Bernadette Challenge
Alright bass fam, the gloves are coming off. Throwing down a challenge for y’all and gonna need your help promoting and being a part of this. To honor the genius of James Jameson we are throwing down the “Bernadette Challenge”: 10 bars, 4 strings, and 1 finger to rule them all. No backing tracks! Just … Continue reading
Hook of the Week 001
Hey all! I’m going to start posting weekly videos in a series I’m calling “Hook of the Week” to demonstrate Jamerson’s right-hand hook technique. I’ll be doing a mix of things I’ve transcribed and/or original stuffs I’m working on. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and/or follow me on Instagram to get the latest updates. This … Continue reading
Ain’t No Justice – Shorty Long
“Ain’t No Justice” was originally released on Shorty Long’s Here Comes the Judge LP in August of ’68. The track itself was later released as a B side to Shorty’s “I Had A Dream” single on February 11, 1969. With Jamerson’s no-holds-barred bass line leading the way, the Funk Brothers really let loose on this … Continue reading
Cabin Fever in the Funk House
Suffering from the Covid-19 blues? I def feel you! Been stuck at home with all gigs and lessons cancelled. These are rough times. With that said, I’ve decided to fight off this cabin fever in the funk house with a strong dose of Jamerson transcribing. Here are 3 fun JJ transcriptions that will hopefully help … Continue reading
Happy Birthday Let’s Get It On Part 3: “Come Get To This”
Gonna start making these transcription posts more brief so I can push out more stuffs. The backing track for “Come Get To This” was recorded in Hitsville on November 3, 1970 — the same day as “Distant Lover.” Check out the alternative mix, which actually has the band in at the top of the track. … Continue reading
What Christmas Means To Me
Stevie Wonder’s 1967 classic Christmas hit “What Christmas Means To Me” demonstrates what a beast Jamerson was in the lower fret positions. It is also a good example of how Jamerson would sometimes stretch the left hand beyond the standard 3-fret fingering span discussed in the previous post while still only using fingers 1, 2, and 4. … Continue reading
The Left Hand
Dan Forte: “What advice would you give to beginners?” James Jamerson: “Well, I think the first thing you should do is play upright bass. That would strengthen everything — your wrist, the fingers, the joints of your fingers.” James Jamerson began his career as an upright bassist and from the Dan Forte interview excerpt above … Continue reading
Happy Birthday Let’s Get It On Part 2: “Distant Lover”
“Head Title” — a demo track used for what would later become “Distant Lover” — was a composition Marvin Gaye was tinkering with in November of 1970. You can actually hear Marvin going through this creative process as he works on crafting a lyric for the song in the following video: At the time of … Continue reading
Happy Birthday “Let’s Get It On”
Late last month Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” album turned 45 years old. To celebrate this and to get things rolling here again at the Funkhouse we are going to release transcriptions of every track Jamerson contributed to this record. “Just To Keep You Satisfied” will kick this series off. Three different recordings with … Continue reading
I Need Your Lovin’ (Recorded Nov. 11, 1968)
So after a long hiatus from posting to this site, I am finally back from a wild adventure of diving deep into the work of James Jamerson. To kick things off I am going to post a full transcription of one of my favorite Jamerson lines from a track called “I Need Your Lovin’” — … Continue reading
Fever in the Funk House 