Chords for "Playing the Right Notes" - In Conversation with Hadrien Feraud /// Scott's Bass Lessons

Exactly, you don't know and what I was doing for me was I had all those references that
I, you know, because I was a lot into transcribing every solos possible.
So I would take one phrase from Marcus Miller and another phrase from, you know, [C] well, Jaco
obviously and Victor Bailey and Christian McBride here and there and like all that because
I was still a lot into bass players at the time.
But after this night, I started checking out other instruments.
I mean there was [F#] still_
And what was it about that night that made you want to start checking out other instruments?
I mean other instruments but also I discovered Dominique Di Piazza that night.
And through that_
With that life changing?
Yeah, and that was life changing because also through that, then I discovered Matt Garrison.
So that type of bass playing was already _ different than Victor Bailey and all those guys.
That was something else, more guitaristic but [E] still really bassistic as well.
Actually it would take all the sense when you say a bass guitar, which is now it's really
a bass guitar.
_ When I listen to you as well, well even back then, you know, _ and the first thing that really
stood out to [B] me when listening to you was your harmonic approach when soloing [F#] and your time feel.
But talking about [G] harmonic approach, was it listening to like Garrison and Dominique,
was that a lifting point for what you developed?
And Gary Willis and all those.
But the most thing is that that was on my young days.
On my young days on learning harmony.
So [F#] I would say starting from 17 to 20, I was still a lot into those bass players.
But after 20, after 20 years old, I started checking guitar players and I started getting
into Sylvain Luc, Pirelli, _ and piano players, and sax players, and Michael Brecker a lot.
And _ I think that _ _ _ was my _ harmonic approach comes from that.
I mean there's nothing new and every time, you know, I'm always sometimes [E] embarrassed
when somebody, I mean even like you, you really like what I do, thanks a lot.
But to me, I always remember exactly where each note I play comes from.
Now it has become my own.
Where you learned it, where it's been drawn from.
And I know also that I did not create anything and that I'm using mostly basics of music. _
Jazz obviously, but I prefer to [F] say music because [D] I don't want to label it.
But basics of harmony, you know, it's just, I mean that's another topic.
But yeah, most of the time I don't have a harmonic approach besides [D] just playing the
right scale that matches the chord [F#] that's being played.
If it's a sus chord, then I'm going to play the right scale and the right note.
And you know it's really important because that's what young players, you know, they
do often is like trying to go out before they actually know exactly what's the route, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And that's what I was doing first also.
Did you learn harmony from somebody?
Did you learn harmony from somebody?
I got a few information here and there by asking and by watching a lot also, you know,
people like Dominic in clubs and people like Bareilly a lot.
I would go see him when I would get, you know.
Bareilly didn't play in clubs for a long time at the time.
So he was [G] more in like theaters and [F#] stuff like that.
I remember being completely what can come out of somebody like that's what I aim at.
Like when it's at this level of musicianship of, [G] it's really important to mention that
because you know people sometimes think about the shredding.
But [F#] what I saw already and it's [E] like for Jaco also the first thing I want to mention is
that the first time I heard him [A] was not so, I was not so much, I [F#m] was impressed by his
technique obviously but [E] what touched me a lot at the [G] time was the whole approach and
concept and harmony concept but [F#] also composition concept [G] like in a placement and the tone.
[A] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
The technique is obviously.
[F#] Well, your time feel for me is like really unique.
Well, thanks man.
Yeah, no, I think you've got a great time, like obviously you've got a great time feel
but I think when I listen to a bass player that really stood out for me, your time feel.
Is that something you worked on specifically or is it something that you noticed in other players?
Yeah.
Like Jaco, did you think, wow, I love his time feel and his placement of the notes?
You know, it's funny because [D#] every time I would see, I would just watch somebody and
I understood that really, I would watch a [N] musician that I look up to and I could relate
right away to his rhythmical, at least the rhythmical thing.
Harmony came after because harmony is not as easy.
Rhythm is, you know, how do you call that?
It's primitive, it's the first music ever.
So rhythm is kind of you have it or not and so, you know, [D] they would do rhythmical [G] figures
and I was like, yeah, I [N] understand this.
I could have, you know, I could understand this.
So rhythm, I didn't even think about rhythm.
My obsession was really the harmony.
Like how the hell do they think about that?
Like how the hell do they hear that?
And then I understood that first of all, something that can help is learning the modes.
And already when you're playing a mode, it's already very pretty.
So from there you can be inspired in like changing the, you know, the, _ how do you say,
changing the notes around, like, you know, not the notes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But the intervals, playing in different intervals over there.
That's it.
I mean, that's my whole approach.
I always say there is no approach.
[Fm] There's no approach, but like just playing in.
_ _ [C#] _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ [G#] _ _ [C#] _ _ [Cm] _ _