How this bass technique totally saved my ass!
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Here’s a short story about how applying some basic music theory, along with a very practical bass technique, saved me from what surely would have been an extremely humiliating situation. I strongly encourage you to learn this stuff. It just might save your ass like it did mine!
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I began playing bass at 60 yo, now 61… finding time to “really practice” has been tough at times. This is great advice! I’m going to give it a try.
Thanks for weighing in, Mark! Welcome to the low end! :)
@Kram62 i started playing bass at 62 l. Now 63, been playing since January.
@@ForBassPlayersOnly the bass has always intrigued me. It was time to quit talking about it and “just do it!” Love your channel and your obvious love of the instrument !
@@charlesdoca7145 great! It’s a fascinating instrument! Keep playing!
I'm 60 and just bought my first Bass,New Player.. do you have any advice for me?
I play bass for the worship band at my church, and this tip is Sooo helpful for me! When I work up a bass line for a song I always make sure I can transpose it if I need to. I never include open strings. I play a 5 string, and the extra range really helps when I have to transpose!
exactly. you nailed it. I bought my first 5 string after my college jazz professor discouraged me from using open strings in order to easily transpose a piece to any key.
Everything you mentioned is SO good for you! Keep up the great work. Thanks for your inspiring feedback! 👍
Yes. My problem is I use too many open strings…
This is such great advice. I learned this the hard way on an outdoor gig just after I graduated from high school. We were playing Jethro Tull's "Aqualung", which I had learned from tablature out of a magazine. During the breakdown where the bass is walking solo behind the vocal, I somehow lost the plot completely. Without the reference points of the chord progression or relative chords to the root, I had no way to get back on track. That embarrassing moment changed my outlook on learning songs and what it actually means to be prepared. I haven't looked at any bass tablature for many years and am much better off for it.
Great story, Kevin. Thanks! I remember learning “Aqualung.” Funny, I didn’t find out till I was in college, but my turntable was a half-step off, so all through school I was learning all kinds of rock tunes in Ab and Eb. It never occurred to me how unlikely it was that all those tunes would be in those “weird” keys! 😂 Thanks again for the comment.
As a pretty "seasoned" bass player myself i can confirm this tip of yours is really GREAT! It saved my ass plenty of times through the years...young bassists, listen to this old guy!!!! Great advice FBPO!!!!
Thanks, Riccardo! 😀👍
The ability to transpose keys is essential! I learned that on double bass...and e-bass and guitar in around 1974...😥
I agree! Thanks! :)
Such important advice! Learn to transpose! And playing standards in all keys is a great way to do it. The one exception would be songs that are riffs based on open strings or which have specific patterns. That can be a little tougher, but that too is good to practice!
Thanks, Nelson!
This is why I always learn songs in a non-open way first.
Good policy, Eric! 😂 Thanks for weighing in.
Great way to think about these things. Especially when the key needs to change for the vocals. Thanks Jon
You’re welcome, Pete. Always good to hear from you!
Excellent points about being able to move one's chord shapes around the bass. I have been playing over 40 years and still love laying the groove and learning from great teachers.
Thank you, Ebert. Your kind words are inspiring and very much appreciated!
Buddy DeFranco played with Gene Krupa featured with the Dorsey Brothers. He must have had a wonderful life living 1923-2014. He took care of himself. 🙂
He was a great guy during the tour too. And what an honor to play with him!
Oh' that is cool Jon, a gig on upright bass in ur younger years, playing with Great musician Mr. DeFranco.
I like that story.
That happened to me before once with a singer, it messed me up. Got my ass canned before I got paid. It's a reality, and you're so right there's no weird keys, easy, hard keys, I used to think that when I first started playing bass. That's why you should know the major scale in all the keys. In my 50's now, picked up my first bass at 20 with experience playing another musical instrument for a few year's. It's all movable patterns I guess. I like do that w/ "BluesBass" the complete method. It really does complete your playing.
You're the real deal too Jon! Touch to vision you as 🍏
Thanks for sharing that, Frank. And thanks also for your kind words!
Thanks for Sharing Jon much appreciated 👍
Liverpool UK
You bet, Paul!
I figured this out fairly recently after a few years of playing. I made this idea easier for me by locating the root note with my second finger to make it easier to go above or below the root without much hand movement.
Good approach! Thanks.
I played with a horn band that would change keys as often as they changed underwear. Never an issue if you know the changes.
