Connect with us

Latest

The Jazz Gym by Todd Johnson: Part 1 of the Improvisers Workout Program | Melodic Reps

Published

on

Meet Todd Johnson –

Hi Friends, my name is Todd Johnson and I’m excited to have this opportunity to work with you all here at Bass Musician Magazine.

I’m a bass player and instructor from Los Angeles. I’ve been blessed to have worked with some of the worlds finest musicians like Mike Stern, Dave Weckl, Poncho Sanchez, Mundell Lowe and Frank Gambale in addition to being a member of the Ron Eschete trio since 1991.

As an instructor, I’ve been on staff at B.I.T. (1991 – 1999) and Cal Arts (1997 – 2003) in addition to performing at clinics and festivals throughout the country. I’m currently adjunct faculty at The Master’s College in Newhall, CA.

It’s been my experience that the greatest bass players all have certain skills in common. They are, in no particular order; technique, reading, bass line creation, theory and improvisation. A working knowledge of these skills is a must if you want play with the big boys.

The first of these skills we’ll focus on in this column will be improvising.

As an educator, the best way for me to teach you about improvisation is through jazz. Please don’t let the “j” word scare you. My goal is not necessarily to turn you into jazz musicians. I would encourage you all to give this a shot regardless of your musical background. Jazz is just the gym we’re going to work out in. Fair enough?

Once you learn to play jazz then everything else will be a lot easier. It’s like having plenty of money in the bank. You’ll never regret having a little extra currency in your harmony account. A good friend of mine refers to this as musical headroom. So, welcome to The Jazz Gym. Here’s some simple common sense solutions to get you started improvising.

Your first assignment is to download the song we’re going to learn.

Download the MP3 below, Autumn Leaves from the Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley cd Somethin’ Else and give it a serious listen. This version is a classic and it’s played at a learnable tempo.

Too many people try to learn how to play jazz from a book with their eyes without ever really listening to it. You wouldn’t try to learn to speak Japanese out of a book, would you? Of course you wouldn’t. You’d use the book, but you’d also hang out with Japanese speaking people, watch Japanese TV and basically immerse yourself in the language. Learning to improvise requires the same thing. You have to listen to what you’re tying to learn. Now, click below for a quick preview of my Autumn Leaves video. It might give you some ideas for later on.

Your second assignment is to learn the melody to Autumn Leaves. Learn it by ear or from a chart, but learn it. The easiest way to sound melodic is to learn melodies. It seems obvious, but as bass players we don’t do it. We spend most of our time practicing scales, arpeggios and bass lines. The reason most bass solos sound like a doubled up bass line up an octave is because that’s what we practice!

Play the melody straight, without embellishments. Be sure to listen for the holes. Basically, holes are where the rests are.  Pay close attention to what you hear in those holes. This will come in handy for our next assignment.

Practice playing the melody along with Miles. This may sound extreme, but try playing the melody 100 times. Remember this is a language, so if you have to stop and think about it too much you won’t be an effective communicator. This stuff needs to be internalized. The only way to achieve this is through repetition.

Your third assignment is to practice playing the melody with embellishments. I want you to start dressing up the melody. Start filling in those holes we listened for in our second assignment. Play something simple and build from there. Make sure that if you hear an idea and miss it, that you go back and figure it out. Practice it a few times, then go back and play it in context several times. Repetition is critical.

Improvising is often referred to as playing the melodies you hear in your head. By going back and figuring them out, you’ll strengthen and develop your ability to transcribe yourself. I realize this seems obvious, but if you don’t practice playing what you hear then you’ll never get good at it. Don’t make the mistake of just learning a scale and thinking you’ll be able to solo. It doesn’t work like that. Scales are great, but they’re just an alphabet. An alphabet doesn’t say anything by itself. You can’t just learn the alphabet and think well now I’m going to learn a new language. We use combinations of letters to form words and then sentences. Melodies are the words and sentences that scales form.

FIGURE 1 shows you the chord progression and chord structures to the first 8 bars of Autumn Leaves. Here are some chord structure formula reminders; All minor-seventh chords are (1 mi3 P5 mi7), all dominant-seventh chords are (1 ma3 P5 mi7), all major-seventh chords are (1 ma3 P5 ma7) and all minor-seven-flat 5 chords are (1 mi3 dim5 mi7). I’ve provided some of the possible fingerings. These will work fine, but I would encourage you to explore other possibilities as well.

FIGURE 2 shows you the scales that fit the chords for our progression. Except for the D and G Spanish-dominant scales, everything is a mode of the Bb major scale.

So download and listen to Autumn Leaves, learn the melody, then practice embellishing and filling in the holes around the melody. Study and memorize figures one and two and next month I’ll show you how to add this information to our melodic workout.

Jazz_Gym_1_Figures

Bass Videos

Interview With K3 Sisters Band

Published

on

Interview With K3 Sisters Band

K3 Sisters Band Interview…

It is very rare when I talk to a band where all the members play bass. The K3 Sisters Band is a perfect example of a group where Kaylen, Kelsey and Kristen Kassab are all multi-instrumentalists and take turns playing bass.

Hailing from Texas, these three sisters have been playing music since they were very young and have amassed an amazing amount of original music,  music videos, streaming concerts, podcasts, and content that has taken numerous social media platforms by storm. On TikTok alone, they have over 2.5 million followers and more than a billion views.

