Aton1
Verified buyer
05/16/26
Absolutely essential
If you want to understand and learn exactly how and why jazz classics are accompanied by the bass, you’ve found exactly the right course.
Jazz Bass Fakebook
Interactive Video Masterclass on Jazz Bass Guitar
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Jeff Denson
Educator
Genres
About this course
The best way to learn how to play jazz is to learn how to play songs. In this edition of Jeff Denson’s Jazz Bass Fake Book, you'll learn to navigate the harmony and the grooves for 30 of the most popular jazz standard progressions.
Jeff will demonstrate how to approach crafting bass parts for 30 of the most popular jazz standards. He will vary the bass grooves and demonstrate how to insert simple fills across multiple choruses, just like he would on a gig.
”We’ll play through 30 different commonly called jazz standards using both two-feel and walking lines, as well as some Bossa grooves. With many of these standards, I’ll start out by playing a two-feel and then go into a walking bass line. One thing I'd like you to think about is that a two-feel is not only something to be played underneath the melody (or "head") of a tune and then is quickly abandoned when the solos start.
Two-feels can be great to play for longer periods of time, or even for entire tunes. Enjoy finding how to lock them in with the drums and experiment with when to tastefully add fills. Some of these fills can be filling in the missing beats with quarter notes, while some can be more syncopated rhythmic figures.
Each study is charted out illustrating the exact basslines I play throughout the play along. Reference the charts and play along with me to practice and improve your jazz bass skills!”
Jeff will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson.
You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are included to work with on your own as well.
Grab your bass and let's dig in with Jeff Denson!
Jeff will demonstrate how to approach crafting bass parts for 30 of the most popular jazz standards. He will vary the bass grooves and demonstrate how to insert simple fills across multiple choruses, just like he would on a gig.
”We’ll play through 30 different commonly called jazz standards using both two-feel and walking lines, as well as some Bossa grooves. With many of these standards, I’ll start out by playing a two-feel and then go into a walking bass line. One thing I'd like you to think about is that a two-feel is not only something to be played underneath the melody (or "head") of a tune and then is quickly abandoned when the solos start.
Two-feels can be great to play for longer periods of time, or even for entire tunes. Enjoy finding how to lock them in with the drums and experiment with when to tastefully add fills. Some of these fills can be filling in the missing beats with quarter notes, while some can be more syncopated rhythmic figures.
Each study is charted out illustrating the exact basslines I play throughout the play along. Reference the charts and play along with me to practice and improve your jazz bass skills!”
Jeff will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson.
You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are included to work with on your own as well.
Grab your bass and let's dig in with Jeff Denson!
What you'll learn
- Apply jazz improvisation concepts to Caribbean-influenced jazz
- Understand how to improvise over St. Thomas chord changes
- Learn to play in a calypso feel
- Learn to transition from two-feel to walking bass within a performance
- Developing interactive playing by responding to piano comping
Release date: 07/27/2020 • 1h 21m runtime
Sample lessons
Cherry Key
Overview
Cherry Key
Playalong
Look, a Train
Overview
Look, a Train
Playalong
What's included
62 lessons • 30 charts • 30 Jam Tracks
Jazz Bass Fakebook
Hi, I'm Jeff Denson and welcome to the Jazz Bass Fakebook!
The best way to learn how to play jazz is to learn how to play songs. In this edition of the Jazz Bass Fakebook, you'll learn to navigate the harmony and the grooves for 30 of the most popular jazz standard progressions.
In this course, I'll perform a play along for each of the 30 studies where I vary the bass grooves and simple fills across multiple choruses, just like I would on a gig.
Each study is charted out illustrating the exact basslines I play throughout the play along. Reference the charts and play along with me to practice and improve your jazz bass skills.
You'll be able to sync the tab and notation to the video using TrueFire's learning tools. You'll get all of the jam tracks and you can loop or slow down the videos so you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Ready to get started? Grab your bass and let's go...
The best way to learn how to play jazz is to learn how to play songs. In this edition of the Jazz Bass Fakebook, you'll learn to navigate the harmony and the grooves for 30 of the most popular jazz standard progressions.
