Ed Friedland - Bass Method (Hal Leonard) - A PDF Version of the Best-Selling Book on Bass Improvisation by Ed Friedland

# Bass Improvisation Ed Friedland PDF: The Complete Guide to Soloing on Bass Guitar - Introduction - What is bass improvisation and why is it important? - Who is Ed Friedland and what is his book about? - How can you access the book and the online audio tracks? - The Basics of Bass Improvisation - How to use your ear and listen to the music - How to practice scales, modes, and arpeggios - How to apply chord-scale concepts and guide tones - The Advanced Techniques of Bass Improvisation - How to use harmonic minor, melodic minor, blues, pentatonic, diminished, whole tone, Lydian b7, and Mixolydian b13 scales - How to phrase your lines and develop your melodic ideas - How to resolve your lines and create tension and release - The Practical Applications of Bass Improvisation - How to improvise over different styles of music, such as jazz, blues, rock, funk, Latin, etc. - How to improvise over different chord progressions and song forms - How to improvise with other musicians and play along with the audio tracks - Conclusion - Summarize the main points of the article - Emphasize the benefits of learning bass improvisation from Ed Friedland's book - Encourage the reader to get the book and practice regularly - FAQs - What are some common mistakes that bass players make when improvising? - How can I improve my rhythm and timing when improvising? - How can I avoid playing clichés and boring lines when improvising? - How can I develop my own style and voice when improvising? - Where can I find more resources and tips on bass improvisation? Now that I have the outline ready, I will start writing the article based on it. Please wait for a few minutes while I finish writing. Thank you for your patience.? --- # Bass Improvisation Ed Friedland PDF: The Complete Guide to Soloing on Bass Guitar ## Introduction Bass improvisation is the art of creating spontaneous musical lines on the bass guitar that fit the harmony, melody, rhythm, and style of the music. Bass improvisation is an essential skill for any bass player who wants to express themselves creatively, play with confidence, and have fun with music. One of the best books that can teach you how to improvise on bass guitar is Bass Improvisation: The Complete Guide to Soloing by Ed Friedland. Ed Friedland is a renowned bass educator, author, columnist, and performer who has written over 25 books on bass playing. He has also played with many famous artists such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Ben Sidran, Asleep at the Wheel, Hal Ketchum, Lyle Lovett, Marcia Ball, Tanya Tucker, Cornell Dupree, Eddie Harris, and many more. Bass Improvisation: The Complete Guide to Soloing is a comprehensive book that covers everything you need to know about bass improvisation. It includes over 50 audio tracks for demonstration and play-along that you can access online using a unique code inside the book. The book works with electric or acoustic bass and covers: - Modes, harmonic minor, melodic minor, blues, pentatonics, diminished, whole tone, Lydian b7, Mixolydian b13, and other important scales - Phrasing, chord scale concepts, melodic development, guide tones, and resolutions - How to use your ear, practice tunes, and much more! You can get the book from Hal Leonard's website or from Amazon. You can also download a PDF version of the book from various online sources (but make sure they are legal and safe). In this article, we will give you an overview of what you can learn from this book and how it can help you improve your bass improvisation skills. ## The Basics of Bass Improvisation Before you start improvising on bass guitar, you need to master some basic skills that will help you play more fluently and musically. These skills include: ### How to use your ear and listen to the music Your ear is your most important tool when improvising. You need to listen to the music carefully and pay attention to the harmony, melody, rhythm, and style of the music. You also need to listen to yourself and how you fit in the musical context. You need to be able to hear the notes, chords, scales, and intervals that you play and how they sound with the music. You also need to be able to hear the notes, chords, scales, and intervals that you want to play and how they will sound with the music. One of the best ways to develop your ear is to transcribe and learn from your favorite bass players. Listen to their solos and try to figure out what they are playing by ear. Write down the notes, rhythms, and chords that they use and analyze how they improvise. Try to emulate their style and sound and apply their ideas to your own playing. Another way to develop your ear is to sing what you play and play what you sing. Singing helps you internalize the music and connect your voice with your instrument. Playing what you sing helps you translate your musical ideas into your fingers. Try to sing along with the audio tracks from the book or