CHECKPOINT #2 - ICONIC VAMPS
With
Tim RichardsTim Richards demonstrates a handful of iconic jazz vamps, like 'Killer Joe' and 'Cantaloupe Island', whose bass lines any jazz musician will recognise.
What's in the course
29 lessons (1h 19m) · 1 free
01. Playing the roots
2:34
02. Two-feel bass line
2:26
03. Two-feel bass line (performance)
1:12
04. Guide tones
3:00
05. Two-feel bass with guide tones (performance)
1:06
06. Adding right-hand chords
2:37
07. Two-feel bass with chords (performance)
1:08
08. Walking bass lines
5:31
09. Walking bass line (performance)
2:12
10. Chordal rhythms
5:05
11. Rootless voicings
5:15
12. Walking bass line with rootless chords (performance)
1:10
Lesson transcript
Accompaniment Styles and Essential Vamps
So you've looked at a whole range of different accompaniment styles that you can use in any situation where you don't have a bass player because you'll be playing bass lines in the left hand.
Introduction to Important Vamps
In this checkpoint, we're going to explore just a few really important vamps that are associated with particular tunes. There's a PDF attached that includes about 20 different vamps. I'll just demonstrate a few of them.
Recognizable Vamps
-
Killer Joe
You'll hear this one if you listen to Benny Golson's tune, Killer Joe. It features an on-off chord in the right hand with a specific bass line. -
Cantaloupe Island
Another recognizable bass line is from Cantaloupe Island, accompanied by comping in the right hand.
If you play either of these vamps, any jazz musician will know what tune you're going to play without you even needing to say the title. These grooves or rhythms are closely associated with the tunes and typically set them up effectively.
More Important Vamps
-
Song for My Father
An unmistakable bass line paired with a minor 9th chord (F minor 9) gives you the flavor of this tune. -
All Blues
This is a very popular and well-known tune by Miles Davis. It features a kind of six-eight blues feel. -
Take Five
Now, everyone will recognize Take Five by Dave Brubeck. -
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Finally, I'll demonstrate Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderley, which was written by Joe Zawinul. This tune is in B flat and has a very recognizable refrain.
These are just a few of the vamps that you'll find in the PDF. I think there are around 20. Check them out, they will be very useful, I can assure you.
Listening Suggestions
Don't forget also to continue with your listening! I've suggested in the listening section of the PDF that you might want to check out comping, particularly in duo recordings.
Some notable duo recordings include:
- Bill Evans and Jim Hall
- Kenny Barron and Stan Getz
The piano players on these recordings are fantastic accompanists. When you're in a duo setting, there is a lot of pressure to deliver both bass and chords effectively in your accompaniment.
Walking Bass Lines
In terms of the bass line, several pianists have specialized in walking bass lines. For instance, you can look into:
- Gene Harris
- Lenny Tristano
You'll see all these references in the PDF.
Final Listening Recommendations
Finally, don't forget to listen to:
- Ella Fitzgerald singing All of Me
- Billie Holiday
- Ray Charles
- Aretha Franklin
Also, explore their versions of:
- Drowning My Own Tears
- One Note Samba (by Tom Jobim)
All of these are listed in the PDF as well. Enjoy your exploration!
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Critically acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Tim Richards is one of Britain’s most experienced jazz educators, teaching piano privately for over 30 years, as well as at Morley College, Goldsmiths College, the University of Surrey, Premises Studios and other venues in the UK and abroad. He has produced numerous titles for Schott Music, including the best-selling two-volume Exploring Jazz Piano, Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection and the acclaimed Improvising Blues Piano. He is also co-author, with John Crawford, of Exploring Latin Piano and Brazilian Piano Collection.
More recently Schott have published Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection (15 pieces for solo piano), comprising Tim Richards originals alongside pieces by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and the two volume set Beginning Jazz Piano (now a two-part MusicGurus course).
“The real joy of Tim’s music… is that it is both hugely educational but also such great fun to play. Anyone with the slightest interest in learning to play or teach jazz piano should really acquire a set of Tim’s books.” PianoDao
As a performer Tim has been a presence on the UK jazz scene since the 1980s, also playing the blues with UK and US legends such as Otis Grand, Earl Green, Dana Gillespie, Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and Mojo Buford. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader (featuring many of London’s best jazz musicians including Pete King, Gilad Atzmon, Tony Kofi, Jason Yarde, Seb Rochford, Ed Jones, Dick Pearce and many others), and toured all over Europe with line-ups ranging from duo to nine-piece. His latest recording, the album ‘Telegraph Hill’ by the six-piece Hextet, was described in The Observer as "A true joy from beginning to end".
More info can be found on his website www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk
