The Untold Secret of Melodic Bass_nodrm

The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass

Contents

I. Anchors, Pivots and Lead-Ins

Overview Anchors Pivots Lead-Ins The “Rules” Internal Dynamics Rhythmic Overlays Harmonic Dynamics Anchors Anchor examples Oppostion and the beginnings of melody Pivots Where do we get our pivots? Roots and fifths Lead-Ins Lead-In Examples Embellishment of Fixed Bass Lines Anchors, Pivots and Lead-Ins in Static Harmony

II. Internal Dynamics

The Substrate of Swing Rhythmic Overlays Nursery Rhymes “Shave and a Haircut” Hemiolas Triplet Arrays Second Line (and Clave) Harmonic Dynamics In Conclusion… Acknowledgements About the book and the author

I. Anchors, Pivots and Lead-Ins

The secret to confidence in playing the bass—or in anything, for that matter—is knowing what you’re doing. When you’re playing the bass, having knowledge of the harmony—the chord changes—is not only vital, it’s inescapable. You have to know the chord changes. This book assumes that you know the changes, or have developed the ability to figure them out quickly. Learning chord changes—and tunes—is a great subject, worthy of a whole other book, but this book is about what to play on them; how to create bass lines, melodies, or patterns in any style. We’ll learn how to think like a composer of bass lines; how to plan ahead, and make choices that are appropriate to the style of the song. Most music we’ll play has an underlying structure—a “form”—whether it’s a 12bar Blues, a 32-bar standard in AABA form (or 16&16), or whatever else it might be, depending on what the composer wrote. Within that form, the harmony progresses with its “harmonic rhythm,” meaning that the chords happen at certain times every time we play through the form of the song. The underlying rhythm is very important to the choices that we make as well; the rhythmic environment determines the “style,” whether it’s swing, 2-beat, cha-cha, bossa, samba, merengue, waltz, shuffle, or any of countless variants that fall under the heading of “contemporary,” whether it’s rock, funk, hip-hop, house, new age, alternative, or whatever else. So, what notes do we play? How do we make interesting, melodic lines, enhance the music, yet at the same time “follow the rules”—which basically means play for the music, make what we play fit the music and serve the music and our fellow players— and still be able to “make a statement,” put our stamp on the music? How can we assert a musical identity, be creative, and yet “take care of business” at the same time? By using the hidden power of the structure of harmony and rhythm! The root of the chord is the strongest sound we can make on the bass, and essential to our role; the notes of the chords contain a property that we could describe as “harmonic magnetism.” We are going to explore these “magnetic points” with a primary focus on “anchors” and “pivots.” Once we cover these points of responsibility, we are free to create and embellish, using “lead-ins.” As we develop these melodies, they can be enhanced further by the incorporation of dynamics; volume rises and falls with the rise and fall of tension and release.

Overview

Anchors The bass is primarily responsible to provide anchor notes at certain points in the music. Simply put: we are generally responsible to play a root in a low register when a harmony first occurs; doing so underscores to the band “this is the chord!” If we cover the basic areas of our responsibility as bass players—which involve “showing up” at definable points in the music with the right information—then we have considerable freedom in how we get to the next “signpost” or anchor point. Pivots A “pivot” is similar to an anchor in that it communicates fundamental harmony at an expected time; however, it is most often not the root of the chord, and not at the beginning of the harmonic instance; the most common pivot is the fifth of the chord—but it can be any chord tone, depending on taste and circumstances; and its most common location in the rhythm is on the 3rd beat, assuming 4/4—or, rather, halfway through the bar. There are many popular songs built around a specific bass line; in these songs, the pivot contained in the fixed line is part of the bassist’s responsibility, but development can still occur within these kinds of frameworks. We will explore this as the book progresses. Lead-Ins Lead-Ins are the connecting material…these are the bassist’s creative opportunity. Once the bassist has delivered an anchor, he can employ lead-ins of a wide variety to approach the next benchmark—the pivot—and then transition from the pivot to the next anchor. Lead-ins come in all shapes and sizes, rhythmic and melodic configurations, and they are the bassist’s playgound. The “Rules” As is the case in every set of rules, rules are made to be broken. It is not always the case that the bass has to play an anchor on the first beat of every chord change. As development progresses, anchors and pivots can be rhythmically displaced. Sometimes, in walking bass lines, the distances between anchors can increase; lead-ins can occur on strong rhythmic beats, pivots can be used as anchors, and lead-ins can be extended. We will talk about all of these options as the book progresses. Internal Dynamics

We are also going to cover the subject of internal rhythmic dynamics, which we would define as dynamic variation within a particular musical phrase. Tension and release is as important in rhythm as it is in melody, and the foundation of rhythmic music of all kinds is accents, where they fall, and how much emphasis they get. Bassists need to know something about the traditions that exist here, which seem to have been largely overlooked in written pedagogy, but have been transmitted orally since the first strike of a drum. Rhythmic Overlays “Rhythmic Overlays” are defined patterns of accents superimposed on the rhythmic substrate, derived from numeric patterns or other material such as the rhythm of lyrics. In the section on overlays, below, we will discuss some ot the sources for these overlays. Harmonic Dynamics This is a term we haven’t seen before in our musical studies; it shows up in biophysics and chemistry referring to something else entirely, but this term will be used to describe relationships between musical harmonic events such as cadences (and their resolution) and the volume level or intensity with which they are played. We can define “harmonic dynamics” as “changes of volume and intensity suggested by the progression of the chords through tension and resolution.”

Anchors

Anchor examples As previously stated, an anchor is a root in a low register that either introduces or confirms the current chord. Here is are some examples of anchors in action: (For the purpose of this chapter, we will use only the first four bars of a C major blues.)

Although these are all quite different, they all consist only of anchors. They are serviceable, and even appropriate under certain circumstances. Yet more variation can be achieved by the use of internal dynamics:

Let’s look at these same examples with different accent overlays. What does it do to the feel?

We’ll discuss the stylistic implications of these different accent patterns later in the

book, and also go into the multiple layers of accenting. We have found that there are primary, secondary, tertiary (and so on) “accent layers,” which we will also discuss later in the book; a look at the examples above will give a hint as to how these work. The use of accents is an essential parameter in establishing “feel,” or style. Accents are dynamics. For our purposes, we can define “internal dynamics” as “changes of volume and intensity within a phrase or bar through the use of accents.” We might think of “dynamics” in general as referring to all changes of volume and intensity in performance, including accents, crescendos, diminuendos, sforzandos, et cetera. We could say many things about these examples above, but one thing we could NOT call them is “melodic.” Striving for melody We’re going to be using the term “melodic” often throughout this book… let’s stop a minute and define it. For our purposes, “melodic” means: “an attribute of a series of notes containing both harmonic and non-harmonic tones creating tension and release against the underlying harmony.” Webster’s says: 1: a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds: tunefulness 2: a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole I like our definition better. So, why would these examples above not be thought of as melodic? They contain no opposition to the fundamental harmony. They are all simply a statement of the root of the chord, the most fundamental sound we can generate. Oppostion and the beginnings of melody One of the hallmarks of swing, or rhythmic music in general, is an attribute (to paraphrase Steven Colbert) that we can call “back-and-forth-iness.” “This, then that,” “Yin, then yang,” “See, then saw…” you get the idea. Swing. Rocking back and forth. The sense of “motion” in music. This brings us to the idea of the pivot.

Pivots

Where do we get our pivots? The overtone series is a good place to start our search. The structure of music roughly emulates the overtone series; big intervals on the

bottom, chords in the middle, scales on top. The overtone series is derived by subdividing a string, or vibrating air column, by its series of rationic fractions. As it vibrates in whole, a string simultaneously vibrates also in half, thirds, fourths, fifths, et cetera, all the way up to infinity in theory, although in actuality the series is constrained by the limitations of the materials. It is interesting to observe that these notes, when played, are referred to as “harmonics.” Another interesting thing about this is structure of the resulting intervallic array, and the notes produced. The notes are: one octave up, an octave and a fifth, the root two octaves up, a third, the fifth again, then a note somewhere between the sixth and seventh, then the root again, then on into the scale:

I have found that this series is an excellent guide for judging the appropriateness (or the “safety”) of other note choices for a bass player—particularly for the “pivot,” which we can define as the “primary oppositional note to the root.” The first stop out on the overtone series —after the octave, which can also act as a pivot—is the fifth. Roots and fifths Bass players have put their kids through college playing roots and fifths. The fifth is the most common pivot (although there can be others). It’s a harmonic tone, but in the realm of the bass, it’s less harmonic than the root, and can be used to “oppose” the root in the creation of bass parts; to go back and forth to, creating a pivot.

