FOLLOW US ON:
0 Cart £0.00

Marcus Miller – ‘Frankenstein’

< BACK Subscribe Now Subscriber Login

This song can be found on Marcus Miller’s 2005 album Silver Rain. A cover version of the original Edgar Winter version, this is one of the most popular tracks on the album, and one of Marcus’s finest slapped lines. All of the unison lines from the original are played with the slap technique, and Marcus turns in a magnificent solo. As is typical of his playing, the solo builds in its intensity, culminating in some complex double thumbed lines and – unusually for Marcus – a two-handed tapping lick. Unsurprisingly, this course is best suited to bassists with an advanced level of competency with the slap bass technique. 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:

A transcription is available for this course. To download it, please visit the Free Stuff page.

This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. ‘Frankenstein’ Play-Through

In this video I’ll be playing through the track using a 1966 Fender Jazz Bass.

2. Course Overview

In this video I’ll be giving an overview of the track and the challenges it presents. I’ll also be talking about finding the right tone for the piece.

3. A Section

This video will cover the opening eight bars of the track, which features the main riff. This is a unison line played with the rest of the band but peppered with funky pentatonic-based fills.

4. B and C Sections

In this video we’ll be working through the secondary theme at letter B, and the reprise of the intro theme at letter C.

5. D Section (Trumpet Solo)

In this video I’ll be demonstrating the basic line played during the trumpet solo, and highlighting some of the fills that you might want to use. We’ll also be talking about the reprise of the main riff at letter E.

6. F Section (Sax Solo)

This is a long section with a repeating groove, so this lesson will cover some of the fills that you might want to incorporate into your own performance.

7. G Section

This lesson covers the repeating two-bar riff that follows the sax solo section. This part of the track also includes the build-up to the bass solo.

8. H Section (Bass Solo Part 1)

This lesson covers the first eight-bar section of Marcus’s bass solo.

9. H Section (Bass Solo Part 2)

This lesson covers the second eight bars of Marcus’s bass solo.

10. H Section (Bass Solo Part 3)

This lesson covers the third eight bar section of Marcus’s solo. Some advanced techniques – double thumbing and two-handed tapping – are required for this section.

11. H Section (Bass Solo Part 4)

This lesson covers the final four bars of Marcus’s solo. This is based on a reprise of the ideas introduced in the first eight bars, but with additional fills to get your teeth into. In this lesson we’ll also talk briefly about the reprise of the repeating two-bar riff which follows the bass solo.

12. J Section

In this final lesson we’ll be covering the final section of the track. This is the main theme again, with some alternative bass fills.