with any music that you like. Then try to play what you sang on your bass guitar. ### How to practice scales, modes, and arpeggios Scales, modes, and arpeggios are the building blocks of bass improvisation. They provide you with the notes that you can use over different chords and keys. They also help you understand the structure and function of the harmony. You need to practice them regularly and in different ways to improve your technique, knowledge, and creativity. Some of the ways that you can practice scales, modes, and arpeggios are: - Practice them in all 12 keys and in different positions on the fretboard - Practice them ascending and descending, in different intervals, patterns, and rhythms - Practice them with a metronome or a drum machine to improve your timing and groove - Practice them with a backing track or a chord progression to hear how they sound in context - Practice them with different articulations, dynamics, and expressions - Practice them with different fingerings, slurs, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, etc. The book provides you with many examples of scales, modes, and arpeggios that you can use for improvisation. It also explains how they relate to each other and how they can be applied over different chords. For example: - The major scale is the most basic scale that can be used over major chords. It has seven modes: Ionian (major), Dorian (minor), Phrygian (minor), Lydian (major), Mixolydian (dominant), Aeolian (minor), and Locrian (diminished). Each mode has a different sound and function depending on its degree in the scale. - The harmonic minor scale is a minor scale with a raised seventh degree. It has seven modes: Harmonic minor (minor), Locrian natural 6 (diminished), Ionian augmented (major), Dorian #4 (minor), Phrygian dominant (dominant), Lydian #2 (major), and Super Locrian (altered). Each mode has a different sound and function depending on its degree in the scale. - The melodic minor scale is a minor scale with a raised sixth and seventh degree ascending and a natural sixth and seventh degree descending. It has seven modes: Melodic minor (minor), Dorian b2 (minor), Lydian augmented (major), Lydian b7 (dominant), Mixolydian b13 (dominant), Locrian #2 (diminished), and Altered (altered). Each mode has a different sound and function depending on its degree in the scale. - The blues scale is a pentatonic scale with an added flat fifth degree. It can be used over dominant chords or blues progressions. It has a characteristic sound that is often associated with blues music. - The pentatonic scale is a five-note scale that can be used over major or minor chords. It has two types: major pentatonic (1 2 3 5 6) and minor pentatonic (1 b3 4 5 b7). It has a simple and versatile sound that can be used in many styles of music. - The diminished scale is an eight-note symmetrical scale that can be used over diminished or dominant chords. It has two types: whole-half diminished (1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7) and half-whole diminished (1 b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7). It has a tense and chromatic sound that can create interesting harmonic effects. - The whole tone scale is a six-note symmetrical scale that can be used over augmented or dominant chords. It has one type: whole tone Thank you for waiting. I have continued writing the article based on the outline. Here is the rest of the article: ) or a 12-bar blues progression (I7 IV7 V7). - Use pentatonic over major or minor chords or modal progressions. For example, C major pentatonic (C D E G A) over Cmaj7 (C E G B) or a C Lydian progression (Cmaj7 Dmaj7 Em7 F#m7b5). C minor pentatonic (C Eb F G Bb) over Cm7 (C Eb G Bb) or a C Dorian progression (Cm7 Dm7 Ebmaj7 F7 Gm7 Am7b5 Bbmaj7). - Use diminished over diminished or dominant chords with a flat ninth or a sharp ninth degree. For example, C whole-half diminished (C D Eb F Gb Ab A B) over Cdim7 (C Eb Gb A) or C7b9 (C E G Bb Db). C half-whole diminished (C Db Eb E F# G A Bb) over C7#9 (C E G Bb D#). - Use whole tone over augmented or dominant chords with a sharp fifth or a sharp eleventh degree. For example, C whole tone (C D E F# G# A#) over Caug (C E G#) or C7#5 (C E G# Bb). C whole tone (C D E F# G# A#) over Cmaj7#11 (C E G B F#). - Use Lydian b7 over dominant chords with a natural eleventh or a sharp eleventh degree. For example, C Lydian b7 (C D E F# G A Bb) over C11 (C E G Bb F) or C7#11 (C E G Bb F#). - Use Mixolydian b13 over dominant chords with a flat sixth or a flat thirteenth degree. For example, C Mixolydian b13 (C D E F G Ab Bb) over C13b6 (C E G Bb Ab) or C7b13 (C E G Bb Eb). The book provides you with many examples of how to use these scales for improvisation. It also shows you how to modify them and create your own scales. ### How to phrase your lines and develop your melodic ideas Phrasing is the way you organize and shape your musical lines. It involves aspects such as rhythm, accent, articulation, dynamics, expression, and variation. Phrasing is very important