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Prelude by Bach, a Bass Transcription by Rhayn Jooste
Prelude by Bach, a Bass Transcription by Rhayn Jooste… The piece for this month is the Prelude from Cello Suite II. This is of course by the master himself J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750). The key is F major; however beginning with D minor (a favorite key of Bach’s to describe tragedy and passion) it also means we are in Aeolian mode. The technique you are aiming for is creating and understanding the interpretation and phrasing of a truly great work from the Baroque era where form and structure were placed at the forefront of art. Your goal is to master the composition and then slowly work up to understanding the melodic elaboration in the chord progression and patterns within patterns that make up the piece. This arrangement follows on from Theory and Technique (One & Two), which outline the basics of patterns and scales and will help with learning this work. This piece will require a 4 string bass guitar.
Main Riff.
The main riff (bars 1 – 3) is an arpeggio followed by a series of linear patterns that make up the principal theme. This repeats through out the piece in various inversions and variations. The chord changes are implied through excellent part writing and solid note choice. This style of writing will aid you if you want to learn how to play walking bass lines. A prelude is described as a flourish and served as an aural and physical warm up of fingers and key before the main movements in a suite.
Written around or after 1720 (there are discrepancies due to no original manuscript being found) this work is based on the technique of implied polyphony and hence is in essence self-accompanied.
Download Bass Transcription, Prelude by Bach
The piece has an A B structure that contains scales, fragments and arpeggios that in some cases are as familiar as a D minor chord in the opening and as unfamiliar as the chord inversions in the ending. What you are aiming for is intelligent interpretation. This means being aware of the construction of lines, how to approach them and ultimately how to phrase them. The use of crescendo, rallantando, dynamics, note attack or small pauses is going to play a large part in clarifying the implied harmony. Passing notes, chromaticism and approach tones half step above or below are employed to move into and out of the changes.
Arpeggios figure heavily and are to be found in not only root but also 1st, 2nd and 3rd versions. Bach was a past master of part writing and here we have the aural illusion of more than one voice being implied through the use of linear scale patterns and intervals greater than a third. The first task to do is sketch out the harmonic progression especially take note of the V’s and i/I ‘s. Next observe the patterns that repeat in successive 3rd ‘s, 4th’s or different keys. A good example of this is bars (44 – 47). This will help allow the music to take shape. Your interpretation should be one, which helps the piece take on life and ideally is based on knowledge of its harmony and figures.
That aside this technique will not sound authentic without the right sound. You are aiming for clear tone with notes that have clean attack. So weight the eq in favor of the treble, warm mids and some low end. Make sure that notes do not ring over one another too much. The chords do not need to be frozen (as they are written) but should be rolled (or arpeggiated). For further listening check out Pablo Casals or Yo Yo Ma’s recordings of these master works.
Prelude from Cello Suite 2 from Rhayn Jooste on Vimeo.
This arrangement utilizes open strings as much (and where appropriate) as possible to facilitate the vast movement on the fretboard. I have included notes so that the comparison can be made as to where changes in octaves have occurred or if you have a 6 string bass the ability to get to a low Eb. Some fingering is supplied as guide lines to achieving what might seem difficult passages or stretches. The aural illusion that Bach (and great jazz bass players) exploit is achieved with linear patterns, intervals and arpeggios. So when working out the melody you will often find the voice leading exact and in key parts the harmony unlike modern progressions. Unfortunately due to the constraints of the 4 string bass this rule has been violated somewhat especially leading up to the last chords. After all that this piece should be a good work out of fingers, mind and music and could be an awesome solo spot on any stage.
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
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www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
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Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
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Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
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New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
