Carol Kaye's Bass Tips

A good way to get your groove-sense together is to take a piece of music (a chord chart of some kind), put an electric metronome on, and have it beat on every beat (at first) while you pat your left foot. Now, with the metronome beating 1-2-3-4, count the bars while patting your left foot 1-2-3-4. Count: 1-2-3-4, 2-2-3-4, 3-2-3-4, 4-2-3-4, then start over on the next 4 bars. When you start feeling the groove with the metronome on 1-2-3-4. Now start over and reduce the speed of the metronome to 1/2 that speed. With it beating 1/2 time (1/2 speed), try to place it on beats 2 and 4 by counting 1-1234, two 1's twice as fast to it so you can feel its beats as off-beats 1 and 3 while it beats on 2 and 4 (like a drummer's snare drum beat). This is critical that you leave the holes of 1 and 3, those are your spots to play basically (no pun intended). Now repeat the same counting of the bars method all the way through the piece again. I guarantee it that you will start to feel a groove and be able to find your place in the music a lot better as you aim for the downbeats in the bars.

Basic theory starts with the formation of chords. I never teach any scale until much later, after you learn the right notes to use in chordal situations and get to playing right away, with good ear-training chordal arpeggios and some useful rock/funk lines as well as good walking lines to use. It's just as easy to teach the finest walking lines (like what Ray Brown uses) as not. The note-scale is numbered 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 and 8 starts 1 over again, then it's 8 (1) 9 (2) 10 (3rd). Chords are formed from every other note of the scale: R (for "root" same as "1"), 3 and 5 form the basic notes of the major chord, say like C, has R35, the notes of C E G in the chord. Cmaj7 has R357 C E G B in it - note: bass players NEVER play the maj7th in their lines at all, you're only concerned with the 3rds and 5ths). That's the major chord, it could be Cmaj9th (R359) but you treat it like a plain major chord for walking. The Minor chord is formed by R b3 (one fret lower than 3rd) and 5th, thus, anything with a flat 3rd in it is a minor chord ie: Cm7 Cm9th Cm7b5 (aka 1/2 diminished), a real diminished chord is formed R b3 b5 and bb7 (double flat is two frets down, same as your 6th but they say bb7 as chords are formed by every other note: R3579 and 11th and 13th). Those are the 2 general chord catagories, but blues and jazz players brought on the later 3rd chord category: The 7th chord: R35 and b7th (as opposed to the maj7th), this is the G7 (in the key of C, it's always the V7 chord, the V of the chordal scale: I ii iii IV V7 vi viib5 I), and so you see the advent of the most common chordal progression: ii V7 I. OK enough for now. BTW, the dotted roman numerals (ii iii etc.) indicate the chord is a MINOR chord (invented by Shillinger in the early 1900s, this is THE legal way taught by Eastman & other great music schools, not the ignorant ways of teaching that are sometimes seen like "II m" something like that, that's totally wrong, it's: ii or ii7 to indicate a m7th or ii9 to indicate minor 9th).

One doesn't have to study for "years" to immediately get some good walking lines to use for tunes. Will go into the basic walking lines. There's some books out there where for $19.95 you might get 2 or 3 good lines -- I'm not into that. I believe (and can back this from years of teaching) that anyone should have the very same lines to use as say the great Ray Brown, Ron Carter, etc., it's not hard, just getting your chordal tones together. I've previously discussed the chordal tones of R 3 5 (see below). If you just take a minute and add the 2nd to that, ie key of C: C D (2nd) E and G, and practice your R 2 3 5 in the following chords: C Dm (remember for the minor it's R 2 b3rd and 5th) and play these notes across the neck fretboard (just in the 3rd-5th fret positions) then we'll go on. Be sure to note that the 5th is always below the Root (R) on the same fret, that's rule #1 in finding the notes. Remember your upper octave too. For G7th, just use the R 2 3 5th (not the b7th). GOOD. Now, play the following chord chart: C//// //// (repeat of C) Dm7 (R 2 B3 5)//// G7//// good. Now play the 2 bars of C using the following line going up and coming back down (you're going to create a "hill and valley" now): C//// R235 //// 8 (the upper R) 5 3 R now Dm7 try using R 2 b3 to natural 3rd up to G R 5 (lower 5th) 3rd R, good. The notes are: C D E G high C low G E C D E F F# G D B G, now you're walking and creating a "hill & valley", you're walking up then down. Notice it's too hard to think of "notes", hence you "think" in chordal tones, the R changes with each chord. And after awhile you don't "think" at all, your fingers *know* the notes while you're part of the "audience". More later, especially using the passing tones of b5ths, it's easy really. Why waste time and money on things that are not the very best, anyone can learn this.

You do need to get used to the way chords move, via learning your cycles. Memorize the cycles (some call this the "circle of 4ths/5ths", a layman's term, no pro says this): practice your triads (R 3 5) and say the root of this E A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb(F#) B E all over your neck, get used to where these triads fall and memorize this like your timestable for multiplication in school. Now, with the R 2 3 and 5th of the prior post I did, also do this exercise throughout the cycles. The reason for dwelling on the cycles is that ALL songs, especially Standards (Real Book tunes) have mostly cycle chordal progressions in them, it makes sense to *know* your cycles. Then: find you b5th notes, they are 1 fret below every 5th, easy to find. Now for a turnaround, the I VI7 ii7 V7, (usually on the last 2 bars of every tune), stick a b5 in the last beat of all the "cyclic" chords which are in the ii7 V7 I chords (and sometimes beyond if the I chord is going to the IV chord etc.). For instance in the key of C, you're playing C Bb (passing note is the b7th of C can be used going to A7), A/ Eb/(b5 of A) D/ Ab/(b5 of D) G/ Db/(b5 of G) into C. Ah, now you've created a hip line, just don't overdo the b5s. And the reason why you didn't use the b5th on the first chord, C, is that it didn't cycle to F, it went to A. Remember when you walk notes on the bass, it's the opposite of playing rock bass, you must keep your notes ringing as LONG as you can, not short like in rock and roll.

Todd, yes I did some things back then w/Peggy Lee, am surprised they're still playing that, and thanks about the site, appreciate that -- work of two web men and a good sound-byte fellow (take a bow Bob!). Yes, I know what you mean about walking on one chord. Just remember when you're in a minor chord, it's always the "two" minor (Dm written in the key of F, but you NEVER think in "F", but ALWAYS in the key of C). Now this opens up all the new stuff of the C chordal scale. Try running notes in triad form (Rb35 for minors and R35 for major chords) up the C chordal scale: Dm Em F G up and down that. And always in jazz, there are chordal note phrasings using the chord you're in and the back-cycle: Dm A7b9 Dm, plus you can also use the A+ backcycle, plus the G7 (rememer Dm and G7 are the same chord, the ii and the V7 are considered the same) and use the stacked triads in chordal form, walking up and then walking back down: D F A C E G B and even in their triads from G7: G Bmb5 (R b3 b5) Dm F Am C Em G, and even in arpeggiated form just on the Dm chord: C# D (drop down) G# A E F C# D A see, there are many "streets" to travel on as you walk. Sometimes just staying on a pedal tone is a good idea for awhile too, same note like A and bounce between the low A and the high A in paradiddles (AA A AA A AA A AA A A A A A) -- you can take a "pit stop" this way too in faster tempos, and always take a pit stop playing double notes (like a rhythm guitar) sometimes (not all the time, this can get pretty corny if you do it much). So get some practicing done to find these notes. For some reason, working out of my solo jazz pattern book seems to help walkers too: "Pro's Jazz Phrases", think it helps shape up the chordal thinking (at first you have to "think", then your fingers know the notes, you never "think" anymore, except what key it's in to start with).

As I said in an earlier post, for the major chords, you play mostly R 5ths and 6ths, for the major and minor chords, the R 5 and b7ths, with many lines inbetween (like 3-4-#4-5 for all majors and b3-4-#4-5 for minor chords, and blues licks like 8 b7 5 b5 4 b3 R, anyway you mainly use these notes. Next you want to get a sort of statement-answer line going on, 4 beats of a pattern, then 4 more beats of a different pattern in answer to the first one, using these notes. For rhythmic ideas, be sure to listen to latin beats of the timbales, the congas, and any drum tom-tom fills. Some bass players think they should play what the bass drum plays, no! That's boring and you should play something totally different much of the time. If the drummer is playing most an down-beat bass drum line, playing something with more upbeats, and vice-versa. Try to memorize a good rhythmic pattern until you can get to your bass to play it and learn it. You might not find good patterns from bass players out there, very few can create good patterns (that I hear today unfortunately), just remember to listen to other rhythmic instruments for ideas, but keep it in 2-bar patterns and then create an opposte fill on the 8th bar, reverting back to the pattern (you can deviate ever so slightly from the pattern but not much!), using a different type line in the bridge of a song, and then using the first type pattern again on the last 8 bars (in the AABA type tune, a tune with a bridge to it). Believe it or not, altho' we were jazz players, we loved to play the funky stuff (and even the rock too) a lot too! It didn't matter the kind of music, as long as it grooved, that's the most important. Jazz still doesn't pay as much as the monies in rock and funk, and you don't have to know jazz to play good rock and funk at all -- but you should know several types of funky patterns to use -- try my books too, tons of these kinds of lines those; "How To Play The Elec. Bass" (harder than it sounds), Elec. Bass Lines Nos. 1-2-4-5 are the best for the funky stuff, 5 being the toughest book, lots of gospel 6/8 w/16ths to read. The video courses also have a lot of great funky lines as well as the sort of beginner "Rock-Funk Bass Tape & Guide". Over and out! Open for questions tho', have a good one.

My personal choice is the 4-string. I've tried the 5s, and even some 6s, and even with the nice necks, something about jumping over that "B" string to get to the E string bothers me. I have a small hand, true, but have much fine LH technique than most bass players out there, can reach things that most people can't, so it's not that. I just think that unless you're a real Jaco on the bass with soloing, and/or play in a church where they like that low rumbling B string, the 4-string is it. Most of our pros out here never bother with the 5-string at all, they've all jumped back on the 4 for both studio and jazz bass soloing, I suspect for the same reason why I never wanted to use a 5. The sound of the B string just never tempted me, PLUS I've heard it used as much as the E string and it really took "control" of the groups the bassist was with, another no-no imo. The low B when sounding good (mostly it doesn't), will forever present a "control" element in any group, whether it be jazz, country, funk, or pop -- the low sound dictates control of the band imo, and that's not the way I'd like to hear bass bottom. I think the 5-string will always be popular and have heard one player play the 6-string with success - Dave Carpenter, but I feel that players ought to get their soloing and technique great on the 4-string FIRST, and then make a decision. Too many players are using the 5 string as a way to stay in one position only so they don't have to play the whole neck, and or the 6-string as a "comping" instrument, but these are limiting techniques and overall sounds and limited backgrounds actually for the rest of the band, and can set up some things I wonder about for the LH technique, would it hurt your hand and arm and the rest of you for years of playing, that remains to be seen yet. No, I'm just for the 4-string except in the above noted cases where a person has a big enough hand, a great neck, great set-up, is another Jaco in his/her playing, plays in church, otherwise, it's just for "show" and that's OK too! John thanks for posting, come back, there's always questions and more on the educational things too.

Probably the best thing to do is to play with recordings, and especially if you can turn the bass down (or off as in some play-alongs). But if you can find someone who can play some chords while you walk and play some soloing stuff (make sure the "time" is great by putting the elec. metronome beating on 2 and 4 to kind of get the feel, but not to play with it all the time), this will help a lot. In jazz, try playing the diminished runs for the 7ths by playing Abo for G7th Dbo for C7, Gbo for F7, Bbo for A7 and so on. Just play through a chord chart and play the diminished notes of G7 using: G Ab Bb B Db D E F so forth, this is the basic diminished run with the passing tone (note that you start on the passing tone of G, G for G7 or Abo), all fingered with 1-1-3-4 then next string 1-1-3-4 same. It's OK to play with the 3rd finger lightly like this on arpeggios. Next, try to substitute all the 7ths with their ii7 arpeggios: G7 is Dm (Dm11) D F A C E G keep going up, you can do this in triads too: Dm Fmajor Am Cmajor Em Gmajor ,do this with all 7ths: G7 use Dm, C7 use Gm, F7 use Cm Bb7 use Fm, etc. as you learn these notes, your fingers get to know them and play them automatically without thinking of the note names (best to think at first in only chordal members: R b3 5 b7 9 11th), then you truly have patterns you can start to solo with without thinking at all. Try this with aobut 3-4 Real Book chord charts, just start playing and sticking them in for the 7th chords and then hook onto a chordal member of the next chord. You learn soloing same as typing, a little here and a little practice there, your fingers then associate certain sounds with chords, something you want.

If you're going to play with a pick, make sure it's a hard pick, and that all motion is in the WRIST (not from the arm or thumb). The bottom of your thumb muscle should graze on the string just below the one you're playing (and off the E as if there's another string below) with the pinkie side of your hand UP (not down, like a lot of guitar players play, this is a weak way to pick on the bass, the thumb side should be down and the pinkie side of the right hand UP), and pick from your wrist. At first, just let the pick "fall" on the down beats, quarter notes (play soft at first) and then add the upbeats notes, up-strokes so you're playing 8th notes: down-up-down-up-down-up-down-up while patting your left foot down and up too, both things going together in the same motion. Now, vary the pattern: down-up up-down-up up-down-up up-down-up with the 8th rest between. Your right arm above the wrist will be just a little bit sore for 2 days once you start using your upstrokes but this quickly goes away never to appear again (your muscle there is quickly strengthened). You use gravity mostly for the down-beats and the only work you have is the up-beats. Soon you learn to use the great natural strength you have in your right wrist to play hard with the pick and your sound and feel is phenomenal this way. I don't ordinarily encourage people that they "have to to use the pick", but if you're going to play with the pick, this technique proves out the be the absolute best! You can play hard all day and night and never get tired, get the finest sounds, and be accurate as well as have the best rhythmic feel too. Remember practically ALL the movement comes from a FLAT WRIST, a little from the arm when you're hopping over the strings to play octaves (sometimes your hand may move in a circle 8, this is fine), but not too much. One of my students tied his arm down so as to make the wrist move, you don't have to go this far, but just be aware, and make sure you can feel the bottom of your thumb muscle graze a string (not "lay" on a string, but almost). Triplets are played: down-up-up until you reach a tremolo fast tempo, then just do it down-up-down up-down-up (which is rare). If you play with the right pickstrokes, your feel will be amazingly great, with good metric time between the notes. Using the tear-drop shaped pick is a good idea, but make sure it's HARD and flatwound strings are best when using the pick (non-scratching sounding), it'll sound like a real good bass with the right settings and not even sound like you're playing with a pick.

I think we need to back-track musically and get some sincerity back into the music business. All these years of false music, no wonder the Rap has done well, it has rhythm, sincere rhythm (of course some go for the awful lyrics -- we've always had "protest" songs but the shock value has run its course). Time to get back into something that moves and grooves, whether it be blues, funk, rock, country or jazz. The only good rock these days seems to come from country-cut recordings, what's this? Have the record companies just copied themselves out of anything musical? Seems like it ("let's copy the latest hit record to make some money"). And for bass soloing, I've ALWAYS found that if you play some great funky licks in your soloing (rock funk blues, etc.), that you'll always get the audiences dancing, if you have a good time-sense (play with good time, practicing with the metronome here and there to feel the beat more naturally yourself), nothing like a good groove to get people's attention. Have even seen them dancing when playing a good jazz solos (of course, based on the chordal tones that Bird, Miles, Horace Silver, Hampton Hawes used), not the note-scale things which are too hard to decipher and don't work. Get your chordal tones together. Mario and I are preparing a Joe Pass Improv Bass book together that will blow jazz soloists on the bass "away", it's so fine, and will be available this year as well as a companion book I'm writing on how to get your real jazz soloing together. Bass players do NOT have to be relegated to the "rear" of the band anymore -- they can be interesting on the bass, and I've taught some who could play better jazz solos than what the piano players they played with could play, it's not that hard, but you have to be exposed to the right chordal tone patterns. And know these phrases ("Pro's Jazz Phrases" plus the Standards I is good for this too) will certainly get your walking together so great. Interval training is also a necessity, not the tight succession of note-scales. Chords are built on every-other note of the scale for starters, and once you know how to interpret the maj7th and 7thb9 chords, plus the b5 chords (really an augmented chord, taken off the b5, just play your augmented patterns), the 7b9 chords are really the dimishes 1 fret higher (G7b9 = Abo, it doesn't have to say G7b9 for you to use the Abo etc.), and the 7th chords, use either the stacked notes of Dm (Dm7 is the ii7 of V7, G7) or start where Joe Pass did on the Fmaj7 which is the next triad up of the G7 stacked triads: G Bmb5 Dm F , things like that, not hard. And in fact, if you spent 1/10th time with chords like that as one ever did with note-scales, you'd easily have it -- chords are what songs are built from, not from note-scales. So where were we? Oh yes, sincerity. Let's stop pretending, and all that "self-help" crap in the books out there that also doesn't work. Life will teach you how to act, all this "self-esteem" stuff makes one worry about oneself even more -- study, get yourself together, treat people right, work towards goals, you'll have PLENTY of self-esteem, the natural way.

Bird took the classical studies and started playing the jazz around the chordal notes and mathematical substitutions from the altered chords: A7-9 has the same notes as Bbo, things like that. Blues and rock etc. have a slightly different theory setup, blues licks which are derived from the minor chord (Cm aka as Eb7 or Ebm) which is really is the C7#9 chord with passing tones, this is not jazz subs at all, nor the stacked triads of Jazz (i.e. G7 is stacked in triad form: G Bm-5 Dm F Am C Em etc., thus you use the Dm7 for G7, you use the Fmaj7 for G7 etc.) and all the mathematical genius that goes with that. Bird and others like Horace Silver, Hampton Hawes, other innovators like that would be in the class of Albert Einstein (or really Einstein's wife who did so much for Albert) if they had have been scientists, it's mathematics in jazz, in 2's and 3's, not hard if you know your chordal tones, but takes awhile. Todd, yes, that front part seems to only sound good on the string bass, but I've played it and if you bend the string as you play every other note, you can get the 1/4 tone sense, not quite as good, but almost - glad you liked the "Boots" record, that was cut really fast, about 2 takes at the end of a record date, sort of a "throw-away", some throwaway! Nancy is so cool! Says her Dad is fine, but staying home all the time, he's the King.

PS. Bryan, you're right tho' that the early rock was based off the simple triad of R 3 5, but the bass player plays different notes in both the statement (1st bar) and answer (2nd bar) 2-part constant pattern: Mainly R56 for the major chords (some runs 3-4-#4-5 etc. OK, 2nd OK), R5b7 for 7th and minor chords (observing the b3 for the minor chords in runs, 2nds are OK, 6ths are OK for the 7th chord, which is a "major" chord). But there ends the "sameness" of theory for either style ("blues-rock-funk-Motown-pop-gospel-soul-etc." and Jazz soloing/walking). Bob, you play and teach jazz and all the other styles too, want to jump in with your different slant on this too?

The arpeggios, chordal tones, are where it's at, also the stacked triads. Modes are very limited, they use the ii6 chord exclusively and don't flow at all like the chordal scale notes, and audiences are now so tired of hearing that limited self-serving musician stuff, it's a good way to close a business up I think. Good jazz is from the subs, the patterns, the pivot b5 lines, so many creative chordal sub things, plus the flow of the communications, the silences, the statements/answers (some call this "call and response") it's an art form, not a show-off of fast licks, but a way of communicating with each other and the audience. Reggae uses a lot more of 3rds than 5ths in the lines with (usually) the 1st beat silent, then accent beats 3 and 4 with an upbeat pattern after 2 sometimes - there some examples both in my books, "How to Play The Elec. Bass" (kind of a tough book) and "Elec. Bass Lines No. 1" (not all is easy, some tough lines here too, but all good), that will help. And Latin is mostly laying it on the an of 2 and downbeat of 4 basically then. Surprisingly you will hear the accented 4 beat notes held over to the and or 1 (or 2) of the next bar in much of the Motown bass lines, which mostly are based on latin lines -- a lot of funky stuff is really samba. Drummer Earl Palmer really brought the double-time swamp beat to Hollywood from New Orleans and we'd get on these slow and boring 4/4 chording record dates in the early 60s and he'd go into his swamp beat, a sort of 8/8 pattern and we'd double up on our patterns (felt like a samba) and it became "funky" (Earl is credited with the word "funk" on a record date he was on in 1949 in New Orleans, saying the music was "funky", which was a term for dirty socks then). So our 4/4 became 8/8 and drummer Sharkey Hall also called it "Latin Samba" beats. So there is a close kinship to Latin and Funk, but the pure Latin beats are mostly simple for bass, hitting on the an of 2 and the downbeat of 4, has its own grace and fine groove. And you know how those Latin bands have a good time groove.

Wanted to say some more about getting your reading together (to everyone here), that it's easy once you have the right system in place to help you aim for the down beats, saying the rhythms, then play the notes out of time in a particular piece (start with short lines), then practice saying the rhythms again (all the while tapping your left foot) and then putting the 2 things together (rhythm and notes) and playing the line in time for 4 times. You will naturally memorize most of the line in a short time, but keeping your eyes glued on the down beat lines (written underneath the notes 1-2-3-4, or if it's 16ths, then 1-an-2-an-3-an-4-an 8 down bests to the bar), then you're almost home-free as you pick up your reading skills. The next objects should be to acquire the habit of jumping over the note that a tie is tied to, just skip right over it to the next un-tied note, takes a day or so to get this habit going. Writing only a FEW of the names of the notes (just about 1/3 or 1/4 of them) to key you into the notes around it, will help, something like learning the home-base typing, you practice a few here and there and voila! You have those notes, and pretty soon you know your whole clef of notes. 16ths are a lot tougher (as are triplets too, 8th note triplets are 3 notes of equal time in a beat) and if you notice with 16ths, that the major beats of 1-2-3-4 are usually separated by the groups of 16ths tied to each other with "beams" (double-beamed notes are 16ths, single beamed notes are 8th notes, and the 8ths are separated in the bar by every 2 beats 4 8ths tied together with a single beam are 2 beats etc., this makes for easier reading too). But mostly, a piece with 16ths in it is always double-time 8/8 time signature (sometimes written as 8/8 but usually still written as 4/4). Just put the 1-an-2-an-3-an-4-an 8 downbeats within the bar and read the down and up beats the same way you do with the quarter and 8th notes regular 4/4 time, except now you have 8 down beats to the bar, not 4. It's not hard to learn to read, contrary to all the tablature books out there, they imply it's "too hard" to learn reading. The freedom of options you can choose from if you learn to read music, will enhance your musical knowledge and playing abilities -- you are not "stuck" with tab books (who want to keep selling) then. You can read music and have the freedom to further your musical ability by buying the better books which are NOT in tab (the real music world is music, not tab). Not trying to "sell" but my 2-video "Music Reading Practice" set has taught many bass players how to read well, it doesn't have the old-fashioned unworkable 1-e-an-as in there -- it is gleaned from all the work as a highly popular studio musician, and with the 35 piece orchestras in the movies and TV films, no-one could afford to make a mistake -- your career was on the line if you did. So the studio musicians were the best-read musicians in the world, and this easy and interesting/fun way of learning to read has helped many to break the bonds of tab and further their musical ability to read. Plus the many who did learn to read have the best-paying music gigs too, a permanent asset.

By "opposing" I mean that too much emphasis is placed on scales and hardly none place on getting chordal tones together. And NO, you do not have to play with a pick, it was kind of required back then, but like I tell all the bassists, the pick is not "necessary", sometimes it's handy tho' like you describe. I decry the ignorant way they teach scales as "the only way", as they have not the facility to teach chordal tones, nor the teaching experience to do that. Even fine string bass teachers teach chordal tones, but hardly enough elec. bass teachers. I never teach scales until a couple later on in the lessons. They should get their chordal tones together first, not the piano way of learning "scales first" on the elec. bass which plays according to "chords", not solo work, to back up a band, or even to play some blues lines for immediate jamming. You're correct in the sense that you do learn it all, but there is literally almost nothing out there about chordal tones and the reason being is ignorance. Have had so many students who can play a million scales and cannot play with a band, as they don't know what to play and surely cannot solo. This has brought this lack of chordal tone approach way of teaching to my attention in the later years. They need more pattern work for the rock-funk too, as very few have the multitude of ideas you need to create good funky patterns (speaking of notes here, not slapping which isn't done in LA much anymore, it's sort of passe here). In just a few lessons, one can get their chordal approaches together to function very well in bands, and that is the ideal. As I get them in either funk (notes) or jazz soloing, I do give them the necessary two scales (only) that they need. The Spanish tune on the end of Side A is the Allegro part of Concierto De Aranjuez by Rodrigo.

Plus, I cannot emphasize enough about the ear-training that chordal tones improve. Your ears are literally hurt by all the proffered scales (which btw have made a lot of money for publishers). The experienced musicians will all tell you NOT to practice scales, that's not the way to learn to really play well, but rather get your chordal notes together.

Here's a little history regarding modes. The whole "modes" business came about in Western music because of limitations in the instruments and limitations of music notation. The need to describe music in terms of "modes" went away with the advent of "standard notation." The composers could now describe ALL of the modes by using a single "key signature." In fact, they could also go beyond modal music by including "accidentals", that is, notes outside of the key or mode. Modes didn't disappear, they just became unneccessary. When you construct a bass line, you are walking through a *chord progression*. Just because you happen to be staying within a mode doesn't mean that you are creating the line using modal techniques.

I have to use a quote by Tom Scott who was amazed that they're using note-scales in teaching out here these days. Tom is the musical conductor/arranger on many TV shows, movies, as well as the famous Oscar and other awards shows. "They're using note-scales out there? Well everyone knows you can't learn music that way, it has to be taught with chorrdal tones and the scale notes are sometimes the passing notes between them -- all players think of "chords" not scale notes when they play". End of quote. Had a nice quote from Perry Botkin today about Frank Sinatra. He was totally amazed at the magnitude of "ol' blue eyes". Frank told him (upon meeting Perry who was quickly becoming one of our most endearing fine recording arrangers/writers in the early 60s): "You're doing nice work kid. Keep it up. Give my regards to your father". Perry Botkin Sr. was "the" studio guitarist, was Bing Crosby's guitarist, as well as the 1st Tonight Show sidekick for Johnny Carson.

Where to play certain patterns, runs, etc., depends always upon where you have just played on the board, as well as choices of notes that depend upon where you're going to also. Good reading also depends upon fingering choices. Normally, I don't play the Bbm run that low, the notes don't sound that good on the 1st fret (this is just contrarty to the way string bass players play, they tend to play more open strings and more on the 1st position than up where the elec. bassists can and do like to play, more in the middle of the neck where the best sounds are). Eb and Bb always sound the best in the middle of the neck, plus you have the advantage of either going up or down the neck. If you're on the 1st fret, you can only go "up" and then you're sort of stuck using the open strings which don't always sound that good in timbre and are kind of uncontrollable for the punch you want out of sounds too. I do use open strings when I'm stuck in the key of F, which, let's face it, it has that great low F on the 1st fret and then you will use the open A a lot. But normally, I don't use the Bb chord on the 1st fret at all. If I'm in the chord of C, then I'd move up to the 6th fret to get the Bb chord. Todd, hope this helps. Also, if there's an easy choice between open strings and closed notes, use the closed notes, they sound better, are "thicker" and are more controllable. I'll use open strings as "note-fillers", quick little fill-in notes no matter the key. You can't really hear the "note" (fast 16ths) and yet sound good in filling up some rhythm pattern no matter the chord you're playing. Open strings gain you time also to be able to shift up to another position, and sometimes, like with the Henry Mancini arrangements, they sound good after a long slide to an open string note on a ballad, etc.

There's really no "one"place to do studio work anymore, it used to be in LA, but has spread all over the USA, and is particularly still fairly heavy in Nashville altho' some are complaining about a slowdown there too. Studio musicians are the "cream of the crop", the finest musicians due to their experience mainly, altho' a few "geniuses" have been hired almost directly out of school (usually the arrangers-composers). As a wanted studio musician, you usually have to have at least 10 years playing experience out in the nightclubs, etc. before people even think of hiring you in the studios. There are a few exceptions, usually group musicians who are exceptional players, who get in due to "friends" etc. None of our group got in that way at all, it was all due to high professionalism and years of live playing experiences. We used to kid about the fact that the string players and trombonists were the only ones who had to play politics by learning the game of golf, etc. It's a tough field, and I'd say if you're interested in this, then by all means get your experiences in many different styles of music, learn to "create" parts, learn to sightread well, have some good playing years under your belt first before even thinking about studio work. You could get lucky and get a group of playing musicians who also do studio work on the side -- this would be ideal, once you get your playing chops and experience together. We all started out doing "demos", that is recordings that are played for a purpose - to get more work as a group, to sell a song, sell a singer, etc. And one thing you should think about: practically all our group of 350 or so studio musicians were either jazz musicians, big band musicians or highly-trained classical musicians (like the string players). Jazz is the toughest music style you can play (imo). Its theory and complexities make one into an all-around great musician, and you will learn so much about music arranging from playing it too. This creativeness is what we all knew when we got into the lucrative studios -- we came up with "instant arrangements" in the late 50s and early 60s to help everyone we worked for get a hit record. Believe me, the songs were just as bad then as they are now (Frank Sinatra made a remark about how bad the material is today) but we made something out of the songs, and with the licks, stacking tonal weights here and there, key-changes, robot-like patterns, montunos, break licks, key hit licks here and there, the jazz improv which the rhythm sections were good at, came to the fro and arrangers then copied our ideas (they have admitted this too) and the rock of the 60s took off. The only ones who weren't jazz but still had years of playing experieces were: Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Al Casey, Mac Rebbenec, James Burton (he only did studio work for a short time), the rest were jazz-musicians and big-band musicians. So you see, there's a ways to go yet if you're relative new to your instrument. Start studying a lot, and I'd go for the things that are on my "books" page, as well as tutors by Rufus Reid, and the Simandl bass books. Don't fall for books out there that have "jazz" in their titles. I have seen so many of these that are just awful -- including the so-called sax books. Unless the book is by a fine music-teaching top jazz professional, avoid it like the plague. Don't waste your time on about 99% of the books out there, and that goes for the videos too. Some of the Jazz videos by Joe Pass, people like that are fine, but that's for guitar players. Elec. Bass is a "new" instrument, not even 50 years old, so be careful, and GOOD LUCK. It's not impossible to do, just be aware you have a ways to go, things do change in the recording cities too, usually within a few short years.

Don't want to discourage you by saying "10 years playing experience". It was that way back in those years. Am sure if you get about 1-2 years good playing experience, you could be ready then and it just depends on the music styles that you will be recording. Country is traditionally very simple on the bass, altho' some borders on some nice funky rock and roll, something more complex. Just depends. It's highly important that you start playing with bands and get your good time sense together as well as patterns, lines, lots of creative ideas on the bass -- study the widest possible groupings of lines for the bass.

Much has been written about this, many theories floating around in magazines, columns, etc. As a serious teacher on elec. bass for almost 30 years, and as an experienced top-call studio bass player, let me discuss this all-important subject. I've taught about 3,000 bassists, and here is the nitty on this subject: Some of my students were practically beginners (as well as the many who were pros) -- those "beginners" who could play a few notes, yet could not function well on the bass, so I know this works for the wide-spectrum of learners out there. First of all, you must buy a reliable good loud-clicking elec. metronome (no the drum machine is not the best thing to play with, you need something that will be silent on certain beats), preferably a Franz, but if you can't find that, get a good loud-clicking electronic small one. Set the beat about 72 and begin playing 8th notes, i.e. 2 notes per beat steady. Then vary the notes and make it: dotted quarter, 8th, 1/2 note. Then play a blues tune using the same pattern over and over. Do each about 5 min. each. You won't be able to block out the click sound (like you do on guitar when you get "into time" etc.) but you can feel when your time-sense is improving -- you feel "at one" with the click. Next, vary the patterns that you play on the bass, still keeping the beat at 72 and playing on every beat. Then start varying the tempos, by pushing the tempo up to say, as high as 112. Do this for about 2-3 days, about 20 min. a day (do NOT over-practice!). Then try putting the metronome at 52 and making that click the 2 and 4 of beats 1-2-3-4, essentially making it the drummer's "back-beat", his 2 and 4. To do this, count ON the click 1-1-1-1 (two of them per beat, beats 1 and 2), then 1-1-2-3-4, and you've found the 1-2-3-4 of blank-2-blank-4, you're the "blank" and the metronome plays along with you like the drummer ordinarily would. Leaving this blank space is crucial for your good sense of space ("your" spot, your space) and good feeling-time. Even most of the finest bebop jazz musicians of the 50s practiced with the elec. metronome beating this way to get a great time-sense going, so important is the sense of good time and for rock, country, or funk it's even more critical. You don't have to practice with the metronome constantly to keep up a sense of great time, just once in awhile. Bass players need the finest sense of time to not only lock in good with drummers and maybe "help" a drummer find "his" sense of good time once in awhile too, that's your job -- we all help each other, the drummer may have to help you too. Some drummers might lose a sense of great time when they play fills, and get distracted), and you can always help provide a fine foundation of groove for the group if YOUR time is of the utmost, the key to a great band. There's no better feeling than locking in with a good drummer and having a great time-groove for the rest of the band to play on, even in the simplest music -- nothing happens without a good time-sense and the bass player, being the "connection" between the drum beats and other instruments, this is crucial regardless of the kind of music or patterns you play. It ALL happens great with great time-sense. More later on how to get your 16ths together. One last note: several of the biggest 60s Motown hits were cut with a click-track (beating 1-2-3-4, like 98% of the movie soundtracks too) -- yes, you can groove with the metronome beating on every beat, it all depends on the patterns you play, but the best way to get a great time-sense is practicing with it beating on 2 and 4.

So many get tongue-tied when trying to figure out how to play better walking lines. It's OK just to play the major chordal notes of R 5 3, or R2 3 5 and combinations thereof. However, there's much more than can be done. It's a matter of thinking of hills and valleys, lines going up and coming back down. You don't have to play the Root on the 1st beat of every chord. I've been asked as a teacher "do I ahve to play the maj7th in say a Cmaj7th chord?", "do I play the b9th in a G7b9?", "do I play the b5 in a 1/2 diminished (m7b5) chord?" "what do I use for the diminished chord?", "the augmented chord?", and on and on. Let me try to answer a few of these things here. The 7th chord is a major chord, so only the R 3 5 and the passing 2nd (maybe) is necessary, but you can also add the b5 on the very last beat of that chord if the next chord is cyclic (G7 to C7 Bb7 to Eb, even the minors to the 7ths or majors, Dm to G7 Fm to Bbm, as long as it's cyclic, the b5 always then is a fre higher than the chord you're going to). C7, C9 C11, C13 is essentially treated the same for all bass walking, it's a 7th chord (altho' you can use the 4th in place of the 3rd for the 11th chord, it depends), a major chord, and no need to play the b7th at all - but you can play a b9th to the Root on the 7th chord (even for the 9th and 11th and 13th chords). The reason being is that the b9 is used for the easy chordal substitute of Abo for G7(b9), those are the same notes, something that the jazz improv soloists do all the time. Sometimes the chord is written G7ALT which means either G7b9 or G7b5 or G7b5b9, take your pick. But definitely the b9 is a very strongly attracted note in walking down the chordal tones of the 7th chords, it doesn't have to say "G7b9" to use the b9th, you can usually use it on any 7th chord. The major chord is treated the same way, no matter if it says Cmaj7, or Cmaj9, or C6, or C sus 4, whichever, it's still a major chord and the R 2 3 5 and sometimes the 6th is used just fine, but not the maj7 unless you're soloing. The lines of 3 4 #4 to 5 can be used for all major chords (for minor it's b3 4 #4 5). You can use the following line for say a Dm7 (1 bar) to Gy (1 bar) to C (2bars). Dm R b3 5 high R to (G7) high 3 b9 R lower 5 to (C) R low 3 4 #4 5 #5 6 R. You can be more creative with the minor chords and use the b7 but it's not necessary to use the b7: 2 bars of Am to 2 bars of Dm7: Am R 2 b3 5 b7 7 high R 5 Dm R R b7 b7 6 b6 5 b3. It's important for the bassist to pay attention the 5th in the chord (you don't have to play the maj7), b7, b9, 6th, or other alterations, but anything to do with the critical 5th ought to send up RED ALERT, change the 5th to match the chord: Diminished (Co) you can play RR b5b5 or R b3 b5 b5 or any combination, or even the entire R b3 b5 bb7 (6th), but not necessary. You don't have to play all the notes of the chord to indicate that chord.

I guess you saw my parenthesis in the wrong place for the last paragraph of Part I, it should read: "you don't have to play the maj7, the b7, the b9, the 6th, or other alterations of the chords, but you do have to pay attention to the critical 5th of the chord, if it's flatted (like in G7b5 or m7b5 or diminished) or sharped like in augmented (G7+ G+) chords, you just don't have to play "all the notes of the chord" while you're walking. Ditto for the m7b5 (aka 1/2 diminshed, the circle with the slash through it), you do have to pay attention to the b5th, the Root and b5 as being the most important notes of that chord. The augmented chord (like G7+ or just G+) has a sharped 5th, and really with the passing notes is the whole-tone scale, played every other fret - easy enough. Still you can just play R R #5 3 or any combination of that too. Altho' it says "7th", you can ignore that, the b7th is played when you play the wholetone scale for the augmented chord. Just rememer to play up (across the neck) in sounds, and down in sounds. And then "rest" by maybe playing a pedal tone for awhile (octaves sound good with this) that will fit 2 chords or more in time, like: for C and G7, stay on the G and alternate the octaves (fits both chrods): R R 8 R R 8 R R or 8 R 8 R R 8 R R all Gs. Some ideas for the minor chord can include, for Cm: R R b7 5 b3 2 R lower 5. Or even a blues lick: R b3 5 b5 4 b3 R R in walking. So you see once you start thinking in "chords" (not note-scales) you start finding so many options available, it becomes a lot of fun. Just remember, you don't have to move with every note, you can double up notes (especially in fast tempos) ,you can just play the simple lines of R R 5 R R 5 3 R to conserve energy, a non-moving walking line (pit-stop) for awhile, then walking up and down you go again. People like Ray Brown do this all the time, and having taught this, it becomes very easily understood and put into use by everyone, it's easily learned once exposed to these ideas. You may want to get my "Standards I" to help you get the continuity (and ear-training) of all this -- an excellent item once you know the chordal scales in either the "Bass Video Course" or the preparatory "Jazz Bass Tape & Guide".

Ariel, some people would say that, but I always took it to mean (speaking of being around the professionals now) that it was a different chord that was used for that chord i.e.: Dm7 for G7 (some notes the same others not), Abo same as G7 (actually if you change the Gs to Abs, you have G7b9, an altered G7, same notes). I'd say as a teacher, no, if it's the "same notes", but usually people mean any "different chord name" is a substitute. You can move in a chord (playing walking lines and/or soloing) by back-cycling, that is play Am - E7b9 - Am for just Am, this is done all the time and is not considered a substitute, but chordal movement. Like when you have 2 or more bars of a major chord, you can walk up the scale and down the scale: C// Dm// Em/ Dm/ C// or C// F// Em/ Dm/ C// again, not considered substituting but just chordal movement within the chord of C (note you're using that chordal scale, with other chords say "F", then it would be the F chordal scale, etc.). What I would consider a "real" substitute is using say, the b5 sub of the chord like Db9 for G7 (Db is the b5 of G, and in fact the altered Db is G7 = Db7b5b9 has the same notes (without the Db) as G7 and you can then use the ii of the Db9, Abm (really Abm9) as the substitute for G7 -- again this is so close but that is what I would consider a real substitute, not the Dm7 for G7 -- you usually think of Dm7 and G7 as one and the same chord in walking and soloing, using one for the other too. Now if this is clear as "mud" (just kidding) please ask another question.

You need to hold the pick between thumb (with the thumb bent in to your fingers and stationary, it does not move at all) and the pick is held between your thumb and index finger, with the point sticking out so it can strike the strings with the full width that is sticking out. You lightly hold the pick until you strike the string, it automatically hardens up once you got the feeling of the flattened wrist propelling the movement of the hand (which lays down on the strings, is not up in the air at all). Tim and Todd, it ALL comes from the wrist, the arm might move a fraction of an inch sideways, but all hard thrusts come from the movement of the wrist. Play light on the down-beats at first, let gravity do the work, and you will move your wrist to get the up-beat strokes then. This works a little-used muscle above the wrist in the area of the pinkie finger and it will be sore for about 2 days and completely go away. The bottom of your thumb muscle will graze against the string that is lower than the one you're playing on. When you play on the E string your hand lifts over and off as if you had a 5th string there, so you temporarily lose your "home base" (which is your thumb muscle laying on and grazing the string below the one you're hitting). Your right-hand fingers should be curled inward, not tightly like a fist but just curled in so you're not waving them around in the air (not good aerodynamically to wave that weight around, cuts down in speed and accuracy). Your hand "hops" over a string to play the next string sometimes (depending on the pickstrokes which go with the pattern you're playing: down on the downbeats and up on the upbeats). Once in awhile, your arm will move when you're playing a pattern going from a very low string to a very high string, but mostly, your arm doesn't move. Make sure you do not lay your pinkie on the instrument (like the bad habits of a guitar player), keep the pinkie curled inward too with the pinkie part of your right hand tilted up a little -- which forces the bottom of your thumb muscle to lay on the string then -- the correct pose of the right hand. The reason why a pick may slip out of your hand is because you're holding it too tightly -- just practice playing very lightly at first until you get the idea of the motion of the right hand -- your technique will harden up very fast once you get that wrist used to moving it's good side-ways motion. The power comes from the wrist, not from the arm, the wrist has the strength and power to play as hard as you want and as accurate as you want too, make sure the thumb is stationary, not moving around. You want the broadest part of the pick to strike the strings. Yes, the had tear-drop shape pick (I find) is the best pick for everyone except giant-sized hands. The triangle pick is clumsy, and anything softer than my pick simply does not get the right sounds on the elec. bass. Remember to pat your left foot on the downbeats so both the left foot and the right wrist move up and down together at the same time -- those are the correct pickstrokes which work with the meter of the pattern then, and give you the speed and accuracy and metric feel you're looking for. Once in a great while I've cut a record using all down strokes like on the simple "Indian Reservation" which had a boring 8th note line -- the rest of the time it was always down and up with the beat and once you get the hang of it, no-one can tell the difference between the power of the down and up strokes, the wrist is so great. Needless to say anything about the great metrical time you play with -- no rushing or dragging the notes then, your right hand is like a drummer. Remember to keep that right wrist flat and keep more bass turned on with your bass - playing with a pick adds a lot of high end to your sounds.

Start playing just quarter notes for awhile. Pat your left foot, and just play downbeat notes at a medium tempo. Then play down and upbeat notes, 8th notes, get used to that feel, always on the same note while patting your foot. Now slow the tempo down a little and play an 8th-note blues pattern, skipping around the strings: RR high RR b7 b7 55, playing lightly on the downbeats, letting gravity do the work, but you have to work a little hard at the upbeat notes (going against gravity), keep it soft for a long time until your hand gets used to this action. Then play other patterns you know, being careful that you play DOWN on the downbeat notes, and UP on the upbeat notes. Keep the tempo slow to medium for awhile, then a little later, you can play harder and harder, and speed up the tempos. Don't try to start at fast tempos at all, just keep it slow to medium at first until you get used to playing the correct pick strokes with the pick. Triplets (OK, now this is going to scare you at first, just play slowly for awhile) are: DOWN UP UP, and at first accent the DOWN beat -- 8th note triplets are 3 notes to each beat. Just play on 2 or 3 different notes at first to get used to the DOWN-up-up at first. Then mix them up with the dotted 8ths and 16th notes, it's actually swing you're playing (all jazz walking is in triplet form believe it or not, but of course you rarely play triplets except a few here and there). There is a tempo break as it gets faster in tempo that you physically cannot play DOWN-up-up for triplets, you have to play DOWN-up-down UP-down-up, alternating down and up like a tremolo, that's fine then, it's a tremolo and you won't play them long. But that's a pretty fast tempo, past 130 or so on the metronome. Once you get your picking together and start tackling triplets and get those down, there's nothing you cannot execute in great metrical time and accuracy. You can play this way all day and night and never get tired. But of course like I've always said the last 20 years or so, it's not required to play with a pick anymore -- fingers works well on bass too. But if you're going to play with a pick (I've never played with fingers, never had to), then do it "right", get it so it's easy to do, and fun to do and it'll sound so good, you'll love it. Or you'll be frustrated, and that's counter-productive. Good luck, once you got the feeling of the pickstokes, and the left-hand fingering and shiftings, and the vocabulary of tons of great lines, you're on your way!

What you want to look for in a bass you buy: does it play without buzzing on the frets? One buzz or so can be adjusted (probably) as long as the neck is not warped too badly, that's the main thing -- that the neck isn't ready to shoot arrows. You can have a buzz or two, frets can be filed (dressed, it's called) a little, but a lot of buzzing indicates (a) a bowed neck, don't buy altho' give the store/person a chance to straighten the neck by turning the rod, (b) bridges out of adjustment, raise the strings a little to see if that stops the buzzing, (c) the nut is worn down too much on the neck, or (d) maybe the buzz isn't from the strings but a short in the wiring (?). It should play in tune up through the 14th fret, not go sharp (or flat) as you go up the neck. Does the body feel comfortable? Is the balance good (the neck doesn't point to the ground)? Does the bass sound good (no twanginess you can't adjust to make it sound like a bass)? You can always change the strings if the strings are dead (or use a little jewelry cleaner to wash off some gunk/age on the strings). The pickups should work without distorting (don't buy if they don't), the bass should weigh too much (no, most of your sound is in the pickups, a little from the fretboard wood -- imo). Does the neck play evenly up and down the neck (all strings) with no "dead spots" (notes hardly sounding) on the neck? Necks, neck action, sound of the bass, condition of the nut, the bridges (make sure the threads are not stripped, but there again, if the bridges and nuts are "bad", negotiate to have these replaced), no surprises with a warped or semi-warped neck (yes you can replace the neck, but why? that's one of the reasons why you're buying the bass, is the response and feel of the neck). Make sure the neck isn't too "big" (unless you have giant-sized hands), nor too slim too (most slim necks are just too thin and will cramp your hand, altho' some slim necks are a gas, like my Aria Pro II Steve Bailey model, perfectly shaped and small in circumferance, good thing too, I have very small hands). I've recommended Fenders, Yamahas, and some Ibanez basses for beginning basses. Some of the more expensive basses play too much like "guitars" in my opinion, you can't dig in with them, they flatten right out, so be careful, keep your initial outlay within the first $1000 range when deciding on a bass. You can try out the "more expensive" ones later when you know more about basses. Good luck.

The diminished chord is written with a zero indicating the chord: Co or (same thing) Co7. Sometimes a note outside the chord is added, i.e. Co9 (diminished with an added 9th), this however is fleeting and bass players only play the notes of the chord which are: Root b3rd b5th and bb7 (same as 6th), which repeat every minor 3rd (every 3 frets). When walking, you don't have to play "all" the notes of the chord, it depend on how many beats you have to play the notes. Even the root is not that all-important, however, in the "normal" jazz blues (I say normal as there are very many different versions of chords used for blues in jazz), the diminished chord typically used in the 6th bar of the blues, in the key of C is named F#o (it could be named Co and sometimes is, or Ao or Ebo, all the same notes), but it is called F#o for it's conventional to move from the IV chord of F7 to F#o. The diminished chord is a movement chord, and sometimes is used in place of the 7th chord. For instance, in the tune, "It Could Happen To You", the 2nd chord in the key of F, is F#o but solo-wise you think of D7 which then resolves to the next chord (cycically) Gm7, but it's common for the F#o (same as Ebo which is the same as D7b9, hence the D7 chord for soloing) which dictates the movement of the bass note going from F to F# to G etc. The next chord change being Abo which is E7b9 solo-wise. E7b9 which is also the same as Fo, Bo, and Do, then resolves to Am moving up to Cm7 to F7b9 to Bb -- typical cycle movements in tunes.

The augmented chord (+, like G+ or G+7) is comprised of Root, 3rd, and #5th, and these combinations of chordal tones repeat every 4 frets (vs. the diminished which repeats every 3 frets). It is a natural chord "substitution" for the dominant chord (7th). You can always substitute G+ (remember to sharp the 5th on the bass) for G7, but the G7 MUST be reolving to some kind of C chord for the augmented chord to be effective and useful -- it's a tighter dominant chord that way, it MUST resolve to C: G7 = G+ to C Eb7 = Eb+ to Ab A7 = A+ to Dm Db7 = Db+ to Db7 it can resolve to a major, a minor, or a 7th chord -- it has to resolve to the next cycle chord. The passing tones of the augmented chord are the notes 2 frets inbetween the augmented chordal tones: G (B) A (C#) D# (F) G yes, it's the whole-tone scale, and you play patterns around these notes when you're improvising in jazz. With jazz soloing, you do not have to resolve the augmented chord, just play the aug. pattern on a 7th chord, works every time. There's a way you can back-cycle on a minor chord solo-wise (go backwards on the cycle) and play the dom. 7th chord for the chord you're really playing and use the augmented patterns on that chord: Am (play E+) Normally when you have a lot of beats, you will back-cycle on the E7b9 (same notes as Fo, see you can use this diminish as a "movement" on the Am chord, play Am pattern, then Fo pattern, then Am pattern again) anyway for Am, now there's another option: E+. Guitarists playing jazz move whole chords (no matter what the are, 13ths, majors, minors, etc.) every 2 frets for motion (augmented chord style) or every 3 frets for motion (diminished style) -- sounds like they're doing a lot, but really using the same chord, just moving it every 2 frets (augmented) or 3 frets (diminished), according to the "tightness" they want. Jazz soloists do the same thing sometimes, move the m9 downward pattern every 3 frets for 3x, and voila, they can resolve just fine to the major chord of the ii9 V7 I "troika" chord pattern 3-some.

The changes to "I Got Rhythm" are turn-around changes and it's a good idea to get some cliche pattern going anyway for these fast changes: Dm7// G7(b9)// Cm7// F7(b9// (or really use A7 here which then feeds back into the Dm7 which is the chord you use in place of the Bbmaj7), etc. with the final F7b9 resolving into the Bb7: going up on D F A C down on B Ab G F Eb G Bb D (Cm9) C# E A G (A7) down F Eb D C keep going down on: B Ab G B up on C Eb G B up to (but down on then) D C G Eb in 4 16ths and 2 8ths: down from Ab Gb Db A Ab Gb which resolves to F, 5th of the Bb chord. This will keep you busy for awhile, note that they are the notes of the chords plus the b9th. 3rds and b9ths are important in the dom. 7th chords. This is from general music theory that is important for a good foundation for jazz, thinking of triads and 4-voice chordal notes. But also knowing the chord substitutes for your patterns like G7 is really Abo (same notes as G7b9) etc. Studying this for awhile will get you away from the non-workable scale notes -- you "never" play scales to "work over the chords" but the actual chordal notes themselves. Doing anything else is self-defeating, this always works and is easier than you think once you break away from the crutch of playing scales just to play "something". Get the chordal notes together and you're 1/2-way there. Bass players need to do this too, good jazz improv is the same, no matter what instrument you're playing. However, the theory is much different when playing funky patterns, funky lines, fills and funky solos (note solos).

Let me re-write the notes, I made a mistake on a "B" it should have been a Bb: Go up on D F A C down on B Ab G F up on Eb G Bb D (Cm9) up on C# E A G (A7 in place of the F7 which resolves nicely to Dm7 again), down on F Eb D C (a "scale") down on B Ab G up to B up to but then down on D C G Eb (Cm9) up to but then down on Gbm9: Ab Gb Db A (4 16ths) Ab Gb (2 8ths), resolving to F, the 5th of the Bb chord. This last chord is the pivotal b5 chord of F7 = Db7, Gbm is used for the Db7, the ii V7. It can resolve to either a Bb major chord (Bbmaj7, Bbmaj9, Bb6, Bb7, Bb9, Bb11, Bb13) of any kind or any minor chords: Bbm7, Bbm9, Bbm11, etc. The notes all being 8th notes except the noted group of 16ths. Just because you have chords to play notes on, doesn't mean that you're constantly playing notes. You play some notes, rest for a bar (taking a "breath"), play another phrase, rest, etc. like that. Some fine jazz musicians like to use constant notes because they have a "lot" to say, and it's fun to hook one chord into another. Hope this comes out right, I did check it, been running today.

Yes, Fender had that in their tailpieces but it wasn't adequate. The mute thing is so tricky, too much and you have that "plunk" sound that you don't want, you want the strings to ring. And they couldn't ever get it so that every string was muted about the same -- just wasn't that useful. I loved that tailpiece tho', it held the piece of doubled-up felt just great if you stuck a pick or two in between the tailpiece and the body, using them as shims to it kept the tailpiece up to let the strings ring but the felt sat on top of the strings just right. I just use some masking tape and tape the felt on top of the strings right next to the bridges, and that works just fine (altho' it might not look that great, sure gets a lot of questions and others have followed suit who use a pick). It has to be *on top* of the strings when using a pick. For finger players, it has to be *underneath* the strings and NOT felt, has to be foam rubber. The foam doesn't work that well for the pick sounds, just a nice piece of doubled-up felt (buy it cheap at any sewing center, even at Target, etc.). This is so critical to get a good clarified sound that will project through from either a combo or a big band. Works every time, and is a critical necessity also for recording. I believe that bassists have over-bought all kinds of gear trying to define their sounds when all it takes is a mute (the accessory gear manufacturers will hate me).

Well really, the patterns are there for you to pick up and use, good for your improved soloing. Just make sure to play a phrase, take a breath (lay out), play another phrase - rest. Playing good jazz improv is like talking, and you talk and answer yourself about a subject. Scale notes are like sort of like connective tissue sometimes, traveling notes between the chordal tone melodic phrase notes if you want them -- very boring, scales are so you have to be selective (tons of patterns made out of these notes are in my "Pro's Jazz Phrases" books and in the Oliver Nelson Sax Patterns book, plus the Joe Pass Guitar Style and Tape. I like Joe the best as he uses enourmous continuity in his playing tying the phrases and patterns together like no-one else can, but you have to read well to use his guitar book. Will be coming out with a Jazz Improv book with some of his ideas in it too for continuity practice, after the ideas I write down for getting your phrasings together. Try out just a few phrases at first, like the dominant 7ths, use the stacked minor triads from Dm on for G7, or any other dominant chord (always starting with its 5 minor chord). Next try Joe's favorite, using the Fmaj7 for G7 (starting on the b7 of G), try these on other dominants. Then try the dim. chord for the 7ths, G7 use the Abo patterns (all of them), etc. even the b5 triads: G Db G Db. Just do a few pet licks for the dominant this way until your fingers and ears get it together (remember, you got nothing to do with this, it is NOT intellectualizing at all, has not much to do with the "memory", just get the fingers and the ear working together). Then use the minor licks back-cycling to the minor chord dom. Am then E7b9, then Am. Pattern: up A C E down A for Am then for E7b9 going up G# (see you use the 3rd of E7) B D F down on Am E C do this in cycles, get used to the back-cycling phrases like this, you'll do a ton of them in good jazz improv. Many more simple ideas like this but you get the picture. You should have that book with all kinds of fine bebop jazz phrasings so you have a chordal-tone vocabulary -- you can make up your own once you work through these and start to use them. You'll hear them on all the finer jazz recordings anyway and hear how they are used. Once you wean off of scale notes, the door is wide open, it's a lot of work at first -- not much if you've had the training without having to unlearn some bad scale fingering habits tho' (getting over the hump of the new thinking "chordally") but then all you do is go through all the patterns and you never think then. Only what key the tune is in, and what's the first chord.

The one that Stu Hamm has on his video is from my teacher Horace Hatchett who used to give this exercise as a test to see if someone had enough coordination to be able to learn guitar. I find that it's good to teach bass players too and is sort of a good warm-up exercise also. On your left hand, with the thumb pointing away from your hand, curl all your fingers into your palm and try to raise fingers 1 and 3 together while keeping 2 and 4 down (don't assist with your thumb now). You'll barely be able to raise that 3rd finger up much but if you get it up fairly high, good. Now do the same with 2 and 4 while keeping 1 and 3 down (again, do not assist with your thumb and try not to dig your fingers into your palm for extra help, don't cheat!). Do this back and forth as fast as you can for about 7-8x maybe twice a day, will help with the finger coordination and dexterity. There's a reason why that 3rd finger won't come up high -- it shares a ligament with the 4th finger and is the reason why I say not to use it in place of the 4th finger while fingering on rock-soul-hard playing stuff. You can use it in jazz, but still bear in mind that it should never be used in place of the 4th finger, this is what causes CTS (as welll as the claw-stretched fingers of a stretched hand, keep fingers relaxed!) -- you have to turn your wrist slightly to accomodate fingering with the 3rd finger all the time -- that's what causes CTS, so don't do it, get a better system of fingering, namely 1-2-4-4. You can use the 3rd finger in some situtations and of course while playing arpeggios, exercises (you're playing lightly) and jazz soloing etc., the light ways of playing, but never in rock, blues, funk, those kinds of hard-playing situations where you're pressing your fingers down hard. Another good warm-up exercise I used (while driving 80 mph to get over the hill from No. Hollywood to all the studios) is the press each individual finger with your thumb about 5 seconds each, keep doing this and voila, your hands and fingers are warmed up ready to play. Cold weather tho' calls for other things -- maybe warming your hands in hot water, clutching something warm before playing etc. No jokes now guys!

Yes, you do follow the chord changes, but there is much about interpretation of the chords (like Dm7// G7// Dm7// G7// changed to: Dm7//// G7//// or just 2 bars of stacked Dm triads, or Abo for 2 bars, etc.) that are important. Fine jazz musicians never play a "scale" over "certain chords", they only function in chords themselves and the associated patterns, etc. in those chords whether they be subs, stacked triads, pivotal b5 patterns, whatever, it's all chordal function, that's why it's important to get the chordal tones together. The chordal theory for rock-funk-blues etc. is much different on bass than the jazz theory, it's a different role. When I first began teaching elec. bass in 1969, I never taught theory as it was not necessary -- they simply got the necessary theory through all the bass lines that were in my books I wrote from 1969-1973 -- those lines had all the best examples you could get (and are still the "best"). I never started teaching the appropriate jazz theory (for walking and soloing) until in the 80s. It was more important in the 70s to get the lines together that the pros needed to play with and it all worked for them. I still keep meeting some fine players who studied out of my books coming from all parts of the world, something very rewarding to me and heartfelt. So glad they took my lines the way I meant them, as a tool for their musical creativeness and good value for professionalism. People ask me "doesn't it feel good to see your name on your books?" And while it is an honor, that was not the purpose -- as some of you may know, I put other people's names on the books, i.e. Bob Bain, the Johnny Carson TV guitarist as he helped me with some of the wording of my first book. But after a few years he said, "Carol, it's enough, I didn't do much, and you paid me too much for that" etc. -- he's one of the most-recorded musicians and still a valued dear friend of mine (plus he loved the Russian oud I gave him too!). The most value I get is when someone walks up and says "thank-you, your books made my musical career happen, they were tough but made me read and play well and earned a good living playing music" etc., how can you beat that? I am rich with fine students.

Good for all bassists (and guitar players):

C7//// F7//(F#o)// Gm7//// C7(or C9)//// F9//// F#o//// C7//F9// Em7// A7// Dm7//// G7//// C7//A7(orEb9)// D9// Db9//

Note: you can substitute F#m7// B7// Em7//// A9//// for the 6th 7th and 8th bars.

Jazz Blues Version 2 (remember for a plain C chord, make it either Cmaj7, C6, or Cmaj9, bass plays the same note patterns for just a major chord):

C//// Bm7b5//E7// Am7// Abm7// Gm7// C9// F9//// Fm7//Bb7// Eb//// Ebm7 Ab7// Db//// D9//Db9// Cmaj7// Ebmaj7// Ab13// Dbmaj7// (C).

Sometimes even jazz musicians do not necessarily make that F#o change in the 1st version but stay on F7 in the 6th bar (or do the F#m7 to B7 to Em7 changes). There are many different modifications but this is pretty standard for the two different kinds of blues changes all jazz musicians use to play on. When you walk bass, memorize these chord changes so you can play in all keys by using the I (solfeggio) system.

Set aside a quiet time, about 1 hour day if you can, (or at least 1/2 hour consistently every day). Go over the chordal structures a lot, do your arpeggios, then delve into the groove by practicing with the elec. metronome a little (not all the time but it's important to connect with the groove). When you hit a "snag" of a line that seems to elude you, slow the tempo way down (or maybe just play the notes, making sure you have good fingerings without a lot of unnecessary jumps etc., remember to use your thumb as a pivot, let it stay there, while your fingers move as a hand group, don't lay that 1st finger down on a fret after you've used it to play a note etc.). Try going over a difficult pattern at slow tempos, and put a "loop" on it, play it over and over and over (spot practicing a certain part of the line) until it feels comfortable for you. Make your practice time a fun time by mixing up the various things you have to do, and do them first before allowing yourself some "jam" time -- remember you always have a choice of what to practice -- do the necessary stuff first. Tho' you might not feel like practicing, not in the mood, have tensions of many things on your mind, tell yourself: "this is my time away from everyone and everything, I deserve this time to myself" and make yourself get on the instrument. By focusing in on the music and practicing, your fingers will thank you, your brain will relax and you'll get some good work done to help you play better -- no better feeling than this, even if it's just 45 min. a day, it's "your time", a little of this, a little of that, and you're playing better and better, then "jam".

Ideas for creating good rock-funk-soul lines: The basic theory for rock-funk-Motown-soul-blues etc. lines is to make sure you play mostly the R 5th and 6ths for the major chords, the R 5th and b7s for the minor and the 7th chords. The 3rd is only appropo for passing, remember to make it b3rd always for minor chords and sometimes a lot in 7th chords (blues notes are usually R b3 4 #4 (or b5 coming down) 5th b7 8). The most common pattern run is 3-4-#4-5 for major and 7th chords (the 7th is a major chord classification but is notated separately because of the blues and jazz later theories). You can lead into the Roots coming from 2 frets lower, i.e. b7 7 to R 4 #4 to 5th but not so much coming into the b7th, can be done but use it sparingly. Get a bunch of fills handy to play on every 8th bar of a tune (and sometimes every 4th bar too). Try to formulate a 2-bar pattern, something like a statement-answer 2-part pattern, both melodically and rhythmically. It can be sparse or subtle, it's up to you. Sometimes if the drummer is playing too much (and maybe rushing and/or dragging the beat), you the bass player can control the groove a little more by playing very sparsely, leaving holes for the drummer to fill. He won't rush or drag if he feels like he's playing alone. If he still does that, then kind of go with him, play a few more notes in your 2-part patterns, and then deliberately slow down toward the end of the pattern just a touch. Sometimes a drummer gets distracted with playing a lot of tom-tom fills, you kind of have to go with him a little on his usual rush in his fills, and then keep the beat more even after he finishes his fills, and then starts to slow down more, you have to smooth that over, rush with him just a little bit (you don't want "2 bands), then speed him up when he starts to slow down at the end of his fills. For rhythmic ideas, listen to the great Latin rhythm sections, the congas, the timbales, all the different rhythmic patterns, that's where most of Motown (both Detroit and LA) comes from as well as a ton of rock, soul, and blues recordings bass lines of the 60s-70s eras and a little past that. Listen to how the bass can wait on the down beat (or the an) of 4 and hold it over into the next bar, continuing the pattern either from the an of 1 of the next bar of 2 or an of 2 even, it works, giving space like that in that spot. Remember to get your time sense together with the elec. metronome beating on 1-2-3-4 just at first (in different tempos, different styles of bass lines). Then quickly switch over so it only beats on beats 2 and 4. Don't read music much with the metronome on, it's enough just to get the reading done, only use the metronome to jump-start your good sense of time, then don't use it much. But if you work with some musicians who have bad time, then jump back on it to restore both your sanity and your good sense of time -- you've spent a night pushing and pulling these bad-time people trying to make the band groove as a bassist, so your own sense of time can suffer from that, so take a quick brush-up on your own fine time-sense with the elec. metronome. And another tip, don't practice too much right before a gig, don't play at all (if you can help it) the day of the gig, practice a lot a few days before, and up to 24-30 hours before the gig, don't listen to music, nor practice the day of the gig. This tip was passed to me by the finest jazz musicians, you'll be fresh then, and not only play more creatively but with more energy and sparkle. Remember to be on time, and look nice, be a good guy, no ego, take care of business, no long breaks, take care of the job by playing fine, you'll have the fun when you get paid and know you did a good job.

FINE SENSE OF TIME. Remember to be sure to practice with the elec. metronome quite a bit at first on licks you already know to obtain a "fine" sense of time. Just playing along with it successfully doesn't mean your time is good, you must knuckle down to practice initially quite a few hours and days on many different tempos, many different styles, many different bass patterns and you will know it when you finally lock in with great time -- it will feel like you can do "no wrong", you're so solid you can play for hours (it feels like) without getting off a hair. Then you know you have a fine sense of time. Take it at super slow tempos at first and just do 1-note 8th notes for about 1/2 hour, mostly without stopping (change a note), just boring 8th-notes on one note and you will notice your waver from time to time, keep going for at least a 1/2 hour. Next vary the pattern, still at super slow speeds, to probably 8th quarter 8th, 8th quarter 8th, same note for another 1/2 to 1 hour. Then start to vary the speeds a bit and vary the patterns, but nothing very fast at all. Then on days 2 and 3, you can try a slow shuffle, a simple easy pattern, and other easy patterns in stright 8ths (w/16ths), and gradually ease the tempo up to faster tempos. Like Ray Charles used to tell me on our record dates together: "anyone can play fast, but the real groovers can play at any tempo, and especially groove at very super-slow tempos too". Until you can groove at slow triplet 8th-note gospel tempos, you're not a total groover good time-sense player. There's a huge different between keeping "up with the metronome" and really learning how to "groove with it" for long periods. Never try to get your time-sense together with the elec. metronome while trying other techniques, like reading music, etc. at first. It's OK to read music with the elec. metronome, but only while it's like a drummer playing with you, putting the elec. metronome on either every beat or usually on beats 2 and 4. When you're trying to get your 16th note patterns together, you should use it on every 8th-note down-beat for awhile (8 beats per bar) to grasp your inside metre very well, then only on every regular down-beat, 4 beats per bar, and finally on beats 2 and 4. When you can, it is probably a good idea to put it on every up-beat of every beat too in 16ths, the "an" of every beat: (1) AN (2) AN (3) AN (4) AN, while patting your left foot on 1-2-3-4, then you get the true nature of those double-time 8/8 types of patterns very well. Remember to always pat your left foot (if you're right-handed). The reason why I stress great time like this (and it takes someone quite a few days before you start feeling what I'm talking about, it doesn't happen quickly at all), is because you are the foundation of the band, the lowest note of the chordal structure, and the synthesis between the drummer and the rest of the band. Some drummers think that "they" are responsible for the time, such is NOT the case, you do it together and in fact, I believe the bass player is more the keeper of the flame when it comes to great time -- drummers get busy with their tom-tom fills, and their independence in drumming sometimes, it's up the bassist to "smooth things over" when tempo may vary. And to put aside the myths, no-one is "born" with good time, I've seen the "best" screw this up. You either acquire it early on (some are more natural about good time than others) in life, or sit down and practice it until you've gotten the feel of it and gotten the snags worked out. If you don't have a great sense of time as a bass player, and want to play in a band, then you're not a bass player until you do have your time sense well-together. It happens the fastest and best the way I describe here. And you usually don't have to do it so much again, but sometimes it's best to come back and practice a little with the metronome, especially after a gig or so with a bad drummer or with someone with bad time. You've worked hard with those kinds of musicians to keep the groove going, and this throws your center of good time off just a little, so a little "brush-up" is good then.

Bob, just writing the 8th note downbeat lines underneath the notes so there's either a down-beat or an up-beat note, the only two choices. I always have them pat their foot on the down-beat markings, and say the rhythm of the notes 4x, (never patting the rhythms but saying them orally, you play from "speaking" on the instrument, aiming for the downbeat notes). Then go through and play the pattern out of time, with no beat, just playing the sequence of the notes 2x, then saying the rhythm again 2x, then playing in time (at a slow pace) 4x. This is a system I've honed through the years and it always works. You do have to explain the dotted notes, the ties (how to make your eyes go from the 1st tied note over to the next untied note, skipping the 2nd tied note), and notating only a few of the notes so the student-musician gets used to finding the adjacent notes just fine. This rhythm reading always works and is featured at great length also on my "Music Reading Practice" 2-video set (see website). It never fails and people are so amazed that within 2-3 lessons they have it (some get it well in 1 lesson). You don't have to know the tune to easily read 16-note rhythms. But make the student-musician get used to the system with quarters and 8ths at first -- then quickly get them into the 16th note patterns, patting the foot double-time (8 down-beats to the bar, 8 slash down-beat markings to the bar). It is important to make sure that they understand the odd-looking beamed 16th 8th 16th notes, tho' so making them practice that separately builds up their self-confidence quickly. They love to say the rhythms (you practice the rhythms, practice the notes, practice the rhythms and then put them both together), it's like "rapping". I love the look on everyone's faces when they find they are reading (and not "memorizing" which you can quickly do on the 2-bar phrases, I just tell them then to keep their eyes on the paper anyway -- they're aiming for the down-beats) -- it's fun and they enjoy it, and especially when they get proof that they're really reading, and how easily they can grasp it.

Knowing some good jazz patterns will help with that, majors and minors. For the majors, you can think of them as the iii (3 minor) and play licks in that chord, or the vi (6 minor) and ditto. You can play triads up the scale or down the scale, you can play a number of fine patterns around each of the chordal notes, Joe Pass loved to include the lick from the 3rd to 5th, and travel around on the major chord. For the minors, you can use it ii iii IV V in triads (or reverse), or stack your triads, or play patterns coming down from the high octave: 8 5 b3 R 7 5 b3 R b7 5 b3 R 6, any numbeer of patterns based around the minor chord. You can use your back-cyle augmented (Dm = A+, Cm = B+, Fm = C+ etc.), you can play a minor pattern, backcyle it to the its 7thb9 (Am - E7b9 - Am Fm - C7b9 - Fm), putting movement into the minor, a number of things like that. I'd suggest to you to go over a tune, and practice just playing the chordal tones of every chord. Then try some of the subs (like the dim. for the 7th chords, the iii for the major, the stacked triads for the minors), overlaying them here and there. Keep it simple at first by using only a few of the patterns, don't try to do too many. You need some practice at all this first, you can't do it by just sitting down and playing them. You have to do it step by step, just going through the chordal notes to familiarize yourself with the sounds of the chords, and finding the chordal notes, then trying a few patterns here and there, going back - trying some more, doing this with only a couple of standards at first. Then repeating the proces with a couple of more standards (very different ones), etc. Am writing a "Jazz Improv" book describing this process, but it will be for bass players. The Jazz Guitar Tape & Guide helps you with this tho', is sort of in that process thing, learning the patterns, how to use them, etc., without this kind of tutor, you're sort of flying blind, having to rely on your ear to catch how the jazz musicians are using their patterns. You still will use the b3rds for starting notes also in the minor chords: Dm, use Fmaj7 Gm, use Bbmj7 Cm, use Ebmaj7 and of course you use the maj7ths for the 7ths too: G7 use Fmaj7, C7 use Bbmaj7, Eb7 use Dbmaj7 etc.

Bob, yes, it took me years of learning what worked and what didn't work when it came to teaching people how to easily sightread music. I also used to believe in saying the 1-e-an-as, that doesn't work either, so discared them early on (as I did note-scales which also don't work). You speak from the vocal centers of your brain as you play - your hands etc. are just for playing, so it's important to go through the process of saying the rhythms, practicing the notes out of time, saying the rhythms again and then putting it all together. You do have to have the student "spot-practice" some special difficult spots in the music by repeating that bar (or 2 bars) over and over in a loop-like rhythmical effect, both on saying the rhythms and then playing the the line. They will eventually memorize a short pattern so don't dwell on it too much, and just have them keep their eyes on the downbeats. Most who have ordered the 2-video "Music Reading Practice" have learned sight-reading very quickly according to my mail and hearsay about this.

Wanted to add, with this system, you acquire the technique very fast of sightreading -- there are only 17-18 different combinations of rhythm (the fastest learned btw), and saying the rhythm, playing through the note sequence, connects the eye with the sound with the beat, while aiming for the downbeats, then you take the slashes away and they are reading just fine. During the time they are practicing the technique, and before they get to the "memory" place, they have gone further through the learning process, learned to focus, learned to aim for down-beats, learned to find the 1/2 bar divisions, learned not to look (or think) backwards, learned to look ahead to find the right fingerings (a very big part of sightreading), and learned not to say "A, C, Eb" or whatever the note is. The trick is to bypass the mouth then, and let the eye and the hands connect with sight-reading, and this always works. The ear then learns what the sound "looks like" on paper too, there is an ear connection. But really, I train my student-musicians other things to have develop their ear with intervals, chordal tones, arpeggios, chordal exercises to connect the ear to the fingers, another technique that has been honed through the years, and it all works fine, listening for and anticipating chordal progressions. Later on, I don't care if they pat their foot or not, they are coordinated with their reading, and then I make sure they are coordinated with their ear too. It's fascinating to see this work over and over, but of course they can't quite get it all in 2-3 times, it's a few lessons down the road but they do get it very fast. There's no need to take lessons for "years", but for a few months worth and they've got it fine, the functioning very well in music, both with reading and creating.

The technique of focusing on where the notes are rhythmically in relationship to the beat. It is this that is critical to learn, and then like swimming, you have it the rest of your life. Sometimes one has to pat their left-foot and the right hand together (in the "cross-crawl") -- opposite if you're left-handed, and you start feeling the differences between down-beat and up-beat notes, that is what potential-readers have to learn, NEVER pat the pattern, you're trying to find the ups and downs in rhythms. It all has to come from the voice, that's the seat of creativity, you're speaking through your instrument. BTW, spoke with someone about Frank Zappa, what a great guy he was to work for, so talented and he was true-blue to his words too. He was a good guy to work for, I only played elec. 12-string guitar (he hired some of us studio cats to augment his own bass player and drummer), Tommy Tedesco and Dennis Budimer were the other guitarists. Dennis and I loved the music, Tommy did too, but he sure got a kick out of some of the gals who would visit the dates, sometimes in the middle of winter wearing bathing suits. Oh well, you know. Frank was something tho', he wrote some great stuff and had to have excellent musicians also to go on the road with him, his music was hard, but challenging. He was a pretty good guitar player too. I miss him, used to get a "hello" from him thorugh mutual friends. He was a straight guy, a genius and compassionate for people and music.

Steve, the exercise you had privately emailed me about was slightly wrong, these are the correct notes you want, and it's OK to post this from me, it's the major chord exercise that is so common in jazz, going around each chordal note of G, the R 3rd 5th R and 10th (high 3rd): A G F# G C B A# B E D C# D (higher) A G F# G (higher) C B A# B -- this all is on the bass, but you get the general idea for guitar, starts up one scale tone, and goes down 1/2 tone. For the minor in the chordal scales, it's the same relative notes, you don't keep within the key it's apparently in, every minor is treated the same way, as a "ii" chord: Am -- B A G# A D C B C F# E D# E B A G# A, this is still keeping within the key of G, but for Bm, notice that you are still treating Bm like the "ii" chord it really is and going out of the key of G then: Bm is: C# B A# B E D C# D G# F# F F# and so on however long you want to take it. This is one of the most common jazz patterns since the 50s and is a good ear training pattern also. Oooh, all those sharps, but G is a "sharp" key, in jazz and certainly in pop these days that has been mostly influenced by jazz chordal thinking, you play in mostly flat keys: F Bb Eb Ab Db and even Gb, the only sharp keys that are popular in pop is G and maybe D (some bossas are in the key of D), the rest are mainly country song and hard rock keys (for the open strings on guitars): A & E. And there again, maybe some bossas in the keys of A and E, but rarely. Most of the standards are written in the keys of C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, and G. You usually keep the flats and sharps according to chordal structure. When I see people use a C# in an Eb7 chord for example, it's apparent that they are illiterate and don't know that flats go with the flat chords and sharps with the sharp chord: G has D# in its augmented chord, not a "flat 6" which I see sometimes, it's a D#, a #5th. Conversely, G7b5b9 has a b5th, Db, not C#, altho' you can have a Gaug11th, then that does have the C# (aug.11th). Brian Wilson wrote some in odd keys, like the key of B, and so in some people's interpretation, there is a mixture of flat chords and sharp chords, this is very confusing, but understanding when considering the key, you don't want to list a chord as a "double-sharp" chord, but certainly if you have a VI chord in the key of B, it should be F#, not Gb (Gb is not in the key of B) etc. When you write single notes in any key, one hs to take into consideration the reader, and not make a line more difficult to play, but also you should think of the chordal structure and not change the chords like diminishes to sharp notes, a little common sense is needed when writing out lines. You should try to stay within the chordal structure as much as you can without writing a lot of sharps or flats and resulting naturals, just think of how you'd like to read what you wrote, that will make it easier to decide then.

Remember to practice a little every day -- that's crucial. Keeping the continuity of playing a little bit everyday is a lot better than going for 2-3-4 days and then practicing "a lot". It's best not to practice over 2 hours at a time, the mind (believe it or not) tends to shut down after that and you get sort of robotic in your playing. While it's great for the fingers to play a lot here and there, the creative mind (the thing you have to please) needs a rest inbetween. Listen to the kind of music you want to sound like, and learn a little bit of that style every day, especially any of the ear-training intervals, chordal-wise. Sometimes being a bass player, you need to make it a habit to practice the chordal arpeggios every day (or get a good chordal player to play chords for you all the time) - this keeps the ears refresed to what chords sound like. Your ear picks it up constantly. For players just coming back into playing bass after some years hiatus, take your time. No matter what age you are when you get back into playing, your ear has always "learned" and you'll find out that you will play better than ever once you get the callouses back on your finger-tips. It may take you a little while to get the chops back, just put the ear plugs on for awhile as you won't be able to stand your own playing (knowing how good you used to be) and within a few days, voila, you're on your way. Remember to practice chordal materials -- note-scales ruin your ears and train your fingers only to play those awful things. Study both the rock-funk-blues lines and if you're interested in playing with some pop bands, then some theory study is needed to be able to read chord charts, walk well, and understand chordal progressions, easier than you think. When you first play a job again, be sure to practice every night before the job and then don't play one note the day of the job, leave your mind fresh and clear all day, then it will feel "great" that night, very fresh. Don't beat the music to "death" by over-practicing, but rather practice 1 hour every day (if you can, and even a 1/2 hour is better than nothing), the consistency is what is important. It will snow-ball and you'll be surprised how good you play whether you're 20, 40, or 60, it doesn't matter, music is music and keeps you young and happy.

Yes, I do teach note-scales to a very limited degree but only *after* many times of chordal scale fingerings and exerises so the student gets their ears (and finger coordination) trained to intervals, and the actual chordal notes they will be creating and playing. I think you have one missing finger there for the note-scale: 2-4-1-2-4-1-3-4, and yes I teach the 3rd finger for all the arpeggios, chordal exercises and even some for the heavy-duty rock playing (like jumping down on the same fret for the 4th finger say on G to 3rd finger on D and a couple of other situations), otherwise it's 1-2-4-4 the rest of the time and that chromatic exercise is fine for most of the chromatic situations, if necessary. Playing on the elec. bass is dictated by frets, the styles of music (patterns), the physical hand movements, than on string bass, a very different animal. The role is the same of course. The confusion lies (I think) when an elec. bassist tries to think of it as a "bass-guitar" because of the frets -- even having been a studio guitar player, I immediately noticed the difference in hand techniques and planning than any guitar -- the big frets, big strings, length of neck, shape of neck, way of playing etc. all dictate that. I believe if you acquired the pivoting way of playing, plus some chordal exercise patterns (found in all my books, all the boogaloo, a name for funk early on) you would quickly acquire this great way of thinking and shifting of your hand on the neck. No, not like the established shiftings on the string bass for the aforementioned reasons, according to what I've learned teaching this animal for a generation or so now. If you plan your fingerings chordally, that's most of the answer. And to postpone your shiftings (don't anticipate by pre-shifting so much like on string bass, which has its own special physical problems), you use rests, whole notes, gaps like that between the patterns to shift. As you play up the neck, you should be dragging your thumb back towards the nut about 2 almost 3 frets in back of your index finger. The secret is using it as a pivot, not using the 3rd finger in place of the 4th but certainly using it a lot in jazz playing, soloing etc., but in heavy rock, times when you're playing hard, the 1-2-4-4 fingerings work the best, to eliminate any physical problems over-use of the 3rd finger can start up (CTS, tendonitis etc.) -- the twist of the wrist is the critical component there. As for finding your place in the music, we all occasionally have to look down to the neck, mentally CIRCLE where you are in the music, lood down, and then your eyes help you find the mentally "circled" place in your music again. The rest is practicing to get your thumb pivot working (this requires picking UP the index finger, not leaving it laying down on the fingerboard once you've used it too, the old string bass method again that is totally unnecessary on the elec. bass), taking your fingers with you as a group as you move around, not spreading them much (occasionally, according to fast tempos is fine), but keeping your fingers mainly together and totally relaxed at all times, using the left thumb as a pivot is "the way" that you can easily move around on the neck, find your notes and lock into the chords with your fingerings. If this is too confusing, please email me, will be glad to help you. You never need to lose your place on the neck, it's easy to grasp the LH techniques to get around comfortably and accurately.

Jeffrey, PS. meant to say that yes, the "Autumn Leaves" backed with "Jazz Blues" walking note lines sheet is still available for 2 stamps mailed to me at: PO Box 2122, Canyon Country CA 91386-2122. Once you practice to make the subtle connection of good fingerings (complete with thumb pivot to anchor your LH), and moving your fingers around as a group, totally relaxed (don't leave that index laying down on the fingerboard at all once you've played the note with it, this is totally a useless habit leftover from the string bass), then your creativity opens up quite a bit too and you don't lose your place. When reading music, just remember to mentally "circle" the bar where you're at before looking down at your neck, and your eyes, will look back up to that line, this is the movie studio musician's trick in reading (no-one ever totally "sight-reads" there, they look at their music and sometimes mentally quickly practice it too if it looks pretty hard). With the left thumb pivot, your thumb covers maybe 1/2 to almost 2/3 the distances your left hand does. Don't leave the fingers stretched out too much at times either, keep them pretty well-grouped together and playing "chordal" patterns (thinking in chords) will help. If not chordal in the music you read, then keep your eyes always a little bit ahead of the note(s) you're reading. Good reading also requires pre-planning of fingerings according to where the line leads you (not the pre-shifting habits of string bass tho', it's totally different). Take advantage of rests, long notes, open strings, tied notes etc. to use those little gaps to move your hand to the next chordal pattern block of notes (try not to shift in the middle of a pattern). If we were together, I could show in 2 seconds, and you'd get it. Have taught elec. bass since 1969 and this is a method not only honed by all the studio work but also by all the successes in teaching.

Someone emailed me about doing the turnarounds, what do they play for soloing, etc. It was a guitar player but it's the same for elec. bass. You can either think of the turn-arounds as I vi ii V7 or I VI7 II7 V7 or any combination of these (minors/major chords) or do the iii VI7 ii V7 (using the iii in place of the I chord, same thing actually). Now you can formulate chordal tone patterns by hooking onto the closest chordal tone of the next chord. Remember the 3rds and b3rds are very important key notes to start with. Also you can use the b5 counterparts when you want to (which really comes out as a chromatic line too): iii biii (which is the b5 of VI7) ii7 bII7 (which is the b5 of V7) and resolve to the I chord. Thus, the Ebm9 pattern going down: F Eb Bb Gb F Eb resolves very nicely to the D on the G chord (the I). You can't just pull these out of the air, you do need to run over the chordal notes so you have them under your fingers, ready to play whenever. Try to avoid starting on the roots all the time, a little of playing on the roots is fine, but not most of the time. Start with the 3rds or another chordal member, the 3rds being very strong key notes to start with. And you can add b9ths to the 7th chords (key of G: E7 and D7, the VI7 and V7) -- now you see that they turn into diminished runs as any 7th chord with the added b9th has the same notes as the diminished chord 1/2 tone higher: E7 with b9th is Fo, D7(b9) is Ebo. The chord does not have to say E7b9, it can say just E7 for you to add the b9th automatically. And you can ALWAYS turn the 7th chord into the augmented chord too: B7 (or even Bm7 -- on turnarounds, you have much leeway to change minor chords to major chords in soloing patterns) can be B7+ (or B+, same thing), now try to do your chromatics using the augmented chords: B7+, Bb7+ (really is the b5 of E7), A7+ Ab7+ (really is b5 of D7 or D9 or D13), now you see how you can literally substitute a lot of different chords there for the famous turnaround. And you always have the popular jazz turnaround to also play on: G Bb13 (Bb7 to you), Ebmaj7, Ab13 (Ab7) to G. Remember for the dominant 7ths, you can always use their minor chords: for Ab13 use the Ebm stacked triads, etc. For the maj7ths, use the major chord patterns, many different patterns for the major chords, minor chords, etc. in my "Pro's Jazz Phrases" (both in the treble and bass clefs).

The iii and the vi both chords can be used for the C chord. Most teachers know and teach the Am for the C chord, the Em is suitable also, plus you stack your triads and you wind up on the F# for the Em9 chord (the b5 of C), now you see where that stacking can lead to (without too much "thinking" actually, the less "thinking" the better, but musicians like to analyze to understand what is happening). A good line for C using the Am chord is one Joe Pass always used: A B C D E down to C B A B A, so you see yes the iii and the vi chords are both thought of as the I chord. But they being minor chords, remember their function is that of the ii minor, so while using the Am chord you're temporarily in the key of G and using the Em chord, you're temporarily in the key of D if you want to keep going with the chordal scale triads: Am Bm C D and Em F#m G A, those kinds of things (similar to what modes try to teach you but modes are limited whereas using the chordal scale always, is not limited as you can see). Bassists can use this theory too for jazz soloing but not for walking until you're as good as Ray Brown (and there are some out there who can play their tails off I've seen - I know Ray knows about them too). In short, this is something that well-experienced bassists can try in their walking and soloing, but not until they have quite a bit of experience with the normal chordal scale things -- they still need to provide a good foundation for the rest of the band before they spread out. Otherwise, they'll get the famous Barney Kessel line to a bassist who was always soloing in his playing: "you know, what we both need is a good bass player" :-)

There are many symbols as you read charts of music that need explaining. As a long-time teacher, I do teach these things and maybe you would like to know these: D.S. means to go back to the D.S. sign (usually looks like a slanted dollar sign) and repeat the passage from there, could be anywhere in the piece from the 2nd bar on and if you read the 1st and 2nd endings again, you usually will take the 2nd ending only on the DS (be sure to ask the music conductor tho' to ascertain this). D.C. (no sign, just D.C.) means to repeat from the VERY TOP of the piece. Coda sign (a circle with a cross through it) means to jump to the Coda ending passage at the bottom of the piece (there will be another coda sign to jump to), and take the piece on out. "Segue" means you are going into a different part of the piece, (different tempo maybe etc.) without stopping. There is a sign of a dot with a 1/2 circle above it, that means to hold that note and usually there is a "Ritard" marking next, which means the music keeps going but in a very conducted slowed-down way. If quarter notes have slashes through them, it turns them into 8th notes. A dot above a note means to play that note staccatto (short), and a > above or below the note means to accent the note (hit it harder). Two slanted slashes in the music with dots above and below them and a "2" above it all means a 2-bar repeat, whereas just the slanted single-slash with the dots means a 1-bar repeat. You could even have a "4" bar above the double slanted slashes w/dots, that means a 4-bar repeat of the previous 4 bars. The word "tacit" means to lay out, don't play. The minor chord is sometimes written with a "-" (dash -- like C-7) instead of the usual small "m". And chords with dashes in them C7-9 means C7b9, dash in place of the flat. The zero o is used to indicate diminished chord, the circle with the slash through it means: m7b5 (it's called a "half-diminished" is R b3 b5 b7 but has nothing to do with a diminished chord, was renamed that by an Indiana music student who got tired of writing m7b5, makes sense, it is a MINOR chord only with a b5th in it, the diminished chord is spelled R b3 b5 bb7, so you see where the "half" came from). The augmented chord is indicated with a "+" (plus sign), has a #5th in it. Ray Pizzi even said that sax players always put in slash marks to indicate the down-beats -- he isn't aware of my Video Course reading program where I got that idea from watching all the studio sax players sometimes put in the down-beat slash marks and developed my reading program using those slashes -- once the learner practices this "Music Reading Practice" 2-video set program (on my website, yes, it's for beginning readers, starts extremely simple), then they have all the reading just fine. BTW, my next column for Bassics (sight-reading column) will be featuring some very important other features about being able to read well too, be sure to subscribe to Bassics Magazine http://www.bassics.com to catch it, nice magazine devoted to help you learn and be inspired to play. Also as a foot note, when you see someone else's writing of what looks like oo with lines attached (looks like glasses) then by all means LOOK at the part, it has something hard in that one spot.

When you play, it's important to know what kind of chord you're playing in the framework of so you can create the best kind of statement-answer lines (2-part, 2-bar idea lines) for the song you're playing. They are either: major chord, minor chords, or 7th chords as the main classifications and you have other sub-clssifications like Diminished (o) and m7b5 (aka 1/2-diminished, circle with a slash through it) which are in the minor chord family and augmented (+) which is in the major chord family. The style you're playing dictates the way you function within these chords. Jazz or pop-walking requires you to play primarily Root 2nd 3rd and 5th, or Root 2nd b3rd and 5th (for minor chords) depending on the chord structure: particular attention is paid to the 3rds (b3rds?) and/or 5ths (b5s as in Dim. or m7b5 -- #5 in augmented chords). People mention b6ths but this is the same as a #5, and #5 is more "legal", to me there is no such animal as b6 in the chord structures, that's a #5th which indicates aug. In Rock-Funk-Blues-Soul-Pop, you will want to think more of the 7th chord (which is usually played just as a major chord in walking) to play the b7th more: Minor and 7th chords in these styles are mainly played with the R 5th and b7th notes with other notes used as passing notes, or lead-in notes, and the major chords are formulated with mainly the R 5 and 6th in mind (you can use the 6th also for the 7th chord, but not in the minor chord). When you start reading chords like Cmaj7 or G13, etc. or Bb7-9 or F7-5 (the dash always means flat, and sometimes the dash means minor too: A-9, A minor 9th and the dash will be carried throughout the tune meaning minor: C- D- etc.), then you must simplify and walk only for the majors: Cmaj7 Cmaj9 C6 Cmaj of some kind, all the same walking notes -- you shouldn't play the added notes like maj7, play 6th maybe but not in the corny way of R 3 5 6 R, just in sort of passing, never the 4th except on rare occasional scale lines, scales are the worst to play walking-wise, they are the most corny lines, form lines according to the chordal notes, move the notes up and down in hills and valleys, and sometimes just stay there within the chord. The minor chords are all played the same too: Cm Cm7 Cm9 Cm11, and theh 7ths are major chords: C7 C9 C11, C13. When you see the 11th (and the same sus4th), you can change any 3rd you're playing into the 4th of the chord if you like (or just walk according to the nature of the chord: major chord or minor chord). You MUST change your 5th to a #5 for the Augmented (+) chords, and your 3rd to a b3rd on minor, and Diminished (0) chords, that's critical. But when you're looking at say, a C7b9 chord, just think of it as a major chord and walk, or when playing the rock-funk-blues-pop-Motown styles, it's mainly R 5 and b7th. If confused, just simplify into major or minor chords (while noting the Augmented, Diminished and m7b5 chords and playing the appropriate 5ths) and you'll be alright. Later on, after you've got the walking down better, or your rock-funk-blues lines better, you can play around with those notes (maybe) to incorporate them, but simple is better. If you need ideas for all kinds of lines, don't forget my books on the "Books & Education" page on my website.

