albums contain all, or mostly original works. Whilst a history of compositions for the
unaccompanied double bass is outside the scope of this thesis, it is reasonable to observe that
double bassists have composed their own solo works owing to the rich tradition of jazz
musicians composing works for themselves to play and as such are following that tradition.
This has created opportunities to generate distinctive personal repertoires.
Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog,1 and the International Society of Bassists website,2 show that
new works for the unaccompanied double bass are being composed frequently.
For example, a series of solo double bass compositions was recently commissioned by Geoff
Chalmers (founder of the online learning school Discover Double Bass),3 and Jason Heath from
the composer-performers Craig Butterfield, Valentina Ciardelli, Mason Bynes, Andrés Martin,
Sam Suggs, Donovan Stokes, and Dani Brofe. All these artists have created distinctive personal
repertoires which, as far as I can determine, have not yet been the subject of academic study.
Scholarly literature on double bass composition and improvisation is very limited and for
the most part, information can only be deduced from available repertoire, rather than
scholarly sources. Accordingly, I have relied upon Schaffmeister’s website for a list of solo
double bass recordings, and the websites of Jason Heath, Geoff Chalmers, and the
International Society of Bassists for current developments in the Double Bass world. I will
engage with relevant literature on jazz composition and improvisation practice in the
analytical chapters.
On the album Soul of the Bass, all the pieces are composed by Patitucci except for ‘Morning
Train (Spiritual)’, ‘Allemande in D minor’ from Suite 5 (J.S. Bach, BWV 1011), and ‘Sarab’, which
was composed by Patitucci, Greisun (Gracie Patitucci) and John Davis. Ten pieces are
performed by Patitucci on the double bass and three are performed on the electric bass. In
composing most of the tracks on Soul of the Bass, Patitucci situates himself in the field of the
jazz composer-performer. This demonstrates further the validity of this study because to have
a performer of Patitucci’s musical stature record an album of solo double bass compositions
1
https://dbbpublications.gumroad.com/
2
http://www.isbstore.com/printed-music.html
3
https://discoverdoublebass.com/interview/modern-composers-for-the-double-bass
10
provides an insight into the traditions, influences and innovations that are apparent in his
music.
The use of pre-existing pieces (either self-composed or composed by others) as starting points
for improvisation has a long history in jazz, because ‘a musician’s ongoing experimentation
with the jazz repertory ultimately provides the basis for original pieces’ (Berliner, 1994, p. 90).
The continuum between composition and improvisation in Patitucci’s music is apparent when
he uses his compositions as vehicles for improvisation. As he explains in an online interview
with Bruce Gertz (International Society of Bassists, 2014, May 15), one of his approaches to
improvisation is to develop a short melodic theme into a longer improvisation, and this can be
heard as being distilled in the composition of pieces such as ‘Soul of the Bass’ (see Chapter
Three) and ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ (see Chapter Four). The work ‘Elvin’ (see Chapter Five)
has a form that is similar to a traditional jazz piece, with a melody – solo – melody structure,
and as such it has an opportunity for improvisation built into the design of the work.
Patitucci’s approach to developing short melodic themes into longer improvisations is

supported by several jazz pedagogical texts. These include Baker (1988), Pease (2003), and
Crook (2020). Sher and Johnson discuss these ideas in the specific context of the double bass
and electric bass (1993). These texts also support Berliner’s ideas of the role of ear training
and imitation in learning the language of jazz (1994). Porter’s article on John Coltrane and his
approach to developing improvisations from shorter melodic motives is further evidence in
support of Patitucci’s approach (1985).
Solo Double Bass Performance Techniques
In exploring solo repertoire on the double bass, performers have experimented with a range of
performance techniques. Shipton describes some of these developments:
Players such as Charlie Haden, Jimmy Garrison, Dave Holland and

Barre Phillips have explored harmonics, double stopping, percussive
methods of producing notes, the use of the body of the instrument
to make percussive sounds, and the possibilities offered by the
11
section of the string between the bridge and the tailpiece. (Shipton,
2001, paragraph 22) 4
One example of this is Dave Holland’s interpretation of Charles Mingus’ jazz ensemble piece
‘Goodbye Pork Pie Hat’. In Holland’s version of the piece, he uses double stopping (sounding
two pitches at the same time on two different strings), to perform the melody and an
accompaniment simultaneously (Holland, 2013, track 3). Another example is Charlie Haden’s
solo on the Ornette Coleman piece ‘Ramblin’ from the album Change of the Century. He uses
double and triple stopping (sounding three pitches at the same time on three different strings),
as part of his solo improvisation to provide a harmonic accompaniment to his melody line
(Coleman, 1960, track 1).
Ousley’s thesis Solo Techniques for Unaccompanied Pizzicato Jazz Bass is a comprehensive
analysis of techniques that double bass players have developed to perform unaccompanied
solos in a jazz setting. According to Ousley, ‘other artists such as Charlie Haden, Niels-Henning
Ørsted Peterson, Ron Carter and Edgar Meyer have consistently introduced innovative
techniques into the art of the unaccompanied bass solo’ (Ousley, 2008, p. 3). Some of these
techniques include using double stops to create a sense of polyphony; natural and artificial
harmonics, and using voice leading and arpeggiation to create single line accompaniments.
Patitucci has incorporated some of these techniques into his solo double bass works. In an
interview with Jisi, he mentions the track ‘Earth Tones’ from the album Soul of the Bass, on
which he uses open strings and wide pitch intervals to give the ‘sense of a melody and bass
line happening simultaneously’ (Jisi, 2019, paragraph 4). Wide spaced intervals between the
melody and bass as well as harmonics can also be heard on the track ‘Soul of the Bass’, for
example at 0:44, 2:10 and 2:13.
Patitucci has worked with many different musicians throughout his 40 year career and his
album Soul of the Bass displays influences from a range of styles, for example Mississippi Delta
country blues; North African and Middle Eastern Music, Jazz, Funk, and European classical
(Henderson, 2019). In interviews, Patitucci names sources for these influences, such as Wayne
Shorter and Mississippi Fred McDowell: Shorter for his approach to improvisation and
4
These extended techniques are common to string instruments and have been used extensively in
contemporary classical music since the twentieth century. Ousley (2008) and Turetsky (1974) explain
the application of these techniques to the double bass.
12
McDowell for his blues and gospel playing (Jisi, 2019). In the pieces I am analysing, Patitucci
shows his depth of study in these areas, and I will say more about this in the analysis chapters.
Self-directed learning in jazz
To explore the impetus for Patitucci’s composition of the three pieces analysed in this thesis, I
investigated the theory of self-directed learning, with a focus on the centrality of self-directed
learning to jazz performance development (Chapter Six). A key figure in the research of self-
directed learning is Malcolm Knowles, who defined self-directed learning as the ability of a
learner to take the initiative in their own learning, by setting their own goals, identifying the
sources required for learning to take place, choosing the appropriate strategies, and evaluating
learning outcomes either by themselves or with help from others (Knowles, 1975).
Knowles’ work was followed by the development of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale
by Guglielmino (1977). Spear and Mocker explored the importance of the learner’s
environmental circumstances in fostering self-directed learning (1984, cited in Hiemstra,
1994). The establishment of an annual International Symposium on Self-Directed Learning in
1987 by Long and colleagues has supported many more publications and projects by
researchers around the world (Hiemstra, 1994).
In my discussion of self-directed learning in Chapter Six, Knowles’ definition is framed with the
three additional concepts of context, activation and universality by Guglielmino (2008) and
developed further by Mentz and Oosthuizen (2016). Ideas from Brookfield (2009), such as the
importance of peer networks and support and advice from experts, were also used to provide
further insight.
As Berliner indicates, traditionally jazz musicians have taken the responsibility for learning
upon themselves, and have decided how and from whom they need to learn (Berliner, 1994,
p.51). This was very helpful in providing a jazz context to the concept of self-directed learning.
As I explore further in Chapter Six, it could be possible that self-directed learning practices
have been present throughout Patitucci’s musical life and that places him within the
learner/mentor environment that is endemic to jazz and improvised music (as previously
discussed by Berliner in the above quote).
13
Methodology
To explore John Patitucci’s approach to jazz composition and performance for the
unaccompanied double bass, I have investigated and analysed three works from the album
Soul of the Bass. These pieces are ‘Soul of the Bass’, ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ and ‘Elvin’.
Each of these case studies is situated within the context of Patitucci’s style in different ways
and represents a distinctive musical genre with an idiomatic approach to melody, harmony,
rhythm and performing techniques.
In the following chapters, I have examined each of the case studies from both a musicological
and a musical ethnographic viewpoint, by analysing Patitucci’s music and placing it in a cultural
and social context. Texts by Ruskin and Rice (2012) and Feld (2012) were helpful in
understanding musical ethnography and how to create a narrative that used the ‘analysis of
musical texts and observations of performances to paint a picture of an individual’s [in this
case, Patitucci’s] life, work, and milieu’ (Ruskin and Rice, 2012, p.315).
Background research on the musical style of J.S. Bach; Mississippi Fred McDowell and the
Blues; and Elvin Jones and John Coltrane has been gathered from existing texts, scholarly
publications, journal articles, published interviews, recorded works, and from my own
transcriptions. By taking this approach, I have aimed to create a solid background of
understanding on which to build additional layers of insight. Information on John Patitucci was
mostly gathered from album reviews and from interviews published in the trade press and
online sites. This is due to a lack of academic research concerning Patitucci and his
contribution to jazz bass performance and composition (with the exception of Cavalli, 2016).
Transcribing recorded music
Students of jazz “treat recordings as formal educational tools” (Berliner, 1998, p.58). Audio
recordings and live performances are where improvisations are heard, and this is what
students study and distill into practice pathways and eventually into mental and physical
memory. It has been common practice to transcribe jazz music for study since the beginnings
of recorded jazz in 1917 (I will discuss this aspect of learning jazz in more detail in Chapter 6).
As Coolman points out, ‘for the purpose of more detailed analysis, many jazz musicologists and
players have adapted the act of music transcription as a necessary tool for representing the
14
events in an improvised performance for which no score exists’ (Coolman, 1997, p. 36). To
enable me to discuss these works in a detailed manner, I fully transcribed each work. To the
best of my knowledge, no complete score exists of the three works selected for analysis in this
thesis. The first six bars of ‘Soul of the Bass’ were previously transcribed by Chris Jisi and
published in Bass Magazine (2019, [2], p. 99). I have based my transcription upon this and have
adapted it for use in my thesis. Excerpts of transcriptions are provided as examples within
each analysis chapter, and the full transcriptions appear in the Appendices.
In each chapter, I used the album recording as the primary source material from which to
derive the transcription, and I used live versions of ‘Soul of the Bass’ and ‘Morning Train
(Spiritual)’ as alternate takes to provide a different perspective on the works.
The transcriptions provided a written record of musical events and a visual aid to help
illustrate my analytical arguments. I followed this with annotations and illustrations of musical
features. In my formal musical analysis, I used the concepts of music, such as rhythm, melody,
harmony, structure, texture, and timbre to identify distinctive features of Patitucci’s
composition and performance practice, and to show links to historic and stylistic precedents.
In the case of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’, comparative analysis was used to ascertain
commonalities and differences with Mississippi Fred McDowell’s version of ‘Back Back Train’. I
searched for idiomatic instrumental and vocal techniques and particular motifs and tabulated
the results in order to investigate and appraise the findings.
When all these are taken into account, they offer an insight into the various aspects of
Patitucci’s approach to unaccompanied double bass composition and performance.
Conclusions
Although narratives of jazz double bass history and practice; solo double bass improvisation
and composition; and solo double bass performance techniques appear in many texts, there
appears to be a gap in the literature concerning John Patitucci and the remarkable
contribution he has made to not only double bass and electric bass performance but to
composition. Throughout his 40+ year career he has been a musical servant leader to other
band leaders, in particular Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter; he has released 16 solo albums in
addition to playing on a number of albums for many other artists; and he has taught at City
College NYC, the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and the online schools ArtistWorks and Scott’s
Bass Lessons. However there has been little scholarship dedicated to him and his music. My
15
project will endeavour to add to the current body of literature by analysing Patitucci’s music in
the case study of three of the works from the album ‘Soul of the Bass’.
16
Chapter 3. ‘Soul of the Bass’
In this chapter I present a detailed explanation of the various musical traditions, influences and
innovations that contribute towards John Patitucci’s composition ‘Soul of the Bass’. These
include the music of J.S. Bach; improvisation patterns found in jazz music; and ornaments and
expressive devices originating in vernacular vocal techniques. I investigate how Patitucci has
composed this piece for the double bass by exploring the inherent characteristics of the
instrument.
I also suggest that a reason for Patitucci’s composition of ‘Soul of the Bass’ is to enhance and
develop his practice-based study of the styles represented in this piece.
‘Soul of the Bass’5 is the opening track from Patitucci’s 2019 album of the same name and is a
piece for unaccompanied, pizzicato double bass. It is performed at an approximate tempo of
crotchet = 90 in a rhythmically free manner and features extensive use of rubato. The piece is
written in D major and explores a range of nearly three octaves from the low E string to a high
D on the G string (one octave and a fifth above the pitch of the open G string).
Figure 3.1
The Range of the Melody in 'Soul of the Bass' (notated one octave above sounding pitch)
Structural Overview
‘Soul of the Bass’ is in Binary form, with an A B A1 B1 Coda structure.

