You can see just how much of a PRO bassist Scott is - not because of the notes he's playing or even his rhythm - but because of the sheer precision with which he keeps the headstock mere inches away from the whiteboard EACH TIME he turns from one side to the other! Once you notice this , it becomes almost hypnotic!!
This, in my opinion, along with Benny Greb's Art and Science of Groove, is seriously some of the most important stuff you can watch as a musician. I always love your concepts and methods of teaching!
+Logan Freund These two are great, and you can follow through without a problem which is always a big plus, and you certainly find a good amount of months worth of work ahead in both. However, THE most importat stuff you can watch as a musician, in terms of groove and rhythm, I have found is the Intro to Polyrhythms and the Metric Modulations DVDs and booklets by Ari Hoenig and Johannes Weidenmueller (the best bass teacher I have ever had). Scott's and Benny's methods barely scratch the surface of what these DVD's will do for you and your groove and time, and they are certainly a next step to take once you're comfortable with Scott's and Benny's (it'd be nice to have something in between, because the gap is huge). Next, also very related to rhythm and groove, but also as a musician in general and this will affect you in way deeper ways: Hal Galper's teachings. If you leave in NYC or close by, hit him up and ask him to teach you. He'll destroy you and everything you know about playing, and he'll rebuild you and you will never even listen to music with the same ears. If you are too far you can always check his website and read his articles, they are extremely powerful (though he needs some spell checking lol). And last but not least, in case you have done it all, you have Mike Longo's DVD series The Rhythmic Nature of Jazz. I haven't gotten to it, but that's what I'll be doing soon.
+Enrique Mancía I'll be looking into all of this, thank you for the wonderful recommendations! I should've specified that I meant Scott and Benny's methods were some of the most important introductory* lessons to learn about groove. Pretty much everything in their lessons I've already gotten down and understood for a while now, I just enjoy watching at this point haha. BUT as I already love and use polyrythms and modulation, I'll be sure to check out those DVDs!
I am working on visualizing what I play on drums, guitar, bass, or whatever musical composition I am working on. So this video was quite stimulating to my focus. As well as learning the other stuff we can do with bar/measures. 1&a2&a3&a1&a2&a3&a as opposed to 1e&a with four sub-divisions. And how to simplify it to the rest of the band. Like whispering 123 223 323 423 0r 1234 2234 3234 4234. When the whole band knows what the whole sound looks like they can understand where their parts are. That's the visual part the band also feels. Thank you for doing what you do with music. I've always thought of musicians as sound weavers. Keep up the good work and thank the management for me.
Scott's Bass Lessons No problem. :) I'm a relatively new bass player myself. I played the drum set for a while, and now I'm gaining interest for the bass guitar. So far I've been learning from Rocksmith 2014, but these videos might be the missing link to push it to the next level. :D
+Scott's Bass Lessons Hi!! I m a Keyboard player but i love this tutorial!!! sure i m signed but could you tell me when the next lesson is gonna come????? thank you
This is, hands down, the best video you have put out (for me personally at least). Being self taught, I have been waiting years for something this simple, yet so dynamic. I can not tell you how much this improved my playing in even the first half hour. Every music teacher needs to have this practice as part of their method, without exception! Thanks SO much for this!!!
Previous experiences with awful studio personnel convinced me that a "groove" is nothing more than a " shallow rut ". After going through this presentation, my perception of "groove" has been expanded ten fold. Many thanks ! ! !
Been playin, studyin, giggin, writin, this ol Fender bass for 40 years....What a great way to break it down visually...Gave me a whole new world of options to eat from at the Big Bassline Buffet ... I thank you Mr Scott for the technical, visual insight that will help countless others that live on the groove train to find and secure their own big tracks to lay down. Always Your Brother JD
This clarifies so much for me as a beginner because sometimes I'll be walking along, just through the day, and I'll hear the rhythm to a nice bassline. It'd stick inside my head for a bit but I'd always forget it because I had no solid way to write it down and remember. This chart gives me that means to do so. Makes things way easier to understand. It's simple, but effective if practiced. Which I will be doing, practicing. :D
Victor Wooten talks about this in a different way - but both directions help to reinforce the importance of what Scott is getting at. Great video Scott! :)
For fellow musicians who play drums, it isn't necessary to watch this, Scott is super good at describing the concept of groove and beat, but if your a drummer this should be naturally programmed in your head But to you Scott, your amazing at teaching this concept, for anybody who dosent understand groove or beat, this video is perfect
thanks. I have been playing for about 2yrs now. totally learning from UA-cam. people have been telling to learn fills and this is going to show me the path
Scott, I have been playing bass for years. All self taught. This video was so helpful. Its like you pulled together all these little disconnected nuggets I had mined over the years together. Thanks man! Keep it up!
As someone who actually decided to pay for a full membership on his website, I can confirm that those lessons are pretty beastly and worth my money ;] Good job Scott!
For a short I was a bass drumer in an orchestar,didn`t give it no credit till now.. after that a I find my self druming on my knees during practice..Realized it helped me playing the bass but I didn`know why and how.... And now,thanks for showing me why :)
i been to private music school and my teacher was a really great guy with a lot of patience. after he had to move away because of family issues i started to watch this instead of doing nothing. and its hillarious how close you re as a person. bass players have to be the most sympathic guys on earth
This is the most useful bass lesson I've learned. Before this lesson, I've been stuck for a long time and I've been playing bass for 4 years. Thanks for the change.
with this video you become my new super hero, really "easy stuff" or better "basic stuff" but yet nobody spent time on teaching the real importance of inner rhythm and importance of subdivisions ..... every time somebody will ask me i'll unswear Scott's Bass Lesson is the unswear go watch that pure gold.... thank you Scott you are a real inspiration :) can't thank you enough hahahhaha have a good day and see you in the shed mate
I gave up bass decades ago because I got frustrated with it. I could play difficult technical lines other people came up with but I was unable to come up with lines that I liked. If I had seen this I would have never given up the bass! I am glad I came back to bass and discovered your videos! Thanks Scott!
This is an incredible beginner's lesson. I am a guitar player and recently picked up bass guitar to get in touch with my sense of rhythm (and because jamming in the lower frequencies just sounds so sweet). Like you I am very strategic with my musical learning and I have been looking for a good rhythm lesson which included diagramming for a while now. I searched through countless percussion books and rhythm guitar tutorial videos, but none of them were able to get the point across as well as Scott or provided such a valuable tool for building rhythmic intuition. Thanks Scott! Definitely subscribed.
I am a guitar player and this is one of the most helpful lesson I have ever listened to! I'm gonna do the rest of this video series right away. Thanks for sharing!
5yrs late or am I, completely neglected groove over the last four yrs, I have a good inner time but this will boost to next lv. thx for helping me. I want to join sbl but the wonderful covid and family make it financially impossible right now. Thx for the ton of free stuff to inspire me.
thank you! That intro was way too long.. I mean.. we're here for the lesson.. so no need to convince us to have a look at the lesson.. we're here coz we know the lesson's gonna be great anyway... lol but you knew that! ;)
Hi there Scott I dig your groove grid concept. I've always, since I were a kid, wanted to play bass or lead guitar, but never took any private lessons or classes in school. After many years pass I finally bought some gear and now ready to learn the comcept of playing my bass like a pro. l read books and listen to CD's but they can sometimes be confusing and very costly. but what I like about your groove grid, is it's not all about using penatonic scales chord progression etc..., not to say that they are not a part of learning music, but they can sometimes be discouraging especially for a beginner, it's finding the repeated rhytem broken down in quarters, eights, and sixteens using the main notes used from a specific chord and plugging them in randomly in your measure to create your own bass line. now. Thats an concept l can easily graspe. Now to start practicing it. Thanks for that tip. .
