In this lesson I will show you the techniques I use for playing bass solo’s to hopefully help you write your own. So here goes.
Starting from the start you need some knowledge of scales. The most simple types of scale are major and minor and are played as follows: major à c to c with no sharps or flats (c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c or tone, tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semi-tone). Minor à a to a with no sharps or flats (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, a or tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone). Here are some examples of major and minor scales:
C Major:
G|--------0-2-3-5-|
D|--0-2-3---------|
A|3---------------|
E|----------------|
E Major:
G|-----------------|
D|-------------1-2-|
A|-------0-2-4-----|
E|-0-2-4-----------|
F Major:
G|----------------|
D|----------0-2-3-|
A|----0-1-3-------|
E|1-3-------------|
C Minor:
G|--------0-1-3-5-|
D|--0-1-3---------|
A|3---------------|
E|----------------|
E Minor:
G|----------------|
D|------------0-2-|
A|------0-2-3-----|
E|0-2-3-----------|
F Minor:
G|----------------|
D|------------1-3-|
A|------1-3-4-----|
E|1-3-4-----------|
The usual technique for playing solos is to find out what key your song is in and then improvise or write notes from that scale over the backing music. When you play over chords you will need to know what chords are being played, and then play the notes in that chord. So if you are playing over a chord of c major then the notes in that chord are the ones, which will sound the best (c, e and g). You can still use other notes in the scale, but they will not sound as appealing as the chord notes.
Slap solos.
Nearly all of the bass solo's I've heard have included some slap in them. In case you're new to bass, slap is where you make a fist and hit the string with your thumb. There are a few ways to incorporate scales into a slap solo. One, which is the most obvious, is to play a normal solo but slap it. A few others include left hand taps (not actually plucking the note but bringing your finger down and making a sound) and index finger/thumb pops (pulling the string up and letting go creating a twanging sound). These techniques will make the solo sound faster, but will require more skill to make them sound good. Below is an example of a slap, pop, tap solo in e minor:
G|----------------------------|
D|-------------2-----2-2------|
A|---------3P2---3P2----------|
E|-0-0-2-2---------------X-3-0|
S S S S P P T P P S P P
Another way to play a slap solo is to play the notes in a scale but slap another note in between them. This "offbeat" note can be in the scale or not. An example is shown below
(this is in a minor)
G|-----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------2------------------|
A|--0---2---3---2---0---2---3-----0---2---3p2p0--|
E|0---0---0---0---0---0---0-----0---0---0-------0|
S P S P S P S P S P S P S P P S P S P S P S
With the last technique you can change the Es or whatever note you’re using for a dead note and it will sound just as good.
Tremolo slap.
This next technique I don't know the name for, when I thought it up I didn’t know of anyone else who did it so I named it myself as tremolo slap. It is a slap technique but it gives the impression of a tremolo pick on guitar. What you do is play the normal slap note, and then on the way back slap again with your fourth finger. If you can get this fast it will sound amazing with a minimal amount of effort. I suggest practising scales, but doing them with this technique to build up your speed.
Moving scales around.
The scales I gave as examples don't have to be played like I've shown them. These are just the basic majors and minors of notes. You can play around with these scales, try flattening the seventh of a minor scale for a bluesy sound, or flatten the seventh of a major scale for an even brighter sound. The possibility’s are only as limited as your imagination! Also, the scales don’t need to stay within these boundaries, you can move them up and down the fretboard as long as you stay within the notes of the scale. You can add accidentals to the solo but don't add too many as this will make it sound sloppy and in some cases may even put it in a different key!
Well that's all, I hope this inspires you to create better solo's and helps you in the process as well. Thanks for giving it a read!
Selasa, 16 Juni 2009
Soloing On Bass Guitar
Harmonic Tuning For Bass Guitar
This is a guide on how to tune your bass guitar with harmonics. Tuning with harmonics is a great way to tune your bass because you can hear both notes ringing as you tune the pegs. In reality, you will use 2 methods of tuning. Tuning with an electronic tuner, then harmonics to "fine tune" the bass.
Producing A Harmonic.
Producing a harmonic is rather easy. It will not sound very clear if you don't have your bass plugged in. Put your finger lightly over the 5th fret of the E string. Make sure you are right over the fret. Strike the string with your picking finger. You should use your thumb or a pick when you are tuning. You should hear a high pitched sound. This is a harmonic. It is usually represented in tabs as an * or a +. After making a harmonic, you can release your fretting finger and let the harmonic ring out. If you are not familiar with harmonics, you should practice this:
Example (we're just going to use the * as a harmonic):
G|----------7*-------|
D|-------5*----------|
A|----7*-------------|
E|-5*----------------|
Tuning With Harmonics.
Tuning with harmonics will only really work if your bass is already in tune to standard (GDAE, high to low) Harmonics are just a way of "fine tuning." Get you bass into standard with an electric tuner.
Make a harmonic on the 5th fret, E string (as shown above) using your thumb or a pick. Then make a harmonic on the 7th fret, A string. If you did the exercise above, you will notice that the two harmonics sound alike, but if they are not the exact pitch you might hear a beating sound. It sounds like an in and out sound (like a flanger pedal). You will know if you hear it. Make both harmonics (E string, 5th fret and A string, 7th fret) with your thumb or pick and let them both ring. Tune the bass up or down. If the beating sound gets faster you are going more out of tune, as it gets slower and slower, you are getting more into tune. When you don’t hear any beating you are perfectly in tune. Do this with the rest of the strings and you will be exactly in tune. This should become a habit every time you pick up the bass.
Harmonic tuning:
G|-----|
D|-----|
A|---7*|
E|5*---|
G|-----|
D|---7*|
A|5*---|
E|-----|
G|---7*|
D|5*---|
A|-----|
E|-----|
All the harmonics should sound the same with no beating.
