Another cool way to see bass is, they have the control to change the context of the other instruments. Bass is kind of like the "link" between the guitar and drums but the bass can change the context of the guitar and drums by changing the notes they revolve around and the rhythm they play it with. The guitar can play a C major chord, but if the bass plays B, the chord becomes a major 7th, or they can play D and make it a Major add 9. It's crazy what a solid bass player can add to a song through utilizing these kinds of things, you don't even have to be mega technical to do any of it. It just has the capacity to make even a basic chord progression more sophisticated just from playing a couple notes.
Damn....never heard it put like that....I get shxt constantly from guitarists "you don't do power chords, Barre chords, blah blah blah..." if I wanted to play boring guitar, I would've. But I don't. I like to not only hear, but physically feel what I'm creating-with the rumble and the way bass just flows through your body... and most non-musicians do too.(especially people with sound systems in their car listening to hip hop) (That's why there's a bass player in 99% of successful bands....because treble alone isn't going to make people feel your songs. 😱 I know, crazy right?)
If you play bass in a band, I would argue that the 3 most important skills are to (1) LISTEN carefully to your band mates, (2) COMPLEMENT what they do, and (3) be the BRIDGE to the percussion (drums) with the rest of the band. This philosophy has served me well over the years. There’s nothing worse than listening to a group of musical virtuosos who don’t complement each other musically.
I've played for over 30 years without paying much attention to the songs chords and structure. I've just replicated the bassline like a lot of us do. Now days I write out the whole chord sequence , work out what position the chord is in the key (e.g. 1, 4,6 ,5) and then play the arpeggios in slow time until I can seen the whole sequence. Transforms your playing and is to be honest the only way. Chords, sequences, arpeggios, intervals (chord tones) and GROOVE/FEEL!!! Wish I used this approach 30 years ago!!
There is a great vid on Scotts channel where he explains how to quickly detect the mode of the piece and a visual „box-shape“ approach how to know all related modes in the very moment you start to play. Once you got this the worst thing that can happen is that you unintentionally spice up or mellow down the song, but it will never sound „wrong“ 👍
@Paul Jacques... one bass player we had would play the song at differnt octaves on the neck as well.. going back and forth seemed to make the bass line more interesting as well... not critiquing... just saying.. sometimes.. different things work.. when playing guitar.. I try to use different techniques as well.. pinch harmonics..... slide.... octave harmonics... string bends..etc... something to give songs a little pizazz...
Dang man.. I’m a Computer Science major in college right now and I have been dealing with tons of math problems and understanding concepts by breaking it down in tiny pieces and drawing it out/writing it down and try to grasp each concept and mannnn… maybe I should apply that same technique in learning/understanding music theory so I can enjoy new knowledge and grooves from playing the bass! :)
Same exact journey! After 25 years I figured it was time to learn what it is I'm actually doing haha. My instructor is a little baffled at how I manage to write bass lines in key and hear intervals without knowing without knowing what any of that is. I tell him it's years of theory, theory being if it sounds bad then stop doing that lol. Now that I'm learning key and chord structure I'm actually kind of surprised at how much I got right. But I'm with you... I wish I would have done this 20 years ago.
I played in a power trio back in the 70s, the drummer and I would work out the song without the guitar; working off each other and getting monster tight. THEN we brought in our guitarist. People were blown away at how tight the drummer and I were, we never told anyone our process...
I would say as someone who plays bass, guitar and keyboards professionally 1) Timing and sync with the drummer is absolutely critical. You can tell a professional band from an amateur one instantly by listening to how locked they are. 2) Ability to know when you can play more notes, and when you can't. This also applies to all instruments especially drummers who think they're Neil Peart when what they should be is Ringo Starr ! 3) Gaps. Know when to shut up. Know when to staccato. The length of notes, is as important as their attack. 4) NEVER stand still on stage. Do something even if you just nod your head or sway. 5) Play to fit the genre. What you can play is determined by the overall song and how you impact it. You are there to enhance the song, not ruin it. That means sometimes you play something you think is boring, but fits. Other times you can put more in. It doesn't matter how good your technique is, or knowledge of scales or arpeggios - unless what you do fits and enhances the song it won't work.
This is very detailed. I’ll state that once you understood basic theory of modes, harmony, arpeggios and rhythm you can’t go too wrong in any musical situation. Even if you’re totally alien to the piece and genre. Studio musicians around the world proof it every day.
I like your response. May I add a few things here as a professional bass player? 6) Use open strings whenever you can fit them in. I wish SBL would address this topic in a course or something because it is a game changer. 7) Dynamics; both ways. Pull back to allow headroom for your vocalist to cut through, but when your guitarist takes a lead solo, you need to carry the rhythm on your bass until the guitar can resume doing so. 8) Whichever you are, a pick player or finger-style, strive to be proficient at both. Anything you can do to make yourself a better player, makes you a better player, including slapping and tapping. There is nothing too difficult for YOU to learn especially if you can find someone else who has already done it. 9) That being said, less is more, per discretion. 10) No matter how the song is supposed to go, the drummer will let you know when to come in, either visually or otherwise. 11) Learn your drummer's style and what they do in a pinch, especially how he/she reacts if a song does goes off the rails. 12) Don't be afraid to sing backups if you can. 13) It is in your best interest to connect with your audience by revealing your personality. 14) Always keep redundant equipment on stage, plugged-in, and ready to go. 15) Never bring an un-vetted guest or band on stage at your gig. 16) Choose your sound mix technician wisely and spot-check their abilities periodically. 17) Never leave your best bass guitar unattended or lock it in the car. 18) Always acknowledge and attend to your band's fellow musicians and openly complement them when they had a good performance. Do not turn-down house party invites or holiday gatherings. 19) Do not take the good times for granted. and 20) Thx for Scott's Bass Lessons. Absolutely wonderful resource for all that is bass.
