@c.t.matsumoto Welcome to the dark side of the weirdo’s Just keep practicing and practicing
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I agree my younger self would have just been into learning songs and playing. Now i focus on technique, structure, and understanding theory. The long game is definitely worth the work.
I figured you would like Pizzarelli’s version of that song he is some kind of wizard on the guitar. His father Bucky Pizzarelli was no slouch either though
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Just want to say I admire your dedication 
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Oh, yeah, and that “singing along with what you play in your solo” is certainly also an interesting (and useful) skill - has a lot do with ear training, interval training and more. So cool!
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@joergkutter Singing the melody while you play is not only great for the ears but allows you to verbalize in such a way that your hands will follow. There is a proper term for this but I cannot remember it. I do this when I can and without looking like a fool in front of my family lol
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Hehe, I hear you 
There is a Zappa song, where George Duke does this to perfection… can’t remember the title of it right now…
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Please remember it! I’d love to see it.
Funny that the theme ‘My younger self would have…’ I too have a younger self, and like what was mentioned above, he would have been more about the ‘fun’. After I picked up the bass (almost a year ago) it wasn’t long before I said to myself, I should have done this a long, long time ago. But, since I am older I am very grateful for the learned ability to know exactly what I want, have the ability to organize my time, to focus, to be able to create ways of practicing where I get way more from my time. And to connect concepts more clearly. Those are things my younger self wouldn’t have been able to do. And that turns out to be (for me) older self fun! And the bass, or learning an instrument, has reflected so much back to me, informing me about who I am. It’s been a very profound experience that I did not expect.
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Found it - it’s the Be-op Tango, a typical whimsical Zappa tune, happily obliterating any pre-conceived borders between rock, be-bop, free jazz, R&B, blues, what-have-you…
The “singing-along” starts somewhere after the 5 minute mark. I had actually never seen this video before… I only knew the song from the “Roxy& Elsewhere” record - imagine trying to pull off something like that today 
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Man, that was an experience. Thanks for finding it. Your right none of that would fly today.
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Darn it!
Well, in the meantime, play the blues all the time.
It’s the best place to start with walking lines of all kinds.
There’s a spectacular transcription of Duck Dunn’s walking blues line on “Sweet Home Chicago” (from the Blues Brothers soundtrack) in the book Soul Fingers.
The book is killer and has great TAB as well as notation.
I recommend that book as well, but I don’t seem to have such a good track record right now. Proceed at your own risk!
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I agree with @Gio. I got the book recently myself and it’s amazing. The backing track tool they have is great, as it the recordings are all done with the bass mix on the left channel and the rest of the band on the right, so you can add or remove the bass for your own. You can also slow the tempo down as you are learning the lines. Duck’s stuff looks simple, but his use of syncopation and timing are what make it really interesting.
This is something else i have found… It was on my feed today.
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Yeah, I just started to play around with the blues scale. I’ve still got lots of questions but that path has started and I can’t wait to get that under my fingers.
Your track record is great cause when I’ve got my level up I’m going back to Ron Carter’s book.
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@c.t.matsumoto, @LesterH and any others,
Jazz bass is something for me to aspire to, but since I’m a beginner it’s far from my reach now. Just to chime in on this thread, though: if you haven’t heard of Carol Kaye before, she was a jazz guitar player when she started, before she began studio recording and later changing to bass, for which she is now well known. Jazz playing is her true love, from what I’ve seen.
She has been a teacher in the past, and even still now (in her mid to late 80s). She sells her tutoring materials on her website, including material for jazz bass and guitar:
Books and Book/CD Combos
DVDs and CDs
I would advise reading these posts in her forum before deciding what to buy, if so inclined:
List of Catalog, How to Select What You Want
Discussion of What to Get
Discussion of What to Get, etc.
Most of those posts are written as answers to questions that people have asked, and probably a lot of the content in the above posts is repetitive. But you may want to read what she advises for learning jazz bass in all of them, just to pick up any differences. I think the order for Jazz bass would be:
- Jazz Bass and CD guide
- Electric Bass Lines No. 3 book (for interval training)
- Standards I and II CD & Charts for Bass
- Pro’s Jazz Phrases Book and CD (Bass Clef)
- Jazz Improv for Bass book and CD
- Jazz Improv Soloing DVD Course by Carol Kaye on Guitar
And she also has her “Jazz Guitar Workshop DVD” (I think she recommends this also for bass players). But you can make your own determination.
I am slowly trying to purchase the various bass guitar materials, but it does not appear that she offers anything to really address a beginner (except maybe the bass lines to practice). Reviews of her Bass DVD Course are good, but to me it is still too advanced (I’m new to playing any instrument, and have only been learning bass for a couple of months). The Electric Bass Lines series do have a lot of bass lines in them, as well as the Rock-Funk Bass CD and Guide.
I do think if you already have decent bass skills, and know how to read music (I do not yet), you would get a lot out of her offerings. Also, note that she does not use tab at all. All her materials are in musical notation.
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Jazz standards scores arranged for big band or school band etc would have bass parts, but this is only really for a sub-set of jazz. Things like Mingus or Ellington, etc you will be able to find, because they are scored more like classical music almost.
You won’t find much of the non-scored style tunes in jazz.
Generally, there is a lead sheet for the ‘head’ for the vocals/horns and chord changes, the rest is up to the arranger/performer/group visionary/etc.
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Great recommendation, and I just echo everything else @John_E said.
Most jazz parts won’t have written bass parts (with the exceptions above).
You can find some transcribed parts out there posted by other players.
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@Gio if I wanted to work on a jazz trio of sax, bass, and drums, would I just need to get the Eb version and the drum packet? And the bass lines would be in the Eb horn book? Or need to get the bass clef version of the book as well?
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I actually don’t know if the bass lines are in the Eb or Bb book for sure. I imagine they are, but can’t tell you with any certainty.
Sorry!
I don’t have one right now in the office (other than a C version) to check.
I tried searching for the answer online or a pdf of the Eb book but couldn’t find one.
I’m 90% sure the bass lines would still be in concert, but I’d check with the publisher just to be safe:
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