How To Play Bass – Learning From Paul McCartney Vol 1

How To Play Bass - Learning From Paul McCartney Vol 1

An 80-20 Device Method Book

Learn the Foundational Vocabulary Used By The Beatle's Bass Master....So That You Can Use Those Ideas To Transform Your Own Playing

Like evey language, the language of the bass guitar (for playing in songs, not solos) has its own vocabulary.

Few teachers in the bass world teach this vocabulary, or the contributions McCartney made to the vocabulary of the electric bass. There's three ways to go about learning it

The first way is to get your hands on as many McCartney transcriptions as you can find, plus transcribing or commissioning more so that you've got a working library to study. Analyze all of those transcriptions to see what notes McCartney played in each bar (and how they relate to the chord). Start looking for the common pieces of vocabulary - I call them 'devices - and see how McCartney used those devices in combination with rhythm to move through different chord progressions. You also need to look out for modifying devices and connecting devices.

My conservative estimate based on the time I've invested....this will take you 500 to 1000 hours of study.

The second way is to find a teacher who has already done this work and is willing to teach it. AND has studied topics like deliberate practice, the neuro science of learning and has created a teaching system with a proven track record (i.e. happy students!).

The third way to get started is to get this book.

I’ve distilled McCartney's vocabulary into an easy to follow/quick to implement learning system that will teach YOU how to incorporate the foundational devices that McCartney used in YOUR lines.

NOTE: this book isn’t about HOW to play like Paul McCartney, but how to use the devices that he pioneered in his playing with The Beatles in YOUR playing.

This book is Volume 1 of a 2 Volume Series and over the course of these 4 volumes we’re going to dive deep into the kind of lines McCartney put together, what devices he used, what modifying devices he used. And much more.

Volume 1 lays the foundations that the later volume builds on and here's some of what you’ll learn:

The devices used in McCartney’s “Walking Pop” style(Section 3).
A shorthand method to notate bass lines in a way that you can play them in any key and improvise at the same time as you play them! (Page 90)
How to create your own bass lines with the device knowledge unlocked in this volume (Section 4).
An Introduction to Slash Chords (Page 76).
Using Modifying Devices to add colour to 8th note lines (Page 49).
Two techniques McCartney started using on the “Rubber Soul” album that were probably inspired by James Jamerson’s Motown playing (Section 6).
How to create bass lines in the same way McCartney created the iconic line to ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ by modeling OTHER PLAYER’S bass lines (Section 7).
The devices McCartney used to play 8th note rock and roll style tunes.
The one paragraph 'secret' to understand how to create compelling bass lines using devices (Page 23).
Using devices at an 8th note level (Page 53.)
An Introduction to Double Stops (Page 75).

Start learning the foundational devices from McCartney’s vocabulary. So you can add them to YOUR vocabulary.

BONUS: Band In A Box McCartney Style Pack (value $20)

If you have the program Band In A Box I've set up 5 McCartney-esque styles. So you can set up a chord progression, load the appropriate style, hit GENERATE & PLAY and Band In A Box will write you a bass line in less than 2 seconds!

The styles covered (so far) are: