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greghagger

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Everything posted by greghagger

  1. greghagger
    Recently one of my GBS Bass Masters members shared a live version of Tina Turner's, 'River Deep Mountain High,' and we worked through the bass line in a lesson so he could prepare it for a gig. I was reminded just how great this Tina Turner classic is. I used to play this song frequently at gigs and it's really high energy and fun to play. Warren McRae's bass line on this live version is grooving and also very easy to hear in the mix. My latest YouTube lesson features this bass line, so check it out if you want to learn a classic and have something fun to play. You can also grab a free copy of my bass line transcription in Tab and notation in the video description. Enjoy!
  2. greghagger
    @Beedster thanks, I’ll have to check that thread out. Have fun with this!
  3. greghagger
    I reckon that my favourite Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons bass line has to be the one from 'The Night'. The bassist, Joe Long, is really is at his finest in this song. I spent quite a few years playing in the original London production of 'Jersey Boys' a while back, but bizarrely this song wasn't in the show. Although we discussed it in the band, I don't remember us ever finding out why! Maybe it was something to do with the writer’s credits. The Night was recorded during the Four Seasons 'Motown phase' in the early 70's, and you can clearly hear Jamerson's influence in Joe Long's bass line. I made a YouTube lesson on this bass line a few years ago, but I've now made a play-through video with the original track. This was quite a challenge, particularly in the pre-choruses, because of the fast tempo. I could have done with a few days to practice it, but I managed to get something half-decent down for this week's YouTube video. You’ll find a link to my full transcription in the video description. I hope you find the transcription useful and enjoy my play-through.
  4. greghagger
    Go for it @Rosie C - never too late to get above the 7th fret 😃
  5. greghagger
    Great @stevie have fun learning this. I really enjoyed transcribing and recording this one.
  6. greghagger
    I was listening to the Beatles, 'Something' the other day, and I've never noticed before how incredible Paul McCartney's bass line is on this song. In my opinion, McCartney is at his best on this bass line and because of that, I decided to feature the bass line in my new YouTube series, 'Bass Lines That Changed Music Forever.' This bass line has everything in it: 🎸countermelodies 🎸dynamics 🎸substitution chords 🎸chord tones 🎸slides and vibrato The 'Something' bass line really enhances George Harrison's composition and is an integral part of the song, elevating bass into the limelight. You can get a free copy of my note-for-note transcription - link in the video description.
  7. greghagger
    Boosting your signal before you go into the amp is different than cracking the gain on your amp. Listen though, I’m not in the business of persuading people to buy this, that’s for Xotic to do. I’ve made a review video. If you want to find out more, watch my video then try the pedal out in a store and let your ears the guide. If it’s not for you, cool - it’s just an option.
  8. greghagger
    Hi @Supernaut I don’t quite understand what you mean. The RC Booster is good for boosting bass level before going to FOH.
  9. greghagger
    Hi @BigRedX - the RC Booster does a different thing than just upping gain on the amp. It helps to drive the amp more giving clarity and more presence.
  10. greghagger
    If you play a passive bass, you might be finding that it doesn't quite give you the fat tone that you're after when you play live. Or you might already be on an endless search for a way to boost your bass signal. As a professional bassist, I need to play a mixture of active and passive basses at my gigs, and although I love passive basses for plugging directly into my computer for teaching or recording YouTube videos, I used to find that my tone was lacking when playing live through an amp. Then I stumbled upon a pedal that fixed this exact problem - the Xotic RC Booster. Now, I'm not one for using loads of effects, but I always use this pedal with my passive basses, for good reason. Check out my latest YouTube video where I chat about the pedal and give you some samples of how it sounds.
  11. greghagger
    Hi @AndyBass7 try this link: https://www.gbshed.com/american-pie-original if that doesn't work, get in touch via my website contact page and I’ll then have your email address and I’ll send it directly to you; https://www.gbshed.com/contact
  12. greghagger
    There's a James Jamerson bass line that I return to time and time again, because it's so inventive and there's so much to learn from it. This bass line is from Marvin Gaye's classic, 'What's Going On'. Jamerson is at his finest in this iconic song and and although this bass line is full of syncopation, time displacement, chromatic ideas and enclosures, it still grooves. It just flows perfectly in and out of the vocal line. I've started a brand new YouTube series called 'Bass Lines That Changed Music Forever', and this bass line features in the very first video of the series. I'd love for you to leave me a comment under the video with suggestions of any other bass lines that you think may be worthy to feature in this series. Enjoy!
  13. greghagger
    No problem!
