Flatwound vs. Roundwound Strings on a P-Bass: My Honest Take After 20+ Years of Playing
Sometimes smoother doesn’t mean better. For me, it felt further away. Let me explain. Recently, I finally tried…
The Diminished Chord Is a Magnet for Resolution
For the longest time, I avoided the diminished chord. It just sounded… strange. Mysterious. Almost like it…
The Internet Archive for Musicians: A Hidden Goldmine of Rare Recordings to Inspire Your Practice
Two decades ago, before I ever thought I’d be transcribing bass lines from bootlegs, I came across the Internet…
What Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip?” Taught Me About Right-Hand Accuracy on Bass
I spent an hour with Tower of Power’s What Is Hip? groove, and it taught me more about right-hand accuracy than…
One Hour, Four Bars: What Practicing “Southwick” Taught Me About Groove
When I was in my twenties, my hands were fast, my time was steady, and my mind could lock into even the simplest…
How to Transcribe Bass Solos (And Internalize Them): My Step-by-Step Workflow & Tools To Get The Most Out Of Each Note
I used to spend hours figuring out every note of a bass solo, only to forget most of it a week later.…
How to Transcribe Jazz Solos (Without Losing the Music)
When I first started transcribing jazz solos, I did what most players do — I’d pause after each note and…
Martin 000CJR-10E Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar Review: Warmth Redefined
When I walked into Guitar Center a couple days ago, I wasn’t planning to fall in love with another bass. But the…
Why Thinking Like a Drummer Transforms Your Slap Bass Groove
Most of us hit a wall with our slap bass grooves at some point. You start out learning the basic root-and-octave…
How to Practice Transcription on Bass (Without Burning Out)
When you first start transcribing, it’s easy to think you’re bad at it. You loop the same two bars, slow it…