MUJS 1132, Bass II

Lynn Seaton - Office # - 279 Phone # - UNT- 940 - 369-7639 Home- 972-317-3338

An important part of learning is an open dialogue between teacher and student. Talk to me any time about anything - on the phone, in the hall, or see me in my office.

Attendance Policy: Attendance is required at all sessions. If you can't be in class, call me or tell me in advance when possible. Please call me if you are sick. Three unexcused absences will result in the reduction
of the final grade. Excused absences should be cleared in advance (if possible) and students missing class will be responsible for assignments and homework. Repeated tardiness will result in the reduction of
the final grade. BE ON TIME!

Compliance with Federal Statutes: 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. My office number is shown on this syllabus.
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.
Class Goals:
This class is designed to give the student an historical foundation of jazz bass styles through the study of
classic recordings. Students will be encouraged to play along in the style of the tunes played and
transcribe parts of the recordings to learn from the masters. This will foster an ability to hear chord
changes and play different styles. Harmonic knowledge and dexterity will be gained by studying the
scales and arpeggios found in the chords of the songs.
Required Materials:
1. The "Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz"
2. 10 stave manuscript paper
Optional Materials
1. A collection of solo transcriptions containing tunes on the "Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz"
such as Scott Reeves "Creative Jazz Improvisation", David Joyner "Anthology of Jazz History", "The
Charlie Parker Omnibook", etc.
Grading: assignments-50%, scale tests-20%, final assessment-15%, and final project-15%.
Final Project: A final project will be due on class day 25. It is a complete walking bassline transcription
of any standard from any Oscar Peterson recording with Ray Brown on bass.
Your grade will be mostly how well you play this transcription with the recording. If there is a bass
solo on the recording, it would be good to transcribe it also, but you may improvise your own during that
solo. The solo section of the transcription will not be graded.
Please bring a tape or CD, your written transcription, and a photocopy and cassette or CD copy of it
for me to grade. Play the nuances of the record!
You are also required to play a two-octave scale and arpeggio in the key of the tune.
Note : Some of the assignments will require practice. Please consider starting at the beginning of the
semester with the final project, # 12, 14, 18, 23, 24, 25
Course Outline: Subject to change for class need, holidays, etc.
1. Introduction
2. Analyze Louis Armstrong - "Struttin with some BBQ", transcribe the piano bassline as a class,
and play along with the recording.
3. Slap bass techniques, analyze and play two octave scales and arpeggios of Jelly Roll Morton -
"Grandpa"s Spells" as a class, and compare chord changes to other tunes.
4. Transcription Due: John Lindsay's slap bassline on the A section D.S. before the C section from
Jelly Roll Morton- " Grandpa's Spells " and play tune along with the recording.
5. Test- "Grandpa's Spells" two octave scales and arpeggios.
6. Bassline Due: Write and play a chorus in the style of Pops Foster's bassline from Sidney Bechet-
"Blue Horizon" and improvise another chorus in that style.
7. Analyze and play two octave scales and arpeggios of Benny Moten-"Moten Swing" as a class.
8. Transcription Due: Sketch routine (Note number of choruses in each key), transcribe Walter
Page's last chorus in Ab from Benny Moten -"Moten Swing", and play arrangement with record.
9. Test- "Moten Swing" two octave scales and arpeggios.
10. Transcription Due: Jimmy Blanton's bassline bar 21-44 from Duke Ellington "Ko-Ko" and play
whole chart with record.
11. Play along with Duke Ellington's "Cottontail" (Improvise a walking bass line on Rhythm changes
from memory. Note pedal points)
12. Play Slam Stewart's solo on "I Got Rhythm" with the recording and walk an improvised bassline
with Don Byas. (Note alternate changes)
13. Analyze and play two octave scales and arpeggios as a class from Coleman Hawkins- "Man I
Love"
14. Transcription Due: Coleman Hawkins-"Man I Love" the two A sections of Oscar Pettiford's
walking bassline before his solo and play this and his solo with record.
15. Test- "Man I Love" two octave scales and arpeggios.
16. Play "Cherokee" melody from memory and improvise a walking bassline from memorized chord
changes along with Charlie Parker's "Koko" (A tune based on these changes. Start melody after the
intro.)
17. Analyze Monk's "Criss Cross" for pentatonic scales as a class.
18. Transcription Due: Play Milt Jackson's solo and then transcribe Al McKibbon's walking bassline
from the third chorus (Sahib & Monk's solo) from "Criss Cross" and play with record.
19. Test- Pentatonic scales from Monk's "Criss Cross' two octave.
20. Transcription Due: First (melody) chorus of Teddy Kotick's bassline from Horace Silver-"Moon
Rays" and walk an improvised bassline with the record. Circle the enclosures (notes above and below
the target note- chromatic or scalar) that lead to the next chord.
21. Play free ala Mingus' intro to "Haitian Fight Song" and improvise solos and walking basslines on
G- blues (Changes Memorized).
22. Transcription Due: Mingus' bassline from when he starts the walking pattern through the quarter
note triplets on 12 bars later on "Haitian Fight Song", Sketch routine of record out ( sequence of stop time,
double time etc.) and play with record.
23. Test: Two Octave Half Whole Diminished and Super Locrian Scales and b9 Arpeggios with
Volume 21 track #14 (#14 in book)
24. Transcription Due: Play bass part of melody, Miles' solo, then transcribe and play Paul Chamber's
bassline on Coltrane's first chorus with the record of " So What".
25 Review
26. . Written assessments.
27. Listening skills assesment
28. Transcription Due: It is a complete walking bassline transcription of any standard from any
Oscar Peterson recording with Ray Brown on bass. Part of the final assessment will be playing this
transcription with the recording. If there is a bass solo on the recording, it would be good to
transcribe it also, but you may improvise your own during that solo.
29. More Ray Brown
Note: If time runs out for the playing of the transcriptions, we will use the time allotted during finals week.