A great lesson. I've been playing bass since '61 in most all flavors of music. The Groove Grid really fixes a basic problem I've had: Getting lost because I was not laying down a repeating groove (except of blues). So occasionally my playing would get to the point "Where's 1"? Especially if playing complex funk or afro-cuban styles. I could play cool bass parts but only if the drummer laid down the basic rhythm structures 2 bars, 4 bar phrases, etc. emphasizing where the beat was in terms of beat in the measure so many thanks
Hey Scott, I came across your channel last week - long time guitar player, but because of your videos, I just bought my first bass! Thanks for the fun and inspiration!
This concept is word. I am a sax player learning bass. This concept you are graciously sharing is very similar to the concept that my old teacher Lee Konitz (sax giant) taught me on improvisation AND learning how jazz standards are constructed by chord changes. I know chord changes over standards by 16th notes and triplets etc...before I ever tackle improvising over a song. This lesson makes sense to me and has helped me get my bass approach in gear.
I'm in a band called Zerø-clearance and I am the bassist. Scott, this video alone helped me more than anything. I'm also relatively new to bass. I will keep on watching the great vids man. I appreciate it!
I'm impressed. Your real good Scott. You, a singer, and drummer, and your good to go. I've saw a 6 piece band, where they had 4 singers, just singing, and a bass guitarist, and a drummer, that's all, and they kicked ass. So I understand the great power of a great rythem and bass player. I don't have enough years left, to get to your level on bass guitar.. Cheers !
The only man who makes me evolve constantly as a musician. What I like is that you explain the harmony itself and that helps me to think over it and create some fills and techniques on my own. That’s sometimes boring and ofc that is hard to understand but that is great. Thank you for your work.
I can already tell that this is going to make a massive difference to my bass playing.I always felt that I had a pretty good internal rhythm, but didn't really know how to harness it. The graph has really helped me and I'm already looking forward to the next lesson. Thank you Scott for unleashing my internal groove !!
dude just came across this video and signed up for the set. I've been playing bass for 10 yrs and what I've learned today for this one video was amazing. I realized I've been taking the wrong approach to music for the whole time. I should have started here! you ate a definite inspiration to me as a musician.
Mr. Divine. I love your teaching method. I love your bass playing. I love my bass again. I p,aged bass for a couple decades in a R&B / Fusion band and loved it. But I always played guitar and did so more and more for composing. I've been away from my bass muscle for a couple of decades except for occasional recordings where key bass wasn't working for me. I've become a pretty content guitar player/writer but you my friend have completely motivated me to incorporate more bass guitar back into my compositions. Because you've reminded me of how important and infectious the groove can be. The groove has always been my strength because of my experiences as a bassist. As a guitarist I was always more concerned with harmonies and melodies. Yes the pocket was always still there but I used keys to implement a bass concept instead of my 4 string. Man did I miss out on all that 4 and 5 string meat and potatoes. But Scott you've brought me back from unconsciousness. I'm an older guy whose made his way and survived playing out for a livin. So as of the last 2 decadesI always hired great bass players and played guitar and sang throughout most of my later career. But now my heart is into staying home and creating in my little studio and figuring out new musics to turn the world around. You've given me the missing mojo I needed to play more bass guitar and to marry the guitar to new and improved bass concepts. Thank you Scott. I've shared your channel with my family of bass players and all players alike. I'm in. Thank you. F. L.
Glad I found this. All these years, and THIS is what I should've been learning and practicing all along. Rhythm! Groove! I'm ready to really take this somewhere. Thanks, Scott! Why aren't all instructors teaching like this??
Regardless of bass lessons which I came across here in the first place, Scott looks like a very good man and friend! It can be seen that he is calm and have a passionate approach to his teaching. I am already a musician, drummer and bass enthusiast, but just these free lessons from Scott can give you so much insight under the hood. Scott, thank you for everything I learn from your videos!
I didn't realize it until now, but this is something that's really taken my playing to a new level the last year or so. I realize I'm playing a lot of original lines using those a's and e's. Playing with people, as always, has helped facilitate this.
Great video as always! Thanks a lot man: I started to learn music and playing bass late as an adult and it was frustrating, but with daily practice and your videos here and there I feel I've improved a lot and I'm actually enjoying it 🤞🏼
After like 5-6 years of playing bass, learning on my own, i stopped playing for like 3-4 years. When i wanted to get back into music i decided i wanted to learn drums, so while i was learning it, i learnt all these things of 16ths and triplets and it just completed the puzzle for me. I found out that i've already knew all of this, and i was using it on my bass lines, i just didn't know the theory behind it. Learning this is indeed one of the most important things for any musician
Thanks for the lesson. It is really a lot of help. I had a vintage instructional video from Randy Jackson and he taught this grid in a different way. He used the drum beats as a map to follow. The highhats is the 16th note, the kick as the 4th notes and the snare as the 8ths. It is looooooot clearer to me now. "Different, but the same." - James Franco, The Interview.
I'm a guitar player, but this stuff is super important for it too! I've been jamming to radio stuff. I'm planning on just playing around with it. I've found that if I think too much about it or push something I'm not comfortable with, I get distracted from the feel, get frustrated, and I stop enjoying it. So the goal is to play more by feel than thought... but... to still think about it, but more feel than thought I suppose. One thing that hit me was the repetition part. I struggle with structure. I find myself searching for something that works and then I'll wander around for something else... I hope that over time I can limit my searching and become more structured... like an A B A B C BA as an example. Thanks for the info and insight Scott! Rock on!
Holy crap. I got a bass for my birthday but it hasnt came in yet and i cant wait to practice this. I felt so excited towards the end of this vid and all the possibilities there are! Thanks for the vid truly inspiring.
Great video! Just goes to show, we are never too old or experienced to learn something new. I've played drums and bass for nearly 30 years in bands and in the studio, and this lesson really helps reinforce my rhythm and groove. ...now to watch part 2 and 3 - Thanks, and Cheers!
Thank you for all your lessons. I am a guitarist mainly, but I also like to play bass very much.. even played it in a band. Your lessons made me understand better what bass role is really in a band, and how to make it groove. Thanks again!
Probably goes without saying, but the first comment in this video re-time is applicable to ALL musicians (but guitarists need to hear it especially because it's so emphasized to drummers and bassists). We all need to know how to groove to make good music. It's like how Ginger Baker put it when talking about other great players he admired, "he just had...time". How to get good time? Part of it's nature, unfortunately for those without it, but a huge part is WHO we listen to (must love what we listen to, and who we listen to must be made up of great players with great time). And the other part of it is soaking up info from great videos like this! Love your bass lessons, Scott, as much for the philosophies as the tech details. Keep 'em coming!
This was the best info I’ve come across!!!! You made it so easy to understand and the way you broke it down…. Like for reals I’m mind blown because I could understand it. Now to teach this to my hubby.
Scott - you're a fantastic teacher. This video is gonna make me tap my feet and count out beats during all of my classes. Your method of teaching is really outstanding. Thanks for being a huge help to the bass community!
Aaaaaaah what an awesome video Scott's Bass Lessons ! 7 years of playing many instruments, that's the first time i FEEL the subdivision so clearly, instead of thinking about it and understanding it while i'm playing. I used to think about it and then forget it in the middle of the song, and because of that my rhythm was all over the place but with your video i feel i can practice on any music i'm listening at the moment (sorry if my english is bad i'm french I do what i can hehe) It works reaaaally well because of the "e and a" that we cannot have in french. In classical music they use to teach it with the normal sub (with the four sixteenth note, but saying 1234/1234/1234/1234 does not make you feel the subdivision, even if you understand it). My teacher used to say "if you subdivise, suddenly everything feels slower" if that makes sense an know i understand if, because i feel like, almost like if i was dancing with the music instead of running after the notes. So thank you thank you thank you for that video, I cannot wait for the others ! :D
I first got my interest in bass from playing Rocksmith, I first tried that this Taddy Porter song with emulated bass, on a guitar, and just got hooked from there. Your videos are a great help into getting rid of those little bad habits you get by playing Rocksmith, and get me to really understand the bass. Keep on the good work!
So simple - once you've analyzed and interpreted for us. This is a GIANT tip for my playing. Very recently I stopped using even a metronome because of my lack of groove. Thanks, Scott.
Super cool video! My instructor finally convinced me bass playing all about the timing and the subdivisions. Just never thought it could be used like this to create new grooves.
Thanks for sharing this. Some really great stuff here. As a beginner for bass it makes more sense now some things they were trying to teach with a drum pad (block of wood with a rubber top) when kids wanted to learn drums in school. Just saw Victor Wooten Tedx talk from 8 years ago about music as a language and the importance of just learning the language over whichever instrument you happen to want to express the music/message thru. This lesson on making a groove and understanding it as repeated rhythm is a gold mine of a concept for making and practicing grooves. Thanks @scott!
I've been playing on and off for about 10 years (getting hard to remember how long!) and this is actually great video. Had it sitting around in my watch later list for a while, but finally had some spare time to sit through it! I've realised I've been doing a little of this internally when playing (but not when practicing so much!), but it's fantastic to see it basically simply explained on a white board. I suffer from some (thankfully somewhat mild) learning difficulties and this can make learning things on bass either much easier or much more difficult for me (eg, I either 'get it' or say 'huh?' for quite a while!). The way you've explained it makes it very easy for me to understand and I can already think of a few ways to start thinking and practicing this stuff. Thanks a lot for putting up this video and I've subscribed on your site. And if you do read this comment, hope you have a great day! :)
Luv your approach to teaching the bass. I'll be back many times to learn the bass the proper way. Thanks Scott. Glad I tuned in to your site. Cheers from Nova Scotia, Canada
I am primarily a guitar player, but I started on Bass and still do pick up some Bass work. I also teach as well. This was fantastic for me in all 3 capacities. Groove is essential for being a great rhythm guitarist (we spend 95% our time comping, right?), the bass application is obvious, and as a teacher this is a great way for me to demonstrate the concept of subdivision for my visual learners. I honestly can't believe this was a free lesson. Awesome!
Excellent video! I play bass at church each Sunday but I don't really consider myself a bass player. I generally play the bass line from sheet music arranged for the piano so I have developed various counting methods to get the rhythm right.Playing the bass has really developed my guitar playing both rhythmically and harmonically and it's created that internal feel for me you mention in the video. We don't have a drummer so whilst I don't usually set the time I am the one that maintains it!This lesson has made many of the things I've noticed along the way fall into place!Thanks Scott!I'm currently working on 3 string chords on the guitar and the knowledge gained there is feeding back directly to chord tones on the bass and the end of the video with the Gm7 was the icing on the cake :)
Thanks, Scott. This was very helpful to me. I've been told I know how to play with groove, but this really shows me what it truly means. To me it's like a drum set with strings instead of drums that I play the beats on.
Tuesday's are homework days. I get compliments about being in the pocket with my funk band, but I feel like I need to know a bit more of what I'm actually doing. Thank you for giving us the access to information to excel our ability. I have followed the link and will be going through this lesson plan, (and future plans). Thank you, thank you, thank you again!
Did someone already say this? You might place the chest mic. in the center of your chest (center of the left-right head movement) so the sound fade left-to right, has better clarity... Good Lesson, I appreciate breaking down the word GROOVE. I learned something today. Thanks!
Bought myself a new bass after not playing for about 5 or 6 years. It's been really frustrating because everything that I had in terms of my playing has completely vanished. This video alone has made me realise as long as I get the feel for the rhythm, the groove and the time everything else will come back. Awesome video giving an out of touch bassist the drive to strive to be a better player. Cheers Scott! On to the next video.
Thank you soo much Scott!. I've been learning to play drums since I was 12.. I'm self taught and fairly proficient. I've always wanted to learn guitar. I started lessons a few years back but just couldn't keep the motivation and interest..but last year I bought a bass and started playing around with it thinking that if I understood the "bass" better It could help me be a better drummer and better asset to the groove...and maybe someday step up and play bass. And it will help with writing/production. I've been watching your videos and they have helped me immensely!...I enjoy playing along with tabs on UA-cam videos with all the classics I grew up with.. I'm having A-blast, I really love it and I would love to learn more and really do want to become a better bass player... I have basic music theory knowledge. I was in band in Jr. High, I landed on 2nd chair trumpet after playing my way through all the other brass...grades 7-9. ...soo long ago! I'll be turning 61 next month. Livin' the Dream! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!
Played in band in middle school, always done this mentally. This has been good to remind me of why I subdivide rhythms in basslines. I'll focus on this now, thanks.
Great lesson, you just open a whole new world to me! I have heard so many bass players talking about the groove, like Victor Wooten or even Billy Sheehan but never really knew what was exactly.
Hi Scott, my name is Scott (no kidding). Thanks for the lesson, very good breakdown of groove. What I really got from this was a great definition of groove that I can use to explain to folks in my bands when we have fallen out of the pocket and I want to get them back on track into something that grooves. (if that makes sense). What I am currently working on is simplicity. When I play with my classic rock band I will be playing some really funky and fast say in the style of The Doobie Brothers, lots of grace notes and percussive dead notes and whatnot. But then I will play something in my country band like "Strawberry Wine" or "Midnight in Montgomery", which requires me to hold long notes and essentially "unfunkify" my bass and get some good sustain and tone and get rid of some of those unfortunate accidentals (strings that I touch that ring out when I was trying to strike another string that are quickly muted but still stick out because there are no successive notes to cover them up).. I know i made up some words there and rambled.. but thats what I am working on. Thanks so much for the lessons! I am a fan!
Hey Scott great lesson. I'm a guitarist/composer who is learning bass because it sounds awesome but also to broaden my horizons and improve my musicality. This lesson and the other two are phenomenal! Keep up the great work and thank you for the inspiration.
Superb! Really first class! The best lesson bout rhythmic division Ive seen on the net. Im classical guitarist, but it is a 'must see' for all musicians, not only bassists... congratulations from Rio - Brasil, Scott.
hi Scott, I've only been learning the bass for 12 months, I'm just learning to read music but my rythm is a major problem , but hopefully now seeing this lesson things will hopefully change for the better. thank you Scott
Paul McCartney is my idol. Best bass player and the one who motivated me to pick up the bass my fiance is trying to teach me. I love your videos, they are helping me so much I wish you could be my teacher LOL
Man alive, I learned a lot of stuff in this video, I don't read music so this cleared up a lotta stuff, thanks man. soon's i get a job i'm joining the school.
You asked. What I'm working on is getting a grip, not on bass, but on music. I'm not a bass player, and I don't think it's likely I'll ever be one. The only reason I'm playing bass is because I recently picked one up from curbside on garbage day, and I've licked into playable shape. I'm a guitar player and a piano player, but I want to know what to do with this thing (which, by the way, has worked its way into my heart--it's a short-scale P-bass knock-off built by CMI about thirty-five years ago, and I love it. Can't help it.) But Scott, your approach to the theory of rhythm and harmony is (1) so enlightening and (2) so much fun, I'm really looking forward to getting on with this. You're going to improve my musicianship tremendously, no matter what instrument I play. Thanks.
