Jazz Improvisation with Andrea Fascetti: Chromatic Approaches Part 1

HI MY “BASS FRIENDS” AND COLLEAGUES!

I’M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE AGAIN; BASS MUSICIAN MAGAZINE IS REALLY GREAT!

OK… HOW ARE YOU? I HOPE ALL IS OK FOR YOU, BECAUSE IN THIS ISSUE WE WILL START TO USE THIS NEW TECNIQUE THAT ‘S CALLED CHROMATIC APPROACHES.

REMEMER THAT THIS IS A COURSE ABOUT IMPROVISATION, AND WE HAVE HAD SOME STOPS TALKING ABOUT ARGUMENTS LIKE EAR TRAINING OR DAILY SCHEDULES, THAT ARE PRIMARY FOR A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE COURSE. ALWAYS I TALK ABOUT JAZZ IMPROVISATION BECAUSE IN JAZZ MUSIC YOU FIND ALL OF THE TECNIQUES THAT MAKE FOR GREAT BASS IMPROVISATION.

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS YOU WILL DISCOVER SOME USEFUL EXERCISES ABOUT CHROMATIC APPROACHES USED BY BASS GREATS LIKE JACO, JEFF BERLIN, GARY WILLIS OR JIMMY EARL WITH CHICK COREA ELECTRIC BAND.

CHROMATICS ARE THE CORE OF BEBOP (I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CHECK MY PAST LESSONS FOR MORE ON BEBOP.) BEBOP IS THE FIRST “MUSICAL LANGUAGE,” AND WE HAVE TO KNOW IT IF WE WANT TO DO A GREAT JOB WITH IMPROVISATION.

IN THIS LESSON I PROPOSE TO YOU THE FIRST EXERCISE OF A LONG SERIES DEDICATED TO BEBOP STYLE. I HOPE YOU STUDIED ALL MY PAST LESSONS ABOUT THIS ARGUMENT.

EXERCISES:

1) CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE EXERCISE, CHROMATIC APPROCAHES TECHNIQUE.

NOTICE HOW I USE A Cmaj7 ARPEGGIO. YOU HAVE TO APPROACH CHROMATICALLY EVERY NOTE IN THE ARPEGGIO FROM THE LOWEST NOTE TO THE HIGHEST NOTE THAT YOU FIND ON YOUR BASS. AND NOTE, THIS IS WRITTEN FOR A 24 FRETS 4 STRING BASS… BUT YOU CAN ADAPT IT TO EVERY BASS!

REMEMBER, DO NOT USE A METRONOME… ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE EXERCISE “UNDER YOUR FINGERS” SHOULD YOU USE A METRONOME. AS USUAL PLAY THE EXERCISE AS FAST AS YOU CAN.

2) TRANPOSE THE EXERCISE IN ALL KEYS.

OK?

STAY TUNED

CIAO

ANDREA