  14. greghagger
    No worries, glad you liked the lesson.
  15. greghagger
    Great! I’ve just brought the book too. I’ll have a look for the PDFs. Thanks
  16. greghagger
    Whenever I hear harmonics on the bass, they always seem to lift the bass line and create a feeling of space with their ethereal quality. Amongst other things, Jaco was the master of harmonics and he used them softly and sometimes aggressively to match the vibe of the song. From his 'bell-like' natural harmonics in 'Portrait Of Tracy,' to his false harmonics in 'Birdland', he really stretched the limits of the bass guitar. I've made a lesson to help get you started with playing harmonics, they aren't too technical, unless you're attempting to play Portrait Of Tracy, or playing false harmonics high up the neck, in which case you're gonna be in the woodshed for sometime! Click the link below to find out more in my latest YouTube video. Enjoy!
  17. greghagger
    There's a really interesting Carol Kaye interview online which I've dipped into before. Near the beginning, Carol talks about how she had to work on her groove and placement when she first switched over to bass from guitar. She borrowed a metronome technique from her Jazz playing, where she set the metronome to beats 2 and 4 and worked on her groove this way. So does this actually work? I delve into this concept in my latest lesson, featuring part of the Carol Kaye interview and dissecting this technique and the exercise that she demonstrates. This could be the perfect way for you to work on your own 'pocket' and groove playing.
  18. greghagger
    @paul_5 yeah it is sad isn’t it. I watch it differently now after 25 years since the last time I viewed it. I know I’ve got that booklet somewhere too. It’s a small little booklet without a cover isn’t it?
  19. greghagger
    No worries @ProjeKtWEREWOLF - I don’t think I’ve watched this since the 90’s. So many gems in there. Good luck with the stretches 😀
  20. greghagger
    Thanks @Beedster
  21. greghagger
    I was reviewing the Jaco Pastorius 'Modern Electric Bass' instructional video last week, for the first time in about 25 years! It was really interesting to watch and learn from. One of the exercises in the video is an arpeggio exercise that gets you flying around the whole fretboard. It's really great watching Jaco explain the exercise and to hear him play it - his tone is awesome! This exercise is perfect if you want to master your fretboard, work on your technique, and discover more about harmony. In my latest YouTube video I break this Jaco exercise down and explain how to play it. There is a free PDF link in the video description. Enjoy!
  22. greghagger
    Recently I stumbled across a YouTube video called 'Mind Bending Bass Exercise' and it looked pretty insane. It was the same 4 notes played over and over but by video creator Andres Rotmistrovsky, but he constantly changed position on the fretboard while doing this. So, is this video a fraud or a very good exercise? Click the link below to find out in my latest YouTube video. There’s a link for the free PDF of the exercise with the fingering patterns in the video description. Have fun with this!
  23. greghagger
    If you’ve ever played a James Jamerson bass line, you might have wondered about all the chromatic notes present and how they work musically. Well, there’s a particular technique that Jamerson used, which is more commonly found among jazz musicians. This technique is called an ‘enclosure,’ and utilising it in your bass lines will enable you to play smoother, more hip-sounding lines. I’ve just released a video where I analyze a few Motown bass lines so you can understand how enclosures work. In the lesson, I go on to show you how you can use enclosures when creating your own bass lines. I’ve also created a challenge for you, which you’ll find toward the end of the lesson. This is a new idea that I’m trying out for the channel, so I’d love as many of you as possible to get on board—you might even get featured in one of my future videos! You’ll find the free PDF download link in the video Enjoy!
  24. greghagger
    Last week I released a YouTube video where I analysed Chas Chandler's walking line from an Animals Classic, and used this to show how to walk over one chord and make it sound exciting. I've now made a demo video of me playing the whole of Chas's bass line from 'Bury My Body.' Although the walking bass sections are fast, this is really fun to play and it's got an easy main riff. The walking section is pure Chandler gold! You can also grab a free PDF transcription of the whole bass line by clicking the link in the video description. Enjoy!
  25. greghagger
    One of the hardest things about creating interesting walking bass lines, is if you have to do this on one chord. This does happens in Jazz and Blues progressions, and if you don't have a few concepts to fall back on, you're probably going to find that your walking lines sound boring and repetitive. In this week's video lesson, I analyse Chas Chandler's bass line from the Animals version of 'Bury My Body', as he walks over one chord for whole sections of the song. It's also a cool tune to look at, containing Chas' signature walking style. You’ll find a link under the video to my free note-for-note transcription of Chas’ bass line in standard notation and tab. Enjoy!
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