2 Jazz Licks Every Bass Player Should Know

[@squidito2534]

Man, that bass really has a great sound

[@onurbassist]

What kind of bass is that?

[@sundaynsini-ss1gb]

Seeing a Janek Gwizdala play can be a truly transformative experience, especially if you're interested in his harmonic style and approach.

[@Antman3820]

Just realized I never ordered your Giant Steps book. Figured I would get a signed copy, help support, the great work that you’ve been doing over the years. Please keep up the good work. These videos are extremely valuable, to anyone who would like to be a better musician.

[@michaelanthony9068]

Thank you Janek. You did another very similar video on this, that was the reason I bought your II-V-I book. I need to get back to it. I’m just not a good sight reader, and it became a bit tedious for me, but that’s a good reason to go back to working on it. Thanks again.

[@R_o_m_u]

I really enjoy these videos highlighting some elements of your books. Thanks !

[@nabsdmusik]

Great approach on 2 5 1 6 A7d9 sticking to your fundamental and solo back to the groove, great practice, love the tone of your bass.

[@HondoFelder]

Great vid. Bass sounds great. Great great great.

[@janekgwizdala]

Reversed P’s for the win… crazy how two sets of them can make it sound more like a jazz bass.

[@nonohmic766]

What a fantastic video. Thanks!

[@fransvanoostrom591]

Thanks, another nice useful exercise.

[@adamodimattia]

These books have really wonderful excercises but what is event better is how Janek presents them and explains them. Not only fantastic bass player and soloist (there really should be more bass solos on his records) but fantastic educator as well!

[@kcarvalho3139]

Thank you Janek....you are one of the best around...love your concept. Cheers from Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦

[@BobdeVille]

you really got me into learning mode again. Your videos and books are awesome, believe me i got countless books to learn, but i always come back to your books. And your videos are fun to watch. Thank you. by the way i can‘t wait for you new 2 Books. 🎉

[@derricks_groove_garage]

Thanks! I learned something I've been putting off for years. Whether I wanted to or not. LOL!

[@CalvinMoore-sq9pn]

I am interested in learning more about the ii-v-1 progression and substitution chords, so your video has helped me tremendously. Great job, and I need to get a copy of the ii-v-1 book. Great job

[@buddypearson]

I've shedded the hell out of that lick for months having bought your altered scale book

[@BassStevie]

Great content. That’s my Sunday practice now sorted. Thanks dude!

[@building436]

thanks a lot man, this helps so much to find new phrases!

[@hogsidedan.g1774]

Love the video.

[@coopja3330]

Love these lesson man!

[@iksajotien]

Great lesson as always, you need to come finally to Poland for some gig!

[@Gerry926]

Looks like I have a book to purchase! I've been looking for exactly this type of lesson.

[@eraldolimaoficial8016]

Amazing! Muito bom mesmo!!

[@ericplummer4089]

Cool, cool, cool,! Helping my out of the rut! Pray l retain it. 1st 5:37 of the video is enough for a week for me lol

[@roccopresutti3590]

Hi Janek, Love the videos. I bought the book Jazz vocabulary for electric bass but how do I get the play alongs? BTW Your musicianship is amazing!

[@theunofficialsean]

GOOD STUFF!

[@AlexandarShmex]

Janek, just a question that you've probably answered earlier, why do we use the altered scale on the dominant 7th chord, instead of mixolydian? Thank you for the lesson.

[@janekgwizdala]

There's nothing to stop you using any scale on a dominant chord. You could literally use E Major over a G7, and if your time and sound is compelling enough, it'll sound amazing. The point is that we should really listen more and think of theory less. It's more about what sounds good to you that it is what "works". Theoretically speaking, if you were in a Berklee College of Music harmony class, they might teach you that your options for a dominant chord could be lydian dominant, mixolydian, Altered... But who are they to tell you what sounds good to you? No one told Wayne Shorter or Miles Davis what was right or wrong. They just got on with it and made up their own mind. I know not everyone's goal is to be a leading improvisor of their time and have complete music freedom without being shackled by theory, but a little bit of that intent doesn't hurt no matter what your goal might be.

[@AlexandarShmex]

@@janekgwizdala Thank you for the thorough answer Janek, I fully get what you're saying, but I'm learning music theory and I really like understanding WHY something works. I have no real experience with the altered scale, I've started using it lately, since I'm learning the harmonic minor. I'm currently working through two serious books, but then I'm definitely getting your II-V-I and pentatonics book, at least.

[@laszloszaniszlo9662]

In E flat? I play 4 string basses in standard tuning. I know, how ordinary. To Me it is the norm, reality. With that said, very helpful and fine video. Thanks.

[@room34]

Another great video! My one minor criticism: it would be helpful for me following along if this video was done with a bass that had fret markers.

[@janekgwizdala]

Time for some tough love here... If you need fret markers on the bass to be able to tell what notes are being played, you're listening with your eyes waaaaaaaay too much. It's definitely time to start training your ears and getting away from the safety net of KZbin where everything is served up in HD. Your ears with thank you, your bandmates will thank you, and you will ultimately become a far better musician.

