Bass Lick of The Week - Stuart Clayton [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

Bass Lick of the Week #1

Playing Tips This exercise is a funk bass groove that is played with the plectrum. The percussive use of the pick in lines such as this was originally pioneered by legendary session bassist Anthony Jackson, who used the technique on the O’Jays hit ‘For the Love of Money’. This style of playing remains extremely popular today, thanks to bassists such as Bobby Vega and Cody Wright. This line is based on a continuous semiquaver pulse and mastering it will require you to take the time to study the correct application of the plectrum technique. This essentially requires you to play semiquavers using a continuous down-up motion with your picking hand. If you begin every beat with a downstroke, then adhere to a down-up-down-up picking pattern for the semiquaver subdivisions, you will find this style of playing much simpler to master. Here’s an example: the opening note of this line is a C, falling on the final subdivision of beat four of the count-in. As such, it is played as an upstroke. As the line begins, the D at the beginning of bar 1 would ordinarily be played with a downstroke, although in this instance it is not played by the picking hand as it was approached with a slide from the previous note. The remaining three semiquavers in this follow the correct sequence however: up-down-up, as they fall on the second, third and fourth subdivisions. Busy lines such as this work because the ‘holes’ in the line are filled with ghost notes, which gives the effect of playing with a percussionist. Feel is crucial to making these lines groove however. You can add an extra degree of funkiness to the line by accenting beats two and four in each bar. These are the ‘backbeats’ are where a drummer would play a snare. Accenting them, as you’ll hear me do in the recording will create an even more powerful groove. If you’d like to study the plectrum technique in more detail, be sure to check out Plectrum Technique for Bass Guitar, which is available from Bassline Publishing as a book, iPad textbook and Kindle

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Bass Lick of the Week #2

Playing Tips This exercise is a fingerstyle line that uses major and minor tenth intervals to imply chordal parts alongside a bassline. This exercise makes extensive use of tenth intervals. A tenth is a compound major or minor third, that is, one that is over an octave above the root note. For example, the interval between A and C# is a major third they are three scale steps apart - if we use the A at the fifth fret of the E-string and the C# at the fourth fret of the A-string. If the C# is played an octave higher - at the sixth fret of the G-string - the notes are ten scale steps apart, which is referred to as a major tenth. A minor tenth can be played by moving the third down a fret from a major third to a minor (C in place of C#). Tenths are popular with bass players as they help us to suggest harmony in our basslines. This exercise is based around an E tonal centre. After opening with an E, we play a minor tenth interval from the G#, then a major tenth interval from A. When playing the tenth interval on A, you should use the open A-string - this will allow the notes to ring together, helping create a brief chordal sound. It will also help with the position shifts. The same approach is taken at the end of the first bar - when playing the D major tenth, the open D-string is used. Good luck with this exercise - it’s fun to play, but it’s a bit of a finger-twister!

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Bass Lick of the Week #3

Playing Tips This exercise is a slap bass groove that is a nod to the great Marcus Miller. This line requires you to bounce your thumb in between popped notes, a relatively simple but effective technique. As you’ll see in the first bar, after popping the F at the end of the first beat, you will pop two further notes on the G-string - the E and D - playing ghost notes on the D-string with the thumb before each one. When playing this phrase, I recommend fretting the first note - C - with the fourth finger of your fretting hand, then sliding this same finger up to the D. This will keep your other three fingers free to fret the E and D notes, and to perform the fretting hand slap (marked ‘lh’ in the slap guides) at the beginning of the third beat. The fourth bar of this line features a tricky pull-off phrase: fret the F and G on beat three with the first and third fingers respectively. You will then have your fourth finger free to play the Ab at the beginning of beat four. After slapping this Ab, you’ll need to pull-off to sound the G, then again to sound the F, then once more to sound the open D-string - this is trickiest part of the exercise.

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Bass Lick of the Week #4

Playing Tips This exercise is a slow bass groove that combines harmonics with fretted bass notes to create chords. The inspiration for this piece was Jaco Pastorius’s renowned composition ‘Portrait of Tracy’, which is highly recommended as a study piece if you enjoy using harmonics, or playing solo pieces. This piece opens with a melodic motif of six harmonics This is used in each bar of the exercise to lead into the next chord. When playing this part, you can allow the notes to ring into one another, as this enhances the effect of using harmonics. Be aware when playing harmonics at the fifth fret that their pitches are not the same as the fretted notes that they sit above. For example, the fretted note at the fifth fret of the G-string is a C, but the harmonic is a G. It’s worth taking the time to learn the note names of the harmonics on the bass, as this will be very useful if you want to create your own chords, or write your own melodic lines. Each bar contains a chord which is played as a combination of fretted bass notes and harmonics. The first chord is G^7, which consists of a root note G and harmonics B and F#, the major third and major seventh respectively. The next chord is Em9, which has an E bass note, and harmonics B and F#, the perfect fifth and ninth of the chord. The third chord is C^9 and consists of a C bass note and harmonics B (the major seventh) and D (the ninth). An E harmonic (the major third) is also added, played at the fifth fret of the E-string. This chord was used by Jaco Pastorius in ‘Portrait of Tracy’. The final chord is D and is played by fretting a D bass note with the third or fourth finger of the fretting hand, and playing the F# and A harmonics at the fourth and third frets of the D-string respectively. When playing harmonics at the third fret, you might need to experiment a little with finger position - they are often clearer if you touch the string slightly behind the fret (closer to the body of the instrument). Pieces of this nature sound great with some reverb. I used the EBS DynaVerb pedal on the recording, set as follows: Reverb: 1 o’clock, Tone: 11 o’clock, Type: Hall, Room: C.

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Bass Lick of the Week #5

Playing Tips This exercise is a rock bassline that is played with a plectrum. You’ll also hear that I used an octave pedal on the recording of the line. After opening the line with two crotchet notes, D and F, a semiquaver-based picking pattern begins. When playing this, it’s important that you adhere to the picking strokes indicated between the staves for continuous semiquavers, this should be down-up-down-up. Sticking to this sequence means that you’ll always land on a downbeat with a downstroke, which is the most comfortable way to play using a plectrum. The key to success with this line is being able to alternate between ghost notes and fretted notes while playing the continuous picking rhythm. This is done by fretting the note as normal, then lifting your finger off it slightly in order to play a ghost note. This is all done with the fretting hand and is simpler to do than it might sound. The line ends with a D minor pentatonic fills in the fourth bar (D, F, G, A, C). Slides are important when playing this fill, so try to include them as shown in the notation/on the video. I used an octave pedal when recording this line, which as you’ll hear, sounds very effective. There are many great octave pedals available, but I used the Boss OC-2, set as follows: Oct 2: Off, Oct 1: Full, Direct Level: 3 o’clock.

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Bass Lick of the Week #6

Playing Tips This exercise is a slow fingerstyle groove that’s played quite aggressively. I was listening to a lot of Vulfpeck when I came up with this, there’s definitely a Joe Dart influence here... This line opens with two notes, an F and a D. You can play a descending slide away from the D. These are followed by an ascending line, played on the E-string. We then play this entire phrase twice more, although the opening two notes are different each time: the second time around they are Ab and F, then B and Ab. I recommend playing these notes at the fretboard positions indicated in the TAB. At the end of the second bar there is a short turnaround figure that is played staccato - you should also drop the dynamic at this point, playing it quietly and gradually raising the volume as you reach the end of the bar. The fill in bar 4 is played around the twelfth fret and includes a ‘shake’. Shakes are similar to trills, but have a slightly less precise sound because they are fretted with only one finger. This one is performed by playing the F at the tenth fret of the G-string, then rapidly sliding the finger back and forth between F and F# - check out the video performance if in any doubt.

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Bass Lick of the Week #7

Playing Tips This exercise is a slap bass groove that will allow you to focus on fretting hand slaps and popping double stops. The opening phrase of this line is a continuous semiquaver rhythm which is to be performed by playing notes with each hand. After slapping the open E-string, the fretting hand will need to perform a ghost note slap. This in turn is followed by two further ghost notes, played with the thumb. Using the fretting hand to perform ghost notes in this way allows for long sequences of semiquaver-based rhythms, and is a technique often used by Mark King, Les Claypool and Stuart Hamm, among others. On the second beat of the bar, a double stop is played - a double stop is two notes played together. To perform this, you’ll need to pop the notes on the D and G-string simultaneously with the first and second fingers of your picking hand. Another semiquaver rhythm involving the fretting hand is played on the third beat, with another double stop coming at the end of the bar. The second bar begins in the same way, but ends with a syncopated double stop phrase. I recommend fretting the two notes in this double stop with the first and second fingers. These double stops are each preceded with a ghost note played with the thumb, so the effect is of the thumb ‘bouncing’ between the popped double stops. This line is meant to be played quite aggressively, so you can afford to really dig in here.

