The BEST Way to REALLY Learn Tunes!

[@jazzbassix2814]

This is the way Ray Brown recommended bass players learn tunes. He had us sing melodies while playing time at a masterclass I attending in 1976. It remains the best advice i ever got from any teacher.

[@coledavismusic]

Oh wow, I actually didn't know that Ray taught this way. But it's great to know that my advice makes sense ... if Ray says it, it must be true ha

[@briansong7137]

Man, I've been needing this video for 25 years. Thanks for the clear demo and for singing the melodies!

[@coledavismusic]

Really glad to hear that! Glad my embarrassing myself in public was useful 🤣

[@russelljazzbeck]

Only 900-1000 haha. This is a great video. I think I'll record myself playing the roots and then play the melody along with the recording.

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you! And that’s a great idea - I can guarantee it will work

[@tubassee]

IKR!? Only two or three fake books worth. This definitely makes more sense than memorizing chord progressions. I have usually tried to learn the melodies of songs, and now I'll try this approach.

[@TerranceMahoney-c1j]

"...was like the bass gently accompanying a tune, which now and then ran up unexpectedly into the melody."--Virginia Woolf, TO THE LIGHTHOUSE. Since, we're referencing quotes!

[@joelmeginsky5629]

7pm. 1/8/23 I really appreciate your clarity and insights, and I wholeheartedly agree with your premise. Keep those videos coming. I’m particularly interested in the relationship between your classical training and your jazz life.

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you Joel, I'll be sure to post something along those lines soon!

[@alexandram9477]

if anyone's interested in hearing counterpoint basslines for improvised music check out Brazilian Choro - Pixinguinha or the 7-string guitar players on Jacob do Bandolim's recordings.

[@johnf.hebert1409]

Joe Solomon teaches "learn the melody, sing the melody" that what Lennie Tristano taught him and Joe teaches me. If I know the melody to a song I dont even need to know the chords now I can play it.

[@CathyKreger]

Yes! This is a wonderful lesson! Very much appreciate it!

[@bassocanario]

Another serving of fresh dopesauce from Cole Davis' 24-hour Basso Profundo Diner!😎🤗💖 Hey...potential tune title...😉

[@coledavismusic]

Lol I love it, thanks for watching

[@SuperLocrian]

Dude! This! This Fantastic perspective-shifting explanation/lesson is something I've needed to hear for years! Thank you.

[@coledavismusic]

So glad you liked it - thank you for watching!

[@dougfolkins7016]

OMG what an incredible lesson! So simply said but to the point and the tone of that bass . I haven’t a bass Sound that good except for Of course for Mister McBride’s Where do I send the check for such a great lesson

[@coledavismusic]

Wow, thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate the comparison … life goals to have a sound like that, ha. You can follow me on Patreon for more lessons at www.patreon.com/coledavismusic :)

[@petervansoestdevrolijkeboe3320]

You say it’s not about the chords, these were added, but don’t the root notes come frome these chords?

[@nyambe]

will try

[@MrBrynstar]

Excellent video, mate

[@fabasso78]

This is one of the most useful video I have ever seen

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you!

[@Flying_turnip187]

Damn……this is one of the epiphanies I Of life……wow…thank you !

[@coledavismusic]

Wow! Glad this was an epiphany ... thank you for watching :)

[@Flying_turnip187]

@@coledavismusic no thank you. You have a subscriber and a fam ! Keep up the great work.

[@TroubadoursofRhythm]

So good & useful! Thank you.

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you for watching!

[@AlbaMacfarlane]

Excellent Cole! thank you very much for your contribution. By the way, what set of strings do you use? All the best.

[@laurenceblackadder3103]

This was taught me by an amazing musician/composer called Claude Werner I was in his band and he mentored me and got do this. I now study privately with Larry Grenadier and Ben Wolfe and they are really big in to this approach. In fact Ben is teaching this tune to me in any key by singing the melody and playing the root notes. I can actually do it no tricks just intervallic relationships. I’m sure you’ve studied with Ben at Julliard. This works obviously as you have an astonishing command of your instrument

[@coledavismusic]

Hi Laurence, that’s awesome! Larry is the master, that’s super cool you study with him. It’s a great approach for sure, it really gets you inside the tunes. I actually studied with Gerald Cannon while at Juilliard but we dealt with this concept as well. Thank you for watching and for the kind words, I appreciate it a lot!

[@laurenceblackadder3103]

Larry is my all time favourite bass player and he’s a great teacher and human being. I saw Gerald with McCoy, great player though the drummer spoiled it, he was one of McCoy’s old friends (a former prison guard I was led to believe) and he was a bit over enthusiastic with volume

[@vbassone]

@@laurenceblackadder3103 You mean Eric Gravatt? Gravatt was a corrections officer for years and had played with Weather Report and McCoy in the 70's among many others. Gravatt is one of the all time unsung drumming geniuses.

