Developing techniques to improve improvisation and explore composition
Let’s face it – we all are bass player wannabes, it’s just that many of us are intelligent enough to know that carrying a tuba around has its problems. And a string bass? I don’t think so. Even a bass guitar requires a bigger amp!
But we love what bass players do. And what they do is especially cool. Did you ever see a group of tourists being led around by a guide carrying a little flag? That’s the bass player, leading us from site to site, or chord to chord in a musical sense.
But what, exactly, is their job? And how do they lead?
The simplest and most common song form. The blues is a 12 measure song form. Each verse is a repetition of the same 12 measure pattern, so the repetition makes it is easy to learn. The blues is based on a simple chord pattern that is familiar to American jazz and popular music, usually involving just 3 chords. Jazz educatorJamey Aebersold compiled a wonderful text called the Jazz Handbook, available free as a pdf through this link. On page 35 he includes Dan Haerle’s 17 examples of blues progressions. For this lesson we will concentrate on variation 1.
I – I – I – I
IV – IV – I – I
V – V – I – I
In the key of C a I chord is C, a IV chord is F, and a V chord would be a G. Also, in the blues all chords are dominant (they contain a dominant, or flat, 7th). This is the only form of music where the dominant chord is used in this way.
Here is what a bass player might see. What to do?
In this example, the slashes are shorthand for quarter notes
Play roots
Play scale tones
1-2-3-2 or Do-Re-Mi-Re
1-2-3-5 or Do-Re-Mi-Sol
1-2-3-5 / 3-2-1-7
Build in Backgrounds
3rds and 7ths will work well
In the key ofBb:
I chord isBb
3rd is D
7th is Ab
IV chord is Eb
7th is Db
3rd is G
V chord is F
7th is Eb
3rd is A
So, begin on the 3rd of the I chord and play notes in red: D, Db, Eb (3, 7, 7)
Or, begin on the 7th of the I chord and play notes in green: Ab, Db, A (7, 3, 3)
Add a Response
More blues tunes: Huckle Buck (Now’s the Time), Count Basie, Blue Monk, Blue Trane, C Jam Blues, Freddie Freeloader, Mr. P.C., Sonnymoon for Two, Straight No Chaser, Tenor Madness, K.C. Blues (Max Roach), Blues Back, (Art Blakey), The Blues March
A montage of different musicians playing a popular “lick” compiled by Alex Heitlinger. Musicians rely on licks to build improvisations. (Thank you, James Leddy for directing me to this video!)
There is even a Facebook page dedicated to “The Lick”!:
Let’s face it – we all are bass player wannabes, it’s just that many of us are intelligent enough to know that carrying a tuba around has its problems. And a string bass? I don’t think so. Even a bass guitar requires a bigger amp!
