I recorded it on my phone before I could forget it. An ascending responding line and bass part popped into my head, this time suggesting an E major7 #11 chord, which created a lightness, countering the dark harmony of the first chord. A rhythmic bass response emerged creating a 6 beat pattern, which I imagined the double bass and bass banjo playing as a 2 note double stop. The harmonic minor scale has a dark and mysterious quality to it, perfect for the mood I wanted to create. Some ideas for the rhythm section would be helpful at rehearsal too.Īfter 20 minutes of piano noodling a descending melodic line took shape, utilizing the Ab harmonic minor scale and suggesting an Ab minor major7 chord.

I wanted the melody to be simple, memorable, and create a mood that would be distinctly different from the repertoire we already had. I used my tried and true composing technique of sitting down at my out of tune old piano to write.

Saxophone, cornet, guitar, vibraphone, bass banjo, drums, double bass (me), bass clarinet and loads of percussion being the foundation of our sound. We take jazzy sounding themes on a journey of discovery, exploring any sound combinations available to us. With plenty of time on my hands I was keen to do something creative and the recently formed Devil’s Gate Outfit (DGO) was in need of original tunes to play, so I set about writing an appropriate ditty.ĭGO is a 7 piece experimental improvising jazz group. During lockdown I was approached by the good folk at Pyramid Club to create some isolation-friendly musical work.

How to play spooky bass