Do you know what an NPC is? If you’re not a video game nerd like me, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of it. In video games, NPC stands for ‘non-player character’. It’s basically any character in a game that’s not you: the player. NPCs usually only have a set amount of things […]
How To Get An Upright Bass Sound On Electric Bass
Sometimes you just need that upright bass sound. Maybe it’s when you’re playing some walking jazz bass lines, a bluegrass 2-feel or if you just want to feel like you’re rocking a stadium with Mumford And Sons. It’s alright – there’s no judgement here… However, even though an electric bass and an upright share the […]
The Circle Of 5ths Is Useless For Bass Players
A lot of people make a big deal about the circle of 5ths. If you open up pretty much any music theory book, you’ll find the circle of 5ths. If you take music theory classes, you’ll be told about exactly how ‘essential’ the circle of 5ths is. Even some bass teachers extol the virtues of […]
Tabs vs. Sheet Music: Which one should you learn?
Tabs vs. sheet music/notation – Nearly everyone has an opinion on which one you should learn. But, after years of experience I don’t think one size fits all. For some bassists, reading sheet music is nothing but a distraction that won’t actually help them. For these players, learning and reading tabs makes total sense. On […]
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 […]
How To Make Your Bass Sing
Bass players can be strange creatures. They can be playing a song, grooving along and everything is all good. But when it comes time for them to play a melody or take a solo, what do they do? They activate what I call “bass solo mode”. Double time licks, lots of notes, play as fast […]