The repeats of the A section (A1) and B section (B1) feature altered versions of their respective
melodies. The Coda brings the piece to a conclusion with an ascending arpeggio and a double-
stopped chord.
5
https://youtu.be/P9n3DSpdAIo
17
Figure 3.2
Timeline of 'Soul of the Bass'
Section A 0:00 Section B 0:36 Section A1 1:08 Section B1 1:37 Section C 2:08
9 bars 11 bars 8 bars 11 bars 3 bars
Figure 3.3 shows the A section of ‘Soul of the Bass’. A full transcription is included in the
Appendix.
Figure 3.3
‘Soul of the Bass’ A Section Bars 1 – 9 (Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E. Hutchens, adapted
from Jisi, 2019)
Melodic Characteristics
The A section (Figure 3.3) has a ‘winsome, arpeggiated melody’ (Russonello, 2019, paragraph
4), and is played with rubato. It is based upon an ascending 1st inversion D major arpeggio
motif and consists of three 3-bar phrases. Each phrase begins with an anacrusis of two
quavers. The melody has a range of two octaves plus one note, from F#1 to G3. The high G
note is played as an harmonic (bar 9).
18
Figure 3.4
‘Soul of the Bass’ B Section Bars 9 - 20 (Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E. Hutchens)
The B section (Figure. 3.4) begins in a higher register with an anacrusis of three quavers that
lead up to the B3 in bar 10. The distinguishing features of this section are the alternation
between a higher register melody (played on the G string) and a lower register
accompaniment (played on the lower strings);7 and the descending melodic line that contains
a scale in thirds melodic pattern.
The use of the scale in thirds pattern possibly reflects an improvisational approach to the
composition process, as it is a pattern that is often heard in jazz improvisation. It may have
become a part of Patitucci’s improvisational vocabulary through extensive experience as an
improvisor; formal scale training or an improvisation text such as Patterns for Improvisation by
Nelson (1966). Figure 3.5 shows an example—Example 1, from Nelson (1966)—and Figure 3.6
is the same pattern transposed into the same key (D major) as ‘Soul of the Bass’ and extended
for an extra bar. The use of the scale in thirds pattern is shown by the red notes. In Figure 3.7
7
The two-part nature of this section is evocative of the 2 Part Inventions of J.S. Bach, in particular No. 6
(BWV 777). In this example the lower register bass line alternates with a higher register melody.
19
it can be seen how Patitucci adapts this pattern in ‘Soul of the Bass’ by varying the rhythms
between pitches. It is interesting to note that jazz improvisation patterns and Baroque
melodic patterns have some similarities. This will be discussed later in this chapter under the
heading ‘Influence of J.S. Bach’.
Figure 3.5
Example 1 from Patterns for Improvisation by Nelson (1966)
Figure 3.6
Example 1 (Nelson) in D Major, Extended for an Extra Bar
Figure 3.7
Bars 15-17 of ‘Soul of the Bass’
20
The choice of key, D major, allows Patitucci to make use of the open strings of the double bass.
This has two benefits: the use of open strings facilitates easier movement around the
fingerboard, ‘helping with economy of motion for the left hand’ (Patitucci, 2021, p.18). The
extra time afforded by the occurrence of the open string note in the melody enables Patitucci
to reach the higher register positions more easily. It also helps to create a resonant sound
throughout the piece as the open strings vibrate sympathetically with the melody notes played
on other strings. This is the principle of sympathetic vibration,8 which is the harmonic
phenomenon of a plucked string causing non-plucked strings to vibrate when they share
pitches in the harmonic, or overtone,9 series. Pierce refers to the notes that create the most
sympathetic vibration on the double bass as ‘glowing tones’ (2018, starting at 0:06). 10 As
Bradetich explains ‘the most innately resonant notes on the bass are A, B, D or E’ (because
they create the most sympathetic vibration), and these are the notes that are used frequently
in the B section melody of ‘Soul of the Bass’ (2009, p. 87).
The use of open strings is further demonstrated in the B section of the piece when the open
low register A or E strings are sounded to create an accompanying bass line to the higher
pitched melody. These resonant ringing low pitches are particularly effective as a harmonic
anchor. The open E string is sounded against the high G note (see Figure 3.8) and the open A
string is sounded against a D followed by a C (see Figure 3.9).
Figure 3.8
Bar 12 of ‘Soul of the Bass’
8
Learning the principle of sympathetic vibration is also a feature of the Suzuki method for violin and is
taught to establish ‘exact intonation by finding the finger placement which is the most resonant with
other strings’ (Suzuki, 1985, p. 19).
9
See Adler, S. (2002, p.42).
10
https://youtu.be/G60JFuSrVlE?t=6
21
Figure 3.9
Bars 13 – 16 of ‘Soul of the Bass’
Influence of J.S. Bach
The Six Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach (BWV 1007 – 1012) have been an important influence
for John Patitucci throughout his career. In an interview for Bass Magazine, Patitucci says, ‘I
came up at a time when bassists were practicing the Bach Cello Suites, which I did, as well’
(Jisi, 2019, paragraph 12). He previously recorded the ‘Prelude in G major’ from Suite 1 (BWV
1007) on his album Heart of the Bass (1992), and Track 10 on Soul of the Bass is a 6 string
electric bass rendition of the ‘Allemande’ from Suite 5 (BWV 1011). It can be observed that
some of the characteristics of Bach’s Cello Suites have influenced Patitucci in the composition
of ‘Soul of the Bass’.
Use of Arpeggios
An obvious example is the similarity between Patitucci’s use of ascending and descending
arpeggios to outline an implied harmonic movement in a piece for solo bass string instrument
and, for instance, a comparison with ‘Bourrée I’ from Bach’s 3rd Cello Suite.
Figure 3.10
‘Bourrée I’ from Suite III BWV 1009
22
In Figure 3.10, bars 7-8 show an implied D – G chord (V – I) movement that concludes the
phrase. The notes in red show the chord tones that outline these chords. The chord degrees
are 1 and 3 of the D chord followed by 1 5 1 of the G chord.
Figure 3.11
Opening Phrase of ‘Soul of the Bass’. Adapted from Jisi (2019)
‘Soul of the Bass’ opens with an ascending major arpeggio, but similarly the phrase is resolved
with a V – I chord movement. In the key of D major, these chords are A (chord V) to D (chord
I). These chord tones are also shown in red (Figure 3.11). The chord degrees are 5 - 3 - 1 of
the A chord and 8 - 1 of the D chord.
Double Stopping
A further comparison can be made with the use of double stopping in Bourrée II from Bach’s
4th Cello Suite and the B section from Soul of the Bass.
Figure 3.12
‘Bourrée II’ from Suite IV BWV 1010 (bass notes shown in red)
23
In this example, Bach has used double stopping to create a bass line that is separate from the
melody. Sometimes two notes are played simultaneously (bar 1, beat 1) and at other times a
bass note follows (or precedes) an upper register melody note (bar 1, beat 2 & 3). It is the
latter technique that Patitucci uses to create a sense of a harmonic relationship between the
melody and bass line. In Figure 3.13 (Section B from ‘Soul of the Bass’), bass notes are
sounded when there are rests in the melody line (bars 11 and 12), and bass notes are sounded
whilst the melody notes are sustained (bars 14 and 15). The resonance of both the melody
and bass notes creates a sense of harmony. In this instance the open A string is used as a low
pedal note underneath the changing upper melody notes. Playing the melody on a higher
string and the accompaniment on an open string allows both parts to be sustained at the same
time which highlights the harmonic effect.
Figure 3.13
Section B of ‘Soul of the Bass’
24
Interaction of Harmony and Form
Similarities between ‘Soul of the Bass’ and Bach’s compositions can also be observed in the
way that harmony and form interact. In Winold a comparison is made between the opening
four bars of Bach’s ‘C major Prelude’ from The Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846) and the
‘Prelude’ to his First Cello Suite (BWV 1007). The following conclusion is made:
Bar 1 functions as a point of stability

