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Bilbo's Transcription Archive


Bilbo

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I was driving around recently and this tune came up on the radio and left me with a big grin at the fact that about half of the bass part is G quarter notes played on the beat. Absolutely brilliant writing and playing. I always used to think that this was easy when I was a kid learning how to play and never gave these kinds of parts the attention they deserved. My mantra now is, if you aren't enjoying playing root notes on the beat, you aren't doing it right :)

 

This is the Phil Curtis bass part for the tune 'I've Got The Music In Me' from the 1974 Kiki Dee Band album of the same name.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/ive-got-the-music-in-me-kiki-dee/

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I got it for my 50th birthday many moons ago and it never leaves the house except for the occasional visit to a friends studio to help him out with bass lines. I've never gigged it as its expensive but a little heavy for a full gig.

I love playing around with the fretless at home tho. There's something "more" about a fretless. 

Dave 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry guys, I have been away at the Winter's End Prog festival in Chepstow and wasn't able to transcribe whilst away. The highlight of the festival for me was the introduction of a Norwegian band called 'Meer' which features some stunning compositions and arrangements by an eight piece band featuring two lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keys, viola and violin. At one point, all eight were singing - incredibly creative stuff. This is the Morten Strypet bass part for the tune 'Child' from the band's 2021 album 'Playing House'. It is a complete bastard to write out, not because it requires monster chops but because, despite running the tune 100 times, I cannot confidently identify the 'one'!!!

 

Just to note, the first pizzicato violin passages are written out to give you some bearings but the part is not played. Bass comes in at bar 24.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/child-meer/

Edited by Bilbo
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Just realised the first and second time bars at the start are incorrectly labelled. The 'first time' bar at the end of the first section is actually played three times and the 'second' time ending is actually the 4th. Will re-do later and re-post. It makes no difference to the bass part which doesn't start until bar 24 but it will disorientate you if you are trying to pick up where you come in. 

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An early personal favourite of mine from 1976. I heard it recently on the radio and have always loved the bass line so, here we are.... From the 1976 album, 'Wings At The Speed Of Sound', this is Paul McCartney's bass part to 'Silly Love Songs'. Over 40 years in and this is the first PM part I have transcribed!

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/silly-love-songs-paul-mccartney-and-wings/

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I have three more to post when I can get to it. It takes about 20 minutes to post an individual transcription and it is nearly all done on a laptop that is NOT the one I do the transcriptions on so it's a bit of a b*** ache sometimes to get it all sorted whilst there are other things going on. Bear with and I will get them up there soon. 

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A one minute reading exercise that is 'real world' and represents a small part of the 2001 recording 'Here...Now' by the Wynton Marsalis Septet. The recording was a ballet Marsalis had written the music for and this is a tiny part of that, performed, I believe, by Gerald Cannon. It is not a show piece for anyone but it will allow a relative beginner to play at least a part of a Marsalis long form composition.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/style-wynton-marsalis-septet/

Edited by Bilbo
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Not enough double bass recently so here is the Robert Hurst bass part to the short interlude tune 'Juan (Skip Mustaad)' from the 1988 Wynton Marsalis album, 'Live At Blues Alley'. Some nice double stops but, otherwise, a fairly straight Jazz blues in Bb.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/juan-skip-mustaad-wynton-marsalis/

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There isn't a bass player in here that cannot play this exquisite little tune but nobody sounds like Charlie Haden. This is the Haden bass part for the tune 'Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)' from the 1996 Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden duo album 'Beyond The Missouri Sky'.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/love-theme-from-cinema-paradiso-pat-metheny-and-charlie-haden/

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Sorry it's been a while but this is the Robert Hurst bass part for the tune 'In The Afterglow' from the 1991 Wynton Marsalis album, 'Standard Time VOl. 1'. It is a slow ballad but the phrasing of the bass lines is incredibly nuanced and it took several passes to get some of the phrasing right. Ballad playing for Jazz bassists is a very subtle art form. Staying on the root works perfectly but this part shows how sophisticated you can get whilst remaining sympathetic to the main themes.

 

https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/in-the-afterglow-wynton-marsalis/

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