JK - Evaluation: Lesson 14

Complementary Studies: Liam Marley

Pupil: Joe Kosminsky
Date: 25/03/08
Evaluating Time: 2hrs


With the bulk of the lesson spent on scales, fills and the James Brown song, it enabled the pupil to gather a better understanding on what it is to be like a bass player being able to express themselves. As before the pupil was kept under strict conditions, only playing what exercise were allocated to them, which can be very boring. The last objective gave the pupil a free run of coup to a certain degree, as they would have had to keep in check with the notes from the scales of D and C.


Lesson Objectives:

1.) To persist with the major scales of C, G, D, A, while adding E and B to the repertoire to see if the pupil can manage to play up to the scale of B major and name the sharps involved.

Outcome: Joseph is becoming more proficient with his major scales, especially with the first seven – C, G, D, A, E, B and F♯, (refer to Figure 1 for their sharp content). He was able to comprehend the rules that govern the major scales, enabling him to work out the next scale by knowing the previous one. This also enabled him to know his first three major scales (C, G and D) and their corresponding sharp content from memory.


----------------------------1st---2nd---3rd---4th--5th---6th--7th----8th
Scale of C major-----C-----D-----E-----F-----G-----A-----B-----C


----------------------------1st---2nd--3rd---4th---5th---6th---7th----8th
Scale of G major-----G-----A-----B-----C-----D-----E-----F#-----G


----------------------------1st---2nd---3rd---4th---5th---6th---7th---8th
Scale of D major-----D-----E-----F#----G-----A-----B-----C#----D


----------------------------1st---2nd--3rd---4th---5th----6th----7th---8th
Scale of A major-----A-----B-----C#----D-----E----- F#----G#----A


----------------------------1st-----2nd---3rd---4th---5th----6th---7th---8th
Scale of E major-------E-----F#----G#----A-----B-----C#----D#----E


----------------------------1st----2nd---3rd----4th----5th---6th----7th---8th
Scale of B major------B-----C#----D#-----E-----F#----G#----A#----B


----------------------------1st-----2nd---3rd----4th---5th----6th---7th----8th
Scale of F# major-----F#----G#----A#-----B-----C#----D#----E#----F#

(Figure 1)


2.) To correct last lessons fourth objective when the pupil was informed about muted notes, the correct name for this term should have been ghost notes.

Outcome: Last lesson the pupil was introduced to muted notes, ‘a note that is not accented properly, so the pitch of the note does not resonate and in turn emulate the full sound of a fretted note’. However this happened to be incorrect, Joseph was informed of this mistake and told that the correct term was a ghost note.

A muted note was explained to Joseph as a fretted note that is abruptly muted or deadened to stop the sustain of the note resonating on. The difference between the two were demonstrated to Joseph so that he could attempt them himself.

While practicing muted notes, Joseph was told to deaden the note by quickly lifting his finger (left hand) from the string and softly placing it back on it as to prevent the string from oscillating further. However Joseph had another technique of deadening the string with one of his right hand fingers, however this will eventually become useless when playing continuing rhythms.

The bell like tone of a harmonic was briefly explained to the pupil, however this is an advanced technique and takes years of practice for these to be formed effectively, as in Jaco Pastorius’ ‘Portrait of Tracey’.


3.) To introduce the concept of fills to the pupil, to enable a more self styled driven bass player.

Outcome: This next section covered fills ,which enabled a bass player to learn about bass parts (as in music and not components) that are not integral to a piece but ‘jazz’ up the part and make it sound more interesting to listen to, like in the example in Figure 2.


G -|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D -|------------7-------------0--3---------------------------------------------------------|
A -|-----5------------0--3-----------3--3--3--0--3--0----------------------------------|
E -|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

(Standard bass line pre fill)


G -|-----------------------------------------------5---------------------------------------|
D -|------------7-------------0--3----------5/7---5\3-5--------------------------------|
A -|-----5------------0--3-----------3--3------------------------------------------------|
E -|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

(Newly jazzed up bass line post fill)

(Figure 2)


Joseph understood that with the utilisation of scales, a fill could be implemented accurately, effectively and in tune with the surrounding notes, just as long as the player has an intimate knowledge of their instrument. Cold Sweat’ by James Brown was a good example of fills, which utilise major scales. The major scale in Figure 3 below was a D major, however the C♯ was naturalised to fit in with the surrounding instruments and a G♯ was just for the purpose of a fill from G note to the natural C.


G -|--------7--------7-----------------------------------------|
D -|-------------7----------------------------------------------|
A -|-5---5--------------5--------------------------3----------|
E -|------------------------2----3---3---4---4---------------|
-----D---D-D--A---D-D-F♯--G--G--G♯-G♯--C----------

(Figure 3 – an extract from James Brown’s ‘Cold Sweat’)


4.) To re-introduce ‘Cold Sweat’ by James Brown.

Outcome: Once the pupil familiarised himself with the song, he then proceeded to play around with the bass pattern, playing fills and different notes, while being instructed to stick to the scales.

Joseph was quite successful with this exercise being a producer he had a good ear for notes and certain frequencies. This enabled him to free roam on the bass, still keeping a standard pattern in place, but just dancing around the fret board with different notes amongst the scale.


**’Cold Sweat’ tablature**