How To Play Bass – Learning From James Jamerson Vol 1

How To Play Bass – Learning From James Jamerson Vol 1: An 80-20 Device Method Book For Bass Guitar

Jamerson was a jazz bass player but in his Motown day job in the sixties, he laid down literally thousands of incredible bass lines. From For Once In My Life to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (both versions) to Bernadette to Reach Out I’ll Be There to Grapevine (multiple versions) and What’s Going On.

And hundreds of others.

But I wouldn’t ask James how to play specific lines. I’d want to know the thought process that went into the creation of some of those classic lines.

Sadly learning directly from Jamerson is just a fantasy. So I’ve done the next best thing – learning indirectly from Jamerson by transcribing and analyzing hundreds of his bass lines. I’ve identified the vocabulary that James Jamerson brought from walking bass to the electric bass and used in all those great Motown lines.

And I’ve distilled that down into an easy-to-follow/quick to implement learning system that will teach YOU how to incorporate the foundational devices that Jamerson used in YOUR lines.

NOTE: This book isn’t about HOW to play like James Jamerson, but how to use the devices that he pioneered in his output with Motown in YOUR playing.

This book is Volume 1 of a 4 Volume Series and over the course of these 4 volumes we’re going to dive deep into the kind of lines Jamerson put together, what devices he used, what modifying devices he used. And much more.

Volume 1 lays the foundations that the later volumes build on and some of what you’ll find is:

• How to create flow in your bass lines using devices with approach notes built in – and the 5 different types of approach notes (Section 3)
• How to create your own bass lines – and avoid the ‘Tyranny Of Tempo’ (Section 12)
• How to use chromatic modifying devices (Section 9)
• The two simple devices that Jamerson used most (Section 2 and Section 4)
• Over 100 MP3 tracks to download and practice with (Bonus Website Version)
• The most used device in pop and rock? (Section 8)
• Creating dynamic lines using the concept of front end of the bar/back end of the bar (Section 5)
• Practicing a device from First Principles (Section 7)
• Perpetual Motion practice exercises for devices using cycle tracks (Sections 2 and 8, plus Bonus Website lessons)
• Bonus website version with majority of examples filmed at two speeds so you can see and hear how each exercise and example should sound

Start learning the foundational devices from Jamerson’s vocabulary. So you can add them to YOUR vocabulary.

How To Play Bass – Learning From James Jamerson Vol 1 is available at Amazon.com