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Bass Lick of the Week #8

Playing Tips This is a chordal plectrum part that makes good use of power chords. major pentatonic lines and open string tenths. When learning this line it’s important that you stick to the picking guide that’s been written between the staves. Remember that when playing semiquaver-based lines with a plectrum, you should adhere to the down-up-down-up picking sequence on the four subdivisions of the beat. This means that ater playing the downstroke at the beginning of the first bar, the next chord is played as an upstoke as it falls on the fourth semiquaver of the beat: DOWN-up-down-UP. Doing so will mean that you will land on the downbeat of beat two with a nice strong downstroke. The triplet phrase on the third beat is played using hammer-ons and pull-offs, with the note on the A-string at the end of the beat played with a downstroke. The hammer-on at the beginning of the fourth beat is played with a downstroke. The following note should also be played with a downstroke, although an upstroke would also be acceptable here as the rhythm is quaver-based and therefore slower. The next bar in the sequence is played in exactly the same way, but a tone lower. In the third bar, the same picking pattern is used again for the first two beats of the bar. The open A should then be allowed to ring whilst you play the ascending phrase on the D-string. This line moves chromatically upwards to the major third of the chord (C#), which outlines the harmony nicely. The fourth and final bar of the sequence uses a simple semiquaver rhythm to play two further chords, C5 and D5. Make sure that the ghost notes are played as such here - these are rhythmic devices, intended to keep the groove moving along.

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Bass Lick of the Week #9

Playing Tips This exercise is a fast-paced fingerstyle line that was originally intended to be part of the Victor Wooten-style piece that I wrote for my book Giants of Bass. It might not have made it into the final track, but it’s still a great line that I wanted to share... After playing the E and octave at the beginning of the first bar, two ghost notes are played on the D-string. You then need to perform a slide from the A at the seventh fret of the D-string to the B at the ninth. I recommend fretting the A with the first finger, then sliding the same finger up to the B: this will put you in position to play the F# that follows, as well as the two G’s at the end of the bar. After playing the the F# you can rake backwards across the strings to play the ghost notes - simply drag whichever finger played the F# back across the strings. When playing the second bar, I recommend fretting the B at the fourth fret of the G-string with the third finger. You can then hammer-on to the C with the fourth finger, and play the A at the second fret with the first. This hand position will also allow you to play the descending D major chord at the end of the third beat using the finger-per-fret system: first finger on the A, third on the F# and fourth on the D. In the third bar, I recommend using the third finger on the B again. After playing the two open G-string notes at the end of the third beat, the E can be fretted with the first finger, and the C with the second. When playing the fourth bar, I recommend fretting the D with the second finger. This will allow you to play the entire bar using the finger-per-fret system: the B will be fretted with the first finger and the A with the fourth. In the second half of the bar, the D# can then be fretted with the third finger.

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Bass Lick of the Week #10

Playing Tips This exercise is a slow slap and pop bass groove that has a Marcus Miller vibe. This line opens with a double stop: G on the E-string and Bb on the G-string. To play these, pluck the G with the thumb and the Bb with the first finger. These notes are then played again as the first bar begins, and the Bb is hammered-onto a B natural while the G continues to ring beneath. The remainder of the bar is a slap groove which uses the G blues scale. Note that the C-C#-D figure on beat three is played with a single thumb stroke: the second and third notes are played as a hammer-on. At the end of the first bar, the line drops to a low E, which is then tied into the second bar. After the octave is popped, the minor tenth interval is popped (open G), implying an E minor sound. After this the line moves to an F major tenth interval, then an F# major tenth. You can read more about tenths - and how effective they are on bass - in the notes for Bass Lick #2. The third bar is a repeat of the first bar, but ends on the E at the seventh fret of the A-string. You should keep this E ringing as you pop the octave in the following bar, then slide both notes up to G, then down to F. You’ll need to keep your fretting hand in the octave position as you slap and pop these notes and slide them upwards. The same technique is used in the second half of the bar, from Db to D, down to Bb. This is typical Marcus Miller lick, one that you’ll hear him use very effectively in the opening of his solo from ‘Frankenstein’. This line was originally written when I was writing material for the Marcus Miller-style piece in my book Giants of Bass Volume 2: 80s & 90s.

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Bass Lick of the Week #11

Playing Tips This exercise is a rock bassline that is built on the E minor pentatonic scale. This line was written to be played with a plectrum and sounds great with some mild distortion/overdrive. This bassline makes use of an important scale - the minor pentatonic. This scale is a great choice for rock basslines, but is also useful for funk, pop, jazz... just about any style of music really! In this case we’re using the E minor pentatonic, which is derived from the E natural minor scale. The difference between the two is that the minor pentatonic omits the second and sixth degrees of the natural minor scale, in this case, F# and C. These are the semitone intervals within the scale, and removing them creates a more open sound. It’s a great scale to build a rock riff from. When learning this line, it’s important that you stick to the picking pattern that’s written between the staves. Doing so will ensure that you start each beat with a downstroke, which is a more comfortable way to play. This means that in some places of the line you will begin a phrase on an upstroke. A good example of this is the third beat of bar 1: because the A is tied from beat two into this beat, we don’t play until the second semiquaver subdivision of the beat (down-up-down-up). consequently, if you play this note with an upstroke, you will then fall easily back into the logical picking sequence. In the fourth bar of the exercise a C is played - this note does not belong in the E minor pentatonic scale, which makes its use here all the more striking. I recorded this line using a Fender Marcus Miller Signature bass, which is one of my favourite instruments for aggressive rock lines. I also used the EBS MultiDrive distortion pedal, set as follows Drive: 3 o’clock, Mode: STD, Volume: 10 o’clock.

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Bass Lick of the Week #12

Playing Tips This exercise is a fingerstyle funk bassline that reflects an F# dominant seventh chord. It also uses trills and double stops, both of which are common ingredients in funk lines. This line opens with an A# played on the ‘and’ of beat 4 of the count-in. After playing this note, slide upwards to E, then allow this note to continue ringing whilst you play the A# above it. This creates a double stop chord. These two notes are the minor seventh and major third of the F#7 chord, and sound very effective when used in this way. After playing these notes, you’ll need to quickly slide back downwards in order to start playing the ascending bassline on the E-string. You might prefer to think of the B# in this line as a C, although it’s actually more accurate to refer to it as B#, since a C# follows it. In the second bar, a descending line is played. After playing the two F#’s at the beginning of the bar, you’ll need to play an open A, then hammer-on to the E at the seventh fret of the same string. Although A is not part of the chord (A# is), it’s heard very briefly. Note that an A is used again on the fourth beat of this bar: a hammer-on from A to A#. This move - from the minor third to the major third - is very common in funk grooves over dominant chords and you’re sure to encounter it frequently. In bar 3 a trill is played between A and A#, the minor and major thirds again. To play the trill, simply hammer-on and pull-off as rapidly as you can between the two notes. This trill is followed by the ascending line on the E and A-strings that was also used back in the first bar. In bar 4 we play another descending line. This is similar to the line in the second bar, but features a root-octave-root figure on the D#. At the end of this bar you’ll need to play the A#, which will then slide up to E in order for you to repeat the line. This exercise was performed on a Fender Precision bass strung with flatwound strings.

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Bass Lick of the Week #13

Playing Tips This exercise is an uptempo slap line that uses the triplet popping technique that was pioneered by bassist Stuart Hamm. After playing the F# at the beginning of bar one, a semiquaver triplet is played on the second half of the beat. All of the notes here are ghost notes and are performed as follows: slap the A-string with the thumb, pop the D-string with the first finger, and the G-string with the second finger. These three notes are played quickly, so you’ll need to work on this at a slower tempo if the technique is new to you. These notes are followed by some ghost notes on the A-string and popped F#’s on the G-string. in the second half of the bar the line moves down to E for a basic slap and pop figure. The second bar reuses the sequence from the first bar, but starting on C# and moving down to B. The third and fourth bars of the exercise are much simpler to play and require only basic slap and pop technique. This line was performed on a Kubicki Ex Factor bass, which was the instrument used by Stuart Hamm in the early part of his career. It’s a great bass for slap and pop lines such as this. If you’d like to learn more about the triplet popping technique, be sure to check out my book Ultimate Slap Bass, which is available as a physical book from Bassline Publishing, and as an iPad textbook from the iTunes/iBookstore.

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Bass Lick of the Week #14

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a two handed tapping line that’s a lot easier to play than it might sound. In fact, if you’ve never tried the technique before, this is a perfect exercise to begin with. This line opens with two notes that are performed solely by hammering on with your fretting hand: use your first finger for the E at the seventh fret of the A-string and your fourth finger for the B at the ninth fret of the D-string. These two notes are followed by two notes that are tapped with the picking hand - B at the fourteenth fret of the A-string and E at the fourteenth fret of the D-string. I recommend that you anchor your thumb on the top edge of the neck so that you have a point of stability to play from, then tap the B with your first finger and the E with your second. Each beat of the bar now follows this sequence: two notes tapped with the fretting hand, and two tapped with the picking hand. Throughout the rest of bar one, you’ll tap the same notes with your fretting hand, whilst the notes in the picking hand move around, remaining within the E minor scale. Bar 2 is the same as the first bar. If you can get the first two bars together, the good news is that you’ve completed the majority of the work in this exercise: in bars 3 and 4 the picking hand continues to tap out the same notes, whilst the fretting hand taps C and G in bar 3 and D and A in bar 4. When playing this exercise, focus on maintaining a solid, consistent rhythm. Take care not to rush - this is a common pitfall when playing lines of this nature as they are quite easy to play at very fast speeds. This line was recorded on a Kubicki Ex Factor bass. If you’d like to learn more about the tapping technique, be sure to check out Ultimate Tapping for Bass Guitar, which is available from Bassline Publishing as a physical book, and as an iPad textbook from the iTunes/iBookstores.

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Bass Lick of the Week #15

Playing Tips This exercise is a slow-tempo chordal lines that uses open string tenths and harmonics. This line begins with a hammer-on from D to E at the twelfth and fourteenth frets of the D-string. This is immediately followed by a pull-off from A to G# at the fourteenth and thirteenth frets of the G-string. With the G# still ringing, play the open E-string: this will create a ‘major tenth’ sound, which is a major third interval separated by an octave (or more). This combination of notes strongly implies an E major chord, since it contains a root note (E) and a major third (G#), the two most important notes in the chord. This phrase is followed by lines that end with open string tenths on the D and G-strings. Tenths are often used by bassists to create harmony and open string tenths such as these are especially useful as you can allow a string to continue ringing whilst you play other melodic ideas. Stanley Clarke explored this concept in his songs ‘School Days’ and ‘Lopsy Lu’ and Mark King (Level 42) continued to develop the idea on songs such as ‘Dune Tune’. You’ll also hear tenths used by bassists such as Larry Graham, Flea, Victor Wooten and Jaco Pastorius, among others. The final chord in the second bar is G^7 and this is played as a combination of fretted notes and harmonics. Fret the G at the tenth fret of the A-string with your second finger, and use your first finger to barre across the harmonics at the ninth fret of the D and G-strings. This entire two-bar sequence is then repeated, but in the fourth bar the G^7 chord is replaced by an F^7. This chord is played with only fretted notes: fret the F at the eighth fret of the A-string with the second finger, the A at the seventh fret of the D-string with the first, and the E at the ninth fret of the G-string with your fourth. When playing chordal lines such as this, try to allow the notes to ring into one another where possible. Using some reverb can also add some presence to the line - on the recording I used the EBS DynaVerb pedal, set as follows: Reverb: 1 o’clock, Tone: 11 o’clock, Type: Hall, Room: C.

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Bass Lick of the Week #16

Playing Tips This exercise is another funk groove that’s played with the plectrum. The approach used here is very similar to that used in Bass Lick of the Week #1, so if you have successfully worked through that exercise, you should find that this one comes together quite easily. Like Bass Lick #1, this line is based on a continuous semiquaver feel. Playing this groove effectively requires you to take the time to study the correct application of the plectrum technique. This involves playing semiquavers using a consistent down-up-down-up picking motion, which you’ll be able to see me doing in the exercise play-through. If you’re able to stick to these picking strokes on the correct subdivisions, you should find that the exercise comes together quite easily. The benefit of playing in this way is that you’ll always land on a downbeat with a downstroke. As I mentioned in the notes for Bass Lick #1, you can add an extra degree of ‘funkiness’ to plectrum lines such as this one by accenting the backbeat - beats 2 and 4 in each bar. This, combined with the busy, percussive nature of the line, will sound very effective, and is a technique you’ll often hear bassists such as Bobby Vega and Coddy Wright using. You could also try palm muting the line slightly I applied a little of this on the ascending line on the A-string in bars 3-4. I recorded this line using a phaser pedal as a tribute to legendary session bassist Anthony Jackson. Anthony famously played a Precision bass with a pick through a Maestro phaser pedal on the 1973 hit song ‘For the Love of Money’, by The O’Jays. I used a TC Electronic Helix Phaser on the recording, set as follows: Speed - 12 o’clock, Depth - 3 o’clock, Feedback 2 o’clock, Mix - 1 o’clock. The toggle switch was set to Smooth. I recorded the line on a Fender Jazz Bass, using both pickups and with the tone turned up full.

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Bass Lick of the Week #17

Playing Tips This exercise is a fingerstyle funk groove written in the style of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. This line is based on an Eb7 sound and uses chord tones heavily - as all good basslines do. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the notes in this chord before working on the line itself: the chord contains Eb, G, Bb, Db. I recommend that you take a moment to familiarise yourself with the location of these notes on the fingerboard. The line opens with a root-octave-root figure that is heavily syncopated. A ghost note played on the G-string then leads into the third beat of the bar, where two Db’s and two C’s are played. Note that the second Db pulls-off to the C - this is a commonly used idea in fingerstyle funk grooves and helps to smooth the transition between the notes here. It also reduces the number of notes that have to be played by your picking hand. The line then drops to a simple line built around Bb, the fifth of the chord. The second bar is very similar to the first in terms of rhythm. The only difference is that the line on the third and fourth beats now moves from Gb to F, then down to the root note, Eb, and the seventh, Db. Note that the Gb is a non-chord tone: whilst this might seem an unusual choice, it works because it is a minor third above the root. You can always get away with playing minor thirds over major chords particularly dominant chords - and it usually sounds great! Note that you cannot do the reverse. In bar 4 a simple fill is played. After playing the root-octave-root figure, an open G-string is played to enable a position shift to a higher position on the neck. The line then ascends to the G at the twelfth fret via a double chromatic approach - G is the major third of the chord and is the target note here. This idea is then repeated on the D-string, with a double chromatic approach to Eb, the root. I performed this line on a Fender Jazz Bass. I soloed the bridge pickup for a Jaco-like tone, and rolled the tone control back about half way. Doing the same on your bass should yield a very similar tone.

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Bass Lick of the Week #18

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a slap and pop groove. Although the first three bars of this exercise are relatively simple, there is a complex fill in the fourth bar, based on Victor Wooten’s ‘openhammer-pluck’ technique. For the first three bars of this exercise you will be playing basic slap and pop octave figures, using conventional slap technique. When learning this line, be aware that I have written the ghost notes on the string most logical to play them on, but it doesn’t really matter where they are played - a ghost note is a ghost note. The complex fill in bar four is played as follows: slap an open A-string, then hammer-on to the E at the seventh fret. This note is immediately followed by a popped ghost note on the G-string. We now repeat this idea in a similar way: slap the open D-string, hammer-on to the B at the ninth fret of the same string, then pop the E at the ninth fret of the G-string. As you’ll probably notice, this fill is based on the notes from a basic power chord: root, fifth and octave. The open strings are merely ‘jumping off points’ and are not considered part of the chord. Note that Victor often plays this lick as two semiquaver triplets, but in this case we are playing it as straight semiquavers. This idea is now repeated up a minor third, using a G power chord shape. After playing this, you’ll need to move up two further frets, to A. This time we don’t play the complete riff, just the open A-string, a hammer-on to the A at the twelfth fret, then a popped A at the fourteenth fret of the G-string. This line was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass. I favoured the neck pickup slightly and had both tone controls in the centre position.

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Bass Lick of the Week #19

Playing Tips This exercise is a rock bassline played over a 5-4 time signature. It’s played with a pick and sounds great when played with some distortion. This bassline is in the key of F# minor and is built on the F# blues scale, which is essentially just the minor pentatonic scale with an added note, a flattened fifth. In this case, that note is C. This note is known as the ‘blue note’ and as you’ll hear, it adds a nice, bluesy quality to your lines. On the first three beats of the first bar we play a simple figure based around the open E-string and the F# at the second fret. Note that the first F# is played as a hammer-on, so you won’t need to play it with the pick. On beats 3 and 4 of the bar we only have one note, a C. This is the blue note, and as you’ll hear, it really stands out. The second bar begins in the same way, but then features an ascending phrase on the upbeats of beats 2, 3 and 4. As these notes fall on offbeats, ideally they should be played with pick upstrokes, as shown in the video. Bars 3 and 4 of the exercise are almost identical to bars 1 and 2. The only difference is the descending line in bar 2 becomes an ascending line in bar 4. This line was performed on my Fender Jazz Marcus Miller signature bass, which sounds great for rock lines. I also used the EBS MultiDrive pedal, set as follows: Drive - 3 o’clock, Mode - STD, Volume - 10 o’clock.

