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Columns: How Tos, Advice & Lessons for Bass Players

Learning the Song – Part 1: Breaking It Down for Performance
I Wish I Knew That

Learning the Song – Part 1: Breaking It Down for Performance

It’s time for a real life gig story. I was recently given a set list for an upcoming gig… two sets, roughly 25 tunes, mostly classic rock and soul. Glancing over the set list, I saw many tunes that I already knew, so I figured I’d be fine, right? Guess again. As it turns out, a couple of the tunes...

Playing Chords: A Guide for Bassists
Ask Damian Erskine

Playing Chords: A Guide for Bassists

Q: I recently bought a 6-string bass and started working on playing chords. How should I voice more complex chords (e.g. Gm13) using few (3 to 4) notes, while maintaining the quality of the chord? A: It is important to note a few things when doing this. Much of this is learned by doing it wrong and having someone correct...

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Audition and Performance Preparation: Recording Yourself
The Lowdown with Dr. D

Audition and Performance Preparation: Recording Yourself

One very enlightening way to prepare for an audition or performance is to record yourself prior stepping on the stage, or into the audition room. Expensive equipment is not required to gain benefit from recording yourself. Although better recording equipment means you can listen back in greater detail, the fact is that free recording software and the microphones on most...

To Effect or Not to Effect? A Discussion for Bassists
Ask Damian Erskine

To Effect or Not to Effect? A Discussion for Bassists

Q: What’s your take on effects pedals? Do you use any? A: I have been exploring many different pedals and having fun with the sonic possibilities, though I rarely use them outside of my home. My most used pedal is my reverb pedal, because I like the what it offers when playing in small group settings (a piano trio, for...

Treat Yourself to Some Inspiration
I Wish I Knew That

Treat Yourself to Some Inspiration

As artists, we are constantly on the search for one thing: inspiration. Inspiration fuels our art, influences our style, and pushes us to perfect our craft. It’s what keeps us learning bass line after bass line, way into the wee hours of the morning, and it persuades us to call one drummer over another. It also pushes us to look...

Choosing the Right Webcam in the Youtube Era
Ask Damian Erskine

Choosing the Right Webcam in the Youtube Era

Q: I am looking at starting a Youtube channel, and I was wondering what you’d suggest for a webcam solution. I’m looking for one that has good audio. Alternatively, what is the best, cheap USB interface to buy? A: As many of you may know, I could stand to focus a little attention to my production values with my own...

Bass Technique: Shifting and the Feeling of Lightness
The Lowdown with Dr. D

Bass Technique: Shifting and the Feeling of Lightness

Accurate shifting is extremely important on an upright bass. It may even be the one technique we use the most often. Most other string instruments can play a few two-octave scales without shifting, while we can play a grand total of zero, even if we “pivot.” Despite how often we must execute flawless shift, for many it is a point...

Following the Singer: A Guide to Dealing with Rhythmically Challenged Vocalists
Ask Damian Erskine

Following the Singer: A Guide to Dealing with Rhythmically Challenged Vocalists

Q: What do you recommend when you’re tasked with accompanying a seriously rhythm-challenged vocalist? I was both music director and bassist for a recent musical review, with our band backing up a variety of vocalists. Two talented singers passed the audition with their carefully prepared selections, but with new show music, we discovered some serious rhythm challenges. Personnel changes were...

Ear Training and the iTunes Game
I Wish I Knew That

Ear Training and the iTunes Game

As a musician, our greatest tool is our ears. Our job within a musical context is to listen, and quite frankly, to play notes that sound good. As a bass player, we need to be on our toes and quickly decipher the bass line and at the very least, the root notes of the chords that are being played. There...

From Groove to Changes to Soloing: Damian Erskine’s Practice Routine
Ask Damian Erskine

From Groove to Changes to Soloing: Damian Erskine’s Practice Routine

Q: You answer a lot of questions to help bassists out. But I’d like to know, what are you personally working on to improve your playing? A: I am in a constant state of flux with my practice habits. Different things bug me about my playing depending on the gigs I have one week versus the next. Lately, it has...

Better Soloing: An Introduction to Key Center Improvising
The Lowdown with Dr. D

Better Soloing: An Introduction to Key Center Improvising

There are many methods we can use to come upon satisfying note choices when improvising over a predetermined set of chord changes (i.e. a tune). One common way to approach note choice is using chord/scale theory, equating every chord to a scale. For example: A minor 7 = A dorian. It’s this approach that has people practicing all of their...

Custom Shop: Kinal Guitars
Custom Shop

Custom Shop: Kinal Guitars

With a career spanning over 40 years, Vancouver-based Mike Kinal knows a thing or two about luthiery. Trained as a cabinetmaker, Mike got into building basses early in his musical career and has since made hundreds of instruments. His basses have evolved over the years from following the pattern of large manufacturers to creating his own unique style involving exotic...