Bass Lessons - Page 32

One of the important aspects of playing bass is your ability to groove. In this new lesson, I’ll offer up some beginner-level concepts to help you start down the path. We’ll explore keeping time and using percussive an ghost notes to make the lines come to life… the recipe for getting people out of their seats and dancing. Follow along...

Continuing our bass groove lesson series, here’s a cool (and relaxed) groove and exercise for you. In this groove, we’re employing double stops with one of the most common shapes: Major 10th, root note, and a Major 3rd (an octave above). Follow along with the video and this lesson transcription (PDF download). For the gear heads, I’m playing my Sandberg...

Just as I was wondering which piece to select for this month’s transcription, along comes this killer track from super-talented bassist Fernando Lamadrid and drummer Rick Arencibia. This one has it all: harmonic-laden odd-time grooves, funky slap lines, chordal work and several jaw-dropping solos. Perfect! Download the transcription (PDF) and follow along: “Mollete Express” opens with a fingerstyle groove over...

Here’s a neat little fingerstyle groove lick lesson, complete with double stops and that open string trick we’ve been playing around with over a couple of the recent lessons. I can’t seem to stop using this technique when playing licks. Maybe it is becoming my signature thing! Follow along with the video and the transcription (PDF). We’re in the key...

In this lesson, we’ll explore some fingerstyle soul/funk with a nice groove in A. As with the previous lesson, I’m making use of open strings to achieve some fast note doubling (this time, A and D). Follow along with the video and this transcription (PDF). For the gear heads: I’m playing a Sandberg California TT MarloweDK Signature bass through a...

Keeping up with this recent series of quick bass lick lessons, here’s a short groove in Em. I’m playing this with an open D string to achieve a note doubling effect. Follow along with the video and this transcription (PDF). For the gear heads: I’m playing a 1964 Fender Jazz bass with Dunlop nickel strings, gauge 45-105 running through a...

Here’s another quick lesson for you, this time focusing on a disco-style bass groove. As with any excercise, it is important to keep playing it without stopping until you find that groove. Follow along with the video and this transcription (PDF). The tempo on this one is 105 bpm. For the gear heads: I’m playing a 1966 Fender Precision bass...

Time to get funky. Here’s another quick bass lick lesson for you, centered around a pentatonic fill. Follow along with the video and this transcription (PDF download). If you want some background, there are a few lessons here covering pentatonic scales and patterns: Breaking Down the Pentatonic Scale: The Five Positions on Bass Improvising and Groove: Substituting Pentatonic Scales on...

I’m working on a new concept in double thumb slap bass, which basically is an “in reverse” technique. This means the “down” thumb is on the offbeat, and the “up” thumb is on the downbeat. This creates a whole new feeling worth exploring. You can follow along with the notation (PDF) and the video below. Let me know how it...

Among the great tunes on Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled solo debut was “(Used to Be A) Cha-Cha”. His solo is a tricky one, at an upbeat tempo and with Jaco’s trademark melodic and syncopated lines. Here is Jukka Haavisto’s take on his wonderful solo on this track.

Here are some cool patterns for you to try out, using open strings for creating fast passages and note doubling. In the video demonstration, I first play it at full speed, followed by a reduced speed. Follow along with the notation/TAB (PDF). For the gear heads: I’m playing my 1966 Fender Precision bass (I don’t use the Jazz bass bridge...

Tal Wilkenfeld’s fantastic solo on the Jeff Beck classic “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” has been watched countless times. There are several live recordings of this track, but the one transcribed here is from the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007.