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Bass Lick of the Week #20

Playing Tips This exercise is a fingerstyle funk groove that works over a G dominant seventh chord. The first three bars of this line are fairly simple, but in the fourth bar we have a more complex fill that uses the half step-whole step diminished scale. In bar 1, the bass enters with a low G on the second half of the first beat. On the second beat we play a B, follow it with a ghost note, then ascend chromatically to D. On the second half of the fourth beat, we play two semiquavers, F and D. You’ll notice that the chord tones of a G7 chord (G, B, D, F) are used extensively in this bar. In the second bar, we repeat the same line, the only difference being that we now play a low F on the second half of beat four. The third bar is identical to the first, but in bar 4 we have a complex fill built from the G half step-whole step diminished scale. This is an example of a ‘symmetrical scale’, meaning that it is built from a consistent pattern of intervals, in this case half step-whole step, or semitone-tone. The notes from this scale are as follows: G, Ab, A#, B, C#, D, E, F, G. This gives us an eight note scale (nine if you include the octave). Major and minor scales have only seven notes (eight with the octave), so this in itself makes the scale unusual. You’ll hopefully notice that the scale contains all of the chord tones from G7, with the other notes acting as possible extensions. Because this scale is symmetrical, it lends itself well to repeating melodic sequences - this is the idea behind the fourth bar of the exercise. I took a basic three-note motif - B-F-D - and then moved it up the neck in intervals of a minor third. To do this, play the B with your first finger, the F with your second and the D with your fourth. Then move the whole line up a minor third so that it begins on D. Make sure you keep the same hand ‘shape’ and play the line again. As you progress up the fingerboard you will always remain within the scale. This line was played on a Fender Jazz Bass, using an MXR Bass Envelope Filter. I used the following settings: Dry - 12 o’clock, FX - 3 o’clock, Decay - 3 o’clock, Q - Full, Sens - Full.

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Bass Lick of the Week #21

Playing Tips This exercise is a challenging slap bass groove that uses techniques popularised by FrenchCanadian bassist Alain Caron. This style of playing is similar to the grooves Caron played on tunes such as ‘D-Code’ and ‘Slam the Clown’, both of which would be great pieces to look at in detail if you enjoy this exercise. This slap line requires you to be comfortable slapping and popping notes on the same string. For example, the first and third beats of the first bar feature four semiquavers, all played on the low B-string. Whilst it is possible to perform this line using the double thumb technique, Caron instead typically uses combinations of slaps and pops for such figures. The sequence required here is a slap, a pop with the first finger, a pop with the second finger, followed by another slap. Because the sequence ended on a slapped note, it will be comfortable to begin beat two with a popped note. Beat two is much simpler: a popped note on the A-string, followed by a slapped note on the low B-string. This sequence is repeated two further times, with the popped note descending from D, to C, to B. At the end of the second and fourth bars there are some fills based on the D minor pentatonic scale. Again, these are played using the slap technique described above and will require you to slap and pop notes on the same string. When playing slap lines that are based off of the lowest string on a five or six string bass, it’s incredibly important that you focus on your muting. The fingers of your fretting hand that are not required to fret notes can assist with muting where possible. You should also release fretted notes once they are no longer required, as this will also assist with muting. This exercise was written and performed on a 5-string bass, but will work equally well on a 4-string, transposed up a fourth to G. I used some chorus on the recording, supplied by the EBS UniChorus pedal - Caron often favours a chorused slap bass sound.

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Bass Lick of the Week #22

Playing Tips This exercise is a slow-tempo fingerstyle funk groove that recalls the playing of the legendary Jaco Pastorius. This challenging line requires precise timing and smooth technique with regard to string crossing. When playing the first bar of this exercise, I recommend fretting the F at the third fret of the D-string with your fourth finger, and using the first to fret the Ab at the first fret of the G-string. After returning to the F at the beginning of beat two, some ghost notes are played. These should be performed by lifting the fretting fingers off of the note slightly - this will mute the string, resulting in a dead note when you pluck. The hammer-on from the second beat into the third is an important part of the line: not only does it give your picking hand a break, it also pushes the groove along. Note that in the third and fourth beats of the first bar, open string D’s have been deliberately used in place of fretted D’s. Doing so requires more control when crossing strings, which is one of the skills that you’ll develop through working on this exercise. The second bar begins in the same way as the first, but ends with an ascending line up to the fifth of the underlying F7 chord - C. In the final bar of the sequence, double chromatic approach notes are used to move to the root note (F) and fifth (C). This exercise was originally written in the key of E, but was transposed to F to make for a more challenging study piece. When learning anything, be it a groove, melody or lick, it’s a great idea to cycle it through different keys for added value. This line - like all fingerstyle funk grooves - should be played using the bridge pickup (if you have a dual pickup instrument) and with a boost to the mid-range frequencies. It also helps to play with your picking hand close to the bridge, where the strings are tighter.

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Bass Lick of the Week #23

Playing Tips This exercise is a rock bassline that’s played with a plectrum. The blues scale is put to good use here and you should find that this line makes for a great workout for your picking technique. In the first bar of this exercise, all of the notes are played on the A-string. As this bar features a continuous string of semiquavers, it’s important that you maintain an down-up picking motion with your picking hand - try to keep your wrist relaxed as you play this. In the second bar, a descending A blues scale is played. The blues scale works over almost every chord and can be used in many styles of music - it’s a great choice for rock. The third bar of the exercise is essentially the same as the first - the only difference is that the ghost notes on the fourth beat are now played on the G-string. This is because the line at the beginning of the fourth bar starts on the G-string, so it makes sense to cross strings early. In the fourth bar, the A blues scale phrase is played again, this time an octave higher. This leads into a final lick that moves from C up to Eb. Eb is the ‘blue note’ in the A blues scale, so sounds particularly effective here. This line was recorded on a Fender Marcus Miller Signature Jazz Bass, a bass that works really well for hard rock basslines. It was played through an EBS MultiDrive distortion pedal set as follows - Drive: 3 o’clock, Mode: STD, Volume: 10 o’clock.

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Bass Lick of the Week #24

Playing Tips This exercise is a slap and pop groove written in the style of Level 42 bassist Mark King. As well as conventional slap technique, this line makes use of fretting hand slaps and double stop tenth chords. The first bar of this exercise opens with two notes played together: an open E-string and the D at the seventh fret of the G-string. These two notes are plucked with the thumb and first finger, and the low E should ring whilst you repeatedly hammer-on and pull-off between the D and the E on the G-string. This figure is similar to a trill, but the number of repetitions is written: there should be six notes played here. The third beat of the first bar also has an interesting figure: here, four notes are played in rapid succession. This is done by popping the D on the G-string, slapping the G on the D-string, playing the E on the A-string using a fretting hand hammer-on, then slapping the open E-string. This is an unusual figure, but it’s very effective in this line. In the second bar, the first two beats are a complex sequence of dead notes that are played using a combination of slaps, pops and fretting hand slaps. It’s important that you pay close attention to the slap guides here. The end of this bar features some double stop tenth intervals - a tenth is a major/ minor third played over an octave above the root note. These notes can be allowed to briefly ring into one another as the chordal effect is not undesirable here. The third and fourth bars are almost identical to the first two - the only difference is the double stop tenth chords in bar 4 - these are C and D rather than A and G. I recorded this exercise using a Jaydee Supernatural bass, the same kind of bass that Mark King used during his early years with Level 42. An active instrument with a slight treble boost and a healthy dose of compression will get you close to the tone on this recording.

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Bass Lick of the Week #25

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a fingerstyle funk line that features double stops and some challenging phrases that use open strings. The first bar of this exercise is a lick that uses the G blues scale (G, Bb, C, Db, D, F). When playing this, it’s important to play all hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides as written, as they will help with the fluidity of the line. Note that the final note of the bar is the open D-string. Using an open string at this point will enable you to position shift into the lower register for the second bar. In the second bar, a chromatic ascending phrase is played from the seventh of the implied G7 chord (F) to the root (G). This is followed by a phrase which is played using open strings. You’ll need to be careful to mute these effectively as you don’t want them to ring into one another too much. Again, the use of open strings here allows the position shift back into the higher register for the third bar. The third bar is almost identical to the first, but the figure on the fourth beat is different. This time, a hammer-on is played from Bb to C. This note then slides up to D - all three notes are played in one smooth motion. In the fourth bar some double stops are played - these are two notes played together. In this case, the notes are the seventh (F) and major third (B) of the implied G7 chord. These notes are plucked twice: after playing them a second time, each note should slide downwards a semitone, then back up. On the second beat of the bar, the open string figure from bar 2 is used. The third and fourth beats of this bar are the same as the first and second. The phrase in this bar is similar to Jaco Pastorius’s bassline on his composition ‘Liberty City’. This line was played on a Zon Sonus 4-string bass. I favoured the bridge pickup slightly, and added a light boost to the bass control.

