You probably know that playing bass is about MORE than just playing the right notes with the right rhythms. You can play everything ‘correctly’ and it can still sound wrong. HOW you play something is often just as important as what you’re playing. When it comes to playing slow blues songs (or just about any […]
The 30-Second Walking Bass ‘Hack’
I used to think that in order to get through a song with a walking bass line, you needed to have some sort of advanced degree in music theory. Everyone around me was telling me different things like: “You need to know all your scales to make it through” “If you don’t know your arpeggios, […]
The ‘Hidden’ Mistake Legit Country Bassists NEVER Make
Today I have a super quick lesson that you can implement in your playing immediately – especially if you play any amount of country music. You probably know about the ‘country 2-feel’ bass line, right? Playing alternating roots and 5ths – it’s a country staple. However, you may not know, there is a ‘mistake’ baked […]
5 Blues ‘Traps’ Every Bass Player NEEDS To Avoid
If you’re playing blues bass, one of the most sure-fire methods of getting ‘chewed out’ on the bandstand is messing up the chords or the form. Trust me – it happened to me once when I messed up the form on a slow blues. I’ve haven’t been that red-faced during a gig since. And while […]
How To Craft Bass Lines For Melodies
Back when I was in high school and starting to learn bass I had a guitarist friend who LOVED writing melodies and riffs for songs. The ideas just seemed to flow out of him, but nothing ever seemed to get finished. Every once in a while, he’d show me the songs and melodies he’d started […]
The Hybrid Funk Scale For Bass
What if I told you there was a ‘hybrid’ funk scale for bass and you could start using it today? One super common question I get asked is what scale should you use over funk music; or what scale will make you sound funky. What I usually say when I’m asked these kinds of questions […]