Yeah, this is great. As an old rock-bass player, and an 8-bit music enthusiast fiddling with midi, this is great for visualizing what’s already in the back of my mind. It’s kinda like I visualize when I compose, mostly because of the music editors I use, I guess. It’s really hard to not skip forward to articulation 😅 I never really got the hang of that playing an actual bass. Maybe it’s not too late to pick up on finger playing, and leave that 1 mm nylon pick in the night stand… Great stuff!
your videos are great. I really appreciate being able to access this level of content for free here on UA-cam. My instructor for my online class at Berklee speaks highly of you as well. Thanks Scott.
hey Scott, I just got done watching your groove video #1...it was really good but!...the most important tool that was not mentioned which is a drummers LIFE LINK to time & groove is "tick tick tick tick..." guess yet? that's right, the tool that all drummers & other musicians need to soul inject with is the common everyday METRONOME...all those players you love that have that DEAD ON time...how? because they all have & hopefully still practice with & are still corrected by (metronomes don't lie) that sweet little time keeper. also Scott this isn't a video analysis or criticism, hell, I love your teaching. but, all students should be hip to how vital, like breathing, the metronome is. finally thank you for being such a good teacher. I'm a bass noob & your instructional videos are awesome☯️
you are awsome, just one of the best and famous teacher on line! thanks! i ve make lot of progress in a very short time with your teaching! now i konw what rythm is!
You're the best... Thank you so much for all the work and effort you put in. It's helping me a lot in getting to know more and more and grows my passion and willing in practising with my dear bass guitar. So thank you!!!
Great video! 45 mins was long but worth it. I never knew these things as I started playing bass. But now just learning to clap in the a & e of the 16th note. Really helpful
Great lesson and easy to understand, I don't have any formal training and this just unleashed a landslide of great info so I can create my own baselines. Ty Scott
This was a great lesson I am a guitar player but I love bass lines and I was always confused with the concept of bass playing. This lesson has helped me reveal a lot about it. I am going to practice that rhythm thing stuff from today onwards because I feel this is going to help me a lot in my songwriting process. Thank you Scott for this great stuff, looking forward for you to cover triplets in the upcoming lessons. Thanks!
great video,one the most helpfull video you have,must know for all the bassists and musicians, i have been working the last months on creating basslines and what i have done is that i have created some but with my own ispiration,but now i understand that i had this 1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a feel and from now and on i wiil follow these instructions,thank toy very much! i have been playing the bass 1 year nad 2 months now,on my own everythinh,with the only help from your videos! thank you again,i owe you a lot!
Hi, thanks for your videos - time and effort put in much appreciated 👍 thanks! I'm a 6 string guitarist rythum and lead, a bit of both, love drums and bass! and the groove!! Aww mannnn! !! THAT in any song worth listening to had that groove, It is always the catchy noticible part that drew me in, so naturally I'm feeling the songs I love the most have this going on now I think of it after seeing your vid more enlightened and confirmed so thanks again, amazing how one vid can do so much on a closer look at one area of music lovit it ❤️ First thing I was taught or learned more probably lol at secondary school music class or anything about music theory full stop-.... was ear training or something I can't remember what the lesson was it was back in 93' but distinctively in my mind its still fresh, the important lesson learned was to try isolate each instrument in the mix- the song the teacher put on was a "GREASE" Song summer loving or something under the board walk or both long time ago! and that was difficult unless you honed in on the groove, and when i tried this at home with the RHCP or Pink Floyd, The Verve, Cast etc even rave, i had saved up for a half decent set of decks, nothingfsncy justbelt drive not the technics-1210' s direct drive beasts! Anyway , all other instruments (outside of drums and bass-the groove) were either going with in unison one wayor the other on smack in the middleon time, , playing 1/4 notes or chords or full chord progressions, The lesson included finding the relationships between the instruments, volume changes, chord changes, what happens when crossing over to chorus from verse etc, any subtle changes my younger ears would have picked up like a dog, compared to the old goat I now am(has its benefits) , pitch/key changes and pink floyd was the hardest to seperate and isilate the keyboard synth from bass sometimes and Gilmour would often roll with the drummer at the faster parts just at the change between end/start of each if his solo oarts, then verse to wherever, and repeat with another barrage of his amazing collection of licks and riffs, and definitely uses the drummer or syncs up with the drummer more than some guitarists will in my humble opinion, It's probably just done to try piss Rogers Waters off! but it worked and i believe any group's relationship dynamics play a huge part of how well the band are, pinkfloyd and RHCP both have big character leading alot- bassists and thats probably a factor of why they're so good, healthy competition promotes individuals to create parts initially to outshine and fulfill the ambition, Back to the isoating eaxh instrument in the song and also identify the timing differences, notes or chords cant remember, was the challenging part for me, but it gave me a much more focused perspective and responsibility. found it was that way for me. We were taught the same day, timing, tempo, and rhythm... it's all coming back back to me now 🎶 lol couldn't resist 😆, anyway I started on rythum guitar then only this past 2 years been focusing on lead and solo, wow am I so glad I learned rythum first! Chord tones etc, and now have more of an understanding of the symmetry and synchronisation of music because I recelearned the difference between Any maj or min chord or triad is a major 3rd to a flat 3rd, so simple I literally just leard that on paper last week,knew it via muscle memory, but only when i delved into triads and chord tones and after learning that did i have a much clearer picture of the simomer chords, and the navigation part was easier after that too, knowing R 3rd 5th and thats all you need to make ine chord sound like a different chord but itsthe same notes and add more colour to the music. Rambling on more so... Beauty of it all is music theory and how it's all mapped out already for us, awaiting discovery! Everything you need to know about music is already there. Memorise and find ways to connect lines, but never without a groove! If you read to here all the way through, I would like to thank you, for if you did, your patience and understanding
This is fantastic stuff. I'm mainly a guitar player and love exploring rhythm and love to play bass every now and then. This will definitely shape the way I approach bass lines from now on!
You can see just how much of a PRO bassist Scott is - not because of the notes he's playing or even his rhythm - but because of the sheer precision with which he keeps the headstock mere inches away from the whiteboard EACH TIME he turns from one side to the other! Once you notice this , it becomes almost hypnotic!!
This, in my opinion, along with Benny Greb's Art and Science of Groove, is seriously some of the most important stuff you can watch as a musician. I always love your concepts and methods of teaching!
+Logan Freund Benny Greb - LOVE him man! :)
+Logan Freund These two are great, and you can follow through without a problem which is always a big plus, and you certainly find a good amount of months worth of work ahead in both. However, THE most importat stuff you can watch as a musician, in terms of groove and rhythm, I have found is the Intro to Polyrhythms and the Metric Modulations DVDs and booklets by Ari Hoenig and Johannes Weidenmueller (the best bass teacher I have ever had). Scott's and Benny's methods barely scratch the surface of what these DVD's will do for you and your groove and time, and they are certainly a next step to take once you're comfortable with Scott's and Benny's (it'd be nice to have something in between, because the gap is huge).
Next, also very related to rhythm and groove, but also as a musician in general and this will affect you in way deeper ways: Hal Galper's teachings. If you leave in NYC or close by, hit him up and ask him to teach you. He'll destroy you and everything you know about playing, and he'll rebuild you and you will never even listen to music with the same ears. If you are too far you can always check his website and read his articles, they are extremely powerful (though he needs some spell checking lol).
And last but not least, in case you have done it all, you have Mike Longo's DVD series The Rhythmic Nature of Jazz. I haven't gotten to it, but that's what I'll be doing soon.
+Enrique Mancía I'll be looking into all of this, thank you for the wonderful recommendations! I should've specified that I meant Scott and Benny's methods were some of the most important introductory* lessons to learn about groove. Pretty much everything in their lessons I've already gotten down and understood for a while now, I just enjoy watching at this point haha. BUT as I already love and use polyrythms and modulation, I'll be sure to check out those DVDs!
Look into Bob Brozman...peace.
So I downloaded the Art and Science of Groove. I’m 7 little lessons in and don’t see how to apply it to bass. Any suggestions?
I am working on visualizing what I play on drums, guitar, bass, or whatever musical composition I am working on. So this video was quite stimulating to my focus. As well as learning the other stuff we can do with bar/measures. 1&a2&a3&a1&a2&a3&a as opposed to 1e&a with four sub-divisions. And how to simplify it to the rest of the band. Like whispering 123 223 323 423 0r 1234 2234 3234 4234. When the whole band knows what the whole sound looks like they can understand where their parts are. That's the visual part the band also feels. Thank you for doing what you do with music. I've always thought of musicians as sound weavers. Keep up the good work and thank the management for me.
19:19 Understatement of the week. *Plays amazing bass fill and literally waves it off* "Whatever it was."
+Aidan “Rocket” R. ...Lol ;) thanks for stopping by and catching the lesson Aidan!
Scott's Bass Lessons No problem. :) I'm a relatively new bass player myself. I played the drum set for a while, and now I'm gaining interest for the bass guitar. So far I've been learning from Rocksmith 2014, but these videos might be the missing link to push it to the next level. :D
+Scott's Bass Lessons
Hi!!
I m a Keyboard player but i love this tutorial!!!
sure i m signed but could you tell me when the next lesson is gonna come?????
thank you
I already stole that riff. Amazing!
This is, hands down, the best video you have put out (for me personally at least). Being self taught, I have been waiting years for something this simple, yet so dynamic. I can not tell you how much this improved my playing in even the first half hour. Every music teacher needs to have this practice as part of their method, without exception! Thanks SO much for this!!!
Previous experiences with awful studio personnel convinced me that a "groove" is nothing more than a " shallow rut ". After going through this presentation, my perception of "groove" has been expanded ten fold. Many thanks ! ! !
I've been playing bass for about 3 years. This video changes everything, thanks scott ;)
Been playin, studyin, giggin, writin, this ol Fender bass for 40 years....What a great way to break it down visually...Gave me a whole new world of options to eat from at the Big Bassline Buffet ... I thank you Mr Scott for the technical, visual insight that will help countless others that live on the groove train to find and secure their own big tracks to lay down. Always Your Brother JD
. After 38 yrs of not playing the bass, at 58 i just starred again :) All i can say Thank You so Much for this Awesome Lesson,This is so essential .
This clarifies so much for me as a beginner because sometimes I'll be walking along, just through the day, and I'll hear the rhythm to a nice bassline. It'd stick inside my head for a bit but I'd always forget it because I had no solid way to write it down and remember. This chart gives me that means to do so. Makes things way easier to understand. It's simple, but effective if practiced. Which I will be doing, practicing. :D
+Isa Cruz Great stuff Isa! :)
You continue to be one of THE most potent educators on line! Thanks for this!
Victor Wooten talks about this in a different way - but both directions help to reinforce the importance of what Scott is getting at. Great video Scott! :)
been playing bass for a lot of years but never came across the importance of this concept. truly blessed and benefited by this video.
For fellow musicians who play drums, it isn't necessary to watch this, Scott is super good at describing the concept of groove and beat, but if your a drummer this should be naturally programmed in your head
But to you Scott, your amazing at teaching this concept, for anybody who dosent understand groove or beat, this video is perfect
thanks. I have been playing for about 2yrs now. totally learning from UA-cam. people have been telling to learn fills and this is going to show me the path
This is great! I've been a drummer for years but new to the bass. This has been an amazing resource for transferring my rhythm into the bass language.
Same here. We can sit on a simple groove and astonish guitarists….and it sounds good. Scott is a good teacher
Scott, I have been playing bass for years. All self taught. This video was so helpful. Its like you pulled together all these little disconnected nuggets I had mined over the years together. Thanks man! Keep it up!
That’s exactly how I felt!!!!
As someone who actually decided to pay for a full membership on his website, I can confirm that those lessons are pretty beastly and worth my money ;] Good job Scott!
For a short I was a bass drumer in an orchestar,didn`t give it no credit till now.. after that a I find my self druming on my knees during practice..Realized it helped me playing the bass but I didn`know why and how.... And now,thanks for showing me why :)
i been to private music school and my teacher was a really great guy with a lot of patience. after he had to move away because of family issues i started to watch this instead of doing nothing. and its hillarious how close you re as a person. bass players have to be the most sympathic guys on earth
This is the most useful bass lesson I've learned. Before this lesson, I've been stuck for a long time and I've been playing bass for 4 years. Thanks for the change.
Master class teacher. Not just which notes to pluck on a bass, but why and how to feel them in your loins. I'm hooked.
with this video you become my new super hero, really "easy stuff" or better "basic stuff" but yet nobody spent time on teaching the real importance of inner rhythm and importance of subdivisions ..... every time somebody will ask me i'll unswear Scott's Bass Lesson is the unswear go watch that pure gold.... thank you Scott you are a real inspiration :) can't thank you enough hahahhaha have a good day and see you in the shed mate
I gave up bass decades ago because I got frustrated with it. I could play difficult technical lines other people came up with but I was unable to come up with lines that I liked. If I had seen this I would have never given up the bass! I am glad I came back to bass and discovered your videos! Thanks Scott!
This is an incredible beginner's lesson. I am a guitar player and recently picked up bass guitar to get in touch with my sense of rhythm (and because jamming in the lower frequencies just sounds so sweet). Like you I am very strategic with my musical learning and I have been looking for a good rhythm lesson which included diagramming for a while now. I searched through countless percussion books and rhythm guitar tutorial videos, but none of them were able to get the point across as well as Scott or provided such a valuable tool for building rhythmic intuition. Thanks Scott! Definitely subscribed.
I am a guitar player and this is one of the most helpful lesson I have ever listened to! I'm gonna do the rest of this video series right away. Thanks for sharing!
Scott your playing skills are impeccable!
5yrs late or am I, completely neglected groove over the last four yrs, I have a good inner time but this will boost to next lv. thx for helping me. I want to join sbl but the wonderful covid and family make it financially impossible right now. Thx for the ton of free stuff to inspire me.
6:15 to skip to the actual bass lesson
thank you! That intro was way too long.. I mean.. we're here for the lesson.. so no need to convince us to have a look at the lesson.. we're here coz we know the lesson's gonna be great anyway... lol
but you knew that! ;)
thank you so much, at 2.00 I started to wonder if there will be any music at all...
thanks!
DUDES JUST BAKED AND MOUTH RIFFING
my man scott is just vibing tbh
Hi there Scott I dig your groove grid concept. I've always, since I were a kid, wanted to play bass or lead guitar, but never took any private lessons or classes in school. After many years pass I finally bought some gear and now ready to learn the comcept of playing my bass like a pro. l read books and listen to CD's but they can sometimes be confusing and very costly. but what I like about your groove grid, is it's not all about using penatonic scales chord progression etc..., not to say that they are not a part of learning music, but they can sometimes be discouraging especially for a beginner, it's finding the repeated rhytem broken down in quarters, eights, and sixteens using the main notes used from a specific chord and plugging them in randomly in your measure to create your own bass line. now. Thats an concept l can easily graspe. Now to start practicing it. Thanks for that tip.
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A great lesson. I've been playing bass since '61 in most all flavors of music. The Groove Grid really fixes a basic problem I've had: Getting lost because I was not laying down a repeating groove (except of blues). So occasionally my playing would get to the point "Where's 1"? Especially if playing complex funk or afro-cuban styles. I could play cool bass parts but only if the drummer laid down the basic rhythm structures 2 bars, 4 bar phrases, etc. emphasizing where the beat was in terms of beat in the measure so many thanks
Hey Scott, I came across your channel last week - long time guitar player, but because of your videos, I just bought my first bass! Thanks for the fun and inspiration!
I'm a Bass Major at a Performing Arts school in NZ & watching your vids on Bass really helps me get ontop of my stuff! Thanks Scott, you're the man :)
This concept is word. I am a sax player learning bass. This concept you are graciously sharing is very similar to the concept that my old teacher Lee Konitz (sax giant) taught me on improvisation AND learning how jazz standards are constructed by chord changes. I know chord changes over standards by 16th notes and triplets etc...before I ever tackle improvising over a song. This lesson makes sense to me and has helped me get my bass approach in gear.
Groove is in the heart
🧡
I'm in a band called Zerø-clearance and I am the bassist. Scott, this video alone helped me more than anything. I'm also relatively new to bass. I will keep on watching the great vids man. I appreciate it!
I'm impressed. Your real good Scott. You, a singer, and drummer, and your good to go. I've saw a 6 piece band, where they had 4 singers, just singing, and a bass guitarist, and a drummer, that's all, and they kicked ass. So I understand the great power of a great rythem and bass player. I don't have enough years left, to get to your level on bass guitar.. Cheers !
The only man who makes me evolve constantly as a musician. What I like is that you explain the harmony itself and that helps me to think over it and create some fills and techniques on my own. That’s sometimes boring and ofc that is hard to understand but that is great. Thank you for your work.
I can already tell that this is going to make a massive difference to my bass playing.I always felt that I had a pretty good internal rhythm, but didn't really know how to harness it. The graph has really helped me and I'm already looking forward to the next lesson. Thank you Scott for unleashing my internal groove !!
dude just came across this video and signed up for the set. I've been playing bass for 10 yrs and what I've learned today for this one video was amazing. I realized I've been taking the wrong approach to music for the whole time. I should have started here! you ate a definite inspiration to me as a musician.
Mr. Divine. I love your teaching method. I love your bass playing. I love my bass again. I p,aged bass for a couple decades in a R&B / Fusion band and loved it. But I always
played guitar and did so more and more for composing. I've been away from my bass muscle for a couple of decades except for occasional recordings where key bass wasn't working for me. I've become a pretty content guitar player/writer but you my friend have completely motivated me to incorporate more bass guitar back into my compositions. Because you've reminded me of how important and infectious the groove can be. The groove has always been my strength because of my experiences as a bassist. As a guitarist I was always more concerned with harmonies and melodies. Yes the pocket was always still there but I used keys to implement a bass concept instead of my 4 string. Man did I miss out on all that 4 and 5 string meat and potatoes. But Scott you've brought me back from unconsciousness. I'm an older guy whose made his way and survived playing out for a livin. So as of the last 2 decadesI always hired great bass players and played guitar and sang throughout most of my later career. But now my heart is into staying home and creating in my little studio and figuring out new musics to turn the world around. You've given me the missing mojo I needed to play more bass guitar and to marry the guitar to new and improved bass concepts. Thank you Scott. I've shared your channel with my family of bass players and all players alike. I'm in. Thank you. F. L.
Glad I found this. All these years, and THIS is what I should've been learning and practicing all along. Rhythm! Groove! I'm ready to really take this somewhere. Thanks, Scott! Why aren't all instructors teaching like this??
Regardless of bass lessons which I came across here in the first place, Scott looks like a very good man and friend!
It can be seen that he is calm and have a passionate approach to his teaching. I am already a musician, drummer and bass enthusiast, but just these free lessons from Scott can give you so much insight under the hood.
Scott, thank you for everything I learn from your videos!
I didn't realize it until now, but this is something that's really taken my playing to a new level the last year or so. I realize I'm playing a lot of original lines using those a's and e's. Playing with people, as always, has helped facilitate this.
Great video as always! Thanks a lot man: I started to learn music and playing bass late as an adult and it was frustrating, but with daily practice and your videos here and there I feel I've improved a lot and I'm actually enjoying it 🤞🏼
After like 5-6 years of playing bass, learning on my own, i stopped playing for like 3-4 years. When i wanted to get back into music i decided i wanted to learn drums, so while i was learning it, i learnt all these things of 16ths and triplets and it just completed the puzzle for me. I found out that i've already knew all of this, and i was using it on my bass lines, i just didn't know the theory behind it.
Learning this is indeed one of the most important things for any musician
Thanks for the lesson. It is really a lot of help. I had a vintage instructional video from Randy Jackson and he taught this grid in a different way. He used the drum beats as a map to follow. The highhats is the 16th note, the kick as the 4th notes and the snare as the 8ths. It is looooooot clearer to me now. "Different, but the same." - James Franco, The Interview.
this is one of those videos which, after watching it, I have a whole new dimension of understanding--well done!
I'm a guitar player, but this stuff is super important for it too! I've been jamming to radio stuff. I'm planning on just playing around with it. I've found that if I think too much about it or push something I'm not comfortable with, I get distracted from the feel, get frustrated, and I stop enjoying it.
So the goal is to play more by feel than thought... but... to still think about it, but more feel than thought I suppose. One thing that hit me was the repetition part. I struggle with structure. I find myself searching for something that works and then I'll wander around for something else... I hope that over time I can limit my searching and become more structured... like an A B A B C BA as an example.
Thanks for the info and insight Scott! Rock on!
Holy crap. I got a bass for my birthday but it hasnt came in yet and i cant wait to practice this. I felt so excited towards the end of this vid and all the possibilities there are! Thanks for the vid truly inspiring.
That's one of the best way I hear to put notes from a chord from a rythme first!!! GREAT JOB!!!
Great video! Just goes to show, we are never too old or experienced to learn something new. I've played drums and bass for nearly 30 years in bands and in the studio, and this lesson really helps reinforce my rhythm and groove. ...now to watch part 2 and 3 - Thanks, and Cheers!
Thank you for all your lessons. I am a guitarist mainly, but I also like to play bass very much.. even played it in a band. Your lessons made me understand better what bass role is really in a band, and how to make it groove. Thanks again!
Probably goes without saying, but the first comment in this video re-time is applicable to ALL musicians (but guitarists need to hear it especially because it's so emphasized to drummers and bassists). We all need to know how to groove to make good music. It's like how Ginger Baker put it when talking about other great players he admired, "he just had...time".
How to get good time? Part of it's nature, unfortunately for those without it, but a huge part is WHO we listen to (must love what we listen to, and who we listen to must be made up of great players with great time). And the other part of it is soaking up info from great videos like this! Love your bass lessons, Scott, as much for the philosophies as the tech details. Keep 'em coming!
This was the best info I’ve come across!!!! You made it so easy to understand and the way you broke it down…. Like for reals I’m mind blown because I could understand it. Now to teach this to my hubby.
Scott - you're a fantastic teacher. This video is gonna make me tap my feet and count out beats during all of my classes. Your method of teaching is really outstanding. Thanks for being a huge help to the bass community!
Aaaaaaah what an awesome video Scott's Bass Lessons !
