I have wanted to post a lesson about some simple melodies that you can play on the double bass so I decided to just post something that interests me. And at the moment I am into the late Gary Moore….an incredible blues-rock guitarist. I absolutely love Gary’s performance of Parisienne Walkways. The intro to Parisienne Walkways contains the hook and while at first due to the passion with which Gary plays it appears complicated or difficult, by analyzing it you discover that it is actually quite simple.
The song’s tonality is Am and begins with three downward glissandos of A, E (from the octave on the A and E strings) and C (on the E string). The melody begins on E or the 5th of the Am scale and descends to F or the 6th (two steps below the root A) and then repeats the pattern by returning to the E above the root briefly but begins the downward series of notes by dropping one step and starting on D and going down to E below the root. It repeats this pattern until it lands on C below the root A and finishes as it started with the three downward glissandos of A, E and C before going into singing the first verse.
After the three glissandos at the beginning, start playing with your 4th finger at E on the G string.
The basic melody written out in bass clef is show below.
Here’s the curtain pulled back a bit with me playing the bass for my next new song due out next month, called “All Things New”. I’m trying to capture a Motown vibe. 🙂 Stay tuned for more!
I released an updated copy of my Hallelujah Chorus Ringtone today, the “Real Rockin Hallelujah Chorus Ringtone.” I added some drums to the outro! You can download the iPhone ringtone file on my music store page. I have the full arrangement and recording of my version of the Hallelujah Chorus completed! And the single will be released via CD Baby in time for Easter….so stay tuned. Here’s the video.
I’ve actually gotten back into writing, composing and recording music again. For a while I seemed to do this in fits and spurts. I used to get started on an idea and get it about halfway done but then I’d get distracted usually by work issues from my day job or vacation would come up and then the project would sit and gather dust.
However, in December I got a new idea. In many things I become very productive and efficient when I have a task list, to-do list or project plan to work against and keep myself accountable. So I got the idea in December, after listening to huge amounts of Christmas music and attending the Seattle Symphony’s production of Handel’s Messiah, to produce my own album of Christmas/Holiday music. After that, I began making my plan and creating “the list”.
Since starting in December I have five (5) songs that I am actively working on and of these three are essential complete. The first of these I will be releasing as a single before and in time for Easter: My own arrangement, performance and recording of the Hallelujah Chorus. My Hallelujah Chorus is a Pop/Rock version inspired by Mannheim Steamroller/Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
After going to the full production of Handel’s Messiah it was amazing to me that George F. Handel wrote, not just the Hallelujah Chorus, but the entire Messiah, including the orchestral and choir parts after receiving the text from Charles Jennens in a breathtaking 24 days! Talk about focus! If I could only have 10% of his focus.
