App For ‘Dead Time’ Practice For Bass Players

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All of us have ‘dead time’ in our lives – that’s time where we can’t be playing our bass guitar.

But you CAN use some of that time to make yourself a better bass player and musician.  (For more details, check out my eBook How To Practice In Your Dead Time).

I wrote that book a while ago – and I wasn’t an early taker of the iPhone or the iPad so Apps didn’t really feature.  Now I’ve got an iPad.

And PG Music have released an App called Pitch Invasion that combines a Space Invaders arcade style game with pitch training.  I haven’t played it yet – so no reviews – but I wanted to post about it because at the moment it’s 100% totally free!

So if you have an iPad or an iPhone, go grab your copy!

 

Wilson Pickett – Midnight Hour – Atlantic Soul 40th Anniversary – Duck Dunn

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Here’s a great clip from the 40th Anniversary Atlantic Soul show – it’s Wilson Pickett fronting an all star band singing Midnight Hour.  And of course the mighty Duck Dunn is holding down the low end on bass guitar!

Here’s my note by note tutorial on Midnight Hour:

http://www.how-to-play-bass.com/songs-midnight-hour.html

Donald Duck Dunn RIP

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Today I woke to the sad news that Donald “The Duck” Dunn died in his sleep earlier today.

The story is still very fresh so there are few details as yet.  Today will be a Duck Tribute day here on the blog section of How To Play Bass Dot Com.

A true great.  He’ll be missed by the low end community.

 

Marcus Miller – Bass Guitar – What is Hip

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Been watching some Marcus Miller clips recently – as you can probably tell! – here is another great clip!  It’s Marcus Miller’s take on What Is Hip (the great Tower Of Power classic).  Again, it’s played with a combination of slap and double thumb.  Marcus shows why he is one of the originals of the bass guitar!

FREE BASS LESSONS

If you’re not already a subscriber to the free, monthly ezine then please enter your email address below and hit the subscribe button. In exchange for entrusting me with your email address you’ll get access to subscriber only video and PDF tutorials on a monthly basis – AND you’ll get a sequence of video and pdf lessons over the next few days as a thank you (currently that sequence is at 5 free bass lessons).

 

Marcus Miller- Bass Guitar – Teen Town

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Here’s a great clip of Marcus Miller playing Jaco’s composition Teen Town – but rather than play the line fingerstyle he’s slapping and double thumbing.  Incredible!

FREE BASS LESSONS

If you’re not already a subscriber to the free, monthly ezine then please enter your email address below and hit the subscribe button. In exchange for entrusting me with your email address you’ll get access to subscriber only video and PDF tutorials on a monthly basis – AND you’ll get a sequence of video and pdf lessons over the next few days as a thank you (currently that sequence is at 5 free bass lessons).

 

Pino Palladino – Neo Soul Style lines – Bass Guitar

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So a couple of weeks ago in First Bass And Beyond I featured Pino’s bassline on Chicken Grease by D’Angelo.

I found this video thanks to a friend on Talkbass…there’s a guy who’s transcribed 24 of Pino’s neo-soul lines….there’s more details in this video:

And yep I bought the package and it’s well worth the money!

FREE BASS LESSONS

If you’re not already a subscriber to the free, monthly ezine then please enter your email address below and hit the subscribe button. In exchange for entrusting me with your email address you’ll get access to subscriber only video and PDF tutorials on a monthly basis – AND you’ll get a sequence of video and pdf lessons over the next few days as a thank you (currently that sequence is at 5 free bass lessons).

 

Chuck Rainey – Exotic Groove – Bass Guitar

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Here’s a great clip showing a close up of Chuck Rainey playing a song called Exotic Groove on his Xotic bass guitar.

Some things to note:

1.  Use of different right hand techniques for different sound textures (e.g. slapping, strumming, double stops, and note how he switches to index finger only for ‘melodic’ higher range phrases).

2.  Entire range of fingerboard covered with left hand

3. I’ve never watched Chuck close up….his left hand style is NOT what I would teach.  Yet it obviously works for him.  Bottom line….if it sounds good, it is good.

FREE BASS LESSONS

If you’re not already a subscriber to the free, monthly ezine then please enter your email address below and hit the subscribe button. In exchange for entrusting me with your email address you’ll get access to subscriber only video and PDF tutorials on a monthly basis – AND you’ll get a sequence of video and pdf lessons over the next few days as a thank you (currently that sequence is at 5 free bass lessons).