INTRODUCTION

One of the best things any musician can do is invest time toward developing and expanding their musical vocabulary. It seems that the most effective and capable players have a seemingly bottomless bag from which they draw their musical ideas. Whether the tune calls for funk, driving rock, a delicate ballad treatment, straightahead jazz, Latin, or any of the countless other musical styles (or genres), they seem to always have just the right musical statement to contribute.

How did they develop that ability? While I definitely believe that most great musicians emerged from the womb with Godgiven talents for their artistic expression...I also believe that those who reach a high level of excellence are the ones who have put in the effort and time to invest in those talents (read: time in the woodshed!). That principal absolutely applies to this matter of developing a musical vocabulary.

WHY GENRES?

Familiarity with a broad range of genres is a big part of developing and expanding that musical vocabulary.

Particularly for bassists, I believe it’s invaluable to be able to play a wide spectrum of genres with a reasonable degree of authenticity. We tend to frequently find ourselves “sitting in” (subbing) in a variety of different musical contexts, and having a vocabulary that can accommodate the myriad styles thrown our way will go a long way in ensuring a good experience for everyone involved! Additionally, even if our usual musical outlets wouldn’t be particularly conducive or receptive to excursions into reggae, Latin or thrash-funk, having a basic familiarity with those and other genres will allow us to have a palette from which to apply fresh ideas to the various outlets in which we are involved.

GENRE IDIOMS

I frequently mention in clinics that a Latin bass line is not simply a country bass line played while wearing a sombrero. There are certain specific musical elements that are idiomatic of a genre...and in order to really have a particular style in our bass vocabulary, it’s important to have a fundamental understanding of those idioms. In other words, it’s essential that we assimilate what technical things make a style of music sound that way (e.g., “what makes the funk...FUNKY?”). The idioms we’ll be focusing upon can generally be categorized as rhythmic, harmonic or sonic (tone, instrumental choices, etc.).

In this course, we’ll be studying examples from a number of different genres and identifying some of those idioms from the bassist’s perspective. Within each genre, many of the idioms apply to the various sub-styles (e.g. fingerstyle funk vs. slap funk, etc.), and may be repeated from the previous lesson. However, that list of idioms will be revised as needed to address any specific nuances of the examples in a particular lesson. Once you know the idioms of a certain musical style, work to assimilate them into your own musical vocabulary. Are there certain licks that truly typify that genre? Make them your own by tweaking them in some way to personalize them. When a solid understanding of a particular genre is reached, move on to another! This method has been used by innumerable great players.

NOTE: Each of the grooves in this course reflect a “snapshot”, if you will, of one example of a particular genre. Every genre has innumerable sub-genres, each with their own idioms (“rock ’n’ roll”, for example, has been used to describe an incredibly broad range of music - everything from Tom Petty to Metallica to Elvis to Coldplay). As opposed to attempting to comprehensively cover every facet of every genre, I’d like to encourage you to use this as a springboard for your own personal analysis of other styles or sub-styles of music that are perhaps your favorites.

In each lesson, work through the example(s) and try to get them under your fingers. If you find that a few of them are beyond your present level of technical facility, no worries - you can feel free (as a matter of fact, I wholeheartedly encourage you!) to revisit and work through any or all of these lessons in the coming months. Once you have a basic grasp, play along with the “drums only” audio clip provided with most of the examples.

OK! Let’s take a look at our first genre! Have fun!!!

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ROCK (PART 1)

This first example will sound familiar to alumni of The Art of Groove, Level 2. This clip contains three standard, absolutely-must-know grooves for playing any sort of pop or rock music.

Audio Example 1

Here’s a rock groove with a 16th note subdivision feel.

Audio Example 2

 
 

Audio Example 2 (Drums)

 
 
 
 

IDIOMS

RHYTHMIC:

Usually based around an 8th note subdivision feel.

Phrasing varies, but generally on top of the beat for driving, up-tempo tunes and laying back for slower tunes/ballads.

HARMONIC:

Usually fairly diatonic, with not a lot of “pretty” chords (Maj 7, etc.). Pentatonic scales commonly employed. Normally wouldn’t find a lot of chromaticism. Current rock frequently incorporates tension by substituting “2" chords (e.g., D2, F2, etc., comprising the root, 2nd and 5th only) for major chords. Consequently, 9th‘s can be a good choice when embellishing. Heavier or edgier rock commonly injects b9's and b5's for tension, as well. However, most mainstream examples employ fairly “inside”, diatonic harmony.

SONIC:

Rock tone generally has some drive/edge. Dig in and move air, but also ensure that fret buzz doesn't get out of hand (particularly if the engineer will be copiously compressing your signal). Low mids (around 250 hz) can give clarity and focus. For extra bite, boost some of the upper mids (around 800 hz). Experiment with those frequencies, as the acoustics in the venue are a big variable. Tube overdrive (whether actual or simulated) can add some nice edge, but be appropriate for the context.

GENERAL:

The Rock genre is fundamentally about energy, edge and attitude. When playing a rock groove, try not to be overly clean with your technique - that can sometimes diminish from the rawness and attitude. Sliding into notes in the upper register (usually on the lower strings) is a common phrasing idiom in a driving rock feel and sounds huge in the proper context. A riff-oriented approach can be effective in this genre, perhaps to a greater extent than in most other styles.