What can we observe about this example? What is going on rhythmically? We’re looking at the most common, default bass part known to man—the basic “two-beat” bass line… yet there’s more to it than meets the eye. Where does the pivot fall? In this example, it’s on the third beat. This is the most common location for a pivot, whether it’s the fifth of the chord or not, especially in the context of a “two” feel; it’s halfway to the next anchor. We could describe the third beat as a rhythmic pivot. In the following example, you can see a larger accent on the third beat of the fourth bar. This is an example of accent layering; there are accents in the previous three bars on the third beat, but there is a larger accent in the fourth bar, indicating the end of a phrase. Not all accents are created equal… we need to incorporate accents as a matter of course to add dynamic interest to a groove; it’s an integral part of the creation of “feel.” However, there are larger units of phrasing occurring as we go, and using a

greater degree of emphasis to indicate these larger units adds depth and dimension to the development, and brings a larger sense of form and shape to the performance. Awareness of the power of dynamic development using accent layers is a potent tool in the bassist’s arsenal of ideas. We will explore different accent schemes later in the book; there are no hard-andfast rules as to the beats on which they should occur. The accent schemes as they are depicted here are useful, and acceptable as a starting point; but, the message from this should be simply to use them, experiment with them, and become aware of their communicative power. This is an example of a four-beat (“walking”) line consisting entirely of roots and fifths:

Here’s another line with the pivot falling on different beats and registers, another way to create variety and interest while using only roots and fifths. Some great bass players use these kinds of lines as the primary elements of their style. Given the fact that these lines contain the anchors, and opposition to the anchors as represented by the pivots, they can be described as melodic, in a very basic sense.

What happens now if we drop the pivot down in register?

This is an interesting effect! I was instructed by the Brazilian percussionist and teacher Van der Lei Periera that playing the fifth below the root was essential to the style of the bossa nova; there’s an underlying “lope” created by the recurrent accents on the pivots. Before we go on, try that same exercise, but put the pivot up an octave. Is the effect stronger or weaker? A low note on a strong beat is an accent, by default; the lower the note, the stronger the accent, within limits; notes below a certain point lose their punch. (The notes available on the bass are within the range that produces the effect.) A pivot in a low register has a stronger oppositional effect than the fifth above the root. Strength in

opposition is good, musically speaking, because it increases contrast, and that is usually desirable. Stressing opposition notes or harmonies is a standard interpretive technique, taught widely in classical pedagogy, and one of the primary building blocks of dynamic performance. Here are pivots that are not the fifth:

Lead-Ins This next area is exciting; as we said earlier, it’s the bassist’s playground; a creative opportunity, and also a hallmark of style. For our purposes, we can define lead-ins as melodic material used to approach, set up or embellish anchors and/or pivots. Lead-ins can consist of either harmonic (chord) or non-harmonic tones; they can be derived from scales—diatonic, pentatonic, chromatic—or intervallic patterns. Their content is less important than their resolution. Between an anchor and a pivot, or an anchor and the next anchor, there’s a whole lot of leeway as far as choice of notes is concerned. Lead-ins can approach the target from above or below, or both. Once the bass has established the fundamental of the chord, the remainder of the chord’s duration is about style and direction. In walking jazz bass, lead-ins are generally used to establish a sense of forward motion, to give the line some logic and enhance the unfolding of the harmony by setting up an expectation as to what the next chord might be. In other styles, lead-ins are used to ornament and embellish static harmony by providing a sense of motion within each particular pattern. Given the unlimited possibilities opened up by this conceptual approach, we are not going to attempt to cover all the possibilities with the following examples, but only provide examples sufficient to illustrate the general ideas put forth. Lead-In Examples This example consists of anchor, lead-in, pivot, lead-in Note: from this point, examples are annotated as follows: a = anchor

l-i= lead-in p = pivot ct = chord tone Notice the chromatic lead-ins in bars 3 and 4:

Here we return to the lead-in and then skip back to the anchor:

Here we are omitting the pivots and playing lead-ins for the rest of the bar:

Here we’re using chord tones for the lead-ins. Notice that we’ve annotated each inverted arpeggio as a lead-in “unit,” even though each of these happens to contain the pivot on the third beat. Arpeggios are a musical idea with such familiarity and integrity to the ear that they tend to be perceived as integral units.

Here’s a line using pentatonic lead-ins. These are also immediately recognizable musical “chunks” and can be thought of as such. In our experience, we’ve found triads and pentatonics to be extremely reliable resources for note choice; you might hear the familiarity of these lines as you play them. They’ve been used by thousands of players for a long time because they work!:

Here are some chromatic lead-ins to the pivots and anchors (here the pivot, rather than being on the third beat, is on ‘one’ of the second bar:

Here is a line using various lead-ins and pivots. Notice that some anchors are

delayed; and there are examples of lead-ins that consist of neighbor tones on either side of (above and below) the target note. There is also an instance where the anchor is delayed until later in the bar:

Embellishment of Fixed Bass Lines After I passed the audition for Horace Silver’s band, others who had played on the band previously warned me that Horace wrote all these fixed bass lines, and you had to play them without variation. This proved not to be entirely accurate; I can credit my experience with Horace for some of my insight as to what makes a bass line work. Horace wrote bass lines with a particular structure, but if the anchors and pivots were covered as predetermined by his fixed line, there was considerable room for variations in the lead-ins. Horace’s instinct, what he wanted and expected to hear—his tolerance for variation—was very instructive to me. Here’s the fixed line for “Song For My Father:” (next page)

Here is a nonpermissable variation… can you tell why this would make Horace uncomfortable? How many things do you think might be wrong with these 4 bars?

Here’s an example of a line he might tolerate:

What was present in Ex. 30 that was also present in the original line? There were some lines he wrote that were specific extended melodies, and it was suggested to me by the drummer Harold White that it would help to make up a phrase to recite in my head (or sotto voce) that fit the melody, and make a chant out of it. This worked quite well, and it was really powerful to experience the performance of a piece as a form of prayer or meditation.

Anchors, Pivots and Lead-Ins in Static Harmony What if we have 8 bars or more of a particular chord? Or maybe even a whole song? My weakness at this particular task was gently pointed out by Horace when he turned and threw me a solo on his tune “Sister Sadie” and said, “Walk!” I hadn’t a clue, at the time (1978). I had to learn how to make melodies—and not just a few melodies, but really how to compose a melody on the fly, in order to be successful in this.

Here are some examples of ornamentation on a static chord:

What are some of the melodic devices we employed? How did we create a backand-forth sense within the static harmony? Were all lead-ins stepwise? Were there other chords suggested by the shape of the line—diatonic neighbors, perhaps? Pentatonics? Sequences? A very good exercise is to play as long as we can stand on just one chord, and create structures based on the underlying harmony, set up expectations, play sequences, create tension and resolution—in short, compose. Here is a brief example of development of anchors and pivots using various melodic lead-ins in a sixteenth-note environment. Notice the placement of the main accent—it’s on the “one.” James Brown stated in an interview on PBS some years ago, that with regard to his style of music, “it’s all about the ONE!” Here the line gets a real feel to it as the lead-ins are slightly underplayed and the anchors and pivots are accented. Try exaggerating the amount of accent and see what happens to the “feel:”

Internal Dynamics Internal Dynamics is an area that seems to be largely ignored in the teaching of Jazz, while at the same time is one of the most essential components of “swing.” Accents and phrasing are essential; music that is played without this awareness is flat and monotonous, and people who are playing without employing knowledge of these tools are usually destructive to the music. There is a pedagogy called Eurythmics pioneered by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, which was taken up by the composer Carl Orff, and is now sporadically present in the American music education system largely through the efforts of the American OrffSchulwerk Association (AOSA). Their method offers positive, integrative musical experiences to children through the use of rhythm and song in ensembles. These methods expose the student to the fun of music-making, largely through the use of rhythm and dynamics, enabling students to get the feeling of music through the motion it takes to make it; swing is about motion. There is a lot of misinformation, confusion, and toxic pedagogy with regard to swing, accents, phrasing, and how they work together. Two of the most abused and misunderstood concepts are “laying back” and “back-phrasing,” and we will touch on these as we go along. Swing depends on a constant underlying pulse, and tension and release against the underlying pulse (pulling against the tempo) is a parameter available to the performer; however, there is vast opportunity to create tension and release within the pulse—without “violating the tempo stream”—that is much more powerful and effective. The problem comes when performers do the former without an understanding of the latter. The underlying substrate of swing is triplets, and there are many things that can be done, many traditions of development with triplets; different groupings, accent patterns, overlays, and offsets of the triplet stream. The greatest horn players I’ve heard can “lock in” a rhythm section with a few notes; Clark Terry and Houston Person come immediately to mind, although there are many greats—Miles, Wayne, Trane, Freddie, Wynton, Frank Sinatra, etc. etc.; who put the rhythm is where it is supposed to be; right with the rhythm section (or, sometimes, where they intend the rhythm section to be playing it!). Their playing sounds free and “laid back” because of their ability to recompose the rhythm with the use of devices such as eighth note triplets offset by a triplet eighth note, or a series of quarter notes with a similar offset, or many other possible rhythmic devices.:

Upon trying to write an example of what NOT to do—drag the tempo, or backphrase so far that the relationship between melody and harmony is broken—I found that as soon as it was written, it looks like “actual music.” It’s difficult to make nice engraving look like something that sounds bad… although, many nice engravings do indeed sound bad. There are rich traditions in rhythm that have been passed down orally; musicians with “ears” or “talent” seem to soak some of these principles up by osmosis. Playing rhythmically and using dynamic contrast can be great fun for the player, and rhythmic expressiveness is a hallmark of dynamic performance that should be a point of strong focus. The Substrate of Swing There is an underlying structure to swing:

There are traditional accent locations in the substrate, as you can see above. Whenever there is an accent, there is an increased investment of energy in the playing of it. For natural contrast, accents are usually followed by un-accented material, requiring a different touch and investment of energy. There is some “recovery time” required; the player needs to restrain himself and “let go” following the creation of the accent; this contrast between the investment of energy and the subsequent “letting go” creates “feel,” and transmits very directly into the listener. There can be different layers of accents occurring at the same time. As you can see in the example above, the last eighth note of each triplet gets an accent, while simultaneously there is a larger accent on 2 and slightly less on 4, with a big accent on 3 of the fourth bar… this is not a rigid prescription, but only a suggestion for an interpretation of style, but when compared to a featureless un-accented recitation of the same rhythms, it has a much greater sense of swing. It has “feel,” and character, and

sounds great! It breathes, and has life. It is a good idea to use various overlays to vary the accent scheme; the examples thus far have all incorporated the accent scheme just described; at times, though, accenting all notes, or un-accenting all notes, for some period, produces an interesting effect. Also, reversing where the primary accents fall— making 4 the bigger accent, for example—is a good change of pace. The objective is to become aware of the power of accents, and to be able to use them intentionally to create a desired effect. Every jazz drummer has a characteristic and individual “ride beat” (although there are some who have the capacity to vary their beat according to the style). The characteristic “feel” comes from: 1. Which notes are accented? Some accent all the downbeats; some accent two and four; some accent the triplet upbeats; this parameter is also a factor in the style of a particular period. 2. Whether the accent pattern is regular or varied; some play the exact same feel all the time; some styles depend on a certain array of accents, but the better drummers know how to “break it up” and create phrasing with the construction of their ride beat, in any style. 3. How hard the accent is hit 4. How quick is the recovery time? How close is the triplet upbeat to the following downbeat? These are all factors that come together in an individual and create an individual style. The greatest musicians are aware of all these parameters and are able to come up with an appropriate “feel” for a particular band. Everybody in the band needs to have some awareness of these parameters; when a band is not playing together, it is usually from inflexibility, lack of awareness, or disagreements on this issue. Some drummers believe—or have been taught—that they are “the time-keeper,” and will not accommodate any other feel. Some people learn a particular style, and are not aware how that style may be related to others, or what the elements of the style of those around them might be. The ability to accommodate differences in style (and inflexible and didactic drummers!) is vital indeed for a bass player. There are also horn players and singers who have not learned the fundamentals of rhythm, and are not aware of their responsibility to become one with the rhythm section. Although they might believe they are making a powerful statement, or getting a lot of “feeling,” if they are abusing the tempo stream, they are making the audience—and the rhythm section’s —skin crawl. Back-phrasing must NOT be another word for “dragging the tempo!” Back-phrasing should be: the active re-composition of the melody by affirmatively performing alternative rhythms within the rhythmic stream. The much-touted practice of “laying back” is another minefield of misunderstanding. Count Basie’s Band had a distinctive sound, a very powerful swing, and many described their rhythmic style as “laying back,” and there have been millions of attempts