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Bass Lick of the Week #26

Playing Tips This exercise is a funk groove that sounds great when played with a muted plectrum technique. Before playing this exercise, it’s worth reminding yourself of the correct application of the plectrum technique, particularly with regard to playing semiquavers. A group of four semiquavers (one beat), should be played with a down-up-down-up picking sequence. Sticking to this will ensure that you always land on the downbeat with a downstroke, which is the most logical way to play. Whether a beat involves rests or not, it’s important to stick to these picking strokes on the relevant subdivisions of the beat. The first note of the exercise falls just before the first beat of the first bar. As this note is in the fourth semiquaver subdivision of beat four of the count-in, it should be played with an upstrokes - down-updown-UP. This note then hammers-onto the A at the twelfth fret of the A-string. This is the first beat of the first bar - ordinarily, this note would be played with a downstroke, but in this case, it is played as a hammer-on. The higher octave A that follows falls on the second subdivision and so is played with an upstroke. Starting a phrase with an upstroke can feel unusual to begin with, so I recommend playing a ‘silent downstroke’ before the upstroke - you will very likely do this naturally. This line sounds great if you can mute the strings slightly. This is typically done by lightly resting the edge of the palm against the strings down by the bridge. As everyone’s hands are different, you will need to experiment with the position and amount of pressure you apply. For more information on using a pick effectively, be sure to check out my book Plectrum Technique for Bass Guitar, available from Bassline Publishing. I recorded this line using my Zon Sonus 4-string bass, recorded through an EBS Reidmar 500 amplifier. A little compression was applied digitally after recording.

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Bass Lick of the Week #27

Playing Tips This exercise is a percussive line that’s played with the palm muting technique and unusually, includes some fretting hand slaps. One of the most important parts of this line to master is the percussive element. A strong backbeat is required, so you’ll need to accent beats two and four of each bar. When playing beat four (as in the anacrusis bar at the beginning of the line), you’ll need to ‘pat’ the E-string with your thumb to create a ghost note - you can afford to do this quite firmly. On the second beat of the bar, the first note is going to be played with the fretting hand. In order for this to work, you’ll need to follow the recommended fingerings written across the top of the notation. In the first bar, use the first finger to fret the F# and slide upwards to the G. Doing so will leave the remaining fingers free to perform the percussive fretting hand slap. This approach must be taken to all of the chord changes: the first of the fretting hand is used for the pitched notes, allowing the other fingers to perform the percussive note. Once you have mastered this basic figure you should find that the rest of the exercise falls into place relatively easily. This line is intended to be played with the palm muting technique, so your thumb will be plucking the E-string and your first and second fingers can pluck the upper strings as needed. You can lightly mute the notes on the E-string with the edge of the palm if desired - this is what I did on the recording and it suits the line well.

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Bass Lick of the Week #28

Playing Tips This exercise is a slow tempo groove in E minor with some harmonic chords sustained across the top. To play the bass note and harmonics at the beginning of each bar, I recommend plucking the E-string with your thumb, and the D and G-strings with your first and second finger. After plucking these notes you’ll need to carefully play the bass groove on the lower two strings without touching the top two strings - it’s important that the harmonics continue to ring throughout each bar. The harmonics in the first three bars create different voicings of an Em7 chord. In the first bar, the two harmonics are G and D, the minor third and minor seventh of the chord respectively. In the second bar the harmonics are F# and B, the ninth and fifth of the chord. In order to ensure that the harmonics ring out effectively, you’ll need to boost your treble control slightly. If you are playing a two-pickup bass, it might also be an idea to favour the bridge pickup slightly.

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Bass Lick of the Week #29

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a slap and pop groove written in the style of Marcus Miller. The main idea behind this lick is sliding root and octave figures around the fingerboard, which is something that Marcus often does during his basslines and solos. After slapping the E in the first bar, pop the octave and allow both notes to ring together. These notes should then be slid downwards to D. Then, slap the D and slide downwards to the C#, then pop the octave C#. As you perform all of this, keep fretting the root and octave of each note - this will create a much thicker sound. If you can master this short phrase, you will be well-placed to play the rest of the exercise. After playing this figure, slap a dead note on the A-string and pop a dead note on the G-string - this completes the second beat. On the third beat, slap the C#, slide into the D, pop the octave D, then slap the open E-string. On the fourth beat, there is a semiquaver rest, followed by three ghost notes: slap-pop-slap. Practice this bar slowly and in isolation before moving on. Once you can play this bar you should find that the remainder of the exercise falls into place. In the fourth bar of the sequence there are some chord changes from C^9 to Dadd9. Beneath these, the bass plays simple root-octave slap figures. This line was performed on a Fender Marcus Miller Signature Jazz Bass. All controls were turned up full and a heavy dose of compression was added digitally once recorded.

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Bass Lick of the Week #30

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a semiquaver-based groove that’s played with the plectrum. When playing lines with the plectrum - particularly if they are based on a semiquaver pulse - it’s crucial that you maintain a consistent down-up-down-up picking motion. This was covered in detail back in the notes for Bass Lick #1, so refer to that week’s exercise for a recap on the technique if needed. The first three bars open with a phrase that can be tricky to play: after picking an open A-string, play a ghost note on the same string, then follow that with a second ghost note on the D-string, then the octave A at the seventh fret. It’s important that the second ghost note is played on the D-string, or you’ll find yourself playing a downstroke on the A-string, then needing to play an upstroke on the D-string. This is possible of course, but the line is much easier if you move to the D-string a semiquaver earlier. Be sure to play the hammer-ons as written and remember that when these are used, the picking hand will not play on that part of the beat. For the phrase on the third beat of the first, second and third bars, that means that you will be playing down-up-up strokes with the pick. This can be difficult to do, but can be made easier by consciously playing a ‘silent downstroke’ on the note that is hammered. You will very likely do this naturally, after all, you need to play a downstroke motion in order to play a second upstroke. There is a great deal that you can do with this exercise beyond the way that it was recorded. You could experiment with varying degrees of palm muting (I used some light muting when recording it), and you could also use it as a vehicle for working on the self-generated backbeat feel that has been made popular by pick players such as Cody Wright and Bobby Vega. To do this, simply add a heavy accent to beats two and four in each bar - this is the backbeat, where the snare drum falls. This line was recorded on a 1972 Fender Jazz bass with all controls turned up full.

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Bass Lick of the Week #31

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a heavily syncopated fingerstyle funk groove that works over a D7 chord. After playing the two D’s on the A-string at the beginning of the first bar, you’ll be descending the G-string using the octave, the minor seventh (C), the major sixth (B), the minor sixth (Bb) and the fifth (A). These notes are played in a syncopated rhythm and all except for the B are preceded with an open G-string. This is a tricky rhythm to master, so I recommend listening closely to the audio when learning this line. In the second bar, a long bass fill is played. This begins with a double hammer-on from the open D-string, to the F and the F#. These three notes are then followed by the A at the second fret of the G-string. Note the heavy use of chord tones here - D is the root of the D7 chord, F# is the major third, and A is the fifth. After this group of four notes, the F-F#-A sequence is played twice more, then followed by another double hammer-on: open D-string to the G at the fifth fret, then to the A at the seventh fret. Breaking this fill down into these components will help you learn it. In the third bar we have another descending, syncopated line, although this one is a little different to the line in the first bar - this time the C is the note that is not preceded by the open G-string. In the fourth bar we have another fill. After playing the D-F-F#-A motif again, we play a pull-off from F to E to the open D-string, then move to the A-string, where we play a pull-off from C to the open A. The final note of the exercise is the F# at the second fret of the E-string. Again, you will notice a heavy use of chord tones in this line. This exercise was performed on a 1966 Fender Jazz Bass.

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Bass Lick of the Week #32

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a slap and pop groove that incorporates some strummed chords and is played over a shuffle feel. This track features strummed power chords in the first two bars. To play these, strum downwards with the fingers of your picking hand, allowing the nails to strike the strings. This will give your strums a hard attack, which is what we need for this line. Try to use upstrokes as well as downstrokes: for each beat, aim to play the first note (the crotchet) with a downstroke, and the second note (the quaver) with an upstroke. Note that at the end of the second beat the power chord changes to become a minor sixth interval (E and C). This is done by moving the finger that is fretting the B up by one fret. This allows us to imply a C major chord, before moving to the D power chord that follows. The second half of the exercise is a simple slap and pop figure that features some sliding figures. Be sure to continue to play with an even triplet feel when playing these beats. The ghost note slap and pop figures on the second and fourth beats of each bar are there for rhythmic interest only, but you’ll probably agree that they add to the groove of these bars quite significantly. This line was recorded on my 1966 Fender Jazz bass. I used both pickups and had the tone control turned up most of the way. I digitally compressed the sound a little once the line was recorded.

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Bass Lick of the Week #33

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a busy, semiquaver-based groove that makes use of the blues scale. It’s also played with the plectrum, and features some awkward string crossing. In the first and third bars you’ll be playing an ascending line using the C blues scale. Because this part is played using a syncopated semiquaver rhythm, you’ll find yourself need to play several upstrokes in a row. This is because the notes are falling on the syncopated parts of the beat - the second and fourth semiquaver subdivisions. It’s important to stick to the recommended pick strokes since this will ensure that you begin each beat with a downstroke, which is the logical way to apply plectrum technique to grooves such as this. For more information on this technique, be sure to check out my book Plectrum Technique for Bass Guitar, which is available from Bassline Publishing. In the second bar, a simpler line is played, just on the E-string. Note that ghost notes have been used here to reinforce the semiquaver pulse that forms the foundation of the groove. Be careful of the hammer-on phrases and remember that after each of these you will be playing with a downstroke again as the hammer-on note occupies the part of the beat that would be played with an upstroke. In the fourth bar, a long, syncopated line is played on the E-string. This line is relatively straight-forward, although you’ll need to be careful of your picking strokes since many of the phrases begin on upbeats once again. This line was recorded on a 1966 Fender Jazz bass using both pickups.

