NEWSLETTER: March, 2017

BASS FRETBOARD WORKBOOK

Ever find yourself in uncharted territory moving along the neck of your bass? Here's a systematic solution to learning the fretboard. Take your playing to a new level and expand your musical comprehension, with no reading of music!

Fretboard charts, 104 pages.

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CHORD BASSICS

Slim enough to tuck in your case, this comprehensive guide shows big, readable fingering charts for virtually every chord you will ever need to produce. Including different inversions (E major 7 is shown in six separate forms), there are over 500 chords here.

Fretboard charts. 76 pages.

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TIRAN PORTER, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS BASS TRANSCRIPTIONS

This collection provides accurately transcribed bass lines of The Doobie Brothers' classic hits, as played by bassist Tiran Porter. There are 10 songs taken from six albums.

Written in standard notation and TAB. 52 pages.

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Performance coach/bassist David Motto offers free tips from his ebook, THE TEN-MINUTE BASS VIRTUOSO.


SECRET 19:
BE YOUR OWN TEACHER

Acting Like a Coach and Cheerleader

Being your own teacher is not about replacing your bass teacher. It is about taking on the teacher persona during your practice sessions. Playing this role means you must think like your bass teacher. This means quickly but carefully analyzing what you are doing and how you sound. You must be an objective observer, giving yourself guidance on how to improve.

Why is it so important for bassists to take on the role of teacher while they’re practicing? The main reason is the nature of learning music itself.
(Read more)



SECRET 20:
STAY RELAXED

Eliminating Tension to Make Playing Easier

Both physical and mental tension can be debilitating in your musical life. Mental tension, more commonly called stress, affects your ability to concentrate, to listen carefully, and to remain interested in results as you work on technical challenges or difficult material.

An intriguing way to deal with stress is to make sure you play the bass every day. The very process of playing music has a calming effect. Playing daily also eliminates any feelings of guilt you have about avoiding your bass. (Read more)


See all ESSENTIAL SECRETS published to date on our BLOG.

"I love being in trios. A trio really allows the bass a certain amount of freedom that disappears as you add players."

"With a bow the sound becomes much more like the human voice and can be sustained."

In a wide-ranging interview in Alibi, bassist-composer James Whiton reveals some pointed facts about his band experiences and his current solo efforts. A looper plays a key role in his compositions.

Alibi article interviewing James Whiton

YouTube clip of James Whiton soloing with his looper