Bar 2 functions as a point of preparation for bar 3
Bar 3 functions as a point of tension
Bar 4 functions as a point of release or a return to stability (Winold, 2007, p.14).
Figure 3.14
Section B of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with Suggested Chord Symbols. Adapted from Jisi (2019)
A harmonic analysis of the opening three bars of ‘Soul of the Bass’ (see Figure 3.14) leads to
the same conclusion:
Bar 1 (Chord I - D/F#) establishes the tonality and functions as a point of stability to begin the
piece.
Bar 2 (Chord VI - Bm) is unstable and functions as a preparation for bar 3.
Bar 3 beat 1 (Chord V – A) being the dominant chord, functions as a point of tension.
Bar 3 beat 2 & 3 (Chord I – D) functions as a point of release and a return to stability.
This comparison between Bach and Patitucci serves to demonstrate the similarity in the
relationship between melody and harmony that exists in their work. Cadential progressions of
Dominant to Tonic harmony are certainly not unique to either Bach or Patitucci but it can be
argued with reasonable confidence that in composing a piece for a solo bass string instrument;
in using arpeggios to outline chord movement; and composing a melody and harmony part to
be played at the same time on the same instrument—together with Patitucci’s acknowledged
25
appreciation for the work of Bach—some of the characteristics of Bach’s Cello Suites have
influenced Patitucci in the composition of ‘Soul of the Bass’.
Improvisation and variation
‘Soul of the Bass’ is composed by Patitucci the improvising jazz musician, however in this work,
rather than the improvisations occurring over repeats of the form in the manner of a jazz
performance, they occur in a reduced form, as ornaments and variations in the style of a
Baroque player. (Which could be another sign of Bach’s influence.) In the previously
mentioned Bass Magazine interview, when asked the question, ‘What led you to cover the
Allemande from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5?’ Patitucci replies:
I discovered that my favourite recordings [of Bach’s Cello Suites] were by

Jordi Savall,11 who plays them on a viola da gamba, a predecessor to the
cello with six strings and frets on the lower half of the neck. Savall
captures the true improvisational spirit of Baroque musicians. I
transcribed some of his ornaments from ‘Cello Suite No. 5,’ and I thought
it would lend itself to the 6-string [electric bass], where it lays well on the
fingerboard, and it would be easier to play chords. I interpreted some of
his ornaments and added some of my own in the performance. (Jisi, 2019,
paragraph 12)
According to Donington, ‘Baroque ornamentation is more than a decoration. It is a necessity…

[For example it can be noticed in] the more or less improvised variation of the repeated first
section in da capo arias’ (Donington, 1982, p.91). Melodic embellishment is also commonly
done within the jazz tradition (Berliner, 1994, p.67) and it is possible that in Patitucci’s
performance of ‘Soul of the Bass’ he is combining elements of both musical styles.
In ‘Soul of the Bass’, the variations occur during the repeat of the A section, B section and
Coda. Some examples of variations are shown in Figures 3.15 and 3.16.
11
Jordi Savall is a Spanish viol player, conductor, and an internationally renowned exponent of early
26
music (Gomez, 2001, paragraph 1).
27
Figure 3.15
Bars 20 – 33 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with colour coded variations
1. Patitucci inserts a melodic fill in between the first and second phrases of Section A1
(Figure 3.15, upbeat to bar 23 – 25).
2. Rather than the three repeated F sharps in Section A at this point in the melody (see
Figure 3.3, bars 1 and 2), Patitucci ornaments the line by playing an ornament-like
figure, replacing the middle F# with an E and D played as semiquavers (Figure 3.15, bar
26).
3. An additional chord is outlined in bar 28 (Figure 3.15). The interval of an 11th between
the G and D is followed by the interval of a 10 th between the F# and D. This creates the
sound of a suspended 4th resolving to the 3rd over the low tonic which is common in
classical music as well as gospel and soul music.
4. The anacrusis leading into Section B1 (see Figure 3.15, bar 28) is ornamented with the
addition of two semiquavers and a triplet, creating a scale run up from the tonic to the
28
melody note B.
29
5. A moment of dissonance is introduced in bar 33 (see Figure 3.15). After alternating
between D notes an octave apart, a C# on the G string is sounded, immediately
followed by an open D string note. The dissonance created by the major 7 th interval is
sustained for a moment before it is resolved in the next bar.
Figure 3.16
Bars 38 – 42 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with colour coded variations
6. In bar 38 the target note (D) is ornamented with a mordent-like figure that also alludes
to a jazz-style ‘enclosure’ figure (Figure 3.16).12
7. The sound of bar 40 to 41 in the Coda is definitely surprising given what has happened
before in the piece, but Patitucci is still using the same mechanics of arpeggiation to
create harmonic relationships. In this case, it could be suggested that Patitucci sets up
a V to I resolution in the first three notes of bar 40, but then using the principle of
interchangeability between major and minor thirds in tonic keys (here the tonic key of
D) he pivots on the minor third to create a first inversion C# triad which acts as a
suspension (a triad one semitone below the tonic) that resolves in the last two notes
of bar 40 and bar 41 when the C# regains its function as the leading note resolving to
the tonic D. Accordingly there is a chromatic harmonic movement here which might
seem out of character to the rest of the piece, but in the context of the album—and
12
An ‘enclosure’ is a group of four notes that surround a target note. This pattern is often heard in
Bebop improvisational vocabulary (Boling, 1993, p.98).
30
with his weight of work as a jazz bass player in the listener’s memory—it could be
acting as a reminder that, in this case, this work exists within a jazz context. (see Figure
3.16).
Expressive Devices
In his online bass school with ArtistWorks, Patitucci says it is important to become a ‘vocal and
expressive player on the bass… I learned a lot from listening to singers, and other
instrumentalists, particularly cellists. The idea is to make a note sing’ (Artistworks, 2012,
starting at 0:10). He lists various articulations and expressive devices that are available to the
bass player, such as vibrato, slides, smears, hammer-ons and pull-offs. These devices are an
important part of Patitucci’s improvisational vocabulary and he uses them to “make the bass
sound similar to the human voice and also to a horn player” (Cavalli, p.206). They also allow
him to personalise the work, using ideas from both Baroque and Jazz.
Some of these articulations and expressive devices have their origins in Baroque music
(Patitucci mentions the inspiration of Jordi Savall, cited in Jisi, 2019, paragraph 12), whilst
others are derived from vernacular vocal techniques. Berliner writes that jazz instrumentalists
have a ‘predilection for copying the pitch colorations and inflections of blues and jazz singers,
and their phrasing of song texts’ (Berliner, 1994, p. 69).
These expressive devices will be explained in greater detail in Chapter 4. Below is a brief list of
ornaments and expressive devices in ‘Soul of the Bass’ (refer to Figure 3.3).
1. Scoop into the high F# (bar 1).

