This piece is a jazz-funk fingerstyle workout built around harmony that is relatively static. As a result, the bass part has more of an improvisational feel to it, with there being a lot of opportunities to play fills and develop the fundamental parts. The piece also includes an eight-bar bass solo, meaning that there’s plenty here for you to get your teeth into.
For bassists who wish to learn the piece but require additional assistance with some of the scales/modes used in this piece, the following courses (all included in the monthly subscription cost) should prove useful:
Don’t forget to hit the Download Resources button above to get the PDF transcription and audio files for this piece (available to subscribers only). The transcription is available with TAB and without, for those who wish to give their reading skills a workout.
This course is 49 MINUTES long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:
This video is a demonstration of the piece, performed on a Fender Custom Shop ’67 Precision bass.
In this video I’ll be talking about the main challenges presented in this piece. I’ll also be discussing how I recorded it and offering some advice on how you can find the right sound for lines like this.
This video covers the opening section of the piece, which introduces the four-bar bass groove that forms the foundation of the track. This lesson covers bars 1-8 in the accompanying transcription.
This lesson covers the A section. The bass part here is a continuation of the line established in the previous video, although there are some tasty minor pentatonic fills to get to grips with as well. This lesson covers bars 9-18 in the transcription.
This video covers the B section. The bass part here is quite sparse, and therefore contrasts nicely with the busier groove that was played in the earlier sections. Despite this, there are fills, decorations and double stop licks that are all useful concepts to have in your toolkit. This lesson covers bars 19-26.
This lesson covers the C section, a brief interlude that features the main bass groove once again. This section closes with a two-bar fill that is based on the blues scale. This video covers bars 27-30 in the accompanying transcription.
The D Section of this piece is the piano solo. This is underpinned by a new bass groove, which is covered here. This lesson covers bars 31-36 in the transcription.
In this video I’ll be showing you how to play the eight-bar bass solo. This short solo contains some great ideas, including rhythmic repetition, chromaticism, shakes, slides and double stop licks – plenty to get your teeth into. This lesson covers bars 37-44 in the accompanying transcription.
In this video we’ll be working through the G and H sections. These two sections are both based on the main bass groove from the intro section but include some additional fills. This lesson covers bars 53-64.
In this video we’ll be working through the outro section of the piece. This section is built around a brand new, repeating four-bar bass groove. This lesson covers bars 65-70 in the accompanying transcription.