A Unique Method for Crafting Melodic & Meaningful Bass Solos
“One of those rare instructional tools that can really make a difference.”
— Bass Player Magazine
Bass players in contemporary music are increasingly called on to play solos, in addition to fulfilling their role as part of the rhythm section. This one-of-a-kind book provides you with all the tools necessary to play coherent, horn-like solos.
It includes almost 150 pages of exercises focusing on ways to turn scales and chords into melodies, how to think in phrases the way all great jazz soloists do, and how to use the shape of the underlying melody to make your soloing relevant to each song.
Concepts for Bass Soloing includes many transcriptions of Marc Johnson's astounding improvised solos on the accompanying CD downloads – each one demonstrating a particular idea that you can practice and master for yourself. Marc is one of the world’s premier jazz bassists, having played for years with Bill Evans, Stan Getz and Pat Metheny, among many others.
Complete chapters on:
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Choice of Notes in One Mode
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Phrasing Exercises in One Mode
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Choice of Notes on a Given Chord
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Typical Jazz Licks
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Practicing Soloing on Tunes
Also includes invaluable transcriptions of bass solos by:
Eddie Gomez | John Patitucci | Scott La Faro | Jimmy Haslip | George Mraz | Gary Willis | Dominique Di Piazza
Spiral-bound, 150 pages, Table of Contents.
Sample Pages: Exercise #23, Exercise #27.
Endorsements:
“Chuck Sher and Marc Johnson have given us a wonderful book. One which should provide players at all levels with months of good hard work, a lot of fun, and a healthy measure of frustration. (I would have sworn some of the things Marc plays on the accompanying tapes just can't be done). It's a pleasure to encounter a Bass Method so well-conceived and executed.”
— Steve Swallow
“This book is bursting with creativity. It is the best book yet for solo ideas and a must for your library.”
— Jimmy Haslip
“Marc Johnson's playing, even on the most basic examples, is simply beautiful. He breathes life into every idea, demonstrating how good note choices, rhythmic variety, and intelligent phrasing are used to create effective solos. There's so much material here that absorbing this book must be seen as a long-term project. It's one of those rare instructional tools that can really make a difference. Maybe if enough of us dig into it, we'll never hear those dumb jokes about bass solos again.”
— Bass Player Magazine