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Bass Lick of the Week #34

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a chordal line that features a lot of harmonics. This line is built from chords that are played as a combination of harmonics and fretted bass notes. The opening chord is a B power chord (root-fifth-octave) and is played by fretting the B at the second fret of the A-string, and the harmonics at the fourth fret of the D and G-strings. It can be difficult to fret some notes and only lightly touch others, so practice playing this basic chord shape before moving on. The notes should be plucked using the chordal fingerstyle technique - use your thumb for the A-string, first finger for the D-string and second finger for the G-string. The opening B chord is followed by a Cadd9 chord, which is fretted in the same way. This is followed by an arpeggiated Gadd9 chord - this three-chord movement forms the backbone of the line. Note that the second time around, the harmonics change for the G chord, making it a G^9 (bar 4). A short turnaround figure is played in bars 6-8 using Eb^7 and F6 chords. When playing this line you’ll need to try to allow all notes to ring for as long as possible throughout the bar. You should also allow the notes to ring into one another where possible, to enhance the chordal nature of the part. Harmonics work well in chords on the bass because they are much higher in pitch than the fretted notes - the separation between the two works really well for full-sounding chords. I recorded this line using a Zon Sonus bass, favouring the bridge pickup - this allows the midrange to speak out more clearly, which is great for harmonics. I recommend that you do the same on your instrument. I also used the EBS UniChorus pedal when recording the line, and applied some Reverb digitally. Both Chorus and Reverb sound great for lines such as this.

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Bass Lick of the Week #35

Playing Tips This week’s line is a busy fingerstyle funk groove that makes use of many decorations such as hammer-ons, slides, and shakes. After sliding into the E at the seventh fret of the A-string from the D two frets below, a melodic phrase is played on the upper two strings. The first three notes of this phrase (E-D-B) should be played as short as possible, whilst the last note (D), is decorated with a shake. A shake is similar to a trill, but has a little more ‘grease’ to it, making it perfect for funk lines. To perform a shake, fret the D and then rapidly slide the same finger back and forth between D and the D# a fret above. The difficult part of this phrase is moving from the shake back into the main line, or into the long fills in bars 2 and 4. In bar 2 we play the first of the long bass fills. This line is based on the E blues scale (E-G-A-Bb-B-D), which is often used in funk lines. When playing this line it’s important that all slides and hammer-ons are played as written, as these are integral to the fluidity of the line. In bar 4 we have the second fill. This begins in the same way as the earlier fill, only now an octave lower. Watch out for the tied low E from the end of the second beat into the third. Note that both of these fills make fairly extensive use of the flattened fifth from the blues scale (Bb), arguably the most colourful note. This line was performed on a Fender Jazz bass, with the bridge pickup slightly favoured. I recommend that you do the same if you are using a two-pickup instrument, as this will add a little extra ‘bite’ to the tone.

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Bass Lick of the Week #36

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is an up-tempo slap groove that makes extensive use of fretting hand slaps. The key to mastering the first bar of the exercise is in learning to play fretting hand slaps in between the pitched notes. To do this, you’ll need to make sure that you are fretting the notes with the first finger of your fretting hand - doing this will mean that the other three fingers are available to perform the fretting hand slaps. The second bar of the exercise is a continuous semiquaver line based around E. With the exception of the popped note at the end of the second beat, all of the notes are either played with the thumb, or with the fretting hand. Note that fretting hand slaps usually follow slapped or popped notes. I recommend working through this beat by beat, at a slower tempo. Be sure to follow the video tutorial for guidance here as well. This ‘linear’ style of slap bass playing was popularised by Mark King during the eighties. In the fourth bar we have another bar of E-based semiquaver material, this time with some additional triplet figures. The first of these occurs at the end of the second beat and is played by slapping the E-string with the thumb, a ghost note with the fretting hand, then a ghost note with the thumb. As these three notes are split between the two hands, it’s possible to build this up to high speeds. The second triplet is played on beat three. This one is played by popping a note on the G-string (fretted with the first finger), performing a fretting hand slap, then slapping a ghost note with the thumb. Again, because the work is split between the two hands, this can be done very fast. This line was recorded using a Status Washburn bass - very eighties! I recommend playing lines like this on an active instrument, with new strings for added brightness. A typical eighties-style ‘smiley face’ EQ will also work well here, as will a healthy dose of compression.

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Bass Lick of the Week #37

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a semiquaver-based plectrum groove, which sounds great with some additional palm muting. In the first bar, after playing the root note F on the E-string, the majority of the line is played on the D-string. As this line is semiquaver-based, you’ll want to be playing using a consistent down-up-downup picking motion for this part - see the picking guides for more detail. It can be quite tricky alternating between pitched and ghosted notes when playing on the same string - you will need to have accurate control over your fretting hand in order to switch between the two. At the end of the first bar, a pull-off is played from the Eb to the open D-string. The line then ends on a C, which is played on the A-string. This descending three-note figure is an important melodic element in the line, so take care to play it cleanly, and be sure not to rush it. In the second and third bars of this exercise the line from the first bar is reused, but transposed up first to Ab, then to Bb. The same picking patterns will be used here. The only slightly awkward thing about these bars is that the pull-off on beat 4 will be to a fretted note rather than an open string. In the fourth bar, the line returns to F and the bar begins in the same way as bar 1. In the second half of the bar however, a descending series of pull-offs is played. Again, take care not to rush these - this is quite common when playing continuous pull-off figures. This line sounds great if you can play it using some light palm muting. To do this, gently rest the edge of your palm across the strings as you play, muting the notes. You will need to experiment with the amount of pressure that you apply in order to replicate the sound on the recording. This line was recorded on a Fender Jazz Bass. When I recorded it, I forgot that I had my EBS Unichorus pedal switched on - it sounded so good on the finished line I left it on there!

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Bass Lick of the Week #38

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a chordal line that is played at a very slow tempo. This exercise is in the key of C minor and uses some three-note chord voicings for major and minor chords. For the first chord - C minor - fret the C on the E-string with the first finger, and the octave C on the D-string with the third or fourth finger. The Eb on the G-string is fretted by barring across the strings with the first finger. This voicing - root, octave and third - is a good one to know on the bass as it is relatively uncluttered. Although it’s possible to add the fifth of the chord (F) to this voicing, it’s usually best not to, as it can make the chord too dense. As the bass has a low register, it’s usually best to stick to a maximum of three notes in a voicing. The second chord - Bb - is played with the first finger fretting the Bb on the E-string, the third finger fretting the octave on the D-string, and the second finger fretting the major third on the G-string. These two voicings/fingerings will work for all of the chords in this line. At the end of the second bar, a fill is played over the Eb chord. To play this, fret the Eb with the second finger - you should then find that all of the notes fall under the fingers using the finger-per-fret system. Be sure to play the hammer-ons as written as this will help keep the line legato. If possible, try to allow the final two notes - D and Bb to ring together briefly. In the fourth bar there is another fill over the Eb chord. This time, fret the Eb with the fourth finger - this will allow you to reach the low G with your first finger. When playing this line, I recommend adding a little chorus or reverb to your sound. These effects - used sparingly - usually sound good for chordal lines on the bass. This exercise was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass with the pickup pan control favouring the bridge pickup slightly.

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Bass Lick of the Week #39

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a slow-tempo fingerstyle funk line written in the style of Jaco Pastorius. This exercise should be played with some specific fingerings. After playing the two Bb’s on beat one, you should fret the E at the beginning of the second beat with your third finger. Your fourth finger can then play the F and your second can fret the Ab on the D-string. Keep your hand in position for the first half of the third beat, and fret the G with the first finger. At this point you’ll need to perform a position shift to put your second finger on the Db at the end of the third beat. This will enable you to play all four notes in the fourth beat in one hand position. Using these fingerings is challenging, but logical. This line was originally written as a way to practice using the finger-per-fret system for more intricate lines. The line described above is repeated in the second and third bars, with just one small alteration at the end of the third bar. Here, the final note is a low E. This note is tied into the fourth bar, then decorated with the G and D harmonics at the fifth fret. An ascending line from F back up to the Bb is then played to complete the bar. The use of the low E is striking here, as it does not belong in the same key as the rest of the line. What’s happening here is a ‘tritone substition’ where the underlying Bb7 chord is briefly substituted for an E7 chord. This works because the third and seventh of the two chords are the same notes, but inverted (D and Ab in Bb7, G# and D in E7). The chord that is actually implied here is E7#9 - the G natural is the #9. This tritone substition was something that Jaco sometimes used in his lines - check out the end section of ‘Opus Pocus’ from his debut album, and live performances of ‘The Chicken’ to hear this - both tracks are based around a Bb7 chord, as this exercise is. This exercise was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass using the bridge pickup. I recommend doing the same when playing lines such as this, as this will add midrange punch to the tone.