2. Vibrato on the long duration B note (bar 2).
3. Acciaccatura (bar 3).
4. Slide (bar 7).
5. Pull-off (the pick-up notes leading into bar 9).
6. Hammer-on (refer to Figure 3.4, bar 19).
31
Conclusion
‘Soul of the Bass’ is a fascinating hybrid of influences, and it gives an interesting insight into the
musical styles that have influenced Patitucci in the composition of this piece. Even though
Patitucci is influenced by, and is showing respect for Baroque music and composers such as J.S.
Bach in this piece, he is ultimately a jazz performer and composer, and both these styles are
evident in this work. The arpeggio-based melody could be seen as a nod towards J.S. Bach
with the use of ascending and descending arpeggios to outline an implied harmonic
movement. The creation of harmonic context through bass notes following or preceding
upper register melody notes; and the interaction of harmony and form further support this
view. Within the development of the melody it is possible to see a similarity both with jazz
improvisational patterns and Baroque music. The use of ornaments and expressive devices
show the influence of Baroque music and in vernacular vocal techniques. It is composed for
the double bass and explores the inherent characteristics of the instrument, such as the use of
sympathetic vibration of strings, and makes full use of the range of the bass in both the
melody and accompaniment.
In composing ‘Soul of the Bass’, Patitucci could also be seen to be seeking to enhance and
develop his own practice-based study of the styles represented. It is possible that this piece
was composed as a musical exploration of technique, intonation, sonority, and speed – which
are also well-established justifications for the studying of the Bach Cello Suites by double
bassists.
I will discuss this idea of practice-based study in greater detail in Chapter 6.
32
Chapter 4. ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’
In this chapter I present a detailed discussion of the influence of Mississippi Fred McDowell
upon John Patitucci’s performance of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’. I discuss this influence from
both a compositional and performance perspective to argue that the relations and references
to McDowell are quite deliberate. I begin by identifying characteristics of McDowell’s work
and playing and subsequently look for similarities and differences in Patitucci’s work. After
this I analyse how Patitucci has arranged this work for solo double bass, with a particular focus
upon how he interprets McDowell’s vocal inflections and guitar articulations in the context of
the double bass. I conclude by discussing the benefits of this arrangement to Patitucci’s self-
guided study.
The music of influential Delta Blues performer Mississippi Fred McDowell (1904 - 1972) is often
acknowledged by Patitucci as an inspiration for his own playing (Calder, 2007; Jisi, 2019;
Chinen, 2019) and on this occasion is demonstrated by including ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ as
the third track on the Soul of the Bass album. Another traditional spiritual performed by
McDowell, ‘Jesus is on the Mainline’ was previously recorded by Patitucci on his 2006 album
Line by Line.13
‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ is an interpretation of ‘Back Back Train’ which appears on the
Mississippi Fred McDowell album Amazing Grace (1966). In the liner notes to the album Soul
of the Bass, ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ is listed as one of the three pieces on the album that
Patitucci did not compose. In an interview held during a performance of this piece in the Paste
Magazine Studio in New York City (Paste Magazine, 2019: 6:39 - 7:57) Patitucci says, ‘I’m a
blues fanatic… years ago the great drummer Brian Blade hipped me to Mississippi Fred
McDowell… and this is an old spiritual called Morning Train… Morning Train’s about that going
home… you know, to Heaven.’14
Patitucci implies (through his comments and use of the word ‘spiritual’) that this piece
predates McDowell, and he (Patitucci) is performing a version of McDowell’s version.
13
An interview with Berlanga-Ryan (2012) concerning this piece is included at the end of this chapter.
14
https://youtu.be/sJB4lcreBUo?t=399
33
Patitucci’s version is arranged by him for unaccompanied double bass whereas McDowell’s
version is performed with vocals and guitar. Figure 4.1 shows the first eight bars of ‘Morning
Train (Spiritual)’, and Figure 4.2 shows the first eight bars of ‘Back Back Train’. A full
transcription of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ is included in the Appendix.
Figure 4.1
‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ Patitucci, Bars 1 – 8. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 4.2
‘Back Back Train’, McDowell, Verse 1, Bars 1-8. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
34
Compositional aspects of McDowell’s ‘Back Back Train’
‘Back Back Train’15 is in the key of D minor. The time signature is 4/4 and is performed at a
moderate tempo of crotchet = 84. ‘Back Back Train’ has four verses, with eight bars in each
verse, and a six-bar introduction. A feature of ‘Back Back Train’ is the call and response of the
vocal and guitar melody with the guitar accompaniment pattern throughout each verse.
Including the guitar and voice there are ten distinct pitches sounded in the song between the
range of D2 to F3. The vocal melody has a range of six notes, from A2 to F3. In the manner of
early Delta Blues songs, it is a one-chord vamp, with the low, open D string serving as a pedal
note throughout.
The minimal use of harmonic change is a characteristic of the Mississippi Delta blues style.
Rather than using the three-chord movement that became common in other blues styles,
Delta blues songs often used only one chord. Salsburg describes it as the ‘hypnotic modal
drone of the region’s traditions’ (2019, p. 21). Gioia writes,
Harmonic variety is not a virtue here; sometimes a single chord, with just a
few modifications, suffices for an entire song, a throbbing texture of
sound, insistent and unrelenting. Often compositions are built around a
simple riff, a repeated figure, perhaps only a few notes that serve as
anchor, compass, and engine room, all put together, for a blues
performance… At times, the voice seems to want to blend into the guitar,
and the guitar aspires to be a voice – one completing a phrase started by
the other. (2008, p. 5)
This can be heard in both ‘Back Back Train’ and ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’. Both pieces are
based upon a D minor sound throughout. There is no harmonic movement or chord change.
The open D tuning of McDowell’s guitar is ideally suited to this approach because it allows the
low D string to function as the bass string throughout the song.
35
15
https://youtu.be/TVRblfULY8Q
36
McDowell’s approach to performance
As can be heard on McDowell’s recording of ‘Back Back Train’, his mode of performance is to
sing whilst accompanying himself on the guitar. During the performance, the voice and guitar
are often in unison, and in between the vocal phrases the guitar can be heard solo playing a
lower register pedal point ostinato, and occasionally adding rhythmic and melodic
embellishments.
McDowell’s performance approach on the guitar is to use the thumb of his right hand to play
the bass strings and the first and second fingers of his right hand to pluck the melody notes
(Love, 2011, paragraph 5). He plays the melody of the song on the guitar in unison with his
voice, saying ‘Now you hear me sing, that guitar will say every word I sing, see I learned how to
play like that’ (cited in Foster, 1971, p.451). McDowell uses the bottleneck 16 on the third finger
of his left hand to press down the melody note on the corresponding fret of the guitar
fretboard. Using the bottleneck enables him to create a glissando sliding between pitches.
McDowell also uses the bottleneck to add vibrato on the guitar, which he employs particularly
at the end of vocal phrases, and it creates a shimmering metallic timbre. Bar 8 in Figure 4.2
indicates, with a jagged line, an instance of the use of vibrato.
The American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt, who in her youth was
mentored by Fred McDowell on how to play the bottleneck slide guitar, explains:
One of the reasons I like to play [bottleneck] slide guitar, what drew me to it
in the first place, was the fact that it sounded like a human voice crying – it
was very evocative. Especially when you’re singing about something that’s
so intensely personal that you have to stop singing and play instead. It takes
over for the voice. It’s a complimentary way of saying something that you
could no longer sing, because it was too emotional. (Bego, 1995, p.60)
16
In this context, a bottleneck is a glass or brass tube that is worn over the third or fourth finger of the
left hand and is used to slide between notes on the guitar fretboard. It is used as a tool to create a
glissando effect. The bottleneck, or slide, allows the player to ‘more closely imitate the way the human
voice can smoothly slide from one pitch to another, and capture all the microtones found between the
well-established twelve-tone pitch system of the West’ (Clay, 2021, p.4). McDowell experimented with
using a beef-bone and a pocketknife before settling on the bottleneck (Foster, 1971).
37
This quote from Raitt shows that it was the vocal-like qualities of McDowell’s slide playing that
inspired her to learn to play with the bottleneck. As I will discuss later in the chapter, the
expressive vocal sound of the bottleneck made an impact upon Patitucci’s playing also.
Another feature of McDowell’s approach is the use of ‘Open D’ tuning, which was a very
popular tuning amongst Delta blues musicians. In Open D tuning, the guitar strings are tuned
to the notes of a D major chord.
Standard tuning (from lowest pitch to highest pitch) – E A D G B E
Open D tuning (from lowest pitch to highest pitch) – D A D F# A D
Open D tuning has the advantage of allowing the open strings to voice a D major chord.17
Resonance is also increased because the tuning of all strings is matched to one single overtone
series. (The first overtones above the lowest string, D2 are D3, A4, D4, F#4 and A4).
McDowell uses a technical device called a ‘pull-off’, by pulling or removing the finger that is
holding down a fretted note off the fretboard, after the note is sounded. This allows the lower
note to sound without the need to rearticulate it, thus creating a legato articulation between
the higher note and the lower open string. This also creates a rhythmic effect because of the
dynamic level that the first note is played with.
McDowell has a very rhythmic approach to his playing. His right thumb constantly plays an
energetic, urgent bass ostinato that creates a rhythmic counterpoint with the melodic phrases
that are sung and played simultaneously on the guitar. In the words of Love,
This is why Delta blues players really had to have the coordination of a drummer.
That’s how the style was born. These cats had to get the party going with just one
guitar and their voice. They figured out how to make the solo performer sound like a
full band. (Love, 2011, paragraph 6)
17
The apparent contradiction between the D major tuning and the D minor key of ‘Back Back Train’ is
explained by McDowell’s performance approach on the guitar. In this performance he does not strum
chords in a conventional manner. Instead, he plays the melody on the higher strings whilst using the
low, open D string as the pedal bass note.
38
Patitucci’s performance of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’
The imitative nature of the relationship between vocal and instrumental performance in the
evolution of the blues and jazz is noted by Southern who states,
The most distinctive features of jazz derive directly from the blues. Jazz is
a vocally oriented music; its players replace the voice with their
instruments but try to recreate the voice’s singing style and blue notes [on
their instruments] by using scooping, whining, growling [and] falsetto-like
effects. (1997, p. 367)
‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’18 is also in the key of D minor. It is similarly in 4/4 and is performed
at a slightly slower tempo of crotchet = 80. ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ is essentially a
reworking of ‘Back Back Train’ for solo double bass. It follows a similar structure, being also a
four-verse piece, with eight bars in each verse—although rather than a six-bar introduction it
has a seven-bar Coda. The formal pattern of phrases in ‘Morning Train’ follows the same
structure as ‘Back Back Train’ as summarised in Figures 4.3 and 4.4.
Figure 4.3
Formal Design of ‘Back Back Train’
Introduction 0:00 Verse 1 0:17 Verse 2 0:39 Verse 3 1:02 Verse 4 1:24
Figure 4.4
Formal Design of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’
Verse 1 0:00 Verse 2 0:24 Verse 3 0:47 Verse 4 1:12 Coda 1:36
18
https://youtu.be/M4sDdaNeMHs
39
The overall range of the notes played on the double bass in this performance is 10 notes, from
D2 to F3. In a similar manner to ‘Back Back Train’, ‘Morning Train’ contains very little harmonic
variation. It is also performed as a one-chord vamp, with the open D string serving as a pedal
note throughout. Patitucci’s double bass does not require re-tuning. The open D string
functions as the lowest bass note in this piece.
Similarly to McDowell, Patitucci’s performance has an insistent rhythm. Like McDowell, this
rhythm is maintained by the bass ostinato that alternates with the melodic phrases. The
rhythmic effect of the bass pattern allows Patitucci to often play the melodic phrases slightly
behind the beat whilst still maintaining a steady pulse.
Arranging ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ for solo double bass
In interpreting this piece for unaccompanied double bass, Patitucci has combined the voice
and treble clef acoustic guitar parts into a single line, which he plays in a high register; and the
bass clef acoustic guitar part is played in a lower register (see Figure 4.1).
In a possible effort to differentiate his piece from McDowell’s piece, the first two bars of
‘Morning Train’ are slightly different melodically from ‘Back Back Train’. In Patitucci’s version
the main melody note is an F, and there is no anacrusis. This creates the impression that the
opening verse is acting as an introduction. From Verse 2 onwards Patitucci’s performance
aligns more closely melodically with McDowell’s.
This solo bass arrangement of McDowell’s ‘Back Back Train’ clearly shows the direct influence
of McDowell upon Patitucci’s composition and performance style. In particular, the melismatic
singing and playing style of McDowell is evident in the expressive techniques utilised by
Patitucci when playing the melody. These adaptions of vocal style inflections and guitar
articulations are described over the following paragraphs.
40
Scooping
Every time the note F is played, whether in the melody or bass register, Patitucci ‘scoops’ into
the note by sliding his finger upwards on the string from a lower indefinite starting pitch
before arriving at the melody note destination. Patitucci uses this technique to emulate
vocalisation techniques in the same way that McDowell uses the bottleneck.
The note F is the minor third or ‘blues third’ in D minor, and a feature of sung minor thirds in
the blues is that they are often embellished in order to draw attention to their ‘blues’ effect.
The absence of frets on the Double Bass fingerboard assists in making this technique possible
because the smooth glissandos that can be achieved are reminiscent of a smoothly sliding
bottleneck sound. An example of this can be seen in Figure 4.5 in bar 1 and is notated by a
curved line leading to the notehead.
Figure 4.5
‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ bar 1
Pull-Offs
Patitucci uses a pull-off articulation on the D string by plucking the string, sometimes
glissando-ing (scooping) to the higher ostinato pitch F2 and pulling off onto the open string in
the same way that McDowell used this technique on the guitar. The pull-off articulation is
achieved by placing a finger on the note to be sounded (in this case, an F). The first note is
articulated, and without re-articulating, the finger is pulled off to sound the second (lower)
note (in this case, the open D string). This can be seen in Figure 4.6 and is notated by a
descending curved line between the F and the D notes.
41
Figure 4.6
‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ bar 8
Hammer-Ons
Patitucci uses the opposite articulation of a pull-off – a hammer-on – in bars 1, 3 and 7. The
first (lower) note is articulated with one finger held down (in this case, a C), then the higher
note (on the same string) is sounded without re-articulating by pressing down firmly on the
string with the next finger (in this case, a D). This is notated by an ascending curved line (see
Figure 4.5, beat 4).
The reason for the use of this articulation is one of intertextuality. In McDowell’s version, the
lyrics in the first verse are ‘Well, I look way down that lone-some road’ (see figure 4.7).
Figure 4.7
‘Back Back Train’ beginning of Verse 1
In his solo double bass version, Patitucci uses a hammer-on to connect the two notes that
correspond with ‘lone-some’ with a legato articulation that reflects the pronunciation of the
two-syllable word. In doing so he references the ‘singing-on-the-guitar’ aim of McDowell. A
hammer-on is also used in the fourth verse for a similar reason. This time the lyric is ‘I’m going
home on the morning train’. Patitucci slightly elaborates the melody in this verse by adding an
extra note into this bar (the A) and the hammer-on is used to connect the two notes A and C
which aligns with McDowell’s pronunciation of ‘morn-ing’ (see figure 4.8 and 4.9).
42
Figure 4.8
McDowell’s Lyric in Verse 4 of ‘Back Back Train’ (Bars 30-32). Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 4.9
Patitucci’s Elaboration of the Melody in Verse 4 of ‘Morning Train’ (Bar 25). Transcribed by E.
Hutchens
Slides
Patitucci also uses slides between pitches in the same way that McDowell uses the bottleneck
to imitate vocal style. Slides are played by striking the first note and sliding the same finger up
or down the fingerboard to the second note. They are similar to the hammer-on in articulation
with the difference being that only one finger is used in a slide whereas two are used in a
hammer-on. The sonic effect of a slide is similar to a scoop but in this case, it is a glissando
between two clearly in-tune pitches. Slides are notated by descending straight lines (see
figure 4.10, bars 5 and 6). In a similar manner to the use of hammer-ons to allude to a lyric,
Patitucci specifically uses a slide to articulate the word ‘down’ (see figure 4.11). Slides are also
used at the same corresponding point in the second verse (‘train’), the third verse (‘lie’), and
the fourth verse (‘home’).
43
Figure 4.10
Use of Slides in ‘Morning Train’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 4.11
Bars 11-12 of ‘Back Back Train’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Melodic Variation
The four verses in ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ are performed in a similar manner to one
another. Variations are made to the melody by adding extra notes (for example, see figure
4.12, 4.13 and 4.14).
Figure 4.12
Melodic Variation in ‘Morning Train’ Bar 11. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 4.13
Melodic Variation in ‘Morning Train’ Bar 17. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
44
Towards the end of the final verse, Patitucci creates the most dramatic melodic variation in the
piece by performing a melodic fill. This pattern is based upon a D minor pentatonic scale and
is a further development of the harmonic language that has been used in the previous melodic
variations (see figure 4.14).
Figure 4.14
‘Morning Train’ Bar 30. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
The bass pattern that originated with McDowell’s right thumb is also developed by Patitucci by
adding the interval of a fifth above the bass note, playing it as a double-stopped chord and
scooping into it in emulation of McDowell’s use of the bottleneck (see figure 4.15).
Figure 4.15
Morning Train’ Bar 4. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
45
Conclusion
In ‘Morning Train (Spiritual), Patitucci presents a musical homage to McDowell and to