Two Handed Tapping On Bass Guitar
So maybe you've always been impressed by the way guys like Billy Sheehan play, or maybe you just saw this article and were like "Hey, I'd look really cool if I could tap on bass." Well, here's your chance to learn one of the most impressive techniques on bass, and not only is it impressive, very few people take the time to learn it right, so if you put yourself to it, you'll be one step ahead of the rest.
So, for starters, do an open hammer on on your G string. Good job, you tapped your first note. Now practice making it sound clear and defined, and get used to stopping the note. Now, since everybody has a different right hand approach, I'll give you mine and with time you will develop your own. I usually wear my bass low, but when it comes time to tap, the strap goes up. Not super high, just a comfortable high.
Now position your right arm almost parrallel to the strings, and find a position where you will note be muting them. Go ahead and tap the 12th fret on the G string, and practice starting, holding, and ending the note properly. It should be as clear and controlled as note played conventionally. Take the time to make sure you have this down, most players skip this part and then never learn to tap correctly. This part is crucial, so if it takes you a week to get it perfect, practice for two before moving on.
So now you've got that, and you have a real impressive sounding riff that goes like this:
G--12---12---12--12--|
D--------------------|
A--------------------|
E--------------------|
That's mad there. Probably the technique most used in tapping is a pull-off. RIght now you're going "I already know how to do a pull-off, I'll just skip this." Well, you can if you want to, but you will be a little lost later on, because pulling off from a tapped note is a lot different than pulling off a fretted note. When you pull off a tapped note, you want to slide the tapping finger (RH) off the string, in order to give the note more volume. So practice catching pull-offs, and the finger slide (the 15 is right hand, 12 is left hand):
G--15p12-15p12-15p12--|
D---------------------|
A---------------------|
E---------------------|
Again, seemingly simple, but crucial if you want to tap. Let's go ahead and bring some hammer-ons into that riff, try this:
G--15p12h14p12-15p12h14p12--|
D---------------------------|
A---------------------------|
E---------------------------|
Again, really simple, but that riff right there will be impressive once you get it up to speed, and will provide a basis for you to get your own riffs going.
Practice really is key to getting tapping down, just like you had to build up muscles to slap, and even play fingerstyle, your hands have to get used to tapping. Eventually, you will find it coming naturally, and after that your playing ability will multiply. Hope this was helpful ( 1st artice by the way, all for you Dan).
One more thing, once you get tapping down, and I don't recomend this while learning because it will hide your mistakes, is turning on some distortion, nothing comletes a tapping line like some fuzz to blend it all together. I personally prefer to set my EQ flat, with a moderate amount of disortion of fuzz, and tap away. Have fun.
One more line...
G--------14p12h14-14p12h14p10------15p12h14p1215121412--|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A--10--------------------------------------12-----------|x2
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--19p14-19p14p12--17p14-17p14p12-15p12-15p12h14--------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|x2
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--12p0-7h8-12p0-7h8-12p0-7h8-12p0-7h8------------------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--12p0-9h10-12p0-9h10-12p0-9h10-12p0-9h10--------------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--12p0-5h6-12p0-5h6-12p0-5h6-12p0-5h6------------------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--12p0-7h8-12p0-7h8-12p0-7h8-12p0-7h8------------------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--19p14-19p14p12--17p14-17p14p12-15p12-15p12h14--------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--19p14-19p14p12--17p14-17p14p12-15p12h14p12-15--------|
D-------------------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------------------------|x2
E-------------------------------------------------------|
G--15p12h14p12h15p12h14p12--|
D---------------------------|
A---------------------------|
E---------------------------|
Play double the speed of the rest of the piece and use it to impress people.
All right, enjoy. BTW, I tabbed this line out without my bass, not sure if all the notes are right, I just wrote a few minutes ago and can't remember the whole thing.
Major Tetrachords
First I must explain to beginners how to read my diagrams: read them left to right, bottom to top. Every horizontal line is a string (bottom being E and the top G) and every Vertical lihne is a fretbar.
As many already know a major scale follows the pattern:
W-W-H-W-W-W-H
W - whole steps (two frets)
H - half steps (one fret)
Looking closly you see there are two parts bridged by a whole step (W-W-H)W(W-W-H). These parts are called tetrachords. Now using common sense you can see that any two tetrachords can make up a one-octave scale (if bridged by a whole step).
There are three easy ways to play tetrachords using patterns and certain fingers. You don't have to use the fingers I suggest but they are what I found easiest. Here are the patterns (2412), (1334) and (4134). NOTE: these are not tablature! The numbers indicate the finger to use, 1 being the index, 2 the middle, 3 the ring, and 4 being the pinky!
(2412)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|-2-|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|-4-|
(1334)
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|---|-3-|-4-|
(4134)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|---|---|---|-4-|
Now those are just the tetrachords you must put the together to get a scale! Do this by skipping a whole step after the last note, then starting over again:
(1334)
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|---|-3-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|---|-3-|---|-3-|-4-|---|---|
(2412)
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|-2-|---|---|
|-1-|-2-|---|-2-|---|-4-|
|---|-2-|---|-4-|---|---|
(4134)
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|---|-4-|
|---|---|---|-4-|---|---|
Notice that the second added part is just moved up one string and over two frets!
See:
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1*|---|-3*|-4*|
|(1)|---|(3)|(4)|---|-4*|
|---|---|---|(4)|---|---|
Now you can have one-octave scales you can use on any fret. For example starting any of thes on the 8-fret of the E string allows you to play the C-major scale. Now it's harder to make multi-octave scales because you must make some small adjustments an requires understanding of root notes but I'll get to in another lesson. Also look in case I make something like this for minor scales.
I hope you understand major scales more now. I know this might be a bit confusing but to understand use a little common sense.
Melodic Harmonic And Natural Minor Tetrachords
I suggest you look at my lesson on Major Tetrachords before you read. I will allude to it and expect you to have. Also note that I use fingering blueprints, read them from left to right, bottom to top, as if each space was a any fret you want!
There are actually three types of minor scales: natural, harmonic, and melodic. A tetrachord is half a octave scale and therefore four notes(though there are only three spaces between the four) To play each you must start with a minor tetrachord. A minor tetrachord follows the pattern:
Whole step, Half step, Whole step
This can be played in the forms (1234), (1342), and (3412). Each number standing for the finger you use 1 being your index finger and 4 being the pinky. They are shown below (this is a fingering blueprint, not tabs):
(1234)
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-2-|-3-|---|-4-|
(1342)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
(3412)
|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-2-|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|-4-|
Now comes the part that may make it hard. To make a minor scale you can any of the following tetrachords: Major, Gypsy, & Phrygian. We’ll start with the major, a review for those who read Major Tetrachords. Major tetra chords follow the pattern:
Whole step, Whole step, Half step
There are three major tetrachord patterns: (1334), (2412), & (4134)
(2412)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|-2-|---|---|
|---|-2-|---|-4-|
(1334)
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|---|-3-|-4-|
(4134)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|-4-|
|---|---|---|-4-|
Add this to the minor tetrachord to get a one-octave minor scale. Then there are the gypsy and Phrygian tetrachord. Don’t ask where the names come from, because I don’t know. The gypsy is weird but the Phrygian is easy:
Gypsy: Half step, Step and a Half, Half step
&
Phrygian: Haft step, Whole step, Whole step
The Gypsy has one easy fingering pattern while the Phrygian has two fingering patterns:
Gypsy:
(3412)
|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|
|-1-|-2-|---|
|---|-3-|-4-|
Phrygian:
(2341)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|---|---|
|-2-|-3-|---|-4-|
and
(3413)
|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-3-|---|
|---|---|-3-|-4-|
Ok let’s put those together to get a minor scale! Play a minor tetrachord skip a whole step them play a major, gypsy, or Phrygian and whalah you have a melodic, harmonic, or natural minor scale! Note I will use (3413) for Phrygian, (2412) for major scales and (3412) for minor!
Melodic
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|-1-|-2-|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-2-|---|-2-|---|-4-|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|-4-|---|---|---|
Harmonic
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|---|-1-|-3-|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|-4-|---|---|---|
Natural
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|---|---|-1-|---|-3-|---|---|---|
|-1-|---|-2-|---|-3-|-4-|---|---|
|---|---|-3-|---|-4-|---|---|---|
Now I know that maybe confusing so I will put the G natural, melodic, and harmonic minor scales into tabs!
Melodic
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------4-5---------------|
A|-----1-3-5-7-------------------|
E|-3-5---------------------------|
Harmonic
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------4-5---------------|
A|-----1-3-5-6-------------------|
E|-3-5---------------------------|
Natural
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------3-5---------------|
A|-----1-3-5-6-------------------|
E|-3-5---------------------------|
As you can see in tabs there are only small differences between each type. They also all start and end on G. I hope those who read this will get something from it. It maybe confusing, but if you haven’t read Major Tetrachords, you should. It will make this easier to understand.
Sweep Picking On Bass Guitar
The best way in my opinion to approach sweep picking through arpeggios is to start out small out first and work your way up. So the first thing covered will be two string sweeps on bass.
Throughout this lesson I will show you arpeggio shapes in the key of D minor and will use a I-VI-VII chord progression(D minor, Bb major, C major) which is an often used and one of my favorite chord progressions. All of these shapes are also movable so they can be played anywhere on the fretboard.
The fingerings and downstroke/upstrokes shown are merely my opinion in what is the best way to approach these shapes, you are welcome to do them whatever way feels most comfortable to you.
Guide Key
D = Downstroke
U = Upstroke
1 = Fret with 1st (pointer) finger
2 = Fret with 2nd (middle) finger
3 = Fret with 3rd (ring) finger
4 = Fret with 4th (pinky) finger
T = Tap
P = Pull off
h = Hammer on
Two String Arpeggios (In D Minor)
I Chord (Dm)
D D U D D U D D U D D U
G|----10-14----10-14----10-14----10-14-|
D|-12-------12-------12-------12-------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
VI Chord (Bb)
D D U D D U D D U D D U
G|---7-10---7-10---7-10---7-10-|
D|-8------8------8------8------|
A|-----------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
VII Chord (C)
D D U D D U D D U D D U
G|----9-12----9-12----9-12----9-12-|
D|-10------10------10------10------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|
1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4 1 2 4
The next shapes I will show you are three string arpeggios for bass, when attempting to figure out these shapes it seemed hard to keep the shape having the root note as the bass note of the arpeggio, so the next following 3 and 4 string shapes are sweep inversions meaning that another note of the chord other than the root is the bass note.
These three string shapes are 2nd Inversion Sweep Arpeggios meaning that the 5th of the chord is the bass note.
Three String Arpeggios (2nd Inversion, 5th As Bass Note)
I Chord
D D D U D U U D D U D U U
G|-------10-14-10----------10-14-10-------|
D|----12----------12----12----------12----|
A|-12----------------12----------------12-|
E|----------------------------------------|
1 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 1
VI Chord (Bb)
D D D U D U U D D U D U U
G|-----7-10-7-------7-10-7-----|
D|---8--------8---8--------8---|
A|-8------------8------------8-|
E|-----------------------------|
1 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 1
VII Chord (C)
D D D U D U U D D U D U U
G|-------9-12-9----------9-12-9-------|
D|----10--------10----10--------10----|
A|-10--------------10--------------10-|
E|------------------------------------|
1 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 1
Next are four string sweeps, these can be tricky at your first attempt, but with constant practice they are no harder than the rest of these shapes. Also these shapes contain the third of the chord as the bass note making them first inversion shapes.
