Jazz

Many high-level and notable bass players consistently discuss how critical studying jazz was for their progression. This is because studying jazz is the perfect platform and tool to help you learn the fingerboard inside out, and finally start to understand harmony in a much deeper and usable way.

In this course Gary Willis breaks down the relationship between each section of All The Things You Are. We’ll analyse Gary’s own interpretation of the melody AND his solo, together with a deeper look into the theory and technique aspects of ’Gary’s unique approach.

In this course Gary Willis unlocks the improvising tools that he uses to play over Solar. We’ll analyse Gary’s own interpretation of the melody AND his solo, together with how he organises the form and connects the harmony.

Learning some jazz can work wonders when it comes to developing your musicianship skills as a bass player. And in this course Gary Willis walks you through what’s arguably one of the most popular jazz standards of all time - Stella by Starlight.

In this course we invited legendary bassist Gary Willis to perform, analyse and break down Joe Henderson’s Inner Urge. This is one of those jazz standards that will often get called at a jam session and it’s a tune that Gary knows all too well having recorded it with the great Allan Holdsworth on his album None Too Much.

This tune will serve as our first foray into the amazing world of jazz, with this one in the style of “Gypsy jazz”––a specific brand of music that came out of Paris, and most closely associated with the amazing guitarist Django Reinhardt. It has a “swing” feel that is a backbone of the jazz style, in general. While working on this song, you’ll learn things like how to play clear and consistent sounding notes, quarter-note and quarter-rest rhythms, half notes, how to mute the strings for rests using both hands, how to lock in with the rhythm section, song form, and so much more. It could be your perfect introduction to playing jazz, so check it out!

Throughout the songs in Level 2, you’re going to be working on all of the basics of proper hand placement for plucking and fretting, essential muting techniques, dialing in great tone and getting consistent sound, tips on groove and locking in with a band, and much more. All these aspects of learning the bass are crucial for building your skill and musicianship from the ground up... And of course, you’ll get all of that by learning the song “September Leaves”. But what makes this song choice special is having the chance to dip your toes into a style of music called jazz. This tune is based on “Autumn Leaves,” one of the most famous and commonly performed jazz standards of all time. It could be your perfect introduction to playing this style, so check it out!

This tune is written in a funky, smooth jazz style and is reminiscent of the music of George Benson, Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton. For the most part, the bass line is sparse and funky, but there are a few little variations in there to keep you on your toes! The bass and drums remain really locked in throughout and provide the backbone for the tune.

In this tune, we’re going to venture into the world of “walking” bass lines, an absolutely essential topic to explore because it teaches you ways to outline chord changes using various note choices, from chord tones to scales and beyond. “Last Jazz Blues” is going to also teach you the jazz-blues song form, which is related to the standard rock-based blues, but with some extra chords to navigate. This chord progression is critical to know if you’re ever playing at a jazz jam session because it forms the basis of so many jazz-blues standards, both modern and classic.