to emulate the feel. The common, toxic misconception is that the “feel” of the band is created by “laying back” on the offbeats; this interpretation of “laying back” is pervasive and leads many brass and sax sections to drag the tempo; if this is what “laying back” is taken to mean, it should stop immediately! Dragging the tempo does NOT create swing!! It’s only a sign of rhythmic ignorance; sometimes it’s mob ignorance when a whole band is following an ignorant lead trumpet player. In actuality, a close listen and careful analysis of the Basie style will show that the offbeats are accented, and early… creating a feel of “settling” on the downbeats. Those who would “lay back” should investigate this concept—the offbeats are early to allow recovery time from the energy invested in the accent—and then the band “sits on” the downbeats… or, more accurately, the downbeats are where they occur in the stream… on time. There is one particular figure I’ve heard Basie’s Band play many times; and they have a unique way of interpreting the figure. The figure is the last 3 eighth notes of the bar:

Ex. 36 above is how I’ve heard them play it; it’s an evolved consensus, an oral tradition in the band that this is how the figure is played. This is an example of “back-phrasing” by actively re-composing the rhythm—and also an example of the oral transmission of culture; never mind what the paper says; this is how we play that figure. I haven’t heard the band lately; I don’t know if this is still in practice, but this is what they were doing in the early 80s when I had the chance to play with the band while working with Tony Bennett. There is another way to look at and define “laying back,” which would involve placing the accented offbeats closer to the following downbeat, necessitating a faster recovery time. Yes, we can do anything we want, interpretively; but does it swing? There is a distinctive effect created by delaying the offbeats, but the resulting feel has more tension in it because of the sheer energy required for the fast recovery time to the next downbeat. Too often, horn players or singers use this effect without regard for the burden it places upon those living on the downbeats, namely the rhythm section. The masters of this effect will exemplify the feel of the “groove” (Groove: the ongoing “feel” of the time as created by the use of internal dynamics, phrasing, timing, and the relationship between anchors and pivots in the bass) by incorporating downbeats into their phrasing as well, thereby illustrating the feel of the groove they’re trying to create. Too often, those ‘laying back” do so without an apparent regard for the groove as a whole and without providing references in their phrasing to the following downbeats. Rhythmic Overlays

One way of developing rhythm is through the use of overlays on the substrate. Overlays can come from the rhythm of the song’s lyric, or some other song or nursery rhyme, or some grouping pattern such as hemiolas, triplet arrays of different sorts, or through traditional rhythms like the “second line” rhythm (“hand jive”), or the various forms of “Clave.” For our purposes, we’re going to avoid enumerating all of the rhythmic patterns and traditions that exist from around the world; we are going to focus on some devices used in Jazz. Nursery Rhymes One interesting source of phrasing input is the rhythmic schemes found in nursery rhymes or childrens’ songs. An effective way to employ this technique is to sing the song in our head as we’re playing, and use it as the source for our accents and phrasing. Notice the different size accent marks in the following examples. This illustrates the concept of accent layers that we mentioned earlier in the book; these different levels of accenting serve to highlight the phrasing implied by the song rhythm overlays. Here are a few examples that were shared with me by Harold White, Horace Silver’s drummer when I was on the band back in 1978: “Shortnin Bread”

And here, the accent scheme applied to other notes:

Notice

how

the

phrase “ties off” on the 3rd beat of the 4th bar. Using these kinds of schemes to provide an undercurrent of structure accomplishes two objectives; the first is, it provides interest and variety in an accompaniment part;

and the other is it gives the player a “plan,” a sense of objective while playing, increasing confidence and the ability to bring additional energy and personality into the performance, thereby inspiring those around him. “Shave and a Haircut” Harold suggested another little song as a template for accent overlays:

Try creating a bass line while superimposing its accent scheme:

Using the rhythm suggested by the lyric of the song is yet another way to add phrasing. I’m going to take it easy on my publisher and not include examples, for which they would have to pay license fees; but, you can imagine for yourself how it would sound and feel to think of the lyrics of a song like Cole Porter’s “I Love You” while playing a bass line… the lyric itself suggests an internal dynamic scheme for the bassist. Hemiolas Hemiolas are groupings of 3 overlaid on a duple substrate, creating a feel of rhythmic suspension:

Triplet Arrays

Second Line (and Clave) The “Second Line” rhythm got its name from its use in early Jazz processional bands in New Orleans; it is the rhythm played by the second line of drummers in the drum corps:

Here it is overlayed on the rhythmic substrate (the “Elvin Jones” groove): (next

page) Here is a possible way to incorporate it in a bass line:

Occasionally, the groove is structured entirely around this rhythm:

Second line is one form of Clave, similar to the Cuban “Son” clave—it’s the same

rhythm, except for the placement of the accent. There are many variants of Clave in the various cultures of the Caribbean and South America, which comprise displacements or restructuring of the rhythm. Here are a few different forms; all can be used as overlays over jazz rhythm. We should point out that the traditional bass lines in the Latin styles using Son Clave are not built on the clave rhythm; the clave rhythm is played on the claves, a pair of wooden sticks; this sound and rhythm is the unifying anchor of these Latin styles. For our purposes here, we are including them only as resources for accent overlays in the creation of jazz bass lines.

As we have pointed out earlier, the Clave (which is Spanish for “key”) is played by a percussion instrument dedicated to it. The style depends on it, as do the musicians who use it as a point of reference to keep the band together. For our purposes, we will use the various rhythms sporadically as overlays on the substrate, and intermittently at that, although these structures are also used in composition for thematic purposes. Harmonic Dynamics As chord changes progress in a song, there is tension and release suggested by the harmony. There is a simple key principle to dynamic performance that can be heard in the work of the most accomplished musicians; this principle is that tension and opposition are usually emphasized, dynamically, and there is letup on the releases and resolutions.

In the bass, there are two ways to accomplish this dynamic enhancement; one is through the use of dynamics (volume and intensity), and the other is through the use of register. In the general case, lower notes are stronger and more impactful to the music; and when the two methods are employed together, the effect creates a much more lively and interesting performance, adds a sense of larger shape and presence to the phrasing,

and offers inspiration to others in the band, creating a greater sense of flow and majesty to the music. In a word, the performance is more “dynamic.” The example above shows a crescendo, which for the bass would occur after the note is played, leading to the question “how do I get louder on a note I’ve already plucked?” The answer is—vibrato. Application of vibrato to a sustained pizzicato note can temporarily increase the volume, and definitely adds to the intensity of the note. There are experienced musicians who do this automatically; others don’t seem to be aware at all of this parameter of performance enhancement, and although their work might be competent otherwise, it will always fall short of its potential. Dynamics are the crowning touch of musical performance, and knowledge of their power and appropriate use is the mark of the true artist. The functional purpose of the anchor and pivot is to create a sense of motion, of back-and-forth, as we stated earlier. The pivot is an oppositional tone to the anchor; and as such, it’s safe to emphasize it, even in a static harmonic environment. In the general case, the pivot, if played below the anchor in register, will have an emphasized effect. Here’s a “before” and “after” example:

There is no hard-and-fast rule that the pivot should be under the anchor, but those who put it there out of habit are showing an awareness of its dynamic, oppositional value. Sometimes it’s desirable to save this stronger oppositional effect, such as in a static environment to demarcate the end of a phrase:

We’ve had the occasion to notice that violin sections in the better orchestras tend to swell on the dominant preceding a resolution, and decrescendo on the resolution, despite a lack of dynamic marking in the music. We’ve also noticed a tendency—a natural tendency—for the tempo itself to expand and contract with rises and falls in dynamics. The late pianist Dorothy Donegan was a vivid exemplar of this tendency; as she made her way through a bar, frequently the individual beats would end up different lengths even as the underlying, larger pulse remained relatively steady. In her “boogie woogie” lines, her left hand line would get louder and a little slower as it ascended, then get softer and faster as it descended, creating a very powerful propulsive effect. Some boogie-woogie pianists can tend to sound mechanical; not Dorothy; she would always rock the house with her approach, getting standing ovations after the third or fourth tune. Most musicians are taught that rock-steady time is the most desirable, but the greatest artists allow the tempo to

“breathe” with the rise and fall of dynamics and harmonic flow. There is an important distinction that should be drawn between, dynamic performance in a a rhythm section, and un-informed “back phrasing” on the part of a lead voice, wherein the lead voice “pulls” on the tempo, as discussed earlier in the book There is quite a difference between these two effects.

