Rhythmic Bass Playing: Making it Fit the Musical Setting
Q: For a while, I’ve been focusing on developing a percussive finger style bass technique, in a similar style to yours. I have great fun with it when playing on my or own or looping, but whenever I try it in a band situation, it just never sounds as good. All the detail – and most of the groove –...
Truly Listening: Playing Bass with Impaired Hearing
Q: I’m an intermediate level hearing-impaired bassist who cannot identify notes or pitch or key by ear. I play songs by memory. How would I go about breaking through to the next level? A: Wow, this may be the hardest question I’ve ever had to attempt to answer. The impression that I have is that with something so outside of...
Choosing a Bass: Price, Age, Quality, and Other Questions
Q: I’d like to know the difference between a quality bass and a mediocre one. I have a 1977 Fender Precision bass I absolutely love (I paid $450.00 for it in 1976. Until this year, I thought it was a ’76 P bass, but according to the serial number it’s a ’77). I also have a 2011 Squire Vintage Modified...
Shaker Box: A Look at the Shaker Loop App
Shaker Box is a simple, yet well executed app that gives you an assortment of shakers on your iOS device. Only one shaker is included for free but the app has full functionality with no additional cost. A one time $1.99 in-app-purchase gives you access to 12 additional shakers. The sounds are very actual samples and sound great. The settings...
Musical Growth: Finding Those “Aha” Moments
Q: What were some of the breakthroughs or “aha” moments in your bass playing? Specifically, what are some of the things you’ve learned that unlocked a higher level of knowledge and technique? A: That’s an interesting question… and the answer tends to be different for everyone. Everyone learns differently and is likely to have different epiphanies and realizations come to...
Fretless Bass: A Guide for Choosing the Best Strings
Q: I’ve been wanted to get a fretless bass recently to expand my horizons, and a question that’s come up in my mind is the type of stings I’d play on fretless. Roundwounds, flatwounds, half wounds… so many to chose from and all with different pros and cons. Right now I play roundwounds. What are the pros and cons for...
SteadyTune: A Look at the Tuning App for Mac
While I typically stick to iOS apps here, I realize many of you iOS users are likely also Mac users. So I thought I’d deviate from the norm a little here and focus on a handy app I’ve discovered for the Mac. SteadyTune is as simple as it gets. When opened (I set mine to open when I start the...
Life as a Working Bassist: Where Does the Money Come From?
Q: What is the reality of how guys like you earn a living? I don’t mean to imply that you are “rolling in it,” but how do bassists who focus on freelance work actually make ends meet? A: Great question! Although I’ve talked about the various ways to make things happen in a career or in a scene, I don’t...
Sight Reading for Auditions: Tips for Bass Players
Q: I’m a bassist starting my last year in high school now. I really feel that I need to become a sight reader as quickly as possible due to an upcoming audition for the music university I wish to attend. A friend of mine did the audition and they ended up handing him some crazy bebop tune – not close...
Lines on a Fretless Bass: Is it Cheating?
Q: Is it cheating to have lines on the fretboard of a fretless bass? Also, what would be better for a first fretless: picking up a quality used instrument and de-fretting it (assuming I cant find a used fretless) or a brand new entry-level one? The only fretless basses I’ve played so far I liked was a Warwick Corvette and...
Getting the Feel: A Guide for Bass Players
Q: What’s your suggestion for someone trying to get a better feeling on where to put a “pop” on a bass line? Sometimes I want to put a pop on a slap or a pizzicato line, but I always end up putting it on the beats 2 or 4. How to develop a better feeling, to be able to place...
PercussionTutor: A Look at the Rhythm Reference App
PercussionTutor is an app I am really excited about. While it is actually designed for percussionists, the app and free ebook combine to offer a huge reference for any musician wishing to better understand rhythms and learning how the different percussion parts fit together to produce the groove. In other words, this will help you – as a bassist –...