From The Bottom Up: Building Your Own Jazz Bass Lines

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1 From The Bottom Up: Building Your On Jazz Bass Lines Overvie Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to learn ho to create ass lines from a set of chord changes. The maority of the presentation ill focus on alking ass lines in a 4/4 meter. While some knoledge of music theory is necessary, excellent ass lines can e created ust y using notes in the triads of any chord progression. Key Points 1. Alays play the root of the chord hen the chord changes. 2. The remaining eats of the measure can e filled using the 5th of the chord or y repeating the root. 3. Any chord change can e preceded y a note that is one half-step aove or elo the resolution tone. For example, if the chord is C maor, the notes B-natural or D can e played the eat efore the chord change. These chromatic notes can e used regardless of hat notes are in the chords or the key signature. 4. When playing azz ass lines, accurate rhythm is alays more important than accurate notes. Key Terms 1. Sing Rhythm - Playing to eighth-notes as the first and third notes of a triplet. 2. Tunes - Jazz musicians use this term to descrie songs or standards that they are playing. 3. Transcription - This is the act of listening to a recording and notating hat one of the musicians is playing. Jazz musicians often transcrie improvised solos y instrumentalists to learn the language of improvisation. Jazz assists perform this same activity, ut usually for improvised ass lines. Dr. Michael T. Gei, ASTA Conference Presentation 2016

2 Building Bass Lines Before learning to uild ass lines, the student must learn chord symols and hat they mean. The folloing are the most common chord symols seen in lead sheets: C 4 Cmin or C- C o or Cdim C+ or Caug # Csus C6 Cmin6 C 6 9 Cmin 6 9 Cma7 or C Cmin7 or C-7 Cmin7(5) or CØ7 sus Co7 or Cdim7 #5 # or C+7 5 Cmin (ma7) # Cma7# 5 N

3 2 Building Bass Lines In addition, chords can also have added extenions of 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths. Maor Chords Cma9 # Cma9(# 11) # Cma13(# 11) Minor Chords Cmin9 Cmin11 N Cmin13 Dominant Chords C9 C9( # # 11) C13 # *In maor and dominant chords the 11th is almost alays a #11. It is also sometimes implied and not explicitly ritten Chords ith extensions can also e altered, speifically y using 5, # 5, 9 and # 9. Belo are some common examples ( 9) 5(9) (# 9) # # # # 5(# 9) Cmin9 (5) C13 (5) # Cma9 # # 11 ( # 5) C9 # 11( # 5) # Keep in mind that despite hat extensions are added, the foundation of the chord (root, 5th, 3rd, and 7th) remains the same.

4 Building Bass Lines 3 Once the student has an understanding of chord theory, he or she can egin to create ass lines. The first lesson ill e uilding alking ass lines in the 4/4 - meter sing style. In general, it is a good strategy to play the root of the chord on the doneat of the measure. For example: Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ Œ The remaining three eats can e filled in y either repeating the root or playing the 5th of the chord. Also, the root can e displaced y octaves. When students feel comfortale ith the aove concepts, they can create more harmonic interest in their ass lines using the folloing methods: scalar, arpeggiation, and chromatic leading tones. Scalar Arpeggiation Chromatic n n n When using chromaticism, it is important to rememer that any note that is either a half-step aove or elo the resolution note can e used efore a chord change. For example, if the resolution note is a C, then the assist can preceed that note ith either a B-natural or D-flat, regardless of the harmonic construction of the chord.

5 4 Building Bass Lines Once these methods have een learned, the student can comine all of them to create a alking ass line. Belo is an example using all of the previously discussed concepts in a B lues progression: n n n n n n n Cmi7 n n Cmi7 n n n n n n # n Cmi7 n # n Cmi7

