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SO. S.F. PUBLIC L | SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY

ELECTRIC
BASS
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GUITAR
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~ Revised Edition

Edited by Andy Doerschuk

_ The Guitar Player Basic Library

-From the editors of Guitar Player and

_ Bass Player magazines.
GP! BOOKS
Director
Alan Rinzler
Editor:
Electric Bass Guitar, Revised Edition
Andy Doerschuk
Art Director
Paul Haggard
General Manager
Judie Eremo
Art Assistant
Robert Stockwell Jr.

GP! PUBLICATIONS
President/Publisher
Jim Crockett
Executive Vice President
Don Menn

Corporate Art Director

Wales Christian Ledgerwood
Editor: Guitar Player
Tom Wheeler
Editor: Bass Player
Andy Doerschuk
Production
Chery! Matthews (Director)
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Typesetting
Leslie K. Bartz (Director)
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Order Processing
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Special Thanks To
Guitar Center, San Jose, CA
World of Music, Cupertino, CA
Photo Credits
Cover: Paul Haggard
Ron Delany: 113
Paul Haggard: 1, 9, 21, 49, 115.
Mark MacLaren: 32 (all photos), 33 (all photos).
Ebet Roberts: 44 (all photos), 47 (all photos),
Robert Stockwell Jr.: 29, 49, 73, 91.
Copyright © 1989 by The GPI Corporation, A Dalton Communications
Company.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permis-
sion in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 088188-907-5
 SO. S.F. PUBLIC LIBRARY
cae Contents

Introduction, v.

Chapter 1 Getting Started

Choosing A Bass Guitar, 2. A Brief Introduction To The Bass, 3. Productive Bass Lessons, 4. Music College And Bass
Proficiency, 6. Why You Should Learn To Read Music, 6. Some Books For Study, 7.

Chapter2 Reading
Reading In The Bass Clef, 10. Using Interval Relationships For Transposing, 12. Key To Notational Symbols, 12. Repeat Signs In
Charts, 13. Tricks Of The Score, 15. Sightreading For Soundtracks, 16. Overcoming Poorly Written Charts, 18.

Chapter 3S Practicing
Target Practice, 22. Practicing With A Metronome, 23. Making The Most Out Of A Rehearsal, 26. Flexibility And Breaking Old
Habits, 27.

Chapter4 Technique
Synchronizing Your Hands, 30. Bass Popping Technique, 31. The “In And Out” Technique, 36. The Slapping Wood Technique,
37. Finger Tremolo Technique, 38. The Left Hand, 39. Right Hand Technique, 40. Bass Fingering Techniques, 42. Stuart Hamm's
Two-Handed Technique, 43. The Haslip Approach, 45. The Wimbish Touch, 46.

Chapter5 Soloing
Playing Solos, 50. Soloing Through Changes, 51. Playing Written Solos, 53. Soloing On “Latin,” 54.

Chapter G6 Progressions,
Patterns, & Bass Lines
Variations In Blues, 58. Walking Bass Patterns In Minor Keys, 59. Bass Turnarounds, 60. Funk Bass Lines, 67. Patterns With
Chord Progressions, 68. Happy Endings, 70.

Chapter 7 Scales
Types Of Scales, 74. Two-Octave Major Scales, 75. The Natural Minor Scale, 78. The Diminished Scales, 82. The Minor
Pentatonic Scale, 84. The Whole-Tone Scale, 85. Encountering The Dorian Mode, 86. Scales For Dominant 7th Chords, 88.

Chapter 8 Chords
Chording, 92. Chords Around The Cycle Of Fifths, 96. Chord Substitution, 98. Four-Note Chords, 99. Inversions And Arpeggios,
100. Diminished Chords, 102. An Introduction To The Minor 7th Chord, 104. The Half-Diminished 7th Chord, 105. Understanding
Major 6th Chords, 107. Understanding 9th Chords, 108. Understanding 11th And 13th Chords, 109. Chord Melody For Bass, 111.

Chapter9 Bass Modification

Rewiring Your Bass, 116. Doctoring Your Jazz Bass For More Sounds, 117. Installing A Master Volume And Pickup Fader, 118.

About The Authors, 121.

Introduction

Guitar Player magazine introduced its Basic Library

back in 1983 to provide musicians with valuable columns,
private lessons, and hard-to-find features in a permanent
form—preserved and organized, redesigned and updated.
The first edition of ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR was a
practical introduction to the technique and art of playing
electric bass. This revised edition combines those basics
with fresh new concepts and techniques drawn from recent
issues of Guitar Player magazine and GPI Special Editions’
Bass Player magazine.
Many great bassists are represented in these pages,
including Stanley Clarke, Jeff Berlin, Billy Sheehan, Bunny
Brunel, Nathan East, Jimmy Haslip, Jerry Jemmott, Herb
Mickman, and Carol Kaye. Plus, the techniques of such
innovative bassists as Doug Wimbish and Stuart Hamm are
analyzed in detail.
ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR does not offer everything
there is to know about the art of electric bass. Consequently
many suggestions for further study are offered throughout.
Our hope is that the information in this book will further
propel you toward your Current and future goals as a bass
player and as a musician.

Andy Doerschuk
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 Getting Started
Choosing A Bass Guitar
Guitar Player magazine June 1983 There are three points |feel are important in the choice of a bass. The first is to buy a
name brand. This will be helpful should you “outgrow” the bass and want to trade itor sell
it later. The second pointis to buy a solidbody if at all possible. Hollow bodies have almost
become extinct (mostly because they were more prone to feedback and strange tones),
but there are still some around. The third point is to buy the best bass you can afford. It's
usually a good idea to buy a better bass and a cheaper amp ifyou're just starting out. The
amp will be used mostly for practice in the beginning, so you probably won't need a very
big and powerful amp. Later on, you can save for a better one for gigs, and use the old
one for practice. Purchasing a used amp can help make the better bass more affordable.
Naturally, different people have different needs. For instance, a ten-year old beginner
should probably get a short-scale bass such as a Fender Mustang of Musicmaster. Later
on, the bass could be modified (hotter pick-ups, more massive bridge, etc.). A player who
is over five feet tall should be ableto play along-scale instrument quite comfortably.
There are many good brandsto choose from. For the most part, these cost anywhere
from $350 to $1,000.
In the last several years, there have been great improvements in electric basses, and
extra electronics have been built into many instruments. The more expensive basses
often feature such circuitry, and because these instruments are not always mass
produced, they may not be available in every music store. The ones in this category that
have impressed me are made by Steinberger, Alembic, and Ken Smith. Some of these
can cost as much as $6,000—not within the means of every bassist. Whether a bass is
expensive or not, though, always check to see if you need all the features present on it.
When buying a bass, try to check the neck adjustment to see ifthere is a warp in the
fingerboard. In some cases, this can be done simply by looking down the neck from the
nut to the bridge. Fret buzz in localized sections of the neck can also point to warpage.
Small warps can usually be corrected by adjusting the truss rod. If you don’t know too
much about basses, look the salesman in the eye and ask, “How's the neck adjustment?
Can you check itfor me?” Most likely, you'll receive an honest answer, and ifthere is any
problem, he will correct it.
Very often, the strings on a new or used bass are not the best, especially if the
instrument is out on the sales floor where it is played regularly. Ifthe strings seem dead or
lifeless, you may ask the salesman to throw in a new set of good strings. |stay away from
round-wound strings as they tend to wear grooves in the frets faster than flatwounds, in
turn causing buzzes. (Some bassists prefer roundwound for their brighter sound; if you
choose them, beware of potential perils.)
Many stores will try to sell a hard-shell case. | feel that you may be better off with a
soft, padded gig bag. First of all, a gig bag is lighter; second, itoffers good protection; third
it is much easier to handle. |even take my bass on a plane, with it hanging in a garment
bag, which | place in the carry-on luggage closet. If you plan to buy other accessories,
the time when you purchase your bass is a good one because you may be able to geta
package deal (bass, amp, case, cord, etc.).
If you decide to buy from a pawnshop or a private party, you are taking a risk, since
there are no guarantees. In such situations, be sure to try out the instrument for a few
minutes. Look for worn frets, a warped neck, and electronic problems. If you lack
experience, take an experienced bassist with you so that you won't get a bad deal. Don't
be afraid to bargain for a lower price, either.

By Herb Mickman
A Brief Introduction To The Bass
The bass guitar’s four strings are tuned, from the fourth to the first (thickest to Guitar Player magazine September 1973
thinnest) strings, E, A, D and G. To tune the bass with a guitarist, it is easiest to start by
tuning your G string to the sound of a guitarist playing a G (third fret) on the sixth string
(low E).
Music notation for the bass is always written an octave higher than the actual sound.
This system was initiated to simplify the reading of bass notes.
Probably the best way to start playing is working through scales. Playing scales not
only gives added strength to your fingers, but also gives you a good idea as to what notes
are available to play in what Keys.
One thing you should concentrate on in beginning the bass, is your right hand (for
right-handers) technique. Far too many beginning bassists have a tendency to pick the
strings with their thumb. If you plan to use your fingers, you should start now by
alternating your index and middle fingers (right hand) whether playing scales or
compositions. Using the first two fingers of your right hand now will eliminate the problem
of changing from thumb to this technique later on. Alternating these two fingers will give
you more efficiency and greater speed.
If you plan to use a pick on the bass, you should start now by alternating your picking
strokes, up-down, as opposed to a one-direction picking stroke. Later on, you will have
the option of using the all-down strokes or all up-strokes, but in the long run, it is easierto
first learn an up-down alternating stroke before you get hooked on the “all-down” stroke
and it becomes a habit that can be hard to break.
The A major scale includes the notes: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G# and A again. Looking at
Figure 1, you will note a definite pattern to this scale.

Figure 1.

The fingering pattern for major scales is within a four-fret range. To play a major scale
in any key, simply find the note (tonic) with the same name as the key selected on the low
E (fourth) string of the bass and start from there, using the following four-fret range
pattern: 2,4: move uptotheA string, 1,2,4,;moveuptotheD string, 1,3, and 4. See
Figure 2.

Figure 2.

You can see this pattern in the A major scale, as seen in Figure 1: or, for example, if
you wanted to play a D major scale, you would first find D onthe lowE string of the bass.
Since D on the fourth string occurs at the 10th fret, you would first depress that position.
Then you would move up two frets (12th fret) for the second note of that scale. You would
then move upto theA string and depress the third string at the Sth fret, then the 1 Oth fret,
the 12th, etc. The essential point being to follow the pattern as given in Figure 2.
The following is a shuffle bass pattern which works for many differnt types of blues. If
you have a guitarist handy, have him play the guitar part, while you run through the bass
part, so that you can get an idea as to what the feel of bass playing is.
Thefollowing rhythm arrangementis written in tablature and standard “bass clef”
notation for the bass. In the tablature system, the four lines represent the strings of the
bass, the bottom line is the lowE string and the top line represents the G string. The
numbers placed on the lines represent the frets at which you should depress the strings
with your left-hand (for right-handers).

By Michael Brooks
4 Getting Sta

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Productive Bass Lessons

Guitar Player magazine March 1978 Do you remember the first time you picked up an electric bass and tried to play a few
notes? Chances are you were able to get a decent sound on itwithin a few minutes. This
is why perhaps 90 percent of all electric bass players teach themselves, and it’s part of
the reason thatthe bass is so popular. By comparison, other instruments suchas the
trumpet, violin, and oboe are much more difficult to learn, and it usually takes years of
study to get a good tone.
The advantages to teaching yourself include avoiding the expense of lessons, and
you gain a feeling of accomplishment. The disadvantages are that many self-taught
players get into bad physical habits and often never develop the reading ability that is
usually achieved through lessons. Teaching yourselfto play is often the hard way, since
 Productive Bass Lessons 5

itis sometimes very difficult to find out a lot of information on your own, and you may have
to experiment for years to find what works best.
Recently, aknowledgeable bassist/teacher and! were discussing some of the
aspects of teaching the electric bass. We both recalled our own beginnings as
teenagers: We wantedto be ableto doit all after two lessons. Today’s young players
aren't too much different, except that certain standards for an electric bassist are higher
in the last ten years. More is expected of a bass player in rock, fusion, and jazz idioms.
Now bass players can really solo.
|recalled an impatient gentleman who had called me for some lessons. What he
really wanted was to be shown some licks he could play right away. He was unaware of
his problems: a very crude playing technique, a limited knowledge ofthe fingerboard, an
undeveloped ear, and an unsettled sense of time. He had been playing for only a year,
but he thought he was a genius because he could get through a few licks with an
aggressive flair. In the hour we spent, he gave me the hardest time |have ever had with a
new student. He wouldn't let me teach him, guide him to an easier way to do things. He
didn't want to take my advice about improving his technique or learning howto read
music, nor would he try any ear-developing concepts. He approached the bass like an
athlete watching someone else play. He produced notes, but had no idea what they were
and which chords they related to. Very often |see students approaching the bass without
any idea of how much practice time it takes to become a skillful accompanist and
improviser. They are not realistic.
I've outlined some ideas that |feel will help you get the most out of bass lessons ifyou
really want help. First, try to find a professional bassist who reads bass clef. You will learn
the most from an organized player who has a method—starting with reading music and
learning the fingerboard from bottom to top. Avoid the guitarist who also plays bass as a
sideline and only shows you licks.
The next points are extremely important: Make an appointment and be there on time.
This sounds easy, but a lot of people have problems keeping an appointment, and it is
very frustrating to a professional player to be stood up. If you can’t be there, simply call
and cancel the lesson.
Next, be open to advice and follow it. The teacher obviously has more insight into the
problems of playing the bass. Make sure you understand what concepts are being
discussed, and follow them. Progress will come only from you putting in practice time on
the instrument. You will have to set time aside each day to work on specific skills. Be sure
you're ina well-lighted and quiet area so that youcan concentrate. Try tospenda
minimum of one hour a day. Some of my students have put in three, four, and five hours a
day and have made incredible progress. Take a break each hour to give your brain and
hands a rest.
To practice correctly, you will need a metronome, which will help steady your sense
of time, and it’s a great tool for checking your progress. Get an AC- or battery-operated
one if possible.
The best wayto get your money’s worth out of the lesson is to come prepared. If
you've really put in practice time, then you will make progress. Otherwise it is a waste of
the teacher’s time and your money. It’s better to call and change the lesson time than to
come in and be told to do everything over again. If the teacher gives out materials to be
memorized, keep checking to be sure that youhaven't made a mistake and practiced
wrong all week.
You should be aware that the good player is not always a good teacher. Teaching
takes some insight into problems, a sense of organization, a desire to help, and patience.
Very often the teacher cannot get excited about your playing ifyou haven't put in practice
time on your bass. After all, teachers have egos, too. They want to see some results for
their efforts.
Where should you look for an organized teacher? Call the Musician’s Union, and ask
to speak to a business agent. Or alternatively, look in the Yellow Pages of the phone book
under “Musical Instruments—Instruction.” Also ask friends and other bass players, or
Call the office of a symphony orchestra in your area, and try to get the contractor's name;
ask him or her if any of the bassists teach. Remember you'll only get out of the bass what
you put into it.

By Herb Mickman
 Music College And Bass Proficiency
An overwhelming majority of the people who own electric basses never really
study the instrument seriously with a teacher. Yet, most bassists want to improve, and
a large number buy method books and try to teach themselves. A typical high school
student who has been playing bass may want to go toa music college. The first
obstacle he or she confronts is that most colleges do not allow you to declare a major
in electric bass. They often don’t have an electric bass teacher, and because the
instrument is so new (compared to the standard orchestral instruments), they haven't
devised a curriculum. By this |mean that they don’t have a program of various pieces
that should be played at the many stages in your development.
There are some alternatives for getting into the school, even if you don’t major in
electric bass. One is to become a theory or composition major. Another is to take up
the string bass, which has many things in common with the electric. However, the
string bass world is quite different in terms of the types of music you would be
expected to master on the college level. Funk, soul, and popping styles, for instance,
are far removed from the typical college curriculum.
Many colleges offer something quite unique in the area of performance: the stage
band. Such a band usually has from 14 to 20 people reading big band charts, and the
bass parts present many challenges. There are notes written exactly as they are to be
played, and there are also notes that must be interpreted—especially in jazz charts.
Also, you will encounter chord symbols that will demand a lot of fast thinking in order
for you to make up a good bass line on the spot. This is invaluable training for studio
work.
Try totake as many theory and harmony classes as possible. It’s not a bad idea to
put off any composition, arranging, orchestration, and counterpoint classes until you
have taken all the theory and harmony classes a school has to offer. When you have
completed these requisites, you'll be better prepared to handle such advanced
topics.
Inthe last few years, there have been a few open-minded schools that have
opened their doorsto the electric bassists. They have classes which may include
from ten to 40 bassists in a single room. A lot of information is given out, but there is
very little, ifany, individual instruction. You're expected to motivate yourself to practice
and you must remember all the details given out by the teacher.
Having taught in this class situation for four years, | feel qualified to say that very
few players really can motivate themselves in a classroom situation. In my experi-
ence, | have found that the really talented and determined players will put in the time
and effort to improve. The rest won't be able to motivate themselves as well.
However, in a private lesson situation the motivation is much stronger for all levels
of bass players. You are paying for individualized attention, and for a period of an hour
or so, you are getting help on a one-to-one basis. Problems relating to fingering,
reading, theory, and technique are covered where they relate to you—on your
particular level.
By Herb Mickman

Why You Should Learn To Read Music

Guitar Player magazine March 1987 It isn’t such a terrible thing to be a musician who reads music. There seems to be a
stigma surrounding a musician who is able to decipher those little notes and play them
onhis instrument. The standard joke in this area is when two musicians are chatting
together: “Can you read music?” asks the first fellow. The second chap responds, “Not
enough to hurt my playing.” This erroneous attitude is a nasty obstacle in your musical
path. To believe that anybody who can read a melodic line and interpret harmony and
rhythms from a piece of paper will have their creative juices and improvisational skills
hampered is silly. Reading music makes you free. It gives you a million opportunities to
explore your bass in ways that you have never dreamed of before. If it weren't for my
reading skills (thanks to a loving father who encouraged me to read as a young boy), |
would never have been able to learn enough about music to play the way |do. My solos
would not be as harmonically set-up as they are, and my rhythmic concepts and the
music | compose would be drastically altered.
 |will agree that there are plenty of world-class musicians who have made a name for
themselves without being able to read a note. Not being able to read won't curtail your
natural inquisitiveness. You will still have your enthusiasm to propel you into new sonic
areas, and as a musician, you will grow. But the catch is, ifyou choose an area of music
as your Career choice, you'd better try like the dickens to succeed in that area, because if
you don't make itas anon-reading musician, you have absolutely nothing to fall back on.
lf you love your guitar or bass, there is no reason why you shouldn't put in an hour or
two every day and learn to read. First of all, your career choices rapidly increase.
Forgetting that |’m a soloist for one second, simply because |read, I’m hired by other
artists as a sideman for their records. |play bass for TV shows and movies. |do jingles in
the studios. |play with composers and jazz artists in live concerts, and |write out my own
ideasto give to other musicians who can also read, which saves a lot of time. |teach,
arrange music, and can play in almost any band with no rehearsal (except with Frank
Zappa), do the gig, pocket the dough, and go home. All of this, plus doing my own bass
videos, and pursuing many other musical possibilities—all because | read music.
|want you all to know that there are many opportunities for you in the music field. You
can still try for rock stardom, jazz stardom, or any stardom you wish. Reading music gives
you authenticity in your playing. It makes information instantly available, plus it puts
music within your reach that you would have never thought of, or worse, never thought of
practicing and playing. Reading music makes as much sense as reading English.
Recently, there has been a lot of mention in the news about adult men and women in the
U.S. who can't read a word of English. How limited these poor people must be! They can't
read the directions on a medicine bottle, or know which exit to take off the freeway when
driving out of town.
There are teachers in your community who can help you with your reading. They
don't have to be bass teachers; piano teachers will do just fine. Work on Bach. His music
is beautiful on an electric bass. Let your teachers give you some direction, and then, after
you've practiced your lessons for the day, go to your garage with your buddies and turn
up your amps. You can do both.

By Jeff Berlin

Some Books For Study

The following list of books for study includes methods and studies with material ranging from simple eighth-note rhythms to rock figures,
syncopations, and some advanced exercises. Some will have to be ordered from the publisher ifyou can’t find them in a music shop; many
larger stores will be able to order them for you, so don't be afraid to ask. It Mou be a good idea to go through the first four books on the list
before attempting the others.
Books 1,2,and5 are general methods, while 3 and 4 are Oeighreignin: note and sixteenth-note studies. Rock figures with a lot of
syncopation are included in 5, 6, 12, 15, and 16. Books7, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 14 are good for jazz reading.

1 . New Method For The Double Bass, by F. Simandl [Carl Fischer, 62 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003].
B Bob Haggart Bass Method [Big Three Music, 729 Seventh Ave., New York, Ny 10019; and Robbins Music, 1350 Avenue Of The
Americas, New York, NY 10019].
. First Book Of Practical Studies For Trombone, Book 7 and 2 [Belwin-Mills, 25 Deshon Dr., Melville, NY 11747].
. Fun With The Trombone and More Fun With The Trombone [Mel Bay, Pacific, MO 63069].
. How To Play The Electric Bass [Warner Bros., 75 Rockefeller, New York, NY 10019].
. Electric Bass Lines, Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, by Carol Kaye [Gwyn Publ., Box 5900, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413].
. Rhythms Complete (bass clef edition) [Chas. Colin, 315 W. 53rd St., New York, NY 10019].
. 30 Studies In Swing (bass clef edition) [Sam Fox Music, 1841 Broadway, New York, NY 10023].
. Streamlined Etudes For Trombone [Sam Fox Music].
. Ray Brown Bass Method [Ray Brown Music, Box 270, Hollywood Station, Hollywood; CA 90028].
. Dance Band Reading And Interpretations (bass clef edition) [Sam Fox Music].
. Basic Electric Bass, Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 [Sam Fox Music].
. Jazz Improvisations For Bass Clef Instruments [Gwyn Publ.].
. The Evolving Bassist, by Rufus Reid [Myriad, Ltd., Lock Box 503, 2138 E. 75th St., Chicago, IL. 60649].
. Rhythmic Figures ForBassists, Volume 1 (eighth-notes) and Volume 2 (sixteenth-notes) [Charles Hansen, 1860 West Ave., Miami
Beach FL 33139].
. Electric Bass, Books 1, 2, and 3, by Dan Dean (bass clef & TAB, record) Hal Leonard, 8112 W. Bluemound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53213.
. The Studio Bassist, Books 1, 2, and 3 by Dan Dean (bass clef & TAB, record) Hal Leonard.
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 Reading
Reading In The Bass Clef
Guitar Player magazine October 1974 Most professionals take sightreading for granted—yours truly is no exception.
However, through teaching, one becomes aware of the reading problems that students
experience needlessly. | learned to read under pressure in studio work and although it
was tough, there were many “shortcuts” | learned that can be passed on to you to make
reading fun and easy.
To familiarize yourself with fundamentals in notes and timing, a book is necessary to
referto,such as Easy Electric Bass (from the Gwyn Publishing Co.). Fundamentals, such
as quarter-notes, names of notes, where they are on the instrument, ties, dots, flats,
sharps, naturals, and key signatures, should be practiced from one of the many books
on the market. One problem that arises when you start this learning process is to keep
boredom from striking. Boredom precedes a state of mind that stops one from learning,
thereby causing the student to think it is very difficult to learn to sightread.
lf you learn a few notes on the bass, you can find other notes around them by relating
back to the known notes. Ifthe second note looks higher than the first, it is higher in pitch,
and so on for lower notes (lower pitch).
One should get into the habit of writing beat lines (to pat your foot on) rather than
writing in all the intricate 1-e-an-a garbage—studio musicians dothis to aid reading.
(See Figure 1.) In 4/4 time, any note with a down-beat marking is played when your foot
pats down—any other note is played when your foot is in the air—as simple as that. You
aim forthe downbeats. Intricate meter (timing) patterns should be memorized—like
learning the times tables. Sixteenth-note patterns arefigured out in double time (8/8),
where instead of four beats to each bar (4/4 time), you play as ifthere are eight beats to
the bar. (See Figure 2.) Any pattern that has double beams (sixteenth-notes) indicates a
double-time (8/8) feel and should be felt in that time.
To go about finding notes on the bass, a little knowledge of the basic scale is
necessary. At first, |actually wrote some of the names of notes above the staff to assist
me. However, you really start learning more by reading “fun” patterns and relating one
note to another. Scales tend to inhibit your creative ear.
By writing downbeats to your music, you involve yourself immediately with the “feel”
of meter—coordinating your foot and eyes with the music. If you write in the mechanical
countings (1-e-an-a, etc.), you might get stuck reading those and not looking at the
notes, hence the need for beat markings which the eye can catch without detracting
from the actual notes.
Other tricks of reading involve scanning over the notes to aim for the downbeats
which are used for reference purposes in meter. When music is copied or engraved, itis
usually mathematically spaced so the eye can follow the logical downbeats of the notes.
You can usually find the downbeats in the way eighth- and sixteenth-notes are lumped
together by acommon beam. Usually the first note of the connecting beam is the
downbeat:

/
fica: /
eae
The only exception is when a rest comes first, such as:

yo" OO
 Ithas been stated before that sixteenth-notes indicate an 8/8 (doubletime) feel.
Meter (timing of notes) is either in 2 or 3 (each beat divisible by 2 or 3) in all music (see
Figure 4). The only time music is written incorrectly is usually in 3, meaning triplets. That
is, when you see dotted eighths and sixteenths mixed in with triplets, the music is played
in triplet form (in 3) but written wrong to make it easier to read. For example:

same as inp Nn ce pe
min inp id

WR
incorrect
me LGU correct
As you learn to read notes, several guides may come to you such as: visual
recognition of octaves, learning the bottom, middle, and top staff line notes, ledger line
notes, commonly used notes (C, F, G, A, etc.) as well as relative notes (C to D, A to G,
etc.). Trytoavoid tricks such as F-A-C-E spells FACE—this has no meaning to music
and deters you from actual reading, much like marking (1-e-an-a) to meter rather than
feeling the beat.
Itis not essential to know howto sightread to play good music. A good ear is
important for learning bass lines from records and following chords to new tunes. But, if
you would like to be a well-rounded musician and be able to have doors opened foryou,
whether itbe for fun or money, you must be able to read. Attitude is very important. If you
find yourself getting bored orforcing yourselfto practice when a mental block comes,
this negative feeling is going to keep you from the fun of discovering the little tricks of
reading. Take a break, come back later and study, and make sure you have absolute
quiet. Be sure to keep your eyes on the music. Even though you will memorize a short
pattern very quickly, you learn to read by way of “osmosis,” for familiar patterns will be
recognized in new situations and you will be reading ina short time. This is the quickest,
easiest and best way to learn how to sightread.
Attempt to write down any unique bass line you hear on a record that you particularly
like. By writing you also learn to read. Every chance you getto read arrangements, go
jump in the pool and do it. It’s surprising what you can learn under pressure.

By Carol Kaye

Figure 1. (Arrows indicate pitch direction)

Figure 2. (feet in 8/8 time)

Figure 3. (feet in 8/8 time)

 Reading

Using Interval Relationships For Transposing

Guitar Player magazine November 1978 One ofthe first things you learn in a harmony class is that each note in a major scale
is given a Roman numeralto designate its function (see Figure 5). Distances between
scale notes are called intervals. The smallest interval in traditional music is a half-step, or
semitone. It is the distance from one fret to the adjacent one. You can see that no other
note could be placed between the two (see Figure 6). A two-fret interval is calleda
whole-step, or whole-tone (see Figure 7). There is a definite construction pattern for
major scales: All the intervals between consecutive scale notes are whole-tones, except
the IIl-IV and VII-VIII intervals, which are half-steps (see Figure 5).

Figure 5.
C maj
major scal e alf-step
half-st aga
half-st

os as a

I iT) i IV Vv vi Vil vill

Key To Notational Symbols mi: Pick downstroke. used to indicate direction).

ras
The following symbols are used in V_: Pick upstroke. { :Rasgueado.
Electric Bass Guitar to indicate fingerings,
techniques, and effects commonly used in Cv ‘The Cindicates a full barre; the 4/77 : \ndicates desired rhythm for|
bass guitar music notation. Roman numeral designates the proper chordalaccompaniment. (The choice of |
fret. voicings is up to the player)
4 Left-hand fingering is designated
by small Arabic numerals near note heads ¢Vv ‘The C indicates a first finger half- How Tablature Works. The horizontal
(1 =first finger, 2= second finger, 3= third barre covering either the first three or four lines represent the bass guitar’s strings,
finger, 4 = little finger; and T = thumb). strings, depending on what is called for in the top line standing for the high G. The
the notation. numbers designate the frets to be played.
For instance, a 2 positioned on the first line
3®5 :Partial barre with the designated would mean to play the 2nd fret on the first
finger. string (0 indicates an open string). Time
values are indicated on the coinciding
~~~ ‘Left-hand finger vibrato. lines of standard notation seen directly
above the tablature. Readtablaturefrom —
£0) : Bend; play the first note and bend left to right in the conventional manner.
to the required pitch (bent note is in paren-
theses). See tab explanation. Chord Diagrams. |n all chord dia-
grams, vertical lines represent the strings,
pe : Right-hand fingering is desig- Pi : Reverse bend; strike an already and horizontal lines represent the frets.
nated by letters (po= thumb, /= index, m= bent note, then allow it to return to its un- The following symbols are used:
middle, a = ring, and / = little). bent pitch (bent note is in parentheses).
——— : Nut; indicates first position.
#9 : Hammer-on (lower note to
higher). x — : Muted string, or string not played.
oy : Pull-off (higher note to lower).
© : Open string.
@ ‘Indicates right-hand tapping tech-
nique. : Barre (partial or full).

375 : Slide; play first note and slideto e Placement of left-hand fingers.
the next pitch (in tab, an upward slide is
indicated with an upward-slanting line, ii : Roman numerals indicate the fret
while a downward slide is indicated with a at which a chord is located.
@#@ :A circled number (1-6) indicates downward-slanting line).
the string on which a particular note is to 1 :Arabic numerals indicate left-
be played. t : Strum (an arrowhead is often hand fingering, (e.g., 1 = index, ete).
Figure 6.

half-step intervals

Figure 7.

whole-tone intervals

lfyou have to transpose a song from the key in whichit is written to another, it is a lot
easier ifyou use the numeral names for each note. For example, if youhad a chord
progression in F, where F went to D, you should think of it as | going to VI. If you had to
move the song to the key of Eb,the chords would be Eb and C (|and VI in the key of Eb). In
D, the | and V| would be D and B, respectively. Needless to say, the better you know the
scales, the better you will be able to transpose. In Nashville, for instance, many of the
record dates have written parts that consist only of numeral names.
The following exercises deal with the diatonic 3rds (see Figure 8), which are adjacent
3rds within a scale. Sections C and D should be fingered with all three notes of each
triplet in one position (so that you don’t have to move your hand up or down the neck in
the middle of the figure). Play these in all keys, starting in the lowest positions and using
the open strings to avoid unnecessary shifting. These exercises are excellent for
improving your ear, knowledge of keys, and fingering patterns.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 8.

Diatonic thirds (C major scale)

Repeat Signs In Charts

It's amazing that there is not a whole lot of repeat notation in method books. But I've Guitar Player magazine August 1986
learned some useful information about the world of repeat markings, how they work, and
how you can make sight reading easier.
Figure 9 shows a measure that repeats in the second bar. This is often written with a
repeat sign, asin the second bar of Figure 10. In Figure 11, we see another way of
indicating a repeat, using a sign at the end of the bar (the double line with the double
dots). In Figure 12, we see bars 2, 3, and 4 with repeat markings—to indicate repeating
the first bar three times. Figure 13 tells us the same thing by having the number over the
second bar. In this case, it means to repeat the first bar three times.
Figure 14 shows a two-bar phrase followed by a repeat sign that indicates a
duplication ofthe first two bars. Figure 15 is a bar with four dots at its end; this means that
the bar repeats more than once, and the “6x” means to play itsix times. For Figure 16, we
play the first two bars, and then go into the first ending; then we encounter a repeat sign
(a double line and dots), meaning to go back and play the first two bars followed by the
second ending. The word fine indicates the end of the piece (this word isn't always
included). Figure 17 has the same first and second ending, and after playing them, you
go back to the beginning again, and you finally take the third ending.
 Figure 18 has us playing the first four bars until we see D.C. al coda (D.C. is short for
Da Capo); this means to go back to the beginning and continue until you see a coda sign
(it's shown here at the end of the second bar). At that point, you do not go to the third bar;
instead, you go to the coda, which has that same sign (and the word “coda” after it).
In Figure 19, we play the first eight bars, and then we see a sign called a De/ Segno al
coda (Del Segno is abbreviated D.S.). It means to go back to the Del Segno sign (bar 5)
from that point, and play until you see a coda sign (bar 7). After you have reached the
coda, play through to the end.
In our final example, Figure 20, play the first four bars and proceed to the first ending.
Then go back to the beginning and take the second ending. Play until you come to the
D.S. al fine sign. It means that you should go directly to the D.S. sign (Second bar of the
second ending) and play until the fine ending. (Ifyou’re wondering about the symbol that
looks like an “I” turned on its side with a number 4 above it, it means four bars of rest.)
Hopefully these examples will wipe away a few musical cobwebs for you. As you
read more and more charts, you'll notice that many arrangers and copyists have their
own musical shorthand.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 10. Figure 11. Figure 12.

Figure 14. Figure 15. Figure 16.

x

aaa CP aa
ee aaa
ae ae
22S SO 2 ee ee)
SSS AS Fe
a SS SSS 2S OO Ga nalae ee a
Lt nl
 Tricks
Of The Score | 15

Tricks Of The Score

Many arrangers have their own personal notational symbols, so it’s impossible to Guitar Player magazine September 1986
cover all the various musical directions that can be indicated. However, there are a lot of
important things that are hardly ever included in bass method books.
Figure 21 is atwo-bar section with slashes to indicate the beats. Each slash gets one
beat, so bar 1 is four quarter-notes. Bar 2 is two beats of Abm7 and two beats of Db7.A
good rule is to try getting the root of each chord on the frist beat in which itoccurs. Also, |
recommend using mostly chordal notes in your bass lines until you get more experience.
In Figure 22 we have two bars without the slashes. This is the same idea as Figure 21.
If two different chords come up in a bar, we assume they fall on beats 1 and 3 (see the
second bar). In Figure 23 we have some chords fall on the fourth beat of the bar. Be sure
to play the chord’s root on the fourth beat. Figure 24 does not have a chord symbol, but
instead has a quarter-note and then three slashes. The intention is to repeat the first note
three more times.
Figure 25 is a3/4 part with a variety of rhythmic figures indicated by various symbols.
Notice that the flags and dots attached to notes correspond with the same indications in
standard notation. Figure 26 has horizontal lines through the stems of some ofthe notes.
One line means to divide the quarter-note into two eighth-notes. A double line means to
play sixteenth-notes. Figure 27 tells you to play a D7 for four bars. In Figure 28 you really
have to think fast to place certain bass notes on the strong beats. Figure 29 is a typical
notation for jazz choruses; the “32” means that the song is 32 bars, and you'll have to find
the chord changes further back in the chart. The order of the soloists is tenor sax,
trumpet, and then piano. At the end of the piano solo, you resume reading the chart.
Figure 30 is a typical ending in the bass world. It’s got a few special symbols to get the
composer's desired phrasing. The dot over a note means to play itshort (detached). The
line indicates giving that note its full value (not short). In bar 2 we have a slur line over the
eighth-notes, which means to play them /egato (smoothly connected). Also remember
howto articulate eighth-notes in jazz phrasing—like an eighth-note triplet with the first
two notes tied.
A few important points: Concentrate on keeping good time and keeping your place in
the chart, no matter what. If you see something coming up that you can't play, just play
however much ofitthat you can, and keep going. It’s importantto learn to read two or
more bars ahead. This takes practice, so read at home using a metronome to develop
more accuracy with a variety of rhythmic figures.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 21.
Ebmaj7 Abm7 Db7 played: Ebmaj7 Abm7 Db7

Dmaj7 C#m7>5 F#7 played:

Figure 25.

played: G#m7 C#7 G#m7 C#7 G#m7 C#7

Figure 29. Figure 30.

solos - ten. played:
si i a r34 oneal
a
Daees ey SL
Cel i OD ela et ee ee
2S es "A
PA A” SAAD 1 SHES fe SS SS SE)

Robert Townsend And His Partners In Crime TV Show. We now take you
live to the recording of the HBO Television Special Robert Townsend And His Partners In
Crime. The callis for 3:30 P.M., Saturday, December 19, 1987, atthe Henry Fonda
Theatre in Hollywood. Patrice Rushen is musical director, arranger, and conductor, and
the show (a comedy special) will be taped live at 7:00 P.M. and aired simultaneously for
nationwide TV.
Fe
Bre
 Patrice wrote the music for the play-ons and play-offs, and they'll give you a glimpse
of what you might have to sight-read ifyou do a job of this nature. Most of the challenge is
being ready to play as soon as one of the performers is introduced. Then you must pay
attention to the act; as soon as it’s finished, listen for a two-beat count from Patrice for the
playoff. It goes by pretty fast, so the best advice in this situation is to be prepared, have
your instrument in good working order, make sure you're in tune, use good cables, etc.
You don’t want to encounter any technical problems! The rest is just being alert and
playing with confidence.
Note that play-ons and play-offs 1 and 3 should be transposed down an octave.

By Jeff Berlin and Nathan East

“Play-On/Play-Off Music” By Patrice Rushen

Bass
enin Fen Big ane) 6h
Play Onetd Beaes ees on ee
‘ I 24
Demin, Funk

cp D 7b
Z A
7-4. 0 7° oo

©1987 Baby Fingers Music. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Poorly-Written Bass Charts

Guitar Player magazine November 1978 Once | played a big band rehearsal and ran into half a dozen things in the bass parts
that made the charts difficult to read. I’ve been seeing these same six things now for the
past 22 years, and |wish we could make arrangers and copyists aware of them. Some of
these “rocks” are encountered by other instrumentalists as well, while others are found
only on bass parts. I’ve listed some of these stumbling blocks, and |have tried to show a
better way to notate them.
In Figure 31 the notes are written out of the range of the bass (you'll have to transpose
up an octave). A rhythmic figure with chord symbols is shown in Figure 32. This is typical
guitar notation, but for bass players itwould be easiertohave the actual notes written out.
 Poorly-Written Bass Charts 19

Figure 33 shows how some arrangers write a rhythm in such a way that you cannot easily
see the third beat of the bar. The rhythm shown in Figure 32 is similar, though it is much
more common. You have to be a mathematician to sight-read (Figure 33).
Figure 34 illustrates the symptoms of what | call ‘poor copyist’s bass line.” The
arranger told the copyist to write a walking bass line, and the copyist was just not familiar
with bass line construction. Notice the correction which has its roots on the strong beats.
Sometimes a tune gets recorded with wrong notes inserted by a copyist, and the bass
player gets the blame. Figure 35 demonstrates a pet peeve of mine: The incomplete
chord symbols just don’t give youachance to sound your best—especially ona solo.
Some people write only the root name. How are you going to choose the other notes
when you don’t know ifthe chord is major, or minor, or whatever? Just giving the rootisn’t
enough. Figure 36 is atypical bass figure, but without phrasing markings. Only an
experienced player would play itwith the right conception the first time through. Because
itsays “slow swing,” the quarter-notes are short and the eighth-notes are played legato,
with a triplet feel.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 31.
should be written:

Bead = 32 ae GS SS

Figure 32.

ae cm Ab a Fm7 or. should be written:

Figure 33.

should be written:

Se = Tz y
ee
—_

Figure 34.
should be written:
Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 C9 __—Fmaj7 Fmaj7 Dm7 Gm7 C9 Fmaj7

should be written:
D Cc G F Dm9 Gaug7b9 Cm7 F13b9

Figure 36.

slow swing
 3

ROSS
Sys:
“0:

Pe,

a
es
CA
 Chapter 3:
Practicing
© &

4
 Target Practice
Guitar Player magazine. May, June 1981 Back in 1957, |was living in New York City, and |was fortunate enough to study string
bass with the late Fred Zimmermann. He was the first-chair bassist in the New York
Philharmonic Orchestra for over 30 years and probably the most famous bass teacher in
the country. His former students were in symphony orchestras in many nations, and
bass players came from all over the world to study with him. His most prominent student
inthe jazz idiom was Eddie Gomez, although many other well-known bassists studied
with him, including Paul Chambers, Charles Mingus, and Red Mitchell.
One of my problems was quite common among beginning musicians—playing in
tune. Mr. Z hada very helpful routine called ‘target practice.” In the following target
practice exercises, play all the notes on the G string, starting in the lowest position on the
bass: 1/2-position (you may know it as the first fret).
Work on these exercises every day. Each measure should be played over and over
many times until the notes connect smoothly, without buzzes or sliding noises. Ona
fretless bass, you must be much more concerned with exact intonation.
Thefirst two lines of the exercise are easy, but later sections have bigger intervals
and will require you to play slowerto feel the shifts. Always shift from one position to
another without looking at your left hand.
Mr. Zimmermann probably never held an electric bass in his hands, but I’m sure he
would be glad to know his target practice is being passed on.

By Herb Mickman

Progressive Exercises
1/2 position
1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 4

a : = :

ec
re See
1 1 1 1 1 bs, 1 5) 1 4 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 bp 1 2 1 a 1 4

1 a 1 1 1 Ye 1 ee 1 be 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 ba 1 2 1 4 1 4

a eee
ye

f° o6 GAS AL ee OE Ne eae” Ay) Oe) | 0 tS) ee

tt tt
0) fee es ra

| a) Cn: (Uns Game Minne, (ecm eee) ema mer ek Sha sh ee katy | oe ie ee teem meme eri L to PSEA PURE Bae Pe Es eer W me NI
vs 2 oe. 2 & * oe: a £ + oe b
eas ae oe gee eg Rone a = se
a gmaaass : E — a =. SS SS Se
 1 2 position
2 1 2
ni O- —_9—$_—_@

———

Mixed chromatic major thirds:

(all notes on G string)
2 4 1

(—~-— means play note below within one position — no shifts)

Practicing With The Metronome

Shortly after my first few music lessons, my parents were toldthat usingametronome Guitar Player magazine September 1982
would help to improve my sense of rhythm. The metronome | got was an old-style
wind-up model with the pendulum that swayed back and forth. |found it very difficult to
play with at the tender age of eight.
 Not long after | got the metronome, | dropped it, and it broke. | didn’t use one again
until ten years later. | had a drummer friend who used to practice with one while playing
onadrum pad, and he said, “If youcan hear the metronome while you are playing
quarter-notes, you are off.” He asked me to try playing quarter-notes evenly with the
metronome, and | didn’t do as well as |thought |would. It was then that | saw the benefits
that could be derived from practicing with ametronome. So, the next day | wentto the
neighborhood music store and bought an electric metronome.
lt really helped settle my sense of time. When | began working with the metronome, |
would set itto click once for every quarter-note in a 4/4 setting. |would then write down
the metronome tempos on the page |worked on each day, so that |knew what my
limitations were. Then, each subsequent day |would start at the last tempo that was
comfortable, and try to surpass it—just a notch or two.
Soon | became aware that | didn’t need the metronome ticking on all four beats. So |
had ittick on beats 1 and 3. A tempo of 120 then became a tempo of 60, etc. A few weeks
later a trumpet player told me to set'the metronome to click on beats 2 and 4 fora 4/4
measure. He said that it would swing better.
At first, |wasn’t comfortable, but afterawhile | noticed that this way |got better
feeling—especially for jazz and improvising. When the metronome was set to click on the
first and third beats, it felt stiff in comparison to its setting on second and fourth.
|also began to practice not only etudes, but also jazz melodies with the metronome. |
put the most comfortable tempo number on the page, and | always strived to increase
that tempo until itwas at the same speed as the record. However, there are certain things
that a bass will never get out as quickly as a saxophone, trumpet, or piano. |soon learned
to accept what could be done and be happy with it.
Below are some patterns | have made up from the familiar C major scale. They
should be practiced with the metronome at a comfortable tempo, where there is no
struggling and no wrong notes. You should be able to play the exercises evenly in tempo.
After working with each one and noting the metronome’s tempo marking, play the
exercises in all 12 keys. Do not advance to another exercise until you can play the first
one in all keys smoothly. Don’t expect to double your tempo in an afternoon. Start with the
one-octave scales, and eventually try the two-octave ones. Play Figure 1 and Figure 2
both ascending and descending. Also, after playing Figure 4 with the patterns indicated
(one eighth-note and two sixteenth-notes), reverse the pattern (two sixteenth-notes
followed by an eighth-note). Do the same for Figure 6.

Figure 2.

SSE Sg
* = = etc. is

Figure 3.
>
> >
Figure 6.

Figure 7.

Bass players today are expected to have a great feel for time in many types of
rhythmic grooves that didn’t exist, say, ten years ago, and sight-reading has become far
more complex. One of the keys to becoming a great sight-reader is to have the sounds of
many common rhythms memorized. This ingraining of patterns comes from playing
particular rhythms many times at all kinds of tempos. The first step often is working
through the rhythm slowly, while the metronome keeps time for you.
In Figure 8 are some great off-beats to be practiced. Try to play each measure at
least four times perfectly before moving to the next one. Determine which tempo
provided by the metronome is most comfortable for you, and write it down. Try to
increase your speed., and keep track of your progress.
Figure 9 has four rhythmic variations on the C major scale. Play each pattern up and
down one octave in all 12 keys before going to the next one. Eventually work them up to
two octaves. Once you master these, you can apply the same ideas to minor and modal
scales.
Figure 10 deals with some scale sequences containing various rhythmic displace-
ments. Play the first one (A) slowly until you hear what is going on in the rhythm. Once you

Figure 8.

Figure 9.

etc. etc nO = to
SS upto Ea- a lon
i oS
y

V+)
 can play it perfectly in C, try it in the other keys over one octave. Spend a good week on
mastering them. The second part (B) contains diatonic third intervals (occurring
naturally within the scale) that follow similar rhythmic schemes.
You will have to determine which tempos are best for you simply by checking your
ability to produce strong, even rhythms as well as correctly intonated notes. This type of
practice is like weightlifting: If you lay off for a while, you'll have to adjust the metronome’s
setting back a notch or two and work back up to the tempo you had achieved.

By Herb Mickman

Making The Most Of A Rehearsal

Guitar Player magazine August 1988 There is acommunal event that takes place behind closed doors, one that can
establish musical ties and personal friendships between colleagues, or utterly decimate
a band and precipitate personal hatred and plans for revenge among fellow musicians
for years to come. | am talking about rehearsal.
This article is being written in Paris, France, where |’m playing ina trio with John
McLaughlin and drummer/percussionist Trilok Gurtu. For the next 12 weeks we'll be
touring all over Europe; in August we'll be in the United States playing with Miles Davis
and/or Chick Corea.
Our entire touring itinerary can only exist because of one very important element that
can make or break any group performing in front of an audience who bought their tickets
in order to be blown away by the musicians—orto damn them all to hell ifthey fail to do
so! The glue holding it all together is practice.
We've based our immediate musical future and ability to earn a living as professional
players on a two-week investment. In these two weeks, we came up with the new music,
set it to memory, updated the songs daily, practiced enough to integrate the music into
our bodies (instead of calculated run-throughs, which is the way all new music is
approached), established our time relationships (or groove interplay), learned which is
the best way to relate as live interacting musicians, found the best order for the tunes,
and learned how to relate as people—respecting each other's way of being individuals—
in a close living and working relationship.
Let’s forget about chops andlicks and all that goofy technique stuff for a minute.
Here’s howro rehearse with purpose and really accomplish something. First, you only
get out what you put into your rehearsals. How many rehearsals have you attended in
which you stop every ten minutes for a cigarette break, or somebody runs down to the
deli for Cokes and sandwiches, or you hang out and shoot the breeze while playing a
tune every now and then? Is that rehearsing? No way, Jose! A rehearsal is supposed to
be atime of work. Hard work. This hard work ethic shouldn’t be a problem, though,
because it’s supposed to be fun to play an instrument and learn new music, right? That’s
how you get better. If you practiced for, let’s say, two hours and then you took a break,
you'd be putting concentrated time into your band and your instrument. With McLaughlin,
we practiced up to nine hours every day and took some time for lunch and dinner. We
worked until we were exhausted, but we knew we earned something from it. Pick your
own time schedule, and earn something musical for your band and yourself.
Second, have some music prepared before the rehearsal. A lot of bands get together
and mess around until something emerges. This is often a good method of developing a
group sound, but it doesn't a/ways work out that way. It’s hard to accomplish anything
when everyone is simultaneously playing something that has little to do with each other’s
music. If you have at least a form, some chords, or a melody prepared in advance, you're
in a better situation to develop a song. The Beatles did this. There’s a tape of a Beatles
rehearsal where Paul McCartney is teaching “Let It Be” to the band. He played piano and
sang a rough outline of it,with the chord names replacing some ofthe words, just so that
the others could get the changes in their heads.
Get the picture? Even ifyou've prepared a small sketch of something, it is a big head
start for your band. Look at some of Yes’ earlier albums. If you look at the writing credit for
the tune “Close To The Edge,” you will see that the listed composer is Jon Anderson.
Certainly he didn’t come in with every part arranged, but rather with a good sketch. The
band picked up onit and collectively developed a masterpiece of modern rock. They
 Breaking Old Habits 27

practiced for hours, as well, and created a band sound thatis still appreciated today,
even in light of their more phenomenal recent album successes.

By Jeff Berlin

Flexibility And Breaking Old Habits

Years ago |found that after playing the same bass parts over and over again, |would Guitar Player magazine April 1977
tend to form habits that later would create problems when | tried to do something
different. Suppose for five years I’d been playing a C scale using the fingering 2, open, 1,
2, open, 1, 2,3, and then someone gave me music (or |wrote music) requiring me to play
aC scale using a different fingering, because of the way the scale was placed in the
particular song or passage. |would have to break that old habit of fingering the scale and
play it another way for the new passage.
Now, a way to rid yourself of at least 70 percent of these sorts of problems is to : 1)
become very familiar with the fingerboard and know where all of the notes are; and 2)
make your hand flexible enough to be able to play all over the neck by taking something
as simple as a C scale and playing it three or four different ways on the instrument.
|can remember many times when |played music written by Chick Corea, some of the
lines he'd write would, at first, seem technically unfamiliar to me, possibly because when
he wrote them he was sitting down at a keyboard instrument. |have found that keyboard
bass lines require quite unorthodox techniques when they are played on an electric
bass. Personally, |find this very rewarding, because by playing these sorts of things |
learn something that | might not have discovered on my own.
When! was incollege, |auditioned for the double bass section of the Philadelphia
Orchestra. One ofthe things |was preparing was a book of exercises which actually
were excerpts of music composed by Richard Strauss. Boy, let metell you—Richard
Strauss wrote some of the most difficult stuff for bass I’ve ever played! He had no mercy!
Here’s a piece of music | wrote for guitar and bass which should help bassists
develop flexibility. Both instruments fluctuate back and forth betweenA and Bbmaj.
Practice this duet at a very slow tempo, and gradually increase your speed until you can
play it in a fast cut time.

By Stanley Clarke

“Duet For Bass And Guitar” By Stanley Clarke

Guitar

Bass Guitar

©1977 Clarkee Music

 Chapter 4:
Technique

+
30 _— Practicing

Technique

Synchronizing Your Hands

Guitar Player magazine October 1987 Warming up is a vital component of any performance, regardless of the instrument
being played. For electric bassists, developing an effective warm-up routine is a
technique initself.Although the following warm-ups will loosen thefingers, they don't
sound like your typical exercises: they actually have more of a bass-line quality.
Practicing is much more fun when it improves your chops, and also sounds like music. |
always try to kill two birds with one stone.
Figure 1 is agood way to wake up the right-hand fingers. Start at a comfortable
tempo, and try to make it as even as possible, alternating between the first and second
fingers. Try to play each note with the same dynamics as the note before it. One of the
reasons | like this exercise so much is because it reminds me ofthe bass line in the song
“What Is Hip” by Tower Of Power [Live And /n Living Color, Warner Bros., BS 2924]. It’s
over a decade old, butit’s still, in my opinoin, one of the most brilliant bass lines of all time
(thanks, Francis Rocco Prestia). The natural fingerto start this exercise with is the
right-hand index finger to see if you feel any difference. This will help balance the
right-hand fingerings.
Figure 2 coordinates both the left and right hands. This sixteenth- note exercise is fun
to work up to a fast tempo. Of course, remember to play each note evenly and with the
same dynamics. Although the faster tempo sounds more impressive, this is one of those
exercises that is equally important to learn slowly. Certain characteristics of this exercise
remind me of a Weather Report-type bass line as played by the late Jaco Pastorius.
Learn to play Figure 3 slowly, too, and speed it up as it feels more comfortable. This
exercise is good target-shooting in jumping strings with the right-hand fingers. Play it
using the high E on the G string and the low E on the A string.
Figure 4 is good for stretching the left-hand fingers. Just repeat the pattern on the first
bar in half-steps all the way up and down the neck.
Again, these exercises are intended to sound musical, as well as build up your
fingers. Five to ten minutes apiece is a good time to spend on them each day. Then see if
you Can invent some new ones.

By Nathan East

Figure 7.

=
ee a a oe a ee ee ee
right-hand mes ae Ta ee hy
fingers: i m i m i om
alternate: m i m i m i

Figure 2.
 _ Bass Popping Technique 31

Figure 3.

Bass Popping Technique

Without a doubt, one of the most popular sounds produced by today’s bassists is the Guitar Player magazine February 1980
“pop,” or “slap” —a piercing, snappy effect that moves the bass line to the foreground of
even the most lavishly orchestrated music. Most often heard ina funk context, the
popping of notes is becoming increasingly diversified to the point of being firmly planted
in numerous popular musical settings. Although popped notes show upfrequently (listen
tothe radio, TV, or records—they’re everywhere), many bassists have either avoided the
style or failed to master the technique. Surprisingly, for as good as it sounds, getting the
snap is not really difficult. With a solid start and a bit of practice, any bass playercan
assimilate popping, and make it another natural part of his or her style. Try it—you may
even surprise yourself and bring out a facet of your playing that you never knew was
waiting to be freed.
Eventhough numerous well-known bass guitarists incorporate this technique,
nobody knows for sure the musician who first popped a string. When the string bass
initially became popular in familiar forms of music in the early part of this century, some
players actually hit the strings with a drumstick to get a crisper attack and more volume.
Some literally flogged their strings with the right hand—a similar approach, but naturally
one that required a good, strong hand.
Such techniques never really translated to the electric bass since players were
generally pleased with their equipment’s volume. Butin the 1960s, atime of rapidly
increasing volume and experimentation, new approaches were tried. Credit for bringing
the popping techniqueto popular music is generally given to Larry Graham, who played
bass with Sly & The Family Stone and later Graham Central Station. It was the
culmination of his early experiences in a drummerless duo with his mother that led him to
a more percussive style. From the first pops and snaps of his teens Graham builta
technique that became one of the most identifiable features of Sly’s music.
Inthe 1970s other bassists emerged with this popping technique in their bags of
tricks. Among them were Stanley Clarke, Louis Johnson, Verdine White of Earth, Wind &
Fire, and the late Jaco Pastorius of Weather Report. In almost every form of popular
music today, there is at least one outstanding popper.
|first learned bass popping a few years ago from my old friend, Stanley Clarke, who
had replaced me in pianist Horace Silver's band in 1970 when | left to join Mongo
Santamaria. While on vacation in Florida, |met Stanley again, and | asked him to show
me how to “play that thing with your thumb.” The basics Stanley taught me were the key.
The rest only required practice.
Animportant consideration for bass players wishing to learn this style is proper
strings. Often the strings in a particular set are not balanced with respect to sound output
and flexibility. You can generally deal with the uneven volume levels by raising or
lowering the pickup’s pole pieces, or adjusting the height of the pickup itself. But
 obtaining strings with consistent suppleness may pose a problem.
You want strings that give when you pull them, and spring back after you pluck them.
Try the various brands, ask music dealers what they recommend, and ask fellow bass
players what they’ve found in their travels. For the brightest tone, check out round-
wound, half-round, or quarter-round strings. Flatwounds will most often lack the bite that
the other varieties have. Also, remember that a string’s flexibility may not be related to its
gauge. Variables such as the materials used in construction, the length of your bass, and
the string gauge’s relationship to its open pitch may all affect performance.
Posture also enters into popping. Make sure that you place your hands ina
comfortable position. There are two basic ways to place the right arm and hand to
facilitate the technique. In Figures 5 and 6, note how the right arm lies comfortably on the
body of the instrument. The thumb can either be in an upward position—parallel to the
strings (Figure 5)—or lie perpendicularto the strings (Figure 6). In both cases, notice how
the first and second fingers on the right hand are poised directly over the G and D strings.
By having them in such close proximity to the strings, itis easy to snap or pluck them on
an upstroke, while the thumb can hit on the downstroke.

Figure 5. Figure 6.

These three exercises are designed to help you gain control over your thumb. They
should be played onthe E andA strings. Although they're not very complicated, they
should be played with care nonetheless. Count each beat evenly (or use a metronome),
and try to attack each note cleanly, so that the sound is crisp, not mushy. Note that the
letter ““T” above the note means to hit it with the thumb.

Exercise 17. Exercise 2.

Since your first and second fingers are placed right over the G and D strings, they are
always ready to snap; you may snap either string with either finger. Do this closer to the
fingerboard than to the bridge, since there is less string tension working against you near
the fingerboard. Experiment with where you place your right hand, since each bassis
different. To snap the string, get just the tip of the finger under the string and pull quickly
with a snap of the wrist. The photos show how to pop on the D string with the first finger
(Figure 7) and on the G with the second finger (Figure 8).
Figure 7. Figure 8.
The following exercises involve snapping on both the D and the G strings. Use only
the first fingertoplay each exercise, and then use only the second finger. Next, alternate
fingers for eachnote (first finger, second finger, first finger, and So on). Remember,
whenever you see a “P” above a note, pluck it either with your first or second finger.

Exercise 4. Exercise 5.

Here are two ways of positioning the thumb while popping. Figure 9 shows the thumb
pointing up, with the wrist raised off of the bass; Figure 10 shows the thumb pointing down
with the wrist closer to the bass’s body.

Figure 9. Figure 10.

The next four exercises combine the thumb slap and the finger pop. They are
straightforward, and only contain the techniques covered so far.

Exercise 6. Exercise 7.
34 Technique

The following examples include two more techniques. The first is called a hammer-
on, or slur. You probably use it already, but a popping style adds a whole new dimension
toit.A hammer-onis executed by fretting a note with the left hand, plucking the string
with the right hand, and then fretting a note higher on the same string (without moving the
left hand from its original position). The “H” written above a note indicates that it should
be hammered on:

For the example shown, use the 1 st fingerto press down the D (5th fret,A string),
strike or pluck the note, and press down the 3rd or 4th finger on the 7th fret. This will
produce the E note.
The second technique, called the undefined note, is not often used except as a
rhythmic device. As the name implies, there is no clear pitch produced when you strike
the string, but as with drums there is a relative pitch (high or low, in varying degrees). Itis
a good percussion sound, often used by the late Jaco Pastorius, Larry Graham, Stanley
Clarke, and others. It appears on sheet music like this:

To play the undefined note, place a left-hand finger lightly upon the string at the note
that corresponds to the “X” in the music; don't press the string to the fingerboard. Now
snap or thumb the string with your right-hand thumb or fingers (a “T” or “P” above the
note will tell you which to use). The first two examples here include only hammer-ons, but
the third one makes use of the undefined note as well.

Exercise 10. Exercise 17.

(A string)

Exercise 12.

Naturally, you will want to go beyond mere exercises to vent your creativity. Try the
following funk-style bass line. It should wet your feet and let you Know what you're up
against. Run through it at a comfortable pace until you get the technique under control:
then worry about your speed. You won’t always be afforded this luxury—on the
bandstand or in the studio you must often be able to sight-read just about anything they
give you. But for now, the idea is to learn the technique.
Exercise 13.
THPTHPTHP P- PHT PACE Ul eT ie pie
 Bass Popping Technique 35

Exercise 13 (continued).
TenePaHeP
HP PP PlAeT Tepe ee TP an

The final two examples illustrate bass popping in action. The first is the part that was
giventometo play onacommercial. The secondis the way |actually played the part
after |renotated itwith popping and additional fills. In the reworked part, |added the fills in
bars 5 and 7.| removed the slurs between bars 1 and 2, and between bars 5 and 6. Notice
the added hammer-ons in bars 4 and 8. This piece is just one example of how a bass part
can be spiced up with popping.
Play both of the following examples as they are written, and you'll hear the difference.
With time and experimentation, you will doubtless come up with many of your own. Try
popping on the tunes you do with your band (preferably at a rehearsal—you never can
tell if something will work for the first time at a gig).
Exercise 14.
Ge eS Ee eee Se ee ee Pee ee
AVS SES VETER RU Bae SSS RES BE eo 2S Cee ee oe oe
OE 6S SSS 02 0 SS 2 ee CE SS ES Ee er aS See
hg ge 2} omits ma a

Here is ashortlist of records that feature bass popping techniques. You probably
have other favorites, so listen closely to them, too.

By Ken Smith

A SELECTED |
BASS POPPING DISCOGRAPHY /
Larry Graham: (with Sly & The Family Stone) Greatest Hits, Epic, PE 30325; (with
Graham Central Station) My Radio Sure Sounds Good To Me, Warner Bros., BSK-3175,
Star Walk, Warner Bros., BSK-3322. Charles Meeks: (with Chuck Mangione) An
Evening Of Magic: Chuck Mangione Live At The Hollywood Bowl, A&M, SP-6701..
Robert “Pops” Popwell: (with the Crusaders) images, ABC, BA-6030. Stanley Clarke: |
| Wanna Play For You, Nemperor[dist. by CBS], KZ2 35680; Modern Man, Nemperor,
JZ-35303; Journey ToLove, Nemperor 433. Verdine White: (with Earth, Wind &Fire)/
Am, Columbia, FC 35730: All’NAI/, Columbia, JC 34905. Louis Johnson: (with the
Brothers Johnson) Look Out For #1, A&M, SP-4567. Andy West: (with the Dixie Dregs)
Free Fall, Capricorn, CP 0189. Marvin Isley: (with the Isley Brothers) Winner Takes All,
T-Neck [dist. by CBS], PZ2 36077. Jaco Pastorius: (with Weather Report) Heavy
Weather, Columbia, PC 34418. Alphonso Johnson: Yesterday's Dreams, Epic, PE
34364.
36 Technique

The “In And Out” Technique

Guitar Player magazine August 1981 This technique promotes speed with feeling while playing sixteenth-note type bass
patterns, such as the patterns in thefollowing musical example. Using the tip of the
finger, play the first note of the pattern in towards the body (Figure 11) and play the
second note out from the body (Figure 12). Continue in the same manner until you reach
Figure 11. the two consecutive eighth-notes. Each note of the eighth-note group is played in.
Continue throughout the following music as an exercise at different tempos, to
strengthen your finger and for comprehension of the “in and out” technique.
The string distance from the neck ofthe bass is important in making the “in and out”
technique comfortable and practical for each individual. A musician who hasa soft
playing touch and/or soft nails should set the strings close to the neck. This puts the
strings closer to the pickups for a soft touch and saves your nails from excessive
wearing, tearing, and breaking. Use your discretion and logic when altering your
equipment. If you have a strong touch and your nails do not break easily, it may not be
necessary to lower your strings.
Figure 12.
By Chuck Rainey

In And Out Exercise

mm = 112 l=In O = Out

I OSI2GR TO. OL. IbO. IO aaa

ee @ B@
 Bass Popping Technique 37

The Slapping-Wood Technique

When you need to improvise a bass pattern, the sound of the notes can be altered to Guitar Player magazine March 1978
achieve melodic and/or rhythmic interest. The slapping technique produces a gutty,
raunchy string-against-wood sound. It may also resemble a low percussive trombone or
a musical grunt. The sound may vary, depending on the individual use of the technique,
which involves a hand slap on the E string. The hand should be firm, but with its relaxed
natural curvature. 3
As you slap the string with the extended fingers, the heel of the hand simultaneously
hits against the top of the body of the bass. The extended fingers bounce right off the
string naturally. The idea is to get the extended fingers to feel like one unit, supported by
the wrist and controlled by the wrist muscles (like a drumstick in a drummer's hand).
When you slap, you should hear the note fingered, the string striking against the neck
of the bass, and the complete value of the note intended. If the complete value of a
slapped note is not achieved, consider the following check points: 1) hitting, banging, or
slapping a note too hard can prevent the string from ringing its intended length; 2) string
distance from pickups—the string may be set too farfrom, or too close, to the pickups; 3)
type of strings you are using; 4) volume of bass; 5) volume of amplifier.
The slapping technique is used on the following albums: Aretha Franklin, Young,
Gifted And Black, “Rock Steady” and “Border Song’ (Atlantic Records, SD 7213);
Quincy Jones, Body Heat, “If| Ever Lose This Heaven” (A&M Records, SP 3617);
Quincy Jones, You’ve Got/tBad, “Sanford And Son Theme” (A&M, SP 3041); Quincy
Jones, Smackwater Jack, ‘Theme From lronsides” —bass solo (A&M, SP 3037); Roberta
Flack, Quiet Fire, “Go Up Moses’ (Atlantic, SD 1594).
Remember, sensitivity is necessary to attain the desired sound. Don't just hit, beat, or
slap the bass without feeling. The following pattern can be used as an exercise to help
you acquaint yourself with the feeling necessary from this technique.

By Chuck Rainey

Slapping-Wood Exercise

© - Wood symbol
3 4 2 as ea BS}
SS) SS SS SS SS, Se eeeee
Se SS RT Soon ese nm EAS 7 eee
e

OOO

_——— a a a ae” peat

[oy
Se on oe ee ee ee. ee ee ee |
38 . Technique
re — —_ _coOOTL—E —— ''vw——

Finger Tremolo Technique

Guitar Player magazine August 1975 Sound creates style as much as technique. The four-bar segments of the three
different bass patterns below can be played in many different styles by changing the
sound of a few notes. By using a finger tremolo on the notes shown beneath the brackets,
the pattern feels different, while maintaining its original structure.
The patterns indicated below are also explored in my mail-order course, The Modern
Bassist’s Techniques Of Success. This technique is also described in my book, Disciple
Of Emotion. Make up your own patterns and experiment. Finger tremolos are used on the
following tunes: “Shining Star,” by Earth, Wind & Fire, on Way Of The World (Columbia
Records, PC 33280); “Funk Freak,” by White Heat, on White Heat (RCA, APL1-0853); “|
Get Mad,” by Joe Cocker, on/ Can Stand A Little Rain (A&M Records, SP-3633); “You
Are The World,” by Donald Byrd, on (High) Steppin’ Into Tomorrow (Blue Note Records,
BN-LA 368-G).

By Chuck Rainey

Finger Tremolo Patterns

Tremolo played on 4th beat T = Tremolo

d=92 Vary at will aed

Tremolo played on 4th beat

J = 90-110
 Bass Popping Technique 39

The Left Hand

People have seen me play at live concerts or at conventions and invariably say, “You Guitar Player magazine June 1974
make allthose licks that sound so hard, look easy.” |find myself repeating, ‘It’s inthe
hands—the hands!” Actually, a player can be fast, fluid, accurate, and mostly relaxed if
he (or she) follows the basic outline below.
The trick is in using the left thumb as a pivoting home bass. The thumb points toward
the nut of the neck and should be very close to the middle of the back of the neck. Equal
pressure should be applied between each finger and thumb when playing a note.
Normally, the thumb rides a little behind the 1 st finger and if a note is up alittle out of
range, DON’T MOVE THE THUMB! Pivot (rotate) itso itthrusts the entire front part of your
hand up (don't stretch the fingers) to reach that note. Keeping the thumb there helps you
find your original position again. Most players tend to lift their left wrist up (this deters
good hand position); keep the wrist down so that the fingers have access to the
fingerboard. You don’t need to play onthe very tips of your fingers like a guitarist or
violinist, nor as low as a string bass player either. Remember the electric bass requires
an entirely different approach than the guitar or string bass.
Keep the front part of the left hand relaxed. Don't stretch except for the very fast
notes. Play almost on top ofthe fret, let go of each note once you're on the next one.
String bassists tend to hang onto notes too long and press too hard, as they are
accustomed to heavy pressure. As you play up and down theneck, the thumb should
usually follow the front part of the hand (like a caterpillar motion). It rarely jumps with the
whole hand. Thisis where most players make their mistakes—they work too hard and
lose their place easily. The more “up” on the neck the hand goes, the further “back” the
thumb slides, so that when you jump to a lower note, the thumb jumps very little, while the
hand can move almost an entire octave without missing a note.
|prefer nottouse open strings because your impactis heavier and greater while
playing closed positions. Open strings are good as fast time fillers (x-notes), orfor
special open ringing sounds, but otherwise timbre and playing ease suffer.
In this case, the fingering goes 1-2-4-4-4 (or, 1-2-3-4-4 on smaller necks) going up
chromatically (leave the thumb there), and 4-2-1 -1-1 (or 4-3-2-1-1 onsmaller necks)
going down chromatically; again, leave the thumbthere. If something hurts, checkto
make sure your wrist is lowered and your elbow isn't clenched to your body—the arm
should be relaxed. The 3rd finger may assist the 4th, and should be used on anote
underneath the previous note on the same fret but on a lower string. For instance, play
the following pattern:

Notice how the use ofthe 3rd finger makes the pattern flow better. Also, the 3rd finger
may be a substitute for the 4th in the higher register. To strengthen each finger
individually, | found two exercises which help:

1. Press equally hard with thumb against 1 st finger several times. Then 2nd finger
with the thumb, and so on. Pressing against a tennis ball is also good. Remember,
only one finger at a time—you already have the natural “brute” hand strength you
need. Strong 1st finger dexterity is what you're after now.
2. Close your fingers into a fist, pointing your thumb out and away from the rest of
your hand. Now, without raising any other fingers, raise fingers 1 and 3 together
(this is a “‘toughie”’ and if you get the 3rd finger up even alittle, you're doing
fine—it'll improve with practice), put them down in the closed position and then
raise fingers 2 and 4 together. This exercise is also good for your concentration
habit—take it easy at first. You'll have fun pulling it on your friends once you get
Technique

accomplished at it. No fair cheating by holding your fingers down. This is a test |
would give potential guitar students years ago, to see ifthey had coordination and
concentration powers.

Guitar fingering (one finger per fret 1-2-3-4) is good only on small necks and
scale-type patterns or jazz-type bebop solo work. The idea of the left hand is to keep it
totally ina relaxed state at all times with the thumb as your pivot home base (or anchor).
Most players almost give me a heart attack when they hook their left thumb over the neck
as if to hang onto it—think how much more speed they'd have if they only knew!

By Carol Kaye

Right Hand Technique.

Bass Player magazine Some aspects ofthe electric bass guitar are similar to the electric guitar: It is of
November/December 1988 comparable shape and size, and in its most common 4-string configuration, is tuned an
octave below standard guitar tuning. It’s easy to make the mistake of lumping them in the
same category, but the different roles they play actually set them apart rather than
together. In fact, its closest tonal relative, and the instrument the electric bass guitar was
designed to replace and/or improve upon, was the standup bass, which has little, ifany,
relation to the guitar.
Most standup basses have the same basic construction and component part
placement, so a bassist can rely on having a consistent anchor point to rest his or her
thumb for plucking-finger strength. Because the instrument requires so much strength to
pluck, you need to anchor your thumb in orderto get the necessary leverage. String
spacing is also generally consistent from one standup bass to the next, as the strings
themselves are occasionally used as anchor points too.
But electric basses can be quite different from brand to brand. Many companies
come up with new ideas about how to put together the instrument, but not always with an
eye on how the instrument will be held and played in relation to any standard technique.
Once you develop a technique on one kind of bass, itcan sometimes require a major
change in that technique to go to another type of bass, since dimensions and part
placements can fluctuate wildly.
This problem doesn’t seem as severe for picking techniques, or for that matter,
thumb popping. But it’s been my experience that many beginning players have trouble
finding information on right-hand technique for fingerpicking electric bass. lfthey do
have any technique, it is usually physically weak, with a lack of consistency in tone and
note volume that would never hold up onstage or in the studio. |believe a bass should be
played with strength, using the strings and the hands for the attack and tone, rather than
relying on electronics. This lends itself to tonal individuality, since no two sets of hands
are alike.
My purpose for explaining my right hand technique is not an attempt to suggest that it
is the correct method. It’s worked well for me, but may not be effective for another player.
But | have had many other players tell me that it has been helpful, even if only to assist
them in formulating their own technique, using mine as a foundation.
Here is an overview of the component parts of my right-hand technique, and the
aspects of it that have helped other players:

Arm/Forearm (From The Shoulder Down). If you sit down while you practice,
be sure to adjust your strap so that the bass is in the same position it usually is when you
play standing up. Don’t laugh. I’ve actually seen players burn away for hoursina
dressing room, and then go onstage—changing the angle of every joint from shoulderto
finger—and spend an entire set wondering why nothing works. This can also result in an
extremely sore left shoulder.
Many times people will unconsciously compensate for a long strap by shrugging their
shoulder to raise the bass. Take a close look at how you hold your instrument.
My forearm pushes the bass—at its highest contour—into my ribs, which are tucked
into the indentation on the side of the bass’ body (a traditional P-bass style). Every point
of contactis utilized for the stability of my hands, as well as the stability of the bass on my
body. The forearm may lift off for various moves, but it generally holds the bass up
against me.

Wrist. Recently, a group of bass players told me that they were advised to keep their
wrists limp and floating over the strings. Being limp-wristed is the last thing |would ever
advise for anybody, especially bass players. To each his own, but! prefer locking my
wrist to give my fingers a stable and strong foundation. That way you can get the most out
of your strings by playing firm—with conviction, strength, and solidity. Save the light stuff
for esoteric bass soloing. When you're playing bass in a band onstage, clamp it down.

Thumb. Primate mammals have opposable thumbs; that is, a thumb that opposes
Or pushes against the forefingers, allowing precise articulation and manipulation. To
pluck a string, |anchor my thumb and pull one of my fingers toward it. The strength of the
pluck is proportional to the firmness of the anchor.
My thumb touches three parts of the bass in its normal position: The lowE string, the
bridge side of the pickup (P-bass style pickup), and the pickguard or bass body
underneath (see Figure 13). It moves to the top edge of the pickup when | play the
E string, or all strings together (Figure 14), andit moves down ontotheA string and
pickup when playing the D andG strings (Figure 15). It’s a/ways anchored firmly, usually
touching two or more points. I’ve seen bass players improve dramatically by attending
to—and remedying—this one point alone.

Figure 13. Figure 14. Figure 15.

Fingertips And Joints. Here we manipulate the actual sound ofthe strings. In
order to get a good tone, it is advisable to develop a thick callus where your finger makes
contact with the string. Extreme strength and endurance (and a high threshold for pain),
will lead to well-callused fingertips. Also, a callus has a different drag coefficient than
uncallused flesh when it passes over a string; like the difference between using a rubber
eraser anda hard pick. The uncallused flesh grabs the string rather than percussively
plucking it.
Another often overlooked aspect of fingering is deciding which joints of the finger are
best suited as flexing points. There are three joints for each finger: The first, nearest the
fingernail; the second, in the middle; and the third at the knuckle.
|keep the knuckle tight and straight, flexing from the second joint, leaving the first joint
loose to rake over the string—bending backwards as it goes—while tightening or
loosening the first joint to vary the strength of the attack. Thisis more effective than
flexing from the knuckle, because the radius of the arc created by the movement of the
shorter finger length (middle joint to fingertip), is smaller than the radius of the arc created
by the similar finger movement from the knuckle to the fingertip. Therefore it can hit one
42 Technique

string without hitting another in close proximity. The less you have to move, the less room
there is for error. To take it to the extreme—imagine stiffening from shoulder to fingertip,
laying your bass down, and plucking from the shoulder. Pretty inefficient.
That's a basic overview of right-hand technique as it applies to me and my playing. |
hope that some of it may apply to you, and help you to establish a more comfortable,
efficient approach.

By Billy Sheehan

Bass Fingering Techniques

Guitar Player magazine August 1981 About five years after |started playing the bass, |beganto teach. My first students
had been playing as long as | had, but wanted to learn about walking bass lines in jazz
applications. Their problem was theirlack of knowledge of the major scales; none of my
students could play them 100 percent perfectly, and so they couldn't figure out chords in
an accurate manner.
After teaching for a while, |found that |was going to have to learn several ways to
