Bass Edu
Bass Improvisation – Michael Brecker ‘Moment’s Notice’ Solo Adapted for Electric Bass
Bass Improvisation with Andrea Fascetti…
Special lesson: Michael Brecker ‘Moment’s Notice’ Solo Adapted for Electric Bass
Hi Dear Bass Player Friends!
Today instead of my usual lesson, I’m going to do something different. As I have done sometimes in the past, let’s not do the usual work.
Today we will work on a special music transcription that I have prepared for you. In January 2018 it was the anniversary of the death of Michael Brecker, who for me was one of the best musicians ever.
So in his honor I decided to transcribe one of my favorite solos that Michael played on Arturo Sandoval CD, “Swingin” in 1996. I transcribed Michael’s ‘Moment’s Notice’ solo for you and adapted it for bass.
I think that solo transcriptions are one of the most important things when you study music. If you take the solo note-by-note and you play it with the record, copying exactly what you hear, you will notice that your ear, tecnique and articulation will improve. Unfortunately the best solos are not played by bassists because usually the bass is in the background.
Okay… Now it’s time for homework assignment:
Important: the solo is written an octave down than played with my bass, so you will find very low notes. Please take care. It’s a good way to learn ‘not the usual’ notes. Just learn it and transpose it one octave up.
Click to view PDF of Micheal Brecker solo for bass – Moment’s Notice by Andrea Fascetti
1) Take the solo and play it along with the original record. Start to read the music very slow. Only when you have the solo under your fingers you can play it along with the CD.
Remember: this is an advanced work, so please be patient with yourself!
2) Listen to Michael’s articulation and breath and try to imitate it with your bass.
3) Take a look at the notes and analyze it.
Ok, this is a very hard work…. but no pain no gain J
See you soon!
Andrea
Bass Edu
Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque
Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque
Bassist Lewis Bridges Shares…
“Gruesome’s sparse intro marks a stark contrast from the intensity of the rest of the album. The original intention was to keep the bass simple but colourful, however as I worked on it, the lines grew more expressive and the more striking flourishes began to emerge. The intensity builds into a harmonic minor passage that takes us into the drop — a signature death grind cacophony. This is where Foetal Juice thrives. You’re getting a full-on right-hand barrage to in the face to take you into a groove-laden mulch-fest.
I owe my throbbing bass tone to the Darkglass Alpha Omega pedal borrowed from our sound engineer, Chris Fielding (ex-Conan), mixed with the clarity of the tried and true Ampeg SVT CL.
As mentioned earlier, colourful basslines are important, especially in a one-guitar band. Chucking some funny intervals and odd flourishes here and there brings life into the brutality. There’s no point sounding brutal if it’s not gonna be fucking evil too!
Recording this playthrough was hard work. This was not the fault of James Goodwin (Necronautical), who was kindly filming and is ace to work with, but because in true Foetal fashion, we had stinking hangovers — and that jam room was hot!”
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Bass Edu
Bass Lines: The Circle
Bass Lines: The Circle…
Hello bass players and fans of bass! This month we’re going to study “The Circle.”
The Circle of Fourths can also be called “The Circle of Fifths or just The Circle.
Practicing the scales, chords, and ideas in general via the circle has been a common practice routine for jazz musicians and highly recommended.
It is a disciplined way of working through all twelve keys.
Plus, many bass root movements to jazz and pop songs move through sections of the circle.
Fig. 1 – “The Circle”
See you next month for more full bass attack!
#bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovemaniac, #thecircle, #thecircleoffourths, #thecircleoffifths,#scales & #chords.
Bass Edu
Approach Notes – Part 5
Continuing our lesson of Approach Notes, Part 5…
In continuing with the concept of approach notes being applied to chord tones, this lesson approaches the root, third, fifth, and seventh degree of each arpeggio inversion by incorporating a double chromatic approach from above, and a single chromatic approach from below.
The first examples approach the root of a G major 7th arpeggio as a double chromatic from above and a single chromatic approach from below -before continuing to the third, fifth, seventh, double chromatic from above/ single from below to the root, continue to the third, fifth, and come back down.
The next example approaches the first inversion of G major 7th arpeggio.
A double chromatic from above/ single from below approaches the third, continue to the fifth, seventh, root, double chromatic from above/ single below to the third, continue up to the fifth and seventh, and back down.
The third example approaches a second inversion of a G major arpeggio.
A double chromatic from above/ single from below approaches the fifth, continue to the 7th, root, 3rd, double chromatic from above/ single from below to the 5th, continue to the 7th, root, and back down.
This final example approaches a third inversion of a G major 7th arpeggio.
A double chromatic from above and below approaches the 7th, continue to the root, 3rd, 5th, double chromatic from above and below to the 7th, continue to the root, 3rd, and back down.
Be sure to pace yourself with these lessons to avoid burning out.
Being overly ambitious with your practice schedule can lead to unrealistic expectations. Try learning one approach note concept and one chord type a week. Change your practice routine as necessary and tailor it to your needs as a musician. Good luck!
Bass Edu
BASS LINES – The Blue Notes (Minor Blues Scale)
Hello bass players and bass fans! Happy New Year 2024!
In this issue, we are going to study the blue notes.
In blues, jazz, and rock, a blue note is a note that (for expressive purposes) is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical context.
The blue notes are usually said to be the lowered third(b3), lowered fifth(b5) and lowered seventh(b7) scale degrees. The lowered fifth(b5) is also known as the raised fourth(#4). Though the blues scale has “an inherent minor tonality, it is commonly ‘forced’ over major-key chord changes, resulting in a distinctively dissonant conflict of tonalities”.
Blue notes are used in many blues songs, in jazz, rock and in conventional popular songs with a “blue” feeling.
Formula:
The A Minor Blues Scale
1 – b3 – 4 – (#4/b5) – 5 – b7
A – C – D – (D#/Eb) – E – Bb
The grades(blue notes):
b3, (#4/b5), b7
C, (D#/Eb), Bb
See you next month for more full bass attack!
#bassmusicianmag, #basslines, #bmmbasslines, #groovemaniac, #thebluenotes, #minorbluesscale & #bluesscale
Bass Edu
BASS LINES: Staccato for Bass
Staccato for Bass…
Hello bass players and bass fans! In this issue, we are going to study the technique known as staccato.
When we talk about the staccato technique, we are referring to a form of musical articulation.
In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence.
* In 20th-century music, a dot placed above or below a note indicates that it should be played staccato.
* The opposite musical articulation of staccato is legato, signifying long and continuous notes.
Fig. 1 – An example of a normal notation.
Fig. 2 – Is the same example but now with the staccato articulation
Fig. 3 – A basic groove played and written in a normal notation.
Fig. 4 – The same basic groove using the staccato technique.
So, at the end of the day, you as a bassist will decide what type of technique you will use depending on the effect you want in your performance.
See you next year for more full bass attack!!! Happy Holidays & New Year 2024!!! Groove On!!!
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