This article is written by Toru Hoshino, a jazz bassist and instructor based in Japan who teaches online lessons to students worldwide. In this article, he breaks down seven things he kept in mind while improvising a bass solo over the chord progression of “Fly Me to the Moon.”
This article is for:
- Bassists who aren’t sure how to actually structure an improvised solo
- Bassists who want fresh ideas for their improvised solos
- Bassists who are just getting started with jazz bass
Contents
Soloing Over “Fly Me to the Moon” (Performance)
Here’s the performance — give it a watch first.
What I Kept in Mind While Soloing
Here’s what I was focused on while building this solo:
- Not overcrowding the phrase with notes
- Working in triplets deliberately
- Leaning on chord tones with intention
- A go-to dominant phrase
- A Paul Chambers–style phrase
- Quoting the melody
- Closing it out with a walking bass line
1. Not Overcrowding the Phrase with Notes
In the A section (bars 1–8), I deliberately used a lot of rests and long tones, keeping the note density low right from the start.
If you cram in too many phrases right out of the gate, you tend to run out of ideas later on, and the solo as a whole ends up sounding flat with no dynamic shape.
So here, I deliberately kept the early note count low, to build in some light-and-shade across the whole solo.
2. Working in Triplets Deliberately
In bar 2 of the B section, I deliberately worked in an eighth-note triplet rhythm.
Triplets can feel a bit awkward fingering-wise at first, but a solo built only out of quarter notes and eighth notes tends to feel flat no matter what.
Adding triplets brings rhythmic ups and downs and real groove to a phrase, making for a much more memorable solo. I’d really encourage working them in deliberately.
3. Leaning on Chord Tones with Intention
In bars 1–4 of the A section (second time through), I set a chord tone — the root, 3rd, or 5th — on the first beat of every bar, and built each phrase so it moves toward that target note.
Doing this gives your improvisation a natural, “singing” quality. That said, staying constantly aware of chord tones throughout a performance isn’t easy.
4. A Go-To Dominant Phrase
In bar 4 of the C section, I used a stock phrase built on a dominant motion.
Specifically, over the A7 → Dm7 movement, I used C# (the major 3rd of A7) and B♭ (the altered ♭9 tension) to create that unmistakably “jazz” sound.
Phrases like this — the “go-to” ones — are a powerful weapon for instantly adding a jazz flavor to your playing.
5. A Paul Chambers–Style Phrase
In bar 5 of the A section (second time through), I took on a phrase combining triplets with wide leaps.
This phrase draws on one I picked up from jazz bass legend Paul Chambers, from his playing on his landmark album “Visitation.” It’s on the harder side, but it’s the kind of thing that genuinely pays off once you’ve got it under your fingers.
6. Quoting the Melody
In bars 5–7 of the A section (second time through), I quoted part of the tune’s actual melody.
Quoting the theme like this is a common technique, not just in jazz but in rock solos too. It makes the “oh, that’s the tune!” connection click for the listener and brings a sense of familiarity and unity to the performance.
Keeping the melody in your back pocket is a genuinely powerful tool when you’re building an improvised solo.
7. Closing It Out with a Walking Bass Line
In bars 7–8 of the C section in the second chorus, I switched into a walking bass line right from the top of bar 31, signaling clearly to the listener that the solo is wrapping up.
This approach gets used constantly at real sessions — it also makes it much easier for the next soloist to come in cleanly. It’s a closing technique well worth keeping in your back pocket.
Building a solo with this much intentional structure takes time to internalize — having someone point out exactly which of these seven elements is missing from your own playing is where a teacher’s feedback speeds things up enormously.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.