Review: The Low Down: A guide to creating supportive jazz bass lines

Danny Ziemann’s The Low Down: A guide to creating supportive jazz bass lines is an excellent source for double bass students and teachers to both to explore jazz bass lines. Filled with excellent material and bountiful examples, Ziemann’s detailed approach is a gem for those who aspire to learn a deeper understanding of their jazz bass lines by asking the question “How can you think about these ideas and apply them to your own playing?”

Ziemann provides fundamental material throughout, aiming to build learning through reinforcement and sequence. Additionally, the book includes an accompanying recording available for listening online, meant to provide listening context to examples provided in the book.

Here is an example Ziemann provides on building triads vertically:

Another example on mapping out diatonic 7ths:

Whatever your experience with jazz, this book is an invaluable resource for you and your students! Be sure to check out Danny Ziemann at his website.

Purchase The Low Down volumes 1 and 2:

• The Low Down: A guide to creating supportive jazz bass lines
• The Low Down Book 2: A Supplemental Resource of Jazz Bass Lines (Volume 2)

To leave you with a bit more on Danny Ziemann, here is a clip of him performing with Chris Azzara on piano, and Chase Ellison on drums:

You can also check out Danny’s Contrabass Conversations appearance: