Play Along

Already comfortable with the basics? Study real bass lines, solos, and jazz standards while exploring the concepts behind improvisation. Develop fluency and expand your vocabulary at your own pace.

What’s Included in Play Along

$15.99

Per month

Full access to 95+ videos
Improvised bass lines and solos
Detailed bar-by-bar lesson
Slower practice version
Full transcription
New standards added regularly
Support via message
JBA Zoom meetups
15% member discount

Who Play Along Is For and How It Works

Play Along is designed for intermediate and advanced bass players who already understand basic walking bass lines and harmony and are ready to refine their musical language through real jazz standards. Study bass lines, solos, and the harmonic and melodic concepts behind them to develop fluency, strengthen your phrasing, and expand your improvisational vocabulary.

Learn from real musical examples, follow the included analysis to understand how ideas work and where they can be reused, and practice with the slower takes to refine your time feel and execution. No music reading skills are required, and new lessons on jazz standards and additional learning materials are added regularly.

How the Videos Are Structured

Lessons are structured in three parts: a complete improvised bass line and solo, a detailed bar-by-bar breakdown, and a slow practice version. Each lesson follows a complete musical process. You first hear a full improvised bass line and solo as it would be performed in a real setting with on-screen transcription. Then, you examine the material bar by bar to understand harmonic movement, substitutions, and structural decisions. Finally, you practice the material with the slower take to internalize the ideas with control.

What You Will Learn And Develop

By studying complete bass lines and solos as performed in real musical contexts, and analyzing them bar by bar, you refine your understanding of harmonic movement, melodic development, and structural decision-making within jazz standards.

More fluid and intentional walking bass construction within complete forms
Practical use of harmonic substitutions inside real repertoire
Stronger melodic development in solo construction
Greater fluency across jazz standards

The Play Along Concept

The next step, after understanding harmony, form, and a good number of standards, is learning from more experienced players and understanding the musical choices they make.

This is what Play Along offers. Learn jazz bass from real playing. Study my bass lines and bass solos on jazz standards, follow the harmonic analysis to understand how the ideas work and where they can be reused, and practice with the included slower take to refine your playing. This plan is ideal for bassists who are already comfortable performing and want to expand their vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the jazz language.

Meet Your Instructor: Gianluca Renzi

Cherokee on Electric and Upright Bass

NYC jazz bassist, arranger, and educator with international performing and teaching experience

His teaching focuses on helping students understand how harmony, walking bass lines, melodic approaches, and improvisation work together, developing the skills needed to perform confidently in real musical situations.

Learn more →

New help with the basics of Jazz?

If you’re new to jazz bass or need to refresh the fundamentals, start with Practice Room and build strong foundations in walking bass lines, harmony, and jazz improvisation through step-by-step lessons and practical examples.

Explore Practice Room Back to Courses

About

Jazz Bass Academy is an online jazz bass school founded by New York bassist and arranger Gianluca Renzi. It provides structured study paths and private lessons for upright and electric bass players, from beginners to advanced musicians.