Bilbo Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) I am working on a transcription of Jeff Berlin's bass part for the track 'Beelzebub' off Bruford's 'Feels Good To Me' album. Should be with you by 2023. It goes from 3:4 to 9:8 to 4:4 back to 9:8 then bars of 5:4 and, 4:4 alternating irregularly. Its playable but unreadable. And there are four single bars of 11:8. A first for me. Edited February 15, 2020 by Bilbo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 (edited) This Beelzebub thing is driving me nuts. I realised that, because I was speeding the track up and slowing it down so much to try and capture the detail, I had unwittingly recorded a long passage in 5/4 alternating with 4/4 on a 5455,5455,5455 basis when it should have been either 9/8 alternating with 4/4 or, as I have done, 5:8, 4:8, 5:8, 5:8 which is 'wrong' but is easier to read. So I had to go back and change dozens of bars and rewrite them. Nearly there but, bloody hell! Edited February 21, 2020 by Bilbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Bloody hellfire! This was the toughest thing I have ever done. Jeff Berlin on 'Beelzebub' by Bruford from the 'Feels Good To Me' album. Beelzebub - Jeff Berlin Bass Part.pdf 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philparker Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Great work! I don't think I will be sight-reading it just yet 😟 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Me neither. Its more of a study piece than a reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) Unbelievably, having spent three weeks on transcribing Jeff Berlin's parts on 'Beelezebub', I managed to nail the whole of his bass parts to 'Sahara of Snow Pts 1 & 2' from the LP 'One Of A Kind' in one sitting. Much easier due to lots of repetition and an absence of mad time signature changes bar to bar. This one if a bit more fun. Sahara Of Snow Pt 1 and 2 - Jeff Berlin.pdf Edited February 24, 2020 by Bilbo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 3, 2020 Author Share Posted March 3, 2020 I am working on some more Bruford but, to keep things moving, I knocked up a bit more old school Rush. Geddy Lee's bass part for 'Anthem' from their second LP 'Fly By Night'. It's not exact as I repeated a section so a couple of fills are not entirely accurate but, if you want that kind of detail, buy Transcribe software and knock yourself out. Anthen Rush - Bass.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 3, 2020 Author Share Posted March 3, 2020 Interestingly, I knocked this one out in around 20 minutes because I knew it very well so was effectively writing it down in the same way that I am typing this. John Giblin's fretless bass ono the Brand X tune 'April'. It is all over the place in terms of time so, on a 4:4 stave, it's a tough read but it is really only 4 bars repeating itself. One of the most beautiful fretless bass features ever recorded. April - John Giblin Brand X.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 Today's effort is Jimmy Johnson's bass solo on Allan Holdsworth's 'Panic Station' from his 1985 album 'Metal Fatigue'. The solo starts around the 2.31 mark and is a engaging little solo. Jimmy Johnson is an incredibly melodic soloist even when playing over Holdsworth's generally very intense compositions. If you haven't heard much Jimmy Johnson, check out the Wayne Johnson Trio albums Arrowhead, Grasshopper and Everybody Is Painting Pictures. Panic Station - Jimmy Johnson bass solo.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 I just wanted to add something about what I am doing with this thread. I am a staunch advocate for the value of reading music and by that I mean dots not tab. It is not just about turning up at a gig and being able to play sessions without rehearsal (you can rarely do that even if you CAN read the dots). It is about recording ideas (I have ideas and transcriptions I have written down from 30 years ago) sharing compositions with others studying bass lines and solos by other people it takes you to places you may otherwise never go it often shows you details in compositions and transcriptions that may be missed otherwise it allows you to access study materials that would otherwise be unavailable to you it has the potential to make you a better and more informed player and, last of all, you might get some reading gigs. My transcriptions are made available so people have something to use to help them improve their reading - not everything I transcribe has chords so studying the note/chord relationships is problematic. Also, chords symbols above the stave can make you lazy in terms of actually reading the notes. These transcriptions are prepared to allow people to practice READING. I have said this elsewhere but I am learning how to read treble clef guitar music at the moment and it is making such a difference to my guitar playing and the insight I have into the music I love. I picked up an Astor Piazzolla violin part the other day and played it through without any mistakes. What a buzz! I sometimes read twenty pages of simple guitar tunes in one session or work through one of the easier Al DiMeola transcriptions in one sitting. I can play Ralph Towner tunes (badly, but there you are). It's a marvellous skill that I wish I had developed more early on. My bass clef reading is improving now I have a regular gig but I still get caught out at every gig/rehearsal - 5 sharps or flats and I am done for. The practicing is helping though and I really consider this as time well spent. For the younger guys out there, get this thing done as soon as you can and you will never regret it. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb1 Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 Thanks for putting the Jimmy Johnson solo on. He's a player who deserves a much higher profile than he has. I think it should be just 8va all the way through? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 7, 2020 Author Share Posted March 7, 2020 (edited) Will have a look. Yes, you are right, cb1. My bad 😲 Edited March 11, 2020 by Bilbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 I am working on two Jeff Berlin transcriptions at the moment, The Abingdon Chasp from One of a Kind and Land's End from Gradually Going Tornado. Nearly finished the first and have miles to go on the second. I have two computers in two locations with the requisite software on for transcribing and I work on different charts at different times depending on circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 Another Jeff Berlin transcription; 'The Abingdon Chasp' from the Bruford album 'One Of A Kind'. Some really intense sections here. For the record, I can't play this yet so am happy to have the transcription to study. The Abingdon Chasp.