Jazz playing...

I really want to learn some of the theory behind playing jazz (soloing on bass to be precise) My bass teacher has tought me a lot, but i just wanted to know what kind of modes do jazz players use and if anybody can recomend any good books etc

keep jammin'
tommy c

Dunno any books. Basically I looked into chord progressions, which scales van be used on top. Start up by some guitar/drum recordings of old standards, like Autumn Leaves, All Of Me, etc. Then just walk all over it with yer bassline. 's how I learned a good deal.

But shouldn't your bass teacher actually know all these things?

he does, he knows a hell of a lot, but i'm going to stop my lessons soon because i can't afford it anymore, so i just wanted something too keep me going. Thanks for the advice

I tend to play a lot in Dorian when I'm playing Jazz. Gives you a flat 3rd and flat 7th when you stay in Dorian Mode.

As far as books go, the one I had in in school was "The Improvisor's Bass Method" by Chuck Sher. It's a blue spiral bound book that has a LOT of useful info about playing Jazz bass. It'll cost about $16 bucks or so, but it's well worth every penny.

But the only way to really get to playing Jazz is by simply letting the notes flow; Don't think about what you're going to play, just let go and flow with the groove.

Of course the pentatonic scales are all useful...The Dorian mode is used alot in Jazz as well is the Hypodorian which is actually a fancy word for the Aeolian mode(basically the "minor" mode) - I just read my post and it sounds confuseing even to me so let me edit-
Perfect fourth below the tonic to the perfect fifth above

I tend to play a lot in Dorian when I'm playing Jazz. Gives you a flat 3rd and flat 7th when you stay in Dorian Mode.

As far as books go, the one I had in in school was "The Improvisor's Bass Method" by Chuck Sher. It's a blue spiral bound book that has a LOT of useful info about playing Jazz bass. It'll cost about $16 bucks or so, but it's well worth every penny.

But the only way to really get to playing Jazz is by simply letting the notes flow; Don't think about what you're going to play, just let go and flow with the groove.

definitely, same here

I thought jazz was mainly improve on the stage? I'm not sure what your talkin about, not a bass player, but I do like jazz.

in order to play jazz you want to know the tune really well, and just take it from there.

soloing in jazz is pretty much based on the chord changes of the song so if you learn your arpeggios and theory and learn the hell out of the standards, soloing will eventually come.

learn the major scale and how to alter it to fit certain chords, like what you need to change in order to make it minor, dominant, diminished, etc.

i would reccomend some jamey aebersold play-a-long books, go to your local music store and pick some out that have some of your favorite songs/artists and jam along. just keep playing, and you'll never stop learning!

The thing about Jazz is this. jazz is feeling. Yeah, you need to know all your scales, arpeggios, all that shit, but at the end off the day jazz is about playing what you feel. I've played Jazz Guitar on a pro level since i was 16 and i have never thought of soloing in terms of scales. If you are good enough at your instrument, you can take amazing solos with out any thought payed to scales or theory. i do recomend that you buy a few books to get your theory together, but after that stuff is under your fingers, just try to play and listen to jazz as much as you can.

REMEMBER! Jazz is feeling. music theory just helps you see it in the big picture.

Keep playing.

I had to bring this thread back in order to rep you, shalom. Great advice.

Kids, learn ALL of your modes ands scales in EVERY key. After you do this, you will never have to conciously think of them again, and you will be a master at your instrument. I thought this was bullshit until I did it, and now I'm glad I forced myself through the pain . Don't forget to not neglect RHYTHM as well!

You can always get the Bass Guitar Grimoire. It contains nearly every scale or mode from virtually every kind of music transposed onto the bass guitar.

I had to bring this thread back in order to rep you, shalom. Great advice.

Kids, learn ALL of your modes ands scales in EVERY key. After you do this, you will never have to conciously think of them again, and you will be a master at your instrument. I thought this was bullshit until I did it, and now I'm glad I forced myself through the pain . Don't forget to not neglect RHYTHM as well!

Thanks man.

Your totally right about rythmn. I mean, I feel that's what makes Chris Potter so great.

I've spent this summer practicing west african rhythms on my Djembe, and working on rhytmic permeantations on the horn. I love polyrhythms and rhythm displacement...add that to altered Egyptian scale modes and you have some crazy TENSION!

You can always get the Bass Guitar Grimoire. It contains nearly every scale or mode from virtually every kind of music transposed onto the bass guitar.

....or you can realize that scales and modes are just names given for specific chromatic mathematical sequences. 12 note choices equals UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES. You don't need a book to teach you this shit. Just pick up your instrument, and learn every possible sequence. Scales and modes are just semantics.

....or you can realize that scales and modes are just names given for specific chromatic mathematical sequences. 12 note choices equals UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES. You don't need a book to teach you this shit. Just pick up your instrument, and learn every possible sequence. Scales and modes are just semantics.

i don't see how a convenient collection of scales and modes in any way undermines their musicality. i am fully aware that the sounds are more important than the names assigned to them, but you can't expect everyone to have a good enough ear to pull it all out of their ass.

I think what was meant by that wasn't to invalidate a mode as a legitimate thing in music, but it was to appreciate the fact that you can break down music into modes, however you need not be restricted by a single or a few modes because people tell you it works with jazz, and it's more complicated than just playing specific modes.


anywho, I REALLY REALLY SUGGEST you download the aebersold collection.

http://www.mininova.org/tor/372683 (bit torrents).

It has 106 or whatever volumes of backings to jazz tunes, including several volumes on stuff like how to improvise, etc. you can also disable one of the two channels to only get the piano/percussion tracks, and play the bass yourself.

Thanks for putting it in more sensible words, Majin. I hate the term "jazz language" and people who say you can only play X over X. If you think of Dorian as 1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7-8, you will be able to play it in any key. Also, you won't think of it as the second mode of a major scale. It is its own sound.


But I also reccomend the Aebersolds for a beginning jazz player. I don't know what I would've done without them in the beginning years.

The thing about Jazz is this. jazz is feeling. Yeah, you need to know all your scales, arpeggios, all that shit, but at the end off the day jazz is about playing what you feel. I've played Jazz Guitar on a pro level since i was 16 and i have never thought of soloing in terms of scales. If you are good enough at your instrument, you can take amazing solos with out any thought payed to scales or theory. i do recomend that you buy a few books to get your theory together, but after that stuff is under your fingers, just try to play and listen to jazz as much as you can.

REMEMBER! Jazz is feeling. music theory just helps you see it in the big picture.

Keep playing.

Couldn't have put it better myself. In my opinion fancy scale books and tapes are worth shit. If you want to REALLY learn jazz, you need to transcribe as much as humanly possible. There is no other way around it. Yeah, its hella tedious, but transcribing 30 seconds of a clifford brown solo will do you more good than 10 years of Aebersold books. That stuff is good for beginners and building the basic foundation, but don't mistake it for real, down-and-dirty musical knowledge. knowing every scale in the world won't make up for a bad ear.

i go through a lot of all the weird altered modes and scales like Byzantine and Hungarian scales every day playing metal songs. A lot of the orders of notes are the same that i play so it's just putting a name to each of them in my head i guess. i'm self taught for 3 years now and just recently started putting together all the theory behind the music i play and the music i write and it's allowed me to play better in almost every aspect. if i get lost in the notes i know where i can and where i shouldn't go on the fretboard. a vast wealth of knowledge opened up. i'm considering buying that bass grimoire book now.