Pat Metheny for Bass by Andrea Fascetti…

HI MY BASS BROTHERS,

ARE YOU OK? HOPE YOU FEEL VERY STRONG TODAY, BECAUSE I MADE A SPECIAL LESSON FOR YOU CALLED ‘PAT METHENY FOR BASS.’ REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A COURSE ABOUT JAZZ IMPROVISATION AND IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TRANSCRIBE AND PLAY SOLOS OF GREAT IMPROVISERS.

PAT METHENY IS A GREAT MUSICIAN AND A GREAT GUITAR PLAYER WITH A BEAUTIFUL ARTICULATION. I WAS LISTENING TO ONE OF HIS RECORDS AND WHEN I FOUND THE STANDARD PRESENTED HERE, I WAS REALLY AMAZED BY THE GREAT MELODIES THAT PAT WAS ABLE TO CREATE AND SO I TRANSCRIBED THE SOLO AND I PLAYED IT WITH THE RECORD TRYING TO PLAY EXACTLY LIKE HE DID.

THE SONG IS ‘FALLING GRACE’ BY STEVE SWALLOW AND THIS IS A VERSION FROM THE 1999 JIM HALL – PAT METHENY RECORD. JIM HALL WAS A GREAT INSPIRATION FOR PAT AND FOR EVERY SERIOUS JAZZ GUITAR PLAYER; HE’S TRULY A MASTER! THIS IS A TOUCHING VERSION OF THIS GREAT SONG… PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THESE SUPERB “JAZZ GIANTS” AT WORK.

AFTER, I HAD THE IDEA TO ARRANGE IT FOR ELECTRIC BASS. HONESTLY THE TRANCRIPTION IS REALLY COMPLICATED, BECAUSE I ARRANGED IT FOR 4 STRING ELECTRIC BASS. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT MANY OF US USE PRIMARLY A 4 STRINGED INSTRUMENT. ALTHOUGH I PLAY A 7-STRING BASS, DURING THE SOLO I HAD TO LOWER SOME PARTS BECAUSE PAT PLAYS SOME  VERY HIGH NOTES.

SO IN THE TRANSCRIPTION (Click to view the Pat Metheny-Falling Grace Solo) YOU CAN SEE SOME MIXED OCTAVES AND IF YOU USE THIS METHOD YOU CAN PLAY THE SOLO WITH A 4 STRING BASS! SORRY IF THIS WAY CAN BE A LITTLE CONFUSING, BUT I HAVE TRIED TO USE DIFFERENT OCTAVES TO ENCOURAGE YOUR MUSIC READING!

HOWEVER, I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO USE THE TRANSCRIPTION ONLY AS A GUIDE. IF YOU NOTICE, I HAVE NOT WRITTEN ARTICULATION, SO YOU CAN FORCE YOURSELF TO FIND THE RIGHT ARTICULATION! PLEASE TRY TO PLAY THE SOLO UNTIL PAT’S GUITAR “DISAPPEARS”. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO ACHIEVE A COOL ARTICULATION ON THE BASS.

AND LAST… I DON’ T PUT CHORDS SO TO STIMULATE YOUR MUSIC READING!

OK, MY FRIENDS… I KNOW THAT THIS SOLO IS VERY, VERY, VERY HARD TO PLAY, BUT I’M SURE YOU CAN PLAY IT VERY WELL WHEN GIVEN TIME TO PRACTICE!

CIAO…

ANDREA