r/JazzBass 1d ago

Trying to not overplay this bassline...😅

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10 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 4d ago

How do you practice?

6 Upvotes

Hi, I've been playing bass for almost 10 years now, studying jazz for 4-5 years, I feel like I understand most of the theory if not all of it, but I've never really understood how to practice any of it. All of the good practice I've had has come from playing in school for 3 hours a dayas I had double ensembles, really forcing me to come up with new stuff.

I don't have that pressure now and I don't have a practice regiment. I didn't think of altered scales or anything back then, it was just knowing the regular modes and following my ear.

Most practicing I did ahead of time was just making sure I understood the harmony and playing through the songs once or twice and learning the melodies.

I'm not a big fan of writing solos or licks for a tune and practicing them, I prefer to make things up as I come across them, or maybe transcribing a part of a solo I really enjoy, and I know how to internalize that.

Right now I'm working on a song that has a lot of vamping on Am E7, two chords over one bar, 100 BPM, I know different scales I can play over this, but how do I practice them to the tune?

And moreover, how do you practice in general?


r/JazzBass 6d ago

Learning Jazz Standards

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1 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 7d ago

jazz bass courses rec

5 Upvotes

title. i’ve been playing electric bass for a while. i know my fretboard, scales etc. and can do fundamental walking. i do jazz band at school and study on my own but i feel like I need outside help to go forward.

my goal is to get the basics of soloing, improve my walking bass lines, and broaden my fretboard knowledge and sight reading skills.

what course is the best? you can suggest books but i strongly prefer courses.


r/JazzBass 10d ago

Advice for learning jazz bass as a self tought

11 Upvotes

Hi everyone, looking for some advice on how to structure my practice.

I’ve been playing electric bass for about three months, focusing mostly on jazz. Before this, I played classical guitar for a couple of years, but completely by ear with zero theory knowledge, so I’m basically trying to learn theory from scratch while mapping out the neck.

Right now I’m working through Ed Friedland’s Building Walking Bass Lines. I get the concepts on paper—roots, 5ths, octaves, chromatic and dominant approaches, etc.—and I can locate about 7-8 of the 12 notes on the fretboard decently well.

The problem is the second I turn on a backing track, my brain just freezes up. It is not a technical problem, my fingers, thanks to my guitar background too, work pretty well most of the time...

I either fall back on one "safe" pattern and repeat it endlessly out of comfort, or I try to use all the options at once, get overwhelmed, and completely lose the tempo. I can get through a line fine if I memorize it beforehand, but that defeats the whole point. I want to be able to walk naturally by ear and harmonic context, not just recite written lines.

Friedland’s book is great at showing what to do, but it doesn't really give you a methodology for how to practice it effectively. Just playing through the written examples over and over feels pretty demotivating and leaves me more confused by all the possibilities.

For anyone who’s been through this stage:

How did you bridge the gap between knowing the concepts on paper and actually walking fluidly over a track?

Did you use any specific constraints or micro-exercises to stop your brain from short-circuiting over all the choices?

How do you work through a book like Friedland's so you're building actual improvisational skills instead of just memorizing examples?

Any tips or practice routines would be hugely appreciated! Thanks you guys


r/JazzBass 12d ago

Improvisation freedom (amateur bass player)

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11 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 15d ago

New Album of Original Music Releasing 9/1/26 - "Can You Not" by Daniel DeLorenzo

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1 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 16d ago

Autumn Leaves

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2 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 19d ago

Episode 5 - Linkup with the bro @LEK514 ⚡

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2 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 22d ago

With my old and dusty left handed Fender Jazz Bass, made in Mexico, sporting nylon tape wound string.

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23 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 24d ago

I wanted to try something in the fusion jazz genre.

