Timo Metzemakers

Hi, I'm Timo!

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I'm a bass player (mostly upright, some electric) in Bordeaux, France.

The main goal of this website is to post bass transcriptions I made.

I make transcriptions for several reasons:

I'm convinced that it's hands down the best way to learn how to play. Steal from the best. Transcribing is standard practice for jazz players. (Read Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon for a contemporary approach.)
I play bass for a living, so now and then, when there are no charts, I have to make them myself.
I teach bass, so I make charts for my students.

At this point (January 2020), I have hundreds of transcriptions sleeping on my hard drive. That makes no sense, they could be useful to someone out there. So my new year's resolution for 2020 is to clean them up a bit, and to make them available here. It's a bit of work, so it won't happen overnight, but I hope to get there gradually.

I'm ignorant of the legal issues that apply to the posting of transcriptions on this site. I think that transcriptions are fair use, but I'm located in France, and I'm not sure if “fair use” exists in French law. In any event, if you're the copyright owner of something I posted, please let me know about it, and I'll take it down.

Thanks for reading!

Chris Bierden: Prisoner

Sun, 20 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Chris Bierden's complete bass part on Prisoner (Har Mar Superstar, Bye Bye 17, 2013)

Transcription: Chris Bierden - Prisoner

Direct link to transcription: Chris-Bierden-Prisoner.pdf

Dave Holland: Onmo

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Dave Holland's bass solo on Onmo (Kenny Wheeler, Angel Song, 1997)

Transcription: Dave Holland - Onmo

Direct link to transcription: Dave-Holland-Onmo.pdf

Paul Bender: Nakamarra

Sun, 12 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Paul Bender's bass part on Nakamarra (Hiatus Kaiyote, Tawk Tomahawk, 2013)

Transcription: Paul Bender - Nakamarra

Direct link to transcription: Paul-Bender-Nakamarra.pdf

Neil Stubenhaus: Good Life

Sun, 12 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Neil Stubenhaus's bass part on Good Life (Bill LaBounty, The Right Rirection, 1991)

Transcription: Neil Stubenhaus - Good Life

Direct link to transcription: Neil-Stubenhaus-Good-Life.pdf

John Deacon: Killer Queen

Sat, 05 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

John Deacon's bass part on Killer Queen (Queen, Sheer Heart Attack, 1974)

I don't remember why I transcribed this… I probably had to play it.

Transcription: John Deacon - Killer Queen

Direct link to transcription: John-Deacon-Killer-Queen.pdf

Peter Washington: Dream

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Peter Washington's complete walking bass on Dream (Bill Charlap, Written In The Stars, 2000)

Transcription: Peter Washington - Dream

Direct link to transcription: Peter-Washington-Dream.pdf

Christian McBride: The Sheik of Araby

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Christian McBride's bass solo on The Sheik of Araby (Benny Green, Testifyin’!: Live at the Village Vanguard, 1992)

Transcription: Christian McBride - The Sheik of Araby

Direct link to transcription: Christian-McBride-The-Sheik-of-Araby.pdf

Ray Brown: You Look Good To Me

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Ray Brown's bass part on You Look Good To Me (The Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Requests, 1964)

Transcription: Ray Brown - You Look Good To Me

Direct link to transcription: Ray-Brown-You-Look-Good-To-Me.pdf

James Jamerson: What's Happening Brother

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

James Jamerson's improvised bass line on What's Happening Brother (Marvin Gaye, What's Going On, 1971)

I'm trying to play this transcription in this video:

Transcription: James Jamerson - What's Happening Brother

Direct link to transcription: James-Jamerson-Whats-Happening-Brother.pdf

Willie Weeks: Everything is Everything

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Willie Weeks's bass solo on Everything is Everything (Donny Hathaway, Live, 1972)

Transcription: Willie Weeks - Everything is Everything

Direct link to transcription: Willie-Weeks-Everything-Is-Everything.pdf

James Jamerson: Darling Dear

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

James Jamerson's improvised bass line on Darling Dear (The Jackson 5, Third Album, 1970)

I used tab for this one, because Jamerson used a lot of unconventional fingerings. In my opinion, it is essential to use those fingerings to get closer to Jamerson's sound. Of course, I wasn't at the session, so this is only an educated guess. YMMV.

I'm trying to play this transcription in this video:

Transcription: James Jamerson - Darling Dear

Direct link to transcription: James-Jamerson-Darling-Dear.pdf

Wilton Felder: I Want You Back

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Wilton Felder's bass part on I Want You Back (The Jackson 5, Diana Ross presents the Jackson 5, 1969)

This bass line was probably written by a Motown arranger, in the style of James Jamerson.

I'm trying to play this transcription in this video:

Transcription: Wilton Felder - I Want You Back

Direct link to transcription: Wilton-Felder-I-Want-You-Back.pdf

Israel Crosby: Moonlight In Vermont

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Israel Crosby's complete bass part on Moonlight In Vermont (Ahmad Jamal, Live At The Pershing Lounge, 1958)

Transcription: Israel Crosby - Moonlight In Vermont

Direct link to transcription: Israel-Crosby-Moonlight-In-Vermont.pdf

Harry Barth: Milenburg Joys

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Harry Barth's bass part on Milenburg Joys (Ted Lewis, and His Band, 1925)

Transcription: Harry Barth - Milenburg Joys

Direct link to transcription: Harry-Barth-Milenburg-Joys.pdf

Israel Crosby: But Not For Me

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Israel Crosby's bass line (head only) on But Not For Me (Ahmad Jamal, Live At The Pershing Lounge, 1958)

Transcription: Israel Crosby - But Not For Me

Direct link to transcription: Israel-Crosby-But-Not-For-Me.pdf

Avishai Cohen: Remembering

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Avishai Cohen's bass solo on Remembering, (Avishai Cohen, At Home, 2005)

I transcribed the head and Avishai Cohen's bass solo, but I recently noticed that Avishai Cohen has made the chart available on his web site for $5, so I took my transcription down. Please support Avishai and go buy the chart on his site.

About

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Timo Metzemakers

English

I'm a bass player and I live in Bordeaux, France.

Get in touch: timo@metzemakers.com

It makes no sense to provide a resume / list of my accomplishments (haha) to readers from overseas, so if you're really interested, I'll refer you to the French text just below.

En français

Né en 1970, Timo Metzemakers est un contrebassiste de la scène jazz bordelaise. Après une formation initiale au CMA de Joseph Ganter, il monte le groupe de jazz original Grand Six à la fin des années 1990, travaille avec le bluesman Victor Brox (Vivant chez Hologramme, 1997, Kyla Jane & Victor with The Brox Gang, 1998), le chanteur Marc Delmas (Souris Donc, 1999). En 1999 et 2000, il accompagne le musicien électro Le Tone (Rocky 8, 1999) en tournée en Europe, au Canada et ailleurs.

Il monte le duo électro Nababs avec Monsieur Gadou (Nababs 13, 10 Marta, Nus pixellistes), collabore avec le metteur en scène Renaud Cojo. Il travaille avec la chanteuse Isabelle Drault (Rendez-vous vers huit heures, 2004) et entre dans le Bordeaux Big Band en 2005 (Oh Man! Play That Thing, 2007, avec Leroy Jones, Burdigala Blue, 2011). Il accompagne le trompettiste Jacky Bérécochéa depuis 2006, fait partie de l’Orchestre du Dimanche, des Fox-Trotters, du Iep4tet de Sébastien Arruti (Behin bat zen…, 2010)(Biharko Zubi, 2018). En 2013, il collabore avec le danseur Sthyk Balossa pour la création de Je suis Mwana Mikale. En 2020, création du projet Roots Urban avec Sthyk, Simon Pourbaix et Xavier Duprat.

Parallèlement à ceci, il est régulièrement visible sur les scènes d'Aquitaine en sideman avec Monique Thomas, Alex Golino, Didier Ottaviani, Guillaume Nouaux, Hervé Saint Guirons, Cédric Jeanneaud, Marie Carrié, Yann Pénichou, Mathieu Tarot, et de nombreux autres musiciens de la région.

Après avoir exercé au sein du département jazz du Conservatoire des Landes de 2008 à 2015, et au Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental d'Agen jusqu'en 2018, il enseigne la contrebasse jazz et la basse électrique à l’École Municipale de Musique et de Danse de Talence.

Il est joignable par email : timo@metzemakers.com ou par téléphone : +33 6 700 601 63.

Documentation professionnelle : suivre ce lien.