Bass Gym: A Speed and Flow Exercise Inspired by a 1964 Jazz Bass

I recently got the chance to play an amazing 1964 vintage Fender Jazz Bass when a friend of mine bought it and needed someone in London to collect and store it for a couple of weeks. I signed up for the task as it was a great opportunity to spend some time with a truly unique instrument and find out why everybody is so crazy about vintage Fender bass guitars.

Firstly, though, I had to collect the instrument from the bass cellar on Denmark Street, where London’s music scene flourished between 1911 and 1992. David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix used to come here for coffee and to look for musicians. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones worked here as session players and Elton John recorded his first hit, “Your Song,” here. The Sex Pistols lived and rehearsed at number 6 Denmark Street, and Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy brought his guitarist here to buy a decent instrument after winning the audition for the band with a Japanese copy of a Les Paul.

I was fortunate enough to play a few more gigs at the 12 Bar Club before it closed permanently in 2015.

Now, Denmark Street is a shadow of its incredibly rich musical past, offering only a few music stores. The recording studios, cafés, clubs and places steeped in history have definitely disappeared.

With the story of Denmark Street behind us, let’s return to our Jazz Bass ’64. When I opened the case and picked up the bass for the first time, I noticed how light it was. After hitting a few licks, I realised that the mandolin-size fret neck felt like a Formula 1 circuit. It’s so fast and effortless to lay down your craziest licks!

Naturally, I ended up having this funky jam session in G minor, testing my chops and speed.

Download the transcription and follow along with the video below.