Some of Jaco’s solo on “Havona” is so fast it’s tough to hear. Some of it runs across the instrument instead of up and down it. And some of his phrasing is so crazy that you can know the lick and still not be able to line it up with the record. I know, because that’s exactly where I got stuck.
Quick answer
One stretch of Jaco’s Havona solo is E major to C major, just two major chords, and the way he phrases one C major lick there is so crazy I couldn’t line it up with the track. Some of the solo goes across the instrument, all four strings in one line. That’s very difficult on upright and much easier on electric.
“Havona” is Jaco Pastorius’s tune, and it closes Weather Report’s Heavy Weather (1977). His solo on it is one of the greatest solos ever played. I’d never played it when I sat down to transcribe it on camera, in real time, on upright. Here’s what I found in the line itself.
E major to C major, and all that music
Here’s what gets me about one stretch of this solo. It’s E major to C major. Just two major chords.
The first phrase is a good exercise in intervals. Some of the licks after it are more pentatonic. And there’s one lick on the C major that drove me crazy. I had to remember it, and I kept forgetting it. Think about improvising something that sounds that compelling over just two major chords.
Then there’s the rhythm. The way he phrases that C major lick is so crazy that I couldn’t figure out how to line it up with the track, even once I had the notes. And it isn’t all like that. Some phrases go by so fast they’re tough to hear, and the next one can be much easier to hear. There’s more on where his phrasing comes from on my Jaco Pastorius bass lines page.
Is Havona more difficult on upright bass than on electric?
Some of this solo goes across the instrument, all four strings in one line, instead of the more linear lines we’re used to. On upright that’s very difficult. On electric bass it’s much easier, because the electric is horizontal, so gravity is on your side. On upright, it isn’t. It’s like lifting weights: some movements are a lot easier than others, and curls are the easiest kind. Not like I lift weights, obviously.
But maybe that’s part of the reason it sounds so cool.
Sometimes when something is so difficult, it has that kind of effect. It’s like, wow, how did they do that?
Cole Davis
Part of that effect comes from how difficult it is. Sometimes the tougher things are really advantageous. They make us better players.
Try this: one lick, two chords
- Pick the C major lick. It’s the one that drove me crazy. Get it in your ear before you go looking for it on the bass.
- Learn it without the track, then line it up. Expect the phrasing to fight you. Making it line up rhythmically is part of what you’re learning.
- Make it your own. Improvise on it yourself over E major to C major, so his language turns into yours.
- Play across the strings. Where a line crosses the strings, play it the way Jaco did, across the instrument. Lines like that are a really good way to get good at the instrument.
My full process, from singing the solo to getting it up to speed, is in how to transcribe bass by ear.
What’s in the transcription
The full transcription is the Havona solo written out in a PDF. With it you get the 47-minute session where I transcribe the solo in real time on upright, start to finish. It really is real time. There’s a stretch where I’m talking to stall for time because I can’t play it yet, and a point where I tell you to feel free to fast forward.
Put on Heavy Weather, find that C major lick, and see how long it takes you to line it up.
Go deeper
Jaco Pastorius: Havona, Transcribed in Real Time
Watch me transcribe Jaco’s solo on Havona from scratch, in real time, on upright, plus the finished transcription.
FAQ
What album is Havona on?
Weather Report’s Heavy Weather, from 1977. “Havona” is Jaco Pastorius’s tune and it closes the album. Heavy Weather is probably my third favorite album of all time.
How do you start transcribing the Havona solo?
Make sure you can sing it first. I’m not a singer, so I’m approximating it with my voice, but I can sing most of it because I’ve listened to it so many times. Once it’s in my ear to the point that I can sing it, I translate it on the instrument.
Can you play Havona on upright bass?
Yes, and I transcribe the solo on upright. Some of it goes across all four strings in one line, which is very difficult on upright. On electric it’s much easier, because the electric is horizontal and gravity is on your side. Maybe that’s part of the reason it sounds so cool.
How long does it take to transcribe Havona?
The session in the video runs about 47 minutes, start to finish, and near the end I still couldn’t line up that C major lick with the track. I’m probably going to spend the rest of the day shedding it.
