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The Sorcerer – A Bass Transcription by Alex Wilkerson

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The Sorcerer – A Bass Transcription by Alex Wilkerson… This transcription comes from a Herbie Hancock composition entitled “The Sorcerer”.  It can be found on Herbie’s album: This Is Jazz, but is a recording from the 1981 V.S.O.P. performance in Tokyo.  On the track are Herbie Hancock on keys, Ron Carter on Bass, Tony Williams on drums, and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet.  “The Sorcerer” is a 16 bar, A B form.  During this analysis, I will be using spelled out numbers for beats in a measure (beat one, two, three) and actual numbers for chord tones (3rd, 5th) for added clarity when discussing analysis.

Download The Sorcerer Bass Transcription Here

This transcription is a great lesson about the importance of learning tunes by ear.  If one were to try to learn this song from the chart without first analyzing the recording, the actual changes would be lost and the song’s intention missed.

Before reading this transcription, it’s important to note that the chord symbols used on the transcription are from the Real Book and are clearly NOT the changes Ron was thinking of while walking.  This is the real lesson for this transcription.

Take a minute to play through the transcription, ignoring the chord symbols, and determine what chords you might have guessed comprise this composition.  I suggest writing down your changes based on the walking line, then listening to the recording to compare to your findings.  Now find out how these changes compare with the Real Book changes.  They should NOT be the same.

Let’s take a look at what’s happening.  At first glance, the changes might be a little overwhelming, but there are a couple clues that can direct you to more accurate understanding.

The first clue, using the bass line for comparison, are the slash chords.  The more frequent appearance of slash chords in many cases is an indication that you are looking at piano or guitar voicings, and may not be looking at the structural harmony.  The slash chords here are not indication of a pedal (static bass motion under changing harmony).  This is clear because Ron does not play any type of pedal.  This is further supported by the fact that this song was written by a keyboard player.  Keyboard players can tend to use a lot of slash chords to specify the exact voicings they intended.  Keyboardists tend to think more in terms of slash chords than other instruments.

Let’s analyze the third and fourth bars.  According to the chord symbols, there is a change in harmony that keeps the same bass note.  Now look at the walking line.  The first measure emphasizes the root and 5th note of E, with the A#’s acting as chromatic lead-in tones to the 5th tone of E.  This happens again on beat four leading into the 5 on the next down beat.  Ignore the chord symbols momentarily.  Beat two of measure four returns to the root, followed by b3, and b7.  Does it look like the chord changed?  Obviously, Ron Carter knew this song well, and was not confused about the harmony.  Furthermore, experience jazz players of all instruments know that the bass player is the last word in what harmony is happening.  Other instruments can imply harmony all they want, but in general, if it isn’t supported by the bass player, then those implications can’t be taken as the structure/foundation of the tune.

Let’s look again at measure four.  What are the chord tones for Fmaj7(b5)?  F, A, Cb (aka B), and E.  What notes are present in measure four?  B, E, G, and D.  Now it will take a little experience to tell which points are the strong beats.  As mentioned in other transcriptions, beats one and three hold more weight, or emphasis with the ear than beats two or four.  This means that the notes on beats one and three typically define the harmony much stronger than on two and four.  There are exceptions, but none are the case here.  The strong beats from measure four not only emphasize E minor, but all the other beats do as well.  The “new” root according to the chord symbol (F) doesn’t even appear in the measure.  The ear has been temporarily conditioned to E minor from bar three, and would need considerable more help to hear a new chord with the same bass note (E).  Looking at the bass line from bars three and four makes it clear that harmony has NOT changed.  It’s an E minor chord, two bars long.  Keep in mind that Ron Carter has been playing jazz a long time, this is Herbie’s tune, and Ron could easily outline more of an Fmaj7(b5) if he or Herbie had wanted.  Obviously Ron thinks it’s important not to, with no objection from Herbie (the composer).  Which leads to the final conclusion that the chord symbols listed in the real book are either piano voicings, or are from a completely different version of the tune.  In either case, they should NOT be considered the foundational harmony for this tune.