I've been playing for 47 years and NO ONE has ever taught this to me. I went through 6 Mel Bay books in High School (1974) only to come home from the Army and a friend needed a bass player. Top 40 Hard Rock including Rush! However I got stuck in Cover Band Limbo for the next 28 years. Then in 2006 I started playing originals, but the recording were done by the guitarist and he only played the Root notes of the Guitar Chords. I learned his songs on Guitar and Bass. Once the song was memorized I began to experiment with the arpeggios as "Mr. Devine" pointed out. Being Rock music, most of time I would just play the Root Note, but being a 3-piece band, I began experimenting during his guitar solos. Knowing what to play and when to play it is paramount, but also understanding the difference between a D Major and D Minor chord is critical musically for a Bass Player. But while doing all of that the #1 thing to do in a Band is being able to lock in with the Drummer and create that groove that makes everyone (especially the ladies) want to dance. At 64 years old I'm learning everyday and expanding my music theory knowledge. I just love playing Bass!
Same. In the 80s I was struggling with classical guitar and owned a cheap bass that I liked to fool around with. A friend asked me to join his punk rock band and I was on my way. Sucked at first but no one cared. Quickly figured out what worked but never knew why. Now that I’m back into it I realize that I’m completely ignorant and it’s holding me back. Okay I’ll give the music theory thing another shot.
Great stuff, I can tell you all younger people be thankfull for UA-cam, because I started in the late 70’s and I took lessions from a OK bass player. Then he moved and I was looking for a teacher, and took 2 lessions from a fretless player whom lectured me that people that played fretted basses were wimps. So I left him. I remember listening to a song and trying to learn the bass line, and playing the record or cassette over and over and over trying to get it.It was major frustration. UA-cam is such as asset, and the amount of teachers there is amazing.
This is one of the first things my teachers taught me back in the day. "If you want to jam with your mates, you need to know where to find your 3rds, 5ths and 7ths. Ask the guitarist what chords they're playing, start with the root, then see what you can do with the 3rd, 5th and 7th. You'll still be shit technically, but you'll be able to play along any song even if you've never heard it"
This is the truth and I'm glad that you used the word "suck." I've known so many other bass players and drummers through the years who could hit some really fancy fills and licks but couldn't come back in on time or didn't know what a 3rd was. As bass players, there is a hierarchy of importance in the things that we do. Never ever use anything lower on that hierarchy at the expense of anything higher on the hierarchy. If it hasn't already been done, I would love for this channel to do a profile of Sade's bassist, Paul Spencer Denman. Everything he plays is perfect and, when you break down his basslines, almost everything he plays is based on the things you learn in the first few months of instruction.
I think I'm getting some good advice here. Technique is important. I've heard people talk about not needing to learn theory but I just don't see how it would be possible without at least some basic knowledge. My biggest fear is going on any stage unprepared.
@@absoluteai41 it is very possible to create really good music with an instrument and know nothing about theory. It's nearly impossible to sit in with another band and know nothing about theory. You don't even need to go deep into theory. Just what Scott goes over in this video will take you a long way. Get command of the triads for each scale, then learn their 6th's and 7th's. Devote a small amount of time each day (like commit to 10 minutes even), and keep watching this channel. 👍
@@dard4642everybody is scared of theory and feels like its some chore like obligation, but a good understanding of music theory is going to bump your creativity so fucking massively without a band even being involved. I’ve found in my life that the real way to learn something is not to just do the thing, but understanding why the thing happens when you do it.
Most bases have only 4 strings. Only one is played at a time. So how bright does a bass player have to be??? Outline the chord, harmonize the chords, support the melody, keep time, accent in combination with a drummer, make the listener want to dance. All the while creating an interesting line. Most important guy in the section.
@@jan-paulvanderhoeven1639 All joking aside, this “note stopping” part is what I relay to nearly everyone to who asks me for tips. It’s a really big factor on feel and time.
Don’t focus on the notes you play. Focus at the space between them. It’s not about you or anybody else in the band. It’s always about the music. Don’t make the song suck!
the smartest people generally, I find, are those who recognise what they don't know, rather than those who kid themselves about what they do. this is a really good example on how to figure out where to fill in some of that missing knowledge, explaining what is missing rather than wondering why it isn't there. P.S. you still owe us a decent Steve Harris video. we have not forgotten!
Great lesson. I wish that I'd been shown this many years ago when I started Bass. It is obvious when you know it but difficult for beginners to work out if you don't. Keep up the good work.
I saw the light when I heard Walking bass lines in swing of 40s+50s,funky touch & drifting lines in soul and beat in the sound of the 60s+70s+ Lemmys Chord bass in 80s.
I used to play piano/keyboard (still do a bit), and learned scales and lots of chords. To be honest, that helped me a ton when I moved to bass, because I could remember the notes on the piano from the chords, and then transcribe them to bass. It is very helpful when u know the scales from another instrument, and this speeds us your bass progress, trust me!
Chord tones are everything. It baffles me how many bass players do not realise this. Even just basic triads and their inversions are not given the priority they deserve by a lot of bass players. It really is an absolute necessity to know this stuff.
Thank you I was self taught and then went to a musical teacher and he never taught me chords and confused the crap out of me. Only when I met a musician in a band I joined 11years later did he make me fully understand the role of the bass it took me another 5 years to unlearn everything I learned before . I cannot thank you enough for this vlog.
Hey Mr divine. By far the best 9 min of bass lesson I've come across. In that little time you will have changed the way I approach bass playing. Thank you.
Thanks for all the great inspirational videos, Scott! A small bone to pick: Scales are a prerequisite concept to arpeggios. Chords derive from scales which is why scales are taught first. Then there is Time. Drum machines “give” you the time with all the metric subdivisions but the bass player must learn to “make” time for themselves and their ensemble. The simple metronome is the best device for practising this most important skill. 🎶🤓👍
Chord tones transformed my playing, thank you Mr. Devine. I learned most of my musical theory through SBL, it’s a lot easier to understand, unlike some resources, thanks again.
The best thing I ever heard a bass player (who definitely DOESN'T suck...okay it was Victor Wooten) who claimed he had limited abilities, and that he kept that in mind when he played. I know my limited abilities, and I keep that in mind when I play.
Hey Scott! OK...Your explanation was something that I have never heard explained this way before, but I've musically heard it, and I had no way to articulate what it was. And it made sense as you explained it (R/3/5). So... mind blown. I appreciate your and your teams hard work to get this content to us for free. -With Gratitude, Steve
thank you so much, im pretty new to bass and only been playing bass tabs of songs and felt like i've hit a wall where i cant learn anything new so imma go and learn these stuff now
It's been a while since I've viewed one of your vids and this one was perfect for reinvigorating my work on the unsung hero of every band - the bass!!!
Scott I just want to say I love you so damn much. I'm at a point where I'm very frustrated with my bass playing and feel like you have cleared up a lot of my miss confusion, i can truly say i have a better understanding niw after watching this. Thank you sir!
"Play the Changes". Another fun twist on this idea is to just say the changes out loud while you're practicing. It's a great way to ingrain the chord changes into your ear and hands, as well. You make look, or sound a little silly, but it does wonders, especially if you use a Roman Numeral/Nashville-style system. You'll know your I, IV, V and ii, V, I in no time, Then it's simple a matter of transposing by sliding up/down the neck. Thanks for the vid. Cheers!
Thought I was going to be the only one to get irritated by the incorrect use of the apostrophe. There is a lesson here: just as English is a language and has forms, structure, usage, etc. so does music. To communicate well, to get your thoughts, feelings across you need to use the language - whether that is English or music.
I will sign up for this course, in a bit. I am a 60 yo accordionist who earned a music degree in 1984 on trombone and viola. Recently, a dear friend insisted that she wanted me to learn bass. I got an NS WAV bass and I'm going through the Ron Carter book now, along with other things. The best thing about Mr Carter's approach is that he uses positions as a cellist (half, first, first and a half, second). The standard double bass books don't do that, and this system is very easy for me to grasp. When I finish that, I hope to have enough muscle memory to be able to take this course and go through the Ron Carter Hal Leonard book. But today I'm still just beyond the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" stage. I watch all of your videos and they are excellent! Thank you.
Yes! I'm really starting to grasp the importance of learning the chords of songs, and not just roots. It makes an enormous difference of what you're able to add. You can even add extensions sometimes that the keyboard isn't playing - just can't clash! 😄 Great lesson/teaching!
Great tips. It is absolutely essential for bassists as musicians to know the fundamentals of chord formulas. In my personal experience, being a guitarist originally didn't help me because I simply knew the shapes to hold. I never thought about triads or what made a 7th a 7th. So, playing bass has made me a lot less lazy because you have to know your chords, which helps your knowledge of scales and modes enormously.
That was my experience when starting to play piano. Guitar was all shapes and tabs, and yeah, it allowed me to make sounds but it also just promoted ignorance about even simple theory concepts. Fiddling around with the keyboard has taught me tons of stuff mostly spontaneously because the layout gets me asking questions. Now I'm actually aware of how high the notes I'm playing are, what notes I'm playing in the first place, and seem to have a better intuition for playing melody.
Well, it's great but you must remember some of the absolute greats just play by ear. Bobby Vega, and Andrew Gouche come to mind right away. I have learned it's really not what you play, it can be how you play it or when. Look at Larry Graham, nothing very advanced technically but people loved him the way he played. It's how well you know the fretboard too, I guess that's a big part. You can always do that if you're able to I guess, I wouldn't say anything is essential except making good music. At the end of the day, it's a song or a set.
I'll be taking my lessons off you soon Scott. I've had you on the back burner for a while. My apologees. I like your style of teaching; very clear making it easy to follow. Thank you Scott, be well.
That's the biggest problem with a lot of music books. They give you a lot of knowledge of scales and how they're constructed but absolutely no guidance in how to utilise them whether you're a lead guitarist or a bass player. I have wasted a fortune on tuition books over the last 30 odd years because they have taught me nothing. It's like teaching kids the alphabet and the dictionary and then saying to you, "now you have all the letters and words, now do something with it".
The fretboard accelerator course is AMAZING... it does EVERYTHING Scott says it does... I am just finishing it I am blown away at how it has taught me the fretboard and the use of triads Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented.. you will glad you took it and its worth every penny
Cool! It would be cool to explore why certain bass players tend to play higher up on the neck most of the time. (I'm personally thinking of Oteil and Jimbo Hart from Jason Isbell's 400 unit) I'm guessing Oteil has way more options in that position (playing a 6) and Jimbo just prefers that timbre (playing a 4 usually)?
Cool, I started playing (fiddling around with) music instruments with the piano and later added guitar and bass. I actually used to do this on piano when I played along with the guitar players. I just saw the chords from their hands, and then do the triad + root-on-top-trick on the keys. Only problem left: I don’t know that well where the notes are on the neck, so nice one. Another motivation to practice that. Thanks!
My God. Thank you so much man!!!! I am the one thats the one hit wonder that is only just playing one note most of the time and this is what I needed to understand what I need to work on to be better. I was so lost man 😭!
This should be the top video on your channel. I have been playing for a long time and I play the triads and arpeggios but just by ear not knowing why they work and how to whip em out on the fly
Great tips! Every time I hear an interesting classic bassline, it almost always comes back to some combination of 1, 3, 5. Or, add to that the rest of the basic pentatonic scales notes for blues, rock, and R&B basslines.
I feel good about my playing. 35 years. Good video for a lot musicians today. I will add that the G is the 7th of A. The G should be added to the A7. Played at the lower register the G can dominate so I would use it on a transition to A7. A higher register G can add that nice dissonance off done right. I would only add that playing with "feel" being in the pocket and not over playing the parts is a sure sign of a pro. Good video. You play with good feel adding that little vibrato here and there. The bass rig sounds a bit distorted though.
When I first start playing bass I listened to your advice and learned arpeggios and suddenly I started to create great basss lines even as a biggener.. I picked the best teacher for myself😉😉
It's actually the other way around for me, being a guitarist that loves playing bass, I concentrated on dynamics and harmony. But now I'm stuck in the slap void. :p Favorite bass channel btw!
I was a bass player and studios all over the country for fifty years Base planning isn't showing off. It's making the song sound better and be the Glue between the drums in the guitar. Your videos Express too much love for showing off.I'd like to see you play It really nice.Smooth groove every once in a while and get off my lawn
No no no! I never comment on videos but I had to on this one. As a working musician in Los Angeles of 20 years. Most don't realize but notes matter very little. Two words is all you need to know: POCKET GROOVE! Pocket, is timing and groove is feel and rhythm. If this is about being a creative bass player then all you got to do is learn a ton of basslines by ear. You'll internalize the patterns and over time you'll create your own basslines and people will think you're a genius. Just don't forget POCKET GROOVE.
