Bilbo's Transcription Archive

[Bilbo]

Great fun to play, this one. Steve Rodby's bass part for the tune 'Beat 70' from the 1989 Pat Metheny Group album, 'Letter From Home'.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/beat-70-pat-metheny-group/

[Bilbo]

Another one today. Jimmy Johnson's bass part for 'Tricycle' from the 1983 Flim and the BBs CD of the same name. Watch the volume on your stereo at the start. That Ab will blow your speakers.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/tricycle-flim-the-bbs/

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by Bilbo

[Bilbo]

I am really pleased with this one. I have wanted to do something off this album for years and this track has long been a favourite. Jaco's bass part from the tune 'Refuge Of The Road' from the 1976 'Hejira' LP.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/

[Bilbo]

A couple of tunes from the 1985 Sting album, 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles', this is Sting's own bass part for the tune 'Moon Over Bourbon Street'. 

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/moon-over-bourbon-street-sting/

[Bilbo]

The other tune, a bit of throwaway virtuosity, the title tune from the same album, 'The Dream Of The Bllue Turtles'.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-dream-of-the-blue-turtles-sting/

[itu]

9 hours ago, Bilbo said:

The other tune, a bit of throwaway virtuosity, the title tune from the same album, 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles'.

...played by Darryl Jones. I had to check, as I did not recall Sting played any bass, but there was that Bourbon on double bass.

The studio album is just fine but the double live 'Bring on the night' is really good! To me it's the best Sting stuff ever. There the Bourbon was played by Jones and Stig - sorry, too much Top Gear - Sting played 'I burn for you'. Double bass, again.

[Bilbo]

I have a suspicion that DJ played electric on TDOTBT whilst Sting played the Jazz section. The bass on that section is actually a bit clunky which it probably would have been if Sting had played double bass in a setting like that. It's just that I have never seen or heard DJ play a double bass in any other settings ever. We all know album covers are not always accurate. Who knows? I am simply speculating. 

 

[Bilbo]

Early Solstice. From their 1984 debut album, Silent Dance, this is a full transcription of Mark Hawkins' bass part to the tune 'Earthsong'. 

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/earthsong-solstice/

[Guest]

On 12/04/2021 at 09:55, Bilbo said:

I am really pleased with this one. I have wanted to do something off this album for years and this track has long been a favourite. Jaco's bass part from the tune 'Refuge Of The Road' from the 1976 'Hejira' LP.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/

Takes me back. I remember getting this album as a Christmas present (yes, I don’t know why either) before I’d even started playing bass so On reflection I’ve always known that Jaco’s (and everyone else’s) playing is just sublime. Of course, JM makes it with her beautiful voice, and the open tunings/sounds were captivating then and haven’t aged a bit.

[Bilbo]

John Giblin's bass part to the tune 'Song Of Seven' from Jon  Anderson's 1980 album of the same name. I saw this tour - what a great band - I think I still have the programme somewhere!

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/song-of-seven-jon-anderson/

Edited August 21, 2021 by Bilbo

[Bilbo]

An important player in my day, DIll Katz featured with Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia, Ian Carr's Nucleus and the South African band District Six. This is Dill's lucious bass part for the tune 'Little Annie Ooh from Thompson's 1980 'Live In Concert' album. A relatively easy play and read but fun, nevertheless.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/little-annie-ooh-barbara-thompsons-paraphernalia/

[wrinkleygit]

Big thank you for the Dave Holland, Thieves in the Temple transcription, after listening to a couple of YouTube videos of what appears to be a little known Herbie number, we’ve just started to rehearse it in the trio I play with, keep up the good work, Mike B.

[Bilbo]

1 hour ago, wrinkleygit said:

Big thank you for the Dave Holland, Thieves in the Temple transcription, after listening to a couple of YouTube videos of what appears to be a little known Herbie number, we’ve just started to rehearse it in the trio I play with, keep up the good work, Mike B.

