Buzz
Health & Fitness for The Working Bassist – Part 3: Warm Up & Exercise Tips
Bass Playing as a Sport Approaching the bass in the same manner athletes approach their chosen field of endeavor will pay dividends in stamina, injury reduction, and improved playing. Just as an athlete trains for an event in which they have to perform at their best, bassists practice, rehearse, and gig for hours at a time, frequently paying little or...
Imelda May: Johnny’s Got A Boom Boom
Mike Reilly shares this video with some rockin’ bass by Al Gare. Mike said, “Saw this video from my favorite group and the bass line is amazing, thought you guys might like it.” A song about the bass? We love it. Thanks, Mike.
Eric Clapton Bass Play-Along
Hal Leonard’s latest addition to their Bass Play-Along series features the music of Eric Clapton. Eric Clapton – Bass Play-Along Volume 29 includes eight Clapton tunes, mostly from his solo albums and one by Derek and the Dominos. The Bass Play-Along series contains standard notation and tab, as well as the melody and lyrics for each song. An accompanying audio...
Kaces Releases Razor Series Pedal Board Bag
Kaces has introduced a new Pedal Board Bag to their Razor series of instrument carriers. The case doubles as a bag for your effects pedals and performance-ready pedal board with a non-slip bottom. Featuring a reinforced and padded ballistic polyester exterior, the KXPB Razor series pedal board bag’s padded lid reveals the main compartment that the company explains is large...
Playing By Yourself: A Guide to Inspirational Practice Routines
Q: I have a hard time remaining interested when I try and practice at home by myself. I have no problem finding inspiration when playing with others, but I quickly get bored and want to stop playing when I’m home alone. Have any tips? A: I think this is a common issue. Many of us are “reactive players”. We need...
Metallica: Orion, Live
Orion, the seventh track from Metallica’s iconic Master of Puppets album, is a song known to almost every metal bassist. Penned in part and played by the legendary Cliff Burton, the group never played it live until the mid-2000’s. Here, Robert Trujillo and the gang rip through the instrumental tune in Seoul, South Korea in 2006.
Billy Gould Announces Album with Fear and the Nervous System
Faith No More bassist Billy Gould has teamed up with Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer to form the supergroup side project Fear and the Nervous System. The band, which also includes Repeater vocalist Steve Krolikowski, Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, guitarist Leopold Ross and keyboardist Zach Baird, has a sound blend of rock and metal styles that they describe as “harkening...
Reader Spotlight: Emily Madison
Meet Emily Madison (aka “Goldilocks”), a bassist from Kansas City, MO and our player in the spotlight for July 5, 2011. Bio: I grew up in Lincoln, NE, always loved music of any kind as my parents and older brothers were very into music from Motown, to Classical, Jazz and Punk and anything else. I started playing piano and violin...
Tips for Purchasing Vintage Ampeg SVT Gear
Esteban St. James of Von Saint Design sent us his third installment of a 4-part series on vintage Ampeg SVT gear. Here, Esteban walks through the things to look for when purchasing the classic equipment, including the tubes, transformers, and tech work performed on it. For info on understanding the vintage SVT sound and dating your gear, check out the...
Question of the Week: Did you attend a music school?
Did you attend a music school? Answer below in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
Bass Day 2007: Linley Marthe Live
Artie Rodriguez shared this video with us, saying “Amazing technique AND killer groove.” This is Linley Marthe doing his thing at Bass Day 2007. Alexey Samarin is on keys, Vartan Babayan on percussion and Petr Ivshin on drums.
HeadCat Releases Walk the Walk… Talk the Talk
HeadCat, featuring Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom and guitarist Danny B. Harvey, has released a new album entitled Walk the Walk… Talk the Talk. The 12-track album includes rockabilly and blues classics that the group explains is “how Rock and Roll is supposed to sound.” The rockabilly supergroup formed after each of the members contributed...