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Bass Lick of the Week #40

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is another funk groove that’s played with the plectrum. Much of this exercise is rich in chord tones and strong supporting notes from the D Mixolydian mode. In the first and third bars, the line opens with a hammer-on from C to D (the minor seventh and root note of the implied D7 chord). These notes are then followed by B - C an octave higher, which are the major sixth and minor seventh - great choices when playing funk lines. There’s also a slide up to the major third of the chord (F#) on the third beat, and a pull-off from the ninth back to the octave on the fourth beat. In the second bar the root note is played, then a chromatically ascending line is played from the major third of the chord, back up to the fifth, perfectly setting up the third bar. In the fourth bar, double chromatic approach notes are used to ascend to the major third (played an octave higher here as a tenth), after which the line decends through the Mixolydian mode from C, on the D-string. Note the use of the minor third-major third (F-F#) interval on beat four - again, this is very common in funk lines and you should add this to your repertoire for when playing over dominant seventh chords in particular. In terms of playing this line with the plectrum, you should take care to follow the picking strokes shown between the staves. Every beat starts with a downstroke, and if you are playing continuous semiquavers - as you will be throughout most of this line - you should be following a down-up-downup picking motion. You can read more about this application of the picking technique way back in the notes for Bass Lick of the Week #1! This exercise was recorded on a 1966 Fender Jazz Bass. Some compression was added digitally.

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Bass Lick of the Week #41

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a quirky, up-tempo slap and pop line which was inspired by the playing of Les Claypool, the bassist with Primus. The first bar opens with some power chords, which are played using the strumming technique. To play these chords, flick downwards with all of the fingers of your picking hand, allowing your fingernails to strike the strings - the sound of the nails hitting the strings is what gives strumming the hard attack that you need. After playing this downward strum, bring your hand back upward, strumming the strings again with the fingertips. This down-up strumming motion is easier to do than it is to explain! I recommend fretting the notes in each chord with the first and fourth fingers, and allowing the second finger to rest on the E and A-strings, preventing them from ringing. On the second half of this bar, some slap and pop figures are played, based off of the open E-string. Note that the fretting hand is required to play percussive ghost notes in between some of the slapped/popped notes. These are indicated with the letters ‘lh’ in the slap guides. Using the fretting hand in this way is something that Les Claypool often does in his lines - see ‘Lacquer Head’ from Primus’s AntiPop album for a great example. In the second bar you’ll be sliding from the low F# into the G, then popping the open G-string. You can allow the open G’s to ring here, since the sound of the notes blurring into one another is not undesireable in a line like this. This concept is expanded upon in the fourth bar: here, you’ll slide upwards from F# into G, pop the open G-string, then slide downwards from D to C# and pop the open G-string. The open G against the C# results in a tritone interval which is very dissonant, and very striking. Again, you can allow the notes to ring into one another here. This line is played as groupings of three notes against a straight semiquaver rhythm, so the time can feel a little strange initially. This line was recorded on a GB Guitars Rumour 4-string.

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Bass Lick of the Week #42

Playing Tips This exercise is a relatively simple, but melodic line in A minor. The opening phrase of bar 1 strongly implies the sound of an Am7 chord. This is because all of the notes from this chord are used here: the opening C is the minor third of the chord, the A is the root, the G the minor seventh, and the E is the fifth. These notes not only sound great when played in this sequence, but they also strongly reflect the sound of the chord. After a root-fifth-octave figure, the line moves into the second bar, where some simple phrases based around thirds are played. The first of these - C and E again fit with the Am7 chord. The next two - B and D - are scale tones, but sound good here because of the use of a repeating rhythmic sequence, which the ear expects. In the fourth bar, the phrase from the second bar is played again in the lower octave, then embellished to become a longer, chord-tone fill (beat four). This takes us back to the beginning of the line. This bassline was written as a challenge to myself to write something that relied almost entirely on chord tones. Hopefully it will serve as a demonstration of the kind of lines that are possible with just some basic harmonic material. This line was played on a Fender P-bass, with foam inserted under the strings for a Jamerson-style sound. The tone control was also rolled most of the way off.

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Bass Lick of the Week #43

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a rock bassline that sounds great when played with a pick. This line makes for a great workout for your plectrum technique as it features some string crossing, a continuous semiquaver feel, and some hammer-on figures. When playing this line, be sure to start every beat with a downstroke, and follow a strict down-up-down-up motion with your picking hand. In some cases - such as on the third beat of bar 1 - you’ll play a ‘silent stroke’. On this beat, you’ll play the first two ghost notes with down and up strokes, then the B on the third semiquaver subdivision is played with a downstroke. This note is then hammered-on to the C#, so the picking hand does not need to play the string. However, it should still go through the upstroke motion, ready to begin beat four with a downstroke. Despite the relatively long-winded explanation, this is a relatively simple thing to do, and it’s likely to be the thing that feels most natural. The important thing is understanding the concept of ‘silent strokes’, and where they can be useful. This line was recorded on a 1966 Fender Jazz bass. Both pickups were used and the tone control was set almost to full. Some compression was added digitally after the line was recorded.

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Bass Lick of the Week #44

Playing Tips This exercise is played with the slap and pop technique and features some challenging strumming figures. The line opens with a chordal part, strummed on the D and G-strings. To strum these chords, flick downwards with all of the fingers of your picking hand, allowing your fingernails to strike the strings - the sound of the nails hitting the strings is what gives strumming the hard attack that you need. After playing this downward strum, bring your hand back upward, strumming the strings again with the fingertips. It can be quite tricky to switch from strumming to slapping (for the C at the end of the phrase), so be sure to practice this line slowly. This chordal phrase is used at the end of each bar of the exercise. In the first bar, a simple slap and pop figure based around A is played on beats one and two, then followed by the strummed figure on beats three and four. In the second bar, the low slapped bass note chanages to F, whilst the A on the G-string remains the same. This turns the chord into an F major chord. In the third bar, the bass note changes to G, whilst the A on the G-string remains in place - this turns the chord into a Gadd9 chord. This line can be tricky to get your fingers around, so I recommend doing the following: play the strummed figure with the first finger fretting the E at the second fret of the D-string and the second finger fretting the A at the second finger of the G-string. Use the third finger to fret the C at the end of the phrase - you can follow these fingerings each time the chordal line comes around. As bar 3 arrives, you’ll need to move your second finger down to fret the G on the E-string, whilst your first finger can fret the A on the G-string. This is a difficult transition to make, so be sure to work on it slowly. This line was recorded on a GB Guitars Rumour 4-string, which has a naturally bright tone and is set up with a low action, making it perfect for slap and pop lines such as this one.

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Bass Lick of the Week #45

Playing Tips This exercise features a lot of harmonics and uses an 11/8 time signature. In the first bar, the opening two notes - A and B - are played as normal notes. The B should be fretted with the first finger, and should be allowed to ring underneath the harmonics which follow. Use your fourth finger to fret the B and F# harmonics, and your third or fourth finger to fret the high D harmonic at the third fret - remember that harmonics will continue to ring even once you remove your finger from the string. In the second half of the bar, the opening bass notes are repeated again, followed by B and F# harmonics, which are this time followed by the G harmonic at the fifth fret of the G-string. You should fret this latter harmonic with the fourth finger. The challenge with this line is to allow the B on the A-string to ring whilst the harmonics are added over the top, as this enhances the chordal nature of the line. This bar is played three times. Bars 4 and 5 follow the same format as the first three bars, but this time the low bass notes are E and F# on the E-string. All of the fingerings remain as described above. Don’t worry about the 11-8 time signature - after listening to the exercise a couple of times, the rhythm should be quite clear to you as it is repeated in each bar. When playing lines that feature a lot of harmonics such as this one, it’s a good idea to favour the bridge pickup on your bass, and perhaps boost your mid control slightly if you have one. Doing so will allow the harmonics to speak out more clearly, particularly those at the third fret. This line was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass. I favoured the back pickup, boosted the treble slightly and applied reverb digitally once the line was recorded. A little reverb or chorus works really well with lines of this nature.

Copyright © 2018 Bassline Publishing

Bass Lick of the Week #46

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a fingerstyle funk line that works over a D7 chord. This is a challenging, semiquaver-based line that is heavy on chord tones, but it’s great to play once you get it down. Like all good basslines, this one features chord tones extensively. In the first bar, the root note (D), is played on the first beat, followed by the major third (F#) on the second beat. From the F# the line then ascends to the fifth (A), using a chromatic movement that is commonly used in basslines from all genres. The seventh of the chord (C) is also used in the fourth beat. Note that this first bar consists of almost continuous semiquavers, with just one rest at the beginning of the third beat. Consequently, this is a tough line to play, particularly since you’ll also need to be adept at switching between pitched notes and ghost notes. Practice slowly to begin with, concentrating on the correct placement of the notes the syncopated note placements in the second and third beats can be particularly tricky. The second bar is identical to the first, and the third differs only at the end of the fourth beat. At this point, you’ll need to move quickly up the neck to play the double chromatic approach notes to the F# at the eleventh fret of the G-string. Once there (at the beginning of the fourth bar), you’ll play an open D, then play chromatic approach notes to the D at the twelfth fret of the D-string. This sequence is then repeated: open D-string, then double chromatic approach notes to the A, open D-string, then double chromatic approaches to the lower F#. The open D serves a dual purpose here: it’s the root note of the chord, but being an open string, it also offers the opportunity to perform position shifts, a common reason to chose an open string over a fretted note. This line was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass strung with new Rotosounds. I favoured the bridge pickup slightly for a punchier tone, and added a little compression digitally after recording.