explain music fundamentals in ordertomake things super-clearto the students. |started
checking through a lot of music theory and harmony books in order to get my material
together, and |also incorporated physical techniques that some excellent teachers had
introduced to me. When physical problems (such as poor fingering technique) are
corrected, a bassist can play easier and with a more organized conception of note
location when sight-reading.
Inthe last 20 years | have taught a large variety of bass players from eight to 51 years
old. Here are some observations I’ve made in that time: About 90 percent of the students
playing electric bass are self-taught, and are barely able to read quarter-notes, even
after five years on the instrument.
|would say that 95 percent of the people |see are struggling with guitar fingerings on
the bass, and have no idea that there are other fingerings that are easier—especially for
people with small and medium-size hands. Most of these people have memorized scales

Guitar Fingering String Bass Fingering

Bb Bb

S|BuO Wana asio

3S en ns Coe
eee eC Me Ra MO he 8
Ze eA 1 2 4 1 3 4 3 1
String: E A D E String: A D G D A

c C | aa : SER a
r bee) 2
2 eae ao ae es ee ees eee Se 2 = = | SS
SS
* = z= ran ;—EEE
GES Sy OE |=SS A ES SS ES a

+ SS SSS SSS Seen

T }
2 4 1 2 4 1 3 4 3 1 4 2 1 4 2 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 4 2 1 Oy 1 Oe
String: A D G D A String:A D G ie) A

eee SS
Dm te £8 te Dm Tay
oe wre
a FR
Siees eer stereo es ee
1 3 4 1 3 4 2 3 2 4 ! 4 3 1 ty) 1 2 0 1 2 2 4 2 2 1 0 2 1 0
String: A D D A String: D G D

1 = 1st finger down on string

2 = 1st and 2nd fingers down on string
3 = 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers down on string
4 = 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers down on string
(notes under bracket are played within one position)
 Stuart Hamm’s Technique 43

using certain fingering patterns that get them through the scales, but often they really
don’t know the names of each note they play. Consequently, this hangs up their reading.
There is a fingering technique that | use to teach; and after teaching it to over 2,000
bass players | know that it really works. The Simand! fingering is a system designed for
string bass anduses the 1st, 2nd, and 4th fingers. The 3rd (ring) finger is not used
independently in the low positions. For example, when playing a note with the 2nd finger,
both the 1st and 2nd fingers are down on the string. When playing a note with the 4th
finger, all four fingers are down onthe string. This fingering covers three frets per
position, instead of four—eliminating the stress of the four-finger stretch inherent to
guitar fingering.
|feel this fingering works better for most people for three reasons: (1) The strings on
an electric bass are thicker than those found on a guitar, and require more effort to push
down; (2) the frets on along-scale bass are farther apart than those ona guitar, and
therefore the Simandl fingering will not be as strenuous as the four-finger guitar fingering;
and (3) an electric bass’ strings are farther apart than a guitar’s.
A studio player generally must read without looking at his or her lefthand, andthe
Simandl fingering system facilitates this. |have included below a few examples of scales
comparing guitar-style and bass fingerings. Remember the following points, and you'll
be playing the easiest way:

1. Keep a big space between the 1st and 2nd fingers; don't let the knuckles touch.
2. Keep the fingers curved—don't let the 2nd finger collapse.
3. Use your thumb as a pivot when going overto the low strings from the high strings
(your elbows come forward, too). This helps to keep your fingers curved, and
prevents flat-finger grabbing.
. Practice in front of a mirror, so you can see your hand.
. Don’t take your hand off the neck when playing an open string.
. Keep the 1st finger down when playing a note with your 2nd finger. Keep all four
ooo
fingers down when playing a 4th-finger note.

By Herb Mickman

Stuart Hamm’s Two-Handed Technique

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Stuart Hamm’s style is his approach to Guitar Player magazine August 1988
two-handed playing. Rather than simply hammering on with his right hand as amere
embellishment, he uses itin much the same way as his left hand—sliding as wellas
fretting. In “Flow My Tears,” from his solo aloum Radio Free Albemuth, he splits the
repeating main melodic line between both hands. The first four notes of the music shown
here are a left-hand part (written in bass clef and shown in Figure 16). Stuart says that
they can be plucked with the right-hand fingers or thumb. All of the next eight notes are
played bythe right hand. The hand position for the first four treble-clef notes is shown in

“Flow My Tears”

©1988 Theory Music/Ubik Musik, BMI.

44 Technique :

Figure 17. Hamm’s right-hand position for the next three notes is illustrated in Figure 18.
Three slides (indicated by a diagonal line with the letter “S”) are performed in this series.
The final two notes are a hammer-on and a slide, both created by the left hand.

By Tom Mulhern

Figure 16.

Figure 17.

Figure 18.
The Haslip Approach
Here are two examples of my approach to the bass. Figure 19 is taken from “Matinee Guitar Player magazine February 1988
Idol” on Yellowjackets. It shows a funk fingering and popping technique utilizing a
Classical-type picking approach for a bass played left-handed and strung right-handed. |
use my left-hand 1st and 2nd fingers to fret the low notes, and my left-hand thumb to pop
the higher notes. Note that ‘'1” stands for the picking hand’s index finger, “2” for the
middle finger, “P” for plucked finger, and “T” for thumb hammering.
Figure 20 is taken from “Top Secret” on MirageA Trois. It demonstrates a technique
for using only the left-hand thumb for all the notes. The low notes and the high plucked
ones are done with the thumb, and the slurring is accomplished with the fretting hand.

By Jimmy Haslip

Figure 19.

¥i i
Excerpt From “Matinee Idol” By Russell Ferrante

roe ee eee
= a
©1983 Teeth Music/La Viera Music/Barracuda Music, BMI.

Figure 20.

Excerpt From “Top Secret” By Jimmy Haslip and Russell Ferrante

Mr Sia bie le 2 iF iT
S25 ,
Sesee gees!
P ;

©1981 Teeth Music/Barracuda Music, BMI.

46

The Wimbish Touch

Guitar Player magazine October 1987 Instead of using a method-book approach to right- and left-hand fingerings, Doug
Wimbish opts for his own unorthodox but comfortable style. He uses a combination of
different techniques for each type of music he plays. For basic playing, he favors a
one-finger-per-fret-spacing, with his left-hand 1st finger acting as a capo or nut. He often
uses his pinky when trilling, even ifthe trill is only a whole-step away. He plucks with one
or two fingers, and although he’s not against using a pick when it’s called for, as it was
with Mick Jagger, he prefers to use his fingernails for the same effect. Wimbish plays
chords with his right-hand thumb and all four fingers, either in a fingerstyle motion or by
striking the strings with the back of his hand and four fingers for a continuous, “galloping”
effect.
For reasons of clarity, Wimbish’s specialized techniques can be divided into three
areas: thumb/hand slaps, harmonics, and tapping. For thumbstyle playing, he keeps his
arm parallel to the floor and moves the entire arm in a reverse Frisbee-toss motion. As he
does this, his wrist pivots toward his body, and his thumb—which is ata 75-degree
angle—strikes the neck at the point where it joins the body. In the recoil motion, his
fingers grab the top strings, pulling them outward. He likes to play drum rudiments,
polyrhythms, and stop-time using his thumb on the low strings to simulate a kick drum
and his fingers on the high strings to simulate the snare.
Applying harmonics is one of Wimbish’s specialties, and he not only uses distortion
as a way to bring them out, but tapping, two-handed slides, and heavy metal dive-bomb
effects. For single-note harmonics, he uses the standard method of fretting a note with
the left hand, while muting the string at the half-way point with his index finger and
plucking the string with his thumb. He also applies the Jaco Pastorius method of locating
the correct point with the thumb while pinching the string between the thumb and index
finger. He slides harmonics on his fretless on one or more strings, and often expands
upon these ideas by tapping. ;
While tapping techniques are gaining popularity every day through players such as
Stanley Jordan and Billy Sheehan, Wimbish brings his own fresh approach to the art. He
begins with a loose forearm, parallel to the ground, and a loose wrist angled down
naturally from the arm so that when he taps all four strings, he produces an up-and-down
motion like throwing a yo-yo. He taps the strings with the pads and first joints of his
fingertips (not the tips), where he has developed hard calluses. His point of attack is right
on the fret, which produces the clearest tone, although he sometimes strikes between
the frets to add tone colors. Again he frets the desired note with his left hand and taps at
the halfway point, dividing the string equally.
Wimbish’s left-hand tapping is similar to his right in that he strikes the strings with his
finger pads. But he taps the string between the frets and pulls his fingers away from the
fingerboard with his thumb anchored on the neck, or he pulls his entire hand away if he is
playing in more of a keyboard style.
From this point Wimbish begins his variations. Aside from using two-handed,
ten-fingered taps to imitate drum flams and rolls, he employs both index fingers,
alternately tapping a straight eighth-note figure on the same fret to simulate a sequenced
bass line. He melodically lines up an arpeggio and reels ifoff, creating altered chords and
progressions along the way. Moving back into harmonics, Wimbish mutes notes with his
palm, unleashing lead lines. By fretting a G note with his left hand and rapidly tapping at
the correct intervals down the string, and by hitting a low F note with his left thumb, he
reproduces the overtone series while creating arich polychord of G/F or F13#11.A
favorite technique involves fretting a note with his left hand, tapping the harmonic with his
right, and then bending the string and the one above itwith his left hand. As the harmonic
ascends to its peak, he taps the harmonic on the string above and lets that one descend,
producing a provocative sound.
The keytoWimbish’s style is the way he mixes all of his techniques while holding
down the groove. He explains, “! can do all of them within four bars, or support an entire
song, if I'm playing alone. | can provide the drums, melody, harmony, and bass parts.”
A good example of several Wimbish effects at once occurs in what he calls the
“flamenco slap.” Illustrated in the musical example below, this involves a combination of
techniques within a two-bar phrase. The figure on the first and third beats of the first bar
 The Wimbish Touch 47

and the first beat of the second bar involve tapping the E string at the base of the neck
(see Figure 21). With his index finger and thumb positioned as if he were about to pinch
the string, he taps the eighth-note and alternately taps, pulls outward, and taps the triplet
figure. The second and fourth beats are both pulled outward with his thumb onthe E
string and his index and 2nd finger on the D and G strings, respectively (Figure 22), the
difference being in the fingered notes for the left hand in beat two, as opposed to the
barred harmonic at the 5th fret in beat four. The final two beats of the phrase involve two
hands on the fingerboard (Figure 23).
He pulls out the G string with his right-hand index finger while playing a continuous
hammer-ontrill of the notes D andE withthe 1st and 3rd fingers of the left hand. After
triggering the trill, he shifts his right index fingertothe G # on theA string and taps the
syncopated ascending line, ending up in a good position to repeat the phrase by tapping
the open €E string again. It should be noted that to achieve the desired effect, the exercise
must be played at between 144 and 192 beats per minute, the tempo at which Wimbish
used similar drum-type licks in his onstage solo intro to ‘Lead Boots” with Jeff Beck.
Playing it at any tempo will open you to new techniques and ideas, so start slowly!
Wimbish also suggests that you feel free to make harmonic changes, such as using
different chords onthe second and fourth beats or changing the ascending linetoa
descending one reading D, C#, C, andB onthe E string. But he stresses the importance
of thinking rhythmically first and foremost, pointing to the last two beats, where the two
rhythms play off of each other. In this piece it is the rhythm that creates the motion and
the interest.

By Chris Jisi

“Doug Wimbish Flamenco Slaps”

natural harmonic V

| See Ee ee eee ee
Liga Lag
p

Figure 21.

tap with right hand index finger

ascending on A string
©1987 Serious Bass Music,

Figure 22. Figure 23.

Rs! a B oF i My is i
 Playing Solos
Guitar Player magazine January 1977 Playing solos onthe bass, and taking the role of alead-type player ina musical
situation, is a very interesting subject. |am asked quite frequently about it,so |thought |
would start this discussion by giving some of my ideas on lead playing.
The first thing |must dois explainthe basic role of a bass player (one who usually
plays a bass viol or an electric bass guitar). Just knowing the meaning ofthe word “bass”
as defined in Webster’s Dictionary—‘‘an instrument of the lowest range’’—it is very
obvious that the first, most important thing for bass players to remember is that since their
sound is of the lowest range, naturally they would have to handle that area in the music
being dealt with. | know that sounds very simple, but it is very true.
Next in the role of bassists is what they do with that sound. Now what is usually done,
and what’s been going on for as long as | can remember, is that the bass player is one
who acts as aharmonic stabilizer as wellas a stabilizer of rhythm. In other words, ifa
bassist is playing asong that has three chords that repeat one after the other, each
getting one beat—something like a C chord to anF chord to a G chord, etc.—the way to
apply this idea of the bass’ role is to play the roots of the chords C, F, and G. And at the
same time the bassist plays each one of those roots on every beat it appears.
Of course, this can be altered to suit anyone’s own particular taste—i.e. one could
extend the range of the instrument by adding extra strings (which allows for a higher
range to work with) or by playing notes other than the roots of chords, andso on. The
possibilities are endless; however, | must stress that anyone who really wants to become
a good bassist should have some idea of the role that goes along with the instrument. All
the great bass players I’ve listened to extensively have had this “knowingness”—musi-
cians such as Paul Chambers, Scott LaFaro, Richard Davis, Charles Mingus, Billy Cox,
Noel Redding, Ron Carter, just to name a few.
|could go on forever about the role of the bass player, but this is enough for what we
are going to cover here. Howthis fits into soloing as a bassist is very simple. Ifa bass
player is using an electric, and is playing with, let’s say, an electric piano, electric guitar,
and drum, I’ve found itwise to alter the bass sound a bit for soloing (especially with these
other instruments). Maybe make it “brighter” for the solos and then come backto the
normal sound for ensemble playing. I’ve found that this helps me enormously when I'm
peforming or recording. The problem that this overcomes is one of clashing timbres
when, for instance, the timbre of the bass drum is directly in the range of the bass’ timbre.
All you need do to handle this is change the timbre of one of the two sounds. You'd be
amazed at the difference just a very slight change will make.
As far as actual playing is concerned, if a bassists want to feel comfortable soloing
they should familiarize themselves with whatever music they're going to be dealing with.
If you are going to solo in a song that has chord changes like one bar ofA minor to one
bar of D7 to two bars of G minor, you’d better know something about those chords—what
the notes are in the chords, and what scales can be played from these chords.
Even more important is getting the overall feeling of the song. This can be accom-
plished by maybe playing the melody, orjust simply listening to the song as a wholeto get
the concept of it,so you can have something to work off. When |was practicing a lot what
|used to doto strengthen my improvising ability was sit down at the piano and play
chords, write them down on paper or maybe just remember them, and make little
exercises using the scales | knew were related to the chords. This sort of thing can also
be done in almost the opposite way—| would get a scale | liked (and, boy, some of those
scales were weird), then find the chords that would go along with the scale, and |’d write
songs that way. For example:
 Soloing Through Changes 51

Scale (D Lydian mode)

es
Possible chords Dmaj Emaj/Dmaj Dmaj/E

A very important factor in all this is getting yourself to the point where you can apply
this sort of stuff. Any piece of technical information is not fully understood in its fullest
sense until it can be applied. Meaning: A person could remember all the notes of all the
chords and scales in his or her head, and that’s about as far as those scales and chords
would go unless the musician applied them by playing and practicing and working with
them until he or she could play them inside-out.
| used to sit down and listen to a lot of John Coltrane records and try to figure out what
he was doing. |remember one song called ‘Out Of This World” [The John Coltrane
Quartet, Impulse, 21] that was basically a very simple song with only a few chords to it.
But! could never figure out how John could play so much stuff even within just one
chord. So | listened and listened and finally came to the understanding that basically he
was dealing with about eight notes related to the chord, and he was taking these eight
notes and doing everything possible with them, playing them all in different sequences,
and at the same time (underneath it all) making everything sound very melodic, and
comprehensive to me. When | finally understood what he was doing, |applied what |had
found, used it,and came up with all sorts of ways to play off the scales and chords in this
song.
|have noticed that when bassists have a very good grasp of the music they are
playing—being able to play it at will any way they wish to—they can create the greatest
bass lines, can play the most creative solos, and are usually very happy about it. And the
other musicians they are playing with are usually very happy, too.

By Stanley Clarke

Soloing Through Changes

One of a bassist’s most valuable assets is a good harmonic sense. In addition to a Guitar Player magazine January 1989
well-trained ear, a well-rounded understanding of harmony and melody will set you apart
from the rest. Since alot of today’s music doesn't offer the opportunity to hear players
brilliantly solo over chord changes, |suggest going back and listening to some of the
older recordings by Wes Montgomery, saxophonists Charlie Parker and John Coltrane,
and trumpeter Miles Davis just to hear how the masters of improvisation dealt with chord
changes. This frame of reference will benefit your playing in all styles of music.
Even though our primary responsibility as bassists is to lay down the foundation for
whatever music we are playing, this does not exclude us from having to know what to do
when it’s time to solo. An understanding of scales and arpeggios will help you go through
the changes and provide conceptual maturity. | find that there are certain patterns in
chord changes that occur frequently; for instance, the |I-V-| progression. It’s everywhere.
So let’s take a look at a few examples: Figure 1 simply shows a |l-V-| progression in the
key of C with Dm7 being the I! chord and G being the V chord.
lfthese chord changes were put in front of you and you were asked to solo over them,
what would you play? Well, as for the Dm7, an arpeggio comes to mind, either starting on
the root and playing up the arpeggio or starting on the 7th and playing down (as in Figures
2a and 2b). Also the use of the scale for Dm7 (Figure 3). Combined usage of the scale
and arpeggio is also an interesting approach (Figures 4a and 4b).
The next few examples are just various ways to approach playing over these
changes. You don’t necessarily have to start on the root when playing changes, and one
of the qualities of a good soloistis being ableto distinguish the chords, even without
accompaniment. Don't let the G# in Figure 5 scare you. Likewise, don't be intimidated by
some of the other chromatic tones (Figures 6, 7, and 8), because even though these
notes don’t appear to be in the actual chord, remember that when you are improvising,
you make the rules. Just don't abuse the privilege.
|hope that these examples spark your imagination and inspire you to experiment with
playing over changes. Obviously, the more you try, the better you will become. Another
interesting challenge is to pick any Charlie Parker sax solo and learn it, as the late Jaco
Pastorius did with ‘Donna Lee.” Thereis so much valuable information there, and
learning those types of solos on bass simply upgrades the status of the bass as a solo
instrument (as Jaco did). Of course, good taste in knowing what to play and when to play
it is the key to being a great bassist.

By Nathan East
Figure 7.
Dm7 G Cc

lim7 Vv I

Figure 2a. Figure 2b. Figure 3.

Dm7 Dm7 Dm7

34124214 41241
41 2

Figure 5. pm7 G Cc

Figure 6. Dm7 G Cc

Figure 7. Dm7 G Cc

OE a es 2 ss Be!
Uy (ey eS CS WE

Figure 8. Dm7 G Cc

——
CEE 2) Ee 0 eee ae en eR
Se Ce ee a d0k ete Gees
’LPO IED pce | #&§66=ss’'_ ging
| —|—_}-—— FREES, AS,
Playing Written Solos
|was pleased to get a call from Jimmie Haskell, a well-known arranger/composer Guitar Player magazine August 1985
here inL.A. He’s gotaresumé chock full of TV, aloum, and movie credits. Producers
Michael Elias and Rich Eustis had given him the okay to write music for an ABC TV show
Originally titled Dick And Tracy, which was later renamed Eye To Eye.
Jimmie needed a bassist who read well and could play rapid sixteenth-note bass
lines. This is almost unique, since studio bass parts are usually chord changes and
“functionally correct” bass lines. We recorded at the Burbank Film Studios in Warner
Brothers Soundstage No. 1 (the same soundstage where Casablanca was set to music).
This was the first TV show |ever worked on, but |had done a million commercials and
other reading jobs, so the situation was basically thesame. The great studio players who
do this kind of music day-in and day-out are masters at sight-reading, playing witha
strong time sense, playing with a click track (drummers are especially good at this),
correcting sheet music, and—finally—changing their sounds on demand. This
combination of abilities relates directly to any gig that you might get as asection
musician with, say, Sammy Davis or Tom Jones.
The following is one particular bass part Jimmie wrote for me, a bass solo from bar 1
to the end. |was allowed 60 seconds to look itover, and one run-down before they hit the
“record” button. We taped this cue at a metronome tempo of 148 beats per minute—
each beat a quarter-note. No kidding. I’m glad |didn’t know the tempo ahead of time, or |
might have been even more nervous than |already was. The solo alternated between the
written line and chord symbols, which | used as a basis for improvising. Knowing how to
work from chord symbols is important because although you may not get calls to play
fast music, you certainly can expectto alternate between notes and chord symbols.
Learn the piece slowly, and then increase the speed so that you can get a feeling of the
whole piece as a monument to bass panic.

By Jeff Berlin

Studio Date Sheet

Fah. Aass DICK&TRACY 203731

54 : Technique

©1985 Warner Bros. Music. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Soloing On “Latin”
Guitar Player magazine August 1986 Instead of giving you a transcription of my bass solo on “Latin” [from /vanhoe, Inner
City, 1C 1162], | thought that it would be more interesting to show you which modes or
scales | used to play my solo, so that you will be abletocreate your own phrases and
later use the system for other tunes that present similar chords. The tune is very simple,
and it’s very good for practicing the Lydian modes.
The Lydian mode is built on the 4th degree of the major scale. In other words, if you
play aC major scale starting from F (thatis, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F), you are playing FLydian.
If you play aD major scale starting from G (G, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G),youare playing
F Lydian. This is the case with all the major scales; again you start on the 4th degree.
The first chord of the solo is aDm17, over which you play the D Dorian mode (built on
the 2nd degree of the C major scale, or D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D). Allthe other chords are maj7
chords or maj7b11 chords, over which you play the Lydian modes.
 Soloing On “Latin” 55

lf we had to determine an order for which modes to play over a major 7th chord, |
definitely would say the Lydian should be the first option, and the major scale itself only
as the second option. (Of course, for the maj7#11, itis definitely the Lydian mode, due to
the raised 11th.)
To play with these modes, you are not limited to the one octave that | have written on
the chart, and also you don't have to start with the first note of the mode. You can start
phrasing from any note within the mode. It should be not only a pretty easy exercise, but
also an enjoyable one.

By Bunny Brunel

“Latin”

Dm11 Dbmaj7
(play D Dorian, based on C major) (Db Lydian, Ab major)

Dm11 Bmaj7 Bbmaj7

(D Dorian, C major) (B Lydian, F # major) (Bb Lydian, F major)

Amaj7 Cmaj7
(A Lydian, E major) (C Lydian, G major)

Dmaj7 Emaj7#11 Emaj7#11

(D Lydian, A major) (E Lydian, B major) (F Lydian, C major)
io Se e 2 = Ib

Emaj7 #11 Emaj7 #11 Ebmaj7 #11

(E Lydian, B major) (F Lydian, C major) (Eb Lydian, Bb major)

©1982 S.A.C.E.M. Brunel Music.

 LEON! POLAT LL BA DI AY
POPUPS NAA EIA FENPAADRALEE
REAL, «ikl b pecwernrnes ADIN A

index finger of right hard hotds FP. :

whole chord with. 4th finger of right !
 re Chapter G6:
| Progressions,
: Patterns
a o— Bass Lines |
ad, wt
a ain: ve
+4 emt
er esa=
oars
58

Progressions,
Patterns
& Bass Lines
Variations In Blues

Guitar Player magazine May 1988 Sometime in your career as a bassist, you will find yourself in a situation where you
must know howto play the blues. This is a simple task for most pros, but even still, there
are so many different variations and feels, tempos, and so forth, that it can sometimes be
difficult to interpret the music correctly.
Time signatures are big variables. While some blues songs are in 3/4 time, many are
also in6/8 or 12/8. Plus, the various feels range from bebop jazz to shuffle or rock.
Sometimes a blues progression sounds happy using major chords (ifthat makes any
sense—happy blues?), as opposed to the serious, down-in-the-dumps, depressed,
heartbroken effect that can be achieved by using all minor chords at a very slow tempo.
Let's take a look at a shuffle feel, using the key of G in 4/4 time. Even in this one feel,
there are several variations within the framework. Figure 1 shows the standard
approach, a walking bass line that moves to the IV chord in bar 5 and back to the |chord
in bar 7, with the V-IV-| cadence giving you your basic 12-bar blues progression.
Figure 2 uses the same basic progression with a more rhythmic approach. Don't let
the F4in bar 1 throw you, even though itcontradicts the key signature. Such a clash might
not get past your theory teacher, but he'll get over it.
Figure 3 is yet another variation using substitute chord changes within the 12 bars.
This particular set of changes is sometimes referred to as the “New York changes.” It’s
quite a refreshing variation to use during a solo—for instance, as a slight departure from
the repetitious, normal 12-bar pattern. Since the nature of a blues progression is to
repeat over and over, it’s good to try coming up with parts that keep the bass line
interesting. In all types of music, it’s important to figure out ways to keep the song building
Or growing.
Figure 4 is yet another way of moving a progression along, usina our old friends, the
double-stops. They seem to liftthe whole ensemble from the bottom. |love when that
happens: It makes the bass player look good!

By Nathan East

Figure 7. G13
 Bass Patterns : InMinor Keys 59

Bm7 Bbm7 ‘Eb11 Am7 D7#9

Il-V-| Walking Bass Patterns In Minor Keys