7 years of playing many instruments, that's the first time i FEEL the subdivision so clearly, instead of thinking about it and understanding it while i'm playing. I used to think about it and then forget it in the middle of the song, and because of that my rhythm was all over the place but with your video i feel i can practice on any music i'm listening at the moment (sorry if my english is bad i'm french I do what i can hehe)
It works reaaaally well because of the "e and a" that we cannot have in french. In classical music they use to teach it with the normal sub (with the four sixteenth note, but saying 1234/1234/1234/1234 does not make you feel the subdivision, even if you understand it).
My teacher used to say "if you subdivise, suddenly everything feels slower" if that makes sense an know i understand if, because i feel like, almost like if i was dancing with the music instead of running after the notes.
So thank you thank you thank you for that video, I cannot wait for the others ! :D
Scott,
Thanks for being thorough and giving us all the steps! I appreciate seeing music and bass playing in a new light!
I first got my interest in bass from playing Rocksmith, I first tried that this Taddy Porter song with emulated bass, on a guitar, and just got hooked from there. Your videos are a great help into getting rid of those little bad habits you get by playing Rocksmith, and get me to really understand the bass. Keep on the good work!
+Sylvain Gagnon Cheers Sylvain! :)
This is a fantastic lesson! You have outlined the role of the bass player while at the same time taught the creation of bass lines. True gold ;)
So simple - once you've analyzed and interpreted for us. This is a GIANT tip for my playing.
Very recently I stopped using even a metronome because of my lack of groove.
Thanks, Scott.
Super cool video! My instructor finally convinced me bass playing all about the timing and the subdivisions. Just never thought it could be used like this to create new grooves.
Thanks for sharing this. Some really great stuff here. As a beginner for bass it makes more sense now some things they were trying to teach with a drum pad (block of wood with a rubber top) when kids wanted to learn drums in school.
Just saw Victor Wooten Tedx talk from 8 years ago about music as a language and the importance of just learning the language over whichever instrument you happen to want to express the music/message thru.
This lesson on making a groove and understanding it as repeated rhythm is a gold mine of a concept for making and practicing grooves. Thanks @scott!
I've been playing on and off for about 10 years (getting hard to remember how long!) and this is actually great video. Had it sitting around in my watch later list for a while, but finally had some spare time to sit through it!
I've realised I've been doing a little of this internally when playing (but not when practicing so much!), but it's fantastic to see it basically simply explained on a white board. I suffer from some (thankfully somewhat mild) learning difficulties and this can make learning things on bass either much easier or much more difficult for me (eg, I either 'get it' or say 'huh?' for quite a while!). The way you've explained it makes it very easy for me to understand and I can already think of a few ways to start thinking and practicing this stuff.
Thanks a lot for putting up this video and I've subscribed on your site. And if you do read this comment, hope you have a great day! :)
I watched this on SBL academy and I immediately recommended the concept to a few drummer friends. It is real rich.
Luv your approach to teaching the bass. I'll be back many times to learn the bass the proper way. Thanks Scott. Glad I tuned in to your site. Cheers from Nova Scotia, Canada
I am primarily a guitar player, but I started on Bass and still do pick up some Bass work. I also teach as well. This was fantastic for me in all 3 capacities. Groove is essential for being a great rhythm guitarist (we spend 95% our time comping, right?), the bass application is obvious, and as a teacher this is a great way for me to demonstrate the concept of subdivision for my visual learners. I honestly can't believe this was a free lesson. Awesome!
Excellent video! I play bass at church each Sunday but I don't really consider myself a bass player. I generally play the bass line from sheet music arranged for the piano so I have developed various counting methods to get the rhythm right.Playing the bass has really developed my guitar playing both rhythmically and harmonically and it's created that internal feel for me you mention in the video. We don't have a drummer so whilst I don't usually set the time I am the one that maintains it!This lesson has made many of the things I've noticed along the way fall into place!Thanks Scott!I'm currently working on 3 string chords on the guitar and the knowledge gained there is feeding back directly to chord tones on the bass and the end of the video with the Gm7 was the icing on the cake :)
Thanks, Scott. This was very helpful to me. I've been told I know how to play with groove, but this really shows me what it truly means. To me it's like a drum set with strings instead of drums that I play the beats on.
Tuesday's are homework days. I get compliments about being in the pocket with my funk band, but I feel like I need to know a bit more of what I'm actually doing. Thank you for giving us the access to information to excel our ability. I have followed the link and will be going through this lesson plan, (and future plans). Thank you, thank you, thank you again!
Did someone already say this? You might place the chest mic. in the center of your chest (center of the left-right head movement) so the sound fade left-to right, has better clarity... Good Lesson, I appreciate breaking down the word GROOVE. I learned something today. Thanks!
Bought myself a new bass after not playing for about 5 or 6 years. It's been really frustrating because everything that I had in terms of my playing has completely vanished. This video alone has made me realise as long as I get the feel for the rhythm, the groove and the time everything else will come back. Awesome video giving an out of touch bassist the drive to strive to be a better player. Cheers Scott! On to the next video.
How you been doin lately? :)
Thank you soo much Scott!. I've been learning to play drums since I was 12.. I'm self taught and fairly proficient. I've always wanted to learn guitar. I started lessons a few years back but just couldn't keep the motivation and interest..but last year I bought a bass and started playing around with it thinking that if I understood the "bass" better It could help me be a better drummer and better asset to the groove...and maybe someday step up and play bass. And it will help with writing/production. I've been watching your videos and they have helped me immensely!...I enjoy playing along with tabs on UA-cam videos with all the classics I grew up with.. I'm having A-blast, I really love it and I would love to learn more and really do want to become a better bass player... I have basic music theory knowledge. I was in band in Jr. High, I landed on 2nd chair trumpet after playing my way through all the other brass...grades 7-9. ...soo long ago!
I'll be turning 61 next month.
Livin' the Dream!
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!
Played in band in middle school, always done this mentally. This has been good to remind me of why I subdivide rhythms in basslines. I'll focus on this now, thanks.
Great lesson, you just open a whole new world to me! I have heard so many bass players talking about the groove, like Victor Wooten or even Billy Sheehan but never really knew what was exactly.
Hi Scott, my name is Scott (no kidding). Thanks for the lesson, very good breakdown of groove. What I really got from this was a great definition of groove that I can use to explain to folks in my bands when we have fallen out of the pocket and I want to get them back on track into something that grooves. (if that makes sense). What I am currently working on is simplicity. When I play with my classic rock band I will be playing some really funky and fast say in the style of The Doobie Brothers, lots of grace notes and percussive dead notes and whatnot. But then I will play something in my country band like "Strawberry Wine" or "Midnight in Montgomery", which requires me to hold long notes and essentially "unfunkify" my bass and get some good sustain and tone and get rid of some of those unfortunate accidentals (strings that I touch that ring out when I was trying to strike another string that are quickly muted but still stick out because there are no successive notes to cover them up).. I know i made up some words there and rambled.. but thats what I am working on. Thanks so much for the lessons! I am a fan!
Scott is a marvelous instructor. He breaks it down and is very understandable.
Hey Scott great lesson. I'm a guitarist/composer who is learning bass because it sounds awesome but also to broaden my horizons and improve my musicality. This lesson and the other two are phenomenal! Keep up the great work and thank you for the inspiration.