Thanks for weighing in!
Thanks for sharing that experience & lesson.
My pleasure! I hope you got a lot out of it.
Great story, thank you !
Glad you liked it. Thanks, Christoph!
That was amazing you summed it all up in such simple terms even a bass player can understand .Seriously if a bass lesson was a destination, yours will was how the crow flies. How's that. Cheers brother
Wow. Thanks, Joseph!
Another excellent and enjoyable video Jon! Nod to Vince Maggio too! 😎👍
Thanks for your kind words. Are you a (Miami) Hurricane too?! 😁
I was invited to a jam session with two guitarists. Unexperienced as I am, I proposed to play "she caught the katy" by the Blues Brothers after a couple of songs. I thought that'd be a good idea, as I could play the entire bass line note by note, had played along to the original recording in B flat major.
Unfortunately they were playing that in A major. Since I was used to that B flat fingering without using open strings I was lost, because now I had to use open strings requiring a totally different fingering. Wouldn't have been a problem on a 5-string, but I don't own one. So I got back home and did exactly what you said. Learned that line in different keys, which involves different fingerings.
So the lessons learned is: It's not only done to learn lines in different keys. Sometimes also different fingering must be trained :-(
Thanks so much for sharing that story and advice, Stefan! Now you’re an even better player! 😁
nice tips... I don't know what I would have done just to remember the chords of Donna Lee let along transposing it. A video on quickly assimilating what's on a chart would be great
Thanks for the suggestion, David! 😀
@@ForBassPlayersOnly ha thanks for the reply. I remember a bass teacher of mine noticing that I had gone "to chromatic land" i.e. was totally lost.
Thank goodness I didn't quit my day job.
That's was aa great "single take"!
Thanks! Hope you got a lot out of it.
Just found this channel. He's a likable guy armed with the wisdom to help fellow bassists. The only potential drawback I found with this advice is when open strings are involved. Depending on the tune, when you are faced with the choice of playing a dissonant open string or possibly skipping the note entirely, a percussive ghost note can fill the space without an interruption and, when done well, will be a rhythmic presence rather than a hole. Hope this helps.
Thank you, Robert. Great feedback. I’m going to address those issues in an upcoming video right quick! 😂
@@ForBassPlayersOnly Thanks for the reply. The four-string bass is a blessing at times like the one you described. It gives us a fighting chance to continue without causing a train wreck. Any tips that assist in that are greatly appreciated. (It's better than waiting for the lead diva/singer to give you the stink eye.) Have a great day!
Oh jeez, don’t get them stuck in a position relying on visual geometry. BTW, your funk bass books still spend time on my pratice stand! Great stuff!
Awesome. Thanks!
Excellent advice
Thanks, Charles!
great advice, thank you Jon
You’re welcome, Cetin. I’m glad you got something out of it.
I'm a new Bass player and need advice on getting started🎸
Welcome to the low end, Jeffery! Here are a couple of my free resources to get you started. Hit me up anytime with your bass-playing questions, problems, goals, etc. Have fun! - Jon
forbassplayersonly.com/easy/
forbassplayersonly.com/rock-bass-made-easy/
Thx man good deal,btw just wondering, how many basses do you take to a gig or a session,and how are they turned,?
The short answer: One, typically a 4-string. It doesn’t hurt to inquire in advance about the type of gig or session so you know you’ll be best prepared to provide what’s needed. Some people, just to be safe, may show up with a boatload of instruments, just to be sure (these are usually the busier session players with cartage companies). Jeff Berlin, on the other hand, seems pretty proud that he only OWNS one bass! 😀 when I was writing my “Play Like Jaco Pastorius” book, I showed up to a wedding gig with a fretless bass (actually, it was a 5-string!). But I knew what I was going to play and it worked out fine! If you’re not sure how you can best contribute to the situation, just ask the person who hires you what’s needed. I hope that helps, Mike. Hit me up anytime with your bass-related questions, problems, goals, etc. I’ll always welcome hearing from you!
@@ForBassPlayersOnly I usually always bring two automatic, just like I did when I was gigging guitar (6 string) one was E standard, the other, drop tuning, also need back up,in case u break string,just like a live show,but I just thought I'd ask,thx
Subscribing 👍
Welcome, Jeffery. Come on in!
@@ForBassPlayersOnly Thank you😊
A Stonefield bass ?
Wow, good eye, Trevor! Yes, it’s a Stonefield. I love it!