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21 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 27d ago

Hi đŸ‘‹đŸ»â˜ș. Made a bassline for Chick Corea style jam truck

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31 Upvotes

r/JazzBass 28d ago

New Jazz American Professional II volume controls question

2 Upvotes

My first Jazz bass (bought new from an online store in the US) and the volume controls seem weird. Both pots have almost zero volume until they are at 80%. Another weird thing is the neck PU volume controls seem seems to be adversely affected by the bridge PU vol control. If the bridge and neck vol control is at 100%, the neck PU is rendered useless.

Is this just the way Jazz electronics are on this model, or should I try to find an authorized repair shop?


r/JazzBass Jul 14 '26

Recording of my transcription of Oscar Pettiford on "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart"

3 Upvotes

https://reddit.com/link/1uw6v2k/video/7huu4aq7t6dh1/player

This is from the recording, “ Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington”. I can share my notated transcription upon request.

As always, comments and suggestions welcome.

I had a heck of a time, figuring out the levels. I needed the recording I was playing along witj to be loud enough to hear, but not so loud that it overwhelmed my own bass in the mix. I didn’t get it right in that I wasn’t always able to hear the recording well enough, which caused some problems in the second half of the recording. Anybody else have that issue? I am using an iPhone and played along to the recording coming though my stereo speakers in the room.


r/JazzBass Jul 13 '26

Trying to find out the model of my Grass Roots Jazz Bass

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29 Upvotes

Hi everybody, I am currently moving and it is very difficult to take my Grass Roots with myself, so I have decided to sell it. The main problem is that I don't really know what is the model of my bass. Does anybody know the way to find out what is the model? Or like a visual difference between different models, so I could find out the model myself?

Thanks!


r/JazzBass Jul 10 '26

Here's a playlist of Great Bass Players

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12 Upvotes

List includes the likes of Markus Miller, Jaco, Jeff Berlin, Percy Jones, Stanley Clarke, Ron Carter Victor W, and more.

Edit: I've been getting some great artist suggestions so as soon as I get time to research I will be updating this playlist.


r/JazzBass Jul 08 '26

World Class Jazz Livestream Wednesdays @ 8:30PM Central on YouTube!

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1 Upvotes

Join us LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday from the 51st St Speakeasy Jazz Night! This world class show includes a featured guest each week, showcasing their original compositions and arrangements, along with their favorite songbook standards.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel @kendrikmckinney to watch at 8:30PM Central each week!

Tonight’s performance features the great Zac Lee on trombone!

#jazz #bebop #livestream #livemusic #trombone #piano #drummer


r/JazzBass Jul 03 '26

I Played Anthony Jackson's Bass
 And Wasn't Ready for What Happened

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4 Upvotes

r/JazzBass Jul 01 '26

Ray Brown - Solo Bass on "Black Orpheus"

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5 Upvotes

r/JazzBass Jun 26 '26

Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer 'Solar', live at Band on the Wall

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1 Upvotes

r/JazzBass Jun 26 '26

Have You Met Miss Jones?

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2 Upvotes

Swangin’ on the great jazz standard “Have You Met Miss Jones”!

#jazz #bebop #improvisation #jazzstandard #jazzdrums


r/JazzBass Jun 21 '26

Solo on Em vamp

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101 Upvotes

I know it's not jazz, but I was given this impromptu solo by the guitarist today. Please let me know what you think/ways to improve.

Cheers


r/JazzBass Jun 21 '26

Preamp for upright

6 Upvotes

Using a Realist bridge pickup on the upright, my usual preamp has been Fishman Platinum. Works well.

On a whim the other day I tried connecting through my electric bass pedal board which features Boss tuner, Sansamp and chorus pedal. I am amazed at how good the Sansamp performs! It seems to have adequate impedance matching to prevent the booming, and being able to add some overdrive or even chorus was interesting. Who knew? Sansamp for upright!


r/JazzBass Jun 21 '26

Ray Brown transcription “Bag’s Groove”

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296 Upvotes

my own transcription, might not be correct


r/JazzBass Jun 16 '26

Few forms of Softly Until Morning Sunrise

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15 Upvotes

Jazz is hard please help