Here are some variations of walking bass lines over a chord progression called the Guitar Player magazine March 1981
Il-V-lin harmonic minor keys. In order to clarify the principles behind this and to help you
understand the examples, | will first go over a few musical fundamentals.
Each note of the major scale is assigned a corresponding Roman numeral that
indicates its scale step, or degree; see Figure 5. If we build a series of four-note chords
using only the notes contained in that scale, we get a group of diatonic, or scale-tone, 7th
chords; see Figure 6.
If youemploy the idea of superimposed scale tones ina harmonic minor scale
context, the result is similarto that in Figure 7. If we build a series of diatonic triads on that
scale, the results are like those in Figure 8. In Figure 9 we see the effects of building up
four-note chords based upon a harmonic minor scale.
One of the most common chord progressions in minor keys (or in parts of songs that
modulate to a minor key) is the II-\V-!; see Figure 10. In harmonic minor, the II chord is a
half-diminished 7th (a minor 7th chord with a lowered 5th). The V is a dominant 7th, and
the | chord is a minor/ major 7th (a minor triad with a major 7th interval).
Nowlet’s look at some different approaches to creating a walking bass line to use
with these chords. Figure 11 contains 20 bass lines that show how to maintain the sound
of the chord progression while playing a quarter-note pulse. Patterns A through E in
Figure 11 all include chordal tones, while F and G are based on scales. Parts H, |,and J
employ only chord tones, while pattern K is more melodic and departs from the use of
roots on the downbeats.
Herb Mickman

Figure 5. Figure 6.

F major scale Diatonic_ 7th chords in F major

maj7 m7 m7 maj7 7 m7 m7b5 maj7
ae
| ee
| " DIV: a Wi OMA eeVAL !
ES |
eS ee
wom
eee owe ovo ovo vit
 Figure 7. Figure 8.
F harmonic minor diatonic triads Gm7>r5 C7 Fm/maj7

eel i AS IVES SV vit 1

ee =e

Figure 9. Figure 10.

F harmonic minor diatonic triads Diatonic tour note chords in harmonic minor
m dim aug m maj maj dim = maj m/maj7 m7>b5 maj7#5 m7 7 maj7 dim7 m/maj7

eS SF Se
vl vil

Figure 17.

A Gm7>5 c7

>
SSS ee

Dee et re ee ee =

ee eee =

pies ee pF pa epg
2 aS ae eee
eee ee { 2S ee

Bass Turnarounds

Guitar Player magazine November 1985 | look at music as sound that takes place in time, is governed by time, created bytime,
intime (tempo). Listen to the “song” that a train plays while rumbling down the tracks.
Tasteful timing makes good music and controls the flow and intensity of it,just as good
training makes for excellence in performance. Knowing the why and when to of doing
things is the key to becoming the great accompanist that every musician should strive to
be. The howtocomes from listening. First, you must learn to listen ahead, in order to
anticipate what is coming, so that you can create the desired support for the lead
instrument or vocal, while simultaneously listening to yourself and the other musicians to
see how your part fits into the big picture. Atthe same time, you wantto be flexible
enough to change your part instantly in reaction to what you see and hear.
 Bass Turnarounds 61

One of the best examples ofthe art of timing and listening is found in the creation and
playing of turnarounds, or transitional phrases. Turnarounds occur in the last two bars of
averse and act as a transition to the chorus or the next verse. They can happen so often
that there is a tendency to run out of ideas or to be intimidated by their importance. Try
looking at them as a series of staircases leading to the different floors of the musical
edifice you are constructing. Be aware that it isn't necessary to play something different
at every turnaround. When playing the melody portion of an arrangement, one
turnaround used over and over can become another primary element in the song. Most
pop, rock, R&B, and blues bass lines use this concept of repetition. You might want to
select a few turnarounds to put to work for an entire song. Now, you can employ a
rhythmic/melodic approach (a fill) to create a turnaround, or you can use a harmonic/
rhythmic approach (a pick-up and/or lead-in), or a combination of both—anything to
create excitement or interest, stirthings up, keep things going, bring things to an end, etc.
In other words, you want to create motion. Sometimes this motion comes from the
original line itself, and then there is no need for anything new to be added.
How do you approach the turnaround? For example, we're playing the introduction to
Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll,” and we’ve reached the turnaround (Em7 to A7). Think
“staircase.” Do you run down the stairs, slide up the banister (musicians are magicians),
or walk up one step at a time smoothly, or peg-leg (in an uneven gait)? Do you continue
using the same line or something new? At this point (the intro), what do you want to say in
order to introduce the melody? Decisions, decisions, decisions! Ask yourself: “Was the
preceding portion dramatic, amusing, somber, or exciting—and in what style?”
Now that you are acquainted with some of the artistic considerations, let’s get into the
“skill” side of what to—as in whatto play. From an accompanist’s standpoint, what to
concerns harmonic propulsion and rhythmic drive. For instance, we start out in the intro
ofa 12-bar blues; we're playing in a swing feel, straight four on the bass, and then we
reach the turnaround. Ifyou don'tlisten and think ahead, you might run out of ideas, since
the I7 chord is employed for both bars of the turnaround in traditional blues. Working
within this tight framework challenges creativity. Walk up the I7 chord using part of the
blues scale (root, third, fourth, lowered fifth) and down the 17 starting on the 5th (fifth,
fourth, third, second) using the major scale to lead to the first floor, or the verse.
Now we're at the last two bars ofthe first verse (the turnaround). Walk up the !7 chord
(root, third, second, fourth), and continue walking up from the Sth of the |7 (fifth, sixth,
lowered seventh, natural seventh), using the major (fifth and sixth) and chromatic
(lowered seventh and natural seventh) scales to put you on the second floor (the verse)
in a higher register. At the end of the second verse, walk down from the higher register
(tonic, lowered seventh, sixth, lowered sixth) using chord tones (tonic and lowered
seventh) and the chromatic scale (sixth and lowered sixth) to the 5th; continue walking
down (fifth, fourth, third, second), leading to the third floor.
So far, we've played three turnarounds using only harmonic propulsion to create
motion. Now, we’re going to add rhythmic drive. The rhythm is the eighth-note triplet
divided long-short (also thought of as a triple-let):

3
tae

J 3
This rhythmic alteration should be played only on the first beat of the 17 turnaround, so
that you have rhythmic and non-rhythmic interpretations of each of the three turn-
arounds, thereby making a total of six new turnarounds (2 x 3=6; by combining rhythmic
and melodic patterns, a few concepts can be multiplied into an astonishing number of
actual turnarounds). Now, if you do the same thing to the last bar of the I7, you will have
three more rhythms times three harmonies, which equals nine turnarounds. Suppose
you were to alter each beat so that each triplet is grouped with the first two notes tied
together. You would then have eight different rhythmic patterns:

Be): fl tealesfove JN J ogelgahiey oy«

 JNM yd dS WNT ym
These eight rhythmic schemes multiplied by three harmonic patterns equal 24
turnarounds. In reality, if you use every possible combination of those eight beats, you'll
have 64 rhythmic variations (82 = 64, or 8 x 8 = 64), such as altering beats one and eight,
one and seven, one and six, etc.; two and eight, two and seven, two and six, etc.; and
three and eight, three and seven, three and six, etc. By multiplying the 64 rhythmic
patterns by three harmonic versions, you have 192 turnarounds. And we're just getting
started! The ability to make changes in turnarounds is a must for supporting, setting up,
inspiring, and moving the ‘‘new” music during the solo or instrumental sections ofa
piece.
Now that we've gotten this far, let's go back and simplify and summarize our thoughts
on this what to skill. Each eight-beat harmonic line has 64 rhythmic interpretations that
use just one rhythm! Let’s now add extra rhythmic drive, a full eighth-note tripletanda
triplet with an eighth-note followed by two eighth-notes tied together:

3 3

ee Pusizd

With these three, you will have a total of 192 (3 x 64) versions of each turnaround line,
and if you combine them, you'll have a huge number. So, for the three turnaround lines,
we can Say there are at least 576 (3 x 192) variations. Now, suppose you combine the
three turnaround lines harmonically. Four of the six turnaround measures were
completely different; the other two were repeats of the pattern that uses the progression
of the fifth, fourth, third, and second. These four different bars yield 16 different harmonic
interpretations, so we're really saying 2,072 (16x 192) versions derived from three
harmonic lines using the eighth-note triplet. Need |say more? Okay, |will. If you use the
other divisions of the basic beat—two eighth-notes, four sixteenth-notes (halves of
eighth-notes), and their combinations, you will have seven more rhythms, bringing you to
a total of ten:

With this, each harmonic line will have 640 (10 x 64) rhythmic variations, and in this
case the 16 harmonic possibilities times the 640 rhythmic variations yields 10,240
possible turnarounds. Needless to say, the point here is not that you should atttempt a
computer-like memorization of thousands of turnarounds, but rather that you should be
aware of the enormous variety of combinations awaiting your exploration.
Now that we have a good idea of what to, and know that there is plenty of it, let’s talk
about the effect that certain rhythms and harmonies have on turnaround phrases.
Knowing this will make the how to and the why and when closer to your actual feelings,
allowing you to crystallize your self-expression and make an accurate statement.
The use of the monotone (one note repeated, which provides relief when you're tired)
creates tension and dynamics when played as quarter-notes (see part a in the following
figure). When played as eighth-notes (b), you add excitement, and the dynamic aspect
becomes more dramatic. As eighth-note triplets (c), you build a climax of a lighter mood.
As sixteenth-notes (d), you create a riveting intensity along with the dramatic and
exciting aspects of the eighth-note.

b
UWimee sh ves see
cme Be EG
c d

The same holds true for melodic lines, which use more than one tone. Therefore,
when you're composing a turnaround or any melodic or harmonic line, think of the feeling
that you're trying to create, and then apply the appropriate rhythmic grouping.
The use of many notes creates free motion, as in the jazz and classical styles; using
fewer notes in arrhythmic pattern tends to lock—to create a groove, or a patterned sense
of motion, as in R&B, Afro-Caribbean-Latin, and rock and roll. Pop music can be anything
from a strong blend of all styles to a watered-down version ofjust one. It is most important
to learn all styles of music in their purest forms. Each has a different sense of why, when
to, and what to, but the how to is always the same.
In reality, every time the bass changes a chord, it’s creating a turnaround because
harmonic changes naturally create turnarounds within themselves and readily become
part of the melodic structure as one change leads to the next; such is the case ofthe II V7
| progression and the first ten bars (I7 17 17 17 IV7 IV7 7 V7 IV7) of a 12-bar blues. Since
the last two bars of the blues (17 17) are the same as the first four, you have to supply the
harmonic propulsion through your own melodic creativity. Here are afew examples
using the overworked || V7 | progression and the challenging |7 to!7 progression that
yields over 100,000 different turnarounds when combined harmonically and altered
rhythmicaly 320 ways for the 14 one-bar phrases (four beats) based on the |7
progression, and 640 ways in the case of eight two-bar phrases (eight beats) based on
the || V7 | progression. Note: The arrows mean whether the following note is above or
below the one preceding tt.

14 x 14 harmonic phrases x 320 rhythmic alterations = 62,720

I7 7
1 3 4 #4 5 6 bh 7
1 17 6 46 Be dee Seto
Coe ae) 5 de 65
Trarb bie 6 Pines Wer ne
pee A Done) pope
Ciara Sieh cans
ee eres 6 5 65 4

8 x 8 harmonic phrases x 640 rhythmic alterations = 40,960

lim7 V7 I
a: ees 5 ae ees
ath 3 5 pe meal
toa We: i ah a
Ow eae iOE dg
ser Rn 3 el aR
eae td tte Sf
ie bi 4 T4 (ea be
Sg.he 5 4 RAE Le 7
64

Here are the 10 divisions of a single beat:

pape
IVD Oy es i

Bassists should learn to build chords and arpeggios using any of a chord’s notes as
the lowest. For example, the first inversion of a major chord is spelled out 3 5 1 (3rd, Sth,
root). Using the E string to play a chord’s 3rd, build the chord 3 5 1 35, lowest to highest.
Do the same thing using the second inversion (starting with the chord’s 5th as the lowest
note):5 135. Thentry35 1351 and51 351 3, usingtheE string to play the 3 and 5, as
well as the 5 and 1. Add the 7th to the patterns, and listen to the melodies being formed.
Here are a few written examples derived from patterns in the blues shuffle, traditional
jazz, rock, R&B and Afro-Caribbean-Latin styles (1 3 4 #4 and 56 b7 47 over two bars of
the 17 chord, and 1533 and1 765 over two bars of the II V7 | progression). Play the
progression slowly as quarter-notes to get familiar with their sound. In a few cases, I’ve
employed the monotone to create tension and additional harmonic propulsion when
connecting the phrases. You, too, should think of the “main” notes of a phrase as
landmarks, and use harmonic propulsion to satisfy the rhythm you're using to connect
the phrases.
The blues shuffle and traditional jazz both employ some form ofthe eighth-note triplet
forrhythmic drive. Take note of the placement and frequency of the rhythmic drive of
these two styles. Rock generally employs the eighth-note and simple harmony, often
based onthe blues. R&B style generally relies on some form of the eighth-note and
sixteenth-note rhythms with additional harmony to support these rhythms; whereas the
Afro-Caribbean-Latin style employs the same rhythmic elements in a more relaxed but
syncopated fashion with inverted harmonies. Within each of the two-bar phrases, either
bar can be crossmatched with bars from other examples for more possibilities. In most
cases, you can create a six-bar vamp by playing the two preceding measures, the two
turnaround measures, and the | chord for the two measures in the same rhythm as the
two preceding measures.
Very often, one is inspired and forms anew melodic/harmonic idea based on an
existing one—by reinterpreting the original idea, or unconsciously altering it, or
misinterpreting it. But as a result, a unique new idea may be formed that might suggest
substitute or additional harmony. You want these kinds of variations to blend harmoni-
ously. However, you might want to change the original idea altogether to make the best
musical statement.
Additional information on turnarounds and improvisation can be found in my
forthcoming book Studies In The Art And Skill Of The Professional Bass Player, as well as
in Chuck Sher’s The /mproviser’s Bass Method [Sher Music Co., Box 40742, San
Francisco, CA 94140] and David Baker’s The Blues [Chas. Colin Pub., 315 W. 53rd St.,
New York, NY 10019]. Listen to some of your own favorite musicians to observe how they
handle turnarounds.
These turnarounds aren't just abstract ideas without basis in reality either. In fact,
some of my favorite recordings on which! performed use many of these turnarounds.
These include B.B. King’s Live & Well [ABC, 819] and King Curtis Live At The Fillmore
West [Atlantic, 40214]. Notice onthe cut “Why |Sing The Blues’ that! play adifferent
turnaround with few exceptions for 20 verses, and change from locked time to free time
on the 16th verse. With King Curtis on “Memphis Soul Stew,” it’s the V7 all the way, and |
play alead-in approximately every four barstocreate a turnaround. On the late Jaco
Pastorius’ “(Used To BeA) Cha-Cha,’ from his first solo album, Jaco Pastorius [Epic,
PE-33949], notice how he used lead-ins and fills to create the turnarounds throughout
the piece, especially during the vamp at the end. Also listen to the simple rhythmic figure
at the turnaround of Ashford & Simpson's “Solid” [Ashford & Simpson, Capitol, ST
12366]. Notice the simplicity of the turnarounds used in Lionel Ritchie and Michael
Jackson's “We Are The World” [We Are The World, Columbia, USA-40043]:
 ie J : Speen Pe SESgal
With the art and skills of how to (by listening), why and when to (style, taste, and
timing), and what to (your vast musical vocabulary and magicianship), you will be able to
create the necessary turnaround with courage, confidence, and conviction.

By Jerry Jemmott

Bass Turnarounds

Traditional Jazz
The preceding two measures
d=50 ballad
@=120 swing VI7 iim7 v7 I lim7 v7

gg
A

Rhythm And Blues

The preceding two measures
4=100
ey |
ea

Rhythm And Blues Ballad

The preceding two measures
4=50 lim7 v7 1 \im7 V7 '
3

z ==

iim7 V7 I m7 v7 l Iim7

-H
Se | # somos al oe
66 Bass Lines —

Afro-Caribbean-Latin
The preceding two measures
/=120

oa ses
2 a a” SS St
EEE
EEE RD aD Ee SSM /TiS SSeS. Tt es
TEESEA ASR SERIO 29) RE SR TS | Sa ©ae 1. ees ae

Blues Shuffle
The preceding two measures
é=120 «7 IV7 17 17
ea
ius Drees eee Beano eS Se aioe ! | OF DO [f Re« | 4
EE S22. 4S i ee ee’ 2 eee 2 SS Se SSeS S03 OED O° AED ED ED,
pe ee i] a 4 OWS ies aei) 5 es.
EER ” en ED) | ESAT RETS (ELEY A” AE a) EY" AS) ee

e/a? 7 aise ji tot

Se a
}-——-__
SS |}aed
"4
a aa = So
SD Sa

Traditional Jazz
The preceding two measures
d=120 ballad
4=50 ilm7 v7 17 7 17 7,

Rock

v7 IV7 17 17 17 7

Rhythm And Blues

The preceding two measures

=!
>> a i esae a ee to « | @ Os Ea
{ ESS EST SE GS a Be Ee SE Ee A ESS EY Se ee I OI ee
LL SS aT Se yt Oe SaaS
FP eee 2 Ree ee 2S | SS eee [_| | ee 2
 Bass Turnarounds 67

Funk Bass Lines

Funk music is great. |especially love funk bass players and funk drummers. When Guitar Player magazine June 1986
two great funk specialists get together, feet aren't still, heads aren't still, and bodies twitch
like they've been zapped with 10,000 volts. And it’s all good for you, too.
Here’s an idea to help you find some funky bass lines for yourself. First of all, the title
of “funk” has amuch wider meaning than it used to. Prince is considered funk. So are
James Brown and Earth, Wind & Fire. But for now, let’s stick to the Tower Of Power
syncopated style of funk. If youread music, simply transfer the instructions not onto
music paper, but into a cassette machine as you do the exercise verbally. Have a
metronome going at around 48 beats per minute while you sing your parts. This way you
can separate your rhythm decisions from the actual downbeat your metronome has
provided.
Okay, let's begin our funk recipe. First of all, take 16 sixteenth-notes. This adds up toa
full 4/4 bar.

—S PANAS ASD ERAIN DDI

Nowrandomly keep some of the notes and replace the others with sixteenth-note
rests. You can choose any amount of rests and notes. Here are my random choices.

| ASST ALANA ETT ADT ADA

The non-reader might try to assign a verbal sound for the notes you keep, such as a
hard spoken “Dot” to represent the missing notes, you might attempta softly uttered
“Pooh.” Itmay seem silly, but give ita chance. Your tape should come out sounding
something like, Dot Dot Pooh Dot Pooh Dot, etc. Just make sure that all together you
have uttered 16 sounds in order to complete a 4/4 bar.
Next, put your example into a musically readable fashion (looking like a drum part).
Combine sixteenth-notes and sixteenth-note rests only if they lay ina four-note
grouping. Look at this example:

oe FT) TIT ||
The non-readers should now pick up their basses and listen to their tapes. Play one
note on your instrument and learn to play only the Dot portion of your verbal example.
You may need a few passes. Listen to the metronome on the tape and work on isolating
only the Dot sound and playing each Dot on your bass.
Finally, it’s time for you to assign certain pitches to the rhythms we've used, just as a
composer would do. Written below are the note choices | made to work with the rhythm
line |came up with.
68 BassLines _

This method of funky line-writing should enable you to come up with many variations
of bass lines. If you consider
the other possibilities in3/4, 6/8, 7/4, 5/8, and so forth, you
have ample opportunitytoamaze your friends and foes alike by demonstrating whata
funky individual you really are.

By Jeff Berlin

Patterns With Chord Progressions

Guitar Player magazine March, April 1987 Sometimes the improvising bassist is required to learn songs quickly by ear. This
musical skill improves with on-the-job experience and from repetition of various chord
progressions. Our ears get used to certain sounds, enabling us to find the bass notes
very fast. Naturally, the ability varies from player to player. :
I've found that a good memory and a lot of knowledge helped me even more, since
my ear wasn’t very well-developed in the early part of my career. However, | started to
see that there were some common chord progressions, and soon my ear “digested”
them. Then | heard a trumpet player practicing sequences (patterns) with chords. What
he played sounded easy and logical, so |tried it. twasn't as easy as |had anticipated, but
as |spent more time on it, my ear improved. So |decided to make up some other patterns
and practice them on all kinds of chords, in all keys. It’s been a lifetime study!
To do the following patterns, you must first understand chord inversions. An inversion
is basically a different arrangement of a chord’s notes so that the root is not necessarily
on the bottom. If the root is the bottom note, the chord is said to be in root position. If the
chord’s 3rd is lowest, it’s in first inversion. And ifthe 5th is the bottom, then the chord is in
second inversion. Finally, ifthe 7th is the bottom note, the chordis in third inversion. Take
a look at Figure 12 to see the differences between these inversions. Most of us have
seen chord symbols with a line under the chord’s name. The note on top or to the left of
the line is the name of the chord, while the note below the line (orto the right) is the
desired bass note.
In Figure 13, we see an F7 chord (a dominant 7th), and there is a bar with an exercise
to be repeated until it’s memorized. Figure 14 is inthe first inversion, Figure 15isin
second inversion, and Figure 16 is in third inversion. Play these until you have them
memorized, and then write out the inversions for all the other dominant 7th chords.
Practice them, too, until you have them memorized.

Figure 12.

F7 F7/A F7/C F7/Eb

root position first inversion second inversion third inversion

root on bottom third on bottom fifth on bottom seventh on bottom

chord ._

Ge bass note

Figure 13. Figure 14.

root position F7 first inversion F7/A

Figure 15. Figure 16.

second inversion F7/C third inversion F7/Eb
 Chord Progressions 69

The patterns in Figure 17 use root-position dominant 7th chords. We begin by going
up anE7 and down an A7, but only using the 3rd and root of the A7. Play the first bar over
until it’s memorized, and be sure you're not doing it completely by ear—know the notes!
The second bar is an F7 to Bb7, and so on. The pattern goes up chromatically until you
reach the highE7 toA7; then it comes down, finally ending on E7to A7. Read it many
times and listen to the sound of the chords; then memorize the exercise.

Figure 17.
E7 A7 F7 Bb7 F#7 B7 G7 C7 Ab7 Db7

bel
0 SS
SS Sees
Ce
_—————
ees fra oo eed re ghee:
Ss
CS"
a
See
VO ree
eee eee
aera

or— es
Sse fee
=
Sie a= ae ee BS
eae
BS SS eee

aaa
=Sees e geese = ee

When | was taking harmony class in high school, | was just becoming aware of
chords built onthe tones of the major scale. They're called diatonic triads, and are all
illustrated in Figure 18. In this instance, the chords are built on the scale tones in the key
of C major. Notice that the |, lV, and V chords are major triads. The chords built on the II,
Ill, and VI are minor triads, and the chord built on the VIl—the seventh note of the
scale—is diminished. This pattern of major and minor triads is the same in the other keys
and should be memorized.
| learned a valuable lesson in my harmony class—simply that there are several very
common patterns that chords followin songs. One of the most common progessions
involves the Il chord (a minor triad) moving to the V chord (a major triad). See Figure 19a.
|started to check out a lot of popular music, and |found Il, V, |progressions in almost
every song. | drew up alittle chart of II, V, |progressions (Figure 20) and memorized it.
Over the years it has proved invaluable. My ear developed, |became more experienced,
and soon | could hear a ll, V, | progression coming up in a song.

Figure 20.
Figure 18. rs, se é

Diatonic
i ic triads
tri (scale-tone
= chords) 8 Dm
ris eG Cc
:
eae § Am D G
Cm F Bb
Chord I T mM IV Vv VI vil 1 Em
ae A
ab D
4.
type: major minor minor major major minor diminished major Bm E A
Figure 19a. Figure 19b. Bbm Eb a
Root-position triads First inversion triads Ades a at
Dm G Cc Dm/F G/B C/E C#m FH B
Db Gb
C# F¥#
Gb Cb
 To get more familiar with the chord notes and chord progression, I've made up two
effective exercises. In Figure 21 we start with Em, A,D—the II,V, |progression in the key
of Dmajor—and ascend chromatically, playing every II,V,! combination up the the Il,V, |
inD anoctave higher. Then we descend chromatically, ending with the same three
chords we began with.
Figure 22 utilizes first-inversion triads (Figure 18b shows their structure). This means
that each triad has the 3rd of the chord as its bottom note. While the notes in each of
Figure 21’s arpeggiated chords ascend, the notes in Figure 22 descend. Play through
these exercises many times until you’ve memorized them.

Figure 21. By Herb Mickman —

Ascending li V1

Descending ll V_ |
Ebm Ab Eb Dm G Cc Em A D
a. wo
. is
/ SA eS A Ee ES PP LE RSS Eee PEI
ISS aes

Figure 22.
Ascending ll V_ |

EMBER) Bo il ea ee
ES EEE STE BER,“ E PLAS PESERSRTEE EN ¢ / SS SSS ae

Descending ll V I
F#m B E Fm Bb Eb Gm Cc F

Happy Endings
Guitar Player magazine July 1988 For all the time musicians put in creating, learning, and otherwise working with songs,
all too often a song’s ending gets a second-class treatment. The following examples take
a look at some ideas for song endings. Perhaps you'll find that you have already heard or
played some of these, but in any case they do come in handy, especially if you want to
finish a song with something a bit more interesting than a held chord orjust a simple
cut-off. In classical music, the final phrase is called a cadence. An example of this is
shown in Figure 23. In contrast, Figure 24 is a modern show-type ending that we have all
heard and probably used fairly often. This is known as your basic, standard, on-cue,
works-every-time ending.
Figure 25 is yet another familiar standard ending that can be used at the endofa
swing/blues progression (|even heard this type of ending on an early Prince record).
Most guitarists have dozens of variations on final phrases, and it’s greatto listen and
borrow, if you like. Remember, though, a little goes a long way.
I've picked up a few good ideas along the way—for example, the ending of “Cross-
roads’ from working with Eric Clapton. When we play itlive, it’s similartothe example
shown in Figure 26. The ending that we use onstage for “Further On Up The Road” looks
like Figure 27. Note the arpeggios in Figures 28, 29, and 30. These—especially Figure
29—are probably the most difficult to play, thus making them great warm-up exercises.
And you know how much we enjoy warming up. Figure 29 also makes a great diminished
arpeggio exercise (in this case, G diminished). It’s great for daily exercise, too.
As usual, start very slowly and gradually increase the speed until you can play itwith
ease ata brighter tempo. I’ve also included some fingerings that work for me on this
 | -
"Happy Endings |

particular exercise. You may want to experiment with your own different fingerings.
Now, ifyou're ever working in Hawaii, Figure 30 will make a handy ending; it’s a good
exercise, too. Last, but not least, Figure 31 is a TV-jingle-style ending.
These are but a few sample endings. Create your own, and ifthey're distinctive, you
may find people hiring you for your great endings. ;

By Nathan East
Figure 23.

(Cadence)

= 4
Figure 24.

Figure 25.

Swing y

SS ae
Figure 26.

Blues Vv IV 1 vi

Sees ieee oI
Figure 27.

Jazz/Swing m

Blues v IV I " Vv I

