Bass Lessons - Page 40

This month’s transcription is “Boomerang”, a funk-filled slap-fest from Hungarian bassist Viktor Lörincz we originally featured back in 2011. This chops-heavy piece is a great workout for anyone looking to take their slapping and tapping skills to the next level. Download the transcription (PDF) and follow along: Viktor opens the piece with a Latin-flavored tapping part which outlines a series...

Last time, we took a look at some basic exercises aimed at expanding fretboard knowledge through the use of the pentatonic scale. For this lesson, we’ll cover more advanced patterns and build on what we’ve started in the first part. Be sure to download the PDF for these exercises (standard notation and TAB included) so you can follow along and...

Here’s a great exercise aimed at expanding your fretboard knowledge. For this lesson, we’re going to use the five positions of the A minor / C Major pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale contains five notes, of course, and you can play this from different positions. Learning these patterns will significantly increase your fretboard knowledge. Here’s how it breaks down, taking...

Here’s a new bass lick lesson for you. This time around, we’ll work up a fill in E minor, using the B minor pentatonic to start, then adding the E minor Dorian scale with some chromatic notes thrown in. This is handy for those one bar fills you’ll want to incorporate in your playing, including your solos. The first part...

Bass transcriptions are cool. They're even cooler when they're written by the bassist who played on the track. Adam “Nolly” Getgood shares this transcription and breakdown of his work on Periphery’s “Make Total Destroy.”

Pablo Elorza has published the second video in his “Deep Into Electric Bass Classics” series of bass lessons with an in-depth look at the popular Jaco Pastorius tune “Continuum.” After playing through the tune, Elorza explains the methods and techniques Pastorius used to create his melodies. The lesson is a great one for any music theory buff as well as...

This month’s transcription ties in nicely with the recent feature on underrated bassist Colin Hodgkinson. Colin is a superb bass player, and very unique. During the late sixties and early seventies, he played some truly astonishing bass parts with his trio Back Door, and was even said to have been a big influence on Stanley Clarke when Back Door opened...

This month’s transcription is Stu Hamm’s live performance of the Led Zeppelin classic “Going to California”, which can be heard (and seen) here: You’ll need to detune your E-string to D in order to play this piece. This performance of the song opens with a chord consisting of an open low D-string and A and D harmonics played at the...

This time around, I have two lessons in one for you to try out. The first part touches on the concept of practicing with a metronome. In this example, the metronome is counting on beats two and four. To make this fun, the other part focuses around a sort of offbeat, Larry Graham-style rhythm. We tie it all together –...

“Orion”, the classic Metallica track that features bassist Cliff Burton in a lead role, was an obvious choice for this month’s transcription. To this day – nearly thirty years after it was recorded – it’s a track that is studied and dissected by metal-loving bass players all over the world.

Last time, we kicked off a bass line construction series of lessons with a study in improvising on some funk in the key of C. This time around, we’re focusing on some new phrasing ideas for the trusty old minor pentatonic scale. In this case, we’re using the A minor pentatonic scale: A, C, D, E, G The exercise covers...

Evan Marien‘s fantastic take on the Jaco Pastorius-penned classic “Havona” was high on my list of pieces to transcribe for this monthly feature. Evan’s breathtaking melodic soloing on the chord changes simultaneously calls to mind the spirit of the original, while showcasing his own unique melodic voice. Skip to the transcription and video “Havona” has a 22-bar form consisting of:...