Consider the most influential bass player in your life: the one you listen to the most or the one who inspired you to pick up the instrument in the first place. I’m sure you’ve thought to yourself, “I wish I could play like that!” at some point. That thinking, no doubt, had something to do …
Musicians have mixed feelings about music theory, but despite the fact that it may be confusing there is still a desire to grasp understanding of it. Why? Because deep down most know that there is value in learning it, and it all starts with one simple concept: notes. What are notes? How many …
Whether it’s playing music, listening to music, or talking about gear, I love spending time with other musicians. There’s so much wisdom to gain and share when you participate in musical camaraderie. I’ve spent a great deal of time at concerts, music stores, and on social media throughout my years of playing music, and there …
“Sight reading.” Those two words have given me anxiety more times than I can count. It’s times like these when I have to decide if I’m going to sight read a piece of sheet music like a boss or curl up under my music stand in the fetal position. Whether you’re a session bass guitar …
From the psalms of David to Gregorian chant. From the religious musical compositions of Bach to Elevation Worship. Praise & worship music has evolved tremendously over the years, and so has the role of the bass. Think about it… the technology we use, the style of music we perform, even the instruments we play in …
Greetings, bass players! Let’s talk about walking bass lines. I bet many of you reading this post have at least somewhat of an idea of what a walking bass line is (or have at least heard the term) but may not fully understand how to construct one yourself. I was in the same boat… up …
“O O O O’Reillyyyyy… Auto Parts… OW!” If you live in the United States you’ve likely heard this catchy, iconic jingle on the radio at some point in your life (heck, you probably sang that in your head as you read it!). But there’s more to this jingle than you probably think… did you know there’s …
As a self-taught bassist I’ve been through the ups and downs of learning the bass through trial and error… and I may’ve developed a few bad habits in my technique along the way. Luckily I was able to fix them before they got too out of hand. Identifying and correcting these flaws early in your …
Ever get the pre-show jitters? Sweaty palms, endless thoughts of worst-case scenarios. Yeah… fun times, right? Last weekend I had my first performance with my band Blither. Being the first rock show I’d played in a long time, I was nervous, excited, and everything in between. In the end it was a really solid show! …
Lydian. Phrygian. Mixolydian. It just sounds confusing, right? These words used to intimidate the heck out of me, and this is honestly why I didn’t learn about modes for a long time. Well I’m here to tell you that MODES AREN’T THAT SCARY. You don’t need to transcend time and space or have a PhD …