70, Gib A aeAmb aE

Figure 30.
Hawaiian
"'C.
 Types Of Scales
Guitar Player magazine August 1978 Sooner or later, almost every bass player willbe confronted with a chart that will
call for some improvisations within a scale. Usually, it will be indicated like this:

Eb Dorian
= ae Ee ee SS (SS ee Roe
2 See etc.

You willbe expected to play an accompanying bass part that outlines the scale (and
maintains the scale’s feeling or sound). Needless to say, there are many scales to learn.
Itis even more important to practice them—one at a time—in all 12 keys. Take each one
and memorize it, first covering one octave, then two.
At the end of this article is a list of the 15 most commonly used scales. Some of these
are modal sequences, which are derived from the major scale. The modes are
constructed by starting an eight-note sequence from the various notes in the major
scale. Each Roman numeral represents a step of the C major scale to start from:

now wWwoVOoVEovi 1 tt tt Ww Vv vie vil

| tol is the C lonian mode

ll to Il is the D Dorian mode
III to Ill is the E Phrygian mode
IV to IV is the F Lydian mode
V to V is the G Mixolydian mode
VI to Vi is the A Aeolian mode
VII to VIl is the B Locrian mode

Here are the various attributes of the scales and modes shown below: The major
scale is used with major chords, as well as major 6th and major 7th chords. The Dorian
mode is generally applied to minor 7th chords (starting on the root): the Phrygian is used
on some minor 7th chords (starting on the root) and on major 7ths (starting on the 3rd).
Major 7th and minor 7th chords can beflavored by using the Lydian mode (start your
bass line on the root); the Mixolydian is useful on dominant 7th chords (again, start on the
root of the chord).
The Aeolian mode (otherwise known as natural minor) can be used with minor and
minor 7th chords; you should start on the root. Youcan use the harmonic minor scale
with minor and minor major 7th chords, starting at the root; melodic minor can be used
with minor and minor major 7th chords (starting at the root), and dominant 9#11 chords
(starting on the Sth). The Locrian mode is applicable to minor 7b5th, or half-diminished,
chords; start this mode on the chord’s root. The whole-tone scale can used with
augmented 7th chords (starting on the root, 3rd, or 5th). The blues scale can be used on
major, minor, minor 7th, and dominant 7th chords; start this scale on the root of the chord.
 _ Two-Octave Major Sca 75

The major pentatonic scale is generally used with a major, major 6th, or dominant 7th
chord, starting from the root. Its counterpart, the minor pentatonic scale, can be used on
minor, minor 7th, (starting at the root), and major 6ths chords (starting at the 3rd). The
diminished scale may be used with a diminished 7th chord (starting on the root, lowered
3rd, lowered 5th, or double-flatted 7th). It can also be employed with dominant 7b9
chords (starting on the 3rd, 5th, lowered 7th, or lowered 9th), minor 7b5th (half-dimin-
ished 7th) chords (starting on the root, lowered 3rd, or lowered 5th), and minor 7th
chords, starting on the root or lowered 3rd.

By Herb Mickman

Scales And Modes

C lonian mode (major scale) C Mixolydian mode (dominant scale)

D o
QS eS ES ea ee ee SS oes 94 S58)< SSS p r)
ee a ee ee
4 Se Sees Ss

Two-Octave Major Scales

Becoming comfortable with scales everywhere on the fingerboardisnecessary fora Guitar Player magazine
complete understanding of the bass. We are going up the fingerboard to play six major |August, September 1985
scales in a two-octave range. First, briefly review the notes that go above the staff. Study
Figure 1 below and memorize it.

Figure 1.
 There are several fingerings for two-octave scales. Memorize the six major scales in
Figure 2 with the fingerings indicated. First, take the top fingering and play it every day for
at least a week. Then try the scales with the lower fingering, and see which one you like
better. Be sure you are aware of every note’s name—not just the fingering.
There are a few points to memorize about these scales. All of them startin first
position (2nd fret) with the exception of F major, which begins in half position (1st fret, the
lowest position on the bass). In all of the scales, your 1st finger will be on the fifth note of
the scale in the second octave. Additionally, the 2nd finger will be on the third note in the
second octave (with the exception of E major). The sixth note in the second octave of
each scale is played with the 4th finger.
In the major keys of G, Ab, and A, the top note is played with the 3rd finger. This
pattern starts when you play the note G (on the third ledger line above the staff). This is
because the frets start to get closer together, and this fingering compensates for that.
(Remember, the 3rd finger doesn't fret notes in the lower registers; it accompanies the
4th finger in holding the string down for better intonation.)
Be sureto followthese concepts: When it says ‘2nd finger,” keep the 1stand 2nd
fingers down on the string. When it says “3rd finger,” keep the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers
down. “4th finger” indicates that all four fingers should be down on the same string. Keep
your thumb in the back of the neck, with a big space between your 1st and 2nd fingers,
and move your thumb as you change positions.

Figure 2.
E major 1 Sy Lee are
ee ec a
1 1
Ee GES a Ss aes De ea ee ho a Ee 2 a ee ee
E=— fet a BeBe Sas RES Ae Sees
SS
eee Ee ee Pe. ES
SS ee Se ee ee [oe ——
 On most electric basses, the highest fretted note is Eb, so you will have explored the
entire range of the fingerboard. Within these scales, you will find some alternative
fingerings. For now, after you have mastered the top fingering, try the fingering below and
see which one you like better.
These scales go high and require the use of many ledger lines (Figure 3). One way to
omit the ledger lines is to write high notes in the treble clef (Figure 4). But since most
bassists don't read treble clef fluently, this isn’t very practical. Another way is to stay in
bass clef and write notes an octave lower than normal, using the “8va” symbol (short for
octava), which means to play the notes one octave higher than written (Firgure 5). This is
the method |prefer, which makes them easierto read until you've gained experience
above the staff.

Figure 3.
I11¢ II1b 1116 Il1b
| Cc D E F G A B Cc D E

Figure 4.

Let’s look over the scales in Figure 6. These six scales have some similar fingering
concepts (they apply to the top fingerings only). In all of these cases, the 1st finger plays
the first and fifth notes in the second octave of the scale. Likewise, in the second octave,
the 2nd finger plays the third and seventh notes; the 3rd finger holds the sixth and top
notes; and the 4th finger frets the second and fourth notes. All start in half or first position
(1st and 2nd frets, respectively).

By Herb Mickman

Figure 6. ne ee
Bb major
78 Scales

Figure 6 (continued).
Db major lsrepena aeerse | Ferra ra | eet a eaearea | iepgea bs MER NE!oagee| (ae reagl (See reat

= See
Doe

sees Gugderrree

lpeaaaee | aaa aa| tee Ty | FS ea ae |

Perna 06 erareres HORNemerya PT Pee |
Eb major
et Ge Ee 2) a eee ES EE) (SS) es SR a Ee Ee a SE SS ee SS eS (eames) TEES TED TT)

FE EIS ESS ne Ren Gries S|

b>—+-—_}+ aes ES

Pe Be 0) i At di ob | AL oh ete a eee eee ee oa es fas amie VRE Uae o/b uit»

i 1 4 1 4 ‘ 4 2 1 4j 1:
LU——.D string ——" U——D string——

The Natural Minor Scale

Guitar Player magazine There are three kinds of minor scales: the harmonic minor, the melodic minor, and
February, March 1986 —_—the natural minor. The following exercises deal with the natural minor scale (also known
as the Aeolian mode). If you look at the example below, you can see that compared to the
major scale, the natural minor scale has three notes lowered one half-step: the 3rd, 6th,
and 7th.

major scale

Lets take the scales one by one, and try the fingerings that go with them. Watch for
position shifts (fingerings in one position are indicated by a bracket over a group of
notes). As usual, we are using traditional bass positions, so ifyour index finger is located
atthe 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Sth, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th fret, the respective
positions are: 1/2, 1,11, I/II, III, III/IV, IV, V,V/VI,
VI, VI/VII, and VILA bracket undera
group of notes indicates that the group is to be played on one string.

By Herb Mickman
 TheNatural Minor Scale 79

E minor
first position

E minor
first position

A string

E minor
TI
first position

all on E string

F minor
|
half position

F minor
al
half position

E string A string E string

F # minor
first position

F# minor
first position
G minor
half position

D string

G minor
[ 7 1
half position

A string D string A string

Bb minor

Bb minor
half position ye a ep

a
fea Gs a ey eee

A string D string A string

B minor
first position

B minor
fi ri
irst position 1] Eee | cS
C minor
half position

C minor

D string D string
C# minor
first position rs rae
-

C# minor
first position ieee] pees eee

D string G string D string

D minor

first position

D minor

D string D string

Eb minor
half position —_S o_O oor Sos

G string
82 Scales

Eb minor

half position | I lf If II lf Vf l

D string G string D string

G# minor
first position ~—— ;>—_ aa oi

A string D string A string

A minor
half position

all on A string

The Diminished Scale

Guitar Player magazine October 1979 The first time | heard Ray Brown play bass was at the Newport Jazz Festival, around
1959. |had heard him several times on records, but the impact of hearing this jazz giant in
person taught me a valuable lesson. It showed me how helpful it is to see and heara
player, rather than just hear him. |was able to pick up quite a few licks that day. The next
time he came to town | knew alittle bit more about what he was doing, and |managed to
copy down what is shown in Figure 7.
Although |didn’t get the rhythm accurately, |was able to get thisunusual combination
of notes and study it. |showed it to a pianist |knew who immediately told me it was a
 The Diminished Scale 83

diminished scale. Itis formed by alternating intervals of whole-steps and half-steps (see
Figure 8). My pianist friend told me that jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie was playing hip
patterns on that scale back in 1947!
| was in love with the sound of the scale and began to practice it and construct
patterns on it. After a while | could do all the patterns over a two-octave range. Also, my
ears began to open up and tell me where to use them. Here are the four chords that the
scale works best with and the starting notes for each scale:

Chord Type Starting Note

Minor 7th Root or b3rd
Half-diminished 7th Root, b3rd or, b5th
Diminished 7th Root, b3rd, b5th, or bb7th
Dominant 7th 59th 3rd, 5th, b/th, or b9th

Here are several sequences. First master the basic scale (Figure 8). Play it until you
have it perfect (one octave in all 12 keys), and then try each sequence in all keys.

Herb Mickman

Figure 7. Figure 8.

4 2424 2422 121 4 re i ey 0

ae Se) ee Se [ne
J |= ———————_—
OO SS

ie. 2
es ae eS Bees oes GS Se SSS SS ES Se CS eer See Se
a
ee ae eeBS SS Sa beeen ee SS (ee ee

re. Sl
—H a
2s ee a
——
BS
—— po ph tie ty. er
a —t <= —
 The Minor Pentatonic Scale
Guitar Player magazine December 1979 The use of different types of scales for jazz improvisation goes backto the ‘40s, when
musicians were feeling new influences of such musical giants as saxophonist Charlie
Parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianists Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and others.
Some of the scales that they brought to jazz soloing were the diminished and the
whole-tone scales.
To gain facility with any scale requires a certain amount of practice and experimenta-
tion. | believe that doing a lot of musical calisthenics with a scale helps to get your ear
used to the various intervals found within it. With enough practice you can sharpen your
ear to the point where you are able to follow through on practically any idea you “hear” in
your head.
Just running up and down scales in a solo context sounds corny and contrived to an
experienced listener, so remember that a scale is just a group of notes that will givea
certain sound over the chords utilized in a piece. And although the best improvisers use
scales, they will vary them so that they don’t sound mechanical.
The minor pentatonic scale (Figure 9) is one of the most common sounds employed
intoday’s music. Just about every great improvisor has used it. And while some have
used it consciously, many more play it simply by ear. The minor pentatonic scale can be
used along with minor triads, minor 7th chords, and dominant 7th chords, starting on the
root of each.
Play each ofthe patterns below in all 12 keys. Note that Figure 13 has three additional
rhythms, which will help break up the monotony of concentrating on scales.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 9. Figure 10.

Figure 11.

Figure 12.

Figure 13c.
U8 BE

<I
CE Ee

SS I
ee eS

CS) =a SO
ee Pea

eI
The Whole-Tone Scale

Let's look at what some theorists callasymmetric scale—one that consists ofthe Guitar Player magazine January 1980
same interval pattern throughout. We will start with whole-tone intervals (see Figure 1 4).
The whole-tone scale became popular in jazz improvisation inthe late 40s, and
some of the jazz licks shown in Figures 15, 16, and 17, were typical of jazz’s bebop era.
The scale was used with two types of chords: the augmented triad (Figure 18) and the
augmented 7th, which is a dominant 7th chord with a raised 5th (Figure 19).
To get the sound of the scale fixed in your ear, you will have to play it over and over
many times, until you are certain that you're playing it right. After mastering it over one
and then two octaves, start to do the sequences shown in Figures 20, 21, 22, and 23. Play
them in all 12 keys. Figure 24 shows how chords can be constructed on each note of the
scale; all the triads are augmented. (These chords are the basis for Figures 15 and 25.)
Some of the piano giants who were using this scale were Bud Powell and Thelonious
Monk. |would suggest checking out any of their records for some examples ofthe
whole-tone sound. Familiarity with their whole-tone chordal and single-line structures
can be a valuable tool for any bassist.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 14. © whole-tone scale Figure 1 oe

Figure 18. Caug Figure 19. Caug7

Figure 20.

Figure 23. Reverse thirds

 >

Encountering The Dorian Mode

Guitar Player magazine Many years ago, when |was in highschool, |took a harmony course, and through my
January, February 1981 — studies |became aware of different types of scales. One day the teacher told us to place
Roman numerals under each note of the major scale. It was explained that ifyou play all
of the notes from |through VIII, or, in other words, |through |(say, C to C, or D to D, etc.),
the result would be a major scale. There is a Greek name often associated with the major
scale: the lonian mode (see Figure 26).
We found that there were indeed other scales besides the major scale, and
proceeding through it until that same note was reached one octave higher, we would be
constructing a scale called the Dorian mode (see Figure 27). Whereas the major scale
contains half-steps between its 3rd and 4th notes and 7th and 8th notes, the Dorian
mode has its half-steps located between the 2nd and 3rd notes and the 6th and 7th
notes.

Figure 26. Figure 27. Figure 28.

Major scale or lonian mode ite Dorian mode Gm7
= c+ aes ae 2 = = os
Bee Se Sa == |
I mom Wve ovE vi vin
(1)

The basic concept of how the modes were constructed went in one ear and out the
other until a few years later, when | heard a very impressive record called Kind Of Blue
[Columbia, PC-8163] by trumpeter Miles Davis (with pianist Bill Evans and saxophonists
John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly). Throughout this album, the musicians were
involved in improvisations based upon a scale, rather than chords. It turned out to be the
Dorian mode that they were working with, and since the ‘50s this mode has become a
standard tool for nearly every jazz musician.
| realized that just knowing the scale’s construction wasn't enough to really get it “in
my ear,’ so |began to play the scale over two octaves and in sequences that covered all
keys, starting in the lowest positions on the bass, working up.
Before we delve into the Dorian mode exercises below, let me give you a guide to the
fingerings | have written under each note:

0 = open string
1 = 1st finger on the string
2 = 1st and 2nd fingers on the string
3 = 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers on the string
4 = all four fingers on the string

It's important to keep each preceding finger down as you go to the next one; that is, from
1 to 2, from 2 to 3, etc. This helps to improve your tone, plus it makes your motions more
 ‘The Dorian Mode —87

efficient. For example, if you must go from the 4th finger to the 1st, you won't have to lift
your 4th finger up and put your 1st finger down; rather, you simply lift the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
fingers in one motion, and leave the 1st in place.
Notice that brackets (7) are located above some sections ofthe exercises. All
notes under a bracket are to be played in one position; that is, even though you change
fingerings, your hand remains poised at the same position.

By Herb Mickman

E Dorian a Tame Bates;

a
: SS Fs
- t 2

o 1 2 1) 1 4 0 1 4 0 1 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 1 0 4 1 0 4 1 0 2 1 0

F Dorian ee eta gtaoe 5

=a +
1 2 4 1 4 0 1 4 0 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 it) 4 1 0 4 1 4 2 1

F# Dorian eae
ee ee ee ee BSS ee
Sa Se
1 4 0 1 4 1 1 4 1 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 1 4 2 1 4 1 0 4 1

G Dorian ier seers

- =SSS2= == === =
4 0 1 4 0 2 4 19) 2 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 4 1 2 1 4 2 1 4 1 0 4

Ab Dorian eo ls (eS ee ot ie
De == Ss Se ee
=
4 j 1 4 1 2 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 | 3 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 2 1 4 1 1 4

i — 2 : t 2 : f ve = baa

0 1 2 1) 1 4 0 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 0 4 1 0 2 1 0

Bb Dorian

== pot Fae ees i zs |

lee: ==: =femir,es ot ees == are
=
1 2 4 1 4 0 1 1 4 1 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4 1 1 0 4 1 4 2 1

1 1

ae 8va 1 = a
> ipl mgd? a i eee eee
i
lo —- == z 9. 225 e ssf —— v= = E t t = ——

== I j } =e = Pe
=
GmnOoe it © La diegilt 2 4 1 4 1 a 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4 1 4 2 0 1 0 4

C# Dorian
.
ee Peete ce
ee8va ee ae ee

2: = ois os 7 ea a + _a eer fe i t 1 e z r
= ne f —— fae 10 if
a eee eae
cea +| zt — 2
Ea
t ;
ERT aoe
z

MEMS hci Die Zeke but 4 1 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4 1 4 2 1 4 2 1 4

 D Dorian
rae EM 2 =P hewn ig ae eA een gist e 2te ys,
oe a ————_———— ee
0 1 a = i: 1 2 4 1 4 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4 2 f 0 2 i oO

. ee LS
Eb Dorian pie a see ae
2 eS

Sequences on the Dorian mode

Thirds

Scales For Dominant 7th Chords

Guitar Player magazine June 1987 Let’s concentrate on nine scales that are used with a dominant 7th chord (a major
triad with a lowered 7th). The first scale, Figure 29, is the Mixolydian mode, which can be
built by starting on the fifth note of a major scale and going up an octave. This C
Mixolydian mode is the scale for the V chord in the key of F major. Figure 30 is what |call
the harmonic minor Mixolydian mode. It's the scale for the V chord in a harmonic minor
key (in this case, F harmonic minor).
Figure 31 is built entirely in whole-step intervals, and it can be used with a dominant
7th chord with a raised 5th (also called an augmented 7th chord). Many times an
improviser turns a dominant 7th into an augmented 7th chord so that he can play some of
the sounds of the scale against it.
Figure 32 is a Mixolydian mode with a raised 11th (or raised 4th). It’s often used when
the raised 11th is in the melody. Figure 33 is a beautiful scale to use with a dominant 7th
with a lowered or raised 9th. It has a specific interval pattern: half-step, whole-step,
half-step, whole-step, etc. The scale in Figure 34 has some intervals from the dominant
diminished scale and from the whole-tone scale. The scale is built on the 7th step of the
melodic minor scale (ascending form), and it’s used with the 7#5#9 or 7#5)9.
Figure 35 is a blues scale with a lowered 3rd, a lowered 5th, and a lowered 7th. These
are often called blue notes, and they give a particular sound when played over a
dominant 7th chord. Figure 36 is a minor pentatonic scale—a first cousin of the blues
scale. The difference is that there is a lowered 5th in the blues scale. Our final scale,
Figure 37, is a group of notes from the major scales—root, 2, 3,5, and 6. There are lots of
ways to superimpose this over a dominant 7th chord. Many players move up and down
major pentatonic chords built on notes other than the chord’s root (for example, Gb major
pentatonic over C7).
To really familiarize yourself with these scales, start with the first one and play it up
and down over one octave, in all 12 keys, fora week or two. Work through each scale
many times without mistakes before going on to the next one. Then try the harmonic
minor Mixolydian mode. Don't play any scale over two octaves until you can perform all
of these one-octave scales perfectly.
The opportunity to use these scales comes up when we havea chord that lasts fora
bar or more. Some ofthe great improvisers can use them when a chord lasts only one or
two beats. A bassist can apply them in both an accompanying context and in a soloing
setting. Being aware of the key you're in at a particular place in a song helps you
determine which scale to use, and being aware of the melody also indicates which scale
to employ. :
Here are a few general rules that you might want to follow:
1, Any dominant 7th chord (or augmented 7th chord) is the V chord of a particular
key, and that key could be major or minor. Look where it resolves.
2. A lowered 9th in the melody opens up the possibility of using the harmonic minor
Mixolydian mode, the dominant diminished scale, or the diminished whole-tone scale.
3. Araised 5th of the chord in the melody opens the door for the whole-tone or
diminished whole-tone scale.
If you spend some time practicing these scales, you really get their sounds into your
ear, as well as under your fingers.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 29. Figure 30.

Mixolydian mode Harmonic minor Mixolydian mode

Figure 37. Figure 32.

Whole-tone scale Lydian dominant scale

Figure 33. Figure 34.

Dominant diminished scale Diminished whole-tone scale

Figure 35. Figure 36.

Blues scale Minor pentatonic scale

Figure 37.
Major pentatonic scale
Chapter 8S:
Chords

SAS
Speen ae S3
oe 1LSPY ne
OFS SAGES
WAI fiw
 Chords

Chording
Guitar Player magazine rhe bass, unlike the piano or guitar, is not known as a chording instrument. However,
December 1977; January, February 1978 playing chords on the bass can be practical and enlivening for music when done with
sensitivity, creativity, and ability.
Taste, used with integrity, is the most important attribute for playing chords on the
bass. If you're in a playing situation where there is an electric piano and a guitar, and a lot
of chord progressions instead of rhythm patterns, it’s in bad taste for the bass to do the
same (unless of course that piece of music is orchestrated so that the bass must chord).
lf you want to play chords in a situation like this, use them sparsely and intelligently.
* * * *

Thirds and tenths are the same notes, in that raising the third an octave higher than
the tonic makes that note a tenth. Every consecutive line and space of the staff,
ascending and descending, moves back and forth in major or minor thirds (depending on
the scale that is in use).

Figure 7.

G A B CaaD E Fi 2G A B

Figure 2.
Major Example (Key of G)
16th fret, G string >-@-B 12th fret, G string # Major Third
Major Tenth

Figure 3.
The key of G minor is related to the key of Bb and uses that key signature.
15 fret, G string —
Octave Minor Third ——
Minor Third
Minor Tenth

Figure 4is low inresonance and should be used only to familiarize yourself with
thirds. Figure 5 is more practical, because itis an octave higher and will blend more
tastefully with other instruments. Figure 6 is the same as 4 and 5, except the spread
between notes forms tenths, thereby giving the progressions a good chord sound from
the bass.
Figure 4.
Thirds A Bm Cm C#m D Em Fm FimA G Fim E D C A# A
| oe Ue ee ee
St 22 1 ei 82

Figure 5.
A Bm CmC#m D Em Fm Fim A G F#tmE DC A# A

Figure 6.
Tenths A BmCmC#m D Em Fm F#m A GFimE OD C A# A

Open string chording is more effective in overall sound and performance when the
player has the ability to play rhythmically as well as melodically. Let’s take a look at the D
[Figure 7],A [Figure 8], andE [Figure 9] chord graphs of major and minor thirds and
tenths. |’ve provided some exercises to facilitate the use of a bass line with chords.

Figure 7.
Major Example: Key of D 19th fret, G string D
pegeen*
11th fret, G string
7th fret, G string D
== roa Major Third

Figure 8.
Major Example: Key of A
18th fret, G epee Maior Third —<—~ ce
Sth tret, G string c#
7th fret, D string A = Major Third—— Mayor Tenth
Octave
Sth fret, E string A
Tonic

Minor Example: The key of A minor is related to C major and has no key signature.
17th fret. G string Gerave Minor Third Cc
2 Minor Tenth
Minor Third
A
Minor Third
 The open E string is the lowest sounding note on the bass. Therefore, it provides a
wide range of workable bass line ideas using the chording technique.

Figure 9.
Major Example: Key of E
13th fret, G string Major Third
Ist fret, G string Major Tenth
2nd fret, D string

Tonic

Minor Example: The key of E minor is related to G major and uses that key signature.
12th fret. G string Minor Third << t >> Minor Tenth
G
=
Minonithid E
t—— Octave Minor Tenth &—+4
G= Minor Third
E

Chording can be heard on the following tunes: Quincy Jones—“Manteca,’ “Summer

ye

In The City,” and “First Time,” on You’ve Got /t Bad Girl [A&M, SP3042]; Lena Horne and
Gabor Szabo—‘‘Message To Michael,” and ‘Rocky Raccoon,” onLena And Gabor
[Skye, SK15]; Len Novey—“Shy Ann.” on No Explanations [Atco Records, SD33-274];
Donald Byrd—‘“‘Love’s So Far Away,” on Black Byrd [Blue Note, KA047-G]; Etta
James—"Lay Back Daddy,” Etta James [Chess, CH 50042].
The chording diagrams, exercises, and bass lines shown here should be usec to
spur individual changes, resulting in creativity. My concept of creativity in bass lines and
patterns involves changing something already played. The notes that comprise our
music scale have already been created, and several centuries of popular, ethnic, and
categorized music have been written and patterned. The act of changing something
replaces and represents creativity. Your options are to: 1)musically resist what you don't
like; 2) musically solve problems that are personally incorrect; or 3) musically change
something to fit your own individual taste. How you resist, solve problems, and/or
change musical ideas constitutes your individualism and creativity. Thus, the essence of
my theory is that what you create musically is only something you've changed.
The suspended chord produces an unresolved sound. Those in Figures 10 and 11
are formed by using the fourth degree of the scale indicated.

Figure 10.

Degrees: Ist 2nd 3rd 4th Sth 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th

AMaj7 sus4 4
yea) D>8va of #1
1 (4) 2 (@)
(7) = Major 7th

Practical written Practical sounding

range of the chord range of the chord
Figure 117.

4 we > 8va of 22

Observing the Practical written Practical sounding

basic E7sus chord range of the chord range of the chord

Notice that the eleventh degree of a scale is the same note as the fourth degree.
Using either note produces a suspended sound. Your imagination and ability determines
which notes you use, and when, how, and where you use them.
“Possessions” is my own composition. It uses major and suspended chords
rhythmically to achieve its conception. Below, I've presented a segment of that piece.

By Chuck Rainey

“Possessions” By Chuck Rainey

E7(sus4)
i E7

(WEST 0 SS) SS ee ee ee ee —
oN. See Ee ee =

£4
s aes Ss —— — — BS
SS es a)
96 Chords
Chords Around The Cycle Of Fifths
Guitar Player magazine May 1978 When | first started to study the string bass at the age of 15, |had a goalin mind: |
wanted to be able to play jazz in a group. My first jobs were one-night parties—club dates
or casuals. I'll never forget the phone call from a bandleader from another high school,
who gave me all the details for my first job and then said, “Youcan fake, can'tyou?’’|
didn’t want to blow the gig, so | mumbled, “Sure.”
