John Patitucci on Jazz Improvisation
Mon, 08/25/2014 - 12:58pm
"I don't think you have to be afraid of it, you just have to approach it in a way that's hopefully sensitive and communicative and listening." - John Patitucci on jazz improvisation
Bruce Gertz, bass professor at Berklee College of Music recently spoke with ArtistWorks instructor John Patitucci at a convention for the International Society of Bassists on the topic of jazz improvisation:
"With Wayne [Shorter] the idea is that we would compose in the moment. So it's free but, it assumes you're going to be sensitive and create together. The stuff that we do is tonal, melodic, and harmonic - it's not just anybody playing whatever… it's ear training on a very steep curve because you have to assimilate to whatever the next person is playing and try to make a contribution, in a communal way.
There are grooves that sometimes occur and things that are juxtaposed. It's really meant to be composition in real time. That's what Wayne's version of it is, and I love it.
John Patitucci's Bass Damaged by Airport Security
Wed, 06/11/2014 - 5:48pm
Topics: bass, john patitucci
A picture is worth a thousand words:
There's always a bit of risk when you bring your instrument to the airport. Damage is always a fear for musicians traveling with priceless instruments, but when John Patitucci recently flew from the U.S. to Norway - the fear unfortunately became a reality. John's Pollmann double bass whom he lovingly refers to as Bertha endured an altercation with TSA which left it seriously crippled.
Jazz Bass Etude in E Minor
Mon, 05/19/2014 - 2:20pm
Etudes (from the French world étude meaning study) have long been used by musicians as a way to improve on certain techniques. They are typically written for one instrument and are comprised of a short musical composition designed for practice and repetition. The idea is that the more you play it, the easier it gets and the more you improve.
This jazz bass etude will help you get in the swing of things, it's a sample lesson from the Online Jazz Bass School with John Patitucci which features a beginner level bass etude in E Minor. We have the full backing track here that you can play along to, as well as bass notation for the melody, which we also have transcribed for you here.
Two Beat Feel with Jazz Triplets
Fri, 09/13/2013 - 12:47pm
When playing triplets in a two-beat feel on double bass, staying in rhythm can become difficult. In this double bass jazz lesson from ArtistWorks’ Online Jazz Bass School with John Patitucci, John outlines some great double bass playing tips.
The first is that you should learn to back off and not overuse playing triplets. Really think about how many triplets you play and learn to “pick your spots”, where it will be really best utilized in the music. This is true of a lot of double bass technique, but especially for triplets in the two-beat feel as tempos get fast.
When playing triplets in a two-beat feel on double bass, staying in rhythm can become difficult. In this double bass jazz lesson from ArtistWorks’ Online Jazz Bass School with John Patitucci, John outlines some great double bass playing tips.
The first is that you should learn to back off and not overuse playing triplets. Really think about how many triplets you play and learn to “pick your spots”, where it will be really best utilized in the music. This is true of a lot of double bass technique, but especially for triplets in the two-beat feel as tempos get fast.
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