Memorizing a ton of other musicians bass lines is the opposite or creative. And whether or not you learn theory, the fact is, if you aren't at least listening to what notes are in the chords you're playing with you're gonna sound like shit even if you are "in the pocket". Telling musicians who are starting out that it's about nothing but POCKET GROOVE is not very helpful; what these words represent is something intuitive that really comes with experience and can't be taught.
I don’t doubt a second that you can make a vivid career without any theoretical knowledge. I know a bass player playing with big jazz names (former WR members and the likes) that can’t tell the notes on the fretboard. Still these are exemptions AND just personally: some doors will always stay closed to you. Not my approach to something I love. In it for all. Like Marcus Millers said: Who said you have a choice? You must master all! 👍
I've taught thousands of students and written a handful of music education books and recorded and performed with hundred of artists and have made all the mistakes in the last 30 years. This is not my intellectual opinion, it's over 30 years of experience. POCKET GROOVE is just my own terminology for timing and rhythm. Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller and even Mozart has said it.
@@RolandDeAragon I see that. This is my main concern with Victor Wootens lectures: not everybody is blessed spending his life in a world of music where time for music, access and opportunities to make music is the given. It’s quite arrogant actually to rub terms like pocket groove, learning music like a baby learns to speak etc under the nose of people that hardly make it in the practice room once a week. Music theory is key and shortcut to get exactly the same result… it’s natural that self taught and seasoned musicians making a living of lessons and tutorials try to make up reasoning why theirs is still “better”… sorry, we have no time for meta physical cool aid, we want to make music. Picture this played in phrygian mode, off beat ☝️
99% of the players attending Victors bass camp are already good bass players that would be welcome in most bands. Pocket Groove gets nothing started, it’s what naturally evolves if you’re lucky enough to have music staying in your life for good. Modes, meters, timing (not groove) is what gets people started making music!
I play bass at my church and for the most part I just play roots while going up/down to the next note chromatically. I love playing melodies but the only chord I ever use is the 1-5-8 chord. It works sometimes but this the way Mr. Devine has put this in perspective for me shows me that I need to learn more arpeggios haha🤣
I learned to play purely through just being shit, frankly. I learned like... 3 scales? And for 20 years on and off playing I've been struggling my way through learning and making stuff up. I'm basically hitting stuff until it sounds good then praying to God I can remember it. But I joined a band recently because sod it, I can play stuff and I want to have fun and have discovered my band mates are literally music graduates. We were learning a song and he was like "oh it's just a chromatic scale" And then said all this other stuff and I was like "I literally have no idea what you're talking about." Luckily, technically incompetent as I am, they need a bassist, they like me and they like my sound (what I do know I play well) but yea, our guitarist taught me a chromatic scale (is there more than one? I guess I'm gonna find out) and I kinda root noted under the song (had no idea that was a thing) just to get a sense of timing. Took it home, remembered the scale and just riffed with it and that one lesson alone just slotted stuff into place. It's embarrassing to think I've been playing 20 years on and off and never thought I should learn fucking scales and arpeggios >D Oh well... Better late than never I suppose.
RATS! I missed enrollment! What are the odds of re-imagining your business model and opening it up throughout the year instead of just once a year? It's highly unlikely I'd remember this come 2023. I love the work you do! Cheers!
Love the clarity in your teaching style. I've played bass for 35 years and taught on occasion. You can also walk up chromatically to your next chord to add a bit of flavor. Example: A7 can walk C C# D (and a 0ne) and in Dm, use F F# G (and a one). Look for creative ways to arrive at the next chord in your progression. Hope this helps.
when I was younger, a guitar player told me: hey you bass players are cool: you are basically soloing through the whole song while supporting it
Love that
Walking bass
Another cool way to see bass is, they have the control to change the context of the other instruments. Bass is kind of like the "link" between the guitar and drums but the bass can change the context of the guitar and drums by changing the notes they revolve around and the rhythm they play it with. The guitar can play a C major chord, but if the bass plays B, the chord becomes a major 7th, or they can play D and make it a Major add 9. It's crazy what a solid bass player can add to a song through utilizing these kinds of things, you don't even have to be mega technical to do any of it. It just has the capacity to make even a basic chord progression more sophisticated just from playing a couple notes.
Damn....never heard it put like that....I get shxt constantly from guitarists "you don't do power chords, Barre chords, blah blah blah..." if I wanted to play boring guitar, I would've. But I don't. I like to not only hear, but physically feel what I'm creating-with the rumble and the way bass just flows through your body... and most non-musicians do too.(especially people with sound systems in their car listening to hip hop) (That's why there's a bass player in 99% of successful bands....because treble alone isn't going to make people feel your songs. 😱 I know, crazy right?)
If guitar is playing a C triad, the bass player has the power to change the chord. If bass plays A, then its now A minor 7. A C E G
If you play bass in a band, I would argue that the 3 most important skills are to (1) LISTEN carefully to your band mates, (2) COMPLEMENT what they do, and (3) be the BRIDGE to the percussion (drums) with the rest of the band. This philosophy has served me well over the years. There’s nothing worse than listening to a group of musical virtuosos who don’t complement each other musically.
Respectfully, the word is complement
Thanks. Edit made.
@@kenemerick3002
but maybe he meant musicians who love each others playing and are constantly giving each other compliments
Well said
@@sabin97 lmao
I've played for over 30 years without paying much attention to the songs chords and structure. I've just replicated the bassline like a lot of us do. Now days I write out the whole chord sequence , work out what position the chord is in the key (e.g. 1, 4,6 ,5) and then play the arpeggios in slow time until I can seen the whole sequence. Transforms your playing and is to be honest the only way. Chords, sequences, arpeggios, intervals (chord tones) and GROOVE/FEEL!!! Wish I used this approach 30 years ago!!
There is a great vid on Scotts channel where he explains how to quickly detect the mode of the piece and a visual „box-shape“ approach how to know all related modes in the very moment you start to play. Once you got this the worst thing that can happen is that you unintentionally spice up or mellow down the song, but it will never sound „wrong“ 👍
@Paul Jacques... one bass player we had would play the song at differnt octaves on the neck as well.. going back and forth seemed to make the bass line more interesting as well... not critiquing... just saying.. sometimes.. different things work.. when playing guitar.. I try to use different techniques as well.. pinch harmonics..... slide.... octave harmonics... string bends..etc... something to give songs a little pizazz...
Dang man.. I’m a Computer Science major in college right now and I have been dealing with tons of math problems and understanding concepts by breaking it down in tiny pieces and drawing it out/writing it down and try to grasp each concept and mannnn… maybe I should apply that same technique in learning/understanding music theory so I can enjoy new knowledge and grooves from playing the bass! :)
Same exact journey! After 25 years I figured it was time to learn what it is I'm actually doing haha. My instructor is a little baffled at how I manage to write bass lines in key and hear intervals without knowing without knowing what any of that is. I tell him it's years of theory, theory being if it sounds bad then stop doing that lol. Now that I'm learning key and chord structure I'm actually kind of surprised at how much I got right. But I'm with you... I wish I would have done this 20 years ago.
I played in a power trio back in the 70s, the drummer and I would work out the song without the guitar; working off each other and getting monster tight. THEN we brought in our guitarist. People were blown away at how tight the drummer and I were, we never told anyone our process...
All this time, I just needed this video and suddenly I no longer suck. Amazing!
Good for you! 😂🤣😂
The snark is strong in this one…
I would say as someone who plays bass, guitar and keyboards professionally
1) Timing and sync with the drummer is absolutely critical. You can tell a professional band from an amateur one instantly by listening to how locked they are.
2) Ability to know when you can play more notes, and when you can't. This also applies to all instruments especially drummers who think they're Neil Peart when what they should be is Ringo Starr !
3) Gaps. Know when to shut up. Know when to staccato. The length of notes, is as important as their attack.
4) NEVER stand still on stage. Do something even if you just nod your head or sway.
5) Play to fit the genre. What you can play is determined by the overall song and how you impact it. You are there to enhance the song, not ruin it. That means sometimes you play something you think is boring, but fits. Other times you can put more in. It doesn't matter how good your technique is, or knowledge of scales or arpeggios - unless what you do fits and enhances the song it won't work.
This is very detailed. I’ll state that once you understood basic theory of modes, harmony, arpeggios and rhythm you can’t go too wrong in any musical situation. Even if you’re totally alien to the piece and genre. Studio musicians around the world proof it every day.
These are words of wisdom!
Here's another way I say the 4th point & everyone should memorize this, "NO STAGE POTATOS!"
I like your response. May I add a few things here as a professional bass player?
6) Use open strings whenever you can fit them in. I wish SBL would address this topic in a course or something because it is a game changer.
7) Dynamics; both ways. Pull back to allow headroom for your vocalist to cut through, but when your guitarist takes a lead solo, you need to carry the rhythm on your bass until the guitar can resume doing so.
8) Whichever you are, a pick player or finger-style, strive to be proficient at both. Anything you can do to make yourself a better player, makes you a better player, including slapping and tapping. There is nothing too difficult for YOU to learn especially if you can find someone else who has already done it.
9) That being said, less is more, per discretion.
10) No matter how the song is supposed to go, the drummer will let you know when to come in, either visually or otherwise.
11) Learn your drummer's style and what they do in a pinch, especially how he/she reacts if a song does goes off the rails.
12) Don't be afraid to sing backups if you can.
13) It is in your best interest to connect with your audience by revealing your personality.
14) Always keep redundant equipment on stage, plugged-in, and ready to go.
15) Never bring an un-vetted guest or band on stage at your gig.
16) Choose your sound mix technician wisely and spot-check their abilities periodically.
17) Never leave your best bass guitar unattended or lock it in the car.
18) Always acknowledge and attend to your band's fellow musicians and openly complement them when they had a good performance. Do not turn-down house party invites or holiday gatherings.
19) Do not take the good times for granted.
and 20) Thx for Scott's Bass Lessons. Absolutely wonderful resource for all that is bass.
as another fellow bassist once told me:
the song asks for what it needs. you need to listen and provide what it needs and you'll do great.
I've been playing for 47 years and NO ONE has ever taught this to me. I went through 6 Mel Bay books in High School (1974) only to come home from the Army and a friend needed a bass player. Top 40 Hard Rock including Rush! However I got stuck in Cover Band Limbo for the next 28 years. Then in 2006 I started playing originals, but the recording were done by the guitarist and he only played the Root notes of the Guitar Chords. I learned his songs on Guitar and Bass. Once the song was memorized I began to experiment with the arpeggios as "Mr. Devine" pointed out. Being Rock music, most of time I would just play the Root Note, but being a 3-piece band, I began experimenting during his guitar solos. Knowing what to play and when to play it is paramount, but also understanding the difference between a D Major and D Minor chord is critical musically for a Bass Player. But while doing all of that the #1 thing to do in a Band is being able to lock in with the Drummer and create that groove that makes everyone (especially the ladies) want to dance. At 64 years old I'm learning everyday and expanding my music theory knowledge. I just love playing Bass!
But do you like fried chicken though is the question????
@@chrisw5742 Original Recipe is my fave, but the "Big Boy Corp." Chain owns the real Original Recipe.
Same. In the 80s I was struggling with classical guitar and owned a cheap bass that I liked to fool around with. A friend asked me to join his punk rock band and I was on my way. Sucked at first but no one cared. Quickly figured out what worked but never knew why. Now that I’m back into it I realize that I’m completely ignorant and it’s holding me back. Okay I’ll give the music theory thing another shot.
Great stuff, I can tell you all younger people be thankfull for UA-cam, because I started in the late 70’s and I took lessions from a OK bass player. Then he moved and I was looking for a teacher, and took 2 lessions from a fretless player whom lectured me that people that played fretted basses were wimps. So I left him.
I remember listening to a song and trying to learn the bass line, and playing the record or cassette over and over and over trying to get it.It was major frustration. UA-cam is such as asset, and the amount of teachers there is amazing.