When | got there, the band started to play a lot of standards and popular tunes of the
day. There was no rehearsal, and we didn’t have chord charts. The leader didn't even tell
us the name ofthe next tune. He held up fingers. For example, three fingers meant three
flats, or the key of Eb. Needless to say, |played many more wrong notes than right ones,
because my ear wasn't developed, and |didn’t know how to memorize bass lines. Later, |
played with a pianist a few years older than myself, and he was trying to help me play
better bass notes. He frequently would yell out, “Cycle! Follow the cycle!” | had
absolutely no idea what he meant. So, he drew this diagram (below) for me and said,
“This is the cycle of fifths.”

The cycle (or circle) of fifths is a special order that chords move in throughout the
course of many songs. Any letter name (F, C#, etc.) can be the perfect fifth note of a key:
C is the fifth note of F: G is the fifth note of C; etc. Many songs progress in the clockwise
pattern |have shown. A great number of theorists and music teachers utilize the pattern
in the opposite direction (moving from C to G to D, etc.), but in practical usage, the
progression that |have shown is more commonly used and therefore more directly
helpful to the bassist.
|was told to memorize it,and, as reinforcement, |was introduced to a standard called
“All Things You Are” by Jerome Kern. It employs this concept. Figure 12 shows the
progression; |’ve used brackets to mark off each of the chords asthey go around the
cycle. The song is in Ab major but also goes through several other keys.

Figure 12.

Fm7 Bbm Eb7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 G7 Cmaj7 C6

Cm7 Fm7 Bb7 Ebmaj7 Abmaj7 D7 Gmaj7 G

D7 Gmaj7 G6 F#m11 B7 E Eaug

 |
The Cycle OfFifths 97
Figure 12 (continued).
I : ‘
Fm7 Bb7 Eb7 Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 Gb13 Ab/C Bdim7

fale
Sse On
Bbm7 Bbm7 Eb7 Ab6/9 Ab6/9
ween selene ofan nad
To help you to really memorize it,and to be able to recognize a progression based on
the cycle offifths, I’ve written a few sequences. They should be practiced starting on
every note. Play Figure 13 many times, until you have it memorized. Next, start on F (on
the D string). Then begin at F #, G;and each note, raised by a half-step, until you can play
it starting on any note.
Figure 14, has five sequences involving chords. The patterns in part A follow the root,
3rd, and 5th of every major chord through the cycle. Pattern B is arranged differently:
root, Sth, 3rd. Part C combines the two previous patterns, and D incorporates dominant
7th chords. The final section, E, is the reverse of D: You descend though the notes of the
dominant 7th chord (root, lowered 7th, 5th, 3rd, and then the root and 3rd of the next
chord).
Patterns A, B, and C should eventually be played with minor triads (root, lowered 3rd,
5th), and then diminished (root, lowered 3rd, lowered 5th) and augmented (root, 3rd,
raised 5th) triads. Patterns D and E could also be played with the first chord of each
measure substituted with a minor 7th chord (lower the 3rd on each dominant 7th chorda
half-step; e.g., from D to C#).
Practiceof chords around the cycle of fifths will help expand your knowledge of
chord progressions, and really improve your musical ear. Go at it slowly and listen to
every note.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 13.

apiepir:

eerie aaa ies a

Figure 14b.

Figure 14d.
E7 A7

ee 4
Figure 14e.
C7 F7 Bb7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7 F#7 B7 E7 A7 yd G7

ff if — 0CSE) SST
[——— Fw —-@
——————| 12. GREY ESC
98 Chords

Chord Substitution

Guitar Player magazine April 1982 Shortly after |began to play my first jobs—mostly parties where we performed dance
music—l started working with pianists who would tell me to use specific bass notes in
place of the ones! had chosen. Most of the songs we did presented the challenge of
deciding upon the correct bass notes by ear—there were no chord charts. | was
expected to know all kinds of songs, from old standards to the popular tunes of the day.
When it came to fishing out the right notes, my batting average at age 16 was pretty
poor, and! was frustrated. |bought sheet music and fake books, but the challenge of
learning a million tunes and providing the best bass notes was mind-boggling.
Nevertheless, | was determined to improve myself.
First |knew five songs well, and then ten, and eventually |became intimately involved
with hundreds, Just when |thought | had a song covered, though, |would do a gig witha
knowledgeable pianist who would say something like, “Play Db here instead of G.”
My obsession with playing the best bass notes prompted me to work at the piano to
figure out some alternative bass notes to use with various chords. | discovered a set of
common substitutions that are shown below. | hope that the insight these provide helps
you to make better decisions on the bandstand.
Inmy examples, I’ve given the chords their diatonic number names (numbers that
denote the scale tones upon which the chords are built); ifthis concept is new to you, see
Figure 15. In Figure 16, we will cover some variations on the II-V-| chord progression (the
chords are actually !Im7-V7-Imaj7).

Figure 15.
Diatonic 7th chords in F major
Fmaj7 Gm7 Am7 Bbmaj7C7 Om7 Em7>5 Fmaj7

Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7

In Figure 17 there are several common variations on the II-V-I chord progression in
the key of F. Also, |’ve written a pattern that should be practiced and memorized in all
keys, because its use Is called for in so many songs. In other words, an advanced pianist
or guitarist may change the original chords to a song in order to improve the flow of the
harmony.
A few things determine what variations should be made. One is the melody note and
its relationshipto the chord (if anote clashes with the chords, it may not be a good
choice). Another is the type of song. Some tunes lend themselves to more lush chords,
while others sound best with very simple harmony. The key word is taste. Ifa substitution
doesn't sound good, don't use it. You'll find that your taste develops from a lot of listening.
The best way to become really aware of chords substitutions is to play a duo or trio
gig with a good pianist over a long period of time. There were many opportunities for me
during myfirst years on the bass, and so| had hundreds of impromptu lessons onthe
bandstand. |also gained a lot of insight by comparing the chords in sheet music to those
used on recordings of the same songs.
Practice the following exercises, and try applying their principles to familiar songs. In
Figure 17a shows a |lm7b5 acting as a substitute for a IIm7 chord. “b” demonstrates a
substitution of a II7 for a Ilm7. “c” shows a bVI7, which is a dominant 7th chord raised a
both from the Il chord, as a substitute for the IIm7. ‘‘d” illustrates a bII7, whichis a
dominant 7th chord raised to a b5th from V7, acting as a substitution for the V7. “e” shows
a substitution of the V7 with a V7aug. The final example, “f” shows a substitution of the V7
with a VII7, which is a dominant 7th chord in first inversion (its 3rd is in the bass), a minor
third higher than the V7 chord.
 . Four-Note Chords 99

Once you have practiced these substitutions for a while, you will be able to find many
uses for them (try them in songs with which you're already familiar).

By Herb Mickman

Figure 17a. Figure 17b.

Gm7>5 C7? Fmaj7 Gm7>5 C7 Fmaj7 G7 C7 Fmaj7 G7 C7 Fmaj7

a” Ara a ae |
Le—--- pi —_1 Saas
a vb

Figure 17c. Figure 174d.

Db7 C7 Fmaj7 Db7 C7 Fmaj7 Gm7 Gb7 Fmaj7 Gm7 Gb7 Fmaj7

Figure 17e. Figure 17f.

Gm7 C7aug Fmaj7 Gm7 C7aug Fmaj7 Gm7_ €E7/G# Fmaj7 Gm7 E7/G# Famj7

SS aeeee
ee

Four-Note Chords
Some ofthe problems that bass players encounter inlearninghowtousechords Guitar Player magazine February 1978
stem from the fact that the overwhelming majority of the examples shown in literature
dealing with harmony are written in the treble clef. This is fine for most musicians—vio-
linists, pianists, and, of course, guitarists—but bass players read bass clef. Also
contributing to the problems confronting the bassist is that reading materials that discuss
the nomenclature of chords usually deal only with basic chords, and while many books

Figure 18.
Chord Possible notations Characteristics Chord Possible notations Characteristics

Major 7th Major 6th

Fmaj7 A major triad with the 7th step of the = F6 A major triad with the sixth note of the
FM7 FA major scale added. ae major scale added.

Dominant 7th Minor 6th

A major triad with a lowered 7th added.
FZ, This cherd is often referred to as a Fm6 A minor triad with the sixth note of the
7th chord. =a Fmin6 Fmi6 F-6 major scale added.

voi aed Fm7 A minor triad with a lowered 7th (domi-

Seabee nisin F7#5
A dominant
smipans
7th with
Banaue
ted
= (raised) 5th, or an augmentednen?
triad
Fmin7 Fmi7 F-7 nant 7th with a lowered 3rd). —— Faug7 F7augS F+7 with a lowered 7th.
F7+5

Half-diminished 7th Minor-major 7th

Fm7bS This is a minor 7th chord with a lowered : = Fm(maj7) A minor triad with the seventh note of
Fmi7-5 F-7-5 (or diminished) 5th. eo ————___ Fmi(add7) =~—Fmin.#7 the major scale added.
F#7 Fmi-M7 Fmi+7

Diminished 7th A diminished triad with a double-flatted Dominant 7th- suspended 4th

= al Ub edaed: “Tbe chord can) aise, De 2 niaust A dominant 7th with the fourth note of
F°7 thought of as a series of three minor SS F7sus the major scale replacing the 3rd.
3rds.
 discuss chord construction, very few concern themselves with the specific needs of
individual instruments.
So, because of these shortcomings in instructional materials, most bassists pick up
what they need to know about the functional aspects of chord construction, usage, etc.
from other players at rehearsals, jam sessions, orjust in the course of conversation. This
isn’t necessarily bad, but chord construction is not always the easiest thing to learn, and
picking up the “hows” without knowing the “whys” of chord usage can tend to make
things more difficult. Also, some important points can be overlooked if the person
showing you how to play something only refers to a specific instance and does not give
you an idea of general principles that will work in all cases.
Because of these problems, | have put together some guidelines to add to your
understanding of chords—their characteristics and notation. It will certainly require a lot
of concentration and a concerned effort to memorize and to be able to use these chords
as abasis for understanding chordal harmony. It willalso take much practice; reading
these guidelines will only account for about one percent of what is needed to use chords
fluently. tis necessaryto write out each of the chords in all 12 keys, and to practice
running up and down every one of these examples. As you will see in Figure 18,there
may be a few different ways to notate each type of chord; some musicians will use one
notation, while others are more inclined to use another. Therefore, itis advisableto
familiarize yourself with all of them.

By Herb Mickman

inversions And Arpeggios

Guitar Player magazine June 1979 Inthe last ten years, chord notations that indicate specific bass notes (other than the
root) have become very common. For example, the symbol used to indicate a Bbm chord
with an F bass note looks like this:

Bbm/F

First you see the chord name, followed by the slash, then the bass note. Figure 19 is a
bass chord chart to a song with a lot of different chord inversions. Actually, inversions are
just rearrangements of the chord notes in such a way that one ofthe notes other than the
root is on the bottom.

Figure 19.
Cmaj7 £7/B Am7 C7/G D/F# G/F Em7 Cm/Eb

In Figure 20 an A major chord is shown in “root position”; that is, with the root on the
bottom. Then the chord is stacked in what is known as its “first inversion” —the 3rd is on
the bottom. The next part of Figure 20 shows theA chord inverted again, this time with the
E (the Sth of the chord) on the bottom. This is known as the “second inversion.”

Figure 20.

A A/C# A/E

Root first second

position inversion inversion
 Diminished Chords 101

The basic idea behind inversions is not hard to understand, and gaining facility in
their use in solos will come about through practice. Below are some routines forjust this
purpose. Play each one in every key. For example, play the arpeggio in Figure 21 in all 12
keys, using major and minor triads. Then try using diminished and augmented triads.
Next, practice Figures 22 and 23 in the same way. The pattern in Figure 24 combines a
root-position triad in alternation with a first-inversion triad. After you have mastered
Figure 24 (and are able to start on any note), try playing through it by making the first
chord of each measure a minor triad—just lower the second note of each bar by one
half-step.

By Herb Mickman
Figure 27.
arpeggio

Figure 22.
inversions arpeggiated

Figure 23.
variation with triplets

Figure 24.
variation using circle of fifths
F Bp Ep Ab Dp Gp B E

Diminished Chords
There is a skill that almost all bass players will be called upon to use sooner or later: Guitar Player magazine
chord chart reading. I’m sure that most of you have had a piece of paper set in front of November, December 1980
you with no musical notation other than the abbreviated names of multi-note groupings,
otherwise known as chords.
One ofthe things that |became aware of in my early jam session days was that many
chords are not played exactly as written. It seemed that the better guitarists and piano
players had some mysterious, magical insight into what the composer actually meant,
but was unable to put down on paper. |would like to focus on what | have learned about
diminished chords, both as triads (see Figure 25) and as four-note chords (see Figure
27).
A diminished triad is a three-note chord that can be explained in two ways. First, it is
like a major triad (which includes the root, third, and fifth of a major scale), except with a
lowered 3rd and a lowered 5th. A second way to look at it is as a chord composed of two
minor third intervals placed one on top of the other (see Figure 26).
A diminished 7th is a four-note chord that has a root, lowered 3rd, lowered Sth, and a
double-lowered 7th (see Figure 27). Therefore, a diminished 7th chord is made up of
three minor third intervals stacked upon each other(see Figure 28).
|have written a series of exercises to attune your ear to the sound of diminished
chords. Be sure to play them in all 12 keys. Note that in these exercises, all 3rds, ths,
and 7ths are lowered. The pattern in Figure 29 is root, 3rd, Sth, 3rd, root. Figure 30 is just
the opposite, following a sequence of 5th, 3rd, root, 3rd, 5th. Figure 31 shows movement
102. Chords
from the root to the 3rd and 5th, with the process reversed for its descent.
In Figure 33 the first triad ascends and the second one descends. It is a combination
of Figures 30 and 31. The arpeggios in Figure 34 run up and down the diminished 7th
chord following a pattern of root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 5th, 3rd, root. Figure 35 flows in the reverse
order of Figure 34: 7th, 5th, 3rd, root, 3rd, 5th, 7th. The final example is a combination of
the two previous ones; the first arpeggiated chord ascends, the second one descends.

Figure 25. Figure 26. Figure 27. Figure 28.

minor 3rd dim. 7th minor 3rd
dim. triad
|
7

2S| Se
Figure 29.

es

ee
Figure 30.

Ga
Figure 37.
ef See 2 o | fi

ee oe
Sp bs

a:
| SSeS SS
Figure 32.

ae
ie Sek

Figure 35. Bs 8 beae

eee
£ die : £
fee
etc.
Se eee
Figure 36.
fae parser Sere eas
Se
= > “SS
SE —
=
=
t J

When | was first learning about chords and their construction | heard someone say
that there were only three diminished 7th chords. | couldn't really understand what that
meant, since | knew that there were 12 keys. What |didn’t realize though, was that each
Figure 37. time you play an inversion of a diminished 7th chord you get a combination of notes (built
Adim7 Cdim7 Esdim7 Gbdim7 in minor third intervals) that forms another diminished 7th chord in root position (see
Figure 37).
These chords form three groups which we will call |, Il, and Ill. Because the
diminished 7th chords in each group are interchangeable, they can be subsituted for
each other (see Figure 38).
If you take the top three notes of a dominant 7th chord and add a lowered 9th, you will
find a diminished 7th chord (see Figure 39).
The E diminished 7th is part of group I!. Sometimes when the chord would be better
 Diminished Chords 103

written as C7b9, the composer will only notate a part of it—the Edim7 (or Gdim7 or
Bbdim7).
In a diminished 7th chord, the intervals separating successive notes are equal: these
intervals are minor thirds. As a result, each diminshed 7th can perform several functions
depending on which tone serves as the root. For example, the Edim7 contains the same
notes as a Gdim/7, Bbdim7 (A #dim7), and C#dim7 (Dbdim7). Thus, a single group of
notes—in this case, Edim7—can effectively provide several chords, and all of them
could be used as weak substitutes for the C759.
Choosing the best inversion depends on where the diminished 7th is headed. Usually
it leads to a minor triad or a minor 7th chord. Suppose it is leading to Fm7. In the circle of
dths, C leads to F. Therefore, a C7 chord leads to an F chord. A C7 also leads to Fm or
Fm7.Many times, when a dominant 7th leads to a minor chord, that dominant 7th will
have alowered 9th. So itis common to see a weak diminished 7th lead to the Fm7
(instead of C7b9).
Tohelp you become familiar with the sound of this progression, I’ve included a group
of melodic exercises to be played in all 12 keys (Figure 40). You will also want to refer to
the section on scales to check out the patterns based on the diminished scale.
The first chord is Dm. The second is either Gdim7, Bbdim7, C#dim7, or Edim7. The
second chord is really anA7b9. That's the way the experienced pianist or guitarist would
think of it. The A7bb9 is the V chord in the key ofD minor, and it progressestothe Dm
chord naturally.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 38.
Group |
Cdim7(B #dim7) = Ebdim7(D #dim7) = Gbdim7 (F #dim7) = Adim7
Group Il Figure 39.
C#dim7(Dbdim7)= Edim 7 (Fbdim 7)= Gdim7 = Bbdim7(A #dim7) C7 C79 Edim7
Group III

Ddim7 = Fdim7 (E #dim7) = Abdim7 (G #dim7)= Cbdim7 (Bdim7)

Figure 40.
Patterns with minor and diminished chords:

starting on the root

starting on the 3rd

BSS dN therrier
starting on the 5th

] Sees
TY aol
ia

—
ey
oT etSy
|
2
eget
4 aoe
P15
>
n
H Epis
 An Introduction To The Minor 7th Chord

Guitar Player magazine October 1981 Below is an explanation of how the minor 7th chord comes about. First you see an
Fmaj triad. Then the 7th note of the major scale is added on top, forming a “major 7th”
chord. If you lower the 7th note by a half-step you then get a dominant 7th chord; in this
case it’s known as the F7. If you lower the 3rd of the dominant 7th chord, you now have a
minor 7th chord.
Looking at the three bottom notes of a minor 7th you see a minor triad. The interval
between the bottom note and the top note is a minor 7th. These are the ingredients that
make up this very common chord. If this is new to you, | would suggest writing out all 12
minor 7th chords, so that you can see the notes in front of you.
Figure 42 goes up and down each chord in this manner: root, b3rd, Sth, b7th, 5th, b3rd,
and root. Start on the low Emin7 chord and go up chromatically to the next Emin7 chord;
then come back down. Figure 43 simply follows a format of root, b3rd, 5th, and b/th on the
way up, and b7th, 5th, b3rd, and root on the way down. Figure 44 is just the reverse of
Figure 43 starting on b7th, 5th, b3rd, and root. Figure 45 combines Figures 43 and 44: One
minor 7th goes up and the one that’s a half-step higher comes down.
There is a lot of work on this page, so don’t expect to play all the exercises perfectly in
one afternoon. Work on Figure 42 for one or two weeks until you can go through itevenly
and in tempo. Then spend a few weeks on Figures 43, 44, and 45. The ultimate goal is to
be able to play Figure 45 starting on any note—going up and down one octave. You'll not
only learn the chords, but you'll learn some more of the fingerboard.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 41.

F major F major 7th F dominant F minor 7th minor triad minor 7th interval

2S eee —F a ee
Notation: re Fmaj7 Fmin7
FM7 Fm7
F?

Figure a
F#m7 Em7 Ebm7 Dm7

ED aia ES = Sas
pL
sees sa
—

Em
— etc.
- down =
Rane fen°!

Figure 43.

Em7 Fm7 F#m7 Em7 —~ Em7 Ebm7 Dm7 Em7

Je : on
etc. D etc.

to to

Figure 44.
Em7 Fm7 F#m7 Em7 Em7 Ebm7 Dm7 Em7
Figure 45.
Em7 Fm7 F#m7 Gm7 G#m7

The Half-Diminished 7th Chord

My introduction to chords came with a series of piano lessons dealing with popular Guitar Player magazine
music.|was 11 years old, and quite reluctant to get into any serious practice, and the November, December 1981
teacher only gave me chords! would need—the chords in the songs—and nothing
more. |remember trying to play by ear, and how horrible |was because | didn't know what
| was doing.
A few years later, |took a harmony course in high school, which really helped me
understand the various chords and their construction. One day |was introducedtoa
minor 7th chord with a lowered (flatted) 5th; see Figure 46. The common name for this
type of chord (which features a b3, b5, and b7) is the ha/f-diminished 7th.
Here is a series of exercises to practice in order to familiarize yourself with its
construction. Practice Figure 47 slowly up and down over one octave until you can play it
from memory, evenly andin tempo. Next, work on Figure 48 in the same manner, and
then progress to Figure 49. This final example should eventually be worked out starting
on any note, ascending and descending in tempo.
Try to play these patterns with the least amount of shifts (movements from one hand
position to another). Ifyou play the b5 and b7 of each chord within one position, you will be
able to accomplish this. When practicing each pattern, be sure you're thinking of the full
name of the chord and that you know every note that you're playing.

Figure 46.
Major 7th Dominant 7th Minor 7th Half-diminished 7th

Notation: Fmaj7 F7 Fmin7 Fmin7>5

FM7 Fm7 Fm7-5
F-7 FO7
Ge FO
Figure 47.

2 eee
_.
—
feet tet Fe
i
ee,
etc.
Lae”
CE
228 3-7"
ata ae 90, a
Te
oma
down
to
Figure 49.

Ss, =
etc

ni peee
ve

SS SSS
= asi \o) mt fica —~

SS
ee
—
a

ee
» , —________be ~_@

=
down
to
————
etc.

=
fF

Figure 50. Diatonic 7th chords in F major: Figure 51. Figure 52.
Fmaj7 Gm7 Am7 Bbmaj7C7 Om7 Em7>5 Fmaj7 Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Gm7>5 C7 Fmaj7

Figure 53.
Bm7>5 £7 Am7>5 07 Gm7>5 C7 Fmaj7

Figure 56.
Fm6
(or Om7>5)

1st inv. 2nd inv. 3rd inv.

Figure 58. Figure 59. passing chord

Ebmaj7 Bbm6 C7 Fm7 Cm6 D7 pce Gmc CL Fmaj7 Bbmaj7

wv
inbm 7 EM7bS5 AT Dm7

a
Those of you who are familiar with the diatonic 7th chords (see Figure 50) will know
that the Il chord of any major key is a minor 7th chord. A very common chord progression
consists of the II chord going to the V (see Figure 51 ).A half-diminished 7th chord built on
the second step of the major scale can be used as a substitute for the normal II chord,
whichis a minor 7th (see Figure 52). This substitution works best when the melody note
of the minor 7th is the root, lowered 3rd, or lowered 7th of the chord. However, the key
word here is taste. Figure 53 illustrates the use of half-diminished 7th chords in a chord
progression based on the cycle of 5ths, starting with the Bm7b5 chord in the key of F.
|really became aware of how often this chord is used as a Substitute for the minor 7th
chord when | started listening to some ofthe great jazz pianists. |would hear them play a
song that |thought | knew, and became aware of how often they lowered the 5th of the
minor 7th chords. I’ve heard many Jazz bass players use lines like the ones shown in
Figures 54 and 55. These bass lines should be practiced and memorized in all 12 keys.
Another important thing |discovered by listening to great jazz pianists was howa
minor 6th chord was really a half-diminished 7th chord in an inversion. Look at Figure 56,
and see how the inversions of an Fm6 work. The third inversion is actually a m755 in
root position. The bass player should use a D note to hold down this chord.
 -Major 6th Chords 107
A very common progression that you'll run across in sheet music is a Fm6 to G7. |
noticed that the more knowledgeable pianists and bassists would play aDm7b5 toa G7
in that situation (see Figure 57). The D to G root movement is also found in the cycle of
fifths. Figure 58 shows a typical chord progression, and then shows how half-diminished
7th chords are substituted for the minor 6ths.
If you look back at Figure 50, you will see that the VIl chord of any major keyisa
half-diminished 7th. This VII chord functions like a Il chord of another key. For example, E
is the second note of what key? The answer is D. So, Em75 is the || half-diminished 7th
chord in the key of D. Remember about I! chords going to V chords? For instance, the V
chord in the key of D is A7—the V chord of D. The key of D at this point could be either D
major orD minor. Figure 59 is a typical chord progression showing how the E half-dimin-
ished chord works in the key of F. It’s the II of D minor.

By Herb Mickman

Understanding Major 6th Chords

Here are some waysto practice four-note chords called major 6ths. Ifyou look at Guitar Player magazine December 1983
Figure 60, you'll see a major triad with a major 6th (the sixth note of the major scale). Itis
that combination of the major triad and the major 6th that forms a major 6th chord. It is
often just called a 6th chord—you must assume it is major. To the right of the major 6th
chord shown in Figure 61 is the minor 6th. It has a triad with a lowered (or minor) 3rd, and
then a major 6th is added on top. Remember: You will gain more improvisational fluency if
you have the sounds of these chords in your ear and under your fingers.
Figure 61 shows various ways to practice the major 6th chords. Figure 61a has each
one going up chromatically from the root through the 6th. Then the pattern descends,
starting with the 6th of each chord. Figure 61b is just the reverse: It ascends chromati-
cally, starting on the the 6th of each chord, and comes down from each chord’s root.
Figure 61c mixes the concepts of a and b. One major 6th goes up, and the chord that's a
half-step higher goes down (from its 6th to its root).
Spend a good week on 61a until it’s memorized; then try it from F to F, F# to F#, etc.
Practice 61a, b, and c evenly in tempo.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 60.
C6 Cm6

SS
Figure 61a.
 Understanding 9th Chords
Guitar Player magazine I’ve illustrated ways to practice three-and four-note chords; now |’dliketoexplain
September, October 1983 five-note (9th) chords. | hope to clear up some cobwebs.
Figure 62 shows a major scale and the location of the 9th—it’s really the second note
of the scale, but an octave higher. The 9th is one of the most common tones used to color
a chord (make it sound richer), so we should become thoroughly acquainted with it. As
shown in Figure 62, the 9ths used with chords can be either major, lowered (major minus
one half-step), or raised (a half-step larger than major).
Figure 63 shows how the 9th may be added to various four- note chords. The chords
shown are only used to illustrate construction of 9th harmonies—they are not generally
played in this register or with these voicings on the piano. I’ve put them down in the bass
clef so youcan see howall the various chords would be built over one root (C, inthis
case). Notice that in Figure 63, only the major 9th is added to the four-note chords.
In Figure 64 we see that both the dominant 7th and augmented 7th (a dominant 7th
chord with a raised 5th) may have either a major, lowered, or raised 9th degree added on.
Many times the exact type of 9th added to the basic 7th chord structure will be
determined by the melody of the song; the 9th is often a melody-note.
Study suggestions: Carefully analyze the chord constructions shown here; get to
know their intervallic structure. Then take one type of 9th chord at a time and write itout in
all 12 kKeys—in pencil and away from your bass. Follow the order of Figure 65, where
you'll also find the various ways these five-note chords are written in lead sheet
shorthand.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 62.
: ; augmented 9th interval
major Sth interval —(sharped or raised 9th)
minor 9th interval
Spatteor lowered 9th)
Figure 63.

C6 C6/9 Cm6 Cm6/9 Cdim7 Cdim9

2

C7 c9 C79 C7#9 C7#5 C9#5 C7#549 C7#5#9

b

Figure 65.

major 9th minor 9th major 6/9

dominant 9th augmented 9th minor 6/9

alternate Cm9 c9 Cmin9 Caug9 C6/9 Cmin6/9

peratons Cmai9 Cm9 C945 C6(9) cm6/9
co C-9 C+7(9)
C9(+5)
C+9

diminished 9th dominant 7 (#9) augmented 7th (#9)

dominant 7th (b6) augmented 7th (#9)