In this course, I'll perform a play along for each of the 30 studies where I vary the bass grooves and simple fills across multiple choruses, just like I would on a gig.
Each study is charted out illustrating the exact basslines I play throughout the play along. Reference the charts and play along with me to practice and improve your jazz bass skills.
You'll be able to sync the tab and notation to the video using TrueFire's learning tools. You'll get all of the jam tracks and you can loop or slow down the videos so you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Ready to get started? Grab your bass and let's go...
The Life of a Fool
This is based on the chord changes to the jazz standard "Day in the Life of a Fool," by Luiz Bonfa. This is a Bossa Nova groove, which is a feel popularized in the 1960’s based on the Brazilian samba groove but influenced by US American blues and jazz.
Something to be aware of when someone calls a "bossa" on a gig: There's a distinct difference between how US American jazz musicians play this style and sambas as opposed to Brazilian musicians, and as a bass player, I think you should be aware of both approaches. In a nutshell, to play more "authentically," play less – play half notes and add more weight, or accent the 2nd note. For the US American jazz feel, listen to Horace Silver’s "Song for My Father." There the bass plays the 1, the "and of 2," 3 and the "and of 4."
Something to be aware of when someone calls a "bossa" on a gig: There's a distinct difference between how US American jazz musicians play this style and sambas as opposed to Brazilian musicians, and as a bass player, I think you should be aware of both approaches. In a nutshell, to play more "authentically," play less – play half notes and add more weight, or accent the 2nd note. For the US American jazz feel, listen to Horace Silver’s "Song for My Father." There the bass plays the 1, the "and of 2," 3 and the "and of 4."
The Life of a Fool
Here's the performance of "The Life of a Fool."
All About Me
This is based on the chord changes of the American Songbook standard, "All of Me." In the first chorus I'm playing a two-feel and in the second, I'm playing a walking bass line.
Here's a tip: when playing a two-feel, think about the use of note duration as a rhythmic effect, or tool. Notice how I mute the notes at times and the effect it has on the feel. Shorter notes (and how you attack them) can give a more percussive effect. I mute the notes in time to enhance that effect. Other times I'll let the notes ring to fill sound of the chord. Check it out!
Here's a tip: when playing a two-feel, think about the use of note duration as a rhythmic effect, or tool. Notice how I mute the notes at times and the effect it has on the feel. Shorter notes (and how you attack them) can give a more percussive effect. I mute the notes in time to enhance that effect. Other times I'll let the notes ring to fill sound of the chord. Check it out!
All About Me
Here's the performance of "All About Me."
All Things
This is based off of the great jazz standard, "All the Things You Are." You could either call this form AABA1 or AABC. The last A section is four bars longer than the first A sections, but still starts with the same melodic motif. This is a tune commonly called at jam sessions and gigs all over the world, and it's deceptively tricky due to the number of keys it goes through. As a result, you really should study this one!
In the first chorus I'm playing an embellished two-feel and in the second, I'm playing a walking bass line. (By "embellished two-feel" I referring to the fact that I'm using syncopation and playing some fills as opposed to keeping a more consistent two notes per bar approach.)
In the first chorus I'm playing an embellished two-feel and in the second, I'm playing a walking bass line. (By "embellished two-feel" I referring to the fact that I'm using syncopation and playing some fills as opposed to keeping a more consistent two notes per bar approach.)
All Things
Here's the performance of "All Things."
+ 55 more lessons
Reviews
7 results
Bluespower1959
Verified buyer
12/18/25
Good start to learn standards!
Ohio5665
Verified buyer
10/29/25
Jazz Bass Fakebook
Nice course! helping me alot with sight reading bass clef.
CalvinHeadrick
Verified buyer
02/09/25
Learning jazz
Instructor is thorough in explaining the basics without going overboard in theory. Great compliment to the Jazz Guitar Fakebook, by the way. So if your guitarist is willing you can set yourself up with some jazz standards for your next gig.
krisfromhell
Verified buyer
06/10/22
a great collection of songs
As it says in the description, it's a great way to get closer to jazz. The songs aren't too difficult, so it's fun to play along with. It's a nice mix of songs with something for everyone.
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