There are two parts to your playing test and it is for EVERYBODY (except our drummers):
1) Play the melody at a tempo you are comfortable with. Make sure you LISTEN to the original by Joe Henderson in the video below and try to capture the articulation and feel. If a pitch is outside of your range, just jump to a different part of your horn.
2) Play a bass line for the entire song (yes this includes all wind instruments!) at a tempo you are comfortable with. Everything you need to know is shown below. The goal is you are not reading anything except the chord symbols on the lead sheet and are able to do this!
My bass line playing system goes from Level 1 to Level 7: My hope is that some of you are able to get up to Level 6 or 7. If a note is too high or too low, just jump around on your instrument to the note that works in your range.
SR JAZZ Assignment: All musicians (except drums) learn HOW TO PLAY A BASS LINE FOR BLUE BOSSA USING JUST CHORD SYMBOLS - - a step-by step approach
Before beginning this exercise, please use the chord handouts/explanations given to you to make sure you are clear on which major scale works over each section of the song and that you have reviewed what each chord symbol means. Please ask Mr. Wilson if you need any clarification. This system below is a really valuable and structured way to learn how to read chord symbols and as you learn more you'll want to "break the rules" which is fun. There will be questions that come up, so please ask questions.
Rhythm to be used (assuming it's 4/4 time)
Instructions
Deeper explanation
Restriction 1
Whole notes only
play the 1s only (the root of each chord) and hold for a full bar. Very straightforward.
If there are 2 chords in one bar, just play the root of the 2nd chord and hold for 4 beats.
Restriction 2
Play half notes only on beats 1 & 3 - in jazz this is called "the 2 feel"
play 1s and 5s only (can travel up OR down to these notes).
Notice that when you go up from 1 to 5 you are travelling up a 5th, and when you travel down from a 1 to a 5 you are travelling down a fourth. Pay close attention to our diatonic/non-diatonic chord-scale relationship exercise. The "5" could be a "b5" for example on a half-diminished chord. Double check "does this note come from the major scale that I dertermined the chord comes from?"
Restriction 3
Play half notes only on beats 1 & 3 - in jazz this is called "the 2 feel"
play 1s and 3s and 5s
Again, pay close attention to our diatonic/non-diatonic chord-scale relationship exercise. The "3" could be a b3, the "5" could be a "b5". Double check "does this note come from the major scale that I dertermined the chord comes from?"
Restriction 4
Play all quarter notes - in jazz this is called a "walking bass line"
play ascending 1 2 3 5 on every bar.
Pay close attention to our diatonic/non-diatonic chord-scale relationship exercise. The "2" could be a b2, the "3" could be a b3, the "5" could be a "b5", the "7" could be a "b7" etc.
Restriction 5
Play all quarter notes - in jazz this is called a "walking bass line"
play descending 8 7 6 5 only
Restriction 6
Play all quarter notes - in jazz this is called a "walking bass line"
alternate each bar ascending 1 2 3 5 then descending 8 7 6 5
Level 6 sounds really good!
Restriction 7
Play all quarter notes - in jazz this is called a "walking bass line"
Same as Level 6 with some chromatic approach notes thrown in
a chromatic approach note just means to play a half step above or a half step below a target note. These are typically used on off-beats (the 2&4)