Brecker For Bass
April, 2007
Few, if any, bassists are as well-versed in Michael Brecker’s saxophone style as John Patitucci. He offers the following lesson in the spirit of his late friend and mentor:
“A great way to adapt some of Michael’s concepts on the bass is through the melodic motifs or ‘cells’ he would use. These were sets of intervals he would play all over his horn, applying them in various harmonic contexts. Let’s look at four in particular: The first is a major 2nd and a 4th, or C-D-G (Ex. 1). Practice it in all 12 keys, all over the fingerboard, and run it in the circle of 5ths; your playing will immediately sound much more saxophonic. The second motif is a minor 2nd and a major 3rd, or C-Db-F (Ex. 2); practice it in the same manner. The other two cells each add a major 3rd and sound amazing on bass: C-D-G-B (Ex. 3) has an Aaron Copland flavor, while C-Db-F-A (Ex. 4) is a classic Brecker, altered-chord sound.
“In addition to practicing these as before, in all keys, try playing the original motifs over different harmonies, to get your ear used to their different applications. Here are three suggested chord progressions for each motif:
C-D-G: F6/9 | Abmaj7(#11) | E7(#5b9)
C-Db-F: Bbm9 | Ebm7(13) | Ab11(add3)
C-D-G-B: Am11 | Dm11(13) | G11(add3)
C-Db-F-A: Bbmmaj7 | A7(#5#9) | Eb13#11
“Master these moves, and you’ll be on your way to learning the language of jazz that Michael was so fluent in.”