Four String Arpeggios (1st Inversion, 3rd As Bass Note)
I Chord (Dm)
D D D D U D U U U D D D U D U U U
G|----------10-14-10----------------10-14-10----------|
D|-------12----------12----------12----------12-------|
A|----12----------------12----12----------------12----|
E|-13----------------------13----------------------13-|
2 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 2
VI Chord (Bb)
D D D D U D U U U D D D U D U U U
G|--------7-10-7------------7-10-7--------|
D|------8--------8--------8--------8------|
A|----8------------8----8------------8----|
E|-10----------------10----------------10-|
3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3
VII Chord (C)
D D D D U D U U U D D D U D U U U
G|----------9-12-9----------------9-12-9----------|
D|-------10--------10----------10--------10-------|
A|----10--------------10----10--------------10----|
E|-12--------------------12--------------------12-|
3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3 1 2 1 4 1 2 1 3
Lastly, I would like to include the basics of adding tapping to your sweeping. This example is still using the I-VI-VII chord progression, and in each shape the note tapped is the root note of the chord. This example is just using the three string sweep but will work with any number of string sweep.
I(Dm) VI(Bb) VII(C)
G|-------10h14T19P14P10------------7h10T15P10P7------------9h12T17P12P9-------|
D|----12----------------12-------8--------------8-------10--------------10----|
A|-12----------------------12--8------------------8--10--------------------10-|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Unlike the rest of the previous shapes, you have no choice in these but to hammer on and pull off when you reach the G string in order to tap the high root note.
Before this lesson is ended I will leave you with something other than a three chord progression to practice these with. This is a three string sweep&tap arrangement of Pachebel's famous "Canon" that I wrote it's a little tricky and takes some reach in spots but enjoy!
This is also in Guitar Pro format if you would prefer it that way
G|-------11h14T19P14P11--------6h9T14P9P6-----7h11T16P11P7---|
D|----12----------------12---7--------------9--------------9-|
A|-12----------------------7--------------9------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----2h6T11P6P2-------4h7T12P7P4------------------|
D|---4------------4---5------------5-----4h7T12P7P4-|
A|-4----------------5------------------5------------|
E|-----------------------------------5--------------|
G|-----4h7T12P7P4-------6h9T14P9P6---|
D|---5------------5---7------------7-|
A|-5----------------7----------------|
E|-----------------------------------|
Double Popping
When playing slap bass a common misconception is that you are restricted to a simple slap and pop melody, many bassists constrict themselves by not realizing they are able to use more than just their index finger when playing a slap groove.
Here is a clear example of how the second finger (and in later lessons even the third) can be used in their basic form to pop when playing a slap and pop riff. Let’s start off with the double popping then, Shall we?
The basic concept:
S = Slap.
H = Hammer-On.
P = Pull-Off
P(1) = Pop (With first finger).
P(2) = Pop (with second finger).
G|------------7------------------x-----------7---------9---------------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------
E|--0------------------0---------------------------------------0-------
S P (1) S P (1) P (2) S
There's a little bit of improvisation in this but here's a brief video I made. The Fundamental Riff itself is there and you can hear how it is achieved. What I would like to stress is that this isn't a technique that is usually picked up very quickly if you've never tried it before but with time and a great many blisters on your middle finger it can be successfully achieved and prove very handy in your soloing. So what we have here is the basic repetitive riff using the double-pop technique which we can build off quite easily using the E pentatonic.
For example:
H
G|------------7------------------x-----------7---------9---------------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------
E|--0------------------0---------------------------------------x-------
S P (1) S P (1) P (2) S
H
G|----x--------------------x---------------------x---------7-------9---
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------
E|--------------0----------------------0-------------------------------
P (1) S P (2) S P (1) P (2)
H H H P H P
G|--------------7----------7-------------------------------------------
D|---7----9-----------9----------9-----7/5----7----5-------------------
A|-------------------------------------------------------7-------------
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------
S S S S
H
G|---------------x--------7---------9----------------------------------
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------
E|----x----------------------------------------------------------------
S P (1) P (2)
As a technique there are probably better examples than this from far better Bassists than I of how to use the technique to the best of it's potential, but looking at the groove in that first bar as a technique, that can not be done with one popping finger and it creates a very definitive sound in comparison.
Soloing
Scales To Use
major
g----------------------------------------
d----------------------2---4---5---------
a-----------2---3---5--------------------
e---3---5--------------------------------
minor
g----------------------------------------
d----------------------3---5-------------
a------------3---5--6--------------------
e---3--5--6------------------------------
dorian
g----------------------------------------
d-----------------2--3--5----------------
a-----------3--5-------------------------
e--3--5--6-------------------------------
minor pentatonic
g----------------------------------------
d----------------------3----5------------
a-------------3-----5--------------------
e----3----6------------------------------
major pentatonic
g----------------------------------------
d------------------------2----5----------
a--------------2------5------------------
e-----3----5-----------------------------
blues
g----------------------------------------
d-----------------------------3-----5----
a----------------3---4---5---------------
e----3-----6-----------------------------
Application Of These Scales
Patterns: you can use little visual patterns to create interesting lines in solos. Eg: as in each note of a scale a number, 1 through 8. then play 1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, 7, 6, 8. That's what I'm on about! Playing these sequences can also help with technique when practiced with a metronome. Here are a few more:
1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4, 7, 5, 8.
