Breaking Down Complex Bass Patterns: A Step-By-Step Approach

[@johncook9983]

I learned a long time ago in the Marine Corps while working on combat shooting techniques, “slow is smooth-smooth is fast”. That approach has since, directly influenced how I learn anything including, bass guitar. For the uninitiated, it can and should be painfully slow. This is a great illustration and reminder!

[@nunyabidness2143]

Semper Fi. Wish I was playing bass when I was in. Definitely would've passed some time. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, now hurry up and wait!!

[@johncook9983]

@@nunyabidness2143 Semper Brother 🤙

[@JuanDaringMann]

The algorithm has been persistent in suggesting this vid for months, so finally watched, liked & sub'd. Thanks algorithm, here's your 🍪

[@Bassic778]

When I saw the title of this lesson, I never expected it to analyze a Charlie Parker line!!!!! This is a FANTASTIC TUTORIAL and extremely practical!!!!! The tone of your bass is amazing! Thank you for this!!!

[@geoffstevens6979]

brilliant mark. im getting this down. doing a couple of your courses at the mo and really enjoying em. these bonus vids are ace. thank you mark.

[@jasoncherry3404]

This was a great lesson to really work on some of fundamentals that Im struggling with. This will give me something to practice with I’m traveling. Thank you very much.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Lesson Material: www.talkingbass.net/breaking-down-complex-bass-patterns-a-step-by-step-approach/

[@rustknale3818]

Really appreciate this video Mark. Well presented, friendly approach and informative. Learning a great riff with enjoyment. Thank you sir.

[@patrickblay7684]

Fantastic lesson Mark .It’s a real Christmas gift. Many more like this one. It makes it feel in another dimension. Thank you so much and for the tabs too.

[@bassbuffricky]

As an ancient bassplayer, this is one of my favorite Parker bebop lines. 🙂Knowing your arpeggios helps a lot in nailing lines like this one.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Absolutely!

[@marsblack5221]

Man!!! This lesson just saved my life! Learning Donna Lee and STRUGGLING WITH IT! This has given me a new lifeline! Thanks !

[@talkingbasslessons]

Yup. I used this exact method for working on Donna Lee when I first learned at music college (in 1993). Been doing it ever since!

[@marsblack5221]

@@talkingbasslessons Good to know and will continue with this! I appreciate you, your website, videos and lessons! Thank You for ALL that YOU Do!!

[@daveweed2765]

Wow. What advise. Honestly learning a song the only practice you should need is the outro and ending. And you will probably be sick of hearing the song. Even if you can read music I don't know anyone that can play right off sheet music. Then again when you come where you screw up then start over from the top. It's practice from the intro. And practice makes perfect. Always.

[@latenight5865]

please more examples like this, please :)

[@lesexplorateurs2052]

If I may suggest an additional technique to learn a bass line... singing the melody as you play the notes creates a link between what your fingers do and the resulting sound. I found that it greatly helps memorizing a line and also strengthen your knowledge of the neck.

[@talkingbasslessons]

It also helps to develop your ear training!

[@bassbuffricky]

This is so true! I always sing the line before playing it.

[@brianhogan9611]

Hi Mark. It would be interesting/informative to show your methodology when working out this pattern (or another as complex) without access to the sheet music.

[@georgeharvey8073]

Very nice lesson!

[@AESS6082]

Hi Mark , I've purchased your Ear Training. Do you recommend to finish that course first before I learn many songs? Thanks

[@davidbalan6571]

If this lessons I'll be Showing you a method for learning ANY Bass line , fill, solo and absolutely anything else on bass regardless.

[@aidencanham1039]

Hey Mark I learning Jaco’s solo part on Havona and I was wondering if maybe you could make a video dedicated to the song

[@Manic_Drone_Idiom]

Heh! 😆 Motley Crue "bass line"....

[@ianmackenzie686]

😅 My sentiments exactly! Black Sabbath also😂

[@waynecribbs8853]

I learn these lines easier when I can see the chords over the tab. That way I can connect the notes I'm playing with the chord outlines. Please add those above the music score next time please!

[@marshallcierovola376]

For some reason, I expected this to be learning the bass line by ear. If you have the notes already - yes anybody can learn any bass line. Just start slow. I'd love to see a video with tips and techniques for learning without all the notes as that's where I find myself most often.