Patitucci’s own love of the blues, by interpreting ‘Back Back Train’ on the double bass. By
keeping it simple, Patitucci presents the piece as an exploration of McDowell’s musical style.
In another version of this piece, recorded at Paste Studios NYC on 3 May 2019 (Paste
Magazine, 2019 - see footnote link on the first page of this chapter) Patitucci treats this piece
as the basis for an improvisation. Rather than staying close to the original melody as he does
on the Soul of the Bass album version, he elaborates the melody; the bass ostinato; and
ventures into extended range melodic improvisations. Throughout the performance he takes
care to remain true to the original musical style, by keeping to the form and using a blues
based tonal approach in his improvisations. In this video, the effort that Patitucci applies to
faithfully reproduce the bluesy, microtonal McDowell vocal-inspired bottleneck sound is clear.
It also shows that Patitucci has assimilated and modified McDowell’s sound into his own voice.
This assimilation is similar to the practices that Berliner described in his study of other artists
(1994, p. 59). As I will discuss further in Chapter 6, I propose that Patitucci’s likely reason for
adapting this piece to double bass performance is to conduct a self-guided study on
McDowell’s musical style. This enables him to adapt and assimilate elements of this style
through the development afforded by rehearsals and performances.
In ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’, Patitucci not only pays homage to Mississippi Fred McDowell but
to the influence of the blues upon his playing in general. His performance in this piece is
striking in its simplicity. It is a showcase of vocal inflections and guitar articulations interpreted
in the context of the double bass. Distinctively, these influences and performance techniques
are translated to the double bass and are exposed as the central musical focus in this work.
For Patitucci there is clearly also a spiritual angle reflected in his affinity with this musical style.
The vocalisation effects and the subject matter of some of the early blues are related not only
in telling a story, but also in conversation with God. In an interview with Berlanga-Ryan,
Patitucci alludes to this, saying:
46
Now, Mississippi Fred McDowell had a version of ‘Jesus Is on The
Mainline’ that Brian [Blade] played for me once. And I just flipped out. It
just freaked me out. It was so beautiful. And I said, ‘OK, well, that's it.’
I felt like I needed to make a solo bass version of this to try to get the
feeling across of that kind of old spiritual. Because the recording was
one guitar and this guy singing. And then there's a couple of other ladies.
You can tell there's some old men and women singing, and it's like a field
recording. It's like maybe they're sitting in a little church somewhere.
And it's amazing!
So that's where I got the idea for that song. I don't even know who
wrote it. I'm not so sure that Fred McDowell wrote it. I think that it may
be an older spiritual, and sometimes it's hard to say who did write it way
back when. That's one that is very important to me. That's one of my
favourite old spirituals, you know. Because the lyrics are great, and it's
about that type of relationship of people talking to God. I think it says
something like ‘Jesus is on the mainline. Tell him what you want.’ It says,
‘Call him up; call him up.’ So, it's talking about trying to have that real
direct relationship with God. (Berlanga-Ryan, 2012, paragraph 19 and
20)
These comments from Patitucci do not just come from a moment of sympathy. Patitucci’s
website (johnpatitucci.com) and comments in interviews (Enright, 2021; Stockton, 2002), make
it clear that he has a prominent commitment to his faith.
47
Chapter 5. ‘Elvin’
In this chapter I present a detailed explanation of the influence of Elvin Jones and John
Coltrane on John Patitucci’s composition ‘Elvin’. In this analysis I uncover ways in which
Patitucci alludes to Elvin Jones’ drumming and I suggest a melodic and harmonic relationship
to the music of John Coltrane. As I have briefly mentioned in the previous two chapters with
‘Soul of the Bass’ and ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’, I also propose that Patitucci’s composition of
‘Elvin’ has a raison d'être of self-directed study which gives him the opportunity to explore the
Afro-Cuban and swing rhythms that are present in Jones’ drumming; Coltrane-inspired melodic
and harmonic patterns; and opportunities for improvisation created by the melody – solo –
melody - coda structure of ‘Elvin’.
Structural Overview
‘Elvin’19 is the seventh track from Soul of the Bass and is a piece for unaccompanied, pizzicato
double bass. ‘Elvin’ is centered around the sounds offered by an A13b9 chord. The time
signature begins in 4/4 and it is performed at a fast tempo of crotchet = 170.
The structure of ‘Elvin’ is Melody – Improvisation – Melody – Coda.
The opening melody is based upon two themes – the A theme is 16 bars in length and the B
section is 15 bars in length. After one statement of the melody Patitucci improvises on the
double bass for 48 bars before a version of the opening melody returns; followed by a
concluding Coda.
Figure 5.1
Timeline of ‘Elvin’
Section 1 0:00 Section 2 0:42 Section 3 1:45 Section 4 2:16

Melody (31 bars) Improvisation (48 bars) Melody (24 bars) Coda (7 bars)
19
https://youtu.be/nQse8myGaMU
48
In a conversation with Jisi (2019, paragraph 11), Patitucci describes this piece as developing
from an improvisation that he played in practice whilst on tour. The swinging melody line he
explored, and the particular tempo reminded him of the drumming of Elvin Jones, and in
particular Jones’ work with the saxophonist John Coltrane (1926 – 1967). Patitucci considers
Elvin Jones to be one of the innovators (with Max Roach, Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette),
‘who have changed the course of jazz drumming and have contributed a voice and a beauty
and a power’ to the genre (Panken, 2015, paragraph 43).
The contribution and influence of Elvin Jones
As Patitucci states, Elvin Jones (1927 – 2004) is commonly considered one of the most
influential jazz drummers of all time (Stephans, 2013, p. 107). His reputation was established
after he moved to New York in 1956 and began performing in bands led by key jazz
practitioners such as Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins and Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, amongst others. In
October 1960 Jones began working with the John Coltrane Quartet alongside McCoy Tyner on
piano and Jimmy Garrison on bass. The work that was accomplished by the quartet during
Jones’ five-year tenure was to become recognised as making an important contribution to the
future direction of jazz music (Kernfeld, 2003). Jones’ drumming was a crucial part of the
sound of Coltrane’s quartet. His interactive approach had much to do with the universal
change in the role of the jazz drummer from being purely an accompanist, to being that of a
conversationalist: an equal member in musical dialogue (Feld, 2021, p. 142). Schudel (2004)
elaborates on the importance of Jones’ contribution saying, ‘in his five years with Coltrane’s
quartet in the 1960s, Mr. Jones set the standard for modern jazz drumming, incorporating the
polyrhythmic patterns of African drumming into his incendiary, almost overwhelming
technique’ (Schudel, 2004, paragraph 2). In describing Jones’ drumming style, Kofsky favours
the term ‘rhythmic displacement’, and says that ‘in his ability to generate musical tension and
interest through a never-ending manipulation of [rhythmically varied] accents, he has no peer’
(Kofsky, 1998, p. 358).
49
Influential bassist Ron Carter, who was a longtime member of the Miles Davis Quintet, says the
best way to demonstrate Jones’ contribution to jazz drumming would be to listen to a
recording of a pre-Elvin Jones drummer, listen to Elvin himself, and listen to a recording of a
post-Elvin Jones drummer. This method would make a clearer statement than words could
alone (cited in Szymbl, 2021, 18:22 – 18:46).20 An analysis of the history and development of
jazz drumming is beyond the scope of this thesis; nevertheless, the intent of Carter’s words are
clear. Jones’ impact upon the development of jazz drumming cannot be overstated.
Jones’ musical style was influenced by African drumming traditions (Fordham, 2004), and by
the cross-pollination of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz that became popular in America during
the late 1950s and early 1960s (Washburne, 1997, p. 77; Monson, 1998, p. 158). Jones cites
Xavier Cugat’s band21 and the implied Latin22 rhythms in the compositions of Cole Porter as
having an important influence on his musical development. From these influences he adapted
the flexibility of African and Latin ensemble rhythms into his own playing (Kahn, 2020, p. 151).
Austerlitz (2016) states that Jones’ adaption of Afro-Cuban rhythm resulted in a distinct and
effective hybrid style. In a drum tutorial video by Toews23, the rhythmic pattern that Jones
played on the ride cymbal in ‘Acknowledgement’ (part 1 of A Love Supreme, 1965) is
demonstrated to be similar to the ‘Mozambique bell pattern’ played in Cuban music. This bell
pattern takes on the role of the clave, which is the pattern that holds the rhythm together. 24
Since the development of the bebop style in jazz music the ride cymbal had become the
primary time keeping instrument within the drum kit (Kenny Clarke in Brown, 1990, p. 41), and
by adding clave rhythms to his rhythmic vocabulary, Jones was varying and extending the
conventional swing rhythm patterns played on the ride cymbal.
Jones says of this in discussion with Kahn:
20
https://youtu.be/igdN9kFCM-s?t=1102
21
Xavier Cugat (1900-1990) was a bandleader in New York City who became ‘the most commercially
famous name in Latin music during the 1930s and 40s’ (Waxer, 2011, paragraph 1). He was born in
Spain, moved to Cuba when he was five, and emigrated to the US in 1921.
22
The word Latin is used in this context to describe a genre of music that involves the ‘musical practices,
styles and traditions of the Caribbean and Latin America’ (Washburne, 2014, paragraph 1).
23
https://www.drumeo.com/beat/the-grooves-of-elvin-jones/ starting at 4:21.
24
‘Clave is a Spanish word meaning ‘code,’ or ‘key’… it Is also the name of the patterns played on claves,
two hardwood sticks used in Cuban music’ (Penalosa, 2012, 85). ‘The five-stroke clave pattern is the
heart of Afro-Cuban music. Just as a keystone holds an arch in place, the clave pattern holds the rhythm
together in Afro-Cuban music’ (2012, 88).
50
I always try to sustain some kind of continuity with the cymbal. That’s where
the consistency really is, because we no longer use a strong 4/4 bass beat,
or that rigid, up-and-down, 2 and 4 on the hi-hat. So, the emphasis is on the
consistency of the tempo and, of course, on the continuity of that cymbal.
That provides what would be the clave [the central pulse] in a Latin
orchestra. (Kahn, 2020, 151)
Similarly, Jones’ drum patterns across the whole drum kit on Coltrane’s recording A Love
Supreme (1965) are a showcase for ways in which he adapts and transforms Afro-Cuban
rhythms in such a manner that they do not sound ‘Latin’ to the casual jazz listener (Austerlitz,
2016, xlviii). A reason for this ambiguity is that neither Jones nor Garrison are dogmatically
repeating clave figures but rather just hinting at them occasionally and also combining them in
various different combinations on the double bass and drums. See Figure 5.2 for an example
of Jones’ rhythmic variations on the ride cymbal and the rest of the drum kit.
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Figure 5.2
Elvin Jones – Resolution – Part 2 of A Love Supreme. From Jones’ Entry of Drum Set at Bar 17.
Drum Set transcribed by William Machado; Double Bass transcribed by Dave Fink.
Figure 5.2 shows an example of Jones’ drumming on the piece ‘Resolution’ from A Love
Supreme. In bar 2, he begins to introduce a triplet rhythm on beat 3; and in bar 3, a 3:2 feel is
established between a 2-beat feel played on the cymbal and a 3-beat feel, played as triplets on
the snare and bass drum. This idea of co-existing rhythms provides a more ambiguous
rhythmic feel that both offers choices to the other band members, and at the same time is
enabled by the other band members. Often McCoy Tyner, on piano, would anchor the rhythm
and therefore free Jones from having a strict time-keeping role, enabling him to play with
rhythmic flexibility (Kofsky, 1998, p. 368). Figure 5.2 also shows the solid foundation provided
by Jimmy Garrison, on double bass. By playing on beat 1 of bars 1, 2 and 3, he establishes the
metric structure of each bar and enables Jones to play in a looser, polyrhythmic style.
Between them the rhythmic choices that Jones and Garrison make imply the clave. Bars 1 and
3 reference the first half of the rumba clave with the delayed fourth beat and anticipation of
beat one of the following bar. Bars 2 and 4 reference the son clave.
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John Patitucci’s performance of ‘Elvin’
The following analysis seeks to uncover ways in which the rhythmic aspects of
Patitucci’s composition ‘Elvin’ allude to Elvin Jones’ drumming and the use of melody
and harmony suggests a relationship to the music of John Coltrane.
Rhythmic analysis of ‘Elvin’
Figure 5.3
Bars 1 – 8 of ‘Elvin’ by John Patitucci. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 5.3 shows the first theme of ‘Elvin’. The quaver-based swinging groove pattern in bar 1
and bar 5 is answered with an ascending phrase of quavers through bar 6, with a syncopated
rhythm in bar 7 that is suggestive of a three over two clave pattern.
The second theme of ‘Elvin’ begins on the upbeat to bar 17 (see Figure 5.4). This time the
sequence consists of a series of shorter phrases with irregularly placed accents. Figure 5.4
shows bars 16 – 25 of ‘Elvin’ and details the techniques that Patitucci uses in his performance,
including pull-offs and hammer-ons (as described in earlier chapters). The second time the
accented semiquaver pull-off figure is played it occurs on the second beat of the bar. This
creates a moment of rhythmic displacement by shifting the accent from beat 1 to beat 2 in bar
22. The descending triplet figures in bars 19 and 22 are evocative of triplet drum fill-like-
patterns. As a comparison, figure 5.5 shows an example of Elvin Jones triplet fills.
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Figure 5.4
Bars 17 – 25 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 5.5
Blues to Elvin, bar 49 of second Coltrane solo chorus. Transcribed by Frank Kofsky (1998, p.
361.
In bars 28 and 30 Patitucci shifts the rhythmic feel by playing a melodic pattern with three
equal subdivisions in a 4/4 bar, creating the feeling of a change of time signature. (see Figure
5.6).
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Figure 5.6
As Patitucci mentions in an interview with Jisi, ‘Elvin’ is the only place on the album where he
plays a walking bass line (2019, paragraph 11). This occurs during the improvisation section of
‘Elvin’ and can be seen in figure 5.7. This brief walking bass line could be referencing Jones’
background in bebop drumming (where it is stylistically appropriate to play a walking bass line
on the double bass and a swing rhythm on the ride cymbal) and also might imply moments
when Jones played a jazz swing rhythm – for example bars 29 – 32 of ‘Resolution’25 (see figure
5.8). By playing a walking bassline Patitucci could also be suggesting that he is playing ‘with’
Elvin Jones: imagining him filling in the rhythmic detail around the quarter note bass rhythms.
Patitucci uses the muted open A and D strings to provide the rhythmic detail around the
quarter notes by playing ‘ghost’ notes (notes of indistinct pitch, indicated by a cross
notehead).
Figure 5.7
25
The score for ‘Resolution’ is marked Up Tempo Swing and the recording is a masterclass on how a
conventional swing groove can be developed through various levels of complexity in real time to both
accompany and engage in musical dialogue with a soloist.
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Figure 5.8
Bars 29 – 32 of Resolution. Transcribed by William Machado
Melodic analysis of ‘Elvin’
As mentioned, Patitucci has long held a deep appreciation and respect for the music of John
Coltrane (Jisi, 2019, paragraph 1) and in a conversation about the track ‘Elvin’, he says ‘the
intervallic shape of the melody and the implied tonality is very Coltrane-like. It happened to be
the harmonic colour I had in my head at the time’ (2019, paragraph 11). The opening melodic
statement of ‘Elvin’ (as shown in Figure 5.3) is based upon a series of ascending fourths. The
use of perfect fourths and fifths in the melody and harmony was a characteristic of the modal
jazz performances of Miles Davis and John Coltrane (Waters, 2011, p. 46).26 An example of the
use of melodic fourths in Coltrane’s music can be observed in Figure 5.9, which shows eight
bars from his tenor saxophone improvisation in ‘Pursuance’, part 3 of A Love Supreme.
Similarly, to the opening of ‘Elvin’ (figure 5.3), the opening melodic phrase at (A - Figure 5.9)
starts on an upbeat with an upwards wide interval step (4th instead of 5th), and the pattern
adopts the same shape reaching up before dropping down over a wider range then reaching
up again.
26
One further point of note is that as the strings of the Double Bass are tuned in fourths, playing a series
of ascending fourth intervals is very neatly played by moving the same left hand position down the
fingerboard and higher in pitch each time.
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Figure 5.9
4:51 – 4:57 of ‘Pursuance’ © 1977 Jowcol Music
Melodic movement in fourths is also present in ‘Elvin’ in bars 25 – 27 (see figure 5.10).
Figure 5.10
Harmonic analysis of ‘Elvin’
As mentioned previously Patitucci connects the sound of the dominant thirteen flat nine chord
with the music of John Coltrane (Jisi 2019). With a harmonic structure such as this—in this
case an A13b9—you can describe eight different triads within the pitches of the mode
suggested by the chord: F# major and minor, A major and minor, C major and minor,
and Eb major and minor (Jisi, 2019, paragraph 11). The scale that incorporates all these triad
options is known in jazz music theory as the A diminished blues scale (see figure 5.11).
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Figure 5.11
A Diminished Blues Scale, Starting on A
Figure 5.12
Major and Minor Triads Derived from the A Diminished Blues Scale
The use of the A diminished blues scale provides the option to utilise either a major or minor
version of each triad in the composition of a melody or in improvisation (see figure 5.12). This
offers the possibility of making the tonality of the piece somewhat obscure. This ambiguity
was extensively explored by Coltrane as it offered a way for him to create melodic and
harmonic interest within a modal framework. Figure 5.13 presents a transcription of the A
section (first 31 bars) of ‘Elvin’. Almost all the pitches in the composition are derived from the
A diminished blues scale, with the exceptions that are colour coded red. A notable exception
to the A diminished blues scale is the use of the note F, which features so prominently
throughout the opening 31 bars of the piece. D is another note that is an exception to the A
diminished blues scale, and it is used six times in the first 31 bars. This particular note (D2) is
an open string and is used by Patitucci to facilitate position shifts. It also functions as a non-
diatonic passing note, further adding to the harmonic tension.
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An example in ‘Elvin’ of the A diminished blues scale being used in a linear fashion is the
walking bass line that Patitucci plays from bars 41 – 44 (see figure 5.7). Although beginning
the line on C rather than A, the notes of the scale are closely adhered to (with the exception of
the highest note in the contour – F). Whilst ascending, the line includes both major and minor
thirds of the A diminished blues scale – C, E, Eb, G, Gb and Bb. Upon reaching the highest
note, F, the notes descend chromatically through F, E, Eb, D and Db before outlining a C major
chord (G, E and C) with the C preceded by the added colour note of a Db.
Figure 5.13 shows the first section of ‘Elvin’. A full transcription is included in the Appendix.
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Figure 5.13
The First Section of ‘Elvin’ by John Patitucci. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
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Blues elements
As discussed in Chapter 4, Patitucci has an affinity for the blues, and the A section contains a
well-known blues motif in the second bar of the B theme (bar 19). The note degrees relating
to the implied chord (G minor) are written below the staff. The particular notes that create
the ‘blues’ sound of this pattern are the flattened fifth (Db) and the flattened third (Bb).
Figure 5.14
Showing the Blues Motif in Bar 19 of ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Analysis of Patitucci’s improvisation on ‘Elvin’
Patitucci begins the improvisation by quoting the opening bar of the piece before heading in a
different melodic and rhythmic direction. Throughout the improvisation, a wide range of
notes is explored, from the low F#1 in bar 34 to the high G4 in bar 64.
One characteristic of Patitucci’s solo in ‘Elvin’ is the use of ascending and descending thirds
patterns. This first occurs in bars 35 – 36 (see figure 5.15). As previously mentioned in
Chapter 3, the scale in thirds pattern is often heard in jazz improvisation, and can be seen in
bars 15-17 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ (see Figure 3.7).
Figure 5.15
Another example is bars 53 – 54. This time a descending thirds pattern is used.
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Figure 5.16
Another descending pattern occurs from bar 76 – 79, during the last four bars of the
improvisation. This time a modified version of the pattern is presented. The overall contour is
descending, however rather than rising by a third after each downward step, the pattern rises
by a semitone.
Figure 5.17
A second characteristic of the improvisation is the building of tension through the creation of
“contrasts [by] registral ascents” (Berliner, 1994, p. 198). The first example is at bar 46 where
an ascending pattern is played. It begins as an F#7 arpeggio before becoming a scale in the
second octave, finishing on a D4 (see figure 5.18).
Figure 5.18
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The second example of tension occurs at bar 62. Here Patitucci begins the pattern on D#2 and
ascends to G4, the highest note in the piece. In this instance a feeling of release is also created
through the loss of accentuation and descrescendo in bar 63. This example shows the mixing
of triplets with quavers which was a favourite device employed by Jones.
Figure 5.19
A third example occurs at bar 71 – 72. This is Patitucci’s final version of this pattern. This time
the pattern outlines an F#m7 chord.
Figure 5.20
Return of Melody
A feature of the return of the melody after the improvisation has concluded is the change of
time signature to 3/4 in bars 93 – 94. This is a rhythmic development of a phrase that has
previously occurred twice in 4/4 time (bars 85 and 89). The change from 4/4 to 3/4 is another
example of mixing metre which references Jones’ approach. Changing the meter at this
moment in the performance creates a rhythmic variation of the original phrase and adds
momentum to move the music forward into the B section. (See Figure 5.21, highlighted
phrases in red).
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Figure 5.21
Repeat version of the A Theme in ‘Elvin’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Towards the end of the piece, another interesting rhythmic development begins at bar 103
(see Figure 5.22, highlighted in red). The 4/4, eighth-note rhythmic feel that existed previously
up to bar 102 permutates into a triplet feel throughout bar 103. By the time bar 104 begins,
the time signature has changed to 3/4, and it stays that way until the end, seven bars later.
This is a marked difference to the initial version of this section (see Figure 5.23, bars 26 – 27,
highlighted in red), and is an example of Jones’ polyrhythmic influence upon the rhythmic
development of this composition.
64
Figure 5.22
‘Elvin’ bars 101-110. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
Figure 5.23
‘Elvin’ bars 24-27. Transcribed by E. Hutchens
65
Conclusion
In this work Patitucci has investigated the characteristic rhythmic style of Elvin Jones and the
melodic and harmonic patterns of John Coltrane. He has synthesised these elements into an
unaccompanied piece for the double bass that manages to allude to both Jones and Coltrane.
The blues references in the melody are a reminder of the music of Mississippi Fred McDowell,
as previously discussed in Chapter 4. In using a traditional jazz structure of melody – solo –
melody, Patitucci creates the opportunity for himself to explore a more soloistic manner of
performing, before returning to the melody once more.
As I will discuss further in Chapter 6, I suggest that a possible reason for Patitucci’s
composition of this piece was to give himself the opportunity to examine the Afro-Cuban and
swing rhythms that are present in Jones’ drumming; Coltrane-inspired melodic and harmonic
patterns; and opportunities for improvisation created by the melody – solo – melody - coda
structure of ‘Elvin’.
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Chapter 6. Self-Directed Learning, Jazz Improvisation & Composition
Previously in this thesis I have discussed the traditions, influences, and innovations that
contribute to Patitucci’s musical style as both composer and improvisor, in the context of an
analysis of the three stylistically divergent pieces ‘Soul of the Bass’, ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’
and ‘Elvin’. In this chapter I will argue that the impetus for Patitucci’s composition of these
three pieces is to enhance and develop his own practice-based study of the music styles
represented by these pieces. I will begin by reviewing some of the literature on self-directed
learning, with a focus on jazz improvisation. Following on from this, I will propose a
relationship between learning existing repertoire and creating new repertoire for the purpose
of developing musical artistry.
Self-Directed Learning
Why self-directed learning? The theory, or process of self-directed learning, describes the
attributes of an individual who has taken the responsibility for their own learning. When read
together with Berliner’s description of how jazz musicians learn (1994, p. 22-31), it could be
argued that John Patitucci shows the attributes of a self-directed learner, and that these
attributes have shaped his learning journey. In the following discussion of self-directed
learning, I will begin with Knowles (1975) and will also shape my discussion with more
contemporary sources.
Malcolm Knowles is considered a key figure in the research of self-directed learning. He

