I love to do my own transcriptions, even when something is readily available, because it helps me to learn it better. James jamerson fever in the funkhouse bass transcription. James lee jamerson january 29, 1936 august 2, 1983 was an american bass player. The function of a bass player in the jazz combo is to work with the piano player and drummer to provide both a harmonic and rhythmic stability for the tune. The life and music of legendary bassist james jamerson book and cd, read.
He roundhouse kicks mp3s, then sheet music surrenders itself to him. It really is one of the best bass books i have ever came across, and one that i believe every. Telechargez comme pdf, txt ou lisez en ligne sur scribd. Dave speranza plays the bass, builds websites, and sometimes pretends to be an economist. James jamerson didnt really live long enough to enjoy much of the limelight that has latterly shone on his work with the funk brothers, the musicians who were the very essence of the motown sound. My transcription of james jamerson s bass line on stevie wonders for once in my life. Regarding how to get the motown sound kinda mimics a standup bass, very little ring to it, i put labella james jamerson strings flat wound. Jamerson was a master of building and releasing tension in his bass lines. The life and music of legendary bassist james jamerson uk us michael league interview with bass lessons melbourne quote is at about 17.
Access to the product will be available for download immediately once your order is. James jamerson, bass of the motown sound udiscover. Bassist james jamerson was the embodiment of the motown spirit and groove the invisible entity whose playing inspired thousands and made it impossible for anyone to sit still while listening to a motown record. Fever in the funkhouse a james jamerson educational resource. Have you ever wondered what the best sight reading books for bass are, or how to practise sight reading. Pdf james jamerson standing in the shadows of motown pdf. Welcome to this collection of james jamerson transcriptions. James jamerson songbook tab and notation discussion in general instruction bg started by angrypig1, oct 10, 2014. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz online jazz handbook welcome to the bass chapter of the thelonious monk institute of jazzs online jazz handbook. To get some great and saddening insight into his life and work, to see how many bass players are in awe of him, and to try to keep up with some of his best bass lines including my personal favorite, the bass line to whats going on, check out this book.
Theres also a few jamerson lines in the rnb bass bible although theres also some duck dunn, james brown and assorted others. This footage from the 1973 film, save the children, gives a rare glimpse of jamersons hook technique in action. This book with online audio pack by blues expert dave rubin provides bassists with a stepbystep breakdown of the styles and techniques of motown, with an emphasis on the legendary james jamerson the bassman in demand. He never took care of the instrument, and it is possible that the neck eventually warped, as many claimed it impossible to play. Max kays nephew jeremy kay makes an appearance in a reverb video seen below describing how to get that beloved motown bass tone played by bass great james jamerson. You probably have, even if you dont know his actual name. The life and music of legendary bassist james jamerson book and cd full pages by dr licks.
Home forums discussions music corner original james jamerson basslines check them out. Jamersons syncopated style frequently plays off of the bass drum, which has the effect of sounding like more notes than are actually being played. From the isolated bass recording on the standing in the shadows of motown cd. Now jamerson s work has become widely appreciated thanks to allan slutskys groundbreaking book. Legendary motown bassist james jamerson singlehandedly revolutionized bass playing. Legendary bassist james jamerson 1989 is the seminal source on james jamerson s. We are going to need to know the major scale, the cycle of fourths and the notes on the neck for an extra challenge, try doing the exercise with arpeggios, intervals, bass lines or pretty much anything else you can think of. James jamerson from jazz bassist to popular music icon digital. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the motown records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971, and is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history. James jamerson the dude that never changed his strings.
He asked about chord symbols in the transcriptions on thebasscase. Now jamersons work has become widely appreciated thanks to allan slutskys groundbreaking book. If you find it useful why not give a small donation to a charity of your choice. James jamerson might be the most influential bassist youve never heard of. James jamerson whats going on marvin bass transcription.
As a session player jamersons career spanned 40 years, and though hes most associated with motown, he also did a lot of soul tracks and a few other genres. From les claypool and victor wooten to pino palladino and rob trujillo, they all dig james lee jamerson. From jazz bassist to popular music icon by joshua andrew zarbo, b. Something very important to note in the video is that motown did not use amplifiers for studio recordings. Years before james jamerson who, as one man puts it, was the schoenberg of simple chord. Im talking about the bass lines which make your favourite songs sound great. He was the uncredited bass guitarist on most of motown records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s motown did not list credits on their releases until 1971, and he has become regarded as one of the most influential bass guitar players in modern music history. Learning how to practice james jamersons bass exercise will help you to understand james. Igors chromatic exercise bass tab by james jamerson. The bassist on this tour was obliged to play them exactly as written. James jamerson standing in the shadows of motown pdf audio.
