The transcription library

Jazz bass transcriptions.

Note-for-note lines and solos from Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Israel Crosby, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Jaco and more. Every one comes with a video lesson from Cole Davis, nearly all come with the notation, and each one's $10. Yours to keep.

See every lineWhat you get
47 lessons8 hr 32 min of video52 downloads$10 each
What you get for $10

The line, the lesson, the page.

Every transcription here is a small, complete lesson. You don't just get the notes. You get Cole Davis showing you why they work.

01

A video lesson

Cole plays the line, then takes it apart: the fingerings, the note choices and why it sounds the way it does. A few are straight performances to play along with.

02

The notation

45 of the 47 come with the transcription to download, many with fingerings written in, some with exercises, tab or a full analysis. Each page lists exactly what's included.

03

Yours to keep

Pay $10 once. It opens in your Better Bass Lessons member portal the moment you check out, and it stays there.

Collage of an upright bass scroll rising out of a vinyl record, with a coiled bass string
Collection 01

Walking Like a Legend

How the legends walk and play in two. Ron Carter on Passion Dance, Paul Chambers all over Kind of Blue, Israel Crosby's genius, three Charlie Haden lines, and Jimmy Garrison's unaccompanied intro to Resolution.

9 lessons 1 hr 48 min of video 13 downloads

Collage of a bank vault door swung open onto stacks of records and tape reels
Collection 02

The Walking Line Vault

Cole's series of ten bass lines you should know, from Ron Carter's opening line on The Intrepid Fox (number one) to Israel Crosby on But Not for Me (number ten, and in Cole's opinion the greatest jazz bass line ever played). Short, classic lines, each one teaching one big idea.

10 lessons 1 hr 41 min of video 9 downloads

Collage of file folders spilling reel-to-reel tape and a vinyl record
Collection 03

The Groove Files

Time, feel, sound and the two-feel. Percy Heath on Bags' Groove, what keeping time really means (with a tempo map of Ray Brown), how Cole got his sound from Charlie Haden, upright bass on folk records, and a hip-hop sample you've heard a thousand times.

8 lessons 1 hr 9 min of video 9 downloads

Collage of a vintage microphone, a saxophone, a ticket stub and a cocktail glass
Collection 04

The Bebop Bassist

Melodies and solos on upright. Bird's heads with every fingering, Joe Henderson's Inner Urge, Chet Baker's most melodic solo, Paul Chambers' Dexterity up in thumb position, and the Eddie Gomez solo Cole calls the greatest ever recorded on upright.

8 lessons 1 hr 29 min of video 10 downloads

Collage of a melting psychedelic record over an electric bass neck
Collection 05

The Bass Brain Melters

The hard ones, and the name is earned. Jaco's Teen Town on upright, Coltrane's Giant Steps solo, Bird's Ko-Ko, the complete Poinciana, rhythm changes in all 12 keys at 400 beats per minute, and a 47-minute session transcribing Havona in real time.

12 lessons 2 hr 25 min of video 11 downloads

Want a new one every week?

The Jazz Transcription Club.

A new legendary bass line every Tuesday, note for note, with a full breakdown, a slowed-down breakdown, a backing track and the chart. For the player who'd rather not wait to pick the next one.

See how the club works
$27/month Cancel anytime Upright & electric

Before you pick one.

Do I need to read music?

It helps, but you won't be stuck without it. The PDFs are standard bass clef notation, many with fingerings written in and a few with tab. In the video Cole plays the line on the bass and walks you through it, so you can learn a lot by ear and use the page to check yourself.

Upright or electric?

Almost all of them are taught on upright, and two are on electric. Every card says which. The notes work on either instrument, and the fingerings are written for the one in the video.

How do I get it after I buy?

It opens in your Better Bass Lessons member portal as soon as you check out, with the video and the downloads in one place. Log in any time at lounge.betterbasslessons.com.

Which one should I start with?

Start with the player you already love. If you want a walking line to live with for a while, the Walking Like a Legend and Walking Line Vault collections are the place. If you want to solo, go to The Bebop Bassist. If you want a challenge, the Bass Brain Melters earn the name.

Can I get more than one?

Yes. Add as many as you like to your cart and check out once. Each one is $10.

Questions about an order?

Write to [email protected] and we'll write back.