Playing Basslines on Piano - Six Common Mistakes

Pianist, author, and autumn tree cos-player Jeremy Siskind shares some reasons why students' attempts to play basslines on piano sometimes fall flat. Stay tuned for all 6 common mistakes!

[christopherparnis]

Hey Jeremy, it was lovely it meet you for a minute and hear your dynamic performance at the Rex in Toronto yesterday! Great tips here.

A thought I’d like to maybe add on from a bassist’s perspective is that while the proper way to treat 2 and 4 (or the ‘hump in the beat’) can be pretty nebulous to talk about, the best way I’ve seen it put is that even in a bassline intended to be entirely legato, 2 and 4 are the ‘most’ legato. The emphasis isn’t in terms of volume but more that beat 2 is played with the intention of leading to beat 3 which is intended as more of a landing point. Same with 4 and 1. It’s part of why strong note choice can give the impression of swinging harder.

Now I know that’s an assertion that’s pretty hard to prove but where I believe you can hear it is in where bassists on records leave clear air between notes or put a staccato beat as ornamentation. Especially in earlier recordings before bass gear got easier to make clear strong legato on. It’s almost never interrupting 2 to 3 or 4 to 1, and is instead setting those beats up to contrast even more by being more legato. I think about Israel Crosby or Ray Brown like you mentioned when I think of this. Pardon the rambling, but this stuff gets my brain going! haha

[danieleoduro]

Came bcos of the solo. Stayed for that solo!!! Daummm!!
I hope you have videos teaching how to solo on this channel!!!

[alphaomega]

I always learn something useful from this channel - it is so dynamic.

[callmeal]

DYNAMITE! I've been playing piano and bass for over 50 years and I love the way you broke it all down so nicely!! Bravo!!

[joesauvage]

All jingles aside...all the books are great! Jeremy is a great jazz piano teacher and his books reflect it all. Deepest thanks!

[BowlFullOfIceCream]

Jeremy were you just in Toronto yesterday? I was running by the Rex and almost got whiplash doing a double take by the window haha. I was like “Was that Jeremy?” Too bad I couldn’t catch the show inside, but you looked like you were having a blast!

[alandynin]

Hi from another Jazz Pianist.
Enjoy your stuff!
A couple additional thoughts...
.
Adding half step lead-ins adds some oomph to your bass line ! You were doing it some on the Peterson ( he is the man!) Perdido thing, and maybe in other places.

Also...The pianist who most fully developed this style of using an underlying bass line- that I'm aware of anyways - is Dave McKenna, and you can find live recordings of him on YouTube. Holy Cow - That man can play some solo piano !.

Peace, and look forward to seeing other of your videos.
😊

[javilalima]

This was a great, dynamic lesson. Thank you, Jeremy!

[johnpagan]

Thanks! Enjoying the journey here, like Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles, putting in the: “Work Work Work Work WORK!”

[strat]

I forgot to pay even a little bit of attention to the bass line in your example, my jaw was dropped at your solo 😮

[dagadbm]

jeremy i love how you accept the crazyness and dynamite properties of being a business man but still keeping it chill.

[Martian]

Thanks as usual! Great kind of heads-up - things to think about for me (almost a beginning course for my students)! I have a gig this weekend with a vibes player and a singer (no bass or drums) so i'll try to be a dynamo with my L.H. bass!

[TorahofAwakening]

Wonderful master class Jeremy! Thank you!!!!

[RustlessPotato]

Well i didn't need the jingle :p. I bought book 1 based in your tunebase video and it is great. Greets from Belgium !

[donm]

Great video. Numbers 5 and 6, in particular, demonstrate dynamic baselines.

[christophueberhorst]

Great idea: the exercise refering to coordination with different rhythm in the right hand!

[edzielinski]

Fantastic. Your're jazz piano books are dynamite!

[ts]

A dynamic diversion for my jazz convertion.

[MarkEisenman]

Great stuff, the range/register aspect is crucial. And not talked about enough.

[hugo]

That intro made me happier than I was at the moment haha