James jamerson bass lines, tab and getting that tone. Marvin gaye james jamerson save the children bass line scribd. The transcribed bass lines for 14 hit motown songs as played by james. The life and music of legendary bassist james jamerson and found out its only notation. James jamerson bass transcriptions pdf bass transcriptions and more by bassist dave fink transcriptions. Wave 1963 by martha and the vandellas and my guy 1964 by mary. This exercise involves playing a major scale from every chromatic note through the cycle of fourths starting on one string. This guy really is the grandfather of the electric bass guitar.
Jamerson played bass on all the classic motown hits of the 60s and 70s and had a very distinctive tone and playing style. Theres something beautiful and inspiring about playing and creating bass lines that just feel good. The samples are in pdf format and require adobe acrobat reader to be installed. Heres the next in my series of my favourite bass lines of james jamerson on the day that he would have been 76 this is im in a different world by the four. Throughout the entire classic motown catalog and some nonmotown sides, jamerson shaped a new inventive style of bass playing and brought what had been regarded by some as a minor instrument to the forefront through the use of the electric fender bass, powered by his musical genius and amazing dexterity. Motown selections will include analysis and transcriptions of his bass lines for heat.
James jamerson is a prime example of a musicians musician, hailed by bassists as diverse as the whos john entwistle, chics bernard edwards, metallicas jason newsted, stevie ray vaughans tommy shannon, rushs geddy lee, led zeppelins john paul jones, the beatles paul mccartney and famous soloists such as victor wooten, jaco pastorius and john patitucci. So anyone thats listened to any classic motown hits by stars like stevie wonder, marvin gaye or the supremes will have wondered about the awesome bass playing and tone of james jamerson. This amongst other details was part of her meticulous drive to recreate the a motown sound as accurately as possible on live gigs. James jamerson standing in the shadows of motown pdf. Ive written before about my constant battle with an affliction called gear acquisition syndrome gas. All songs on this playlist have james jamerson on bass. From the funkiest bass grooves to the most lyrical bass solos, from the 50s up until 2020. James jamerson from jazz bassist to popular music icon.
James jamerson biography, albums, streaming links allmusic. His lines were simple yet effective, but always stood out. My transcription of james jamersons bass line on stevie wonders for once in my life. Learning how to practice james jamerson s bass exercise will help you to understand james jamerson s unique chromatic style of bass playing. James jamerson standing in the shadows of motown download. Theres also some bonus motown transcriptions at the end of the book too including the bob babbitt line on band of gold and stevie wonders awesome keyboard bass line on isnt she lovely. Here are bass lines for 14 beloved hits from marvin gaye, the supremes, the temptations, stevie wonder and many others. Martha reeves on her 1991 uk tour for which i played keyboards had james jamersons bass lines transcribed on many of her charts. A true session giant, jamerson has played on over 30 number one records, laid down stone cold grooves for the biggest artists motown, soul and funk could throw at him, and has influenced scores of bass players from all genres of music. This is an alternate take from the album release of. Questions, comments, corrections, etc, are always welcome.
Throughout the entire classic motown catalog and some nonmotown sides, jamerson shaped a. More than 460 free transcriptions for bass and other instruments on basslessons. He was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. The life and music of legendary bassist james jamerson book and cd pdf tags online pdf standing in the shadows of motown. James jamerson was basically the first electric bass virtuoso, and these transcriptions of his lines provide a great reading workout. Here are bass lines for 14 beloved hits from marvin gaye, the. Order books and transcriptions in easyto download pdf form. Great stories from many premier players and their take on james jamersons lines. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. Check out the video to see the transcription synced to the music, and click the image to download a pdf of the transcription. James jamerson january 29, 1938 august 2, 1983 was an american musician. James jamerson was a genius, and hes a constant source of inspiration for this bass player. Marvin gaye james jamerson god is love bass line musiciens.