FOLLOW US ON:
0 Cart £0.00

Giants of Bass – Jaco Pastorius

< BACK Subscribe Now Subscriber Login

'A Portrait of Jaco' was written to reflect the work of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius, both as a solo artist, and with pioneering fusion outfit Weather Report. The bassline for this piece is a busy, syncopated part that is very challenging to play up to tempo. As well as the groove elements, it also features harmonics, chordal parts, and a complex solo. The entire line also has an improvised feel to it, and therefore includes very little repetition.

For bassists who wish to learn the piece but require additional assistance with some of the techniques required, 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 the audio files for this piece (available to subscribers only).

This course is 1 HOUR & 5 MINUTES long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. 'A Portrait of Jaco'

This video is a full demonstration of ‘A Portrait of Jaco', performed on a Millman Jazz bass strung with stainless steel Rotosound strings.

2. Course Overview

This video gives a brief overview of this difficult piece and the technical challenges that it presents. I’ll also be offering advice on finding a suitable tone.

3. A Section

This lesson covers the opening section of the piece, which introduces the main bass groove. This lesson covers bars 1-20 in the accompanying transcription.

4. B Section

This section is based on the chord sequence from the previous section, but the bassline is continuously evolving. This lesson covers bars 21-36 in the transcription.

5. C Section (Bass Solo Part 1)

This lesson covers the first half of the bass solo. The solo has an improvisational feel and features a number of pentatonic licks. This lesson covers bars 37-52.

6. D Section (Bass Solo Part 2)

The second half of the bass solo gradually increases in complexity. This lesson covers bars 53-68 in the accompanying transcription.