The Three-Note “Hack” To Better Bass Lines (and Solos)
In this episode of “From the Bottom,” we’re diving into the magical world of triads – our musical building blocks.
I’ll show you a tried-and-true exercise for learning to hear them better, walk you through a ton of valuable three-note exercises you might not know about, show you how to walk a super-effective bass line using only triads, and unlock the secret of triad pairs to demonstrate how – using the same notes as a scale – gives you totally new sounds when you solo!
Be sure to download the PDF of the examples and follow along.
Paul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Bob Reynolds, John Pizzarelli, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, and Bob James, among others. Currently, he can be seen playing in and around the Pittsburgh, PA area with the THOTH Trio, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and many other musicians in the city's rich Jazz community. An educator of over 25 years, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University, West Virginia University, and his alma mater, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School.
Connect with Paul on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his website.
