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Brian Wroten

Brian Wroten

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Bass Transcription: Ben Shepherd’s Bass Line on Soundgarden’s “Pretty Noose”
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Bass Transcription: Ben Shepherd’s Bass Line on Soundgarden’s “Pretty Noose”

The unfortunate passing of Chris Cornell is a devastating loss for music. It is especially poignant for those of us that grew up listening to grunge music in the ’90s and 2000s. “Pretty Noose”, the first track from Soundgarden’s Down On The Upside, is a personal favorite of mine. On this track, Ben Shepherd performs a bass line that consists...

Bass Transcription: Dee Murray’s Bass Line on Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas”
Transcriptions

Bass Transcription: Dee Murray’s Bass Line on Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas”

Dee Murray is a giant of the bass guitar many people do not rate as being among the best of all time, but I certainly do. His playing on the holiday single “Step Into Christmas” by Elton John is nothing short of impressive as he finds many inventive ways to make very simple chord changes sound exciting and new. After...

Bass Transcription: Mick Taylor’s Bass Line on The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice”
Transcriptions

Bass Transcription: Mick Taylor’s Bass Line on The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice”

Every bassist has been in situations where they have had to hold down a one-chord or repeating bass line ostinato for long periods of time or an entire song. It can be challenging to approach these mind-numbing repetitive songs and keep it interesting while not overplaying. Many Rolling Stones’ songs feature verse sections, such as this, that consist of only...

Bass Transcription: Dee Murray’s Bass Line on Elton John’s “Amoreena”
Transcriptions

Bass Transcription: Dee Murray’s Bass Line on Elton John’s “Amoreena”

“Amoreena” was Dee Murray’s first recording collaboration with Elton John, and from analyzing the transcription of his playing on this tune, it’s not hard to see why John and Murray had such a prolific career working together. Many different bassline approaches are employed to great affect in this song. The form of the bassline as a whole also demonstrates good...

Bass Transcription: Bob West’s Bass Line on Odetta’s “Hit or Miss”
Transcriptions

Bass Transcription: Bob West’s Bass Line on Odetta’s “Hit or Miss”

Something I notice when listening to inexperienced bassists is that they often tend to line up all of their technical ideas, one after another, when creating a bass line. It’s similar to a chef using all their spices to make just one dish. Most of us will learn with experience that less is not only more but you can reinvent...

Bass Transcription: Scotty Edwards’s Bass Line on Hall & Oates’s “Rich Girl”
Transcriptions

Bass Transcription: Scotty Edwards’s Bass Line on Hall & Oates’s “Rich Girl”

Often as bassists, we become so concerned with notes, rhythm, and locking in with our drummer that we forget the other important aspects of groove that can impact the listener equally as much. Articulation contributes greatly to groove and expression and can be employed to create contrast, add texture, and propel a song forward. I chose the example of Scotty...