1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4 etc
1, 8, 2, 7, 3, 6, 4, 5, 4, 4, 3, 6, 2, 7etc
Ideas: you can use little motifs/ideas within a musical context that you repeat on to create interest for the listener. Because of the nature of the bass guitar, bass guitarists are genereally very bad at this and tend to just go through everything as fast as they can. That is one of the reasons teachers will tell you to transcribe horn solos, or keys. Horn players are very good at developing ideas/motifs within a musical context, because they are not thinking scale shapes, they are thinking musically. As in speech, lines should be played in little phrases, to keep the listeners interest. People don't just blurt out a whole paragraph do they? So thinking in short melodies, rather then shredding can aid in making a solo better. of course this takes years of practice. Another cool idea creator is to play the melody and slightly change it each phrase. This does take some practice but when mastered can make your bass lines seem almost horn like in nature.
Other Ideas: playing behind the beat - this is best practiced with a metronome. Playing behind the beat is basically just playing just before each beat, but being consistent, because if your not consistent, you will sound terrible. Percussive solos - just play beats on your strings, this is totally different, and when combined with dead notes and roots can be extremely effective. Chromatics - using the frets inbetween the scale notes can give a jazzy feel, and also add that 'out' sound you will hear horn and keys players create.
Techniques
Artificial Harmonics: I noticed a comment asking for pinch harmonics and I assumed you meant artificial harmonics. Artificial harmonics were made famous in bass by the great Jaco Pastorius. He used these in a more melodic context which has since been utilised by players such as bootsy collins, victor wooten, richard bona etc. An artificial harmonic is played by placing the knuckle of the right thumb on the node point of a string. Then plucking with your index finger. The node point is found twelve. Frets above the note your fretting. If you move up a fret with your left hand, then you have to compesate with your right. The node is usually written above the fretted note in brackets like so:
(15) (17) (14) (15) (17) (14)(16) (17)
g-------------------------------------------
d--------------------------------2---4----5-
a-----------------2----3----5---------------
e-------3----5------------------------------
To practice this technique, it is a good idea to play through scales, particularly widely spread scales I.e 3 notes per string (which you can find in other lessons).
Slap And Pop: slapping is one of the techniques which makes bass unique. To slap a note, hit the string with the side of the knuckle of your right thumb. Pops are the 'rebound' of a slap.(sort of) to pop, simply lift the string up with your left index or middle finger, then let it snap back down onto the frets. these two techniques produce a very distinctive sound, so you I'll know if you are doing them correctly. they are written as below:
s s s s s p p p p p p
g----------------------- g--5--4--2-----------------
d----------------------- d------------5---4---2-----
a--------2---4---5------ a--------------------------
e--3--5----------------- e--------------------------
Once again, play through scales, using these techiques to master them.
Dead Notes: dead notes are used by bassists to create a rhythmic feel within a solo. for the ultimate in dead note usage, look no further then wictor wooten 'me and my bass guitar'. To produce a dead note slap, pop or just pluck a string, whilst resting the left hand lightly on the strings, so the don't ring out. Dead notes are written as below:
g------------------------------------------------
d-------x--2-----x--3----------x--2---x---3------
a------------------------------------------------
e---3-x------x--------x--3--x-------x------------
I don't know what these are called but Victor Wooten uses them alot, they are done by playing an open string, hammering on with one finger, then slapping or popping the next note, ie:
s s
g------------------------------------------------
d------------------------------------------------
a------------0--h--2--3-h-5----------------------
e--0-h-3--5--------------------------------------
Once again, practising these with scales and metronome.
Arpeggios: arpeggios are created by taking the colour tones out of chords and playing them melodically. Example:
a major chord = 1-3-5
minor chord = 1-b3-5
b= flat diminshed chord = 1-b3-b5
#= sharp augmented chord = 1-3-#5
dominant 7th chord = 1-3-5-b7
minor 7th chord = 1-b3-5-b7
major 7th chord = 1-3-5-7
etc
So to put this in context, again, assign each scale note a number,
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8/1
g-------------------------------------------------
d------------------------2---4---5----------------
a----------2----3---5-----------------------------
e---3--5------------------------------------------
then start combining colour tones eg:
minor = 1, b3, 5
1=G b3=Bb 5=d
g-----------------------3-----7-------------------
d-------------------5-----------------------------
a--------2-----5----------------------------------
e----3--------------------------------------------
These arpeggios can be used to outline the chord changes.
Walking Bass Lines: a walking bass line is created by playing the root (1) of a chord, then 'walking' through other notes to get to the next chord. A good general rule to follow for walking bass lines when beginning is to play (in key of C major) root-c 5th-g root-c leading note (7th or 2nd of next chord) - so if the next chord is F then we could play either the 7th of F-e or the second of F-g.
Bends: bending a string up can add a bluesy effect, and isn't really done by enough bassists these days. A good note to bend is the 3rd note of the blues scale in the second octave, ie:
g-----------------------------------3-----5--------
d-------------------------3-----5---------^--------
a---------------3-----5----------------------------
e------3----6--------------------------------------
Open String Harmonics: there are a few harmonics to be found that can be created with out fretting a note. Jaco was the pioneer of harmonics on bass, so check his stuff out to see the real deal.
g-----------------------------------
d-----------------------------------
a-----------------------------------
e--2.3--3.2--4--5--7--9--12---------
Plucking Using The Pinky
Note: I practice these exercises on a four string, but I will write out the lesson for a five string, and if you do play a four string just ignore the low B string. I will indicate the fingers used with these characters:
Begin on open notes, slowly building your tempo until use of the pinky beccomes more fluent.
G|---------------------------------0-0-0-0-|
D|-------------------------0-0-0-0---------|
A|-----------------0-0-0-0-----------------|
E|---------0-0-0-0-------------------------|
B|-0-0-0-0---------------------------------|
I M R P I M R P I M R P I M R P I M R P
Now repeat the above exercise focusing on the accents of your fingers, try and make sure that the volumes are similar on each note. After you have even accents try adding accents on particular notes. Now lets try the pinky technique on a quarter note groove.