Now here’s the huge lesson.  Real Book, and iRealB changes are written by average people, NOT by the song’s composer.  What does this mean?  It means there are a ton of errors.  In this case, maybe the person writing the chart was a piano player and wanted to notate the piano voicings instead of making a lead sheet for a band.  Maybe the person doesn’t know the difference.  Or maybe this person transcribed one special performance of this tune and took it as the foundation for the harmony.  In any case, the chart has become misleading, and clearly does NOT indicate the foundational harmony of the tune.  Remember, Ron Carter is playing this tune with Herbie just a few feet away from him.  It’s Herbie’s tune, so obviously, the changes Ron is playing are true to what Herbie had in mind for the foundational harmony of the song.  A good guitar or piano player should embellish the harmony with ornamentation and color, but those embellishments should not be taken as a literal change in the song’s foundational harmony.

So, with a little experience, one could look over this chart before playing or hearing it and upon seeing the F major over E, would raise some internal question marks.  Again, the huge lesson here is that the chart is not the standard.  It’s a guess written by a imperfect human being.  The standard is the recording done by the song’s composer.  This HAS to be made priority over the chart or you will learn mistakes and stand the risk of looking foolish.  If I may be so bold, neglecting this priority proves that one either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about jazz.  It doesn’t take long in studying jazz to find what the “jazz giants” think of chord charts.  Not to mention that the history and tradition of jazz is to get away from lead sheets and learn tunes by ear.  But this is a subject for a whole other article.  For now, just take this writer’s advice that memorizing a tune by ear from the original recording, then comparing what you’ve learned to other recordings is always better for you than learning from ink.  Ask any good jazz player.

Now that we know the chord symbols from the Real Book (which I used in this transcription to prove a point) are suspect, let’s look at measures one and two.  Ignoring the chord symbols, what does the bass line suggest?  I’m seeing a Db7sus.  Is this a one time thing, or does this continue every instance at this part of the song.  Look at measures 17-18, 33-34, and 49-50.  The same occurs at every instance.

Keep in mind that this is the first four choruses of the song.  Here, harmony is outlined the clearest since the chords are being presented for the first time.  After the harmony is clearly provided and allowed to “soak” into the ears of the audience, changes, implications, and substitutions can later be added and will be heard in the context already provided.  This isn’t Autumn Leaves, and isn’t a widely known tune in terms of changes.  The average audience won’t already know the changes by ear, and will therefore need to be clearly “told” the harmony when the song starts.

The exact same situation from bars 1-2 happens in bars 5-6.  The chord symbols say one thing, but the bass spells out two measures on Db7sus.  This continues throughout the transcription for this part of the song.  Take a look at measures 7-8.  What’s happening here?  I’ll let you decide.  Remember to double check your findings with later instances where this section of the form reappears.  You can probably guess the answer.

The last thing I want to mention is how many times Ron Carter plays the exact same walking idea each time a certain chord appears.  This repetition happens frequently and continues if you listen to the rest of the recording.  What does this teach us?  That the most important part of playing bass in jazz is keeping good time feel, then defining the harmony.  Everything else is secondary.  If a tune has unusual changes, or is a bit too fast for you, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple.  Do whatever it takes to make sure your time feel is good, and the harmony clear.  This is always the priority.  This particular recording happens later in Ron Carter’s career.  It isn’t a recording of when he first started playing bass.  At times, he still uses simple repetitive lines, and is obviously doing Okay for himself.  Hopefully, this will relieve some pressure/shame in situations where you find you need to keep it simple.  There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple, especially over unusual harmony.  You may find that some players actually prefer this from a bass player because it provides room to embellish and/or stretch out, just like Herbie can be heard doing in this recording.

To recap the lessons for this transcription: 1,expect written chords to be wrong, no matter which book they came from, 2, harmony learned from recordings is the best and most accurate way to learn tunes, and 3, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple while walking.  Solid time feel and harmony come first.

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Interview With K3 Sisters Band

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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
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What is a Pinched Nerve? with Dr. Randy Kertz

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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

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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram

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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

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New Gear:  Ashdown ORIGINAL-EVO-C112T-300

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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

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

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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/

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