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1. Get a good recording of the song you're trying to learn. Too many people try to learn jazz/soloing

from a book with their eyes. You wouldn't learn to speak Japanese out of a book, would you? NO!!

You'd use the book, but you'd also hang out with Japanese speaking people, watch Japanese TV and

DVD's......you get the point. Jazz/music is the same way.....you have to LISTEN to what you're tying to

learn. So, get a "reasonable" version of the tune you're learning....Autumn Leaves for example; (Miles

w/Cannonball is one of the great versions) I highly recommend itunes for this....anyway..... It's

REALLY important to have something to listen to and imitate etc. CRITICAL STUFF......

2. LEARN THE MELODY............ Most bass players try to learn how to solo and play melodically, yet

they've NEVER played a melody in their life!!! How can we hope to sound melodic if we've never

played a melody??

As bass players.....we learn bass lines....no wonder our solos sound like "doubled up bass lines...up an

octave". Sound familiar??? Make sense???

So.. learn the melody. Practice playing along with Miles....play along with Sinatra, Nat Cole etc.....it's

important to have an idea how the LYRICS go...that'll help you with your phrasing.

3. NOW......practice playing the melody with EMBELLISHMENTS! Practice just using your ear to "dress

up" the melody. You'll be amazed at what your ear will tell you. PLUS....the whole idea is to learn to

PLAY WHAT YOU HEAR....so you need to start practicing that skill!!!! If you don't practice that

skill,......then you won't get better at it.....

I don't mean so sound like a "wise-guy", but VERY FEW bass players practice this way.

4. NOW.....Use these simple improvising tips:

Play the 3rd of every chord. (a half note will do for now...in time... with a play-along etc.)

Play the 5th of every chord.

Play the 7th of every chord.

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Play the 3 & 5 of every chord.

Play the 3 & 7 of every chord.

Play the 12321 of every scale ? play 32123 of every scale. (simple eight note patterns)

Play the 34543 of every scale - play 54345 of every scale.

Play the 56765 of every scale ? play 76567 of every scale

You'll notice that most of these DON'T START ON THE ROOT!! As bass players we're taught to

ALWAYS play the letter name of the chord on the downbeat.....which is what we're supposed to do

as bass players, OK? Good.

BUT.....that training doesn't lend itself to good melodic playing. SO..........we need to develop the

ability to look/hear a chord change and NOT PLAY THE ROOT.

This was REALLY hard for me personally......but once I broke free, it opened everything up. It's hard to

see a Bb7 chord and "not" play a Bb on the downbeat. Can I get an Amen? Ha!

Another tip I would mention is to try NOT playing on the downbeat. Start on the "and" of one...or on

beat 2.

DISCLAIMER: Now realize all this information is "ONLY" for melodic playing.....not for bass playing.

When you're playing bass, PLAY THE ROOT ON THE DOWNBEAT....sorry....just wanted to protect

myself.....I don't wan't somebody to get fired from a gig and then saying, "Todd Johnson said not to

play on the downbeat"..... You get my point!!

Also notice that I have you playing "fragments" of the scale instead of the whole scale.

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It's been my experience that when you teach bass players to play scales over changes, they play them

from the root to the octave and back down. Then they wonder why their solos sound like scales???

DUH!! That's because that's what you just practiced!!

5. TRANSCRIBE A SOLO OR MELODIC FRAGMENTS (VOCABULARY)

I would recommend learning/transcribing all or part of a solo. Pick one that is "attractive" to your

ears, yet is "playable".

Too many guys start off trying to transcribe Coltrane or Michael Brecker and then get discouraged

because they can't do it. DUH!! That's because it's WAY TOO HARD!! SO.....pick someone that'sGREAT, but playable....like Miles Davis....or Wes Montgomery.....Stan Getz......Chet Baker etc. You get

the point. Start there and work your way up.

Realize that soloing is a LANGUAGE!!! You don't start off learning English by learning the "Gettysburg

address"....do you? NO.....you learn a language by saying....momma....daddy....counting to

ten....where's the bathroom....how much is that?.....etc. You get the point. Then you work your way

up to longer phrases with deeper content.

I hope this makes sense.......

You asked! ....but this is how I teach improvisation. It takes just a little longer than most methods, but

with MUCH BETTER RESULTS!!! ........and that' the whole point.

Well, there you go.....have fun and PLAY SLOW!! Take your time. It takes kids 10 years to learn to

speak at a high level......learning to improvise is virtually the same process.