Glad it is of use to you, wrinklers. 😊

[Bilbo]

I am not entirely convinced of the accuracy of this one so would welcome any feedback. Jaco's bass part of the live version of 'The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines' from the 1980 Joni Mitchell album 'Shadows and Light'. 

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-dry-cleaner-from-des-moines-joni-mitchell/

[ChrisDev]

3 hours ago, Bilbo said:

I am not entirely convinced of the accuracy of this one so would welcome any feedback. Jaco's bass part of the live version of 'The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines' from the 1980 Joni Mitchell album 'Shadows and Light'. 

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-dry-cleaner-from-des-moines-joni-mitchell/

We can compare notes  🙂

https://basslessons.be/transcriptions.php?i=252

[Bilbo]

Thanks, Chris. It never occurred to me to see whether you or anyone else had done this. I will look yours over when I get a chance. I am amazed at how rarely we 'double up'. Many thanks for the link. 

[Huw Foster]

On 12/04/2021 at 09:55, Bilbo said:

I am really pleased with this one. I have wanted to do something off this album for years and this track has long been a favourite. Jaco's bass part from the tune 'Refuge Of The Road' from the 1976 'Hejira' LP.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/

Thanks for this one, and good timing - a student of mine just requested it!

[Bilbo]

From the 2010 Godsticks allbum, 'Sprial Vendetta', this is the Bryan Beller bass part for the tune.'Norman'. SOme great opportunities to screw around in 7:4. Monster bass part throughout.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/norman-godsticks/

[Bilbo]

One of my own - the bass part for the old Jazz standard 'Witchcraft'. I recorded this the first year after I got the double bass (on loan from the legendary Jake Newman) and I transcribed it as a basic, quarternote walking line with almost no rhythmic inflections outside of the solo - just doom, doom, doom, doom,,, and off into the sunset.

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/witchcraft-simon-brown-trio/

[Bilbo]

OMG! What is he doing! A GUITAR transcription on BASSCHAT!! 

 

THis is a head chart for the Philip Catherine tune 'Homecomings' from the 1977 acoustic duo album 'Twin House' which features Catherine alongside Larry Coryell. I have said elsewhere on here that I am working on my treble clef/guitar reading and this felt like something that I could put down. There are additional challenges with gutiar parts, where notes ring on in chordal arpeggios and this requires a different approach. I also struggle to stay in course when writing in treble clef as I keep reverting to bass so by Ds turn into Bs and my Gs to Es. Dont worry, though. There are no plans to start a Bilbo's Guitar Bites website.

 

Homecomings – Larry Coryell & Philip Catherine – Bilbo's Bass Bites (bilbosbassbites.co.uk)

[Bilbo]

Another Dave Holland solo, this one from the 2001 album, 'Bill Frissel w. Elvin Jones and Dave Holland'. The tune is 'Moon River'.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/moon-river-bill-frissel-with-elvin-jones-and-dave-holland/

[Bilbo]

From the 1984 John Scofield album, 'Electric OUtlet', this is Sco's bass part to the tune 'Filibuster'. It is essentially only two bars long and moves about with the chords, changes keys and then changes back. There is a section where he doubles the guitar part and others where he pedals the part for a bit longer that normal but, otherwise, once you have the first two bars down, it's pretty simple from there on

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/filibuster-john-scofield/

[Bilbo]

The website just clocked 50.000 hits.

[Bilbo]

Yes - this one was transcribed solely for the purpose of putting something on the website that began with X. Geddy Lee's bass part for the tune 'Xanadu' from the 1977 Rush album, 'A Farewell To Kings'. Note: the recording plays slightly sharp - legend has it that the tubular bells that the band used on the track were out of tune so the band tunes sharp to compensate. Whatever the truth of it, it is challenging little read and will test your concentration.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/xanadu-rush/

[Bilbo]

Darryl Jones' bass part for the tune 'Protocol' from the 1986 John Scofield album, 'Still Warm'. The part is only two bars long and repeats throughout. Easy win!

 

Protocol – John Scofield – Bilbo's Bass Bites (bilbosbassbites.co.uk)