MUJS 1131, Bass I

Lynn Seaton:
• Office - Music Building 279
• Phone - (940) 369-7639
• Jazz Studies office phone - (940) 565-3743
Course Objectives: To develop a basic knowledge of jazz bass playing by focusing on bass lines, scales,
arpeggios, and recordings.
• Ability to improvise bass lines from chord symbols
• Ability to play appropriate scales and arpeggios from chord symbols
• Start/continue to build a jazz repertoire
• Better reading skills
• Ability to play the modes of the major scale, blues, bebop, melodic minor and harmonic minor
scales up and down to the ninth in all 12 keys in at least one octave
• Arpeggiate chords to the ninth
• Two octave chromatic scale (or more)
• Listening and transcribing
• Start/continue knowledge of jazz bass history and the players
• Develop good practice skills
Attendance:
Attendance is required at all sessions. Three unexcused absences will result in a reduction of the final
grade. Excused absences must be cleared with me in advance and students missing class will be responsible
for assignments and homework. An unexcused absence on a day when you have something due will result
in an "F" for that assignment or test. Repeated tardiness will result in a reduction of the final grade.
Grading:
• Scale and Arpeggio Tests - 20%
• Transcriptions 25%
• Class Assignments 30%
• Assessments - Written and listening - 15%.
Playing Etude #4 from "Jazz Solos for Bass" from memory- 10 %
Materials:
1) Aebersold playalong CD's and books
• Volume 6, "Charlie Parker"
• Volume 21, "Gettin' It Together"
• Ron Carter's transcribed bass line book from Volume 6
2) "Jazz Solos for Bass" by Lynn Seaton (Kendor Press)
3) "Essential Styles for the Drummer and Bassist" by Houghton & Warrington
4) 10 stave staff paper
5) Blank Cassette
Dialogue: An important of learning is an open dialogue between the teacher and the student. Please feel
free to call me or stop me in the hall to discuss anything.
Americans With Disabilities Act: The College of Music complies with the Americans With Disabilities
Act in making reasonable accommodation for qualified students with disability. If you have an established
disability as defined in the Americans With Disabilities Act and would like to request accommodation,
please see me as soon as possible.
Scholastic Honesty Policy: Cheating, in any form, will result in an automatic grade of "F" in the course,
the removal of the student from the course, and immediate reporting of the student's actions to the Office
of the Dean of Students and to the Office of the Dean of the College of Music.
Jazz Bass Fundamentals Course Outline
Subject to change due to class need, holidays, etc.
Note: Several of the assignments, scale tests, and transcriptions may take some time and practice. You
may want to start early in the semester on # 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 and 28-29.
1. Introduction, Requirements, and Transcription Assignments
Explain Scale and Arpeggio Tests
The tests my be condensed to more than 1 scale and/or arpeggio per chorus.
SCALE ASSIGNMENT: BLUES ROOT TO 8 AND BACK TO ROOT-THEN ARPEGGIO
1.3.5.b7.#9.7.5.3.1 - Dom.7(#9) chord
SCALE AND ARPEGGIO ASSIGNMENT: DOMINANT 7TH (MIXOLYDIAN) and BEBOP
(Aebersold playalong Volume 21, track 13) ROOT TO 9 THEN Back TO 2-THEN ARPEGGIO
1,3,5,b7,9,7,5,3,1
2. Blues: Walking bass lines - lower chromatic approach tones
TUNE ASSIGNMENT: Now's the Time
ETUDE ASSIGNMENT: Ron Carter's bass line on F blues
(Aebersold playalong, Volume 6, track 1)
3. Blues: Upper Chromatic Approach Tones
ASSIGNMENT: WRITE 2 CHORUSES OF F BLUES BASS LINE
4. Blues:
PLAY written and improvised bass lines on F blues
ETUDE ASSIGNMENT: # 3 in "Jazz Solos for Bass"
5. SCALE AND ARPEGGIO TEST:
BEBOP, MIXOLYDIAN AND BLUES VOLUME 21 TRACK 13.
6. Blues: PLAY and analyze Ron Carter's bass line from Now's the Time
SCALE AND ARPEGGIO ASSIGNMENT: MAJOR and LYDIAN, VOLUME 21 TRACK 1
SCALE ASSIGNMENT: CHROMATIC-FROM THE LOWEST NOTE AVAILABLE TO THE Bb
ABOVE THE G OCTAVE (12th fret) MM=160 OR ABOVE
7. Blues: Alternate changes
ASSIGNMENT: WRITE 2 CHORUSES OF Bb BLUES AND PLAY WITH VOLUME 21, DISC 2,
TRACK 15
8. Blues: PLAY written and improvised bass lines on Bb blues with VOLUME 21 TRACK 15
9. PLAY Etude # 3
SCALE AND ARPEGGIO ASSIGNMENT: VOLUME 21 - DORIAN, PHRYGIAN and AEOLIAN,
TRACK 18; LOCRIAN, TRACK 28. MELODIC AND HARMONIC MINOR Track 29
10. SCALE AND ARPEGGIO TEST:
MAJOR and LYDIAN, VOLUME 21 TRACK 1
CHROMATIC-FROM THE LOWEST NOTE AVAILABLE TO THE Bb ABOVE THE G OCTAVE
(12th fret) in 1/8 notes MM=100 OR ABOVE
11. TUNE: Autumn Leaves- Bb- Analyze
ASSIGNMENT: WRITE 1 CHORUS OF BASS LINE and TRANSCRIBE BASSLINE
12. TRANSCRIPTION DUE: AUTUMN LEAVES
PLAY written, and transcribed bass lines - Autumn Leaves
13. SCALE AND ARPEGGIO TEST:
LOCRIAN, TRACK 28. MELODIC AND HARMONIC MINOR TRACK 29
14. TUNE: All The Things You Are-Ab-Analyze
ASSIGNMENT TRANSCRIBE BASSLINE
ETUDE ASSIGNMENT: # 2 in "Jazz Solos for Bass"
15. TRANSCRIPTION DUE: ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
PLAY transcribed and improvised bass lines - All The Things You Are
16. SCALE AND ARPEGGIO TEST:
VOLUME 21 - DORIAN, PHRYGIAN, AEOLIAN, TRACK 18
17. PLAY ETUDE #2 in " Jazz Solos for Bass"
18. Bossa Nova Samba- Styles book
19. Mambo - Styles book
ETUDE ASSIGNMENT: # 4 in "Jazz Solos for Bass"
20. Rhythm Changes - TUNE: Lester Leaps In-Bb
ETUDE ASSIGNMENT: Ron Carter's bass line on Thriving From A Riff
(Aebersold playalong, Volume 6)
ASSIGNMENT: TRANSCRIBE BASSLINE
21. TRANSCRIPTION DUE: RHYTHM CHANGES - PLAY transcribed and improvised bass lines -
Rhythm Changes
22. PLAY Ron Carter's "Thriving From a Riff" bass line.
23. Review
24. Written Assessments and PLAY Etude # 4 in " Jazz Solos for Bass" from memory
25. Listening Assessments and PLAY Etude # 4 in " Jazz Solos for Bass" from memory
26. PLAY Tunes from memory: Blues and/or Autumn Leaves and/or All the Things You Are and/or
Rhythm Changes.
27. PLAY Tunes from memory: Blues and/or Autumn Leaves and/or All the Things You Are and/or
Rhythm Changes.
28. PLAY Tunes from memory: Blues and/or Autumn Leaves and/or All the Things You Are and/or
Rhythm Changes.
Note: If not all bassists finish playing #4 in the class, we will use the assigned time during finals week to
hear the rest.