[@latenight5865]

THANK YOU for great video! There are lots of ii v i clips but not that many for bassists except for yours. Do you also agree that bass solo lines should be, or at least has somewhat different aspects from other instruments' solo?

[@janekgwizdala]

@@latenight5865 I think it’s a huge waste of time transcribing solo lines from bass players. They almost all get their information from somewhere else, and you could go straight to the source and save yourself sounding like yet another bass player…

[@AndrewFriesenbass]

well done

[@oliplaysbass]

Great vid janek, hoping I can put this into my playing, although watching too much Adam Neely content made me expect ‘the lick’ to be in this 😅.

[@janekgwizdala]

@adamneely has seeped into the subconscious minds of musicians from Adelaide to Azerbaijan! But there are more licks than just "the lick" 🤣

[@jmanfunk]

Thanks

[@tabonejohann]

I remember doing this it was awesome . Can you remind me in which pages are these licks ..thanks

[@janekgwizdala]

Exercises 19 and 20 in the book I think.

[@tabonejohann]

@@janekgwizdala thanks I really appreciate your reply .

[@paulharris7037]

Love these and the pedals pods Quick question Janek … or any of you Janek punters Physical books vs ebooks Do the soundtracks come as part of the package …??? Ta vm in advance

[@janekgwizdala]

All books come with videos and play along where applicable. 👍

[@paulharris7037]

@@janekgwizdala I’ll get an order in to ship to Blighty …

[@asherskerrett5979]

Hi Janek. Great vid as always. Where do I find the 2 5 1 track as a straight groove? I have your swing tracks.

[@janekgwizdala]

These are actually a new add-on to the current swing tracks that we're finishing and uploading today. Give it a few hours and they should all be there.

[@asherskerrett5979]

Awesome. Thank you.

[@thisisMRJAMES]

do i need to read as a bass player? i have been playing for quite some time (had a long break) and i have always struggled with being bothered to learn how to read. i wonder if im to far gone?

[@landonh3535]

Any tips on grabbing that C on the 20th fret, low E? I cant get my pinky there for a clean note without bringing my thumb out from behind the fretboard. Im on a 4 string sadowsky with a nice cutaway too. Always kind of avoided the C and C# there for that reason.

[@janekgwizdala]

I guess there are going to be certain limitations depending on the exact instrument you play... Sometimes things just aren't goin to be possible in all positions.

[@landonh3535]

Thanks, that actually makes me feel a little better, haha! @@janekgwizdala

[@krzsztfstrwsk]

jak ty grasz, to wszystko jest takie proste ;-)

[@jovanecordeiro9734]

👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 top

[@seaskymoon3445]

I am a bass player. I respect your talent enormously. Same with the guys at SBL, Nate Navarro amongst others. Has it ever occurred to ANY of you, as Pro- Bass content creators that beginners and intermediate players may perhaps, as was the case with me, find the virtuoso introductions, the session-player calibre demos etc, a little bit intimidating? Sometimes it might be just nice to sit with your bass teacher and chat through, slow, patient exercises, as opposed to being bamboozled by virtuosity that few attain....? Just a thought.

[@janekgwizdala]

I understand where you’re coming from, but what you’ve described isn’t the internet. It’s a one-on-one lesson with a local teacher in 1993. I remember, I took tons of them for various instruments as a kid. While I obviously can’t speak for the other KZbinrs you mentioned, I can tell you how I look at it. The internet, especially with media services like KZbin, run on a metric of attention. I could quite easily sit in front of the camera for 30 minutes, just like I was in your front room having a cup of tea and talking about music. It could be unedited, much like in real life. And it would be the most un compelling thing you could ever hope to stumble upon. Even if what I was saying was of immense value to beginner bass players and the world of music in general. There are plenty of people out there that do that. Not bad musicians, but terrible communicators. That’s why you ended up on SBL, or my channel, because whether you like the production value or not, there are bite sized chunks of information that you can work at your own pace on, delivered as efficiently as possible for everyone involved. Whether you enjoy the content or not is totally subjective of course. But that’s besides the point. There’s a very good reason why a lot of people do the things you said put you off. To make any kind of headway in the sector, you have to work within the framework of the platform you choose to create on. KZbin works on an algorithm. Ignore it and your efforts will be pointless. No one will listen to what you have to say, and you’ll more than likely lose interest and do something else. I highly recommend the private teacher route. It sounds like that’s exactly what you need. And btw, the playing on my channel is far far from virtuosic when I’m talking about subject matter like this video. Tempos are slow, harmony is simple, melody is within reach of literally anyone who wants to grab it, and conceptually it can improve your playing in very short order. For the most part I talk about concepts that I’ve had in my practice routine since day one. Not some complex pathway to metrically modulated rhythms and harmonic tools Stravinsky would have been jealous of…

[@jacesantamaria8394]

I think those more advanced videos might not be for you yet then, if you have a bass teacher you work 1 on 1 with maybe show them this and be like “hey this is what I want to work up to”. I definitely understand feeling overwhelmed but if you’re a beginner/intermediate player I think that’s kinda an expected feeling when you watch videos by pros

[@mr.t382]

Sounds like some kinda flats or slick wounds??or???

[@ErnieLeblanc]

🎯

[@coopja3330]

What is your favorite versatile bass of choice?