When you learn some vocabulary of your chordal substitutions, you can then "think" of what to use, especially for the most common chord, the dominant (7th). You need to learn some jazz chordal phrases for the following "substitutions", actually probably the alternate chords that the backup chord player is playing. Note that these are NOT "scale" type things at all, but alterations (and sometimes the very notes of the chords themselves, like the G7b9 is Abo) -- you can alter any chord you want but it has to be tastefully-done -- these are the all-important melodic 50s structured patterns for just the V7, the dominant chord, here as being G7, you can use: Dm7 (no matter if it Dm7-G7 for 2 bars, you can use Dm7 or actually the stacked Dm11 the whole time), Fmaj7 (part of the Dm7 stacked), Abo (or Abo7, same chord), G+ (yes you can sharp that 5th), G7 spanish (G Ab G F Eb D C B Ab G going down), the common "Bird" lick: G F (lower A then up) A C E D (and you can repeat this starting with the b5 Db, just play the same lick, it'll be Db7 but that ties into the b5 sub), Abm9 going down (Bb Ab Eb B Bb Ab), Db13 going up F Ab Cb Eb Bb Ab, and the triad b5 run: G (GBD) Db (Db F Ab) G again higher (G B D), etc., and of course the Dm triad Em triad, F triad G triad (or backwards from G), the C chordal scale of ii iii IV V. So you see you have many options, try using only a few (3 or 4) of the options throughout 2-3 Standard tune chord charts to get used to fitting them in those chord places -- just a few things here and there, and learning how to resolve them into another chord. Use fairly spacey statement-answer statements, don't make it a continuous run just yet (Wynton Marsalis calls it "call and response"), you're actually "talking" when you play jazz improv. And learn some good patterns, note that you can "back-cycle" (go backwards on the cycle) here and there for movement within your jazz improv lines, this is very common with all fine jazz soloing. You can also repeat the m9th (Dm9th) line going up very 3 1/2 tones (like a diminish chord, it's not a diminish tho', but you can usually move chordal patterns that way, either every 3 frets or 2 frets which is the augmented way -- the "whole-tone" scale, but better to practic the augmented patterns, not the whole-tone scale, scales will make for the most boring-solos, club emptiers). You see you have many many options to use as a soloist. My Jazz Bass tutorials help you get started with these options, and the way to prepare for jazz soloing (and walking too, better walkers know soloing lines and use the whole neck). For the minor chords, you can always back-cycle to their augmented chord: Dm7 - A+ - Dm7 and also to their back-cyle 7b9 chords: Dm7 - A7b9 - Dm7 -- now you see that you can use Dm7 - Bbo - Dm7, one of the options for the 7th chord. And for the straight Dm7, you can play it in its chordal scale form which makes always the minor in the key a whole-tone down (in the C chordal scale): Dm Em F G ii iii IV V. Gm7 is Gm Am Bb C ii iii IV V (temporarily in the key of F). Just learn your chordal scale and your fingers automatically go to the equivalent of the ii iii IV V no matter what minor chord you're playing, you really don't need to "think" as you're playing. Just know some good jazz chordal patterns, the "words" with which you will use to speak with, practice them at least 8x in a row so your fingers can play them (play something 8x in a row a few times a day like that and your fingers do the rest, it's easier than you think to get the fingers-ear connections going so you don't have to think on the bass -- but at first when you first start playing improv, DO PLAN a few solos first, getting some of your ideas together, not too long in time, 3-4 weeks, then close your mind, jam and get the blues first in soloing and you will start to improvise well -- don't worry about any "mistakes", just have your turnaround cliche lines together so at least you "end well", that's the most important. The finest solos around were created by players trying to get out of the "mistakes" they made while soloing -- the audience never guesses, and even most musicians. It's a process that works.

Steve, that's why the practice with the elec. metronome I just posted for bassists. For you (guitarist), once you can play 8th notes and block out the tick of it entirely, then you know "you're in great time". You should be able to do that for a minute at a time, if not....practice some more at very slow speeds (at first, beating on every beat, then beats 2 and 4 after awhile). Good luck. Daniel, once you get your time sense in (after days of practicing with it), then your time-sense should stay in quite awhile. Practicing with records, does help a little, but what if their time isn't quite togeether? Playing with records is good when you can't jam with people, can't play with a group, only for awhile. You eventually have to play with a group to get that communication going between all the players, you can't do that with a "dead" record, there's no music communication going there. But it is a good idea to get the feeling of playing with a group somewhat that way, not exactly for the sense of "time" but for the inter-relationships of musicians, it simply feels better to play with someone than alone. You only have to go back to play with the metronome once in awhile once you've done the initial practice -- nothing else can take the place of the metronome practice. It lets you have your own space (by putting it on 2 and 4). Drum machines don't give you the space you need altho' they have perfect time. Remember to practice intensely with the metronome, very slow speeds (on the beat) for a few hours, then gradually speed it all up (all styles now, don't read music, but just play) until you can put it on beating on 2 andd 4 then try it on all styles of music, all kinds of lines, slow tempos, then faster.

For good rhythmic ideas, just listen to the Latin bands, the timbale lines, the conga lines, you will find all the rock-funk-blues-Motown lines you want from those rhythmic instruments. The statement-answer 2-part lines are the structural patterns you want to do -- it could also be: statement-statement-statement-answer 4-bar lines too in your patterns. You never should play exactly what the bass drum plays (altho' in some simple rock, that is required), I always played what I felt called for in the tune, mostly the opposite of what the bass drum (and drummer) was doing. You can make something swing greatly by waiting on the 4th beat, and not playing until either then an of 1 or 2 (or an of 2) of the next bar. Conga lines are typically 4-an -- then held over the bar line to the an of 1 or 2. A typical fine up-beat funk line will be accented on the 16th before the 3rd beat. There's many examples of some very different lines in all my books, so many differnt styles to get your vocabulary of funk lines form -- good studies in rhythms.

Some books out there say that you shouldn't go by the "chord name" to help you find your notes, and I say YES, go by the chord name. You don't want to write in "all" the note names, no, but DO WRITE IN A FEW NOTE NAMES here and there and only take short patterns to read at first. Yes, of course you'll memorize them but by that time, you'll have learned something in reading. If you remember how you learned touch-typing, reading notes is the same way of learning -- you practice on a few notes at a time then move on to some other few notes, pretty soon, you learn that "G" is the bottom line, "D" is the middle line, and everyone is quick to know where "C" is, and just write a few other note names above the notes here and there to remind yourself. The notes next to them you can figure out. Remember, that flats, sharps, natural signs are only good to the bar line, then the bar line makes the next bar revert back to the key signature. Anything altered and tied over to the next bar is the "same" note, the tie insures that. When you're reading ties btw, be sure to look ONLY at the first note that is tied and skip over the 2nd tied note (it's "held" for time, never played again). It takes a day or two before you acquire this needed-habit, but then ties are automatically easier to read. It might help you to actually circle the 2nd tied note for awhile to remind you to NOT look at it -- you look at the 1st tied note and play it, and then the 1st "UNTIED" note and play it next, just a habit that you can grasp very fast. Also, as you look down at your instrument, mentally "CIRCLE" the place in the music you leave off from, quickly glance down at your fingering hand, then your eyes will (and should, may take a few times of practice at that, but it's easy) go right back to the mentally circled bar you left off from. All studio musicians do this trick. My 2-video MUSIC READING PRACTICE starts very simple and builds up into some of the toughest reading you'll ever do, a bargain (see "Books & Education" page on my website). Nothing out there like it, derived from the 100s of movies and TV film scores I recorded over the years -- no 1-e-an-as, they don't work, nor other unworkable tricks you have to pay attention to. Just the right stuff as Prof. Joel Leach (famed Cal-State Northridge award-winning educator and jazz sax legend Plas Johnson acclaim), the "right stuff".

Wanted to say something about the groove and playing like you "mean it". Have had people compliment me about playing which is nice, but the main thing about your playing is to play like you're "hungry" as the expression in our business goes. And get your time-sense together. Remember, when you play a lot of notes, there's tendency to speed up, and also when you play "softer", there's a tendency to slow down the tempos -- just be aware of this. Now re: the "hungry" thing, my Dad, himself a fine trombone player in dixieland and theatre bands (he toured on the road in the 20s and 30s w/Eddie Peabody) always said "don't tip when you're playing music", not to me, I was just a little kid and wasn't playing yet, but he'd say this to other members of his band and I remember that. There was an old tune called "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" and that's where the old pro saying of "tip" came from -- i.e. play those notes HARD, do not "tip". (Yes, am on the Tiny Tim records too :-) he cut that tune. Anyway, thanks to Ron and others, always nice to get compliments and kudos, but we're not "done" yet! The "show" is just starting. I love it when the younger bunch get out there and instead of "ego", and show-off stuff, they find the JOY of expressing themselves through their music -- that's when the music gets GREAT -- you "have to play" to breathe. It's a deep feeling inside of you, and that's when it gets good!

get your jazz pattern playing going, it's wise to learn all the major notes of your chords in the order of the chordal scale, practice these notes up and down the arpeggios, and try adding notes to them like 1/2 tone lower, or even passing notes going into these notes 2-1 frets lower:

Gmaj7 Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 D7 Em7 F#m7b5 Gmaj7

R357 Rb35b7 Rb35b7 R357 R35b7 Rb35b7 Rb3b5b7b10 R357

Remember keep repeating the above notes across the neck without shifting up or down much, with each chord -- this is fine ear training for intervals -- something you need very much for fine playing. Now do this to the following chords too, find the chordal notes and add a note 1/2 tone (1 fret) below each note to the exercise:

Go (or Go7, same chord) R b3 b5 bb7 (6th), this repeats every 3 frets, thus, Bbo Dbo Eo are all the same as Go. Play the chordal notes then add the 1/2 tone from below to that (the passing tone, not a chord member, but sounds good within that chord): F#G ABb CDb EbE etc.

G+ (or G+7, same chord) R 3 #5, this repeats every 4 frets, thus B+ D#+ are the same chords as G+. The passing notes are the 2 frets inbetween the augmented chordal notes, essentially the "whole-tone" scale. GBD# down on FC#A (passing tones) BD#G (principal) AFC# (passing) etc. going up on one group, coming down on the next group.

Rather than practicing scales, you're now "thinking" in chords, much the same way ALL the fine improvisional musicians (on all instruments) improvised from in the late 40s, all of the 50s, and 60s, etc. on. No-one "thinks" in scales, that started with rock and roll people who then went on to learn teaching with scales to "explain" how to think. How to empty a club really fast: play scales.

The standards had tons more chord progression changes than the rock did and everyone back then functioned in chordal forms only, we threw any "scale-players" off the stage, as musicians knew they couldn't play -- there were very few who tried. Scale notes are traveling notes to the chordal notes and pivotal b5 sub patterns in jazz.

I recently told Tom Scott how people were trying to do jazz on "scales" and he was downright shocked and somewhat angry at that -- his quote, "everyone knows you learn jazz improvising by studying chords and chordal notes and all the chord substitutes, never with scales", this from a great jazz sax player.

Plas Johnson, famous legendary jazz and studio sax player, "The Pink Panther", says the same thing, others too. So get your chordal notes together and you start on the right road to functioning well on the guitar (or any instrument). Then, it's the b5 pivotal licks like Abm9 for G7 (G7b5b9 is Db7 and the minor to Db7 is Abm7 or Abm9). Db7b5b9 likewise is G7. After awhile, in a very short time, you *never* think at all ("hmm what time do we quit?") as you're playing, your ear and fingers have made the necessary connections.

If you take your 13th chord and move it around (same fingering) diminished style, you've got some beautiful chordal fill on the neck -- no more than 3 moves up or down the neck tho', don't overdo a good thing.

Randy, 4-1/2 time, in 8th notes: 12 12 12 123 12 12 12 123 it's actually very simply and can be crosstimed too, is 3 sets of 8th notes basically. Cyndy, thanks for your nice note, you're a busy lady. Hershey's "Jolson" thing sounded cool, good luck with lines, you'll get very far with all the lines, and yes the LH lines techniques work well on string bass chops too. John Pisano just told me (ATT: Australia!!!!) that he and his lovely wife singer Jeanne are going to be in residence at the Edith Cowan University in Perth approx. Feb. 23 through Mar. 19 -- hey, Steve is that close to you? I told John all about you and so he'll be looking for you and Todd there. John is one of my favorite people, he hired me to sub for him w/Paul Horn, etc. and he's a fine player -- Jeanne and John will love it there, and you'll love them.

Andrew, having played bass in the studio work, you DO have to form your 2-part (and maybe a 4-part line like statement-statement-statement-answer) for all the tunes, not just some. Even on the so-called rock records (most rock was cut by jazz and big-band musicians, not rockers), you usually have a 2-part line, unless it's like the continuous (and to me, boring) lines like what I played on Paul Revere's Indian Reservation type things. The bass player is the arranger. And if you've been an experienced player for years and years prior to playing bass, you can hear what notes to play and automatically know them. And of course, if you've played bass for years, your ear will tell you. But few people have had the various styles and experiences like studio bass players have had, they need more conceptive ideas (hence, why I wrote out tons of these patterns in my books, and many just learned how to play the bass using these patterns, they got the rock-funk-blues-Motown-soul-etc. theory from the patterns, easy enough). Jazz theory is an opposing theory, but both are addressed in my Video Courses and most of my books too (see the catalog for descriptions).

Remember, when you're learning to read and/or do chord changes, to practice your turn-arounds: I vi ii V7 (could be I VI7 II7 V7 majors or minors it's still the same popular chord progression). Practice that common turn-around in all keys. Another popular one, that used to be just jazz (now used on pop music too), is: I bIII bVI bII (always major chords, could be dominants or major 7ths). The last 3 chords of this turn-around are the b5 versions of the 1st common turn-around. Practice these in all keys to get used to where the "2nd chord" of the whole progression is (the 6th of the key you're in, and for the jazzier version, move up 3 frets and then "cycle" to the other two after that). All the chords in the turn-around chordal progressions (except the first one to the 2nd one)are cyclic. Remember to practice arpeggios of all kinds in cycles. For instance, you can do: C7 (R 3 5 b7) to Fm7 (R b3 5 b7) to F7 (R 3 5 b7) to Bbm7 (R b3 5 b7) and round and round the cycles: Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B (Cb) E A D G C etc. Also, both for prep soloing and for a good fingering exercise, try to use a minor chord pattern, then back cycle to its 7b9, back to the minor and on to the next cycle, i.e.: Am to E7b9 to Am with the following notes: Am R b3 5, down to R to E7 3, 5 b7 b9 Am 5 b3 (then repeat the pattern in Dm then Gm Cm etc. using the backcyle of each of those chords (the back-cycle is the chord "before" the chord you're playing - Am, it's E, Dm it's A etc.). In notes it would be: Am A C E low A again, E7 G# B D F Am E (down to) C.

For you jazz soloists on bass, try using the following for a minor chord, notice it's "almost" like a scale, but not quite -- if you get used to playing this way, skipping some notes, you've got it: Am, going up R 2 b3 4 5 back down b3 2 R now, use this for the C chord, Am and also Em, the common chord subs you use for the major chords: the iii and the vi. Also, for the ii7 V7 resolving to the I chord, (1 bar each) try using your 7th chord pattern (say Dm7 G7, use the G7) the 1st bar, then use its b5 pivotal sub chord, same lick in Db7 for the G7 chord resolving to C. You can use say, for the ii7 V7 I for "G", Am9 going down it's: 9 8 5 b3 2 R (the 8 being the high Root), and then use it's b5 lick (same lick but now it's Ebm9), for the V7, then resolve to G -- this is what sax players, pianists do, etc., and bass players can do the same thing, easy. For you guitarists, as you know you can move those 13th chords all over 3 frets at a time for the same ii7 V7 resolving to the I chord (and play the R 3 5s of the II chord arpeggiated for the I chord finale, bassists can do the same thing on the II chord, after you hit the I chord). Be sure to go through the cycles playing the minor pattern, back-cycling to its augmented, then back to the minor chord again too: Am E+ Am to A7, then Dm A+ Dm D7 then Gm D+ Gm G7 then Cm G+ Cm C7 and so forth. Monk had a great habit of just playing the back-cyle augmented chord for that minor period! For Fm, he'd use C+ etc. If you're trying to find the right back-cyle augmented chord from the 7th, just take it off the b5th of the 7th chord: in "Take The A Train" (or as Welk would say "Take A Train"), you start in C, play D9 and start your aug. chord on Ab (b5 of the D9 chord). Easy to find, etc. Also, you want to NOT start on roots of chords, but mostly (for awhile until you get used to it), on their 3rds for the 7ths, and b3rds for the minor chords: G7, start on B and be sure to sometimes add the b9th in the chordal notes (G7 can be easily changed to G7b9 = Abo, doesn't have to "say" G7b9), and for Dm, you start on its 3rd, F (it's Fmaj7 on up then, same as for G7, see how Dm7 is the SAME as G7, all on the stacked triads of the G7 chord: Gmaj7 Bm7b5 Dm7 Fmaj7 Am7 Cmaj7 Em7. I have to press "reload" now with Win98, what a drag, must be an easier way -- alright Bob! Don't say "I told you so"!

I've mentioned about using the chordal notes of ii7 V7 Imaj7, changing the Imaj7 to the minor and starting the next cycle with the ii7. Now, as the ii7 and V7 chords are treated the same in soloing (whether it's commercial jazz or the real thing), now start to use some of your stacked triads for the minor chord, your diminished (or augmented chords) for the 7s, and one of the chordal tone exercises for the Imaj7 like: Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 -- for Dm7 use the stacked chords of Dm7 Fmaj7 Am7 -- notice how the top 3 notes are repeated in the next stacked chord, easy huh?! Or you can use the triads of Dm Em F and G (part of the C chordal scale which Dm7 and G7 are a part of), or the minor 9th going down: 9 8 5 b3 2 R, then use the diminished chord, Abo for G7, say like using G7 from its 3rd and playing, going up: 3 5 b7 8 b9 (hammer the b9 to the #9 to b9), back down to 8 b7 resolve to E of the C chord, and then playing an exercise for C like E G C E A. Then do it again for Cm7 F7 to Bbmaj7, but the next go-around, use something different -- use just the F7 chord substitute of the dim. (Gbo), with the 1/2 tone whole tone, starting with F to Gb for the F7 for both the Cm7 and F7 (remember, the ii7 and V7 are both considered ONE unit, you can usually use the minor all the way for both chords, or use the 7th all the way for both chords, and even the augmented chord F+ for Cm7 to F7, resolving to one of the Bbs, say like Gm7 pattern (going up and down: G A Bb C D Bb A G) for Bb, or the other relative minor, Dm, same pattern, the Dm being the more common of the two patterns), and run this around the cycles after you've done the straight chordal notes of the ii7 V7 I, getting used to hearing those chords. Using the ii7 V7 I, as 1 bar eacy, you can usually do something in 8th notees just fine, with holes inbetween. You can even use the b5 pattern of F B F B to resolve to Bb (or G Db G Db going up to resolve to C) and so forth throughout all the cycles. You are training your ear to hear how chord progressions mostly go -- as soon as a chord changes to its minor, it wants to go on to its cyclic 7th whether it says that or not in the chart -- chart says C to Cm, you can go from C to F7, Ab to Abm, you can go from Ab to Db7, this goes for walking too but I'd be a little careful, sometimes it's doesn't work. But you get the point.

The post I just did is too advanced for beginners and ones who don't know their cycles and chordal scale notes (chord-tones), just do your cycles with just the chordal notes like this:

Root 3rd 5th on G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb(F#) B E A D G. Now, expand that, by doing a 4th note (not a triad anymore) with G7 (R 3 5 b7) to Cmaj7 (R 3 5 7)) to Cm7 (R b3 5 b7) to F7 (R 3 5 b7) to Bbmaj7 (R 3 5 7), then Bbm7 (R b3 5 b7) to Eb7 (R 3 5 b7) to Abmaj7 (R 3 5 7), Abm7 (R b3 5 b7) to Db7 (R 3 5 b7) to Gbmaj7 (R 3 5 7), Gbm7 (which is also F#m7, R b3 5 b7) to B7 (R 3 5 b7) to Emaj7 (R 3 5 7), Em7 (R b3 5 b7) to A7 (R 3 5 b7) to Dmaj7 (R 3 5 7). OK, you did that round, now just do the 7ths, from G7 to C7, etc.

Your ear, which is constantly picking up things in music whether you're playing or not (that's why when you start playing again, first time in years, you go like the wind once you get your fingers and ears connected), your ear picks up those tones and then your mind starts to "sort in chordal tones" very well. Something you can NEVER get by practicing note-scales.

I forgot to add to the post last night about the 7th chords, you have the option to use the "Bird" lick, the "Honeysuckle" lick (where he got it from) in your subsitute b5 pattern for Dm7 G7: going down, 8 b7 2 4 6 5 (high G F A C E D), now repeat this as Db7 for the V7 (same lick but start with high Db) and resolve the last note to G, the 5th of Cmaj7. Use that as the pattern for Dm7 to G7 resolving to C. Now you have some more ammo to use for soloing in the most common chord progression, the ii7 V7 I. There's lots of patterns like that to use in my "Pro's Jazz Phrases" book, but first if you don't get around on your chordal tones much, I'd get the Bass Video Course, or at least the Jazz Bass Tape & Guide, to get a handle on the right theory, thinking chordally before you attempt the Pro's Jazz Phrases. Am working on a new book too for a step-by-step of creating your jazz soloing. Why spend time learning jazz? You certainly still can't make a decent living with jazz. But....jazz thinking is the basis of CREATING in most forms of music today (maybe not the simplest country or basic rock) and it will give you the best overview of how music functions -- chordally. About 98% of all studio musicians were jazz-based chordally in their training (even the big band musicians who couldn't solo well were trained in chordal thinking). And certainly the bulk of your finer musicians (Nathan East, John Clayton, Dave Hungate, Stu Hamm etc.) were all jazz-musicians too. Then you have the millionaires like Kiss and the hammerings of people like that who are entertainers. But I suspect that you all want to get your music together, you can still enjoy making good money when you know what you'rre doing on the bass -- besides, your wife probably wouldn't go for the make-up :-) (or your husband, whomever).

Playing elec. bass is a different animal for the compositional thing, than any other instrument. There's a reason why you can go to school, know theory, study and know music and yet not have good ideas about the structure of tunes and how to use the bass for playing runs, fills, etc. where. As you know, there's 2 major kinds of tune structures: the AABA, and AB, meaning the tune is usually 32 bars long and how it's structured is 8 bars each of AABA with the B being a bridge, a different part of the tune. The A parts sound essentially the same. The AB structure means 16 bars each, no bridge. You create patterns according to those structures (and styles of course), playing a different kind of line for the bridge. And usually, creating fills in each 8th bar (sometimes, as in the 8/8 which feels like 4/4 but just doubled up in time, you will play a fill in the last part of the 4th bar). It takes awhile to figure out what kind of pattern to play. All the elements are to be considered: tempo, style, singer or no, instrumentalist, ballad or hot funk, sometimes instrumentation of the group (big band? and there certainly is a difference between just playing with a pianist, vs. combo work) etc. But mostly you will create a statement-answer 2-bar pattern for the structure of the tune. You can play a few short runs leading into some chords, especially if you're pretty well-structured, like in a Bossa-Nova (and you can jump around to different chordal tones in place of the boring Roots also on Bossas). You don't have to "fill" on every space, and don't have to back up the singer totally -- leaving spaces is as important as playing a fill. But usually you fill in the 8th bar. The kind of fill you play depends on whether the chord is dominant (7th resolving to a I or a i -- which is major or minor), or if the chord is a minor chord or major chord. You can play a major chord fill also on the dominant going to "that major" chord, pentatonic, on the 7th chord, say a C pentatonic run on the G7 resolving to a C major chord of some kind (Cmaj7 C6, or just plain C). But mostly your form a run depending on the chord that you're in. If the tune is sort of bluesy (or funky), then you can always play a blues lick on the dominant (7th) chord also, it'll sound great. Depends on the style of the song, style of statement-answer line you're using. There's a lot of examples of all this I'm speaking of in all my books. Many have just worked through all my books, and learned to play right from the books, there are so many examples, and they get that commercial bass theory from there then. No, you're right, this is NOT taught in any school, and rarely by any teacher too out there, unless they're someone who has been through my books and played a long time, and taught a long time too. Elec. Bass being a "new" instrument (since the 50s only), it's still in the evolving stages as for its own theory/lines etc. I will be teaching this at the HENRY MANCINI INSTITUTE at UCLA this coming summer, a fine program (yes, they have accomodations available for out-of-state musicians): http://www.amjazzphil.org as well as the jazz improv, all kinds of important training pertinent to the Electric Bass in all styles of music, reading, just tons of materials, will be a fun August.

