Willie Weeks Bass Solo (w/Donny Hathaway)

Name: Willie Weeks Bass Solo (w/Donny Hathaway)
Uploaded: 2023-02-10T17:00:23+00:00
Duration: 31 s
Channel: Jaz Moss
Description: Short YouTube commentary by two speakers (uploaded by Jaz Moss) analyzing a Willie Weeks bass lick from a solo (with Donny Hathaway). They identify the…

10 Feb 2023 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:31

Short YouTube commentary by two speakers (uploaded by Jaz Moss) analyzing a Willie Weeks bass lick from a solo (with Donny Hathaway). They identify the lick as in E major with bluesy notes, describe starting on a big open E string, hitting the minor seventh (funky), specific frets (12th, 11th, 9th), a hammer-on from minor six to major six, a Motown-shaped phrase (fifth → sixth → root), and finishing on a low E string. The clip focuses on note choices, phrasing, and technique.

Questions this video answers

E major (with bluesy notes).

12th fret, 11th fret, 9th fret.

A hammer-on from the minor six to the major six.

A Motown-shaped phrase: fifth → sixth → root.

Starts with a big open E string; ends on a low E string.

Let's break down that awesome bass lick. So this is actually part of a longer motif that Willy is developing throughout the bass solo. So this is an E major, but he's using some really bluesy notes as well as the E major scale. So he starts with a nice, big, fat open string. Then he goes to the minor seventh, which is super, super funky. And this next bit is my favorite bit. The note choices and the phrasing is awesome. So.
So.
That'S 12th fret, 11th fret, 9th fret. And then he does a hammer on from the minor six to the major six. And then he does the classic Motown shape that I love, fifth, sixth root. And then the nice low E string at the end.