My name is David and I’ve been playing bass for about 25 years. I’m your typical bass player who over the years has played many popular songs in various live cover bands. It's really my love for music and my interest in music and my love for electric bass which led me to create this blog. What do I hope to gain from it? Well I hope that I will continue to learn from outside input which in turn may help other musicians along the way.
When I first started playing I learned enough theory and took enough lessons to set me off. As I said, I played in various cover bands but always thought I wasn't really making any real progress as a musician. As time rolled on it was like I had gained a fair amount of theory knowledge but when it came to actual playing, the theory and the practical were two completely different things. It was only after standing in on bass in a jazz band for a friend that the can of musical worms was opened. I accepted the two gigs without knowing exactly what I was letting myself in for. All in all it went tolerably well. I got off lightly because when the band leader gave me the chord sheets it seemed like fairly easy 12 bar format but boy did I sweat when those chord changes were coming at me. I'd never even heard of the songs even though now I know they are the Jazz Standards. I recall playing great tracks like summertime and chameleon without actually knowing anything at all about those pieces. Each time the sax player or the guitarist took a solo it focused the audience away from me at least. When they called for the bass solo I just smiled and kept playing through the chords whilst looking at the sax player to save me :) The second gig was better but I knew I was out of my depth and still no bass solo! After the two gigs I decided I didn't want to just struggle by, I wanted to learn about music and Jazz seemed to offer the perfect training ground where I could apply any new knowledge. I wanted to learn enough to be able to play comfortably.
When I first started playing I learned enough theory and took enough lessons to set me off. As I said, I played in various cover bands but always thought I wasn't really making any real progress as a musician. As time rolled on it was like I had gained a fair amount of theory knowledge but when it came to actual playing, the theory and the practical were two completely different things. It was only after standing in on bass in a jazz band for a friend that the can of musical worms was opened. I accepted the two gigs without knowing exactly what I was letting myself in for. All in all it went tolerably well. I got off lightly because when the band leader gave me the chord sheets it seemed like fairly easy 12 bar format but boy did I sweat when those chord changes were coming at me. I'd never even heard of the songs even though now I know they are the Jazz Standards. I recall playing great tracks like summertime and chameleon without actually knowing anything at all about those pieces. Each time the sax player or the guitarist took a solo it focused the audience away from me at least. When they called for the bass solo I just smiled and kept playing through the chords whilst looking at the sax player to save me :) The second gig was better but I knew I was out of my depth and still no bass solo! After the two gigs I decided I didn't want to just struggle by, I wanted to learn about music and Jazz seemed to offer the perfect training ground where I could apply any new knowledge. I wanted to learn enough to be able to play comfortably.
The following week I sought out a local music teacher and was on my way to studying music theory. I think I was about 19 at the time. I then took and passed a Grade 5 theory examination to distinction. So here I was, armed with some good music theory knowledge with high hopes of eventually making some real progress as a player?
So what can I hope to gain from this blog?
Well I hope to learn as much about music as I can, but more specifically I want to learn about jazz and how to function correctly as a bass player in a jazz band. I am hoping that whilst I learn, you can learn too and share knowledge.
Jazz is such an interesting form of music because of the way the great jazz musicians colour the chords and alter the scales. Much of it extends well beyond my basic understanding of music and it offers the chance to progress and move forward in a very musical and enjoyable way.
Jazz players used songs from the Great American Songbook as vehicles for jazz improvisation. They played the melodies instrumentally (or sang them if a vocalist was involved) at the start of the tune; this is called playing the head of the tune. Once that was done, the chords that formed the harmony of the song remained while the soloist improvised a new melody; this is called blowing on the changes. At the end, they'd play the melody one last time and that was it. Because jazz players favoured these songs so much, their melodies and harmonies became the foundation for jazz harmony. These songs became the songs that all jazz players know and play today; they are aptly referred to as standards.
For the moment I'm working my way through the great great standard, Autumn Leaves. A much recorded popular song. Originally a 1945 French song "Les feuilles mortes" (literally "The Dead Leaves") with music by Hungarian-French composer Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet Jacques Prévert.
So head over to 'Autumn Leaves' in my blog and feel free to comment and correct where appropriate on my analysis of this great song.
Thanks for reading,
David.