5 :

Cdim9 C7b9 C7#9 C+7b9 C+7#9

c°9 C7(-9) C7+9 C+7(-9) C+7(+9)
Cc°7(9) C7#5b9 C7#54#9
Caug7 9 Caug7 #9

Understanding 11th And 13th Chords

About a year-and-a-half after |started playing the string bass, |began rehearsals Guitar Player magazine February 1984
with a 16-piece jazz band. The bass parts were about 70% chord reading and 30% notes
(to be played exactly as written). | had some chord knowledge before starting on bass
from several years of piano lessons, and| was familiar with most types of four-note
chords (see Figure 66).
However, when|saw symbols for 11th and 13th chords, |was not able to quickly
figure them out. | decided to reduce all 11ths and 13ths down to 7th chords. My
responsibility as a bassist was to play the roots on downbeats and a walking bass line
with an even pulse. | learned a lot by reading the chord symbols.
Later on,| started to feel the limitations of my chord understanding. |began asking
knowledgeable pianists a lot of questions about chords and did a lot of research. A year
orso later |was able to expand my knowledge considerably by taking a few intense
 lessons with the late jazz bassist Charles Mingus. He opened a big door by showing me
what to practice in order to expand my understanding of chords all over the fingerboard.
As| worked with more advanced players, |began to find out how certain chords |had
learned in theory books were not constructed the same way in the contemporary music
world. I'd like to explain why. Notice that the examples show the notes in the chord. They
are not meant to be played together.
Before you tackle any five-, six-, or seven-note chords, it is absolutely imperative that
you have a thorough understanding of four-note chords. Study all the chords in Figure
66, noting their construction. Figure 67 shows the various kinds of 9th chords. Figure 68
demonstrates how we can build a four-note chord from a triad by adding the major 7th (in
this case, E). If we add the 9th (G) to the Fmaj7, it becomes an Fmaj9.
Figure 69a shows what happens when we add the 11th. This chord is called an 11th
in some books, but itis not the 11th chord meant by chord symbols. The chord to its right
is an F11(Figure 69b). It is a dominant 9th with the added 11th on top. However, this chord
is almost never used in this way. In.an 11th chord, we omit the 3rd (as it clashes with the
11th on top, since an 11th is essentially a 4th—is only a half-step away from the 3rd).
Figure 69c is a.dominant 11th—also known as F717. Another way of thinking about a
dominant 11th (or just plain 11th) chord is that it is a minor 7th chord that is a fifth higher
over the root. Inother words Cm7 overF is anF11.\|n Figure 70 we have another
contemporary sound—F#7 1 b9 or a C half-diminished 7th over F.Figure 71 shows a very
common chord—the minor 11th (a minor 9th with the 11th added on top). Note that the
11ths in Figures 69, 70, and 71 have been the perfect 11th (the fourth note of the scale,
one octave higher).
Now in Figure 72 we are going to add the raised 11th (#11) toa dominant 9th. In
Figure 72b| show how this soundis really used: We omit the 5th, since we would
otherwise have aclash with the top B note (the 11th, or both of the chord). Figure 72c
shows the same chord with a lowered 9th (b9). These are very common jazz sounds.
Figure 73 takes us into the world of 13th chords. Figure 73a is an Fmaj9, while Figure
73b shows a chord that is rarely, if ever, used: the major 9th with the 11th on top. Figure
73c is what seems to be a 13th chord. Not really! In the real world, we would omit the 11th
from the 13th chord. Figure 73d isa common dominant 13th chord (very commonly
called F173) Very often the raised 11this added to the 13th chord for color. Figure 73e
shows anF13 with araised 11th. Figure 73fis the same F73 witha lowered 9th anda
raised 11th. Figure 73g is a major 13th. It could also be thought of as a Gmajtriad over an
Fmaj7 chord.
Now that you've read all this technical information, what can you do to learn it? First, |
would say, take each 7th chord in Figure 66 and write it out in all Keys—without the aid of
a bass. Next, do the same with the 9th chords in Figure 67. Then go through all the 11th
chords in Figures 69, 70, 71, and 72. Finally, write out all the 13th chords in Figure 73.
This is only the start. To really know them, you must practice them in all keys up and
down the fingerboard. I’ve covered exercises on triads, 7th chords, and 9th chords
previously, so! won'tillustrate them here. | hope you've been doing your homework.
Figure 74 shows an arpeggio pattern on a 13th chord. The example runs up and down an
F13 chord with a raised 11th. This concept can be applied to all the 11th and 13th chords
shown here. Practice these chord types—they’re an important part of a good under-
standing of bass technique. A lot of the so-called far-out improvisation comes from
knowing and using the 11th and 13th chords, such as those shown on this page.

By Herb Mickman

Figure 66.
Fmaj7 F7 Fm7 Fm7b5 Fdim7 F6 Fm6 F7sus4 F7#5 Fm/maj7
 “Chord Melody For a

Figure 67.
Fmaj9 F9 F7b9 F7#9 F9#5 F7 #5 b9 F7#5#9 F6/9 Fm6/9

Figure 68. Figure 69a. 69b. 69c. Figure #0. Figure.7 1. Figure /2a. /2b:.. 72¢. 72d.
Fmaj Fmaj7 Fmaj9 F11 or Cm7/F ee ie Fmii F9#11 F9#11 F7b9#11 F7#9#11

eer camera. 7/30. 730..-/3e. 73. ges) Figure 74.

F139 F1I3) F13#11 F13b9#11 Fmaji3#11 F13#11

==
Chord-Melody For Bass
For as long as I’ve been playing bass, |’ve hada desire to find newand differentideas Guitar Player magazine February 1984
to applytomy instrument. This desire comes from my natural inquisitiveness when
playing music and my great feeling of boredom hearing myself working through the
same doo-doo over and over. In order to enlighten myself to the multitudes of possibili-
ties, it became necessary for me to participate in as many musical situations and with as
many musicians as | could.
Most notable in my background were associations with Steve Smith, who isnowa
bandleaderin his own right, pianist GilGoldstein (formerly of drummer Billy Cobham’s
band; now living in Switzerland), guitarist Mike Stern, formerly with trumpeter Miles Davis,
and guitarist Mick Goodrick (formerly with vibraphonist Gary Burton). For over eight
years as a professional, |’ve played with hundreds of the world’s best musicians. But|
owe my concept of time, melody, attitude, and chord sense to the four musicians named
above. Finally, drummer Bill Bruford deserves mention for helping me learn about stage
presence, bass tone, and studio techniques (among other things).
Since! am a product of my background and my collective musical input, |feel the
desire to do new things on the bass. Keep in mind that although I’m always yakking about
nonbass-like playing, the instrumentis traditionally supposed to perform a root-note
function within the rhythm section. Nothing wrong in this. Neal Stubenhaus, one of the
West Coast’s premier studio bassists, makes an excellent living by playing the bass the
way God and Leo Fender intended. His time is great, his sound is great, and even though
he’s not playing the bass with a lot of flash and speed, so what?
Below is my arrangement of the old southern tune “Dixie.” Being bored with my own
playing, |started using chords and counterpoint melodies when working alone, just to
pass the time. My chordal sense became strong enough for me to use itwhen performing
with 1.0.U., Allan Holdsworth’s band. Allan would solo, and |would supply bass notes and
chords tofill up alot of tonal areas, thereby making the group sound larger than an
instrumental trio (actually itwas a quartet, but the singer, Paul Williams, didn't play an
instrument).
My rendition of the piece is in B major. Pay attention to the way the sharps, flats, and
naturals are used in each bar. You will find some B #s and E#s and one C double-sharp
(the enharmonic equivalent of D) in the arrangement.

By Jeff Berlin
“Dixie” Traditional, arr. by Jeff Berlin

Index finger of right hand holds Ff. Strum

whole chord with 4th finger of right hand.

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Facing page, Jaco Pastorius

 $
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Raa
 Chapter 9:
ease
Modification
 Bass Modification

Rewiring Your Bass

Guitar Player magazine March 1987 In contrast to the “fat,” sometimes muddy but punchy tone of the stock Fender
Precision Bass, there lies within the circuitry of the instrument a sound that is cleaner and
has abit more ‘headroom’ —a useful alternative in situations where distortion and
clipping are not desirable. Adding a switch allows the choice of a fat, punchy texture for
live performance, or a more defined tone for recording. Armed with a few basic facts,a
soldering iron, and the included wiring diagram, you can have this alternate tone at your
fingertips whenever you need it.
First, the facts: The Precision Bass has ahumbucking pickup. It is similar in some
ways to the humbucker found, for instance, on a Gibson Les Paul Standard. There are
two coils that are magnetically opposed and wired out of phase, which results ina sound
that is “in phase,” but with any extraneous hum cancelled. The P-Bass pickup also has
series-lined coils like a guitar pickup. It differs from a guitar pickup, though, in that each
coil doesn’t sense all of the strings. Each coil of a Precision’s pickup is actually only a
half-coil, sensing just two of the four strings. This allows it to have a narrow magnetic
aperture, more like a single-coil pickup. Fender also employed this split pickup design on
the Mustang bass and Electric XII 12-string. (We may contrast this design to the Gibson
bass humbucking design used on the EB-O and other basses, which has tull-width coils,
a wide magnetic aperture, and a really muddy sound.)
With a throw of a switch, our suggested rewiring changes the series-linked coils to
parallel-linked coils. Electrically, this results in an impedance change. Using a volt-ohm
meter to measure the DC resistance, we find that the parallel-linked mode gives us
one-quarter of the resistance of the series-linked mode. This resistance reading is a
round indicator of the change in impedance. What this means to our ears is that with the
pickups in the parallel mode, we will experience a bit less output, but will also gain a
smoother response over a wider frequency range. The series mode has greater output,
but it sacrifices top-end definition, and although it has a punchier attack, the attack may
be perceived as “rounder.” (Note that this change is more dramatic with the higher-out-
put pickups offered as replacements orfound stock in some Precision-style models. The
stock Precision pickup has a DC resistance of about 11k ohms.)
For this modification, | recommend using a push-pull type of switch mounted on a
250k ohm audio-taper potentiometer. These are often called push-pull pots, and are
made by a variety of manufacturers. Your local music store should be able to help you
obtain one. The switch must be the DPDT (double-pole/double-throw) type. Using this
push-pull pot allows you to make this modification without drilling or routing your bass,
thereby maintaining its original appearance. If you prefer a separate switch, a mini DPDT
toggle can be mounted between the volume and tone pots, or between the tone pot and
jack, but you must drill a 1/4” hole in your pickguard. No wood will need to be removed.
A word of caution: Before carrying out this project, please assess your skills carefully.
It's no fun to have your bass wired and ready to play when your fingers are burned. Ifyou
attempt the modification, wear safety glasses and use rosin-core solder only. Never use
acid-core solder for any electronic project. Also, if you aren't up to the job, ask an
electronics-oriented friend, or take your bass to a repairman.
Removing the pickguard, controls, and pickup from your bass is easy. Referring to
the diagram labeled “Stock,” note the wire that connects the two coils to each other. Find
this wire on your pickup. It must be cut in half and stripped; then additional wire that is
long enough to reach back to the control cavity must be spliced to each half. Insulate —
these splices with shrink-wrap tubing or a bit of electrical tape. |do not recommend that
these wires be removed from the pickup terminals, as this requires specialized
knowledgeto avoid damaging the pickup. Splicing is strongly recommended here. |also
don't recommend removing the plastic cover from the pickup coils, since this may
expose the fine wires to potential damage.
Follow the diagram carefully and proceed slowly. Before beginning the project, be
sure that you compare the two diagrams and that you understand the changes. Note that
except for replacing the standard tone pot with the switchable one, the only changes to
the stock wiring involve the linking wire between the coils. Avoid overheating the switch
terminals, and be sure that the soldered joints are secure; this will avoid problems and
disappointment later.

By Ralph .dovak
Figure 1.
Capacitor

Ground

To jack

Figure 2.
Capacitor

Ground

Series/parallel option To jack

Doctoring Your Jazz Bass For More Sounds

Many modifications for guitars and basses require drilling and other alterations to the Guitar Player magazine April 1986
physical appearance of the instruments, and while they often provide new sonic options,
they sometimes make it impossible to get the original sound. Here’s a simple do-it-your-
self project for Fender Jazz Bass owners—and owners of the many Jazz Bass copies—
that expands the tonal capabilities of the instrument, while retaining the original sounds
and appearance.
The principle employed here is varying the impedance of the combined pickups, in
order to alter the tone. The usual paral/e/ combination provides the classic clean, clear
tone with lots of top end that we expect from a Jazz Bass. Flipping the switch combines
these same pickups in series, yielding a tone with a fatter midrange—a rounder
edge—and a bit more output. So, you get a sort of Fender Precision Bass tone, but your
bass still retains its Jazz Bass character.
To rewire your bass for these added tones, you need basic soldering skills and tools
118 Bass Modification

and a 250k audio-taper pot (potentiometer) with a built-in DPDT (double-pole/double-

throw) push/pull switch. There are several brands of these push/pull pots available in
music stores; try to get one with a solid shaft to accommodate the set-screw in the Jazz
Bass’ stock knob. Caution: If you don’t have much soldering or rewiring experience,
either take your instrument to a pro, or ask for help from a friend who can handle the job.
Series/parallel linking of pickup coils is nothing new. Itis common on guitars with
humbucking pickups. However, the independent volume control for each coil of the Jazz
Bass complicates this usually simple arrangement. I’ve worked out a wiring system that
maintains the individual volume control in both series and parallel modes and uses only
the added DPDT switch on the tone pot to accomplish this.
It's noteworthy that stock Jazz Basses have pickups that are magnetically opposite,
for hum-cancelling. Ifyou aren't sure that your pickups are stock, or ifyou have one ofthe
many Jazz Bass copies and want to know ifthe pickups are magnetically opposite, you
can make the determination with a magnet. Bring one pole of the magnet close to one
pickup, and then the other pole. One should repel the magnet, while the other should
attract it. Ifthis isn’t the case, then the pickups are not magnetically opposite, your bass is
probably noisier than most, and therefore this modification isn’t recommended. Likewise,
avoid this modification ifyou have extra-hot pickups or multi-coil (stacked) pickupsin
your bass, because the combined impedance would betoo great to achieve a useful
tone in the series mode.
Follow the diagram carefully, and especially note the modification to the bridge-
pickup volume pot: The grounded lug must be unsoldered from the metal back of the pot,
and then pulled away so that it doesn’t unintentionally contact ground. Be neat and go
slowly, especially when wiring the DPDT switch.

By Ralph Novak

Figure 3. Figure 4.

() (O)

(0) ()
Bridge pickup
\O) \O)

—— = Original wiring
————'= Original'wiring” 6000 SS | = Added or changed wiring
+> = Ground = = Ground
} | = Tone capacitor } | = Tone capacitor
—|ne = No connection (crossing wires)

Installing A Master Volume And Pickup Fader

Guitar Player magazine June 1987 The usual configuration of one tone and two volume controls on Fender Jazz Basses
and basses with a combination of Jazz- and Precision-style pickups can be easily
changed to a master volume, pickup selection fader, and tone setup. Only the stock parts
and a few inches of wire are needed.
Before-and-after schematic drawings show howto make the modification. Solder
carefully. If you aren't adept at soldering or rewiring, perhaps you can find an electroni-
cally inclined friend or a guitar repairman to make this modification for you. Exercise
caution when soldering—always wear eye protection in case the solder splatters. Also, —
never use acid-core solder. It will corrode wires, pots, and anything else itcontacts. Use
a good electronics-grade solder that is labeled “rosin-core’ (itis often labeled 60/40,as_
 Volume/Pickup Fader 119

well, indicating its tin/lead ratio).

When thetransformation is complete, test for correct pickup phasing: The blend of
the two pickups should be louder than either pickup alone—this means that they are in
phase. Ifthe blend is softer (meaning that the pickups are out of phase), reverse the
wiring of one pickup.
Some optional changes requiring the purchase of new, inexpensive parts involve
changing the fader pot (potentiometer) from a 250k ohm log-taper (also called
audio-taper) toa 250k ohm linear-taper pot. This gives even more control over the
blending than the stock unit. Changing the stock tone capacitor to a .022uF value yields
aJaco Pastorius-like tone. (Note: the symbol uF is an abbreviation for microfarad, a unit
of measurement in capacitors.) Insert a .05uF capacitor between the bridge and the wire
running from it to the grounding point on the tone pot. This will minimize or eliminate
ground-fault shocks—the kind you get when your amp’s polarity doesn’t match the
microphone’s and you get zapped.

By Dan Armstrong

Figure 5.

Neck volume Master volume

y >

E Neck pickup black wire a a |

Neck pickup white wire

Neck pickup white wire

Bridge volume Fader control

Te Bridge pickup black wire ote : a i

Bridge pickup black wire
Bridge pickup white wire
Bridge pickup white wire

Tone control Tone control Neck pickup black wire

.05uF capacitor
> Capacitor
pa

ae To bridge
.022uF capacitor
Output jack

= |
Output jack
il- = Ground

Stock wiring Modified wiring

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 121

About The Authors

_ Dan Armstrong is a well-known designer of guitars, pickups, and effects. Ampeg’s Dan Armstrong See-Through guitar and Musonics’ Dan
_ Armstrong signal processors bear his name, and he makes limited quantities of custom guitars and pickups.

_ Jeff Berlin is the leader of Jeff Berlin's Vox Humana, and has worked with guitarist Allan Holdsworth, drummer Bill Bruford, saxophonist
_ Dave Liebman, and keyboardist Patrick Moraz.

_ Michael Brooks is a former Assistant Editor of Guitar Player magazine.

|Bunny Brunel was born in Nice, France, but currently resides in Los Angeles, California. His extensive bass credits include work with
Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Larry Coryell, as well as playing alongside bassist Stanley Clarke both onstage and on
disc.

|Stanley Clarke is one of the most popular bass guitarists in jazz history, through his solo work and his tenure with Chick Corea in Return
_ To Forever. He is a member of Guitar Player magazine’s Gallery Of Greats by virtue of five wins in the annual Readers Poll.

Andy Doerschuk is the Editor of GP! Special Editions, and has played drums professionally with Chet Atkins, Billy Vera and the Beaters,
John Kay and Steppenwolf, guitarist Henry Kaiser, and Russian avant-garde keyboardist Sergei Kuryokhin.

Nathan East is one of the top bassists in Los Angeles, California. His credits span both the live performance and studio fields, having
worked with such respected artists as Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Kenny Loggins, and Lionel Richie.

Stuart Hamm has become a widely acclaimed bass innovator through his work with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

Jimmy Haslip is one of the founding members of the Yellowjackets, has performed live with Harvey Mandel, Airto Moreira, Gino Vanelli,
and Dave Mason, and has recorded with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Robben Ford, and Ron Wood.

Jerry Jemmott has been playing bass for over 25 years, and has gained his reputation as a top-flight studio sideman through his work with
B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, and many others. ,

Chris Jisi is a freelance music journalist who specializes in bass, and his work regularly appears in Guitar Player magazine.

Carol Kaye was one of Hollywood's premier studio bassists during the 60s and ’70s. Among the many outstanding musicians she has
been associated with are: Count Basie, Hampton Hawes, Roberta Flack, the Beach Boys, and Ray Charles.

Herb Mickman has studied bass with several classical teachers and with jazz bassist Charles Mingus and Scott LaFaro. He has also
performed with such artists as John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Jose Feliciano, Joe Pass, Tommy Dorsey, and Barney Kessel.

Tom Mulhern is the Senior Associate Editor for Guitar Player magazine.

Ralph Novak has been a professional repairman for more than 18 years. He specializes in custom neck building and fretwork, and also
builds guitars and basses.

Chuck Rainey has recorded and toured with a staggering number of entertainers including Ray Charles, Cannonball Adderly, Aretha
Franklin, The Staples Singers, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones, and The Crusaders.

Billy Sheehan lives in Los Angeles, California, has performed and recorded with David Lee Roth, Talas, and Tony MacAlpine, and is
Currently playing with his own band, Mr. Big.

Ken Smith is a 37-year-old bassist from New York who has worked professionally with big bands and numerous vocalists, among them
Issac Hayes, Perry Como, and Johnny Mathis, and has played on soundtracks and commercials. He is also a teacher and builds electric
basses.
From The Guitar Player Magazine Basic Library:

BASIC GUITAR (Revised)

Edited by Helen Casabona, Foreword by Les Paul
A completely updated edition of the most comprehensive, single-volume introduction to the technique and art of playing guitar. From the pages of
Guitar Player magazine.
ISBN 0-881 88-910-5 $14.95

ROCK GUITAR (Revised)

Edited by Helen Casabona
Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Lee Ritenour, Steve Morse, B.B. King, Rik Emmett, Steve Vai, Edward Van Halen, and others tell you how to get started,
solo, and more. Music examples. From the pages of Guitar Player magazine.
ISBN 0881 88-908-3 $14.95

GUITAR SYNTH AND MIDI

Edited by Bradley Wait
Expand your sounds and create options with guitar synthesis. This introductory book takes you from basic concepts through advanced applications of
this brave new world. From the pages of Guitar Player magazine.
ISBN 0-881 88-593-2 $14.95

Also from GPI Books:

MASTERS OF HEAVY METAL |
Edited by Jas Obrecht
“Goes to the eye of the hurricane,” (Portland, Oregonian). ‘‘Fascinating!” (Newark Star Ledger). For fans and players of the immensely powerful, hugely
popular, hard-core rock and roll style: intense, high-energy, guitar-dominated. Including serious, informative interviews with Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van
Halen, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, and others. Profusely illustrated.
ISBN 0-688-02937-X $12.95

THE BIG BOOK OF BLUEGRASS

Edited by Marilyn Kochman, Foreword by Earl Scruggs
Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, and other popular bluegrass artists offer practical tips on playing, with note-by-
note musical examples, plus valuable advice on technique and performance. The history, the greatest players, the genuine art of this authentic
American commercial country folk music, more popular than ever today. Over 100 rare photos and over 50 favorite songs.
ISBN 0-688-02942-6 $12.95

GUITAR GEAR
Edited by John Brosh
A definitive guide to the instruments, accessories, gadgets, and electronic devices; the tremendous variety of both basic and sophisticated equipment
that has become so crucial to the creative fulfillment of today’s guitar player—how it works, how it’s made, how to choose what's right for you.
ISBN 0-688-03108-0 $15.95

NEW DIRECTIONS IN MODERN

Edited by Helen Casabona
GUITAR
A wealth of insight into the styles and techniques of guitarists who have moved into the vanguard of contemporary music. Artists such as Adrian Belew,
Robert Fripp, Stanley Jordan, acoustic wizard Michael Hedges, and bassist Jaco Pastorius are covered in depth—with interviews, instructive musical
examples, and an analysis of their playing and equipment
ISBN 0-88188-423-5 $14.95

THE GUITAR PLAYER BOOK

By the Editors of Guitar Player Magazine
The most comprehensive book on guitar ever produced, from the pages of America's foremost magazine for professional and amateur guitarists. Any
style, any level, whether player or fan—this is the book. Includes definitive articles on all the important artists who have given the guitar its life and
expression, plus design, instructions, equipment, accessories, and technique.
ISBN 0-394-62490-4 $11.95

NEW AGE MUSICIANS

Edited by Judie Eremo
The philosophy and techniques of this influential instrument style. Interviews with the foremost visionaries, including Kitaro, Will Ackerman, George
Winston, and Michael Hedges. From the pages of Guitar Player, Keyboard, and Frets magazines.
ISBN 0-881 88-909-1 $14.95

BEGINNING SYNTHESIZER
A step-by-step guide to understanding and playing synthesizers with discussions of how to use and edit presets and performance controls. A
comprehensive, easy-to-understand, musical approach, with hands-on lessons in a variety of styles, including rock, pop, classical, jazz, techno-pop,
blues, and more.
ISBN 0-88284-353-2 $12.95 From Alfred Publishing. (Item Number 2606.)

USING MIDI
The first comprehensive practical guide to the application of Musical Instrument Digital Interface in performance, composition, and recording,
including: basic MIDI theory, using MIDI performance controls, channels and modes, sequencers, MIDI synchronization, using MIDI effects, MIDI and
computers, alternate MIDI controllers, and more. A definitive and essential tutorial, from the editors of Keyboard magazine.
ISBN 0-88282-354-0 $12.95 From Alfred Publishing. (Item Number 2607.)
South San
Francisco
Public
Library
 ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR
Revised Edition
Edited by Andy Doerschuk

From the pages of Guitar Player and Bass Player magazines.

Technique
Synchronizing Your Hands, Bass Popping Technique, The “In And Out” Technique, The Slapping Wood Technique, Finger
Tremolo Technique, The Left Hand, Right Hand Technique, Bass Fingering Techniques, Stuart Hamm's Two-Handed
Technique, The Haslip Approach, The Wimbish Touch

Soloing
Playing Solos, Soloing Through Changes, Playing Written Solos, Soloing On “Latin”

Progressions, Patterns, & Bass Lines

Mpebisae In Blues, Walking Bass Patterns In Minor Keys, Turnarounds, Funk Bass Lines, Patterns With Chord Progressions,
Jappy Endings

Scales
Types Of Scales, Two-Octave Major Scales, The Natural Minor Scale, The Diminished Scales, The Minor Pentatonic Scale,
The Whole-Tone Scale, Encountering The Dorian Mode, Scales For Dominant 7th Chords |

j|
\

Getting Started
Choosing A Bass Guitar, A Brief Introduction To The Bass, Productive Bass Lessons, Music College And Bass Proficiency,
Why You Should Learn To Read Music, Some Books For Study

Reading
Reading In The Bass Clef, Using Interval Relationships For Transposing, Key To Notational Symbols, Repeat Signs In Charts,
Tricks Of The Score, Sightreading For Soundtracks, Overcoming Poorly Written Charts

‘Practicing
Target Practice, Practicing With A Metronome, Making The Most Out Of A Rehearsal, Flexibility And Breaking Old Habits
ih

Chords
SSS

Chording, Chords Around The Cycle Of Fifths, Chord Substitution, Four-Note Chords, Inversions And Arpeggios, Diminished |
Chords, An Introduction To The Minor 7th Chord, The Half-Diminished 7th Chord, Understanding Major 6th Chords,
Understanding 9th Chords, Understanding 11th And 13th Chords, Chord Melody For Bass

Bass Modification
Rewiring Your Bass, Doctoring Your Jazz Bass For More Sounds, Installing A Master Volume And Pickup Fader

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ISBN 0-88188-907-5 Pa HALeLEONARD®