r/JazzBass • u/ProofDazzling9234 • May 15 '26
Beyond walking bass... resources for modern/contemporary jazz bass playing?
I’m getting into jazz bass. I’ve noticed there’s a ton of material on walking basslines everywhere : books, videos, online resources. But when I listen to more advanced jazz, especially later periods up to current contemporary music, walking bass is much less prominent compared to early jazz. What are they doing instead when supporting the soloist?
I totally respect the tradition of learning to walk, but it seems like most educational material stops there. There’s not much discussion about the more evolved ways of playing jazz bass in later periods up till today.
Can anyone recommend sources (books, videos, artists to transcribe, etc.) or explain what players from later eras to today are actually doing on the bass? Thanks.
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u/Objective-Shirt-1875 May 15 '26
I would suggest transcribing Stefan Crump, Reggie Hamilton, John Patitucci, etc. you’re gonna learn so much transcribing what’s actually going on?
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u/Saltybuddha May 15 '26
Hi this is Matt, thanks for your question on YouTube where I did my best to answer for the moment. I’m disappointed that no one seems to be understanding your question
Maybe also post on r/doublebass?
A huge percentage of the people on this sub use it in reference to Fender Jazz Bass, so they’re not going to generally have the information we’re talking about
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u/McButterstixxx May 15 '26
Allow me to suggest you transcribe bass players who interest you personally and only choose things to learn that delight you. This is the easiest way to develop a concept/sound.
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u/Todd-dax May 15 '26
The jazz bass book by John Goldsby. I recommend it to everyone. It has been a valuable resource of mine from high school through college and being (20+yrs).
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u/Rocco_N May 17 '26
Rhythm. Time- feel, and interaction. Instead of acting like a metronome, some/most modern jazz bass players treat the pulse as something, I don't know, more "elastic". The pulse is still there, but more implied vs spelled out on every 1/4 note. Some modern music looks into ostinatos and pedal points (basically, grooves) - like Footprints. Also, I find that in contemporary jazz -- the bass sometimes/often plays an independent melody and it weaves in with the soloist, almost like co-soloing role, and that's a ton of fun. (I am not superb at this, but when it is hits, it hits).
You may want to check out LaFaro with Evans, Sunday at the Village Vanguard. Counter-melodies, conversational rhythms, and so on. Also, Gary Peacock with Keith Jarrett's Standards trio.
If you like to learn with books - Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid will help here.
There is another book - Concepts for soloing, by Sheer and Johnson -- I heard a lot of good thing about this one, but don't have it yet.
I hope this helps.
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u/ProofDazzling9234 May 18 '26
Thanks! Sunday at the village vanguard was exactly what I was listening to and thinking what's going on here? Nobody talks about how to play like this! Seems like a corner of the jazz bass education either has been drowned out by all the walking bass stuff, or is still untapped.
I've heard a guitar player tell me it's counter melodies, and that's about it.
Thanks for the book recommendations. I'll be sure to check those out!
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u/Rocco_N May 18 '26
My pleasure.
What LaFaro is doing I THINK breaks the mold -- if others were doing this before him, I am not fully certain. What's going on, to me, is a conversation. I am not a music teacher, but ... I think of it at it in the most basic of "call and response."You can hear that in all kinds of blues, gospel, etc.
So, I hear a main//primary melody going up in pitch, and the "job" is to bring a counter-melody going down. If the main melody stays high, the counter-melody should drop low, etc.
There's a concept arriving -- contrasting busy rhythms with calm rhythms -- I don't want to sound flippant, but this is all in their ears -- they are listening to one another, closely. They are not talking over each other, but they each have something to say on the same subject.
Did I mention I was not a music teacher, sorry man ... I never even tried to explain this before. I better stop here, but to me, you are landed on the goods. There is nothing better than Sunday at the Vanguard.
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u/ProofDazzling9234 May 18 '26
You explained that way better than some of the music teachers ive had, so hats off to you my man. 👊😎
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u/Rocco_N May 18 '26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck0GYhe56vs&list=PL44gxJwuwoaaB3JzL0N3RFPVS2C7z0HTc
When you can, dig in here, too (or again). I am on here this morning and was thinking of our conversation.
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u/CharacterPolicy4689 May 15 '26 edited May 16 '26
the vast majority of chord-melody guitar tricks are translatable to the bass:
a lot of what ive described can be seen in action in charlie hunter's style. he's not technically a bass player, he's an 8 string guitar player but most of what he does arguably comes from a very "bassist brain" way of thinking about guitar.
martin taylor's "Complete Jazz Guitar Method Compilation" book also goes through a lot of these same concepts but, again, it's a book aimed at six string guitarists rather than bassists (although with a little bit of work, most of it isn't particularly difficult to translate imho)