6 Building Bass Lines 5 It is common practice y azz assists to simplify a alking ass line y playing only on eats one and three, usually during the eginning of the tune hen the melody is eing played. This simplification is knon as a To-Beat Bassline. This style heavily utilizes the roots and 5ths of chords. n To-eat ass lines can e emellished y adding other notes, ut it is imperative that the emphasis remain on eats one and three at all times. To-eat ass lines are also used in playing allads. Ballads are slo tunes that can e played ith or ithout sing rhythms. Ema7 Ema7 Walking ass lines in a 4/4-meter sing style can also e used in playing allads. For example: Fma7 Bmin7 3 Ami7 Ami7 n n Ami7 Ami7 When playing in a triple meter (3/4 or 6/8), alking ass lines are constructed the same as in a 4/4-meter. To-eat ass lines are usually played as dotted-half notes. Bma Ema7. Bma7 # Ema7 n

7 6 Building Bass Lines Tunes in the Latin-American styles (ossa nova, sama, etc.) are also common in the azz standard repertoire. The asic principle for playing Latin tunes is the same as playing to-eat ass lines. 4 Emi75 Latin or straight-8th note ass lines can e emellished y adding an 8th note on the offeat of eats to and four. Hoever, it is important that the emphasis remain on eats one and three and not on the syncopated notes.... J Emi75.. J. J. In the remaining pages of the chapter, a numer of different resources have een provided for practice: 1. A to-eat and alking ass line on the changes of the tune "Beautiful Love" 2. A sample Latin ass line on the tune "Corcovado" 3. An example of four common chord progressions found in azz, including a lues, minor lues, modal song form and rhythm changes. 4. A azz lues progression ritten in all telve keys. 5. Five differnt assline transcriptions: "Is You or Is You Ain't My Bay" - medium sing: Sam Jones, ass "What Is This Thing Called Love" - up-tempo sing: Israel Crosy, ass "Don't Blame Me" - allad: Sam Jones,ass "Gone With The Wind" - allad: Israel Crosy, ass "Days of Wine and Roses" - medium sing: Ray Bron, ass A note on transcriptions: While the included transcriptions ill provide valuale insight into ho to construct interesting ass lines, each student is highly encouraged to perform his or her on transcriptions of prominent assists from the azz idiom. Not only ill transcriing provide insight to uilding ass lines, it ill greatly enhance the student's ear-training and aural skills. The folloing is a rief list of significant azz assists, all of hom are orthhile to transcrie: Slam Steart Milt Hinton Jimmy Blanton Israel Crosy Oscar Pettiford Ray Bron Paul Chamers Doug Watkins Sam Jones Percy Heath Charles Mingus Wilur Ware Larry Gales Scott LaFaro Jimmy Garrison Charlie Haden Ron Carter Chuck Israels Eddie Gomez Dave Holland Rufus Reid Lynn Seaton Christian McBride John Clayton

8 Bass 4 4 Beautiful Love Emi7 5 9 Dmi7 Victor Young Bass Line y Michael T. Gei 5 Fma7 Emi Dmi7 13 Dmi7 B7 5 Emi7 5 9 n 17 Emi7 5 9 Dmi7 # # Fma7 Emi7 5 9 n Dmi7 Dmi7 B7 # 9 Dmi7 #

9 2 33 n n Beautiful Love Emi7 5 9 Dmi7 # # 37 Fma7 Emi7 5 9 n 41 Dmi7 n n # Dmi7 B7 5 Emi7 5 n Emi7 5 9 Dmi7 n # # 53 Fma7 Emi7 5 9 n # 57 Dmi7 # 61 Dmi7 B7 # 9 Dmi7 n #

10 5 9 Bass J.. J.... J.. J.. J. J.... J. J. J. J.. J. J J. J.. /A Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) Fma7 n. J.. J. J. J.. J J J. J. J.. J. J.. J.. J. J. #. J. J J. J. J. Adim7 Emi75 Dmi7 /A Adim7 Fma7 Emi75 Dmi7 Emi75 Dmi7 C6. J. J. Antonio Carlos Joim Bass Line y Michael T. Gei. J

11 Common Jazz Chord Progressions 1. Jazz Blues B B 7 5 Gmin7 Gmin Minor Blues Cmin7 () 13 Fmin7 Cmin7 17 A 7 9 Cmin Modal Tunes (So What, Impressions) Dmin7 8 ı Dmin7 8 ı E min7 8 ı Dmin7 8 ı 25 Copyright 2012 y Michael T. Gei. All rights reserved.