Ascending:
G|---------------------------------5-6-7-8-|
D|-------------------------5-6-7-8---------|
A|-----------------5-6-7-8-----------------|
E|---------5-6-7-8-------------------------|
B|-5-6-7-8---------------------------------|
I M R P I M R P I M R P I M R P I M R P
Decending:
G|-8-7-6-5---------------------------------|
D|---------8-7-6-5-------------------------|
A|-----------------8-7-6-5-----------------|
E|-------------------------8-7-6-5---------|
B|---------------------------------8-7-6-5-|
P R M I P R M I P R M I P R M I P R M I
Practice ascending and decending until the pinky becomes more fluent. Also try the ascending and descending at diffrent places on the fretboard. This exercise could take more practice to get an even flow of the fingers. You will also use your thumb in this part if you are playing a five string.
Ascending:
G|---------0-|
D|-------0---|
A|-----0-----|
E|---0-------|
B|-0---------|
T I M R P
Descending:
G|-0---------|
D|---0-------|
A|-----0-----|
E|-------0---|
B|---------0-|
P R M I T
Practice ascending and descending until they are fluent. Now lets try attaching some notes to the ascending and descending motions.
Ascending:
G|---------9-|
D|-------8---|
A|-----7-----|
E|---6-------|
B|-5---------|
T I M R P
Decending:
G|-9---------|
D|---8-------|
A|-----7-----|
E|-------6---|
B|---------5-|
P R M I T
Give these exercises a try and drop me a line on what it has done for you. Cheers!
Senin, 15 Juni 2009
How To Attack Jazz On Bass
NB Essential to playing jazz and fully understanding some examples in this will be the ability to read bass clef.
Walking bass
One of the major things you need to know for walking is how to construct scales and chords. Scales and modes here. Chord Construction here & there.
Now, first thing, a walking bass line is a line in which the bass player lays down a chord progression and a tempo. The ultimate goal of a walking line is to combine Harmony, Rhythm, and to an extent Melody.
Rhythm
For the most part a walking line you will create will be in the standard 4/4 swing style so for a rhythmic line you will more than likely be playing quarter notes or the odd eighth note. Your job is to lay down the time so don’t go playing some syncopated sixteenth rhythms or you might get some looks from the tenor player up in front of you trying to solo or an odd kick from the drummer. Speaking of the drummer you could help him along with the rhythm and slighty accent beats 2 and 4 of the bar. Slightly. Only do this in every bar if playing big band swing, otherwise it sounds rather cheesy in small bebop groups. Just throw it in once in a while if it seems like the piece is starting to drag or sounding too “straight”.
Harmony
The harmonic portion of your line is where some more complications come in. Almost always when playing a walking bass line you want to be playing the root note on any chord change. Actually scratch that, always (unless there is a more sensible smaller leap see example 1, however it should be a chord tone) when there is a chord change play the root note. Now, you may ask, what if the chord stretches over two or more bars. This is where *some* leniencies can be made. If you find yourself on the second bar of the chord and you don’t want to play the root you at least want to play a chord tone so for example you’re on a C7 chord for two bars on the first bar you first note must be a root but on the second bar it could be maybe an E a G or a Bb. (see example 2) This rule can be overruled which I will talk about later. Now you know what note to start on but what about the other three notes in the bar? Well this is where some creativity can come into play. The second and fourth notes of the bar are known as the weaker harmonic beats, or the stronger rythmic beats.
For the second note you can play virtually any note with a few exceptions. In general, you want to play something scalar or tonic but even so you can play something else. An exception to what you could play would be the minor second of the chord *but* again the same overruling that takes care of the chord tone rule takes care of this. The minor second is just an ugly note and should be avoided like the plague without the ultimate rule. A good thing to try and strive for is a leading tone of some kind to the next beat of your bar like a Upper Chromatic Neighbour Tone or a Lower Chromatic Neighbour Tone or any other kind of Neighbouring Tone.
Now for you third beat you’re going to need a chord tone. This beat and the first beat are known as the stronger harmonic beats. Few exceptions to this rule. Even the ultimate overruling rule does not usually overrule this… rule… So with this in mind choose your second note carefully you need somehow reach a chord tone on your third beat, always keep this in mind.
For the fourth beat you want to play some kind of leading note into the next chord. This is probably your freest beat to play virtually anything that will get you to the next chord tone. Still preferably tonic but even less so than the second beat. When I say play anything I literally mean play any note you need to lead into the next chord, now obviously this is a slight exaggeration but your ear will more than likely tell you if you’ve made too big of a jump or some other kind of blip in the smoothness of the line.
If you are ever lacking in confidence for whatevr reason the safest walking line is always arpeggios but doing this all the time does make the line rather limited.
Melody
Now the melody is really the simplest and shortest part of your bass line. If you see in the melody any kind of odd note you should more than likely cater to that note. That’s it basically for the melodic portion of your line.
The Ultimate Rule that Overrules Virtually Any Other Rule in Creating Bass Lines in Jazz.
Linear, logical, and chromatic motion of any kind overrules any kind of rule involved in writing a Jazz Bass Line. Seriously, if you’re making a line, chromaticism is your best friend in the world. Anything concerning chord tones and harmonic beats and rhythm and anything else can all be substituted for good old’ fashioned step-wise motion. It is the ultimate, ultimate override button in all of Walking Bass Line-dom.
Some Other Rules To Remember.
The fourth (in a major chord), along with the minor second, of the chord is considered dissonant and should be treated as such. Can anyone tell me why? No? It’s because the fourth is a minor second above a chord tone (the third). Although it is reasonable to play these notes if they are chord tones such as in _11 or _7b9 chords.
A large jump of any kind should usually be followed by some kind of reverse in motion.
Probably the most important rule in all of making bass lines jazz or otherwise, let your ear guide you. If you listen to your bass line and something sounds funky, more than likely something in there is wrong so change it. Although sometimes a little dissonance goes a long way and can transform a piece.