In Conclusion… With the tools we’ve set forth here, it’s possible to approach the creation of bass lines with a sense of plan. When we know that dynamic and harmonic contrast adds life to a line, we are better able to invest additional energy in the performance, and have a real sense of contributing to the flow and liveliness of a performance. We’re not up there to be safe and anonymous; we’re there to bring all of our energy to bear to create the most exciting, passionate, beautiful performance we can muster. When people ask a bass player to “dig in,” this is the effect they’re looking for. For years, I mistakenly thought it meant to play harder, wear myself out and get blisters. No… we serve the other musicians best by learning about the intrinsic power lurking in musical structure and bringing that knowledge to bear in our performance with confidence, using this knowledge to serve the music while bringing our own energy and flair to the performance.

Acknowledgements: This book would not have happened without the inspiration and input of my students; Henry D’Allacca, Joe Triscari, Victor Niederhoffer and others, but particularly Aaron Nebbia, who got me really inspired and interested in teaching after a hiatus of some years that were devoted primarily to touring and other activities. Special thanks are due to Eric Nebbia, his dad, for bringing him to me. Others who have been influential and helpful in the work represented here are Bob Mintzer, Harold White (whose admonitions and exhortations are part of the material), Horace Silver, Houston Person, and supportive friends and commentators in the person of Lynne Arriale, John Goldsby, Ted Rosenthal, John Loehrke, Morrie Louden, and Jason Heath. Please visit us on the web at http://jonburr.com; we’re also on Facebook and Twitter (jonburr). —Jon Burr “Jon has come up with a great book for bassists, and anyone else for that matter, which delves into the construction of compelling bass lines. He is very thorough in his approach talking about what the bassist does and all the why’s and how’s. Jon is a great musician, and his take on this subject matter is a welcome addition to the topic.” - Bob Mintzer, Grammy-winning saxophonist/composer/educator “Jon Burr shares valuable secrets of jazz bass playing, and he writes in a clear and direct manner. This book will help students and pros alike in developing swinging, melodic and groove bass lines. “ - Ted Rosenthal, pianist, composer and instructor at Juilliard School of Music “After decades as a first-call bassist on the New York jazz scene, Jon Burr reveals his concepts and musical wisdom in this concise and easy to understand tutorial. A must-have for the aspiring jazz bassist. “ - John Goldsby, author: The Jazz Bass Book “If you want to be a creative BASS player, this is the book for you.” - Houston Person, saxophonist/producer/jazz master “I finally had the time to actually play thru the book thorougly... it’s fantastic. It’s great to see someone addressing in print the stuff that makes melody sound so great. I love that last paragraph...It’s great to have stuff that veteran bassists learn to do intuitively explained in clear, logical language. It’s a wonderful, and as far as I know, unique, book.” - John Loehrke, bassist and educator “Jon has made a science of of building bass lines with his extensive professional experience. With this Gem-of-a-book, he turns it into an understandable language, then into a practical application. It’s broken down to the responsibilities of the Bass Player and, where he has freedom within the bass line. It’s a must-have publication for any

bassist.” - Morrie Louden, bassist, composer and recording artist “The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass is an outstanding rethinking of how expert jazz bassists actually conceptualize and navigate chord changes. Written from the perspective of a seasoned jazz veteran but set forth in a straightforward and engaging fashion, this book is an excellent addition to the library of any jazz bass student or teacher.” - Jason Heath, bassist, instructor, host/author of doublebassblog.org Bassist Jon Burr is a composer, author, bandleader and educator. His performance career spans over thirty years, working with Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Horace Silver, Buddy Rich, Chet Baker, Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing Trio, Stephane Grappelli, Eartha Kitt, Rita Moreno, Barbara Cook, and many others. Jon was an instructor at the University of Illinois and the Mark O’Connor String Conference. In 2007 he produced a series of his own songs, forming the Jon Burr Band in the process. His lifelong experience has given him a unique perspective on the role of the bass in an ensemble, with a deep understanding of musical structure and the role of the bass within it. His playing is melodic and unmistakable, yet propulsive and forceful; his playing “radiates effortless joy and ease” according to the N.Y. Times. His goal is to support a band and inspire his fellow musicians, with a distinctly personal voice; this book gives valuable insights into how to go about doing that. He has written other books available on his website, including “Rhythmic and Melodic Development in the Construction of Bass Lines,” “Another Look at Melodic Construction in Improvisation,” and is currently working on his fourth book “Physical and Mental Programming for the Improvising Bassist.” Find him on the web at http://jonburr.com. Cover drawing by Jon Burr based on a sketch by Bill Burr The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass by Jon Burr © 2009 jbQ Media ISBN 1-4392-4272-0 http://jonburr.com http://jbq.net