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Bass Lick of the Week #47

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a busy rock riff that should be played with a plectrum. This line was inspired by funk-metal band Extreme, who often use similar riffs as guitar/bass unison lines. This line is built on the E minor pentatonic scale. In the first bar, you’ll initially play a descending lick moving from E, to D, to B, then to the open E-string. This opening line is used at the beginning of each bar. This is then followed by two ghost notes on the first half of beat two, and a G on the second half of the beat. This rhythmic figure is repeated on the third beat, but with an A instead of a G. On the fourth beat of the bar, the line ascends from A to B chromatically, including the A#/Bb, which briefly references the E blues scale. The second bar is almost identical to the first, but features a different figure on the fourth beat. This time, we have a descending line moving Bb-A-G. Again, the addition of the Bb references the E blues scale, which is commonly used in riffs such as this. In the fourth and final bar, a more complex line follows the opening motif. On beat two, a ghost note is played on the D-string, and is followed by a long, legato figure. Note that only the first note (A) is actually played by the picking hand - the remaining notes are performed using slides and a pull off. I recommend fretting the A with your fourth finger, then using this same finger to slide up to the Bb and back. You can then pull-off to the G, which can be fretted with the first finger. The final two beats of this bar feature a descending minor pentatonic lick that can be tough to play as you’ll be playing downstrokes on one string, then upstrokes on another. I recommend practicing this slowly, and following the picking guides written between the staves. This line was recorded on a Fender Marcus Miller Signature bass, running through the Tech 21 dUg Pinnick preamp.

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Bass Lick of the Week #48

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a slap groove that’s played over a shuffle feel. This line is in the key of E minor, but starts on a non-scale tone, the Bb. This note is the ‘blue note’ and works because it comes from the E blues scale. As you’ll hear, this is a very striking note to begin the line with. After slapping the Bb and popping its octave, you’ll play three ghost notes on the second beat. As we’re in a compound time signature (where each beat naturally divides into three instead of two), these notes will be played with a triplet rhythm. The remaining two beats of the first bar are played in a similar way. In the second bar you’ll play a G, followed by a low E on the first beat. Keep this low E ringing whilst you pop the E power chord on the second beat - these notes should be popped using the first and second fingers together. The first and second bars are then played twice more. In bars 7 and 8, tenth intervals are used to imply chord changes. In bar 7, we play a C on the E-string, then pop the E on the G-string, a major tenth above. Tenths are the same as thirds, so these two notes suggest a C major chord. On beats two and four of this bar we’ll again be using the three dead notes as described above. Bar 8 features the same idea, but with a D major chord. This line was recorded on a GB Guitars Rumour bass. This instrument has a low action and is perfect for slap grooves such as this. I recorded through the Tech 21 dUg Pinnick preamp and added compression digitally after recording.

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Bass Lick of the Week #49

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a two handed tapping line that is a great place to start if you’ve never used the technique before. If you’re new to the two handed tapping technique, the first thing you’ll need to work on is tapping notes with your picking hand. To do so, rest your thumb on the top edge of the neck, to act as an anchor, then push the string down at the fret indicated. You’ll find this a lot easier to do if you have a low action on your bass. I recommend working on playing notes in this way with the first, second and third fingers of your picking hand. You’ll also need to be able to tap notes with your fretting hand. This is done by hammering onto the string with the fingers of the fretting hand at the fret indicated. Focus on clear, well-defined notes when doing this, and ensure that you are comfortable playing in this way using all four fingers of your fretting hand. The opening bar of this exercise outlines a I-V-IV chord progression in the key of G major. First, the fretting hand taps a G at the third fret of the E-string, whilst the picking hand taps the G at the twelfth fret of the G-string. The fretting hand then moves to root notes D and C on the A-string, while the picking hand descends first to F# (the major third of the D chord), then to E (the major third of the C chord). This sequence of three chords is used at the beginning of each two-bar section of this line. The C chord should be allowed to ring into the next bar, where it is followed by a simple figure tapped with the fretting hand. The next time through (bars 3 and 4) this chord is followed by a simple figure tapped with the picking hand. When playing this figure, I recommend tapping the B with the first finger, the E with the second and the F# with the third. This line was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass and some compression was added digitally. Lines such as this will also sound great with a touch of reverb or chorus.

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Bass Lick of the Week #50

Playing Tips This week’s exercise is a melodic line that uses tenths and chords to outline the harmony. In the first bar, a descending figure B - G# - E is played following an open E-string. These notes are the fifth, third and root of an E major chord, so the tonality is very well-defined here. At the end of the second beat a new figure is played on the A and D-strings, culminating in a C# at the eleventh fret of the D-string and the open A-string. These two notes together are a major tenth interval from A, and so strongly outline the A major chord. If you’re not familiar with the term, a tenth is a compound major or minor third - essentially an octave plus a third. Tenths are popular harmonic devices on the bass as they are great for implying harmony with just two notes. The second bar and most of the third are identical to the first. At the end of the third bar, the open E that had been played on the final semiquaver of the bar is replaced with a C at the eighth fret of the E-string - I recommend fretting this note with your first finger. With this C still ringing, fret the B and E at the ninth fret of the D and G-strings with the second and third fingers respectively. These notes are the major seventh and major third of a C^7 chord. This chord is followed by a D major chord: fret the D on the E-string with the first finger, the F# on the G-string with the second and the D on the D-string with the third. When playing this chordal line, I used my thumb to pluck notes on the E-string and my first and second fingers to pluck the notes on the D and G-strings. This exercise was recorded on my Zon Sonus bass. You’ll find that chordal lines such as this one sound great with a touch of reverb or chorus.

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Bass Lick of the Week #51

Playing Tips This exercise is an uptempo funk groove that is played with the plectrum. Palm muting has also been used quite extensively here. The first bar opens with a four-note figure on the first beat. A D is played at the seventh fret of the G-string and is followed by a ghost note. These two notes are then followed by a pull-off from C# to B, still on the G-string. For beat two, you’ll need to cross back to the E-string and perform two ghost notes followed by an open E-string. For beats three and four, play two C#’s followed by a D and a ghost note, all on the A-string. Palm muting can be applied from the second beat onwards. The second bar begins in a similar way, but with the melodic figure now descending from G on the D-string. The second and third beats are the same as those from the first bar, but the final beat is slightly different: simply play a ghost note on the E-string and follow it with a low G, which can then ring for the remainder of the bar. Bar 3 is identical to bar 1, and the final bar begins with the same figure used at the beginning of the second bar. From beat two onwards, you’ll be playing notes on the A-string. This line sounds great if you can apply some palm muting, although I recommend leaving the opening figure of each bar unmuted. To mute the strings, rest the edge of your palm gently on the strings down by the bridge. As everyone’s hands are different, you’ll need to spend some time experimenting with the position and the amount of pressure that you apply. This line was recorded on a Zon Sonus bass, with the neck pickup slightly favoured. If you’d like to learn more about the plectrum technique, be sure to check out Plectrum Technique for Bass Guitar, also available from Bassline Publishing.

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Bass Lick of the Week #52

Playing Tips This final exercise in the Bass Lick of the Week series is a slap and pop groove that also makes use of some strummed chords. This line opens with a B power chord, which is strummed with the fingers of the picking hand. To strum this chord, flick downwards forcefully, allowing the fingernails to strike the strings - it is the sound of the nails striking the strings that gives strumming its powerful attack. With this chord still ringing, play the simple slap and pop figure that comprises the remainder of beat one, and beat two. In the second half of the bar, you’ll be using two fingers of the picking hand to pop notes: after slapping the open A-string, pop the E on the D-string with the first finger and the B on the G-string with the second. This B should still be held in place from the first two beats of the bar. In the second bar, similar figures are played with G and E bass notes. When playing these bars, try to allow the notes to ring into one another where possible - don’t worry too much about muting on this occasion. This will enhance the chordal nature of the line and will sound effective. In the fourth and final bar, the B on the G-string and the E on the D-string continue to ring whilst the bass note changes to the C on the A-string. This creates a C^7 chord. In the second half of the bar a simple slap and pop figure is played on a D, leading into a repeat of the line. This exercise was performed on a Zon Sonus bass, strung with new stainless steel Rotosounds strings, for a bright tone.

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