Improvising or writing a bass line

[Tom B.]

The best material I've come across is a book/cd by Ed Friedland. It's reasonably priced, and very practical. It was meant for electric or string bass, but there's no reason it wouldn't work for tuba.

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking- ... 0793542049

He has a second book that goes a little farther if you like the first one. Good luck.

Tom

[tubajoe]

I'll second that on the Friedland book. It's simple and clear and very easy to apply to the tuba. I'm not always a fan of instruction manuals when it comes to this type of stuff, but I found this book very very helpful. It teaches common walking technique but does not throw any pretense at you. HIGHLY recommended.

[MartyNeilan]

Thirds for the Friedland Book. He has written a lot of bass guitar books, but the Building Walking Bass Lines is a must have for tubists. I have even added it to my syllabus despite it being non-tuba. (Gotta love the vintage P-Bass on the cover.)

Also...
Listen, listen listen. Find a group you like, and follow what they do. You will hear a lot of arpeggio and scale patterns, including the ever-present 1 3 5 6 b7 6 5 3 1 line.

Know your chords (all of them)!

[Donn]

I'm a bit hesitant to believe that reading a handful of books or playing a few hundred written patterns can do much to imprint on one's abilities to "put down" great bass lines "on the fly".

I don't have very good book learnin' skills myself, but I know some people do, and I'm sure a book could be some help if that's your style, probably a lot of help. Use your strengths, just be aware that this is at best a shortcut across some of the bends in the road, and not the road itself.

I have to say, though, that for me, the only way it works is to steer way clear of any ideas that are the least theoretical - chord names, whatever, I don't go there, because I guess it puts me in the wrong brain hemisphere or something. That has left me with little interest in learning more theory, no doubt a vicious cycle.

[jonesbrass]

I recommend a good foundation of basic music theory and to use the Jamie Aebersold tracks, or alternately to just get out there and sink or swim. Improvising those bass lines can really measure how well you've mastered your horn, music theory, and listening. Some guys have it, some guys have to work at it. YMMV.

[tubatooter1940]

Like bloke and others, I like to work out my bass lines by ear because that is a good way to quickly learn (fear) and to tell immediately if the bass line you chose sounds good across your tuba. Aping string bass lines may not be the best way to go. You got a bass horn. Play horn. Play what you feel and see if that goes over. You can quickly tell when you have a good sound and solid line and that's when it is sooo sweet.
Playing along with the radio and recordings will tell you what you can do to sound good with what all else is going on. When you miss a chord change lay for it the next pass around and you'll probably nail it. Playing with recordings and jamming live is a chance to do what you do well that goes with the arrangement you're hearing.

[ken k]

I do not know your jazz experience level, but I would recommend that you start listening to as much music of the style you are interested in playing as possible. If it is dixieland style stuff you are going to play buy a couple dixie CDs and listen to them and try to learn the bass lines the performer plays. If ti is straigh ahead jazz type stuff, do likewise, etc. This will help you learn the "vocabulary" or the sound of the music. Just like when you grew up you learned how to speak before you learned how to read. And you learned how to speak by listening to you parents and family talk to you.

also have fun doing it because it is a real kick!

ken k

[MaryAnn]

13.

I second that 1) it takes years of doing this before you get good at it, and 2) play along/transcribe/whatever lines that really turn you on, and memorize them.

At one point I got almost half decent at bluegrass fiddle improvising, before my interests went elsewhere, and the above two referenced points were what worked. The books people talk about may be good; I don't know since I haven't seen them. But I've had people come to me and ask me to "teach" them to improvise, and all I can tell them is pretty much the above, and "just start doing it and in a few years you'll have a handle on it."

Nobody just walks in and improvises at a high level...you'll find they have an extensive background in the type of music they are improvising to.

I can still improvise "classical" music the easiest. Duh!

MA