BASS LINES
 

"Mike Downes is as strong a player as he is a composer"
- Brian Brennan,
Calgary Herald

Bass Lines
 

Mike Downes is the Bass Department Head at prestigious Humber College in Toronto, where he teaches private lessons, bass masterclasses, composition and ensembles. He is the author of The Jazz Bass Line Book, now available through Advance Music!

The Jazz Bass Line Book is a comprehensive approach to the construction of improvised bass lines. Intended for beginners and professionals alike, the book deals with playing in "2", creating walking bass lines, 3/4 time, using a "broken feel", modal and slash-chord harmony, ballads and much more. Each chapter is full of fundamental and advanced concepts and ideas, accompanied by transcribed examples from the masters of jazz bass playing.

To view an online lesson, click here.

To purchase The Jazz Bass Line Book, please contact Advance Music.

What musicians are saying about

The Jazz Bass Line Book

I have bought your book and I think is the best book on the subject that I have ever found: it's very serious (in a positive meaning), complete and detailed. Hope to see you playing in Italy.
Marco Roccuzzo
Rome, Italy

Mike Downes has written the definitive book on jazz bass lines. This book is thorough, extensively researched, well organized and succeeds in balancing technical and aesthetic considerations. There is a wealth of information for players of all levels, from beginners to advanced. Great job Mike!
Alec Walkington
Montreal, Canada

Mike gets to the core of creating bass lines with great respect to the spirit and essence of jazz, while providing a fantastic overview of the evolution of the jazz bass line through his well chosen transcriptions.
For those interested in playing or writing jazz bass lines, this book is a complete package. I highly recommend it to players as well as arrangers.
Kieran Overs
Toronto, Canada

Mike Downes has written the definitive bass line book I find it to be thorough, logical, and interactive. The examples and transcriptions are superb. I will recommend this book, without hesitation, to all students and pros alike. Mike, thanks for the great job.
Neil Swainson
Toronto, Canada

I bought your jazz bass lines book from advance music and just want to say “thank you“ for this wonderful, really well written and clear book about bass playing! My inner musical being changed a lot with the double bass and especially your book gives me a lot of ideas, develops my own voice, and provides a big outlook to grow.
Roland “Lou” Hank
Germany

I just want to say thank you for creating such a great book. The Jazz Bass Line Book is by far the best of it's kind and I really appreciate it. It is to the point and so very well structured for any bass player to understand. The historical bass examples are such a really great touch. Everything about this book is excellent. If you ever create a book about improvising, which I'm sure would also be good, I'll be the first to buy it.
David McMullan
Montreal, Canada

Your bass line book has been great for teaching. Very clear and well laid out. Excellent job.
Kenneth Lister
Vancouver Island, Canada

Well written, great book, and really fun to play the transcriptions!
JP
Montreal, Canada

I received the book and have started into it. I think it's great!! You start right at the beginning and move through in a very logical order. Light bulbs are flashing on all over the place for me. Your use of the blues pattern threw out the book is great. It helps to see the various patterns using a common denominator. There is a lot for me to learn and some bad habits to unlearn, but I look forward to working with the book to develop my playing. Congratulations on a wonderful book!
John Griffiths
London, Canada

This book is a great resource for players of all levels and experiences. I would strongly recommend it for teachers and students alike.
Pat Collins
Toronto, Canada

Mike’s book does an admirable job of answering the “how to” of writing bass lines for the jazz and Latin bass player. It’s a single source for the information I learned by taking a number of university and college level courses. I am using it with my students, getting good results and can highly recommend it.
Jimmie Howard
Hamilton, Canada

Love the book! So that's what you bass players are thinking about. Seriously, love the range examples of different bass players, eras, essentials and tricks.
Ernie Tollar
Toronto, Canada

What do you get when you take a terrific musician with the ability to articulate what he and others do on the bass? You get an informative, complete and very entertaining instruction book. Great work Mike.
Brad Barker
Operations Manager/Music Director
JAZZFM91

Mike takes us logically from the most basic to very advanced bass line concepts.
This will be an important book for bass students at all levels.
Don Thompson
Toronto, Canada

I just glanced through your book "The Jazz Bass Line Book." Bravo!
This looks like a tremendous publication. Very nicely done.
Jim Stinnett
Candia, USA

I make my students use your Jazz Bass Line Book. It's a very good method for bass!
All the best.
Maurizio Quintavalle
Bari, Italy

Hi, I"m a bass player form MTL, and I've bought your book ( the jazz bass line ) a couple of months ago. This is probably the best book I've ever read about walking bass concepts. Your approach is so musical. It helps to make clearer bass lines with great variety. Thanks a lot.
Ben Marquis
Montreal, Canada

I've done lots of work out of your book since our lesson and am very impressed/pleased with it. I'll continue working on this book as it's a lot of fun, and very thorough. You should be proud of it, as I think it is the best bass book I've read to date.
Jake Von Wurden
Ottawa, Canada

I went through your book and I think it’s great, good examples, well explained, very clear! Definitely a great book for any bass player.
Alain Caron
Montreal, Canada

I really like the way your book is laid out. Your harmonic explanations are very thorough and concise. Having the transcriptions in score form as well as "play view" is a great idea. More publications should discover this great learning tool.
Peter Hysen
London, Canada

I finally got a copy of your book and I wanted to write and say it's a really GREAT book! Thanks!
Dave Watts
Montreal, Canada

Your book is beautiful. I love that you included Pops Foster, Jimmy Blanton, and Doug Watkins, who for different reasons are often overlooked (as Ray Brown said "I learned every note Jimmy Blanton every played".)
Steve Haines
Brooklyn, U.S.A
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