STUDY GROUP: Topics In Jazz Bass Volume 1: Harmony, by Danny Ziemann

[Rob MacKillop]

This group is open to anyone interested in Danny Ziemann's book on harmony and the bass - either upright or bass guitar. Of course, having the book will be pretty much essential. I found my copy on Amazon, but hopefully they are elsewhere too. There is a PDF download on Danny's website: https://dannyziemann.company.site/Topics-in-Jazz-Bass-Vol-1-Harmony-PDF-p115962438 "Supplemental audio" can be found on www.dannyziemann.com - front page, just above the images of the book covers, for which you have to submit your email address.  

 

Note: There is no tab in the book. It is pretty much purely centered on Walking Bass. There is a second volume which discusses soloing, but it's advised we work through volume 1 first. If some of you have already started the second book, you might want to start a Study Group thread for that. 

 

The point of a Study Group is to have a few people focus for a while on one book or topic, to help each other out, no grandstanding, no competition, just a willingness to help each other improve. So, to get the ball rolling, here goes:

 

The Harmony book starts with a harmonically simplified view of a major key. Instead of thinking of seven different chords - I ii iii IV V vi viidim - with all their related arpeggios, we can view it simply as - I V7 I V7 I IV V7 I - So in the key of G that gives G  D7/A  G/B  D7/C  G/D  C/E  D7/F#  G. In Danny's Example 2c (page 9) I think he missed out a slash note. The 5th chord is G, but should be G/D? 

 

Pages 11 and 12 provide two patterns. Pattern 1 starts with first bass note articulating the scale: G in Bar 1, A in Bar 2, B in Bar 3. Pattern 2 has those notes up an octave, but displaced to the third beat of each bar. On page 10 Danny distinguishes them, Pattern 1 having the harmonic movement in the bass, Pattern 2 having the harmonic movement in the melody. This is something I'm not 100% clear on. I understand what he is saying, but I think the awareness of why will come through practicing the arpeggios. 

 

So, right now I haven't gone further in the book. I'm practicing the arpeggios on page 11 and 12, which is just the two Patterns in all twelve keys. Having a 5-string bass, I'm including the 5th string in possible versions. Once you see a couple of shapes for each pattern, it is of course easy to move them up and down the fingerboard. Playing in the open-string positions had me using my brain more - I've only had a 5-string bass for a couple of days. I've also glued the two Patterns together, but Danny doesn't ask us to do this. He might have his reasons not to, but I can't help doing it! 

 

He goes on to doing the same with minor keys, and then discusses some resolution issues with descending versions. But I haven't got that far yet, just getting accustomed to pages 11 and 12. 

 

So, anyone want to join in? Any comments at all? 

 

 

 

[Burns-bass]

Will update when the book arrives. I don’t really play straight ahead jazz but I believe I can apply the concepts to music that I do play. Excited to join in.

[Rob MacKillop]

Agreed! 

[Gareth Hughes]

YES! Thanks for setting this up. I need to get the finger out on this, so I’m more than up for joining.

[Rob MacKillop]

Great, though I have to admit a measure of self interest in this. Without you guys pushing my back, I might abandon ship before we are clear of land 😊

[Rob MacKillop]

What do you think of the mainly V - I harmonization of the scale? It vaguely reminds me of the Barry Harris (BH) Method which everyone is talking about these days, and which I only vaguely looked at before. From what I remember, BH alternated a C6th chord with a diminished 7th chord, throughout the whole C scale (correct me if I'm wrong). Danny mentions in his Preface, "...Barry Harris and his teachings were an influence on much of my conception of harmony". So, not totally a "BH for Bass", but he's in there somewhere. 

[itu]

Is it starting from the basics of two beat, four beat and walking? Or is it about refining harmonic (most probably rhythmic, too) approach to walking? 

 

I learned the basics of walking starting from two beat. Then it was pretty easy to turn to four beat. These and the theory of chords pushed me towards walking in very short time.

 

My rhythmic and melodic abilities are mediocre at best, so following this with great interest. 

[Rob MacKillop]

Itu, it’s not a tutor in walking bass per se, see his first two books for that: Low Down 1&2. 
 

This book is more about developing a more interesting melodic style of walking, so you might be interested in that. In Vol. 2 he discusses soloing, and as far as I can see makes a development on from the melodic walking style in Volume 1. 
 

These early exercises are for playing over a static chord, but are soon inserted in standard repertoire pieces where you might break up some regular walking with these new patterns. 
 

I’m just at the early stage, learning melodic patterns of I-V chords in all keys, major and minor. It’ll take a little while to get my old brain and fingers fluent with them, while I’m trying to incorporate the B 5th string into my playing. 

[Gareth Hughes]

Self interest here too - accountability is a good thing.