I use the doubled up piece of felt to help eliminate most over- and under-tones, have always done that and still do. Playing with a pick, it's necessary to have the muting system on *top* of the strings. Most elec. bassists in LA did put piece of foam *underneath* the strings. Have always played with a hard pick, altho' much of the time it sounds like fingers. Never used any EQ at all, except a little compression from LA's Motown engineer Armin Steiner (see his interview about recording Motown in 60s, LA, in Mix Magazine, in the mid 80s), as he was trying to "match" the Detroit sound. But you can hear my bass sounds on the funky sound-track of "Across 110th Street" and many other films, TV shows, record dates, and it sounds like fingers. Some people have been able to match my sounds w/computers and establish if it is me or not, and the slight impact of my hard pick is then very clear. Leo Fender put me on his oscilloscope and was amazed as the impact of my sound totally knocked his needle off the graph (he said that's never happened before). But was not trying to play hard at all, just with the flat wrist and my system of picking (and the kind of pick I use, very very hard tear-drop shape), just that technique/pick has a lot to do with it. Plus, have always played hard, still do, that's why I love my Aria bass, it takes it, yet has the sensitivity and response to it I like also. Anyway, I always used the Fender Precision bass w/medium-gauged Fender flatwounds on it until I fell in love with the Gibson Ripper in 1973 (nice neck!) but eventually went back to the Fender Precision in 1974 (rumors floated around, but no, I was not "coaxed back" at all, it was totally my decision, I knew that the Ripper, good as it was, could never get me the ballsy sound that the Fender Precision could). Now, I'm very happy with the Aria, has sort of combination of both basses, with the Thomastik jazz flats (whew, the greatest strings!) and the Polytone amps (1-18" Mini-Brute, two of them but have never needed to hook them up in tandem, one is plenty for a big loud club), I have the set-up I like. They always miked me in the studios until towards the end of the 60s, they started to do 1/2 and 1/2 direct in sometimes. The movie/TV film studios always MIKED me, but on the record dates, it was mostly 1/2 and 1/2 in the 70s on. I used the Fender 4-10" Concert amp in the 60s, but had to stick match-book covers in the open back slat to keep it from making noises, it had a fine sound miked, especially with my muting system. I don't think that Jamerson, god rest him, used a mute, don't know for sure. I know the system of picking down on the down beats and up on the up beats insured inside metrical time (doubletime being 8/8, 8 downbeats on the 16ths). Have taught this sytem for quite a few years, and one year got to jam with my former student, Dave Hungate, and it looked like I was looking in a mirror, he totally has that system down pat. Is a fine bass player (plays guitar too), others have also larned that pretty well, not hard, takes a little bit of time to get it together for the right pickstrokes, especially on the triplets (down-up-up). You merely change a couple of knobs to get either a "finger" sound or a more "clicky" sound, it's in the tone settings, you always pick the same hard ways.

When you're wanting to back-cycle, and play something really hip, try using the Gb13 for the C7b9 back-cyle of Fm (or F major, it works for both). But start it on the 3rd: Bb Db E Ab Eb Db, resolve to C in the Fm chord. The key to quickly finding these patterns is the starting note in relation to the chord that you're back-cycling from: F start on Bb, C start on F, Db start on Gb, and you just finger the pattern, and go from there.

Chord symbols are constantly appearing with the dominant (7th) chord constantly showing as a 7b5 chord (like G7b5 or G9b5 or G13b5). The quick way of playing something without "thinking" is to take that b5 and play one of the augmented patterns (just start with the b5 which for G7 is DbO, and voila, augmented runs that will fit. In actuality, G7b5 can be considered the Db7 chord, so again, start with the "b5" (Db) and start playing your corresponding diminished run (Db7 = Do), Db into D and you're off and running, easy enough. So both the augmented licks and the diminished licks work for that chord, plus you can always use the b5 pivotal Abm9 lick going down (which is part of the Db7 chord, the b5 chord) over that too but I find that starting with the b5 in the heat of playing works so well.

And of course that pesky m7b5 (m7-5) sometimes stops people in their tracks with improvising. Just remember to go up 3 frets and play that corresponding minor chord, same chord. Am7-5 is Cm, F#m7-5 is Am, Bm7-5 is Dm and so on. Also, you can ignore it altogether and use the next chord, the 7th as the "only" chord to solo on: Bm7-5 to E7, just use Fo then and even the b5 of E7 (Fm9 going down, part of the Bb7 chord) for the whole thing. You will find this fast if you run over the various options and then in the heat of playing, your ear picks up on what is the best lick to use for the continuity. For you bassists out there getting your walking together, be sure to HOLD every note down, without letting your fingers up from the fingerboard. It's crucial that you play every note as long as you can (never finger-mute any note like you do in rock/funk/pop etc.). And get your walking notes together by studying the notes of the chordal scales, plus add the 2nd here and there, plus some lead-in tones. My "Autumn Leaves" - "Jazz Blues" sheet shows the right ways to form some nice lines, just send 2 stamps and I'll send it to you: Carol Kaye, PO Box 2122, Canyon Country CA 91386-2122. Walking is easier than you think -- and the elec. bass sounds GREAT with walking (better in most cases than the upright if it's played right).

The double stops of Hikky Burr were minor (minor key), b7 and b3 (1st finger barred on 12th fret, Em and switching between that and the 14th fret E and A, still part of the Em chord, you know the ol' ii7 V7 couple).

Also, be sure to use that left thumb as a PIVOT also, it will help you keep your place without looking at the neck so much, and is an absolutely wonderful safe left-hand technique, the only way to play. Remember, as you slide up the neck, the thumb (which normally sits slightly behind the 1st finger, starts sliding back towards the nut to position the hand in an easy nice strong way. By the time you get up to the 10th fret, your left thumb maybe resting on the 8th fret (or even slightly lower than that) while you're playing with your first finger on the 10th fret. Sounds like you all should check into the left-thumb pivoting a little more. Just relax your left wrist, letting it hang down in a relaxed manner, and the only part of you that should move, is the very frong part of the hand. The fingers should move around as a group while the thumb pivots in one spot. Be sure AFTER you've played a note with the 1st finger to LIFT OFF the 1st finger and take it witn you with the rest of the fingers. Never leave it laying down on the fingerboard at all -- this is very common with upright bass players -- they tend to lay that 1st finger on the neck and that is a terribly bad habit, serves NO PURPOSE whatsoever and will not only slow you down, but you cannot effectively use your greatest left hand technique with that bad habit: the thumb pivot. You may want to check that, to make sure you're not doing that. You'll find your way around the neck very well with the thumb pivot which encourages the hand/fingers to move as group while you keep your place with the thumb staying in one spot -- you then have a range of say 5-8 frets while staying in the same spot. You will never have any physical problems with arm, hand, wrist, fingers if you use this wonderful safe and experienced left-hand/fingers technique.

For a good jazz feel in jazz improvising (bass, guitar or ?), be sure to NOT swing your notes or that turns into "country-swing". Jazz is almost 8th notes in phrasing, no matter what instrument you play, a lot smoother than most are playing now. It's in a gray area, somewhere between straight 8ths (but leaning more towards straight 8th notes) and tied-triplets. And...for you guitar players playing Freddie Green-type rhythm guitar (and horn-like riff jazz comping), please DO NOT SWING and never accent 2 and 4. The more you swing, the more it sounds like a country swing thing (which is fine for country, but not for good jazz). Just be aware of that -- playing mostly like straight 8ths. In fact, better sax players always sort of accent the up-beat 8th notes (no swing tho').

When you're starting to read charts, especially chord charts, makes no difference if you've played a lot of years or an intermediate student, it's wise to get in the habit of thinking in groups of 8 bars. Songs are grouped together (practically all songs) in groups of 8 bars, and are usually 32 bars long in 2 forms as a rule: AABA with a Bridge (B) or AB 1/2 half 2nd half (16 bars each). You should practice counting the bar lines by saying out loud at first, 1234 2234 3234 4234 5234 6234 7234 8234. Then start over. Pretty soon you get the concept of where you are during those 8 bars and learn to define the "splitting" of them into 4-bar phrases too. The 1st ending of an AABA tune (8 bars each) is usually on the 7th and 8th bar of the 1st A, and the 2nd ending is usually on the 7th and 8th bar of the 2nd A (which sounds like the first A), actually the 15th and 16th bar of the tune. When I teach, it's so easy to overlook the fact that my pro-student (who has been playing by ear for upteen years) has never learned to psyche out the bars, never learned to "aim" for the downbeats immediately after the bar-lines. If there are 2 chords to the bar, then it's 2 beats each. There might be slash lines, those are beat lines and will indicate how many beats the chords are dividing up the bar. If there is no time signature, it's always 4/4. Remember if the chord has a slash splitting up the chord with a note name on the bottom, you're the "bottom", the lower note is your note to play (instead of the root of the chord): i.e. G7/D D is your note, the G7 is for the keyboardist and/or guitar player to play. Remember to darken your repeat signs and DS signs and coda signs so you can find them when in a hurry. Draw large brackets in thick black ink around the little double dots of the repeat signs. And ALWAYS bring a pencil when you're reading music...that and a good parking place and being on time will insure you work. :-) Of course there are some other factors.

Some more ideas for the lenthy bars of Dm that might not be in the Playing Tips yet: You can always use the 3rds going up, using notes in this case: DF EG FA GBb etc., this way you're actually backcycling Dm to A7 to Dm to A7(b9) etc. Another, use the 1-fret leadin tones (going down): C#D G#A EF C#D, and to restate, the stacked notes of Dm: D F A C E G, and use them in the combo triads: Dm7 Fmaj7 Am7 Cmaj7 Em7 but you better have had a lot of experience before you try these, really having your beats together rhythm-wise. It takes a lot of experience and good ear training to use these notes.

BERNADETTE CHORDS:

Starting the 3rd bar (double-bar): Eb//// Db//// B7//// Bb7// Db// Eb//// Db//// B7/// A7/ Bb7/ break 2 bars. Gb/Dbbass// Ebm// Abm7// Db7sus// Gb/Dbbass// Ebm// Abm7// Db7sus// Abm7// Bbm7// Db7sus//// Abm7// Bbm7// Db7sus//// Abm7// Bbm7// Db7sus//// (last 8th note tho' is Bb7). Then there's the Gb part in the middle once you repeat the chords from the top: Gb//// Cb//// Ebm//// Bb7// Cb// Gb//// Cb//// Ebm//// Bb/break for 1 bar then the Gb/Db part again.

I love to give this to pro-students and I can see the slight gulp but then the relief when they get into it and see it's not hard at all, but there are a lot of lead-in notes to watch for, good for reading practice for the 16ths.

I'd follow the chord changes, and of course you can get by with just very simple bass patterns rhythmically in a lot of churches, it depends on the band. I've tuned into a really fine rhythmic church TV thing one time, singers were excellent, and lo and behold, there was Abe Laboriel, friend of mine (great bassist and one whom I've recoommended a lot when he first got started, I got him with Mancini etc.) and he was just playing a lot of rhythmic stuff, excellent playing! He's a very nice person too, very humble. So it depends on the kinds of bands that the churches have, that's why I recomended my lines, you have a lot of different patterns to choose from. If you want simplicity, then the dotted quarter 8th 1/2 note is about as simple as you can get, and just reading the chord symbols (or the root of the chords alternating w/5th) ought to get it. If I were you, I'd get my Bass Lines Complete Volume I book for sure, and if you want further theory, then it's the Bass Video Course and the Jazz Bass Tape & Guide. Meant to tell Jeff that when reading the chords that are slashed (i.e. G7/D) the lower note is of course what the bass plays, the "D" in this case for the TUNE. Once you've played the song through, then you can stick to the roots of the chord instead of the slashed note on the bottom...this is standard practice in band charts, but with church music, the tune goes on and on and on, so you're probably stuck with that slashed note.

First of all, it doesn't matter to me if anyone plays with a pick or not, never did, but if someone is going to play with a pick then of course I'd show them the right easy technique of playing so they are efficient, don't miss, and it's so...easy to do. You've got the right approach for that 12/8 goepel in HTP, yes 12 downbeats, so the picking is easy that way, and you have the right feel for a slow gospel, good. It's a little more hairy for the mixture of mostly 8th notes with a smattering of 16ths. You have to go with what is more the feel of the tune, is it 8/8 (then it's 8 downbeats to the bar) or mostly 4/4 with an occasional double-time 16th pattern -- at which point you'd play the occasional double-time picking but keeping it mostly 4/4 in picking. Sounds like you're really getting ahead with the materials, great Ray! Keep the questions coming, always glad to answer them. Haha, had another person say "don't you musicians have lots of 'parties'"? Boy, I have to educate everyone about that -- we were more business then businessmen....never had the time to "party" and really didn't want to, we had a better time in the studios backing up hit records, films, TV shows etc. I gave 2 parties and went to 2-3 others in the 60s where we mostly just talked shop......we liked each other but not drunk or weird, we had fun without a "party".

To get going on your jazz walking on bass, remember to practice the Chordal Scale notes going across the board (up) and back down, to get used to the chordal scale notes. Then use R235 for the major chords, R2b35 for the minor chords, or you can also use just the notes of the chords: R53R major, R5b3R minor. If you have 2 bars of some chord, remember, you can always drop down to the lower 3rd and walk it up to the 5th etc. like: R low 3 4 #4 5 #5 6 7 to the R of the same chord if you're still there. If you change chords on the 3rd bar, then you'd play this same pattern: R low 3 4 #4 5 5 R 5 (actually any scale pattern here would be quite stale, altho' you can play sometimes, a scale going down from the Root for a short distance, like R(8) 7 6 b6 5 3 R 5 something like that. It's wise to get your chordal notes together so that you can hook onto ANY chordal note (not necessarily the Root of the chord, that's always pretty corny if you're closer to another chordal note instead), and remember that 2nd sometimes too. Also, drop in an anticipated note sometimes on the 4 an. Be sure to listen to people like Ray Brown (only listen to the BEST for walking), and listen a LOT to the Standards I tape of mine too, which gets your ear used to hearing good walking note choices, and has the good jazz guitar feel on it you need for a good background to play to. Am getting done this week with the Jazz Improv book you will want to get a little later (or some of you are maybe ready for it now). Shows the right steps in getting your melodic chordal note improv together using all the finest of jazz phrases. You will need to get the "Pro's Jazz Phrases" booklet tho', for all the vocabulary phrases you will need -- this book helps with getting your walking together too. Gaye, your 2-video Music Reading Practice Set is on its way to you with a little extra -- you'll love it, it is the ONLY thing out there that permanently and efficiently (with fun) gets your real reading chops together.

Why I teach chordal tones instead of unpractical scales is easy to understand: all music song forms are formed around CHORDS, and the bass player has to know how to funtion in chordal progressions, know what chordal notes to play and how to move them. For decades, I've had so many so-called "scale-trained" students come to me for lessons -- they can play a god-zillion amount of scales yet cannot play a simple chordal song at all. They don't even know a simple jazz blues, can't follow chords with their ears, and have NO IDEA of where their basic chordal notes are, cannot play a simple R35 arpeggio across the neck in *one* position. This belies how terrible those scale-teachers are! Some have even been taking lessons for 2-3 years and could never play ONE TUNE! Astounding and disgusting! I get them to playing a tune first lesson and many are walking good lines in the jazz chords on the blues....in one lesson! How? Simple, I teach them the basics of chordal notes, chordal scales (never note-scales). How chords move and function....and they are both angry and thrilled (angry at their past waste of time and money and thrilled to find out it was NOT THEM! That they did have talent, that they CAN learn!). Most of your bass lines are made up from chordal notes, for all styles, altho' the jazz styles require a more complete line of theory, it's still thinking in *chords*! Jazz improv (and walking lines) use mainly chordal notes with some lead-in chromatics, some b5s on the cyclic chords, and yes, even an occasional scale (rarely tho'!) for connecting the chordal notes. Pianists and trumpet players seem to overdo their jazz improv with a few scales, but if you really listen to the jazz patterns, they are formed from chordal notes, stacked triads, and the pivotal b5 chord substitutes: G7b5b9 (with the b9 replacing G), IS Db7. Db7b5b9 (with the b9 replacing the root) IS G7. No two other chords are like this. Slonimsky wrote a WHOLE BOOK based on this pivot b5 pattern use (and mistakenly named "Thesaurus of Scales"), no, it's not a "scale" book but a book of b5 patterns which even composers like John Williams, etc. Quincy Jones get some of their film screen compositional patterns from. Chordal tones of the pivotal b5 chords!

Yes, the G7 - Db7b5b9 is the "tritone" but that term endears nothing in the way of education.....stop saying "tritone" to yourself and merely PLAY the patterns of the Db7 Db9 Db13 Abm Abm7 Abm9 etal. for G7. Like I say John, you're barely getting the essentials of this altogether, you're *not* ready to learn jazz improv, but the arpeggios/exercises etc. on the Bass Video Course prepare your fingers and ears to hear the *chords* with which you'll be able to walk to and put patterns to in all styles of music playing....all music is derived from this chordal theory I'm teaching (and what older teachers have *always* taught, sort of a lost art sometimes with the younger generation who grew up with almost chordless rock and roll....but there are few sharpies out there who do teach chordal movements, chordal tones, and this whole process which by the way is a WHOLE lot easier to learn than all the totally UNWORKABLE scales which don't mean beans as far as getting ready to play ANY music). And no, you dn't think "major" or "minor" that much but just that diminish lines repeat every 3 frets (the main dim. line with the passing tone is always 1 fret 2 frets etc. and the augmented is actually your "whole-tone scale" with its passing tones (but don't practice "whole-tone scales", you'll never discover how to use them. The augmented chord repeats every 4 frets with the passing tones the 2 frets inbetween....it's essential to *learn* the jazz chordal patterns that everyone uses on the augmented and then...how to use the augmented chordal patterns for chords other than just the straight augmented (like the simple G7 to C chordal resolution, you can ALWAYS substitute the G aug. for the G7 for a tighter resolution to C and the backcyle of E+ for Am, things like that). You *think* and move in CHORDS that way.....so be sure to practice what you can bassically FIRST -- intellectualizing this stuff right now (altho' your right brain "knows it") is very dangerous. You *must* train your FINGERS to connect with your EAR (and brain, notice the importance I place on those 3 things, brain LAST) first before you can go onto the next tiered level of learning.

Mario, the b5 of G is Db (not Dm7b5). You're correct on some of the things you wrote about, like Fmaj7 for G7 (on the stacked triads of G7 = F which extended (major chord) becomes Fmaj7). And no, you should "forget" the roots of the chrods. Too many bass players when they first try to improvise always seem to go the root of the chord (wrong, you hardly ever play roots unless it's a blues pattern you're playing in jazz improv, that's possible of course). You must learn how to use the chordal patterns, like Abo for G7 (G7 can always be changed to G7b9 which DOES have the same notes as Abo, why that's practically the first "chordal substitute" that teachers will teach you for jazz improv, altho' I don't consider it a "substitute", it's actually the same notes as G7b9 (the b9 is used in place of the root of G of course). And C+ backcyle for Fm, things like that. Mario, I think you're intellectuallizing a little too much too, you need to use the chordal patterns more. Yes, Fm being the 6th of Abmaj7 is of course used for Abmaj7 (chordal scale please note that for the chordal scale of the I chord, you can use the iii and the vi lines for the I chord). But for you just getting your chordal scales together with the Bass Video Course, don't try this just yet, you might be getting ahead of yourself. Getting the basics down first is a definite must. When you start playing over here with the jazzers Mario, you'll hear it exactly and fast with your artistry, no problem, just don't overdo the intellectualizing...it is "fun" to talk about this stuff. How to use all this for the jazz improv will be in my new book (of which Mario helped me with the transcribing of certain treble clef lines to bass clef) which has the process in that book. Will be finished very soon, and out say, about late spring. Learning this stuff (jazz improv) makes your music BETTER in all styles of music, just an observation I've had from teaching this for many years now. And also getting the jazz patterns together makes your walking just terrific....such freedom I see with players I teach who also learn jazz improv. Don't ask me why, it just does. Probably because of the creative process it opens up. And it's not hard, that's why I kind of sit and laugh a little as they discover that on their own... that's the best way to learn, sincere discovery. The teacher shouldn't hand-hold that much, but make the student (pro-students mostly here) *aware* of the process steps.

Jay, you need the systematic study described in the 3 tutorials in my last post to get you going in the theory and chordal-thinking you need. It's no accident that you're paying attention to the other players...as a bassist walking, you do that, but you also should know how to function cyclically (chord changes) and by ear with the chordal progressions in Standards. You don't have to learn tune-by-tune to know how to walk well on Standards. But you do need to get this sytem down so you can function and then you start seeing repeats of the chordal progressions. There's a certain amount of walking basically you start off with, like: Root 2nd 3rd 5th for major chords (Root 2nd b3rd and 5th for minor chords), and many other lines like that. Just be sure to hold each note down and let each note ring (the opposite of what you do with rock, funk, pop, etc. styles). See my Playing Tips Page, but you also need the data that is contained in the 3 items below to get going with. They work, scales do NOT work. You'll be happy getting to know your true chordal notes on the bass and going from there.....it's fun, easy, and interesting.

For jazz soloing in the blues, notice that in the key of C, when you go to the A7 chord, you can use the b5 (Eb9 -- Bbm lick), Bbm for A7, then next chord is D7, use the Am7, then for G7 you have Abm7, resolving to a G major triad for Cmaj9 chord. Try this chromatic descending chordal thinking, it's one of Joe Pass's tricks that works wonders. This is just for soloing now, not for walking on bass.

BTW, if you want to get off of reading tab and into the real world of reading music, my Bass I & II 2-video set, Music Reading Practice is the way to go....interesting, sort of fun to use and definitely gets you there very fast....tons of lines too in all styles, lots of studio musician reading tricks. Well, not really tricks but the correct easy approach. I dropped the antiquated 1-e-an-a ways of teaching music (counting etc.) and opted for this decades-proven system that all studio musicians use, honed it with years of successful bass teaching, and it works. So many out there tout "tab" which makes me laugh...as the ones who usually tout it, I've found, once I show them my system, they quickly discard it in favor of reading real music. Something like: you can speak words but why not be able to "read" them too like our language. I think it's always good to improve upon your skills and reading music is one way to find your real nettle of music, and be able to glean from the better books as well as the occasional chart you may have to read with a group. I can see chord diagrams for guitar players occasionally but this thumb-sucking tab (for one note at a time) is keeping ignorance in place.