defined self-directed learning in broad terms as:
A process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help
of others, (1) in diagnosing their own learning needs, (2) formulating
learning goals, (3) identifying human and material resources for learning,
(4) choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies and (5)
evaluating learning outcomes. (1975, p. 18)
Knowles further clarifies his definition of self-directed learning to state that it does not imply
solitary learning. Rather, self-directed learning usually occurs within a network of like-minded
people who assist one another (1975, p. 19). Contemporary sources who have continued work
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in the area of self-directed learning are Guglielmino (2008), Brookfield (2009), and Mentz and
Oosthuizen (2016).
Guglielmino (2008) frames Knowles’ definition within three additional concepts. These are:
 Context: self-directed learning can occur in a range of contexts, varying from teacher-
led classrooms to self-driven learning programs; it is instigated from various needs and
interests; and is managed alone or with others.
 Activation: the personal attributes of the learner govern whether self-directed learning
will occur. Responsibility for learning and choice of parameters for the activity comes
from the learner.
 Universality: self-direction exists in every learner, to a greater or lesser extent.
Brookfield (2009) makes the point that self-directed learning does not always exist in a vacuum
and emphasizes the importance of peer groups and mentors (Brookfield, 2009, p.2615).
Mentz and Oosthuizen (2016) develop Knowles’ theory further by stating that there are
three facets of self-directed learning that deserve emphasis. These are:
 Self: the instigation and motivation for learning comes from the ‘self', as does
awareness of and self-regulation of the learning process.
 They are directed or purposeful which involves the self-management of learning by
goal setting, decision making, applying the appropriate skills and strategies, and self-
reflection.
 The process of learning: being an active participant in the learning process (2016, p.3).
Self-Directed Learning and the Jazz Musician
In the following discussion I aim to show that the attributes of a self-directed learner and the
traditional learning attributes of a jazz musician are complimentary. I will begin with Berliner
(1994) and use his insights give a jazz perspective on the previously presented idea of self-
directed learning.
Berliner (1994) presents a comprehensive study on how musicians learn to improvise, by

investigating jazz musicians and the learning of their craft. As such,
His first chapter ‘Love at First Sound’ discusses the musical environments that a number of the
musicians he interviewed grew up in and nominated as being important to their musical
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development. These environments promoted a range of activities, such as listening to jazz
records in the home; learning a basic technique by taking instrumental lessons; experiencing
live performances; learning jazz style by copying adult musicians; and learning how to put all
these ideas into practice by participating in amateur performances (1994, p. 22-31).
The jazz community places a high value on self-directed learning. This includes choosing their
own role-models and mentors (whether physical or virtual such as through recordings) and
comparing their abilities against them. The end goal of the educational system encouraged by
the jazz community is the development of a ‘unique improvisational voice within the jazz
tradition’ (1994, p. 59). In the words of the jazz guitarist performer-composer Pat Metheny,
‘The musicians I’ve loved the most were those who defined their own voice and had developed
an instantly recognizable personal sound’ (Niles, 2009, p. 143).
As Berliner indicates:
The jazz community’s traditional education system places its emphasis on

learning rather than on teaching, shifting to students the responsibility for
determining what they need to learn, how they will go about learning,
and from whom. (Berliner, 1994, p. 51)
Audio recordings and live performances are where improvisations are heard, and this is what
students study and distill into practice pathways and eventually into mental and physical
memory. As Monson points out, ‘early jazz musicians learned repertory primarily by ear,
internalizing both the melody and its phrasing and articulation in one process’ (Monson, 2011,
p. 115). Berliner continues this theme:
Students treat recordings as formal educational tools. Since 1917, this

fixed representation of the historical literature of jazz on commercial
recordings has, in effect, served as the aural musical score, well suited to
scrutiny and analysis. (Berliner, 1994, p. 58)
In an interview with Arthur Taylor, the pianist Hampton Hawes says, ‘I didn’t go to a
conservatory, I don’t have any degree, I came up ignorant from the streets and learned from
records’ (Taylor, 1993, p. 187). Freddie Hubbard concurs, ‘[to develop myself as a trumpeter,
I] listened to other musicians. By hearing what they play, I can judge what I would like to play
69
or not to play’ (ibid, p. 197). According to the trumpeter Kenny Dorham, ‘I first heard Charlie
Parker on a Jay McShann record; I think he was playing ‘Swingin the Blues Away,’ and it
sounded so great that I learned the solo’ (ibid, p. 231). The emphasis upon aural perception is
a common learning strategy for Hawes, Hubbard and Dorham.
Another case in point of self-directed learning in the jazz community is the well-known
example of John Coltrane studying Slonimsky’s Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns
(Porter, 1998, p. 149) to discover new ideas for his compositions and improvisations. In the
words of Jimmy Heath, ‘Coltrane would be able to isolate everything and zoom in on anything
that he didn’t know that he wanted to know’ (ibid, p. 64). Like Hawes, Hubbard, and Dorham,
Coltrane fits Knowles’ self-directed learning criteria by taking the initiative in his own learning,
formulating goals, identifying resources (in this case, Slonimsky’s Thesaurus), choosing and
implementing the appropriate learning strategy (incessant practice) and evaluating the
outcome.
In summary, the jazz community places a high value on self-directed learning and emphasises
the importance of traditional learning methods such as learning by ear, immersing oneself in
the music to learn the jazz vocabulary, and mentoring. In the following section I will discuss
how Patitucci has combined these methods with the attributes of a self-directed learner.
Self-Directed Learning and John Patitucci
In the documentary Back in Brooklyn (directed by Patrick Cone, 2016) Patitucci provides
insights into his musical development which show that he experienced a range of activities
very similar to those mentioned by Berliner. He nominates his older brother Tom as an
important musical influence, initially as his guitar teacher and soon after as the person who
introduced him to the electric bass. An anecdote from John and Tom in the documentary
describes the hugely consequential day their grandfather brought home a box of jazz records
that he found on the street. In the box was a ‘treasure trove of jazz records’, with albums from
Jimmy Smith, Ray Charles, Art Blakey, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Woody
Herman, Thad Jones and Thelonious Monk. Tom says, ‘we devoured those records, those
things came into our life just at the time we were getting into music’ (Cone, 2016). This
example shows that not only were John Patitucci’s formative years spent in a fertile and
supportive musical environment, but he displayed a self-motivated approach to learning from
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a young age. Renwick and McPherson (2002) discuss the link between children’s motivation to
practice and repertoire. Patitucci was highly motivated to practice by the music he discovered
in the box of records from his grandfather. He also went on to study Bach, McDowell and
Jones based on recordings (as previously mentioned in this thesis). Patitucci spent the first
two years of his bass career learning primarily by ear, before he started learning from
professional teachers (Stockton, 2002, paragraph 7). In the liner notes to the album Soul of the
Bass Patitucci gives thanks to his ‘primary teachers: Tom Patitucci, Chris Poehler, Charles Siani,
Abe Luboff, Barry Liebermann, Tom Martin and John Schaeffer’ and to ‘Chick Corea, who
encouraged me to perform solo bass improvisations at his concerts… and to Wayne Shorter,
Danilo Perez and Brian Blade, for shaping my musical world for such a long time’ (Patitucci,
2019). Patitucci was also influenced by the virtual mentorship of Bach, McDowell and Jones.
Patitucci’s musical development was supported by his family; aided by extensive formal
training with world-renowned teachers at school, college and beyond; and encouraged by
mentors and peers whilst working in the industry. As the previous quote highlights, Chick
Corea provided encouragement for Patitucci’s beginning forays into solo double bass
improvisation and composition, which were the initial inspiration for this thesis.
Self-Directed Learning and Composition
In seeking to argue that Patitucci’s compositional output is instigated from a platform of self-
directed learning, I will return to Knowles’ definition and to the addendums of Guglielmino,
Brookfield, Mentz and Oosthuizen (previously discussed at the beginning of this chapter); and
relate them to what I perceive as Patitucci’s learning strategy.
Patitucci has taken the initiative with his own learning by commencing the composition of
these pieces as improvisations in hotel rooms (Jisi, 2019, paragraph 11). He has diagnosed his
own learning needs by specifically targeting the three genres that he would like to focus on.
He has identified the available learning resources, such as written scores or recordings. He has
chosen musical composition as an appropriate learning strategy. He has evaluated his learning
outcomes through reviewing the recordings chosen for the album and subsequent recordings
made (italicized points from Knowles, 1975).
Patitucci has created these works within the context of a self-driven learning program that has
been instigated by himself for the purpose of increasing expertise. (Writing a composition
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leads to increased performance expertise as it provides Patitucci with a vehicle for constant
repetition and development through performance in practice and in concerts.) It is his own
personal attributes that have led to the activation of this self-directed learning project for
which he has established the parameters (italicized points from Guglielmino, 2008). The
instigation and motivation for learning comes from Patitucci himself, who has self-managed his
own learning by making direct and purposeful decisions. Listening back to his improvisations
recorded on his phone whilst on the road and working in the environment of a recording
studio will have created many opportunities for self-reflection.
Patitucci has been supported by peer groups and mentors throughout his career (italicized
point from Brookfield, 2009). One particular example is the previously mentioned support
given to Patitucci by Chick Corea who encouraged him to experiment with playing solo pieces
in concerts.
Patitucci has evidently been an active participant throughout his own process of learning
(italicized points from Mentz and Oosthuizen, 2016). Discerning the act of composition in this
instance as an activity that has been invented for the purpose of improving skills (Ericsson et
al. 1993) reinforces the idea that Patitucci has composed these works to refine his
performance expertise and depth of understanding.
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Conclusion
When situated within the context of the ideas of self-directed learning proposed by Knowles
and further explored by Guglielmino, Brookfield, and Mentz & Oosthuizen, it is apparent that
John Patitucci displays the characteristics of a self-directed learner. This can be seen in his
childhood development, in his career trajectory, and as the potential impetus for his
composition of the three pieces discussed in this chapter. I argue that by composing these
works, Patitucci can be seen to be seeking to enhance and develop his own practice-based
study of the music styles represented by these pieces. As Gruber, Degner and Lehmann point
out, ‘learning by experts is often self-directed, they decide on which parts of the skill they
need further training, they know the reasons why to continue practicing’ (Gruber, H. Degner,
S. Lehmann, A, 2004, p. 225). As is evident in the compositions ‘Soul of the Bass’, ‘Morning
Train (Spiritual)’ and ‘Elvin’, Patitucci has decided which musical styles he wishes to pursue
further. Whilst Patitucci has previously learnt existing repertoire in these styles (for example,
the ‘Allemande’ from Suite 5 (BWV 1011) which appears as Track 10 on the album Soul of the
Bass), he has taken an additional step of creating new repertoire for the purpose of
demonstrating mastery of musical expertise through the development afforded by rehearsal
and performance. By composing new repertoire, not only has Patitucci created works that are
eminently suited to the double bass, but he has cultivated for himself the opportunity to
increase his understanding of the identified musical styles, and to explore ways to adapt them
and absorb them into his own individual musical style.
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Chapter 7. Conclusion
With John, you can put music in front of him, you can tell him there’s
no music. You can tell him there’s a concept and he’ll follow it, or you
can have him make up the concept. There’s kind of nothing you can’t
do with John because he knows classical music, he knows jazz, he’s got
big ears. And whatever he hears, he can go for, whether he’s playing
acoustic or electric. It’s like John is the proto-mega-musician who
happens to play the bass. (Enright, 2021. From an interview with pianist
Bill Cunliffe)
Throughout this thesis I have been seeking to investigate the influences that make up
Patitucci’s musical style as composer and improvisor; examine the techniques that he uses to
create arrangements for solo double bass performances; and explore the role of composition
in Patitucci’s self-directed learning. I have used three pieces from Patitucci’s 2019 album Soul
of the Bass as a case study, namely ‘Soul of the Bass’, ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ and ‘Elvin’.
In summary, I assert that my analysis of the three pieces clearly demonstrates the influence of
J.S. Bach; Mississippi Fred McDowell; and Elvin Jones and John Coltrane upon Patitucci’s
compositional and performance style. In demonstrating this I have also uncovered and
documented, through analysis, specific techniques that Patitucci has employed to realise these
works distinctively for the solo double bass. I argue that a reason for Patitucci’s composition
and performance of these works is to further enhance his musical expertise. This shows a
continuation of self-directed learning practices that have been present throughout Patitucci’s
musical life and that places him squarely within the learner/mentor environment that is so
endemic to jazz and improvised music (as previously discussed by Berliner, 1994, p. 51). Even
masterful practitioners such as Patitucci are not separate from this type of ongoing
developmental process.
Further research in this area could also include an examination of my own musical
development as a bassist via insights gathered from this project. Learning to perform
Patitucci’s compositions has given me an appreciation of how these styles fit on the double
bass and how I can develop my own playing. Again and again throughout this project I have
been encouraged by his musical expertise and depth of understanding. The breadth and
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rigour of Patitucci’s musical knowledge and his virtuosic skill on the double bass and electric
bass have been an inspiration to me and have made a tremendous impact upon my own
performance practice as a bass player. I would be interested to see what direction this could
take and how it could be helpful for both myself and other bassists seeking to develop their
own performance and composition.
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Bibliography
Adler, S. (2002). The Study of Orchestration. New York: Norton.
Artistworks. (2012, June 27). Jazz bass lessons with John Patitucci: Playing with expression.
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/GIUzEOZ171U
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Appendix 1. ‘Soul of the Bass’
‘Soul of the Bass’ (As performed by John Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E. Hutchens,
adapted from a transcription by C. Jisi, 2019).
85
‘Soul of the Bass’
86
Appendix 2. ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’
Complete transcription of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’. (As performed by John Patitucci, 2019.
Transcribed by E. Hutchens)
87
‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’
88
Appendix 3. ‘Elvin’
Complete transcription of ‘Elvin’. (As performed by John Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E.

Hutchens)
89
‘Elvin’
90
‘Elvin’
91
‘Elvin’
92

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Unaccompanied Double Bass in Jazz Composition and

Performance: A Case Study of Three Works by John Patitucci

Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/100548 in https://

A thesis in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

School of the Arts and Media

Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture

The analysis undertaken consists of melodic transcription and identification of stylistic,

Compositional aspects of McDowell’s ‘Back Back Train’............................................32

Appendix 1. ‘Soul of the Bass’.......................................................................................81

Appendix 2. ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’........................................................................83

I have included YouTube links to musical examples as footnotes throughout my thesis.

Holland, D. (2013). Pork Pie Hat. [Song]. On Ones All. Dare2Records.

Coleman, O. (1960). Ramblin’ [Song]. On Change of the Century. Atlantic.

Coltrane, J. (1965). Acknowledgement. [Song]. A Love Supreme [Album]. Impulse!

Coltrane, J. (1965). Resolution. [Song]. A Love Supreme [Album]. Impulse!

Coltrane, J. (1965). Pursuance. [Song]. A Love Supreme [Album]. Impulse!

I think what happened was I just liked a lot of different kinds of

In choosing an album, or collection of albums, that will be conducive to revealing aspects of

I framed my research around the following questions:

Solo Double Bass Improvisation and Composition

In 1979, I heard Dave Holland’s solo record Emerald Tears. That

Patitucci’s approach to developing short melodic themes into longer improvisations is

Solo Double Bass Performance Techniques

Players such as Charlie Haden, Jimmy Garrison, Dave Holland and

Self-directed learning in jazz

Transcribing recorded music

‘Soul of the Bass’ is in Binary form, with an A B A1 B1 Coda structure.

Timeline of 'Soul of the Bass'

from Jisi, 2019)

‘Soul of the Bass’ B Section Bars 9 - 20 (Patitucci, 2019. Transcribed by E. Hutchens)

Example 1 from Patterns for Improvisation by Nelson (1966)

Example 1 (Nelson) in D Major, Extended for an Extra Bar

Bars 15-17 of ‘Soul of the Bass’

Bar 12 of ‘Soul of the Bass’

Bars 13 – 16 of ‘Soul of the Bass’

Influence of J.S. Bach

‘Bourrée I’ from Suite III BWV 1009

Opening Phrase of ‘Soul of the Bass’. Adapted from Jisi (2019)

Section B of ‘Soul of the Bass’

Bar 1 functions as a point of stability

Improvisation and variation

I discovered that my favourite recordings [of Bach’s Cello Suites] were by

According to Donington, ‘Baroque ornamentation is more than a decoration. It is a necessity…

Bars 20 – 33 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with colour coded variations

Bars 38 – 42 of ‘Soul of the Bass’ with colour coded variations

1. Scoop into the high F# (bar 1).

I will discuss this idea of practice-based study in greater detail in Chapter 6.

‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ Patitucci, Bars 1 – 8. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

‘Back Back Train’, McDowell, Verse 1, Bars 1-8. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

Formal Design of ‘Back Back Train’

Formal Design of ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’

Arranging ‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ for solo double bass

‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ bar 1

‘Morning Train (Spiritual)’ bar 8

‘Back Back Train’ beginning of Verse 1

Use of Slides in ‘Morning Train’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

Bars 11-12 of ‘Back Back Train’. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

Melodic Variation in ‘Morning Train’ Bar 11. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

Melodic Variation in ‘Morning Train’ Bar 17. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

‘Morning Train’ Bar 30. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

Morning Train’ Bar 4. Transcribed by E. Hutchens

In ‘Morning Train (Spiritual), Patitucci presents a musical homage to McDowell and to

Section 1 0:00 Section 2 0:42 Section 3 1:45 Section 4 2:16