Damian Erskine
Damian is known for his ability to fit into any musical situation, his extraordinary reading and improvising skills as well as being an educator and columnist. He has played in the studio or on the stage with the likes of Peter Erskine, The Jaco Pastorius Big Band (featuring Richard Bona, Peter Erskine & Damian Erskine), Teri-Lynn Carrington, Gino Vannelli, John Ellis, Shawn Pelton, Sveti w/ Marko Djordjevic, Luis Conte, Brandon Ross, Les McCann, Jeff Lorber, Vardan Ovsepian, Charmaine Neville, Jessy J, Tony Furtado and many others as well as being featured on the GospelChops.com "Shed Sessionz Vol. 1" DVD. Whether playing as a sideman or with his own group, he is known for his rock solid bass work, virtuosic solos and thoughtful chordal abilities.
Damian is an adjunct professor at both Portland State University and Marylhurst University in Portland, Oregon and has also appeared as an instructor at Gerald Veasley's Bass Bootcamp, the National Guitar Workshop as well as the Berklee College of Music's Guitar Week.
Articles by Damian Erskine:
The Bass Solo: A Guide to Soloing More Freely
Photo by P.B. Photography Q: I am at a stage with playing jazz where I feel confident playing bass lines, such as walking through challenging pieces. Given time to learn the chord sequence, I am pretty confident at playing solos over the top of backing tracks and grooves. My problem is that when playing with...continue reading »
SmartMusic: A Look at the New Music Education App
SmartMusic’s website is already a fantastic resource for students and educators, and they’ve recently started to expand their software to the iPad. If you already have a Smartmusic account, you can use that login to gain instant access to the full library available to you as if you were operating through the web portal. Future...continue reading »
Performing Live: Memorization vs. Reading vs. Improvisation
Photo by istolethetv Q: I’m not a professional musician, but lately I’ve been performing a lot more often. I play both upright bass and bass guitar, and I like to play just about any style of music: pop, funk, folk, jazz. These two things have made me somewhat “in demand” in part-timers’ circles and has...continue reading »
Right Hand Technique for Bassists: Expanding Your Finger Patterns
Q: How do I improve my playing by using the three-finger technique and yet maintain the groove with my thumb? A: Something I’ve come across with many students is a preconception of how they want to use their thumb. With some students, this has actually stood as an obstacle to their growth. I think this...continue reading »
insTuner: A Look at the Chromatic Tuner for iOS
For quite some time, my go-to tuner app for iOS has been ClearTune (see my earlier review). So when I was asked to check out insTuner, I figured that if nothing else, I would be able to write a review about it. As it turns out, I’m switching iOS tuners. insTuner is a fantastically pleasing...continue reading »
Consistency: From the Practice Shed to the Bandstand
Photo by kmlz Q: I seem to have an issue with consistency. I seem to be able to pull certain licks and lines together when practicing, but it always falls apart when I’m actually playing with the band. Any tricks to develop consistency? A: Tricks? No. But I do have some thoughts. 1. Context I...continue reading »
Instinct vs. Learning: Ideas for Musical Growth
Q: I’ve been learning to play the bass for about a year now, and I have a concern: I am a very instinctual bassist. I tried playing guitar when I was younger, but didn’t connect. I took to the bass right away. I “hear” a groove in my head, and I’m able to reproduce it...continue reading »
Jazz ScaleHelper: A Look at the Scale Analysis and Study App for iOS and Android
Jazz ScaleHelper is, at it’s essence, a discerning ear. The app listens to you play your scales and arpeggios and gives you feedback on what you just played, as well as a grade. It judges your note stability, intonation, time and shows you how many notes per minute you played. The app’s analysis screen presents...continue reading »
Do I Really Need to Go To Music School?
Q:I’m a bass player from Mexico and I am currently studying in Paris and looking for some gigs. I am a little overwhelmed right now by school, which is a jazz-oriented school. I like jazz, but I feel a little forced to learn licks and that stuff. I’m not saying I’m the greatest bass player...continue reading »
Bass Ramps: The How and Why
Photo: Shuker Singlecut Elite Q: I see a lot of people talking about the use of bass ramps. I see that’s it’s basically a piece of wood in between the pickups, but I’m not sure what the benefits are. Also, how do you make one? A: A ramp (or finger ramp) was created out of...continue reading »
The Bass Solo: A Guide to Soloing More Freely 
Fabienne Gilbert: Come On Come Over 
Nikki Sixx Selling Stage-Played Basses from Motley Crue Concerts 
Capturing Your Ideas: Transform Your Musical Inspiration into Reality 
Eric Avery Quits Nine Inch Nails 
NHØP: Autumn Leaves 
Funk Bros: Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart 
Ibanez Introduces Mike D'Antonio MDB3 Signature Bass 
Andrea Lombardini: By This River 
