How to tune a bass by ear – why would you even need to know this when you’ve got a headstock tuner strapped to your bass as well as a stompbox tuner in your pedalboard. Well imagine this: In between songs, a buddy leans over to you and says, “Hey – can you tune your […]
5 James Brown Bass Lines To Get You “On The One”
James Brown bass lines are PERFECT for showing you how to get ‘on the one’. So what is ‘the one’ anyway? You may have seen Bootsy talk about it… Maybe you’ve heard interviews with Victor Wooten, or Marcus Miller or Stanley Clarke or any number of amazing bassists where they talk about it… At the […]
Duff McKagan: Punk King Of The Bass Melody
Duff McKagan is the king. Specifically the punk-king of the bass melody and is criminally underrated (at least in my opinion). What do you think comes to most people’s minds when you bring up Duff McKagan’s most iconic band, Guns N’ Roses? For most people, it’s probably things like: Slash’s ultra iconic guitar riffs, the […]
Jack Bruce: Bass Line Masterpiece
Jack Bruce’s bass line masterpiece, to me at least, comes from a 1968 performance of Robert Johnson’s Crossroads. I freaking love it now, but the first time I heard the song, I was wholly unimpressed. My first exposure to that song was at a musty, crusty blues jam session, and the version that got played […]
Plucking Hand Bass Workout
Ever find yourself fumbling or stumbling over notes because of your plucking hand? Maybe you know that learning to alternate with your index and middle finger will help you play trickier bass lines, but you just can’t seem to make it work for you… Maybe it’s that your hands just don’t seem to be very […]
5 Soul Bass Lines
Soul bass lines are some of the most fun you can have with a plank of wood strapped over your shoulder. It’s always a good idea to have a few ‘go-to’ bass lines whenever someone says, “Play something for me!” or if you’re playing with others and they ask, “So what do you want to […]
