82 BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 4 ; bassmagazine.com
something else. As I start to write stuff on the
bass, I’ll put that into the sequence, too, and
hear how it sounds.”
The track unfolds with rhythmic synth-
stabs and light percussion, bolstered in bar
7 by West’s authoritative low C. The song
kicks into gear at letter A, as Andy unboxes
a flowing, 16th-based line that subtly outlines
a Cm7 sound (C, Eb, G, Bb ) over the synths’
prevailing C minor substructure. (The Gram-
my-nominated West refers to this section as
“verse A.”) The first harmonic change comes
at B, a seven-bar subsection that Andy calls
“verse B.” Here, he grounds the initial IV
chord (Fm) in bar 24 with a strong root note,
before constructing a staggered, arching line,
fashioned around the chord tones of Fm and
Bb 7 (hinting at a possible II–V–I progression
in Eb major that never materializes). Letters
C and D are gently refigured versions of A
and B, leading — via a slightly tricky segue
in bar 50 — to the first of two piano-centered
interludes (letter E).
Explains Andy: “The piano player is a guy
called Steve Kaplan, who died tragically in his40s. He had played on some of the songs with
Craig, and his recorded MIDI parts became
the genesis for the whole thing.” (The album
is dedicated to Kaplan’s memory.) During
this section (E), West dials his part down
to match the half-time feel of the drums,
employing more eighth-notes and initially
cutting back on syncopation. Note how he
harmonically enlivens the piano’s simple tri-
adic chords to great effect, such as in bar 51,
where he superimposes an Fm6 vibe over the
Gm keyboard chord. Dig also the introduc-
tion of chromaticism in bars 53–54, an idea
he develops later.
Letters F and G revisit “verses A and B,”
heralding in a finger-twisting chromatic sec-
tion (H) that brazenly stretches the underly-
ing Cm harmony. “That was a tricky section
to do. I wanted it to warp sonically and pitch-
wise, but I didn’t want it to be too dissonant.
Being in the Dregs for so many years, I guess
I’ve just been imbued with [guitarist] Steve
Morse’s chromatic style.” A further reitera-
tion of “verse B” (letter I) steers proceedings
toward a second piano-centered interlude at
J. Although bars 99–106 use the same chords
as the first interlude (E), observe how West
reinvents his line through changes in pacing
and note choice, tempering his part to match
the mood of the developing piano lines; the
low pedal C under the Ab–Gb–Ab chords in
bars 107–109 is particularly noteworthy.
Harmonically, K and L are akin to pre-
vious “verses,” but again, West conjures a
fresh approach (note the deliberate lack of
16ths) that helps build anticipation as the
song heads toward the conclusion. As we
swing into M, the outro, Andy puts his foot to
the floor, subtly recasting previous material
to create a series of rising-and-falling 16th-
based phrases, ultimately driving the song
to a juddering climax in bars 163–165. “That
ending was very intentional. I wanted it to
feel like a machine was running out of gas or
something, but not in a bad way. I didn’t just
wing it; I had a conscious idea of what I want-
ed it to be.”
Today, Andy has a renewed zest for mu-
sic. “I feel like I know how to do three dif-Andy West Transcription
TAB NOTES
A
ndy West recorded his bass part for “Zen Walk” section by
section via a series of punch-ins. Therefore, the suggested
fingerings, especially between sections, may not feel entirely
natural as you work your way through the track. Bear in mind
that the tab — notated with an eye on minimizing left-hand
fatigue due to the stretches involved —represents merely one
possible way to play the song; feel free to find your own al-
ternatives. For the intrepid among you, try starting from let-
ter A with your 1st finger at the 3rd fret; it’s possible to play
most of the song in this position with only a few shifts, if your
left hand can take the strain. Observes West: “I never actual-
ly played ‘Zen Walk’ all the way through, top to bottom. My
‘normal’ fingering is to avoid open strings, but if I was to do
that song live, I’d probably use a lot of 1st-position fingering.
Normally, I’d use fingers one, two, and four when playing Bb–
C–D on the A string, for example. But for this piece, it’s a lot
easier to play that using the open D string.”