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Marvin Gaye – ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’

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‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ was written by songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966 and was recorded by several artists signed to Berry Gordy’s Motown label.

The first version of the song was recorded by The Miracles, although it was rejected for release by Gordy, later appearing on their 1968 album Special Occasion. It was next recorded by Smokey Robinson, but again rejected by Gordy. In 1967 Marvin Gaye’s version was recorded but was once again rejected. An up-tempo version of the song was recorded for Gladys Knight and The Pips in 1967, largely as a reaction to the success Aretha Franklin had with ‘Respect’ on the rival Stax record label. Gladys Knight’s version features a very busy, complex bassline from bassist James Jamerson, one that will be covered in a separate tutorial. Marvin Gaye’s version of the song was included on his 1968 album In the Groove and proved so popular with the public that it was eventually released as a single. It was a number one hit, spending seven weeks at the top of the US chart, and going on to become the biggest selling record that Motown had up to that point.

This song is in the key of Eb minor and features a challenging bassline that contains almost no repetition at all. All of the key characteristics of James Jamerson’s playing are evident here: chord tone-based lines, enclosures, chromatic approach notes, syncopation and more.

When learning this piece, you might find the following courses (all included in the monthly subscription cost) useful:

A transcription (with TAB and without) is available for this course. To download it, please visit the Free Stuff page. Please note that a backing track is NOT included with this course. The track used in the play-along can be purchased from www.karaoke-version.co.uk.

This course is 45 MINUTES long and contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’

This video is a demonstration of the line performed on a Fender Precision, strung with flatwounds. Foam was inserted beneath the strings to dampen the tone.

2. Course Overview

This video contains an overview of the song and the challenges it presents. It also contains advice on choosing the right instrument and tone for a piece like this.

3. 1st Verse

This section features a predominantly chord tone-based line from bassist James Jamerson, with some interesting chromatic elements added.

4. 1st Bridge

This video covers the first bridge of the song. This is a four-bar section that continues to be chord tone based, with many chromatic elements.

5. 1st Chorus

In this lesson you’ll learn to play the first chorus. This lesson also covers the well-known post-chorus section, which is the only real instance of repetition in the song.

6. 2nd Verse

This lesson covers the second verse. This is played in a similar manner to the first but as with all Jamerson lines, there are many variations to consider.

7. 2nd Bridge

This lesson covers second bridge section. As is typical of James Jamerson’s playing, there are several variations on the established part here.

8. 2nd Chorus

This video covers the second chorus section. Once again, the bass part is heavily based on chord tones, with chromatic lines playing an important role.

9. 3rd Verse

This verse is similar to the previous two, although with further variations. As ever with Jamerson, the variations are worth studying in detail.

10. 3rd Bridge

This lesson covers the third and final bridge section of the song. All of the ingredients found in previous sections are once again used here.

11. 3rd Chorus

In this final video you’ll learn how to play the final chorus and the outro section. Compared to some other sections, the lines played here are relatively simple.