This is one of the first things my teachers taught me back in the day. "If you want to jam with your mates, you need to know where to find your 3rds, 5ths and 7ths. Ask the guitarist what chords they're playing, start with the root, then see what you can do with the 3rd, 5th and 7th. You'll still be shit technically, but you'll be able to play along any song even if you've never heard it"
This is the truth and I'm glad that you used the word "suck." I've known so many other bass players and drummers through the years who could hit some really fancy fills and licks but couldn't come back in on time or didn't know what a 3rd was. As bass players, there is a hierarchy of importance in the things that we do. Never ever use anything lower on that hierarchy at the expense of anything higher on the hierarchy.
If it hasn't already been done, I would love for this channel to do a profile of Sade's bassist, Paul Spencer Denman. Everything he plays is perfect and, when you break down his basslines, almost everything he plays is based on the things you learn in the first few months of instruction.
I think I'm getting some good advice here. Technique is important. I've heard people talk about not needing to learn theory but I just don't see how it would be possible without at least some basic knowledge. My biggest fear is going on any stage unprepared.
@@absoluteai41 it is very possible to create really good music with an instrument and know nothing about theory. It's nearly impossible to sit in with another band and know nothing about theory. You don't even need to go deep into theory. Just what Scott goes over in this video will take you a long way. Get command of the triads for each scale, then learn their 6th's and 7th's. Devote a small amount of time each day (like commit to 10 minutes even), and keep watching this channel. 👍
Denman is an excellent bass player with grocery bags full of tasty licks 😊
@@dard4642everybody is scared of theory and feels like its some chore like obligation, but a good understanding of music theory is going to bump your creativity so fucking massively without a band even being involved.
I’ve found in my life that the real way to learn something is not to just do the thing, but understanding why the thing happens when you do it.
Most bases have only 4 strings. Only one is played at a time. So how bright does a bass player have to be??? Outline the chord, harmonize the chords, support the melody, keep time, accent in combination with a drummer, make the listener want to dance. All the while creating an interesting line. Most important guy in the section.
You make it sound really easy.
@@element-dh9dx Sarcasm 🤔
The bassist must be as bright as possible. Music is not an easy sport.
The best bass players also know never to use an apostrophe for plural.
I was only trolling because enrollment is closed. Haha
Just play all the right notes at the right time.
And stop all the right notes at the right time….
Ahahah
That’s genius
@@jan-paulvanderhoeven1639 All joking aside, this “note stopping” part is what I relay to nearly everyone to who asks me for tips. It’s a really big factor on feel and time.
Don’t focus on the notes you play. Focus at the space between them. It’s not about you or anybody else in the band. It’s always about the music. Don’t make the song suck!
the smartest people generally, I find, are those who recognise what they don't know, rather than those who kid themselves about what they do.
this is a really good example on how to figure out where to fill in some of that missing knowledge, explaining what is missing rather than wondering why it isn't there.
P.S. you still owe us a decent Steve Harris video. we have not forgotten!
Yup - most humans cannot do this. The ones who cannot think this way wear MAGA baseball caps made in China.
This is absolutely phenomenal! Thank you Scott!
Great lesson. I wish that I'd been shown this many years ago when I started Bass. It is obvious when you know it but difficult for beginners to work out if you don't. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for putting things simply and in an understandable way. These little digestible segments really help.
I saw the light when I heard
Walking bass lines in swing of 40s+50s,funky touch & drifting lines in soul and beat in the sound of the 60s+70s+ Lemmys Chord bass in 80s.
I used to play piano/keyboard (still do a bit), and learned scales and lots of chords. To be honest, that helped me a ton when I moved to bass, because I could remember the notes on the piano from the chords, and then transcribe them to bass. It is very helpful when u know the scales from another instrument, and this speeds us your bass progress, trust me!
Gotta say, congratulations on the million subscribers. Well deserved for consistently terrific content.
Drums kick you in stomach, guitar slaps you about the face, bass holds your hand
Chord tones are everything. It baffles me how many bass players do not realise this. Even just basic triads and their inversions are not given the priority they deserve by a lot of bass players. It really is an absolute necessity to know this stuff.
Always a great perspective and presentation to make progress with bass skills. Thanks!
I started to play rhythm guitar, then I jumped to play Bass. And this is actually one of the best tip ever , to know the chords
Thank you I was self taught and then went to a musical teacher and he never taught me chords and confused the crap out of me. Only when I met a musician in a band I joined 11years later did he make me fully understand the role of the bass it took me another 5 years to unlearn everything I learned before . I cannot thank you enough for this vlog.
Hey Mr divine. By far the best 9 min of bass lesson I've come across. In that little time you will have changed the way I approach bass playing. Thank you.
Thanks for all the great inspirational videos, Scott!
A small bone to pick: Scales are a prerequisite concept to arpeggios. Chords derive from scales which is why scales are taught first.
Then there is Time. Drum machines “give” you the time with all the metric subdivisions but the bass player must learn to “make” time for themselves and their ensemble. The simple metronome is the best device for practising this most important skill. 🎶🤓👍
Thank yiu so much for this video Mr. Divine🔥
Chord tones transformed my playing, thank you Mr. Devine. I learned most of my musical theory through SBL, it’s a lot easier to understand, unlike some resources, thanks again.
I’ve been out of the bass habit for quite a while. These videos are really motivating me to get back with it! Thanks for taking the time to do these!
Man! Great to hear, enjoy the shed! 🏚
Thank you for posting great info for us beginners Scott!
YES! And you're in very good company, emphasizing the importance of arpeggios! Carol Kaye says the same thing!
A good bass player knows how to marry the rhythm to the melody.
Thanks for the helpful video mr. Devine!
was thinkin about starting to base and those warnings before i even started really helped me.thanks funny accent man
Simply brilliant! Once you understand this you will feel so confident about continuing learning and playing. Thank you!
The simple 1,3,5 method!
Thanks for this video. I love it. Great advice!
Very good! You took something hard to explain and made it easy to apply.
this was a really good video.
scott always brings it.
Love your chanell SCOTT for years now, appreciate all your work !!! Best bass lefthand wishes :)
The best thing I ever heard a bass player (who definitely DOESN'T suck...okay it was Victor Wooten) who claimed he had limited abilities, and that he kept that in mind when he played. I know my limited abilities, and I keep that in mind when I play.
a simple bass line that ties everything together is always better than a complex line that is not in synch with the drummer or is out of key.
Well said. I really like how you outlined that. Comes down to the fundamentals.