12 2 Common Jazz Chord Progressions 4. Rhythm Changes Bma7 Cmin7 Dmin7 Cmin7 57 Fmin7 Dmin7 Cmin Cmin7 Bma Bma7 Cmin7 Dmin7 Cmin7 75 Fmin7 Cmin7 Bma7 79

14 2 37 Blues In All Keys 41 Bmin7 Bmin7 45 G7 49 G7 53 Emin7 Emin7 57 G7 C7 G7 61 C7 G7 65 Amin7 G7 Amin7 69

15 B7 E7 Blues In All Keys B E7 B7 G # 7 77 C # min7 F # 7 B7 G # 7 C # min7 F # 7 81 E7 E7 85 E7 C # 7 89 F # min7 B7 E7 C # 7 F # min7 B F # Bmin7 E7 F # 7 Bmin7 E7 105

16 4 109 Blues In All Keys B7 113 Emin7 B7 Emin E7 125 Amin7 E7 Amin Dmin7 Dmin7 141

17 Alum: Barry Harris at the Jazz Workshop Artist: Barry Harris Bass 0: Is You or Is You Ain't My Bay Sam Jones Bassline Louis Jordan Transcried y: Michael T. Gei n 5 n n A6 n n n 9 Ama7 n Dma7 Dma7 G7 G7 n n Ama7 Ama7 n n n 21 n n n n n G7 Ama7 n n 33

18 Alum: Jazz Moments Artist: George Shearing q = 190 0:45 4 Bass What Is This Thing Called Love Israel Crosy Bassline Cole Porter Transcried y: Michael T. Gei Dmi7 Cma Dmi7 Cmi7 # Cma7 Bma7 n 17 Dmi Dmi7 Cma7 29

19 Alum: Barry Harris at the Jazz Workshop Artist: Barry Harris Bass q = Don't Blame Me Sam Jones Bassline!!!!!! Fma7 Bmi7 3! Ami7 Ami7 Jimmy McHugh Transcried y: Michael T. Gei 4 n n Ami7 Ami7 n n Ami7 3 3 #! y# y 8 n Ami7 Fma7 n. Bmi7 Ami7 Ami7. 13 Ami7 Ami7 3!. Bma7 3 Ami7! 3 # 3 # Dmi7! 3 3 Dmi7 Fma7! 3 # Dmi7 n Fma7 Bmi7! 3 3! 3 #! 3 3 Ami7 Ami7 Ami7 #!! 3 n Ami7 Ami7 Fma7

20 Alum: Jazz Moments Artist: George Shearing Bass 4 4 Gone With The Wind Israel Crosy Bassline Ema7 Ema7 Allie Wruel Transcried y: Michael T. Gei 5 Ami7 3 G6 E7 Ami7 3 # Gma7 3 F # dim7 # 3 3 Ema7... n n Ema7 Ema7 Ami7 3 G6 E7 23 Ami7 3 # Gma7 Cmi7 # n B 7 Ema7 28

21 Alum: We Get Requests Artist: Oscar Peterson 4 4 Œ Days of Wine and Roses Ray Bron's Bass line Fma7 # 11 Œ # # Henry Mancini Transcried y: Michael T. Gei 5 Œ n Fma7 Dmi7 Emi75 9 Dmi7 J Œ Œ Fma7 # 11 3 # J # J n Œ J 29 Œ Ó! ~~ Fma7 Dmi7 Bmi75 E79 Ami7 Fma7

22 Ami7 # # 3 # Fma7 # 11 3 Days of Wine and Roses Fma7 Dmi7 Emi75 9 Dmi7 Fma7 # 11 Ami7. J Fma7 Bmi759 E79 Ami7 Fma7 n

23 Œ 3 # # 3 # # n Days of Wine and Roses Fma7 # 11 Fma7 Dmi7 Emi75 9 n # Dmi7 Fma7 # 11 # 3 # n Œ Fma7 Dmi7 Bmi75 E79 J Ami7 J J J J

Introduction to Jazz Guitar Chords and Comping Styles. -by Mike Scott

Introduction to Jazz Guitar Chords and Comping Styles -y Mike Scott he folloing lessons introduce some of the asics of azz guitar chords opics include: Some of the most common chord voicings used Intervals