[@laurenceblackadder3103]

@@vbassone That’s the fella, Gerald and McCoy were sublime but unfortunately spoiled it as he was just loud

[@Asaf-yagil]

acctualy transcribing a good solo is also a great way to master a tune

[@sega62s]

singing the parts are even more important, to me

[@patricktelfort]

Perfect!!!

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you! 🙏🏻

[@amusicment4829]

Wow, great … super helpful!!

[@coledavismusic]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@mr-timon3705]

great video

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you!

[@eugeneciccone9783]

Certainly helpful idea. I have a question: are you memorizing the chord changes to play the roots, using your ear to hear the chord changes to play the roots, or a combination of both?

[@coledavismusic]

Hey Eugene! I’m mostly using my ear to hear the chord changes. I do recognize that everyone’s ear works differently, so there’s totally nothing wrong with memorizing the changes first :)

[@jefsut]

Stupid question ... how do you know what the root is without knowing the chord?

[@coledavismusic]

Not a stupid question at all! The beauty of this is that you can decide what the root is. We don't give our ears enough credit ... your ears will often lead you to the right notes. But of course it doesn't hurt to learn the changes, ha

[@doriangrayest]

oh you went to juilliard, thats why you dont know what I superlocrian scale is good for you hahahah keep up man!

[@coledavismusic]

hahah thank you

[@joshie_allon]

This is great great content

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you, I really appreciate that. :)

[@itsmichelegrande]

Interesting! 😉

[@jeremytrindade2787]

Your bass sounds fantastic. Can I ask what strings you use?

[@coledavismusic]

Thank you! I use Velvet Garbos on the top 2, Spirocores (light) on the bottom

[@kozkozof]

That flex ahaha "ONLY 900 to a 1000 tunes", but great content as usual Cole, keep it up !

[@coledavismusic]

Ha - thank you for watching!

[@bengalidoom7626]

am i high or is this a loop

[@coledavismusic]

If those are the only two options, then I’m afraid you are high … because this is not a loop. Thank you for watching!

[@bengalidoom7626]

@@coledavismusic well yes I am but also i thought it was funny that you repeated some things as if in a loop (also the backgroundl makes up most of the frame so gives it a sense of stillness) killer content tho thanks!

[@marioluna6523]

U look like PMC

[@coledavismusic]

Who is that lol

[@J3unG]

Yo. I'm old as fuck and I could prolly be your grampa. Here's the thing: I fucking hate standards. Never liked 'em and don't find value in 'em as something legit to play. The only reason why these old pop tunes became standards is because, for some reason, musicians started believing in what jazz critics and jazz record execs told them to play. And so, you got this whole thing of cats playing old shit because those arseholes wanted to hear 'em. It's not uncommon for a record company would sign a cat to a deal and just before you're recording your debut some motherfucker sends you a list of tunes, of standards to play at the date. Cyrus Chestnutt mentioned something like this on a jazz radio interview many years ago. Chestnutt also mentioned that the record companies and ticket-selling venues were colluding the fix prices for their product. I especially hate the HARMONIC ANALYSES of these tunes. Look, these tunes are American pop hits from the 1920 through 1960 ear (really until mid-60's before Miles went elektrik). And the tunes are basically the same fucking changes for like 6 songs. The only thing that's different is the melody and the key. Oh yeah...there's also the stylistic variation too (swing, fast bop, waltz, ballad..). So...if you want to play standards you only have to know two things: the melody and the key you are playing in that night. That's it. You can literally play a whole set of tunes with different melodies and in a few different styles using only 1-6-2-5. Or...you can play 1-4-5 12 bar blues, etc.. Playing standards (corny old pop tunes) is a joke, man. Hell...you could play the same solo but in different keys on these tunes. What's the point of jazz, then, if standards suck (too many cats place WAY TOO MUCH EMPHASIS)? Answer: write your own fucking tunes and keep expanding the envelope. Did I mention that standards suck?

[@TheStarlitfuse]

Hello old as fuck...I'm baby on the scene. I play a few of my own songs on guitar and wondered how I could make it more jazzy, so I decided to learn about how jazz 'works', it's been a nightmare ever since. Seems like it's overanalyzed to the point where there are technical terms now for playing random shit. I often wonder; when did music become rocket science? I get that standards make it easier for everyone to know how a melody goes, and the most basic chord changes underneath; I mean I can improvise after hearing a song for the first time, but doing it without ever hearing it can be a little hit or miss. So not everyone wants to take that risk. But to be honest I have way more fun when people get together and play something purely in the moment (when it goes well there is nothing like it). The effect is almost psychedelic. The music writes itself. So naturally standards are still too confining. I met a jazz musician who wanted to try something other than Jazz, it must not be the free form he expected I assumed. Anyway I think I'll go back to my songs now, all this has helped me realize one thing; play what feels good and don't wonder why it does. Isn't that how all music was made?