Hey Scott! OK...Your explanation was something that I have never heard explained this way before, but I've musically heard it, and I had no way to articulate what it was. And it made sense as you explained it (R/3/5). So... mind blown. I appreciate your and your teams hard work to get this content to us for free. -With Gratitude, Steve
thank you so much, im pretty new to bass and only been playing bass tabs of songs and felt like i've hit a wall where i cant learn anything new so imma go and learn these stuff now
It's been a while since I've viewed one of your vids and this one was perfect for reinvigorating my work on the unsung hero of every band - the bass!!!
Scott I just want to say I love you so damn much. I'm at a point where I'm very frustrated with my bass playing and feel like you have cleared up a lot of my miss confusion, i can truly say i have a better understanding niw after watching this. Thank you sir!
Great video, thanks Mr.Devine!
"Play the Changes". Another fun twist on this idea is to just say the changes out loud while you're practicing. It's a great way to ingrain the chord changes into your ear and hands, as well. You make look, or sound a little silly, but it does wonders, especially if you use a Roman Numeral/Nashville-style system. You'll know your I, IV, V and ii, V, I in no time, Then it's simple a matter of transposing by sliding up/down the neck. Thanks for the vid. Cheers!
Also, they can’t use apostrophes properly.
There’s no apostrophe in players…
Thought I was going to be the only one to get irritated by the incorrect use of the apostrophe. There is a lesson here: just as English is a language and has forms, structure, usage, etc. so does music. To communicate well, to get your thoughts, feelings across you need to use the language - whether that is English or music.
Thanks Scott. My goal is continuous improvement to all facets of playing bass.
Excellent and important video. 💯
Hey Bro Scott ☺😎💯💖 Good Stuff as Always Big Dawwgg ☺☺😎👊💯
I will sign up for this course, in a bit. I am a 60 yo accordionist who earned a music degree in 1984 on trombone and viola. Recently, a dear friend insisted that she wanted me to learn bass. I got an NS WAV bass and I'm going through the Ron Carter book now, along with other things. The best thing about Mr Carter's approach is that he uses positions as a cellist (half, first, first and a half, second). The standard double bass books don't do that, and this system is very easy for me to grasp.
When I finish that, I hope to have enough muscle memory to be able to take this course and go through the Ron Carter Hal Leonard book. But today I'm still just beyond the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" stage.
I watch all of your videos and they are excellent! Thank you.
Great video Mr. Devine😄
Excellent instruction. Thank you!
Thanks, I needed that.
Yes! I'm really starting to grasp the importance of learning the chords of songs, and not just roots. It makes an enormous difference of what you're able to add. You can even add extensions sometimes that the keyboard isn't playing - just can't clash! 😄 Great lesson/teaching!
Great tips. It is absolutely essential for bassists as musicians to know the fundamentals of chord formulas. In my personal experience, being a guitarist originally didn't help me because I simply knew the shapes to hold. I never thought about triads or what made a 7th a 7th. So, playing bass has made me a lot less lazy because you have to know your chords, which helps your knowledge of scales and modes enormously.
That was my experience when starting to play piano. Guitar was all shapes and tabs, and yeah, it allowed me to make sounds but it also just promoted ignorance about even simple theory concepts. Fiddling around with the keyboard has taught me tons of stuff mostly spontaneously because the layout gets me asking questions. Now I'm actually aware of how high the notes I'm playing are, what notes I'm playing in the first place, and seem to have a better intuition for playing melody.
Well, it's great but you must remember some of the absolute greats just play by ear. Bobby Vega, and Andrew Gouche come to mind right away. I have learned it's really not what you play, it can be how you play it or when. Look at Larry Graham, nothing very advanced technically but people loved him the way he played. It's how well you know the fretboard too, I guess that's a big part. You can always do that if you're able to I guess, I wouldn't say anything is essential except making good music. At the end of the day, it's a song or a set.
I'll be taking my lessons off you soon Scott. I've had you on the back burner for a while. My apologees. I like your style of teaching; very clear making it easy to follow. Thank you Scott, be well.
That's the biggest problem with a lot of music books. They give you a lot of knowledge of scales and how they're constructed but absolutely no guidance in how to utilise them whether you're a lead guitarist or a bass player. I have wasted a fortune on tuition books over the last 30 odd years because they have taught me nothing. It's like teaching kids the alphabet and the dictionary and then saying to you, "now you have all the letters and words, now do something with it".
The fretboard accelerator course is AMAZING... it does EVERYTHING Scott says it does... I am just finishing it I am blown away at how it has taught me the fretboard and the use of triads Major, Minor, Diminished and Augmented.. you will glad you took it and its worth every penny
Cool! It would be cool to explore why certain bass players tend to play higher up on the neck most of the time. (I'm personally thinking of Oteil and Jimbo Hart from Jason Isbell's 400 unit) I'm guessing Oteil has way more options in that position (playing a 6) and Jimbo just prefers that timbre (playing a 4 usually)?
This is great advice!
Cool, I started playing (fiddling around with) music instruments with the piano and later added guitar and bass. I actually used to do this on piano when I played along with the guitar players. I just saw the chords from their hands, and then do the triad + root-on-top-trick on the keys. Only problem left: I don’t know that well where the notes are on the neck, so nice one. Another motivation to practice that. Thanks!
Thank you for this video, Mr. Divine
Love this channel!!!!
Mr. Devine, you, sir, are a cracking instructor! And you inspire me to become a better bassist.
I’ll paste you for the stray apostrophes.
I love this approach!
Is it because they don't know where to put an apostrophe?
I cant believe im so early and thank you for the tips
Really useful, thanks!
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
My God. Thank you so much man!!!! I am the one thats the one hit wonder that is only just playing one note most of the time and this is what I needed to understand what I need to work on to be better. I was so lost man 😭!
This was an eye opener.
Also, music theory just clicked for me.
Truly a divine lesson. Thank you, Scott!
I remember that feeling like it was yesterday. Like the world was black and white and suddenly all you see is color
@@kirjian hey, that could be a song!
This should be the top video on your channel. I have been playing for a long time and I play the triads and arpeggios but just by ear not knowing why they work and how to whip em out on the fly
I'm actually a pianist/keyboard player - the bass is my side passion/admiration/hobby - but I love watching your videos, and have for many years now.
