Jazz Improvisation for Bass with Andrea Fascetti: Chromatic Approaches Part 13

HI MY BASS FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES! I’M VERY GLAD TO BE HERE AGAIN… BASS MUSICIAN MAGAZINE IS REALLY COOL! GREAT WORK HERE!

TODAY WE GO ON TO USE THIS IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE CALLED CHROMATIC APPROACHES, THAT I LEARNED FROM MY TEACHER CHARLIE BANACOS. I ADAPTED IT TO ELECTRIC BASS USING SOME VERY SIMPLY IDEAS.

ESPECIALLY FOR NEW FOLLOWERS, I LIKE TO BEGIN BY REMINDING READERS WHY I TALK ABOUT JAZZ IMPROVISATION. THE REASON IS THAT IN JAZZ MUSIC, YOU FIND ALL OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT ALL GREAT BASS IMPROVISERS ARE USING. OBVIOUSLY, AFTER YOU HAVE LEARNED ALL OF THE TECHNIQUES, YOU CAN PLAY THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU PREFER… NO PROBLEM HERE.

DURING THE LAST LESSON WE WORKED OVER CMAJb5 CHORDS. TODAY WE USE C7#5 CHORD (C E G# Bb), WHICH IS A VERY STRONG CHORD! PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND PAY ATTENTION TO CHORD TONES.

I STRONGLY URGE YOU (AND I KNOW THAT I’M VERY BORING – SMILE) TO CHECK ALL OF THE PAST LESSONS SO THAT YOU HAVE A WIDE VIEW AND UNDERSTANDING OF THIS WORK.

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAST LESSON, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE REACHED LESSON NUMBER 12. THIS IS A LONG RUN, SO PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF!

OK… AND NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE USUAL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT!

EXERCISES:

Click to download the chromatic approaches technique.C7#5 lesson

1) TAKE THE EXERCISE. WHAT HAPPENS HERE? I USED A C7#5 ARPEGGIO!

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! PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE HIGH G# IN MEASURE 4. UNFORTUNATELY 4-STRING PLAYERS CAN’T USE THIS NOTE BECAUSE IT IS TOO HIGH FOR THE INSTRUMENT…YOU HAVE TO FIT THE EXERCISE USING SOME RESTS…. OR YOU HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER BASS (SMILE).

2) TRANPOSE THE EXERCISE IN ALL KEYS!

3) ANALYZE HOW I USED THE EXERCISE AND THEN TRY TO WRITE AN EXERCISE ON YOUR OWN!

I KNOW THAT IT IS REAL HARD WORK… BUT NO PAIN NO GAIN.

CIAO

SEE YOU SOON

ANDREA