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?
Columns
How Your Playing is a Reflection of Your Earliest Influences
Take a moment and think about something you’ve been doing for a long time. A real long time. Is that something a thing you’re passionate about? I bet it is. Now think for a minute about the things and people specifically that lit that fire under you. The people that inspired you to start that particular thing. Now examine yourself now. There’s a good chance … [Read more...] about How Your Playing is a Reflection of Your Earliest Influences
Getting Back Into Bass Playing: How I Felt Out of Love With Bass Playing and How I Came Back
I think I felt out of love with playing bass for the past year and a half and didn’t even know it. But let me back up and tell you how I think this happened and why I think calling it ‘falling out of love’ is appropriate, first. The last year and a half of my life have suddenly become substantially busier. The transformation is like night and day. I woke up one morning … [Read more...] about Getting Back Into Bass Playing: How I Felt Out of Love With Bass Playing and How I Came Back
Copying Famous Bass Players: Should You Do It, Too?
When it comes to originality, should you model your bass playing style after your musical heroes copy famous bass players' work? The question of influence and modeling are things that come up often in music and in business. Musicians share who inspired them and who they were influenced by. Business executives turn to mentors and share who infuenced their particular business … [Read more...] about Copying Famous Bass Players: Should You Do It, Too?
Being a Better Bass Player: Will You Ever Be As Good as Your Musical Heroes?
As you're working on being a better bass player and look back on your influences, will you ever become better than them? Over the weekend, I was checking out some old footage of Squarepusher. For those that have never heard the name, Squarepusher is an English jungle and drum and bass producer and widely regarded as among the more influential pioneers of the genres through … [Read more...] about Being a Better Bass Player: Will You Ever Be As Good as Your Musical Heroes?
What Does it Take To Be a Good Bass Player?
Learning bass guitar? You’re probably wondering what does it take to become a good bass player. And you’re right to wonder. The answer is obvious in some ways, but a little bit more nuanced in others. If you posed this question to an internet forum, you might get hit with answers like ‘practice and practice often’ and variations on that answer. Knowing your time is another … [Read more...] about What Does it Take To Be a Good Bass Player?
Start Recording Your Own Music For Your Own Sake
This is a guest post from Anja Wellen, bassist and writer over at Bas Gitaar Starter, a bass guitar blog and learning resource. How useful is it to record band rehearsals? Very useful. Is it more useful for the beginner than for the experienced bass player? Yes it is, because a beginner can learn from it even more. It's nice to hear yourself play? It … [Read more...] about Start Recording Your Own Music For Your Own Sake
Why Playing Bass Slowly, Really Is, An Artform
This is a guest post from Anja Wellen, a bass player and owner of the bass guitar section of the site, Basgitaar Startpagina from the Netherlands. Playing music slow or playing slow music is an artform. We usually think that in all things there is the normal way and the fast way of doing things - especially when it comes to bass playing. As bass players starting out, … [Read more...] about Why Playing Bass Slowly, Really Is, An Artform
Sacred Cows of Bass Playing: Is it Time For Some New Ones?
Note: This one really slipped under the radar in terms of edits. For those who read this article shortly after it dropped last week, I apologize. This piece was not ready to drop. It has since had a more thorough read-through and obvious mistakes have been changed and corrected. I apologize for the errors. Geddy Lee... Jack Bruce... Steve harris... Cliff … [Read more...] about Sacred Cows of Bass Playing: Is it Time For Some New Ones?
My Experience Singing and Playing Bass for the First Time and What You Can Learn
Since moving down to North Carolina, I was looking for a new musical project I could sink my teeth into. Back up north, the main bands that I had played bass for were all rooted in funk somehow, whether it was jam band-funk, funk rock, funk metal, dance funk - you name it. None the less, I stuck to playing bass. It's what I signed up for. And I didn't do any singing. My … [Read more...] about My Experience Singing and Playing Bass for the First Time and What You Can Learn