Pretty cool vid. I'm trying to up my game in my worship band
Great tips! Every time I hear an interesting classic bassline, it almost always comes back to some combination of 1, 3, 5. Or, add to that the rest of the basic pentatonic scales notes for blues, rock, and R&B basslines.
I feel good about my playing. 35 years. Good video for a lot musicians today. I will add that the G is the 7th of A. The G should be added to the A7. Played at the lower register the G can dominate so I would use it on a transition to A7. A higher register G can add that nice dissonance off done right. I would only add that playing with "feel" being in the pocket and not over playing the parts is a sure sign of a pro. Good video. You play with good feel adding that little vibrato here and there. The bass rig sounds a bit distorted though.
When I first start playing bass I listened to your advice and learned arpeggios and suddenly I started to create great basss lines even as a biggener.. I picked the best teacher for myself😉😉
It's actually the other way around for me, being a guitarist that loves playing bass, I concentrated on dynamics and harmony. But now I'm stuck in the slap void. :p Favorite bass channel btw!
This video has been a real eureka moment for me. Thank you.
I was a bass player and studios all over the country for fifty years Base planning isn't showing off. It's making the song sound better and be the Glue between the drums in the guitar. Your videos Express too much love for showing off.I'd like to see you play It really nice.Smooth groove every once in a while and get off my lawn
No no no! I never comment on videos but I had to on this one. As a working musician in Los Angeles of 20 years. Most don't realize but notes matter very little. Two words is all you need to know: POCKET GROOVE! Pocket, is timing and groove is feel and rhythm. If this is about being a creative bass player then all you got to do is learn a ton of basslines by ear. You'll internalize the patterns and over time you'll create your own basslines and people will think you're a genius. Just don't forget POCKET GROOVE.
Memorizing a ton of other musicians bass lines is the opposite or creative. And whether or not you learn theory, the fact is, if you aren't at least listening to what notes are in the chords you're playing with you're gonna sound like shit even if you are "in the pocket". Telling musicians who are starting out that it's about nothing but POCKET GROOVE is not very helpful; what these words represent is something intuitive that really comes with experience and can't be taught.
I don’t doubt a second that you can make a vivid career without any theoretical knowledge. I know a bass player playing with big jazz names (former WR members and the likes) that can’t tell the notes on the fretboard. Still these are exemptions AND just personally: some doors will always stay closed to you. Not my approach to something I love. In it for all. Like Marcus Millers said: Who said you have a choice? You must master all! 👍
I've taught thousands of students and written a handful of music education books and recorded and performed with hundred of artists and have made all the mistakes in the last 30 years. This is not my intellectual opinion, it's over 30 years of experience. POCKET GROOVE is just my own terminology for timing and rhythm. Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller and even Mozart has said it.
@@RolandDeAragon I see that. This is my main concern with Victor Wootens lectures: not everybody is blessed spending his life in a world of music where time for music, access and opportunities to make music is the given. It’s quite arrogant actually to rub terms like pocket groove, learning music like a baby learns to speak etc under the nose of people that hardly make it in the practice room once a week. Music theory is key and shortcut to get exactly the same result… it’s natural that self taught and seasoned musicians making a living of lessons and tutorials try to make up reasoning why theirs is still “better”… sorry, we have no time for meta physical cool aid, we want to make music. Picture this played in phrygian mode, off beat ☝️
99% of the players attending Victors bass camp are already good bass players that would be welcome in most bands. Pocket Groove gets nothing started, it’s what naturally evolves if you’re lucky enough to have music staying in your life for good. Modes, meters, timing (not groove) is what gets people started making music!
Great job sir
Thank you.
Great lesson
I play bass at my church and for the most part I just play roots while going up/down to the next note chromatically. I love playing melodies but the only chord I ever use is the 1-5-8 chord. It works sometimes but this the way Mr. Devine has put this in perspective for me shows me that I need to learn more arpeggios haha🤣
Whoa!!! Scott is getting tough!!!!
Nice bass! I just re-purchased a BN5 7 years after selling it 7 years ago. Love my F-Bass - it was cheap used at $3200!
Its nice that where's Waldo is teaching everyone how to play bass
Great advice! Creepy glove!
I'm still trying to find my Phrygian Minor... Great insight!
I learned to play purely through just being shit, frankly. I learned like... 3 scales? And for 20 years on and off playing I've been struggling my way through learning and making stuff up. I'm basically hitting stuff until it sounds good then praying to God I can remember it. But I joined a band recently because sod it, I can play stuff and I want to have fun and have discovered my band mates are literally music graduates. We were learning a song and he was like "oh it's just a chromatic scale" And then said all this other stuff and I was like "I literally have no idea what you're talking about."
Luckily, technically incompetent as I am, they need a bassist, they like me and they like my sound (what I do know I play well) but yea, our guitarist taught me a chromatic scale (is there more than one? I guess I'm gonna find out) and I kinda root noted under the song (had no idea that was a thing) just to get a sense of timing. Took it home, remembered the scale and just riffed with it and that one lesson alone just slotted stuff into place. It's embarrassing to think I've been playing 20 years on and off and never thought I should learn fucking scales and arpeggios >D
Oh well... Better late than never I suppose.
Wolfie ? Is that you ?
@@coreynorth4587 No. Who's Wolfie, did they do something similar?
RATS! I missed enrollment!
What are the odds of re-imagining your business model and opening it up throughout the year instead of just once a year?
It's highly unlikely I'd remember this come 2023.
I love the work you do!
Cheers!
That bass has that killer growl to it, love it!
Love the clarity in your teaching style. I've played bass for 35 years and taught on occasion. You can also walk up chromatically to your next chord to add a bit of flavor.
Example: A7 can walk C C# D (and a 0ne) and in Dm, use F F# G (and a one). Look for creative ways to arrive at the next chord in your progression. Hope this helps.
Read a comment the other day along the lines of "If you hit the wrong note you're only a half step from the right one." Did a lot for my confidence
Victor Wooten said that.
I think following this concept is why early Green Day is better, Mike used to outline chords and write countermelodies rather than just playing roots
Okay. I fit into the "most" category lol. It obviously helps to know this because that was some cool noodling!