Ballads
Ballads are your slower jazz pieces and in general you have much more free reign in terms of both harmony and rhythm. I find for slower pieces that it helps to stay with chord tones for the beats in the abr but you can put in little chromatic runs as needed. Hopefully I'll record a slower version of Autumn Leaves showing you the type of ideas to use in ballads. In slower pieces it's often a good idea to play with a two feel for the majority of the time and add triplet fills every now and again. Don't make it too busy the first time on the melody or during solos. You don't want to draw attention away from the soloist, it's your job to be in the background supporting.
Latin Jazz
The typical latin bass line goes dotted crochet (quarter note), quaver (eighth note) on the root and fifth of the chord. Again use little chromatic runs or end on a chord tone which is a semitone away from a chord tone in the next chord. Latin is probably the easiest to improvise because it usually has a much more rigid harmonic and rhythmic structure
More Advanced Ideas
Pedal notes
Pedal notes are sometimes given to you in the lead sheets when you have a long series of slash chords where the bass note is the same for long periods, for example Dolphin Dance by Herbie Hancock. However in other cases it is not so obvious. For example in Autumn Leaves it would be possible to play a dominant pedal (ie a pedal on the fifth of the key) in the first section. The chords go A-7 D7 Gmaj7 Cmaj7 F#-7b5 B7 E-. A pedal on the note of B (the dominant note in E minor) would work over all these chords apart from the F#-7b5 because the semitone gap between b5 and the p4 that the B is too dissonant, although you may want that dissonance in the performance to make a point in the piece. The best time to use the pedal is either in the intro before going into a full blown walking line. Another possibility is to use the pedal in the start of a solo and allow the soloist pretty much free reign with the scales they decide to use. A neat idea when playing prolonged sections of the pedal is to give the piece a 3 feel (see example 3). If you do this make sure the drummer knows otherwise it could get very messy.
II-V-I Cadence
All this means is that the chord progression of the chord of the second note in the scale, followed by the chord of the fifth note, followed by the chord of the root. This pattern in major keys for the root is _-7, _7, _maj7. For example in the key of C it would be Dm7 G7 Cmaj7. This chord progression sounds good because a V-I movement between chords resolves well. The ii acts as a V of the actual V in the key so D is the fifth of the chord; this makes the resolution extra good. In minor keys it is _-7b5, _-7, _-7. However the v (minor chord of the fifth note) is often made major because E7 -> Am7 sounds better than Em7 -> Am7. If you see a II-V-I pattern it means you can use any notes from the scale of the I in the II-V-I progression. EG you could use an E major scale to walk from through F#-7, B7, Emaj7. When using the minor scale be careful of whether it is v (minor) or V (major). To decide which minor scale to use: if it is a v chord use the natural minor scale. If it is a V chord use the natural minor scale however when walking over the V use the harmonic or melodic minor scales. This is because of the sharpened 3rd in the chord. (See example 4).
To spot a II-V-I cadence takes some practice but a tip is that if you get repeated intervals of a fourth up you’ve got a II-V-I, you just then have to identify the key. For example D->G is a fourth, G->C is a fourth. Once you’ve learnt to spot this cadence it will become your best friend because it is use so often in jazz, it’s unbelievable. Even funkier jazz numbers such as Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard make use of this cadence.
Chromatic chord movement
Sometimes you may see a chord sequence such as Dm7, C#m7b5, Cmaj7. Well you’ve got the ii and I there but what’s happened to the V? A normal jazz substitution is the tritone substitution. This is usually to provide the chromatic movement you see here. If you find the tritone of C# you’ll find that it is G. So basically you’ve got a ii-V-I pattern, so you can use the rules stated above, however once on the fifth remember that it is C# instead of C. Normally the best thing to do with tritone subs is to just play the root notes for the first two chords and then walk for the I.
Other chromatic movements such which aren’t from tritone subs are often best dealt with by just root notes or a fixed pattern like R1 V1, V2 R2. (See example 5)
Walking in three
Walking in a piece that’s in three often is a different ketlle of fish. There are three ways of usually attacking this:
a) One note per bar
b) A note per beat
c) Minim then crochet (Half-note then quarter-note)
I usually use a mixture of b) and c) because that usually achieves the best effect. However there are cases when the one note per bar is definitely what sounds the best. Again, use the guidelines stated above to find the notes to play. For the example I’m using Someday My Prince Will Come for the chords. Another idea for pieces in 3 is to play as if in 4, see the last 2 bars to see how this works. (See example 6 for jazz waltz)
Two-feel
The two feel is in my opinion one of the best pieces in the walking bass armoury. You’ll find that a lot of the work from the Bill Evans Trio uses a two feel during the head (or tune) with the bass occasionally doing a bar of walking every now and again. But once it comes to the solos, it’s bars of four notes per bar. (See example 7)
Skipping
This again is like the emphasis of 2nd and 4th beats of the bar, something to be used sparingly otherwise it sounds too much. You normally play a dead note before note in the rhythm shown in example 8. The semiquaver then dotted quaver rhythm produces the same kind of effect as the drummers hit of the snare or ride cymbal, often just to keep the piece swinging.
A diminished chord tip
If you have a major chord, followed by a diminished chord with it's root up a semitone you can use this little trick as shown in illustrated in example 9.
Jazz Soloing
Please note this is just one approach to improvisation, there are hundreds of different ways to attack it, don't take this as the definitive approach.