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Yet to have the time to dig into these with any seriousness, - (possibly the impending mass WFH will give me a chance) - but hugely enjoying the introduction to a stack of tunes I wasn't otherwise aware of 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDC484950 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 On 22/02/2020 at 08:38, Bilbo said: Bloody hellfire! This was the toughest thing I have ever done. Jeff Berlin on 'Beelzebub' by Bruford from the 'Feels Good To Me' album. Beelzebub - Jeff Berlin Bass Part.pdf 59.29 kB · 10 downloads Christ! I remember that tune from way back. Quite a feat to transcribe, goodness knows how you’d play it. Well done. Nasty piece of music though, only saved by Allan Holdsworth’s customary brilliance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 7 minutes ago, FDC484950 said: Christ! I remember that tune from way back. Quite a feat to transcribe, goodness knows how you’d play it. Well done. Nasty piece of music though, only saved by Allan Holdsworth’s customary brilliance You think that was hard? Try this sucker. Sample and Hold from the Feels Good To Me album. This took so slowing down to find the notes (25%). It is basically unplayable by mere mortals. The problem I have with a lot of these tunes is that, learnign to play the bass parts is fundamentally a waste of time because you will never find a drummer/percussionist/keyboard player/guitarist to play the other parts 😃 Interesting to see how the lines evolve though. Sample And Hold Bass Part.pdf 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 I found this one on my PC. It is the bass/alto and piano part of the tine 'Barretto's Way' from the CD 'Panorama' by bass player Hans Glawischnig. The tune opens with an arco solo from the HG and then, at 0.45 point, he plays a 5:4 four ostinato over which the stunning melody evolves. The transcription is basically the head but it was this that attracted me and inspired me to transcribe all of the parts. I urge you to listen to the whole track not just the bit I transcribed because it breaks into a massive 5:4 Latin groove (montuno) later on (6:06). It is SOOO cool. The melody is repeated over the montuno but broken up and rephrased really creatively by the horn player (Miguel Zenon). Enjoy. Barretto's Way - Glawishing.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDC484950 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Bilbo said: You think that was hard? Try this sucker. Sample and Hold from the Feels Good To Me album. This took so slowing down to find the notes (25%). It is basically unplayable by mere mortals. The problem I have with a lot of these tunes is that, learnign to play the bass parts is fundamentally a waste of time because you will never find a drummer/percussionist/keyboard player/guitarist to play the other parts 😃 Interesting to see how the lines evolve though. Sample And Hold Bass Part.pdf 69.83 kB · 1 download At least it’s mostly in 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 (edited) Another in my series of Jeff Berlin transcriptions. I was a huge JB fan when I started getting into the more advanced fusion bass players like Jaco, Percy Jones etc. I tried to learn what I could off the Bruford records available at the time but this predates the existence of technology that allowed you to slow things down so it was not as easy as it is now to write this stuff out. Now I have the kit to do this properly and can slow things down to 25% without changing pitch and write it out on charts that are clear and readable not written in pencil on bog roll. This one is 'Travels With Myself and Someone Else' from the Bruford album 'One Of A Kind'. There is a JB solo early on in the piece that is absolutely astonishing (2.19) and there is a half a bar of triplet 16ths that would never have been interpreted properly without Transcribe software. I would never have been able to pick this out in the old days Travels With Myself And Someone Else Bass Part.pdf Edited March 23, 2020 by Bilbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 23, 2020 Author Share Posted March 23, 2020 I remember many years ago hearing that it was important to learn solos by people who played other instruments to the bass. This was an early transcription I found written out in a lever arch file from way back. What we have here is a Wynton Marsalis head and trumpet solo on the tune 'New Orleans' from his album 'Marsalis Standard Time'. I have transcribed it into bass clef so it is not in the right range - otherwise it would not have fitted on our instrument. There is one passage where I could not hear it as it was too quick but it's not a deal breaker. I love what he does with the bar lines here and often use the same technique when soloing myself. particularly on fast tunes where it allows you to be interesting without being 'quick'. Marsalis New Orleans.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 24, 2020 Author Share Posted March 24, 2020 (edited) This is Steve Swallow's bass part to the trio performance of the Jobim tune 'Luiza' that he did with Lee Konitz and Paul Motian. A genuinely beautiful rendition of the lesser known Jobim tune from the trio album 'Three Guys'. Luiza - Steve Swallow bass part.pdf Edited March 24, 2020 by Bilbo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) I was chatting to an old chum on Facebook and he reminded me of this old gem that I transcribed years ago. The transcription is long gone but I remember enjoying playing along with it so thought I would have a crack at it again. It is harder then I remember but, more to the point, the last time I did this was pre-computers and it would have involved the stop-start using a cassette player. I have no idea how I had the patience but I guess the world was a very different place then. Jaco Pastoroius's bass lines on Weather Report's 'Night Passage'. There are a couple of passages I have left blank; one is several bars of pedal A with Jaco fiddling about with roots and octaves, the other a passage where he is playing octave ostinatos and moving the notes by semitones - I just can't hear where the notes start and stop. 95% of it is there and it is a fun chart to read. Night Passage Jaco Pastorius Bass.pdf Edited March 29, 2020 by Bilbo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 (edited) A little bit of old school Latin bass. From the Master Sessions CD, Israel 'Cachao' Lopez's bass line on 'El Son No Ha Muerto'. An easy read. El Son No Ha Meurto Cachao Bass.pdf Edited March 31, 2020 by Bilbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 This was nothing more that mischief. I wondered how long it would take me to transcribe this. I was actually transcribing massive chunks of the tune as it was playing (it is endless pumping root notes that move up fourths and fifths so it is mostly easy to hear) and only a couple of passages that needed closer examination. I give you Steve Dawson's bass part to Saxon's 'Dallas 1 P.M.' of their album 'Strong Arm Of The Law'. Dallas 1 PM Steve Dawson Bass.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.