[@talkingbasslessons]

This method is for learning material you can’t play (from a skill perspective) or memorise. Whether you acquire the notes from sheet music or by ear is irrelevant. For example, you might have seen my performance of Solfeggietto by CPE Bach. It’s very difficult to play (more difficult that pretty much any rock, pop or jazz bass line) and I made a Facebook live streaming diary of learning it in about 12 days. Yes, I had the music. But learning it is not a case of just starting slow. I used the method here of breaking it up into tiny chunks and building each up to speed. That diary can be found at the website. Did you learn the Parker lick shown by the end of the lesson? If you haven’t learned it, try playing it then review how you learned it. The method I outline might make more sense to you at that point. Learning by ear is a totally different thing. That’s all about aural skills. It has nothing to do with your “bass skills”.

[@marshallcierovola376]

@@talkingbasslessons Sorry, I was just trying to share what one fan of the channel is interested in. I understand, that's not the point of this video, having watched it.

[@talkingbasslessons]

@@marshallcierovola376 If you want to develop your ability to learn by ear there's no better way than to just get in there and start transcribing. Big tip though... bass lines are sometimes tricky to hear under all the other instruments. Instead, transcribe melodies. I used to work out the melodies for anything I heard. I'd watch TV and just try imitating what I would hear on adverts, theme tunes etc. Learn vocal melodies. Sax melodies. Anything. Just start easy. Sing the line to yourself and work out each note in turn. If you can sing it then you can work it out. It doesn't matter how long it takes for you to work out each individual note. Take your time and as you do this more and more you'll get better and better until you're recognising a variety of melodic phrases like arpeggios/scales etc. Then when you learn bass lines, it will be way easier to do, you'll just have to listen more intently to pick them out. Also, as another tip. Try singing the lines you play as you play them. Whatever bass line you learn, sing it as you play it. That helps to create a bond between your musical 'mind' and your hands.

[@marshallcierovola376]

@@talkingbasslessons Those are great tips! I'll have to start doing that while I watch TV. Always nice to get something real out of tv time =)

[@maks886]

Hahah I was going to ask you for a lesson on "you can call me Al", but now it seems that it would be embarrassing if I can't do it alone? Still maybe a lesson worthy song?

[@talkingbasslessons]

My wife asked if I'd done a lesson on You Can Call Me Al about one minute before you wrote this message! Yes, I'll do a breakdown.

[@Thebluezman]

There were a couple of moments during the video Mark I thought you were going to break out into the Pink Panther theme. 😅

[@frostriver4547]

We like to tease that occasionally in jams. Gotta a have a great keyboardist tho 😊

[@talkingbasslessons]

Ba doop...Ba doop.... Ba doopy doopy Doo Ba Doopy Doooooooo, Yabba Dabba Doo

[@mapefotos]

Mark, I've reached talking bass about th books bundle. And I got no return so far. Might you can help me. Cheers

[@talkingbasslessons]

Hi there. Did you send an email or was it in the intercom chat on the site?

[@railguy6639]

Thankfully, you can slow down videos to understand what is being said and shown at blinding speed.

[@paramotorfun9649]

What bass are you playing in this vid?

[@talkingbasslessons]

Enfield Lionheart. I've done a video review of it too. You'll see me using a few of them over the years aside my Jazz, P Bass and Ibanez. I've got about 20 basses but those 4 are my main ones.

[@matildastanford7019]

For me it's the MetallicA - orion solo. Has been giving me grief for 8 months or so.

[@talkingbasslessons]

Keep at it. Slow things down and work on it in small chunks like I showed. You'll get it.

[@SquashDaBeef]

Speed is a byproduct

[@malakaimessina7446]

HAPPY NEW YEAR BASS HEADS!!! MY COLLECTION IS GROWING!!! 387.... ITS A disease...

[@rip_cliff_burton]

Hello I will learn bass and I dont know if I need an amplifier to play it. Can I play bass without an amplifier like a classic guitar? please respond, I have been looking for the answer and no one said it.

[@ashgonza92]

No you can't

[@RockerProf]

Technically, only if you have an acoustic electric. It'll be audible to you if you're practicing. But if you're performing with other musicians, the bass will get lost in the other instruments. Solid body instruments that have passive pickups, or even active pickups, are not meant to be heard without an amp. It has to do with the physics of how the string vibrations are turned into sounds you can hear. In physics, we call it the Faraday effect.

[@billsmith8822]

"learn bassline" isn't enough?

[@talkingbasslessons]

With something you can easily play...yes. This is intended for learning things you can't play yet.