Awesome Bass Riff For Beginners - Chameleon (tabs and tutorial)

This week we’re looking at a great bass line for beginners by jazz legend Herbie Hancock : Chameleon from the Head Hunters album.
This funk bass line is originally played on an ARP odyssey synth so we’re also going to look at how you can use some effects pedals to get a little closer to that sound.

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
1:01 Chameleon
1:30 Riff Breakdown
3:17 Rhythm
4:32 Technique and Staccato
5:59 Analysis
9:14 Synth Bass Emulation

#chameleon #herbiehancock #basstabs
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Bass Gear:
► Enfield Lionheart
► DR bass strings
► Levy Leathers Bass Strap
► GRBass Bass Amps

[tonyrichengod]

You sir, are an extraordinary teacher

[FoxFunky]

Thanks, Mark!! Such a groovy tune, so fun to play whichever your instrument is.

I'm really enjoying your slap bass technique lessons (volume 1). Super progressive exercises. Thanks for all the time you put in teaching.

[tedbogan]

Great demonstration Mark, you never leave anything off the table, thats why I no longer do Scott's SBL series, he made terrible mistakes that he had to come back later and apologize, you've never erred! If you do, you correct it during the lesson, not afterwards like Scott has done. I remember learning this jam back when it came out, and I actually used both of those devices on my bass, but I spiced it up by running them through a Morley funk/wah/sustain pedal to really accentuate that womp womp womp sound as my foot pumped it out, wah pedal allowed me to expand and contract notes quickly like a real synthesizer! Back then we had to be really innovative, Hahaha. Thanks Mark, always great stuff!

[donh]

Chameleon, one of my favorite nice riffs.

[MoggioMTB]

The most interesting thing about the riff is how you fit it into the groove. It was sequenced in the Headhunters (see the Breman video) and the drummer rushes the beat fractionally to push the riff behind the beat and make the notes lag that fraction. However if you play it with an ordinary drummer or drum machine, the bass has to find that sweet spot just behind the beat to make it groove and be stinky rather than Berkeley.

[sahledavis]

THIS IS A FAVORITE FROM BACK IN THE DAY AND STILL SOUNDS GOOD THANKS A LOT.

[connordix]

This was always my favorite tune to play in the high school jazz band. Fun guitar part

[muratunel]

Thanks for sharing Mark, great video.

[urfuturo]

Great bass line, and nice an easy for us newbies...

[jhabarretto]

Mark I started learning this song about 2 weeks ago, Great learners piece

[martinheath]

This riff can also be played very comfortably across all four strings between the 3rd and 6th fret, in one hand position without needing to shift thumb position. Try it ;)

[damskyygodnik]

Thanks for this lesson, interesting 👍

[caseyspaos]

Cool! Do you have tutorials of first halves of other songs?

[ianmackenzie]

Even with the simple lines he gives a through music education imo. Knowledge that when learned will carry into many other things.

Excellent teacher, thanks!

[rockbandny]

Could you cover something from the bad guys movie soundtrack, it is really good music for a kids movie. I would appreciate it alot.

[heftyjo]

Yea, an easy riff that is deceptively nuanced in it's timing. Good for right hand/left hand coordination going. I always find myself going singing, "duh duH dUH DUH, UH AHHH", along with it.

[helmutheinisch]

great tutorial, thank you for this!
Can you please repeat the name of the envelope filter you are using here? My english is not so good 🥴

[hf]

What pickups do you use in your basses?

[KeithCollyer]

I find it really difficult to count beats and am far happier listening and working on the feel. I know this is something I need to work on.

[cameronlesley]

This is clearly the synth line .
there is seperate bass line written and played on the higher register of the bass. This defiantly contrast your video about the correct bass line mustang sally