Buzz

This lesson is derived from Jon Burr’s The Untold Secret to Melodic Bass. Be sure to check out the complete method book in downloadable PDF, Kindle Book and the all-new paperback formats. So far we’ve covered Anchors and Pivots in previous columns. Roots and fifths – the bread-and-butter of the working bassist. Now we start to get into the really...

The California Chronicle has posted a feature piece on bassist Les Claypool. The piece explores Claypool’s dark sense of humor, the formation of Primus, how he chose to play bass, the zen of tractor riding and his new work with Mike Dillon, Paulo Baldi and Sam Bass. The best quote by far is: “Some people do yoga. Some people run....

There have been many videos circulating of bassist Tal Wilkenfeld with Jeff Beck, and we’ve covered a few. This one, a live performance of “Big Block” during the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago might just be our favorite:

Q: Do you have any tools that you use specifically for practicing? A: The most useful tool I have at my home studio (for practicing and writing) is my Looper! I use the Boss RC-20 Loopstation (but may have to upgrade this year… it’s seen some abuse and is starting to die.. which has made me hyper-aware of how useful...

Ernie Ball is unveiling Ernie Ball Coated Slinkys, their newest addition of Slinky line strings, at this years summer NAMM show in Nashville. A micro-thin layer of enamel coating is applied to the strings to prevent decay and corrosion, according to a company press release. The strings will be available in all of the Slinky line bass set gauges. For...

In celebration of Woodstock’s 40th anniversary this summer, Sony Legacy is releasing The Woodstock Experience, a collection of double CD sets from a variety of bands who performed at the landmark festival. Each set includes the band’s 1969 album on one disc, and their complete festival performance on the other. This is the first time the complete concert recordings are...

In a recent interview with the Seattle Times, Death Cab for Cutie bassist Nick Harmer reminisces about the band’s humble beginning and the years that have gone by since then. From the band “playing for five bucks” and selling $3.00 tapes at shows way back when to playing the Hollywood Bowl this weekend, Harmer has been through it all. Harmer...

Happy Fourth

As we celebrate Independence Day today in the U.S., we decided to look around for videos of Jaco Pastorius performing his landmark arrangement of “America The Beautiful”, aka “Amerika”. Along the way, we discovered this gem by bassist Neftali López: Have a safe and happy Fourth!

Check out Tom Kennedy taking care of business on “The Chicken”, a song most people think was written by Jaco Pastorius. (It was written by Pee Wee Ellis, a member of James Brown’s band, though Jaco made it famous). Holy smokes!

Burgera has released what they claim is “the most powerful bass amplifier in the world.” The 3600 Watt (no, that’s not a typo) bi-amping stereo bass amp has been named The Nuke and boasts the following features: Extremely powerful 3,600-Watt true bi-amping stereo bass amplifier Ultra-flexible 2×1,800-Watt stereo or 3,600-Watt bridged mode Integrated Crossover with dedicated Frequency and Balance controls...

A dedicated fan took it upon himself to restore the headstone of bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe was the bass player for the Beatles in the early 1960’s. Sutcliffe’s headstone had fallen into disrepair at Huyton cemetery in Liverpool, so Colin Unwin, a dedicated 61-year-old fan not only restored the stone, he also repainted all the lettering in gold.

Professionalism: Making Your Mark in the Local Gig Scene

Q: I am moving to LA soon and wanted to know if you had any advice for me in regards to making my mark in the local scene and trying to score some gigs? A: Great question. I’ll break it up into a few parts. As far as very tangible steps to take: Hit up every jam session you can...