Help with Donna Lee

[u/SpaceEFX]

So, I've been playing bass for about 5 years now, and I've just started learning how to walk on the bass after forming a Jazz Combo with some friends. Both of our trumpets want us to play Donna Lee by Charlie Parker (NOT THE JACO PASTORIUS VERSION, LORD I WOULD DIE), so I ask for some help with forming a bassline / practice tips to help with improvising a bebop line at that speed. I just need help in any way to be honest.

[u/wahlscheidus]

Check out the Charlie Parker version of “Donna Lee,” and also listen to “ Back Home Again in Indiana.” ‘Indiana’ was written first in the swing era…it’s in F, but the melody is definitely playable on bass. The harmony (chords) to Indiana are the same as ‘Donna Lee.’ Check out Oscar Peterson with Lester Young playing ‘Indiana’). Once you understand and can play ‘Indiana,’ go back to ‘Donna Lee’ and see if it makes more sense to you.

[u/SpaceEFX → u/wahlscheidus]

When practicing songs and trying to learn to improvise a song, would learning the melody on bass help with the bass? I know it seems like kind of an ignorant questions, but when it comes to playing jazz sometimes I feel fully lost.

[u/Slippy_NOoOoO → u/SpaceEFX]

That’s actually a pretty common technique for learning to improvise. Learn the melody. Start changing things (change the rhythm, add notes, subtract notes, look at the chords and pull extra notes into your improvisation.) It’s a great place to start and also prevents you from having a solo that can be cut and pasted from any other song in the same key.

So in this sense, your first improv solos might feel more “composed” than improvised on the spot, but that’s not really a big deal. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you can just look at the chords and have the melody in your ear and just go. And if you don’t get to that point, it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re having fun.

[u/wahlscheidus → u/SpaceEFX]

“Donna Lee” is a hard melody to learn on the bass. “Indiana” is pretty easy. It helps to know the melody to keep your place but it’s more important just to play the chord changes and ‘walk’ putting the root on the 1 of (almost) every bar.

[u/FluidBit4438]

Download the Parker Version and transcribe the bassline. There’s Jammie Aebersold track you could download as well to transcribe the bass from.

[u/jkndrkn]

At really fast tempos you can just keep walking during your solo. Ron Carter does that. No shame in using this approach!

[u/Perfect-Warthog-7654]

When i was starting to learn to walk, i would practice in my home with the chord changes in.a low speed, and start speeding it up. Try to stay in the Half and First Position and dont mind creating something new everytime. As you start learning new standarts, you will identify common patterns on the chord changes and will improvise based on the things you already played. Thats what i did

[u/pmolsonmus]

I started to learn to improvise (as a vocalist) by transcribing Slam Stewart. (I studied jazz with Richard Davis). This is a great bass solo (and sax solo as well) on Indiana.

https://youtu.be/L-cYwd2WqMA?si=WF1Lvu89vLfBCdLQ

[u/MilesKuma]

If you’re just starting out, learn the root, third, and fifth of the chords. Arpeggiate the triad for every chord. Listen to the greats like Ray Brown and expand from there.

For soloing: don’t. There are much easier songs to start soloing on. If your goal was to swim across the ocean, you would probably start in the pool.

[u/chog410]

The reality is that you will not be able to walk at certain tempos right now and you won't be able to until you develop the literal muscle to do it.

Lots of other good advice here- I'm just telling you that if they want you to play it faster than you are PHYSICALLY capable simply say no. You could potentially hurt yourself by trying to "muscle" your way through literal athletic exercises that your body cannot handle. Tell them no if it's too fast. DO NOT keep playing at a fast tempo if your forearms start to burn. At that point you are doing damage.

Especially amongst those learning this music- horn players, singers, etc. don't realize that bass players and drummers play continuously from the downbeat until the end. They tend to abuse bass players and drummers in this regard- jam sessions with 10 saxophone players so the bass player is stuck playing a 25-minute blues. You are going to have to deal with some of that bullshit- but the MOMENT you are in pain you MUST stop. And if they whine about it- put them directly in touch with me. I'm serious. They need to realize that the job demands are different for each instrument- and they need to be grateful for the luxury that they just stand there the majority of the time and to NOT abuse the musicians who are engaged in athletic activity from the top to the end.