Soloing is much like building a walking line, if you want to play it safe stick to chord tones and common extensions to those chords. However it can be much more than this. Generally when the bass solos in jazz there is little harmony accompaniment, at least in generally in small combo situations, like a piano trio or a quartet. And generally you’ll have pretty free reign on the rhythm as well, because the drummer doesn’t necessarily carry a strong and obvious beat. The first place in selecting the correct scales to play is to look at the key signature, a list of which can be found here. After looking at the key signature it’s necessary to determine whether it is the minor or the major key. The best way is to see which chords the piece resolves to most and look for what would be the V in a minor key, if it is major it will generally be a minor key, if the V is minor it’s generally a major key although there are obviously exceptions. Next have a look at the chord sequences, because in some pieces the key signature won’t help you at for example giant Steps by John Coltrane. In Giant Steps the key modulates (changes) by going up a major third. The way to decide which scales to play is to look for II-V-I patterns much like in creating a walking line and use the scale of the I to solo for the length of that progression. Also note that in jazz that it’s quite common to get incomplete II-V-I patterns, ie just the II-V but you can still play the scale of the I over this because it is still in the correct key. A further soloing idea is to build a collection of little licks based on the II-V-I pattern be it from jazz standard melodies or from transcribed solos. Having a collection of licks for this pattern is invaluable because the pattern is so frequent. It also gives you a collection of ideas on which to build the solo from and more time to come up with original solo ideas if it’s the first time you’ve seen a piece. A final idea for soloing is to quote sections of the melody when you reach that relevant section in the piece. Then use that as a base to further your improvisation. The problem with this is that most lead sheets are written with the melody in the treble clef so you need to be proficient at reading the treble clef and then transferring that onto bass. One more thought is to leave gaps in the solo. You don’t need to be constantly playing for it to be an impressive solo. I read in an interview with Marcus Miller that one of the problems he thought many young bassists had when soloing was that they tried to play too much too quickly and all the time, and that one advantage wind instruments had was that they have to leave gaps (unless they have perfected the art of circular breathing). To try and create this same effect he suggested to sing with your solo, this way you improve both your ear and singing abilities but you also have to leave gaps.
Here’s a great example of a jazz solo played on Autumn Leaves. Please note this is just one approach to improvisation, there are hundreds of different ways to attack it, don't take this as the definitive approach.
Playing jazz on an electric vs an upright does require a completely different tack. One is that your mental angle has to think "upright” and the sound that it produces. This will help you lay back a bit. Your attack is going to be slower and thinking about the physicality of an upright helps. Pluck closer to the neck and learn to mute slightly with your palm, For me, on the amp, I tend to boost the low ends and cut the mids and high end to get a really thick sound.
I've got audio versions of all the numbered examples and just did a quick go at a walking line on Autumn Leaves. It's not the same as the notation version but it has similar ideas.
Full piece walking lines
Autumn Leaves:
Green Dolphin Street:
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
Example 4:
Example 5:
Example 6:
Example 7:
Minggu, 31 Mei 2009
Bass Solo's
Most bassist don't even get to show there talent during a show. All they do is stand out of the spotlight and thwack away at the E and A strings. Well I'm tired of that and hopefully you are too! Music is all about expressing yourself, and that's why you need to show your chops.
I'm not going to tell you that all bass solo's have to be part of a scale, but I think it's important to include some scaling in your solo. Let's Start out of a C major scale.
G|-----------2-4-5-
D|-----2-3-5-------
A|-3-5-------------
E|-----------------
Now let's add some notes in between
G|------------2424-5-
D|-----2323-5--------
A|-3-5---------------
E|-------------------
Here's were you can add different parts of a bass solo. Either chords, speed, or slap/octaves. (I'm leaving out tapping, because I haven't mastered that yet)
Chords
G|------------2424-5-5-4-----5-4---4-
D|-----2323-5--------3-2-4---3-2-4-2-
A|-3-5-------------------2-------2---
E|-----------------------------------
Speed
G|------------2424-5-55553333--------
D|-----2323-5----------------55553-2-
A|-3-5-------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------
Slap/Octave
(s=Slap, p=Pop)
G|------------2424-5----5p------------5p----4p-
D|-----2323-5------------------5p--------------
A|-3-5---------------3s------------3s----2s----
E|------------------------3s-------------------
There's a nice easy solo for you. I find most bass solo's come from using doodling around the fretboard or improv.
Effects
Some people find that using distortion or other effects may pump up a solo. I agree and disagree. Using an effect is great, but don't overuse it. If all your solo's are distortioned, what's the point, anyone can hit a couple notes on distortion and sound like Cliff Burton. I hope this helped you in your pursuit of face-melting, bass-pounding, guitar player-killing solos.
from :Ultimate Guitar
The Minor Pentatonic
The way I remember the Pentatonic Scale is by remembering the 5 Shapes and giving them rememberable names. (The following Scales are in E Minor)
Shape 1
G|-0-2-|
D|-0-2-|
A|-0-2-|
E|-0-3-|
Give it a unique Name.
Shape 2
G|-2-4-|
D|-2-5-|
A|-2-5-|
E|-3-5-|
Shape 3 (Quite a similar pattern to Shape 1)
G|-4-7-|
D|-5-7-|
A|-5-7-|
E|-5-7-|
Shape 4
G|-7-9--|
D|-7-9--|
A|-7-10-|
E|-7-10-|
Shape 5
G|-9--12-|
D|-9--12-|
A|-10-12-|
E|-10-12-|
Improvising
The Minor Pentatonic May be used for Improvising and possibly Soloing. Making it a good thing to use. You may have noticed I stopped at the Twelth Fret. that's because there are only 12 Notes...
E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C# D, D#.
To go higher, just repeat those shapes. Also remember that these shapes are in the Key of Emin. To go to G for example, Shape 1 starts on the 3rd Fret, and the rest of the shapes follow after (and repeat behind)
Here are all the Frets you can use using the Shapes.
G|-0-2-4-7--9-12-|
D|-0-2-5-7--9-12-|
A|-0-2-5-7-10-12-|
E|-0-3-5-7-10-12-|
So that means the notes you can use are...
E, G, A, B, D.
Remember to practice those Scales, try improvising with the Pentatonic and enjoy!
