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greghagger

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Everything posted by greghagger

  1. greghagger
    I watched an enlightening video the other week by scientist and musician, Dr Molly Gebrian, about the science that happens in the brain as we learn new tasks. The relevance to us bass players is how we can use this science to: ✅ speed up learning new material ✅ help eradicate mistakes ✅ play faster and with greater accuracy I'm sure that you'd like to improve on all three of the above points, I know that I would! In my latest YouTube video, I've summarised some of Dr Gebrian's ideas and used them to demonstrate how we can learn a technical exercise. This is really interesting stuff that will help you to practice efficient, saving you a lot of wasted time in the long run. You can grab a free copy of the lesson exercise by clicking the link in the video description.
  2. greghagger
    Fantastic @Normski, enjoy that! Plenty more coming out on the channel. Might cover some more Chas too!
  3. greghagger
    @Normski I bet that has been fun’! I’ve certainly enjoyed transcribing and teaching some of Chas’s bass lines recently. Are you playing old material or working on new stuff with the Animals?
  4. greghagger
    I've had a few requests lately to look at Chas Chandler's bass line from 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place', so I decided to look at it this week. The main bass riff must be one of the most recognisable bass features in the history of pop music! Although it does take a bit of technique and concentration to nail the main riff perfectly, this is a fairly accessible bass line to play and only has two different sections. It's a whole lotta fun though! You can download a free copy of my note-for-note transcription of the bass line by clicking the link in the video description. Notation and Tab available. Enjoy this classic!
  5. greghagger
    If you don't have a method for working out how how to play rhythms, you'll most likely struggle to play any grooves accurately. This is an issue for bass players, to say the least! Have you glossed over a rhythm, for lack of understanding it, and just played an approximation? Do you commonly struggle with knowing where in the bar to play certain notes? Do you wish that you had a method for learning more complex rhythms? If you answered yes to any of these three questions, then you'll find the contents of my latest YouTube video very helpful. In the video, I delve into note and rest values, subdividing bars, and I also give you a checklist for how to approach learning a new rhythm. There’s a free PDF in the video description that includes the lesson material and a bass cheatsheet.
  6. greghagger
    A common question that I get asked by bass students, is "how can they make their bass lines sound more smooth?" When learning bass, it's very usual for players to stumble over certain parts of a bass lines, or play bass lines that sound disjointed and jerky. But there are quite a few approaches that you can take to eradicate these issues, including: 🟢 Utilising efficient fingering patterns 🟢 Phrasing 🟢 Using helpful fretting hand techniques 🟢 Focusing on what your plucking hand is doing In my latest YouTube video I focus on these issues, using real bass line examples to provide you with solutions that work. You get a free copy of the lesson material in a PDF by clicking the link in the video description.
  7. greghagger
    Good timing then! Check out my Greg’s Bass Shed channel later today (Monday) as I’m releasing a video of me playing this song with the original recording. Hope your gig goes well.
  8. greghagger
    It's high time that I featured a Paul McCartney bass line in one of my YouTube videos, as the last one was about 5 years ago! Macca is such an influential bass player and is one of the founding fathers of 'pop bass'. His approach to creating bass lines is very unique and interesting, often including arpeggio shapes and melodic lines, toped off with great attention to articulation. In my latest YouTube lesson I tackle 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,' a classic Beatles song that contains three different keys and two different time signatures! You can grab a free copy of my full bass line transcription in notation and Tab by clicking the link in the video description. Enjoy this classic!
  9. greghagger
    When planning my latest bass lesson, I realised that it will be my 300th YouTube video! So I wanted to make something a bit different to mark this achievement. So, in my lesson I'm featuring five bass riffs that have each made an impact on my playing over the years. These riffs are both fun, and educational to learn, and I'm sure that you'll enjoy playing them. Check out the five bass riffs in my latest GBS video lesson by clicking below. There’s also a free lesson PDF in notation and Tab, just click the link in the video description.
  10. greghagger
    When trying to spice up a bass line with a fill, there are usually a few common issues that crop up, including: 🔴 Overcomplicating the bass line 🔴 Rushing the groove 🔴 Stepping on the toes of the rest of the band 🔴 Not knowing which notes will sound good But, if you bear a few loose rules in mind and have a framework for creating fills, you can easily overcome these issues and play tasty fills that work and suit the song. Check out how to do this in my latest bass video. You’ll find a free lesson PDF in the video description. Enjoy!
  11. greghagger
    I've always loved Roger Waters’ bass line from Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd. It's easy to play, but it has such a fat groove and the low D is so satisfying to play. You don't need a 5-string bass to play this low D, you can do what Roger Waters did, and detune your E-string. This does make fretting other notes on the E-string interesting though! I've covered this bass line in my latest YouTube video and written out a note-for-note transcription. You can find a link for this in the video description. Enjoy this Floyd classic!
  12. greghagger
    I've made a few lessons on 12/8 Blues recently and this has raised questions from some of you. A few of you have asked what the difference is between playing in 12/8 and 4/4 shuffle time. This can be very confusing as you can technically notate shuffle grooves in both 12/8 and 4/4. But you do need to know the differences between these two time feels if you play at Blues jams or in Blues bands. I've made a video lesson covering all of this, in easy-to-understand language with musical examples. There’s a free PDF link in the video description.
