Perfecting the Double Thumb Technique

The Bass Player Victor Wooten uses a double thump technique which is like a slap, but utilizes both sides of the thumb for all the strings, fast enough to produce the equivalent  of a drumroll on the bass guitar.

Developing Timing and Feel: Rhythmic Studies for Bass Players

Q: My question is about timing. I realize that the choice of notes make a line hip, but the rhythm and the timing make the groove! How do you practice timing, Damian?

Melodic Bass Lines

Melodic Bass Lines

We’ve all heard about “chordal scales.” Chordal scales are useful; they contain the chord tones—we really need those!—and a set of neighbor and passing tones that will sound reasonably and reliably good. Chordal scales are emphasized in a lot of teaching methods. Are they the basis of what we need to know as bass players? Do we make our lines out of chordal scales?

Thoughts on Improving Your Technique on Bass

There are voluminous technical exercises designed to make us better instrumentalists. Nearly all have benefit when executed properly. Unfortunately, many people focus solely on the musical result expected (e.g. How fast can I play that trill today?) when doing technical work.

Glenn Letsch's Bass Master Class -- Book Review

Glenn Letsch's Bass Master Class - Book 

This book - a follow up of sorts to Bass Lessons With The Greats (which I've also reviewed) is written by Glenn Letsch. It features short 'master classes' with bass players Mike Chapman, Larry Graham, Jaco Pastorius, Rocco Prestia and upright bass player (and no relation:) Ben Wolfe.