Join me as we hear the story of their musical journey, how they get their sound, and the fundamental principles behind these prolific musicians.

Here is the K3 Sisters Band!

Photo, Bruce Ray Productions

Follow Online:

k3sistersband.com/
TikTok
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook 

Continue Reading

Bass Player Health

What is a Pinched Nerve? with Dr. Randy Kertz

Published

on

Dr Randal Kertz - Bass Player Health - Oct 2022

What is a Pinched Nerve?

In this month’s video, we will cover how to tell if you have a pinched nerve and when to seek professional help.

Dr. Randall Kertz is the author of The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Click here to get your copy today!

The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention & Better Health

View More Bass Health Articles

Continue Reading

Latest

This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram

Published

on

TOP 10 Basses of the week

Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…

Click to follow Bass Musician on Instagram @bassmusicianmag

FEATURED @colibriguitars @adamovicbasses @brooksbassguitars @lecomptebass @mgbassguitars @mauriziouberbasses @jcrluthier @biarnel @officialibanezguitars @chris_seldon_guitars

View More Bass Gear News

Continue Reading

Gear News

New Gear:  Ashdown ORIGINAL-EVO-C112T-300

Published

on

New Gear:  Ashdown ORIGINAL-EVO-C112T-300

Introducing the Original-EVO-C112T, a ground-breaking innovation in the realm of bass amplifiers. This exceptional amplifier redefines the standards of power, portability, and precision, offering musicians an unparalleled experience in amplification technology.
 
Weighing in at a mere 13.5kg, the Original-EVO-C112T packs an astonishing 300 watts of unadulterated Ashdown bass tone into a compact and lightweight package. Say goodbye to the days of lugging around heavy and cumbersome gear – this amplifier is designed for the modern musician on the move.

Introducing the Original-EVO-C112T, a ground-breaking innovation in the realm of bass amplifiers. This exceptional amplifier redefines the standards of power, portability, and precision, offering musicians an unparalleled experience in amplification technology.
 
Weighing in at a mere 13.5kg, the Original-EVO-C112T packs an astonishing 300 watts of unadulterated Ashdown bass tone into a compact and lightweight package. Say goodbye to the days of lugging around heavy and cumbersome gear – this amplifier is designed for the modern musician on the move.

Designed to accommodate global touring, the Original-EVO-C112T features auto-protect voltage support and an adaptive temperature-controlled fan for optimal performance in any environment.
 
In summary, the Original-EVO-C112T is a game-changing amplifier that combines power, portability, and precision. It’s a testament to innovation and quality in the world of bass amplification, deserving attention from musicians looking to take their music to the next level.

Product Specification-

Power Output: 300 Watts
Power Requirement: 115-230 Volts
Speaker Configuration: 1 x 12” + Horn
High Instrument Input: Impedance 3.9m Ohms, Input range 150mV – 20mV p-p
Low Instrument Input: Impedance -1M Ohms, Input range 150mV to 10V p-p
Line Input: Impedance 10k Ohms, Input range 300mV – 40V p-p
DI Output: 600 Ohm balance / Level -20dBu nominal
Minimum Impedance: 4 Ohm
Headphone Output: Yes and safe for silent practice
EQ: Bass +/-15dB @ 100Hz, Lo Mid +/-15dB @ 220Hz, Middle +/-15dB @ 660Hz, Hi Mid +/-15 dB @1.5kHz, Treble +/-15dB @ 7kHz
Effects Send: Impedance 22k Ohms / Level 0dBu nominal
Effects Return: Impedance 22k Ohms / Level 0dBu nominal
Dimensions (H x W x D in mm): 470 x 606 x 381
Weight: 13.5kg

For more info please visit www.ashdownmusic.com

Continue Reading

Gear News

Tech 21’s SansAmp Bass Driver DI Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Published

on

30th Anniversary Limited Edition SansAmp Bass Driver DI

Tech 21’s SansAmp Bass Driver DI Celebrates 30th Anniversary…

The SansAmp Bass Driver DI has been an arsenal staple for players and studios almost since the day it was introduced in 1994. To commemorate its 30th anniversary, Tech 21 is issuing a limited edition with an anodized precision-machined aluminum billet housing and all metal knobs.

This all-analog multi-function, multi-application pedal dials up big vintage tube tones, bright modern slap sounds, gnarly distortions, and all in between. There are three different outputs to drive power amps, recording desks, PA mixers, or simply enhance your current rig. Controls include Presence for definition and upper harmonic content; Blend to combine the ratio of direct signal and SansAmp circuitry; and active 3-band EQ with 12dB of cut or boost.

The 100% analog SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation technology encompasses the entire signal chain, from pre-amp to power amp to speaker simulation. An integral part of the circuitry, the individually-tailored SansAmp speaker simulation will complement any type of bass speaker cabinet system.

It is rare an electronic music-related product can withstand such a test of time. The SansAmp Bass Driver has been used for every kind of music style from death metal to commercial jingles, in countless studios, and on tours around the globe. In fact, many mammoth stage rigs you see are actually driven by a SansAmp nestled behind the backline. It has defied the odds and to this day, SansAmp remains the standard of the industry.

Anticipated Availability:  May/June 2024

For more information, visit online at tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/bass-driver-30/

Continue Reading

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Facebook

Trending