Skip to main content

Archive for May 2016

Reader Spotlight: Kurt Skrivseth
Reader Spotlight

Reader Spotlight: Kurt Skrivseth

Meet Kurt Skrivseth a multi-instrumentalist who plays bass and guitar in the band Pale People. Kurt has overcome some pretty amazing physical challenges with playing bass, as you’ll see in this story… Bio: I’m a 27 year old bassist from Montana. I’ve played in numerous local bands, big bands, jazz combos, cover bands, corporate gigs and musical theater productions. Shortly...

Talking Style: Flavoring the 3:2 Clave
Talking Style

Talking Style: Flavoring the 3:2 Clave

In this episode, we’ll continue to explore the Afro-Caribbean influence on the music that we know as Rock and Roll and R&B. I’m going to show you just a few ways that I use note length and some other “flavor packets” to spice up the 3:2 Clave and give it my own style and personality.  I’ve included some transcriptions of...

Christian McBride: Berklee Bass Department Clinic
Bass Videos

Christian McBride: Berklee Bass Department Clinic

Today is Christian McBride‘s birthday, and he’s giving us a gift. In this video, Christian plays (with Berklee Bass Chair Steve Bailey) and shares some tips on intonation during a clinic. Happy birthday, Christian!

Two Full 1970 Shows from Frank Zappa Released in “Road Tapes” Series
New Albums

Two Full 1970 Shows from Frank Zappa Released in “Road Tapes” Series

Not many full shows from Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention are available from mid-1970, making the Road Tapes, Venue #3 package a special one. The set includes two complete July 5, 1970 shows from Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, Jeff Simmons handled bass for the Mothers, which also included Flo & Eddie, George Duke,...

Bass of the Week: Jersey Girls Goose Bordeaux
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Jersey Girls Goose Bordeaux

This week we’re checking out a Goose bass by Jersey Girls Homemade Guitars. This particular bass – built by the team of luthiers Kaz G, Akiko Oda and Eiko Goto – is called the Bordeaux for the lovely wine colored finish over its light ash body. Its hard maple neck is topped by a fingerboard made from Karin, also known...

Working with Printed Transcriptions
The Lowdown with Dr. D

Working with Printed Transcriptions

Studying transcriptions of masterful performances can provide a wealth of learning material for a musician. Musically speaking, we will gain the most by completing our own transcriptions, entirely by ear, of course. However, there is still a great deal to be gained by working from published transcriptions by other musicians, provided we approach them in the right way. Certainly there...

Ben Titus: Looping Bass Arrangement of “Radioactive”
Bass Videos

Ben Titus: Looping Bass Arrangement of “Radioactive”

Bassist Ben Titus sent in this awesome looping arrangement of the Imagine Dragons hit “Radioactive”, and I’m glad he did. He gets a gorgeous tone from his six-string and creates a perfect pad with his chord voicings.

In Memoriam: Marshall “Rock” Jones
In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Marshall “Rock” Jones

Sad news to report today: Ohio Players bassist Marshall “Rock” Jones has passed away after battling cancer and recently suffering a stroke. He was 75 years old. Jones was a founding member of the Ohio Players precursor band The Ohio Untouchables in 1959, though he left after getting in a fistfight 1964. Another shakeup led to Jones rejoining in 1970....

Weekly Top 10: Robert “Bubby” Lewis Bass Gear Contest, Talking Technique, Top Bass Videos, Lessons and More
Weekly Top 10

Weekly Top 10: Robert “Bubby” Lewis Bass Gear Contest, Talking Technique, Top Bass Videos, Lessons and More

This week’s top 10 reader favorite list features a lot to be excited about from the world of bass. Here are the top 10 most read stories, most watched videos and more for the week of May 21-27, 2016. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Contest: Win a Robert “Bubby” Lewis Bass Gear Prize Pack from Gallien-Krueger, MTD,...

Cog Effects Introduces Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrive Pedals
Pedals & Effects

Cog Effects Introduces Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrive Pedals

Cog Effects has discontinued their Knightfall pedal to create two new stompbox offerings: the Knightfall 66 and Mini 66 Overdrives. Each pedal is built one at a time with true bypass switching, engraved aluminium enclosure and no PCB-mounted jacks. The Knightfall 66 has two Gain knobs with an A/B footswitch so users can have two different drives dialed in. Both...

Los Kamikazes: Nuevo Planeta
Bass Videos

Los Kamikazes: Nuevo Planeta

Here’s a brand new video featuring some seriously great bass by Fernando Lamadrid. Fernando wrote this tune, which was arranged by Los Kamikazes – the band in this video. Holy smokes.

Tiger Army Enlists Nashville Bassist Extraordinaire for Latest Album
New Albums

Tiger Army Enlists Nashville Bassist Extraordinaire for Latest Album

Psychobilly band Tiger Army is sporting some serious bass cred. The group’s new album, V •••, features the work of Nashville bassist Dave Roe (Johnny Cash, Sturgill Simpson, Dwight Yoakam, Vince Gill, Loretta Lynn and a host of others). It’s the band’s first studio effort since 2007’s Music from Regions Beyond. The group also added one of the world’s best...