CHAPTER 2 :

SINGLE NOTE LINES PRECEDED BY A BASS NOTE

Improvise melodic lines on courses 1,2,3 and 4 and play the bass notes on courses
4,5 and 6. Remember you are still playing in the key of C Major, only the bass notes changed.
As a matter of fact every bass note is the root of a mode. Every scale has a many modes
as it has notes in it.
For your information here they are. It's good to be aware of them but they are not essential
for our further explorations in improvisation.

Ionian : CDEFGABC
Dorian : DEFGABCD
Phrygian : EFGABCDE
Lydian : FGABCDEF
Mixolydian : G A B C D E F G
Aeolian : ABCDEFGA
Locrian : BCDEFGAB
No accidentals involved !

Play a melodic line preceded by a bass note onthe rst beat of each bar. Here are some
examples.

courses 3,2,1 courses 4, 3,2,1 courses 4,3,2,1 courses 4,3,2

h
4
a c e a f e a a
c c a d c a c
4 a
d
a
d
a
c
d c a
c
d
c
a

courses 3,2,1 courses 3,1 courses 2,1 courses 3,2,1

e c a a e c a c f a c
d d d c a
d c a d a d c
a a
e e

courses 2,1 courses 4,3,2,1 courses 3,2 courses 3,2,1

e f c a e a
a c d a c d a a a c a c c
c d a d c
c c e
a c

courses 4,3,2 courses 3,2,1

e a f
a a c a c
c a d
a a
e e
10

Your turn
Improvise a melodic line preceded by a sustained bass note.

a a c c

a a
e e

c
a c c

e e
 11

Practise on this ground.

(A 'Ground' in this book simply refers to a series of bass notes used as a basis
for improvisation)

a
a e
c

c a
a e

Example

c f a e c a a a c a
c a a d c
d d c c d a
a
a e
c

w
a a f e a
d c a d a c c a
a d c c d d c
c
c a
a e

Your turn

a
a e
c

c a
a e