Artist - Aretha Franklin
Electric Bass - Jerry Jemmott
Difficulty - Intermediate
Hey all,
Hope you’re all well (and for all of you in the UK, are keeping cool!). This weeks transcription is one that has been on the periphery of my awareness for some time now and as I’ve not yet done a Jerry Jemmott transcription, I decided it was past time I sat down and worked this tune out properly.
Aretha Franklin obviously needs no introduction from me but for those less steeped in bass history, Jerry Jemmott was one of the generation of players active right before Jaco and Stanley Clarke exploded onto the scene and transformed what was possible on the instrument and Jemmott is one of the players that Jaco repeatedly namechecked as a specific influence, specifically for the 16th note fingerstyle lines that are in evidence in this track.
Something that stuck out to me was Jemmotts use of open strings, something that i’ve also always noticed about James Jamerson. The open A string works very nicely in the section in Bb Major (A being the Major 7th) but he also integrates it in the B major section (which then gives a dominant 7 vibe without actually changing chord). Pay attention to some of the fills in the outtro, not hugely difficult but so tasty!
P with flats was the vibe I was getting from listening to the track repeatedly so I grabbed the Yamaha BB with the neck pickup soloed. I thought about using the P bass but given the temperature/humidity in my home studio right now the neck has a life of its own and it needs a setup….again :P
Enjoy!!
You can request a Transcription below. I also offer a bespoke transcription service. I charge £40 for most transcription requests; more complex transcriptions are on a case-by-case basis, and I will provide a specific quote at my own discretion. If you pay for a transcription, you will receive a copy without a watermark.
The full transcription is free via the link below, paid subscribers can download the transcription without a watermark.