Just to let you know, if you have a bass clef Real Book, remember the chords of "Invitation" pg. 234 are totally wrong in the bidge. When they evidently transposed from treble clef, they changed the chords, the 5th line, 3rd bar s/b Bm7th (not Bmaj7), ditto for 6th line 3rd s/b Am7th (not Amaj7), ditto for line 7th. Ugh, just can't understand how such terrible mistakes can occur...but there again, there are some bad ones here and there in the Real Books, which are the "only" books you have for the Standards and a requirement to work the better gigs with too.

My thumb is in the same place in both pics. This will help you gain the pivoting thumb technique you need for safe left-hand fingerings. And for rock-funk-blues-gospel etc. types of pop music, don't use your 3rd finger in place of your 4th finger, ever. You can assist your 4th finger with your 3rd finger and sometimes when dropping down on the same fret use your 3rd finger (underneath, speaking of sounds now, down in sound is underneath) your 4th finger R 5th R, but aside from that, finger only 1-2-4-4. When playing jazz soloing, and arpeggiating, of course you can use your 3rd finger, but never in place of the 4th finger. If you look at your wrist, you will notice it turning sideways a little to accomodate that weak 3rd finger (which shares a ligament with the 4th finger), and that (imo) causes carpal tunnel. None of my students have ever had carpal tunnel (me neither) or tendonitis, etc. The url is also one of this website's links, it's: http://sandbox.xerox.docs/bagnet/bass.html thanks to Berry Kercheval for it. Just wanted to make sure you're using the proper LH technique.

Cheryl, the kind of felt muting for on top of the strings is the regular felt you buy at say Target, etc., the kind you put underneath things to keep them from scratching furniture. You fold it in half so it's about 1-1/2 or 2" wide, and tape it on top of the strings right next to the bridges. This is ONLY if you play with a pick. The foam is for finger playing and you put that underneath the strings, barely touching the strings (no, not snug as that will mute your sounds too much, you need the strings to ring), it just barely touches so you can eliminate the over-tones and under-tones which clarifies your sounds. Great for both recording and playing live. If you play with fingers and then sometimes with the pick, just use the foam underneath. The felt works only with the picking and must be on top of the strings.

Markus, I always used a Fender Precision with ALWAYS medium-gauge Fender flatwound strings on (never changed strings, but did wipe them all the time after a record date, always changed basses about every 2-3 years -- when the strings started going bad....no time to change strings). I never liked the Fender Jazz bass to record with. I was usually always miked, used the Fender Concert amp (4-10s), then the Versatone amps (1-12"), but now use the Aria Steve Bailey bass with the Seymour Basslines pickups (active) and the Thomastik Jazz flats strings and I get the greatest sounds, like my ol' Fender Precision in recording and for the Jazz things I play live, it also sounds great, like a little bit of Gibson Ripper mixed in. But....you have to remember, and this is ALL the time, I played with a very hard (plastic) pick, with a certain hard wrist action (with the wrist down on the string, not the string I was playing on of course but a lower string and when playing on the E string, I moved the hand off and over as if there was another string underneath), this gives you the HARD and quick (but easy) action you need for balls on the notes, strong notes --- the pinkie sort of up on the air, just the opposite of how guitar players play. ALL ACTION COMES FROM THE WRIST! And....I've always (and do now too) used a piece of FELT muting, doubled over piece of felt taped on top of the strings just a little ahead of the bridges, to dampen the over-tones and under-tones to get a fine clean sound (yes, the strings still ring, the felt just lays snug on top of the strings and does not cut off the string ring). All the studio musicians in LA in the 60s put a piece of foam UNDERNEATH (I always used the felt ON TOP of because I always played with a pick) their strings as they played with their fingers (except for a couple), again, BARELY touching the strings to clarify their sound, the strings still ring good. Will send you some attachments on my gear both then and now. Take care, keep in touch, nice to hear from you and GOOD LUCK with your recording. Remember never record with EQ, and NO compression either, always FLAT.

Remember when you're creating funky-pop-blues-Motown-gospel-rock-types of lines to create mostly around your Root, 5th and 6th notes for the *Major* chords, and Root 5th b7th for your *Minor* and *7th* chords. You can always use the 3-4-#4-5 line for all chords (for Minor tho', it has to be b3-4- #4-5). And sometimes you can use the 6th in place of the 7th for the blues lines like: RR 33 55 65, those kinds of lines. The 3rd isn't used much in commercial music (kind of corny) and be sure to stay away from that 4th unless you're using it in a bluesy line for 7th or minor chords like: RR (lower 4th) 4-5-b7-R RRR (higher now) 4th 5th, those types of lines. Scale players tend to use that 4th in major lines and it's so CORNY! Just the worst, one of the reasons why i say NEVER practice scales...hurts your ears (and teaches your fingers the wrong notes to play). Really learn these notes here a LOT, so you fingers automatically play them both going up in sound and down (remember, "up" is *always* up in sound and "down" is always *down* in sound, doesn't matter how your instrument is built, it's always in "sound"). And remembeer to create 2-part lines, one line the 1st bar, a different line (both rhythmically and note-wise too) the 2nd bar, then repeat them until you hit the 8th bar where you will play a fill. My books have tons of great lines you need to learn to use, to build up your 2-part vocabulary, to get ideas from in various styles of music, just the best books yet even. No others can come close. Transciptions are OK to fool around with but they don't teach you how to create your own lines unfortunately (or how to "play with a band", you're always playing with a "record", someone else's feelings). So learn to create by getting ideas and fooling around with these notes, you'll love to come up with all kinds of great lines with them.

Gaye, glad you like "Thumbs Up"! Wanted to say for practicing....a lot of times, when you're first learning from my videos, you might not quite understand the overall knowledge of what to do with the theory. Just practice it, get your miles on your instrument, jam then, come back and practice some more, jam, get out and play with other people...the necessary theory comes into play without you even thinking of it, it's done its job then. Music is an art, it's not a science whereas you put one perfect piece inside another....we're all so left-brained these days w/computers, school processes, etc. but it is possible to *teach* music so people will understand it, but it is an involved "feeling" process (not scientific) and you have to have "proof" as you go along by playing in groups, jamming with people, getting out and playing gigs, using the material more and more and then you start realizing (and others are saying it too) that you're really gaining as a musician, that you're really making a *lot* of progress. My materials give you options, give you a vocabulary, give you the right notes to play so you can go out and play (instead of playing fast dumb note-scale runs to "show off" with, that's not music, that's exercise). Music is sound, and as such you need to connect your ears to your fingers with the right materials to play with others...the elec. bass supports the rest of the combo/band/soloist, and so you need a lot of different-styled lines to grasp what is good for youu and the rest of the band, you need to develop your ear (not kill it with ignorant note-scales) by using the chordal scale notes, the chordal exercises, and the focal points of the blues-rock-funk-gospel-Motown-soul lines that are prolific in my books to grasp the idea of the right kinds of notes to play and create with in these styles. It doesn't come from transcriptions, altho' you can get around your neck with some of them, but they teach you only to "copy", not how to create your own lines. I use my transcriptions (in Elec. Bass Lines No. 4) to give the idea of line development, where to put the fills, the weight of the overall tune as to continuity bass line construction (as in "Wichita Lineman" simplicity, or even the simple "Going Out Of My Head" Lettermen medley, and the soul-funk of "Feel So Bad" Ray Charles hit, and the rhythms of "Feelin' Alright" Joe Cocker hit I did), those types of uses for transcriptions, which are much different than what the general public uses transcriptions for....to learn how to "play"....which is the wrong reason. You need various lines and a general overall plan for that....which is in my books/video courses, etc. Anyway, enough of the sales talk, just wanted to bring up the "transcription" and the art vs. science subjects.

Cheryl, you did fine...the Chordal Scale helps you to hear the chordal movements and relationships. For commercial music nowadays this is invaluable. One bass student I taught for awhile, a rocker, and he got some good stuff pretty fast had been working on a song of someone else's about our 1-2 lessons and couldn't "hear" the 2nd chord of a tune he was trying learn. He was playing a vii (7 minor) chord for it (coming from the I chord) and instead it was the V9, same notes, he just couldn't hear the relationship of the 1st and 2nd chords, the I to the V9 but with a different "root"....say in the key of G, he heard the D9 as an F#m7, th't it went down just the 1/2 tone, when it went down to the D9 but with the F# in the bass, things like that that you need to be able to "hear" and better, *know* what they are. This comes from practicing the chordal scale notes, in relation to hearing the chord....always hit the Root and the top 3rd (or top minor 3rd whichever the case, major or minor chord) so you can "hear" what the total scope of the arpeggio is. No, you don't have to learn a "chordal" instrument to do this, but when first practicing the chordal scale, it does help to play the entire chord somewhere (or have someone do it for you, while you play the arpeggios). You do eventually "get it" without a backing of a chord for sure on the bass.

Just got off the phone w/Paul Humphrey...he really loved our "Thumbs Up" tape-album, said you don't need drums, it cooks w/o it. Talked about his stint w/Welk band, and is having fun bebopping now, plus a little bit of hip dixieland with Plas Johnson playing too. He called about the Nissan ad with our "Feelin' Alright" hit (reuse monies). We also discussed how easy it is to work without drums, or even keyboard - that the compositional value was more important, how everyone played together was more important than the "usual" combo or band setup. You can have all kinds of combinations of instruments, and as long as there's a groove, everyone melds together etc., it works. I wanted to add something about playing the "tune" too....you go for the whole tune, and with experience, you know what to put which where in the tune. On elec. bass in commercial music, it's always putting the statement-answer, statement-answer, statement-answer and statement-fill in with a different mood pattern totally for the bridge of a tune. You play "w/everybody" not just the drummer, or one instrument or two, but you're the framework of all the chords, the rhythm arranger of the band. The drummer has a total concept too, his framework is somewhat different tho'....and there's always a little push-pull but how much depends on the experience, the talent, and the awareness and how great the players are you play with. Sometimes it feels like a freight-train you're pushing or pulling, and other times, it feels like a super-jet sleek fun airplane, soaring so high, you're on a cloud all night. That's the difference between a great drummer/rest of the band, and someone you constantly have to "help" (or they may have to "help" you too....we're not always on the ball, it's best to tape-record your gigs, so you can tell what's happening, hard to tell in the heat of the song sometimes). Anyway, even with the best, you might get tired (I've had my share altho' I tried to always be "up" and on top of what was happening, it was my job). Just a few tho'ts.

Ted, I assume you are speaking of jazz soloing (not walking) here. You can walk some on the extended triads too, but the main thing for soloing is knowing that you can use the minor chord 3 frets higher for the m7b5 (if there's time, usually it's only a couple of beats) Bm7b5 = Dm. Sure you can just build on the E7 too (and ignore the Bm7-5, it's almost the same chord), E7 9 11 13th (arpeggiated style), or use the Fo run starting with the E, any number of E7th combinations: E triad Bb triad E triad, the spanish lick, etc., all this will be in my "Jazz Improv" book (I know, "hurry up and finish it Carol"...doing the last phase of correlation, want to make sure I don't miss an important point here, this is a tricky book to write and put together, the engraving of music is done and corrected), etc. Listen to jazz records pertaining to this chord change pattern and you'll even hear an E+ over the 2 chords of Bm7b5 to E7 and probably the b5 sub of Fm9 too, that's because they're treating both chords as one: E7. And of course you can play the C note-scale (boring but still useable) too, but normally the m7b5 chord is of a short duration. Jazz is not like trying to fit a round peg into a round hole....it's not that exact, you can bend things to fit what you're trying to say with your improvising, and listening to jazz recordings to catch what the cats are doing is of prime importance. Yes, that is all in my new "Jazz Improv" book...but you also should listen and you can usually catch what they are doing for those chord changes. What I've just said here is probably the gist of that, so many different ideas to use. Walking wise you probably don't have a lot of time either, but do catch the Bm7b5 (walk say a Root 2nd, b3 to b5, or R b3 b5 to R for 4 beats, just R and b5 for 2 beats) to the E7(usually b9, but you don't have to play the b9, however you can by using the Fo chordal notes if it's 4 beats long, for both chords, that'll work fine too, but usually the song requires the original chordal notes on the head).

IOW, you can best build your extended triads off the pivotal b5 dom. chord, i.e. Bb7 (Bb13, which includes the Fm9 lick going down) instead of the E7 for the Bm7-5 to E7 resolving to Am.

The way I mute the strings is by folding over a piece of felt muting (buy at the sewing section at Target, Walmart etc.) so it's doubled to a width of about 1-1/2". Take it and tape it (I use masking tape) to on top of the bridge area, but laying slightly ahead of the bridges. It won't be too loose but you will have to re-tape it tighter from time to time. Thus, it lays on top of the strings and kills the over- and under-tones, making your bass sounds more defined. You use a doubled up piece of felt *on top* of the strings when you play *only* with a pick. If you play with fingers (or even with fingers sometime and then pick sometime), then get a piece of foam about the same width, but fit *underneath* the strings, barely touching the strings. This takes some doing. You don't want the foam to mute the strings so much it gives off a "plunk" sound, yet you need it to touch all the strings relatively the same amount. The strings in all instances should ring almost as much as if there wasn't any muting at all. You'll notice an immediate difference in sound and your band will too as well as the audience noticing the bass sounding great and projecting very well too. In recording, it's a must. If you have a bridge cover and are using a doubled up piece of felt, lay it between the that rubber "mute" (that is practically useless) in the bridge cover and the strings, but....do raise the bridge-cover slightly so the strings ring....you will have to stick a couple of wedges underneath the bridge-cover so it stays up without rattling (I always used 2-3 picks). This is the sound you want, a ringing sound but without all the extraneous noises of over- and under-tones the strings get. This will work fine. You'll see my mute (with the "fancy" masking tape) in my pictures with the Aria Pro II (Steve Bailey bass), my bass w/Seymour Duncan Basslines PUs and Thomastik jazz flats.

Yes, *you* can play fine bass too, many guitarists do it. It's a different thing tho' than classical guitar, you got to *hit it* and classical guitar is a lot more sensitive. But yes, you can do it. I'd for sure get the Standards I package on the books page on my site, and if you don't have it, the "Jazz Bass tape & guide" (and maybe the Bass Video Course too to get the idea of the commercial stuff which you will use in church...they're very hip with their excellent bands with all styles of music in church. Good luck, and thanks again for your nice comments about our bunch of musicians...that's the stuff to study alright.

Jerry, yes your sounds are great with a hard pick and the versatility is something, from deep bass (they'll accuse you tho' of playing w/fingers, it's so deep-sounding) to the highest pick-sound (but w/the bottom left in!). I made some mistakes on many hit recordings, but hardly any in the TV film/movie studios where accuracy is most-needed. As to the recordings, can you see the dancers on the dancefloor saying "darling, did you just hear that bad note on the bassline?" Just practice the lines in my books, you'll get there just fine.

About playing the pick with the technique I use. It's just a natural flat wrist technique that lets ANYONE play HARD on the bass, getting big hard sounds (jimp?) without working at it. ANYONE can easily play that way ALL DAY AND NIGHT (which I had to do in the 60s studios for years) and NEVER get tired....the only thing we all got tired of was boredom and *sitting*, that was tough. When you have the easy correct picking technique (and yes the hard pick does help with good sounds and ease of picking too), then it's really nothing to do that, NO EFFORT AT ALL. When I watch how others play so awful with their arched wrists, or pinkie laying on the board (ugh!), it just amazes me that they have no idea how to use the pick on bass at all, it's all so simple. Lay your hand down on the strings (no never as a "mute" but as a guide for the thumb muscle) and keep the pinkie up in the air slightly to cock your right wrist so you naturally use the natural tough strength in the wrist to pick the bass. This technique is shown at great length on BOTH video courses: Bass Video Course and "Music Reading Pracitce" split-screen 2-video set. Boogaloo and deep bass sounds are easy and you hardly have to hit the string to get a "man's" sound as one confused pro put it.....no you don't have to be built like a "man" to get a "man's" sound.

The Nashville Numbering System by Neal Matthews Jr.

Many new swing big bands have CDs out with elec. bass, it's beginning get more common and most sound pretty good I have to say, well-balanced with their sound pretty close to acoustic. But.....I do have some suggestions to many who used to be rockers and want to play swing now:

(1) Keep your notes nice and long (as well as your sound fairly good with lows and some mid-range).

(2) When you walk, it's OK to put an occasional "hump" (double-note) in there, ala Ray Brown (and listen ONLY to Ray Brown, he's the best and the ultimate in walking taste, well, LeRoy Vinnegar was too but I still like Ray the best). But, having played a lot of rock and all, you may be tempted to be playing those in too many places (almost making the tune sound like a rock-shuffle) -- be cautious with that.

(3) Make sure, you blend well with the drummer and horns for that "band-sounding-like-one-man" feel and unity feel. This means not playing too loudly, you don't want to "take over" the band, but yet, not too soft too. And if you are playing a 5-string bass, stay OFF that low B string - it will control the band too much.

(4) Have your time-sense so well put-together, that everyone can rely on your sense of time (and don't ride on the drummer's beat, you two must "pull-together" neither one riding on each other's beat....sometimes, that's impossible as the drummer might not have an excellent time-sense, then you have to set it well, so he can grasp your feel, and vice-versa). You do this by practicing your walking with the metronome beating on beats 2 and 4 (get that by counting 1-1-2-3-4 while the metronome is beating 1/2 the speed you're playing at).

Other things are involved with reading big-band charts to like: when you have to look down at your neck (if you play with the pivoting left-hand technique I teach, this won't happen very often), mentally "circle" where you are on the music, quickly look at your neck, then come back to the "circled part" and voila, you're back in.

When you're playing the same pattern over and over, really learn how to feel sections in 8-bar phrases. Also, mark your part when certain sections come in, piano solos, drum part fills, horn unisons, etc. and you can quickly find your place too.

Elec. bass is making a big splash with swing bands, and that's nice to see and hear.

On one name recording, the bass player sounded very good -- however, the only objection I heard is that occasionally, he puts in way too many of those humping things, making it almost sound a little rockish in a few spots, and his sound could have used a lot less mid-range (Jaco-sounds) with better bottom and of course he needed a piece of muting underneath his strings to stop all the apparant under- and over-tones.... it could have been so much better.

The bass player's time-sense could have been better (he and the guitarist rushed here and there on this otherwise fine dixieland recording, but the fine drummer kept them in check), just my critical opinions. But these are common things to think about.

Remember when you're reading chord charts, the Real Book doesn't usually have the inside chordal changes that you should be aware about.

That is, on the 8th bar of "Green Dolphin Street" there's just the same chord of "C". Since the next bar begins with Dm, you should play A7 for either that whole bar before, or at least the 2 beats before the Dm chord to set up the Dm chord (cyclic).

In "All The Things You Are", when it lands in the key of G (mid-way through), there's 2 bars of G there. Then you play the Am chord starting the ii V7 I pattern). On the 2 bars of G, here is what you would normally play (and it's NOT written either) to resolve to the bar of Am (this is about the 15th and 16th bar of the tune):

G// C7// Bm// E7(b9)// resolving to the Am and the last 1/2 of the tune.

Similar to Satin Doll on the 7th and 8th bar coming back into the Dm of the 2nd 8 of the tune (key of C): C// F7// Em7b5// A7// you see how the A7 then resolves to the start of the 2nd 8th bars (Dm7).

When you're walking jazz style too, remember to skip over chordal notes of that chord you're playing for better walking lines too...you can still create hills and valleys, but you don't always have to creat a "straight line up" nor a "straight line down", learn to skip around the chordal notes, some notes up high of the chord, then another note low, then high etc.

You need to know your chordal note arpeggios so your fingers can automatically and easily find these notes.

A lot of this is noted in my "Standards I" charts and tape item (see catalog page). These inside chord changes are not on the orig. "Real Book" charts at all, and in fact, some of the Real Book chord changes not only leave a lot to be desired, but are in some places downright wrong. But that's all you have when it comes to chord changes for standards.

However, once you go through my Standards I item, you start seeing the right ways to interpret the Real Book, the inside ways of thinking about chords and chordal progressions, and you learn to simplify it all very well.

Even for walking purposes, you use the solo idea of always thinking of the ii7 and the V7 as the "same chord" when there is a V7 chord i.e., you can always insert a ii7 for the first part of V7. Soloists sometimes play just the ii7 chord for the V7 (and vice-versa when the chords ii7 V7 come in that order, you can use the V7 and its subs for both chords, you don't have to change with each chord that way).

And you can walk this way too.....you can move "chords around" with your walking the same as chordal players do but this takes practice and listening to people like Ray Brown, how they interpret chordal charts of the standards for awhile and experimenting for awhile. You soon get the hang of it.

Latin music was very popular in the 40s and 50s. If you played any gigs, you would have to play at least 25% Latin songs, with their different rhythms and styles and playing them on guitar was especially fun, both from the rhythmic aspect and the soloing jazz on top of it all.

For bass players, it's a bonanza of ideas. All you have to do is listen to the different rhythm instruments in any Latin band, be sure to write down the rhythms, or tap it out until you can get to you bass and try out the rhythmic patterns with your own blues notes and voila! You have some funk patterns you won't believe, it's easy as pie once you practice these different accented parts until they feel that they are a part of you.

There are lots of upbeat rhythms in Latin music and the laying on the 4th beat and holding that over the bar too (Motown-styles) on the usual Latin bass parts and even on the big-band or combo arrangement ideas....this is also easy to use but may be a lot different than the rock that one normally plays, so practice this with the elec. metronome to get the feel of it all with simple notes at first, then you're more ready to try elaborate patterns (lots of notes) with the rhythms. Remember where "1" is at all times.

Holding the note over the bar (either from beat 4 and/or 4-an) is tricky at first as most bass players feel comfortable hitting the "1" only. This can be overcome tho', with practice and playing 2-3 notes in a pattern (keeping it simple) and playing with the elec. metronome on the backbeats only (2 and 4). You'll soon get it.

Most bass players are not adept at playing upbeat patterns, don't feel the upbeats, do not create the necessary groove upbeat patterns for great bass lines.

Just try 1 note at first to get the rhythm part of it down first, then add 1-2 notes for the next round of practice before doing tougher lines with more upbeat notes, you'll feel natural with this in due time, especially if you put the metronome on 1/2 speed so it beats on the 2nd and 4th beats (instead of 1-2-3-4, that's not the way to do it, it'll turn you into a robot within a short time, keep the metronome on 2 and 4 like a drummer's back-beat, that's the best).

You only want the metronome on 1-2-3-4 when you're practicing difficult 16th-note patterns to get the intricacy of the rhythms for a very short time, otherwise, it's 2 and 4.

I got a kick out of hearing about one seminarist who recently gave a workshop in one of the biggest Universities -- he was talking about how Latin music influenced rock and roll recordings of the 60s in rhythms (he's right it did, yet gets no credit nor recognition for it) and quoted my name and then proceeded to show how I developed my 16th patterns from Latin patterns.....I was thrilled to hear about it, as I've always said my bass playing was Latin in the Boogaloo, Funk, etc. yet my pro-students are surprised when I say that.

He described all the various styles I recorded and proceeded to tell the class where my lines came from -- we need more of these people who speak the truth. But also I have to add....I did play 100s of record dates first on guitar before I ever touched the bass. And a lot of my rhythms also come from the same rhythmic feel of various styles of music I played as a rhythm (and sometimes a soloist or just a fill player too) guitarist on those dates, let alone all the live professional guitar work I did for 8 years before I ever set foot in a studio. No, it was just latin, a great deal of the funky stuff.

