Greetings, bassists! A few months ago we began exploring some basic music theory concepts that we’ll use to dive into the next key area: The major scale. What is it? What does it sound like? What does it look like? Find out with this guide to the major scale for the bass guitar. Let’s get …
I’m going to bet that many bass players (or anyone, really) reading this post took piano lessons as a kid, and whether your parents knew it or not it’s a great instrument for introducing children to music. Even if your days as an adolescent are long gone, it’s not too late to learn some basic …
Hey bass players! It’s been a few months since we talked about music theory. In my last post we explained the musical alphabet, the fretboard, and briefly introduced intervals. In this post we’ll continue the discussion on intervals: the next step in the journey to learning music theory. Intervals pave the foundation for understanding chords, …
“I’m sorry, but you’ve thrown off the Emperor’s groove.” Such a quoted scene from a classic Disney movie. Kuzco’s routine is suddenly interrupted by an innocent old man who is then cast from the tower. Years later, I recalled this scene again after I started playing bass and understanding the instrument’s role in a musical …
As a teenager I remember when my friend started playing the bass guitar. I was at his house one day and noticed it sitting in the corner: it was a cherry red Squier Jazz Bass. I picked it up and had no clue what I was doing as I plucked around on it. Oh, and …
Let’s face it: it doesn’t matter if you’ve been playing bass guitar for two years or twenty, auditions can be scary… and worship band auditions are no exception. You start overthinking your bass lines as you get the nervous sweats… then your fretting hand starts cramping and you realize you’ve been holding your breath for …
Physical fatigue. Late night rehearsals. Not enough paid gigs. Sound familiar? Whether you play professionally or on the side, the life of a musician is full of excitement! However, from time to time you may experience burnout… hauling your 150-pound speaker cabinet to and from gigs seems more like a hassle than an opportunity. Not …
Imagine you have five minutes before you hit the stage and your band leader pulls you all aside. He tells you that he’s got a scratchy throat and is lowering the key of the opening song by a whole step. You know the song by memory in the original key and have no chord charts. …
After a great deal of thought and consideration, you’ve decided that the bass guitar is your instrument of choice (because you’re all about that low-end life). Congrats! This is an exciting time- you’re ready to start learning the instrument and selling out venues. That’s great… but now what? The next step is selecting your gear. …
Whether you’re brand new to playing music or a seasoned musician looking to switch gears, learning the bass guitar can be a daunting task. Are you going to borrow, rent, or buy your gear? Will you take private lessons or teach yourself via online resources? And what about fitting practice time into your busy schedule? …