  13. greghagger
    Really great video. Cheers.
  14. greghagger
    I've had many requests to cover some Outlaw Country, so I thought I'd take a look at the style for this week's YouTube lesson. I've always liked Willie Nelson's, 'On The Road Again,' which has an uptempo Country feel to it and that's the song I've picked to take a look at. There's more to Country bass, then the simple root/5th pattern and you'll learn some useful Country walking patterns from this bass line that are perfect for transferring to other songs. This song goes at a fair old tempo, so as always, the challenge is playing the bass line with good groove and feel. Check this video out by clicking the link below. You can pick up a transcription of the bass line by clicking the link in the video description. Enjoy!
  15. greghagger
    I frequently bang on about pentatonic scales because they are essential to know if you want to start creating your own bass riffs, licks and fills. It can sometimes be hard to actually find the practical use of scales, but the pentatonic scales give you fretboard patterns and a particular sound, that you can use as a framework when creating or learning bass lines. In my latest video I cover the two pentatonic scales and also show you alternative patterns for both scales. This is the starting point for delving into pentatonics, and I've presented the scales in a lesson that is clear and easy to understand. There’s a free lesson PDF which you can get by clicking the link under the video in the description. This would be handy to have on a wall or music stand in your practice area. Enjoy!
  16. greghagger
    In my YouTube lesson for this week, I show you how to play five bass grooves that sound great and are easy to play. I’ve picked grooves from different styles of music, including: 🟢 Blues 🟢 Rock 🟢 Funk 🟢 Reggae 🟢 Pop This video is perfect for beginners and intermediate players who want some easy-going riffs that they can jam along with drum loops. You are going to improve as a bassist if you learn bass lines from different styles of music, so make sure that you don’t stick exclusively to one style when learning the bass. You can pick up a free PDF with all 5 bass grooves by clicking the link in the description below the video lesson.
  17. greghagger
    Last week I released a video lesson that focused on the slow 12/8 Blues style. 6/8 time is very similar to 12/8 time, and is often used for slow Blues tunes too. In my latest lesson I show you how to play the bass line from the Freddie King version of, 'Same Old Blues'. This is a lovely 6/8 slow Blues tune with the addition of a choir at one point. Learning to play in 6/8 time will strengthen what I showed you last week, and it's important to be able to do this if you want to play at Blues jams, as a slow Blues tune is bound to come up. There’s a free transcription of the original bass line under the video. Enjoy!
  18. greghagger
    One of the many things that I like about Blues is the slow epic guitar solo. The slow Blues is where you’ll find these solos and this style often contains the most heartfelt, emotional and serious side of the Blues. Slow Blues songs are mostly in the 12/8 time signature, which requires a different mindset from playing in the more usual 4/4 time. There are also particular bass patterns that work well in this style, and some that don't! In my latest lesson, I deep-dive the slow 12/8 Blues style and give you examples of the types of bass grooves and rhythms that work well in this style. It's essential to understand the slow Blues and know exactly what to play if you want to sound like an authentic Blues bass player. Check out how to do this in my latest video. Free PDF download link in the video description.
  19. greghagger
    No worries, glad it’s useful.
  20. greghagger
    That’s my next move. Also interested in trying some Creamery pickups.
  21. greghagger
    Really interesting. Great info. I’ll be trying my Mustang with some effects to see! Thanks
  22. greghagger
    Yeah I agree. I was pretty surprised at just how similar they sounded. Within a mix, I don’t think many people would be able to tell the difference.
  23. greghagger
    Interesting. The Squier P-Basses must be light. My Mustang is considerably lighter than any other 4-strings that I’ve picked up before. But I know they are making basses a lot lighter nowadays.
  24. greghagger
    Short-scale basses are becoming very popular lately, and there are many reasons why, not least because they are so much lighter than full-scale basses. Personally I'd never really considered short-scale basses before I had to play one when covering for another bassist on a gig. This particular short-scale bass was a Fender Mustang, and I've got to say that I was pretty impressed! The Mustang was instantly easy to play, and through a decent amp, it sounded much fatter than I imaged it would. So, of course I've gone out a brought one! In my latest YouTube video, you can check out what I think of my new Mustang bass, and hear how it stacks up against a full-scale P-Bass. This is a useful video if you’re considering buying a short-scale bass, and you want to hear how a Mustang bass sounds. Enjoy!
  25. greghagger
    It seems that bass players are frequently talking about other bass players that have good groove or who, 'play-in-the pocket'. There's good reason for this. If you're watching a bass player at a gig, you might notice some nice note choices, but invariably, it's the way that the bassist locks in with the drummer. and the band, that often catches people’s attention. Good groove is not as elusive as you might think though, and working on your timing with a metronome, click, or drummer will help you to improve in this area. My latest YouTube lesson covers these areas of playing and delves deeps into the different places that you can play with the beat. There’s a free PDF under the video. Enjoy!
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