Tim, thanks for that message about my new "Jazz Improv For Bass" book. It's the theory that is a continuation from the fine 50s jazz ways of "thinking" (actually playing, you don't "think" as you're playing jazz improv at all - you're thinking about "what time does the gig end", "what do I have to get on the way home" etc.), because you've taken all the necessary practicing steps to learn your chordal progressions, substitute licks, patterns, all that stuff.

Somehow, in the rock era transition, this way of doing chordal progressions and chordal theory (cycling, back-cycling, substitutions, extended triads, moving chords around) got lost in the rock times of playing music.

Having taught this for years and years and finding out that my fellow musicians who also did a lot of teaching (not every pro loves to teach nor can teach well) do teach this way too, you notice that the rock players who then teach mostly don't think in chords at all, but think it's "scales over this and that"....no-one did it that way at all in jazz when jazz was at its peak.

The rockers who later got into teaching, writing books, trying to explain jazz improv didn't know this way of doing jazz, and couldn't play this at all but got off into fusion and pseudo jazz with scales (talk about boring music and non-workable....jazz was formed from chords of those standards, not in the 50s from rock and roll at all, was non-existent).

So there's a critical lack of the really pretty easy way of learning jazz through chordal movements out there....and you have books with the word "jazz" in them with horrible scales....one can play those all day, know and discuss them on the internet, and NEVER play music at all, never function in tunes with chord changes, etc., can't interpret chord charts, can't solo, except for show-off chops that mean literally NOTHING in music, not saying anything of important in music.

So you have ignorant books teaching terrible things and people giving up because they think it's "them", that they have no talent to learn anything -- those books don't work.

This book gives one a sense of real chords, the notes that make up the real way of playing, hence the great foundation for Jazz Improv, how it developed from chordal substitutes, etc. It's the right way and actually, once you get to thinking chordally, it's simple...and FUN!

Some of my students (some pros) who for a minute tho't "oh, this is hard" -- the ones who "knew all the scales and their names", and had to simply listen to jazz (you can't play it if you don't listen to it and know what it sounds like), and practice a little bit (no playing country will not help you learn jazz that much), get used to the feeling of being "the soloist", something that bass players need help in at first -- hence the approach is different than say a guitar book, and get their chordal-note chops together...... it was amazing to see the quick ways they started soloing.....I still get a kick out of everyone, to see the lightbulb come on. It's such a joy.

And it's something they have for the rest of their lives too. However, for the finer approaches of playing soloing, you do have to play pretty often to keep up the finer soloing. If you're going to futz around with it, fine you can afford to work say only 3-4 times a month, and practice a little for those gigs and still play pretty well.

But even Ray Brown said to a friend of mine when he asked him why he works so much "I need to keep my chops up, it's easier to work a lot than to just work here and there". He's right about that. But how many are a "Ray Brown" and get a chance to work that often and keep up with the finer ways of soloing?

Yet, with this book, you have the exact phrases in soloing that Ray and other top jazz musicians play. I don't believe in teaching corny phrases and then say "OK, now you play the good phrases"! That's un-productive and kind of an insult to boot. It's vital to learn the right stuff, and then it's easy maintenance too.

I've always taught all the great phrases you're going to play great with...no sense in practicing stupid stuff to play great.

You can learn better with the actual things you're going to play, and really enjoy getting your music together, play good to start with, not someone's imagined way of doing things (when they themselves can't play it, and/or teach it right).

So anyway, that's my philosophy, get someone playing immediately, give them the good stuff to do it with and they've got something fine the rest of their lives.

The theory is correct and even more than you'll find in schools and even universities who don't teach this way at all.....they literally don't know how to put it together to teach the overview of jazz.....most of us had a great chordal background in the 50s to do it with and the rest got it by "ear" but that's a tough way of doing it.

You can use the pivotal b5 patterns only when you're ready to cycle to the next chord from a dominant:

G7 to C E7 to Am D7 to G7

It doesn't matter what kind of chord you're resolving to major (tonic), minor or 7th (dominant), you can use the pivotal b5 pattern at the end of the 7th chord (G7, E7 or D7 above) to resolve to the next cycle chord:

G7 you can use, say, the Dm stacked triad pattern (for G7) then use the b5 pattern of G7 on the tail end: Db13 for instance or even the Abm9 pattern (Db7 is the b5 of G7 so you can use both Db7 and Abm9 or even Abm7...Joe Pass just uses the plain ol' Abm, and it sounds great going to C of some sort).

E7 use Bb9 or Fm9 to resolve to Am

D7 use Ab7, Ab9, Ab13 or Ebm Ebm7 Ebm9 etc. to resolve to G of some sort (Gmaj7 G6 Gmaj9 G6/9, or G6/9b5 etc. on the end or doesn't matter what kind of G it is, it's a CYCLE chord, that's the crux of this whole thing.

So....study your cycle chords in patterns so you can jump to them without even thinking. That's what good jazz soloing is all about, chords and chord changes.

Rock players in transition from rock to jazz CAN learn this orrect system just fine. Just dig in and get your chordal progression phrases and arpeggios together....you'll soon learn to do it the chordal way, it's the only way to play fine jazz soloing.

Now a good chordal jazz soloing lesson of sorts. Take the standard, "There Is No Greater Love". Notice how the chords after the first Bbmaj7 are dominants....Eb7, Ab7, G7, C7 then F7. Here's how you chordally work those:

The Eb7 is the IV chord of Bb (cyclic) and Eb7 being a 7th chord, it's basically like Bbm (Bbm/Eb7 tho't of as the "same" chord), so for Bbmaj7, play a pattern, for Eb7, repeat that same pattern UP 3 frets (major to minor), it's Dbmaj7 but you don't need to even think of that (for Eb7, one of the listed chordal subs in my book for dominants) and then for Ab7, play its Ebm, and for G7, play its Dm (m9ths work fine too, or just stacked minor chords).

Then you have time with the C7 and the F7, work your Gm stacked triads for C7, and for F7, do something different to wrap up that 8 bars, start with the Cm7 stacked triads (if you want), ending with the Gbdim (start with F of course), or starting with F, do your diminish w/parallel 4ths moving down

I assume you've practiced your pattern/chordal note things in my books (Jazz Improve For Bass & Pro's Jazz Phrases), all you need is the very first note and your fingers know the rest - no thinking required.

Or....change the F7 to F+, the augmented chord always works for the dominant (7th) chords, especially when resolved to the Tonic chord of Bb. You'll see some great possibilities you can come up with the right and easy ways of getting your jazz improv together - it gets to be so much fun as my students and fans will tell you....have fun.

The 3 forms of Blues:

G7//// //// //// //// C7//// //// G7//// //// D7//// C7//// G7//// D7////

which in Solfeggio (transposition) is:

I7//// //// //// //// IV7//// //// I7//// //// V7/// IV7//// I7//// V7////

Jazz Blues:

G7//// C7//// G7//// Dm7// G7// C7//// C#o//// G7//// E7//// Am7//// D7//// G7// E7// A7// D7// Solfeggio: I7//// IV7//// I7//// v7// I7// IV7//// #ivo//// I7// VI7//// ii7//// V7//// I7// VI7// II7// V7//

And the 3rd Version:

Gmaj7//// F#m7//B7// Em7//Ebm7// Dm7//G7// Cmaj7//// Cm7//F7// Bbmaj7//// Bbm7//Eb7// Abmaj7//// Am7//D7// Bm7//Bbm7// Am7//Ab7//

Solfeggio:

Imaj7//// vii7//III7// vi7//bvi7// v7//I7// IVmaj7//// iv7//bVII7// bIIImaj7//// iii7//bVI7// bIImaj7//// ii7//V7// iii7//biii7// iim7//bII7//

As you can tell, it's a lot "harder" to think in numbers but once you do it a few times, you get used to it and then can transpose to ANY KEY, a very useful tool in music.

Notice that the minor chord situation it taken care of by switching from Roman numberals to the dotted i's in Solfeggio, a very standard procedure in all legit music schools (no, not quite the same in Nashville which goes with the arabic system and has to write out "m" for minor.....

Be aware also that many chord charts will subsitute the dash "-" for the small "m" for minor: A-7 is Am7 and the chart will then follow suit all the way through with dashes indicating minor chords.

There's also many many variations on the last 2 forms above, for instance, in the 2nd one, you can have this common variation in chords and in fact leave out totally that #ivo chord in the 6th bar (C#o7 is the same as C#o, same notes you can use: R b3 b5 bb7):

G7//// C7//C#o7// Dm7//// G7//Db9// C7//// Gm7//C7// G7//C7// Bm7-5//E7// A7//// Am7//Ab13// G7//E7-9// Am7//D7/Ab13/

Solfeggio:

I7//// IV7//#ivo7// v7//// I7//bV9// IV7//// i7//IV7// I7//IV7// ii7-5//VI7// II7//// ii7//bII13// I7//VI7-9// ii7//V7/ bII 13/

Notice that the chord ii7-5 (Am7-5) the dash is also denoting the b5, some people will write b5 and some people will write -5 on chord charts, same thing as as some will write Am7 while others will write A-7 (all consistently within the entire chart). Only the 5th and the 9th are sometimes written as -5 or -9 to indicate b5 and b9 (the "b's" here are FLATS).

The dominant chords: 7th, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths are all treated the same way on elec. bass, all dominants -- you don't normally play the 11ths, 13ths, those are for the chordal players (and for soloing too) but sometimes you will play the 9ths.

Likewise the last blues version, commonly popularized by Bird, Bud Powell, Horace Silver, and Sonny Stitt etc., others in the late 40s and early 50s with this kind of blues, can be altered here and there too -- notice how I changed the last 2 bars (the turnaround) to what I commonly refer to as the "Jazz turnaround", used mainly by the better jazz groups back then and is more common now among pop groups.

The ordinary turnaround is I vi7 (or VI7) ii7 (or II7) V7 known as the 1 6 2 5, also can be iii VI7 ii7 V7 known as the 3 6 2 5, the 3 taking the place of the I chord (the Em7 chord is a G6 chord), the Jazz turnaround is exactly the flat-5 pivoting chords of the orig. I vi7 ii7 V7: G Em7 Am7 D7 = G Bb13 Ebmaj7 Ab13 (Bb is -5 of E, Eb is -5 of A, Ab is -5 of D):

Gmaj7//G6// F#m7-5//B7-9// Em7//A7// Dm7//G7/Db13/ Cmaj7//C6// Cm7/ F13// Bbmaj7//Bb6// Bm7//E7-9// Am7//E7-9// Am7//Db13// Gmaj7/ Bb13// Ebmaj7//Ab13//

So you see you can many different variations based on the basic original chord themes of the 3 different kinds of Blues above.

Also, on the turn-around bar, you don't always have to play those turn-around chords when you're soloing, you can make it always G//// D7//// (and remember you can always change that D7 to a D+ -- augmented chord also, simple alteration always).

Gm7//// //// //// //// Cm7//// //// Gm7//// //// Eb9//// D9//// Gm7//// D7-9//// (or turnaround could be: Gm7// F// Eb// D7//)

Remember within this basic minor blues you can always back-cycle -- 1st bar could be:

Gm7//// D7-9//// Gm7//// and change the last Gm7 to dominant to resolve to either Cm7 or C7 (in some cases the iv chord can be IV7, the pure 7th chord instead of minor: G7//// C7//// Am7-5//D7// Gm7//// //// variation of Eb7 to D7: D7//// Eb7//D7// Gm7//// Am7-5//D7/Ab9/

Q. How do I get my jazz chordal progression theory together? By the practical ways of starting with the Cycle for instance (as well as more on jazz foundation theory). There's only one cycle, the chordal progression: C to F to Bb to Eb to Ab Db Gb(F#) to B to E A D G to C. Notice how it goes with the key signatures too -- F is 1 flat, Bb 2 flats and so forth....B is 5 sharps, E is 4 sharps and so on down. A back-cycle is going backward on the cycle -- Em//// B7(the back-cycle chord)//// to Em///.

It's highly important to learn the Cycle of Chordal Progression as most tunes have chords that usually go in cycles for awhile....For instance if you're playing chords and the chords are going G//// E7//// Am///// D7//// G////

The E7 back to G is ALL Cyclic.....perfect cycle. Inversions are simply different chordal notes on the bottom, not used that much on bass but it's important to know that's what they are called: G chord R 3 5 R G B D G (root inversion it's sometimes called) 1st inversion is: 3 5 R 3 B D G B 2nd inversion 5 R 3 5 D G B D and so on with all the chords (you play them and don't need to "name" them....the more you put in your hands/ear connection and the less you put in your "technical naming", the better)....the word "inversion" is used a lot on guitar, piano, sax, etc. but not that much on bass actually.

Progressions are just that, chord changes usually something to do with the cycle (see above). It's best to not get too technical ("this has got to fit into that") and more important to hone in on the real soloing - I teach a different way in the sense I get you going immediately knowing all this stuff and using it in walking on chord charts (even if you haven't had years of theory, you can learn this rather practical and find it easy to get started right) and I don't fool around with so many technical terms that don't mean that much in actual playing.

Many kinds of funky-rock-blues-soul etc. patterns are all in my books and of course the Jazz Improv For Bass and Pro's Jazz Phrases (as well as Elec. Bass Lines No. 6) have fine jazz patterns also. The word "shapes" is sort of a new term - not used that much in actual teaching I think....meaning the chordal note shapes....more for guitar. Not that necessary for bass...and is taking the place of the former "box" term imo -- chordal notes used to be called that.

>>>Do you recommend a good exercise for learning the fingerboard? Also, could you tell me a little about playing on the "2 and 4" beats in jazz.<<<

Just more of my books....you will certainly know your neck once you go through my books -- try getting all of the books, the prices are low and there's plenty of stock. No, while "Jazz Bass Tape & Guide" is excellent, gives you the great theory you need to get going, to really get to know your neck and get more of what you need, I'd go for more books. Hard to learn it all from one item.

Music takes awhile to learn - a few 1,000 hours of practice to really be dept at all styles of playing....especially if you're trying to learn your neck but it doesn't take "years"....just merely months -- I'd go for the "How To Play The Elec. Bass" (don't be fooled by the title, plenty of nitty in there to play), and "Electric Bass Lines Nos. 1-2-3-4-5-6" you'll have enough to work on for awhile and enjoy the music too...there's no dumb stuff in there, and yet some parts of all the books are very easy...enough versatility in them all to help you get going and good meat for your studies.

No, you don't accent 2 and 4, altho' some people mistakenly think you do in order to get the "groove" going....the drummer does the 2 and 4 and the bass player has to have his great time sense really correct and play slightly on top of the beat (not rushing, but on the upside of the beat, rather than dead in the middle for playing jazz -- we used to call it the "Ray Brown Edge"...Ray is right, that's where you play and he does NOT accent 2 and 4 at all).

I think your questions are very pertinent and with your permission would love to post this whole message on the Board. Yes, I'd highly recommend the Jazz Improv For Bass along with Pro's Jazz Phrases its companion book -- nothing like it....no-one knows this complete knowledge gained from playing the actual jazz with the finest in LA in the 50s....I wrote it for bass players after teaching it for years with great success (and at the Henry Mancini Institute-UCLA where I'm resident educator also). There's a different way that bass players play bass and it's geared toward that customary way altho' the theory and patterns are for everyone.

If this theory talk seems a little over your head right now, I'd also recommend the Bass Video Course which really gives you a good basic workout for arpeggios, chordal notes, getting your theory together and the exercises contained therein....it does spend a lot of time on commercial music theory too which is important to grasp for any kinds of work and styles other than jazz....but certainly it's critical for jazz to have a good foundation so you know what the heck everyone is talking about. It's not hard to learn when it's presented right by a qualified teacher who has had experience in all this.

Everyone knows how to perform (speaking of pianists, bassists and guitar players here) in back of regular solo instrumentalists, that's a no-brainer altho' I think that guitar players would do well to get their comping together more for jazz types of songs - to sound like a big-band horn section as well as playing clipped up-beat (an's of 2 and 4) 2-3-string chords, and don't swing it too much, jazz is not "country swing" but a little smoother in sound, not so much of the country types of rhythm...this is for smooth jazz & fusion too as well as straight-ahead serious jazz, don't swing it so much.

But as soon as a drummer starts soloing, or a percussion instrument, people seem to wonder what to do. Here's my take:

When a drummer is soloing (and this happens mostly after the bass player has taken their solo), you want to lay out completely and let them have it - everybody lays out. And this works whether the drummer is taking his 8 bars (after the bass solo, soloists go in order of soloing and take 8 bars, alternating with the drummer's solo 8 bars) or going for broke for the whole tune, a drums-only solo.....

Drummers love to play alone and this usually gives the rest of the band a good counting lesson too....those 8-bar phrases come in handy then. But usually the drummer, sensing that no-one probably knows where he is in his solo (if they lose count), will make a definite ending and may even count out-loud 1-2-3-4 and the band comes back in - this works.

If a drummer needs help, the pianist/guitar player and you the bassist, may do a little stop time at the start of each part of the 8-bar phrase in a tune, just a little break thing to help indicate to the drummer where in the tune they are, but this is delicate, do with care and not usually recommended unless the drummer is very new to this or likes it.

As a bass player in a fusion solo (most boogaloo type stuff mixed with bebop phrases), I'll turn and give the drummer 4 bars and we'll duet like that, back and forth, this is fun and does well with audiences too, then you let the drummer take it all.

Some experienced drummers even go into other tempos during their solos, and may even stop during their solos, dramatically doing some press rolls or cymbal work - be attentive and listen to what they're doing as they may want you to come back in soon after they've stopped and done their technique work, made their point and setting up for the rest of the band to come back in.

Now when you the bassist want a solo, it's up to you to discuss this with the rest of the band before you ever start playing. Some bassists love to have a chordal instrument along with them...the chordal instrument (piano or guitar) should play sparingly, just enough space between chords so the bass player can say what they want in a solo without interference (or attention taken away from their solo). Some bassists want you to lay out entirely, both the keyboard and the drummer.

When I'm playing guitar with a great bass player I'll usually lay out and let them have it alone....it sounds good and you've given them space. But not many bass players like it without something happening (and tell the drummer exactly what you want too, maybe just a spare brush on a cymbal here and there for backup, not much from the drummer).

If I sense the bass player is in trouble (forgets where they are in the tune, playing some wrong chords or ?), I'll sparingly comp just 2-3 voice chords on guitar, and leave them alone say...in the bridge, or 1/2 the tune. That way it sounds arranged, giving the bass player space to play without leaving them totally alone.

How to stop other musicians from playing from you as you play a bass solo? Just say "I've got it", try that and if it doesn't work, say "lay out", they'll get it and there's usually no problem. And the best way to end a bass solo is to walk on the end, the last 4 bars and the band knows you're ending and that sounds really cool (no matter how your solo went, if you end well, all's well) and the audience likes that too, they know where to applaud a bass solo. Make sure you have some good bebop jazz phrases to play for a solo, don't make it "snooze time"...it doesn't have to be fast, but tasty...listen to Ron Carter, Ray Brown and Bob Cranshaw, (and Nathan East and Steve Bailey for the fusion things) for some ideas.

When I solo on the bass, I usually like nothing with me, no drummer, nothing. Musicians used to automatically know what to do as they seemed to be more in-tune with each other, concentrating and really listening to each other all the time, more than they do in today's "visual" world in general. Listening to each other is the real key to what others are doing and what they want from you, a good habit to develop.

As I was playing with one bass player who was a little "under the weather", not a bad bass player but wasn't with it that night -- I was helping him a little bit comping slightly on guitar...he looked at me and said "lay out", which was fine - no problem.......but I knew (from experience) what was going to happen and he got lost totally - the rest of us sort of looked at each other and I just took charge and brought us all in together to put a cap on his solo and he was grateful for that....the audience had no idea what happened but applauded. You do what you have to do, but do respect your band-mate's wishes, and don't initiate any kind of "blame", that happens sometimes...you just have to make it "right" and the outcome is fine.

So if you're soloing on bass (and even on other instruments) and you get lost, just start walking as if it's the end of the tune and the band will get it and come back in, no problem....but also, if you get lost, look at someone, let them play a chord (they usually will), or just do your walking, everyone will hear and join in then. If you get lost in the tune when others are playing, keep playing chromatic notes until you find the chord (you'll be looking furiously at the pianists' left hand by now!) and you'll be OK, everyone does that.

Also, do not drink (much), don't do drugs, etc...and those things probably wouldn't happen then - you need your whole faculties to play well, get the signals spot-on etc. You've got to keep your mind about you if you step out on a limb soloing etc., you might not have anyone to save you who knows what to do, these tips will help you.

For a percussion solo, you can join in but watch his/her reaction, if they give you a sign to lay out....lay out then..... drummers and percussionists love absolutely nothing with them but when the solo starts getting too long, then play a riff and the rest of the band will join in and help bring it to a close. Percussion solos sometimes get too long too unless it looks like the audience is really into it.

One bass player told me that one of the soloists in their band ran on and on and on many times with the solo, it was quite boring to the musicians and the audience. I told them what to do: Play a stop time riff pattern, like it's the "last time" on their solo...you can start to do this on the bridge or the last 8 bars of the tune, and it helps bring their soloing to a close and sounds like part of the arrangement....don't count on just the drummer to play a fill to end the solo, but with all of you playing a creative riff, it sounds better, and signals to the soloist "your time is up"....and it all works out. Sometimes soloists have no idea their effect on the audience, and sometimes lose count on their solo times too, you have to remind them, and that's a graceful way of doing it.

Now if you're a guitar player playing with the pianist, this is a tough one. First of all, comp very lightly (usually 2-3 strings clipped short on the an of 2 and 4 beats) until you psyche out the way the piano player comps, the pianist being the most-important of the two of you - unless the pianist has no idea what to do in comping, then you have to take charge (if you really know how to comp, rememer...create like a horn section).

Just stay out of the pianists' way when they solo and comp. And sometimes it helps for you to lay out completely, even 1-2 times through for their solo on piano.

Sometimes I will play even a bongo effect (like Barney Kessel used to do) for about 1 chorus, and then lay back out...but you better have your sense of time together to be able to do that and if you get a dirty look from the drummer, just stop, you might be off the beat. The bongo effect works if you really have your time-sense together (practice with the elec. metronome beating on 2 and 4) and adds some color to the sound of the tune.

If you're a guitar player soloing, I'm sure the pianist will back you up just fine - they may play a little too full maybe -- have a talk with them afterwards....let them know how to comp in back of you. You may have to tell the drummer to play a little more quietly (especially if it's jazz), they might be used to the fuller sound of the piano.

Musicians, especially if they play well, are always glad to accomodate anyone with their requests, no problem. You're all there to make the group sound good no matter what it takes, the band is not for a "showcase" for any egoist soloist or singer - altho' if you have a star-soloist, no problem, let them shine -- but as a unit working together, that's when you have the most success, the most gigs, and have the best nights playing on gigs too.

Sure we all make mistakes here and there, but usually the public doesn't know it. The art is how you cover the mistakes (don't think about it and practice your facial moves in front of a mirror sometime), and keep going with something no matter what. When you're able to do this, it'll be fine, and you'd be surprised what good stuff comes off as a recourse of making the music happen. It's all team-work for the betterment of the sounds of the group as a whole.