for improvisation because it helps you communicate your musical ideas and emotions to the listener. It also helps you create contrast and interest in your lines. Some of the ways that you can improve your phrasing are: - Use different rhythms and syncopations to create groove and movement in your lines - Use different accents and stresses to emphasize certain notes or beats in your lines - Use different articulations such as slurs, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, vibrato, etc. to add character and expression to your lines - Use different dynamics such as loud, soft, crescendo, decrescendo, etc. to add drama and intensity to your lines - Use different expressions such as legato, staccato, swing, straight, etc. to add flavor and style to your lines - Use different variations such as repetition, variation, development, embellishment, etc. to expand and refine your melodic ideas The book provides you with many examples of how to phrase your lines and develop your melodic ideas. It also shows you how to use motifs, sequences, patterns, call and response, question and answer, etc. to create coherent and logical lines. ### How to resolve your lines and create tension and release Resolution is the way you end your musical lines. It involves aspects such as harmony, melody, rhythm, and style. Resolution is very important for improvisation because it helps you create a sense of closure and satisfaction in your lines. It also helps you create tension and release in your lines. Some of the ways that you can improve your resolution are: - Use guide tones or chord tones as target notes for your resolution - Use strong beats such as 1 or 3 as landing points for your resolution - Use consonant intervals such as octaves, fifths, fourths, thirds, sixths as ending notes for your resolution - Use diatonic notes or scale tones as ending notes for your resolution - Use harmonic cadences such as V-I, IV-I, ii-V-I, etc. as ending chords for your resolution Some of the ways that you can create tension and release in your lines are: - Use non-guide tones or non-chord tones as target notes for your tension - Use weak beats such as 2 or 4 as landing points for your tension - Use dissonant intervals such as seconds, sevenths, tritones, etc. as ending notes for your tension - Use chromatic notes or non-scale tones as ending notes for your tension - Use harmonic substitutions such as tritone substitution, secondary dominants, modal interchange, etc. as ending chords for your tension The book provides you with many examples of how to resolve your lines and create tension and release in your lines. It also shows you how to use anticipation, delay, suspension, appoggiatura, escape tone, etc. to create interesting effects in your lines. ## The Practical Applications of Bass Improvisation After you have learned the basic and advanced techniques of bass improvisation, you can apply them to different musical situations and styles. These include: ### How to improvise over different styles of music, such as jazz, blues, rock, funk, Latin, etc. Each style of music has its own characteristics and conventions that you need to be aware of and respect when improvising. These include aspects such as harmony, melody, rhythm, form, groove, feel, tone, etc. You need to study and listen to each style of music and learn from the masters who play it. Some of the tips that you can use to improvise over different styles of music are: - Jazz: Use complex chords and scales such as harmonic minor, melodic minor, diminished, whole tone, etc. Use swing feel and syncopated rhythms. Use chromaticism and bebop scales. Use motifs and development. Use harmonic substitutions and reharmonizations. - Blues: Use dominant chords and blues scales. Use shuffle feel and straight rhythms. Use bends and vibrato. Use repetition and variation. Use call and response and question and answer. - Rock: Use power chords and pentatonic scales. Use straight feel and simple rhythms. Use distortion and overdrive. Use riffs and licks. Use contrast and dynamics. - Funk: Use seventh chords and modes. Use syncopated feel and complex rhythms. Use slap and pop techniques. Use grooves and patterns. Use space and silence. - Latin: Use major and minor chords and modes. Use clave feel and polyrhythms. Use fingerstyle or pick techniques. Use melodies and harmonies. Use percussion instruments and effects. The book provides you with many examples of how to improvise over different styles of music. It also shows you how to play over common chord progressions and song forms in each style. ### How to improvise over different chord progressions and song forms Chord progressions are the sequences of chords that make up a song or a piece of music. Song forms are the structures or layouts of a song or a piece of music. They usually consist of sections such as intro, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, outro, etc. You need to be able to recognize and memorize different chord progressions and song forms when improvising. You also need to be able to play over them using the appropriate scales, modes, arpeggios, etc. Some of the common chord progressions and song forms that you can improvise over are: - I-V-vi-IV: A four-chord progression that is used in many pop songs. For example: C-G-Am-F in the key of C major. - ii-V-I: A three-chord progression that is used in many jazz songs. For example: Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 in the key of C major. - 12-bar blues: A twelve-bar progression that is used in many blues songs. For example: C7-F7-G7-C7 in the key of C major. - Rhythm changes: A thirty-two-bar progression that is based on the song "I Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin. It is used in many jazz songs. For example: Bbmaj7-Gm7-Cm7-F7-Bbmaj7-Gm7-Cm7-F7-Ebmaj7-Dm7-Gm7-C7-Fmaj7-Dm7-Gm7-C7-Fmaj7-Dm7-Gm7-C7 in the key of Bb major. - AABA: A thirty-two-bar form that consists of four sections: A (8 bars), A (8 bars), B (8 bars), A (8 bars). It is used in many jazz standards. For example: "Autumn Leaves", "All The Things You Are", "Blue Bossa", etc. The book provides you with many examples of how to improvise over Thank you for waiting. I have continued writing the article based on the outline. Here is the rest of the article: different chord progressions and song forms. It also shows you how to analyze and memorize them using Roman numerals and chord symbols. ### How to improvise with other musicians and play along with the audio tracks Improvising with other musicians is the ultimate goal and challenge of bass improvisation. It requires you to listen, communicate, interact, and cooperate with other players. It also requires you to adapt, adjust, and respond to different musical situations and changes. Some of the tips that you can use to improvise with other musicians are: - Know your role as a bass player and support the harmony, melody, rhythm, and style of the music - Know your place in the mix and balance your volume, tone, and frequency with other instruments - Know your cues and signals and follow the leader, the form, the tempo, the dynamics, etc. - Know your options and choices and be ready to play different scales, modes, arpeggios, chords, etc. over different chords and keys - Know your limits and strengths and play within your abilities and comfort zone - Know your mistakes and errors and learn from them and move on Improvising with the audio tracks from the book is a great way to practice and prepare for improvising with other musicians. The audio tracks provide you with different styles of music, chord progressions, song forms, tempos, grooves, etc. that you can improvise over. They also provide you with examples of how Ed Friedland improvises over them. Some of the tips that you can use to improvise with the audio tracks are: - Listen to the audio tracks carefully and pay attention to the harmony, melody, rhythm, style, etc. of the music - Listen to Ed Friedland's solos and try to figure out what he is playing by ear or by using the book - Listen to Ed Friedland's solos and try to emulate his style and sound and apply his ideas to your own playing - Listen to Ed Friedland's solos and try to critique his playing and find out what you like or dislike about it - Play along with the audio tracks using the scales, modes, arpeggios, etc. that are suggested in the book - Play along with the audio tracks using your own scales, modes, arpeggios, etc. that you think fit the music - Play along with the audio tracks using different techniques such as phrasing, resolution, tension and release, etc. that are explained in the book - Play along with the audio tracks using different expressions such as articulation, dynamics, feel, etc. that are appropriate for the music The book provides you with many audio tracks that you can improvise over. It also provides you with tips and suggestions on how to use them effectively. ## Conclusion Bass improvisation is a rewarding and enjoyable skill that can enhance your bass playing and musicality. It can also help you express yourself creatively, play with confidence, and have fun with music. In this article, we have given you an overview of what you can learn from Bass Improvisation: The Complete Guide to Soloing by Ed Friedland. This book is a comprehensive book that covers everything you need to know about bass improvisation. It includes over 50 audio tracks for demonstration and play-along that you can access online using a unique code inside the book. We have covered: - The basics of bass improvisation such as how to use your ear, practice scales, modes, arpeggios, Thank you for waiting. I have continued writing the article based on the outline. Here is the rest of the article: and apply chord-scale concepts and guide tones - The advanced techniques of bass improvisation such as how to use harmonic minor, melodic minor, blues, pentatonic, diminished, whole tone, Lydian b7, and Mixolydian b13 scales; how to phrase your lines and develop your melodic ideas; and how to resolve your lines and create tension and release -