Superb! Really first class! The best lesson bout rhythmic division Ive seen on the net. Im classical guitarist, but it is a 'must see' for all musicians, not only bassists... congratulations from Rio - Brasil, Scott.
hi Scott, I've only been learning the bass for 12 months, I'm just learning to read music but my rythm is a major problem , but hopefully now seeing this lesson things will hopefully change for the better. thank you Scott
I have always struggled with groove, but this clarifies everything, you are genius Scott
Paul McCartney is my idol. Best bass player and the one who motivated me to pick up the bass my fiance is trying to teach me. I love your videos, they are helping me so much I wish you could be my teacher LOL
Man alive, I learned a lot of stuff in this video, I don't read music so this cleared up a lotta stuff, thanks man. soon's i get a job i'm joining the school.
You asked.
What I'm working on is getting a grip, not on bass, but on music. I'm not a bass player, and I don't think it's likely I'll ever be one. The only reason I'm playing bass is because I recently picked one up from curbside on garbage day, and I've licked into playable shape. I'm a guitar player and a piano player, but I want to know what to do with this thing (which, by the way, has worked its way into my heart--it's a short-scale P-bass knock-off built by CMI about thirty-five years ago, and I love it. Can't help it.)
But Scott, your approach to the theory of rhythm and harmony is (1) so enlightening and (2) so much fun, I'm really looking forward to getting on with this. You're going to improve my musicianship tremendously, no matter what instrument I play.
Thanks.
fabulous lesson Scott. Love the Chart. Very Innovative way to map a line from nothing.
Yeah, this is great. As an old rock-bass player, and an 8-bit music enthusiast fiddling with midi, this is great for visualizing what’s already in the back of my mind. It’s kinda like I visualize when I compose, mostly because of the music editors I use, I guess. It’s really hard to not skip forward to articulation 😅 I never really got the hang of that playing an actual bass. Maybe it’s not too late to pick up on finger playing, and leave that 1 mm nylon pick in the night stand…
Great stuff!
your videos are great. I really appreciate being able to access this level of content for free here on UA-cam. My instructor for my online class at Berklee speaks highly of you as well. Thanks Scott.
hey Scott, I just got done watching your groove video #1...it was really good but!...the most important tool that was not mentioned which is a drummers LIFE LINK to time & groove is "tick tick tick tick..." guess yet? that's right, the tool that all drummers & other musicians need to soul inject with is the common everyday METRONOME...all those players you love that have that DEAD ON time...how? because they all have & hopefully still practice with & are still corrected by (metronomes don't lie) that sweet little time keeper. also Scott this isn't a video analysis or criticism, hell, I love your teaching. but, all students should be hip to how vital, like breathing, the metronome is. finally thank you for being such a good teacher. I'm a bass noob & your instructional videos are awesome☯️
you are awsome, just one of the best and famous teacher on line! thanks! i ve make lot of progress in a very short time with your teaching! now i konw what rythm is!
You're the best...
Thank you so much for all the work and effort you put in.
It's helping me a lot in getting to know more and more and grows my passion and willing in practising with my dear bass guitar.
So thank you!!!
There is a ton of excellent and useful information in this lesson - thanks from a bassist of 20+ years.... still learning every day!
Great video! 45 mins was long but worth it. I never knew these things as I started playing bass. But now just learning to clap in the a & e of the 16th note. Really helpful
Great lesson and easy to understand, I don't have any formal training and this just unleashed a landslide of great info so I can create my own baselines. Ty Scott
This was a great lesson
I am a guitar player but I love bass lines and I was always confused with the concept of bass playing. This lesson has helped me reveal a lot about it. I am going to practice that rhythm thing stuff from today onwards because I feel this is going to help me a lot in my songwriting process. Thank you Scott for this great stuff, looking forward for you to cover triplets in the upcoming lessons.
Thanks!
great video,one the most helpfull video you have,must know for all the bassists and musicians, i have been working the last months on creating basslines and what i have done is that i have created some but with my own ispiration,but now i understand that i had this 1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a feel and from now and on i wiil follow these instructions,thank toy very much! i have been playing the bass 1 year nad 2 months now,on my own everythinh,with the only help from your videos! thank you again,i owe you a lot!
Beautifully done again. Groovy, baby!
Hey Scott,
right now we are recording our new CD and this was really helpfull for me to play my bass lines more accurate - Thank you !
Scott really good teacher, he's passion for the Bass Playing & Teaching really has inspired me & beyond.
Hi, thanks for your videos - time and effort put in much appreciated 👍 thanks!
I'm a 6 string guitarist rythum and lead, a bit of both, love drums and bass! and the groove!!
Aww mannnn! !!
THAT in any song worth listening to had that groove,
It is always the catchy noticible part that drew me in, so naturally I'm feeling the songs I love the most have this going on now I think of it after seeing your vid more enlightened and confirmed so thanks again, amazing how one vid can do so much on a closer look at one area of music lovit it ❤️
First thing I was taught or learned more probably lol at secondary school music class or anything about music theory full stop-....
was ear training or something I can't remember what the lesson was it was back in 93'
but
distinctively in my mind its still fresh, the important lesson learned was to try isolate each instrument in the mix- the song the teacher put on was a "GREASE" Song summer loving or something under the board walk or both
long time ago!
and that was difficult unless you honed in on the groove, and when i tried this at home with the RHCP or Pink Floyd, The Verve, Cast etc even rave, i had saved up for a half decent set of decks, nothingfsncy justbelt drive not the technics-1210' s direct drive beasts!
Anyway , all other instruments (outside of drums and bass-the groove) were either going with in unison one wayor the other on smack in the middleon time, , playing 1/4 notes or chords or full chord progressions,
The lesson included finding the relationships between the instruments, volume changes, chord changes, what happens when crossing over to chorus from verse etc, any subtle changes my younger ears would have picked up like a dog, compared to the old goat I now am(has its benefits) , pitch/key changes and pink floyd was the hardest to seperate and isilate the keyboard synth from bass sometimes and Gilmour would often roll with the drummer at the faster parts just at the change between end/start of each if his solo oarts, then verse to wherever, and repeat with another barrage of his amazing collection of licks and riffs, and definitely uses the drummer or syncs up with the drummer more than some guitarists will in my humble opinion,
It's probably just done to try piss Rogers Waters off!
but it worked and i believe any group's relationship dynamics play a huge part of how well the band are, pinkfloyd and RHCP both have big character leading alot- bassists and thats probably a factor of why they're so good, healthy competition promotes individuals to create parts initially to outshine and fulfill the ambition,
Back to the isoating eaxh instrument in the song and also identify the timing differences, notes or chords cant remember,
was the challenging part for me, but it gave me a much more focused perspective and responsibility. found it was that way for me. We were taught the same day, timing, tempo, and rhythm... it's all coming back back to me now 🎶 lol couldn't resist 😆, anyway I started on rythum guitar then only this past 2 years been focusing on lead and solo, wow am I so glad I learned rythum first! Chord tones etc, and now have more of an understanding of the symmetry and synchronisation of music because I recelearned the difference between Any maj or min chord or triad is a major 3rd to a flat 3rd, so simple I literally just leard that on paper last week,knew it via muscle memory, but only when i delved into triads and chord tones and after learning that did i have a much clearer picture of the simomer chords, and the navigation part was easier after that too, knowing R 3rd 5th and thats all you need to make ine chord sound like a different chord but itsthe same notes and add more colour to the music.
Rambling on more so...
Beauty of it all is music theory and how it's all mapped out already for us, awaiting discovery! Everything you need to know about music is already there.
Memorise and find ways to connect lines, but never without a groove!
If you read to here all the way through, I would like to thank you, for if you did, your patience and understanding
This is fantastic stuff. I'm mainly a guitar player and love exploring rhythm and love to play bass every now and then. This will definitely shape the way I approach bass lines from now on!