Chromatic Approaches Part VIII with Andrea Fascetti

HI MY “BASS FRIENDS”!

IT IS REALLY FANTASTIC TO BE HERE AGAIN. VERY COOL WORKING WITH THIS TEAM!

I’M VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE WITH THESE LESSONS DEDICATED TO THIS NEW TECNIQUE CALLED CHROMATIC APPROACHES, THAT I LEARNED FROM MY MENTOR CHARLIE BANACOS. AS I HAVE SAID IN THE PAST, I HAVE TAKEN THE IDEA AND MODIFIED IT ON MY OWN AND TRIED IT FOR MYSELF, AND THEN SHARED IT WITH MY STUDENTS… AND IT WORKS! NO ONE WAS REALLY ABLE TO PLAY IT VERY FAST

DURING PAST LESSONS WE HAVE STUDIED SOME NEW EXERCISES ABOUT CHROMATIC APPROACHES AND WE USED IT OVER MAJOR SEVENTH CHORDS, MINOR SEVENTH CHORDS, DOMINANT CHORDS, HALF DIMINISHED CHORDS AND MINOR WITH MAJOR SEVENTH CHORD. AS YOU KNOW… I REPEAT OVER AND OVER THAT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE GREAT JAZZ PLAYERS YOU WILL NOTICE THAT CHROMATICS ARE THE CORE OF BEBOP.

BEBOP IS THE FIRST “MUSICAL LANGUAGE,” AND WE HAVE TO KNOW IT IF WE WANT TO DO A GREAT JOB WITH IMPROVISATION. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO LISTEN TO MODERN PLAYERS AND THE WAY THEY USE BEBOP LANGUAGE IN THEIR LINES AND SOLOS (JACO, GARY WILLIS OR JEFF BERLIN FOR EXAMPLE).

THIS LESSON I PROPOSE TO YOU IS THE EIGHTH EXERCISE IN A LONG SERIES DEDICATED TO BEBOP STYLE. I HOPE YOU STUDIED ALL OF MY PAST LESSONS ABOUT THIS ARGUMENT. IF NOT, I RECOMMEND YOU STUDY THEM (CLICK TO VIEW).

IN THIS LESSON I WILL SHOW YOU A NEW LINE USING THE DOMINANT SUS 4 CHORD! (PLEASE CHECK MY OLD LESSON ABOUT THIS CHORD). HOWEVER, REMEMBER THAT THIS CHORD IS MADE WITH A TONIC, FOURTH, FIFTH AND MINOR SEVENTH (IN THE KEY OF C THE CHORD IS C F G Bb) AND OBVIOULSY IT HAS A FLOATING QUALITY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE DON’T USE A THIRD IN THE VOICING. IF YOU HAVE TIME AND YOU PLAY PIANO FOR PRACTICING TUNES, PLEASE CHECK THE GREAT BOOK FROM MARK LEVINE CALLED “THE JAZZ PIANO BOOK”.

OK, NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE USUAL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

EXERCISES:

1) AS USUAL, TAKE THE EXERCISE. WHAT HAPPENS HERE? I USE A C7 sus 4 ARPEGGIO.YOU HAVE TO APPROACH CHROMATICALLY EVERY NOTE IN THE ARPEGGIO FROM THE LOWEST NOTE TO THE HIGHEST NOTE THAT YOU FIND ON YOUR INSTRUMENT (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”, CAN YOU USE A METRONOME. AS USUAL PLAY THE EXERCISE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!

2) TRANPOSE THE EXERCISE IN ALL KEYS. OK?

HAVE A GREAT PRACTICE TIME

CIAO

ANDREA