How do you play the bass line to 'Scarlet Begonias' by the Grateful Dead? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrIRE8Hzl7c It's an innocent enough question but one with many answers. All of which can be right. Songs like 'Scarlet Begonias' or many songs like the Grateful Dead, Phish, Umphrey's McGee and even many jazz acts can have many different ways to play through that song. … [Read more...] about Artistic Freedom With Bass Lines Pt. 1: How Freedom Much Do You Have?
Column: Why Do YOU Want to Learn Bass?
A while back, I came across this fantastic video on Digg. The video stars Kevin Gisi, a programmer and developer with more than 20 years of computer programming experience and technical knowledge under his belt. The video tackles the question: how do I get started coding? It's a question that people looking to get more involved with coding, computers, app development, web … [Read more...] about Column: Why Do YOU Want to Learn Bass?
Column: What Makes a Good Bass Line?
I finally learned to accept and understand the eighth note. It only took 10 years, but I finally get it. "What are you talking about, Mike?" I'm taking about playing simpler, more tasteful bass lines. Bass lines that are less flair and more function. Bass lines that have a special nuance about them rather than a need to impress with hundreds of notes a second. One Day While … [Read more...] about Column: What Makes a Good Bass Line?
I’m Robert “Bubby” Lewis and This Is How I Play
When today's hip hop and RnB artists need a bass player, the first name that comes up is Michigan-native Robert 'Bubby' Lewis. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan , Lewis first learned to play drums at his father's church before switching over to bass. It was in that same setting that Lewis learned how to perform on stage before eventually switching over to bass guitar full … [Read more...] about I’m Robert “Bubby” Lewis and This Is How I Play
Theory in 300: Musical Intervals
What are the musical intervals? In this Theory in 300 we're going to break down this important musical concept in under 300 words. Intervals are a fundamental part of musical structures, and as a result a fundamental part of any musician’s understanding of music. An interval is the distance in pitch between two tones. An interval can be quickly found my counting up the scale … [Read more...] about Theory in 300: Musical Intervals
Broken Down: 5 Must-Know John Entwistle Bass Lines
The Ox. Thunderfingers. These are just some of the names for rock music’s greatest bass player, John Entwistle. Although during his time with the Who before his death in 2002 at age 57, Entwistle was (understandably) overshadowed by the bombastic, in-your-face nature of the Who. Smashed guitars, on-stage antics, flipped drums, Townsend’s guitar swagger, Daltrey's’ on-stage … [Read more...] about Broken Down: 5 Must-Know John Entwistle Bass Lines
Theory in 300: The Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths (also referred to as the Circle of Fourths depending on the direction you’re moving on it) is a powerful visual tool for musicians. The Circle of Fifths is a visual representation of all the musical keys and their relationships to each other. The Circle of Fifths is most useful for finding the key of a song, transposing songs to different keys, composing … [Read more...] about Theory in 300: The Circle of Fifths
The Brian Gibson Interview: Lightning Bolt’s Low End
When we think of musical duos, different ideas can come to mind. A guitar-and-drum arrangement comes to mind like the White Stripes, Black Keys and Flat Duo Jets to name a few. Singer duos like Simon and Garfunkel and Ike and Tina might also come to mind. But bass and drum duos, an arrangement where the rhythm section takes charge and spearheads the band’s sound and … [Read more...] about The Brian Gibson Interview: Lightning Bolt’s Low End
Beginner Bassists: Are There Things You Should Absolutely Learn On Bass?
Early last week I checked my Quora account to find that I had a few notifications. There were people asking me to answer some of their bass guitar related questions. One of the questions I was asked to answer was what’s the best way to practice bass guitar at home? Here were the main points of my answer: Listen to everything critically and Play something everyday It was … [Read more...] about Beginner Bassists: Are There Things You Should Absolutely Learn On Bass?
I’m Deoindra Harrell and This is How I Play
Typically, when we get submissions and stories for the How I Play series, the players being profiled tend to be in their 20s, 30s or 40s. The musicians also have some substantial experience in the music industry, publishing their own content and gigging around playing shows. A while ago I received a very enthusiastic email from a young girl (18!) named Deoindra … [Read more...] about I’m Deoindra Harrell and This is How I Play