What a 1964 Fender Jazz Bass Taught Me About Feel, Groove, and Letting Go of Slap

While I was holding onto my friend’s vintage 1964 Fender Jazz Bass, I was testing out its capabilities. (See part one for a speed and flow exercise that this bass inspired.)

One thing I knew for sure was that it just didn’t feel right to use the slap technique with this instrument. Of course, you might say that the Jazz Bass ’64 is made for it, and there is an endless list of incredible players who use its full potential. However, with this particular instrument, it just didn’t work out for me.

Not because of the tone – the bass had flatwound strings, which are not ideal for slapping – but mainly because it felt so fragile. The thin frets and worn-out hardware and knobs made me feel as though I could break something while slapping, which simply prevented me from playing slap runs and chops. I tried, but I always stopped after a few bars. So there are no slap grooves in this part.

However, it’s a completely different story when it comes to plectrum. 


I instinctively started grooving using B minor pentatonic, as this gives a nice, funky hammer-on curve with the open A string. Of course, I added some palm muting to create tension and funkiness. 


In the second part of the groove (starting from bar 5), I added percussive notes and octaves in combination with hammered-on sixteenth-note licks using classic minor pentatonic chops. 


The grand finale is the sextuplet lick in bar 15, where I use simple semitone alterations to spice up the sound of the minor pentatonic scale and achieve a more ‘jazz’ feel. 


In summary, I understand all the hype surrounding vintage Fender basses, as holding an instrument that is over 62 years old always inspires something special. There’s something oddly mysterious about the way it smells, feels, and responds to you as a player. It wasn’t easy to part with it, but at least I know my friend is happy with his purchase, and he’s willing to lend it to me for studio sessions. That tone is priceless.

Download the transcription and follow along with the video below.