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Bass Lessons

Why Bass Players Love The Key Of E
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Why Bass Players Love The Key Of E

This bass lesson is here to get you working through the key of E. We’ll dig into two-octave E Major and E minor scales so that you can feel confident working through the most comfortable key on the bass.

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Adding Dead Notes To A Walking Bass Line
Keep It Groovy

Adding Dead Notes To A Walking Bass Line

In this lesson, we’ll explore ways to add some rhythmic panache to our walking bass lines. One great way to do that is with dead notes!

Exploring the Warwick RockStar Star Bass
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Exploring the Warwick RockStar Star Bass

We’re keeping it groovy today by checking out the Warwick RockBass Star Bass. It’s a medium scale, semi-hollow body instrument with a unique tonal range.

Blues Bass Lines: “She Caught The Katy” by Taj Mahal
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Blues Bass Lines: “She Caught The Katy” by Taj Mahal

This lesson adds a new song to your blues repertoire, but don’t worry, it’s not another 12-bar. “She Caught The Katy” by Taj Mahal is simply a great tune with a funky bass line. We’ll dig into the chord progression, work through the different sections of the song, and get you playing in no time.

Talking Technique: Breaking Down the Bass Line on “Lost My Treble Long Ago”
Talking Technique

Talking Technique: Breaking Down the Bass Line on “Lost My Treble Long Ago”

In this 75th episode of Talking Technique, we’ll break down the epic Joe Dart bass line to “Lost my Treble Long Ago.” This tune has some cool dead notes, trills, and more.

How To Play A Blues Shuffle: Practicing Along To Drum Backing Tracks
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How To Play A Blues Shuffle: Practicing Along To Drum Backing Tracks

In this Keep It Groovy bass lesson, Ryan Madora walks us through how to play a blues shuffle by practicing along to drum backing tracks.

Play Bass Like Duck Dunn: “Down In The Valley” by Otis Redding
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Play Bass Like Duck Dunn: “Down In The Valley” by Otis Redding

In this lesson, we do our best Duck Dunn impression and learn the bass line to the Otis Redding classic, “Down In The Valley.”

Easy Country Bass: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
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Easy Country Bass: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton

In this lesson, we’ll keep it groovy with a classic country bass line. We’re featuring “Jolene” by Dolly Parton and how this relatively easy bass line still requires us to be aware of many musical concepts.

Talking Technique: Walk This Way To Great Bass Technique
Talking Technique

Talking Technique: Walk This Way To Great Bass Technique

The chorus of “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith features a cool pentatonic riff with slides that we can build on for cool-sounding variations. Buckle up for fretboard fitness, finger acrobatics, and rocking riffs!

Easy Music Theory: Major and Minor Triads In 3 Positions
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Easy Music Theory: Major and Minor Triads In 3 Positions

This is a serious bass lesson. We’re digging into triads… different positions, using our pinky, major and minor shapes, the whole shebang!

Learn 3 Soul Bass Lines For The Price Of 1
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Learn 3 Soul Bass Lines For The Price Of 1

In this lesson, we’ll explore the world of Soul and R&B bass lines and how major triads are used to create memorable parts. Bass players, including Duck Dunn, David Hood and more have used this approach to write iconic bass lines for songs we know and love.

Learn How To Play The Bass Line To “How Sweet It Is”
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Learn How To Play The Bass Line To “How Sweet It Is”

Let’s dig into one of the truly great James Jamerson bass lines, the Motown classic “How Sweet It Is” by Marvin Gaye. This lesson will string together descending arpeggios, the blues box pattern, and root-fifth movement.