Skip to main content
Thomas “MarloweDK” Risell

Thomas “MarloweDK” Risell

Bass Lessons

Thomas Risell, otherwise known as “MarloweDK” on Youtube, is a bassist and music educator from Denmark. His main claim to fame is his online video bass lessons on many crucial techniques of modern bass playing: slapping, fingerstyle, pick-style, and putting theory into practical use. He regularly plays gigs with local acts and is working at making his online bass lessons a full-time job, through PlayBassNow.com.

Connect with Thomas:


Latest from Thomas:

Bass Lick Series: A7 Bass Line with Harmonics (and More)
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: A7 Bass Line with Harmonics (and More)

In this new bass lick lesson, we’re going to combine harmonics and double stops with a Mixolydian scale fill. First, I’ll play it at full tempo, then around the 1-minute mark, I cover it slowly for you to follow along. Be sure to grab the backing drum track for playing along at full speed.

Bass Lick Series: Cool Bluesy Bass Line with Fills in G
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Cool Bluesy Bass Line with Fills in G

Here’s a new lick lesson for you, using a good fingering exercise with a Major Pentatonic scale. This is also great for practicing slides and hammer-ons. The fills are mostly Pentatonic, with added flat 3rd (B?) and flat 7th (F). The backing track is a one chord (G7) vamp, but you can transpose it and use it in many blues...

Bass Lick Series: A7?9 Chord Bass Groove with Legato Fill
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: A7?9 Chord Bass Groove with Legato Fill

The A7?9 chord (referred to by some as the “Jimi Hendrix” chord) is a useful chord to know since you can play both the minor and Major pentatonic over it. Here’s a groove using mostly a minor pentatonic fill in the end, with lots slides, hammerons and pullofs so we get a fluid motion. For the gear heads, I’m playing...

Bass Lick Series: Funky Bass Breakdown in E
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Funky Bass Breakdown in E

Here’s another lick to add to your bag of tricks. Once again, I’m using open strings as described in past lessons. This one is a groovy bass line you can play over a E7, E9 or E13 chord using the Em dorian scale with the Major 3rd added (G#). Omit the G# and use it over a minor chord/key. Follow...

Fast Fretboard Position Shifting on Bass
Bass Lessons

Fast Fretboard Position Shifting on Bass

Here’s a lesson I’d consider more beginner/intermediate-level, but it is a great refresher for all of us. Many times, we have to play a line which requires some quick shifting along the fretboard. Here’s a simple exercise for fast position shifts. Follow along with the video.

Bass Lick Series: Funky Fingerstyle Bass Groove in Dm
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Funky Fingerstyle Bass Groove in Dm

Time to add another lick lesson to the series. This time around, our focus is on this funky fingerstyle bass groove, which is in the key of Dm or D7, using mostly the D minor Dorian scale with chromatic connecting notes. This lick also relies heavily on open strings, for fast note doubling (D on open string to D on...

Bass Lick Series: Gospel-Style Bass Groove
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Gospel-Style Bass Groove

Last time, we got down and dirty with a overdrive-charged rock bass groove. This time around, we’re going to get a bit more funky with a modern Gospel-style lick, complete with all the slurs and slides. This groove is based on B minor Aolian, which is a great key and mode for this setting, especially on a 5-string bass, which...

Bass Lick Series: Rock Bass with Overdrive
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Rock Bass with Overdrive

If you’re looking to rock it out on bass, using an overdrive pedal can really help achieve that edge you need. In this lick lesson, I’m pretty much playing the same bass line repeatedly, but with different note lengths in the different sections: short note duration for verses, and long not duration for the chorus. This lick is in the...

Fretboard Exercise: C Major Triad Reggae Groove
Bass Lessons

Fretboard Exercise: C Major Triad Reggae Groove

As bassists, it is important that we know our chords and arpeggios. Coupled with that is the importance of knowing the entire fretboard. In this exercise, we’ll play only three notes – the C Major triad. To make it fun, I’ve set it up as a reggae-style groove. As you’ll see in the video below, I cover the entire fretboard...

Bass Lick Series: Funky Fingerstyle Bass Groove
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Funky Fingerstyle Bass Groove

Changing things up a bit this time around with a funky 5-string bass groove (which can also be played on a 4-string). The fill is based on the Em Dorian scale (E F? G A B C? D) and uses the open strings for a doubling effect. The doubling effect is something we’ve tried before (see: Soul/Funk Fingerstyle Bass Groove...

Covering All the Keys Using a Cool Minor Bass Lick (And Having Fun)
Bass Lessons

Covering All the Keys Using a Cool Minor Bass Lick (And Having Fun)

We’re taking a bit of a detour from our regular bass lick series lessons to work on moving around the fretboard and playing a line through all the keys. In this lesson, we’re going to start with a lick in A minor, and work through the cycle of fifths. Each key lasts four bars each. Follow along in the video,...

Bass Lick Series: Getting Funky with an Envelope Filter
Bass Lick Series

Bass Lick Series: Getting Funky with an Envelope Filter

Using an envelope filter effect can make a funky bass line sound even funkier. This lick is in Em with a fill based on an Em pentatonic scale motif. It uses pretty much only the top two strings on the bass. Follow along with the video and this transcription. For the gear heads, I’m playing my Sandberg California MarloweDK Signature...