How to 'Trade Fours' and a Great Soloing Exercise!

“Trading fours” is a method of soloing in jazz where band members exchange solos, each lasting four bars. As you are only playing four bars you really need to make every note count and in this lesson I teach you a great exercise to help you do that.

Playing fours can be a lot of fun so I talk you through the process and give you a few tips on how to keep time when you stop playing to allow the drummer to have their moment to shine. Sometimes these solo breaks can get pretty intense so it’s really important you know where the beat is at all times so you can come back in cleanly and with confidence at the start of the following bar.

To lean more about jazz bass lines check out 'Creating Walking Bass Lines: A Step-by-Step Guide'.

I hope you enjoy the video lesson and If you have any tips on how to improve your bass solos or play “fours” please leave a comment below. It’s always great to hear your thoughts, questions, feedback or lesson requests.

Good luck with your practice, cheers Geoff

If you enjoyed this lesson please check out Soloing: A Step-by-Step Method for Double Bassists. 50 video lessons, 4.5+ hrs.