I have zero and I mean *zero* idea how I was recommended this video, but for the first time in my life, I know what I want to be when I grow up: a reggae bass player that grooves like Flabba Holt.
@@RickyMontijo I keep thinking about it. This video has stuck in my head like no other. The pandemic has hit me fairly hard, but I'm not destitute yet. I still have a few bucks to throw around. Roughly how much do you think a person would have to spend to get just a very basic, serviceable bass and reasonable, no frills amp?
I think leaving space is just as important as playing a note, a great example of this is this fabulous Bassline 🙂 ua-cam.com/video/K0Ux_w4XV_g/v-deo.html
I’m not a bass player, but it’s the subtle economy of the reggae bass that keeps all other instruments grounded and tells them HOW to play and not overplay. This video has done more to demonstrate that than countless playing and listening. Great job
Back in the ‘90’s I had the honour of Don playing live with our hip hop/reggae band. Best bass player I ever worked with by a country mile. And a lovely brother to boot.
I have done all kinds of arts, from music to painting to writing to dancing. In all of them, space is the overlooked magic ingredient. This is one of the reasons I fell in love with reggae when I was 20 years old, and a reason why I love to play reggae and '68-'75 funk bass. Silence speaks louder than sound.
Reggae bass is like nothing else. I joined some great Jamaican guys to fill in on the bass, coming from rock music "space, before the beat, after the beat. Don't be so precise" was what I was told. Bless up!
When you dropped that note on the first beat of the second bar ("space") at the end, it brought a huge smile to my face. Your lesson is such a gift. Thank you. I like your round fat bass sound as well.
lf I had to guess I would say the mids and highs are both rolled back to detent (maybe even further). Lows slightly boosted. Pickup pan definitely rolled up towards the neck. That just covers the electronics. The kind of strings could definitely be helping achieve that tone too. Last thing would be how he's got his rig EQ'd
@@andreswaringer1476 definitely got the mids and highs cut. It's reggae bass, all about the sub. String wise, I'd say maybe flatwounds but that's not a stereotypical choice really. Most of the sound of reggae bass comes from the EQ on the desk and tape compression and saturation.
Roots producer here, one comment to add which I'm sure is innate to you but may not be obvious to others: listen (or feel) the kick drum pattern as that will also influence your bassline. In the drum pattern, the 1/8 pick up note on the kick before the snare has a huge impact on how this riddim grooves. Remove that kick and you have an entirely different feel. Of course if it were the other way around where the bass line came first, a good drummie is going to match his kick pattern to the bassline.
It's so difficult to get bassists or any instrumentalists for that matter to think of space, but reggae bass NEEDS that space! Bass being the heartbeat of the music it can be misinterpreted that you have to play constantly to keep it moving but those bass players that lock in with the groove of the rhythm section can add that extra spice when the "heartbeat" stops that's what catches your attention right?! The groove comes first and sometimes the groove calls for a heart attack to have the bass/rhythm drop out completely to get peoples attention!
as a metal guy, bass is sinfully treated in our genre. those bands that make proper use of it and make it genuinely audible and have a groovy REALLY stand out - and yet it's still very rare for some reason
im a metal fan but the bass is hardly audible in most bands because the rhythm guitar is supposed to have a fat low end to sound chunky, so they cut the bass. That and the rhythm section groove isnt as important as it is in reggae, thats why i appreciate it more
Well, adding 3 bass strings to the guitar doesn't help either. Most modern metal today is guitars pretending to be basses and basses pretending to be guitars virtuosos.
Thank you very much. I liked it a lot. I'm bass player but mainly to play salsa. Since I was a teenager I love reggae music because it is very cool due to the flavour of the rithyms guitars and the super smooth bass lines. Greetings from Caracas, Venezuela
I used to see Flabba a lot in LA whenever he would pass through on tour, we meet and have a meal at one Jamaican restaurant. Such a wonderful Man and he KNOWS bass. A mentor for sure ! That tone though !!!
I met him at Rotorom festival many years ago, he was just finishing on stage and I was going on. I told him that he was the reason I play. He called over Style Scott and said “tell him what you just said”🤣
@@donstrumental1 Sounds like him ! He was w Israel Vibration most times and the other time w The Abyssinians, we were like two kids, singing and playing ‘mouth bass’ he is so animated !
I love it how reggea bass players play off the 3 (in cut time) it sounds awesome especially when they pick it up straight after its disorienting in such a great way...literally been taken a trip.
I have played R&B bass lines forever and only listened to reggae bass lines never trying to play them...but you have opened my eyes and ears to how the bass moves the groove. Thank you for this video and the tone of your bass is thick and solid.
@@donstrumental1 I have played all types of R&B...from BB King to Moris Day and the time. But only listened to Reggae never really tried to play it. I have several friends who played in Reggae Bands here in St.Louis. The difference in the tone of their bass was alot thicker and not as bright as mine. This video was very helpful to me but fundamentally the same as any music the bass and drummer sit in the pocket and make the groove solid.
I agree that Flabba's a bass genius. One of my favorite tricks of his was when he reversed the two halves of the bassline for Joya Landis' "Moonlight Lover" when he backed young Barrington Levy's version of the tune. He started out with the sixteenth-note delay in the line to "modernize" the line. Very clever and really propelled the riddim! I love so many of his lines...another of my faves is his wikked line for Leroy Sibbles' (who knows something about bass himself!) "Give Me What is Mine," recorded in JA with the Radics when Leroy was living in TO.
Bruh I could listen to your thoughts and experience and watch rhythms and lines evolve all day and never get bored. This was incredible. Thank you for sharing with us!
Thank you! This is excellent. I play harmonica, 45 years, full-time pro at age 20. Started in bluegrass, full time in honky tonk Band, later for 10 years a band that played swing, blues, Jazz (could play jazz festivals or blues festivals), R&B. Listen to drum & bass videos to improve my groove! Thank you for sharing your art here! San Diego based.
As someone who's always wanted to play some old school heavy dub music, I'm insanely impressed with your last 3 videos. You've somehow managed to do what most fall far short at by condensing extremely important concepts into short, to the point videos WHILE providing references, tabs, and even backing tracks! Seriously please keep it up, one of the best music channels I've seen on YT. You deserve way more subscribers.
Thanks Man. I found the reggae of the last 20 years has been lacking good bass hence I need some bass disciples to help bring it back to life. I’m sure the subscribers will come, I’m in no rush👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 hit us with how to get the best tone brethren. String choice, rounds vs flats vs tapes. I love flats. How to set tone on amps, whether to use a compressor... Many thanks BASS!!!!!!
A drummer buddy of mine sent me this since reggae has always eluded me. Conceptually I've always understood the role of the bass in the genre but the way break down making a line in this one has finally made it start to click for me, definitely diving deep into anything else you've got now!
Crucial man. Thank you for this knowledge. Subbed for sure. I first heard Flabba when he played with the Dub Syndicate long time ago. Loved the vibe ever since. RIP Style Scott.
Only 5 minutes into watching this and already learning a ton. I just got back into bass last month after a verrrryyyyy long pause and have been jonesing to play some reggae, rocksteady, and dub lines that I’ve been loving the last several years. I’m so looking forward to digging through your vids. Thanks for sharing your craft. Much love.
While i can pull off many bass lines just off tabs i appreciate this because you are educational and my style has just been memorizing the notes. This teaches you how to play bass while i just mimic others work at my current skill level
I didn’t realise so many people were reliant on tabs until I put up my first video and everyone shouted “where’s the tabs” tabs are a great entry but at some stage you have to let go and start using your ears. I’m hoping I could help bass players to do this, not hard, just a bit of ear training. If you need help drop me an email donstrumental@gmail.com👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 i started with guitar and have always had a decent ear but i seemed to hit a plateua and since then i have found bass to be more my speed. I agree with the point you are making totally, regardless of instument and that is uncommonly kind. I will send you an email soon if for no other reason than just to have each other's information.
An old gentleman and musician from the 50s, Nam Vet, whom I have played some drums with and always go over to help him with his computer willed me his '71 Fender Jazz bass yesterday and said i can use it anytime before he passes. i felt learning classic dubs would be the right thing to do so here i am. thanks 🙏
@@donstrumental1 Maturity has its advantages. .I was just listening to an old video of a very talented gal, from '82. I was smitten with this gal's stage presence and talent. At the time she was a goddess... Now, with my mature ears, I hear her youthful flaws with phrasing and timing. It is a blessing and a curse. Again, thanks for laying this groove down... I'm sharing this with my drummer, who has a tendency to over-play. She's slowly "getting it," but has a way to go.
Great teaching skills, Sir. Nailed it from the off by saying Flabba does very little but makes it sound huge. It's all about the economy and the space in the delivery. Hats off!
Thank You Mark. UA-cam would have you believe great bass players play a million notes per second. My favorite players make the music feel good by playing what the song needs. Not just reggae. As amazing a player Marcus Miller Is. When he is producing a singer e.g Luther Vandrosss he doesn't stamp all over the record like an elephant.
this has to be one of the most useful things i've been taught about music. i don't plan to play much reggae, but this quality of tutoring and knowledge isn't something i find very often. thank you for sharing!
Nice vídeo! I'm a bassist in a reggae band here in Brazil and I had the pleasure of meeting and traveling around my country with Flabba on an Israel vibration 2019 tour, he told me great stories about Gregory Isaacs and others, Flabba is phenomenal as a bassist and also as a human being. Reggae is the one off the best musical zones for a bassist, in my opinion, keep it up!
My friend Smokey Johnson, who taught me to skank, turned me on to this video. I write reggae ska and usually work with bass players….which are hard to find. after this video…I’ll be doing it myself. Thank you for this amazing description!
Thank you Uele, some of the comments say the bass is too low, I deliberately mixed it too loud. I can hear it clear through my phone with no headphones.👊🏾
Shout out to to you and Flabba Holt and the Roots Radics. Saw Root Radics live and direct in VA 1987 or 88. I'm still riding that vibe lol I can play bass however have to study fundamentals I like your teaching style will study your tutorials, Respect
This is brilliant. Been listening to Roots since mid/late 70's and Ska, Rocksteady etc from before that. Also been playing bass a long time too. I've learned more in the last 12 minutes than I have in years. Not so much about triads, which I already knew but the timing and the importance of the occasional space or 'short' note. I will be subscribing and watching with great interest the rest of your content. Thank you. Rude boy forever. Praise be.
A lot of reggae taught on youtube is very academic. Things like "Family plays off the back of the beat" doesn't really mean anything. Each player has a personality, Those are the qualities I dissect. That space at the beginning of the second bar is a thing Flabba does on so many recordings, It's part of his D.N.A, He probably has no idea about the the things he does. Thanks for jumping on board👊🏾
Great lesson. I’ve been playing reggae bass for 15 years now and played with the likes of the wailers, Barrington Levy, Toots and The Mattel’s, The Itals, Soul Syndicate
Enjoyed that. Roots reggae is my favourite music and as far as i understand it the beauty of it is letting the instruments breathe, less is more kinda thing and they are not afraid of stripping stuff back to basics. Carlton and Family man do it for me.
ありがとう！音数が多いベースラインプログラムはたくさんあるけど、"space"=「間」のことを解説してもらえてとても参考になりました！ Thanks! I've seen many bass performance videos with so much notes but never seen the ' space' you explained. Thus your video stimulate me to build 'cool' ones.
This video reminds me of Bob Ross "The Joy of Painting" ...it's worth watching even if you're not interested in the subject, because the presenter is so righteous.
I had a passion for reggae music ever since I was little listening to Peter Tosh and Majek Fashek but that made me want to play bass in which I bought a Stingray RayHH4 with two large humbuckers and a fat attitude in the amp. I had been learning the style of Robbie Shakespeare and Chris Meredith for a few months but your video on how to play Promised Land by Aswad ft. Dennis Brown came up in my recommended and you taught me the Stalag Riddim. That lead me to learning the Five Man Army Riddim and the Real Rock Riddim. Thanks to you, I have a deeper understanding and now have aspirations to learn sound engineering to make my own old style dubs. Unlike a lot of modern producers, I want to record only using analog to bring back that sound that everyone loved. Your playing has the spirit of tearing down Babylon and it’s through the years of experience that you acquired this beautiful warm and hard compressed tone that fits with almost everything. I hope to achieve the same!
I've never tried playing this style before, just tried the foam at the bridge and it's a HUGE part of the sound/tone. I was trying to mute the strings with my left hand to get that short-sustain muted note, but the pressure is critical and it's tough as a newbie. As soon as I put the foam in I all of a sudden started sounding like Don here! I was lucky enough to have exactly the right kind of foam from an acoustic panel for a studio. There's still a lot of skill that goes into making this sound really good, though. Now I can keep practicing.
I always used to hear those guys say, "yeah man, I think I'm gonna play bass cause it's easier." I'd just smile and say sure. Needless to say, those guys never did learn an instrument haha. Love reggae bass. Great video.
Brilliant! I bet I'm not the only one who discovered Flabba from the Scientist records... I was playing bass in a Motown covers band when I got into Roots Radics, so you best believe we did Please Mister Postman with a Flabba Space 😁
Yep!!! Greensleaves Record label had the credits on the 12” records in this order Mixed by Scientist at King Tubbys Recorded at Channel One, Backed by Roots Radics. That was all I needed to see to fork out my saved up dinner money👊🏾
Thanks. I just tried to play reggae for the first time last night and was blown away by the subtle difficulties when the rytham informs the phrasing of each voice. I tried guitar, bass, and singing, and was struggling with it all. This is very helpful and easy to digest
Been playing reggae on bass for 6 years now, without it I feel I would not have an ear to hear anything. Im self-taught so having at least a good ear now has taken my playing places I never thought I'd go.
Don............I really dig how u teach...u mellow and knowledge dropping professional....I'm christopher in west virginia........u da TEACH....much love
I play reggae bass but this... this has just opened my eyes to a whole new approach and concept. Thanks for this tutorial. Love the groove and the bass mix is lit 🔥 Liked! Subscribed! Shared!
I recently started taking a deeper interest in reggae and as luck would have it, the UA-cam algorithm recommended me one of your videos. I'm consistently impressed with how clearly you describe things and the attention to detail you point out that is often easily missed with a casual listen. It's quite fascinating to learn the nuances of these different styles and it really gives me a whole new appreciation for the music. Thank you so much!
Yes you are a good tutor! I do a lot of just improv and this is helping me keep the rhythm in check, as I tend to diverge after a 5 minutes of a totally fine looping riff..I hit the feels and the other guys are like?? Then it goes a bit pear shaped, but I am generally ok when random guitar comes in, bring it back to the bass and that! Thank you x Think I will be saying "rest" in my head, or telling it to the guitar!
I think playing this type of music helps your timing. It’s easier to play in time fast than it is to play slow because the space between the notes gets further apart when playing slow.👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 Howard Cowart (bee gees,john fred& the playboys ect)(rip) told me the same thing in 2005 when I recorded some R&R at his studio ,playing fast is easier
**he had a very creative original style he played on many disco hits w/ bee gees ..but judy in disquise is a very creole south Louisiana zydeco flavor bass line
Download your backing tracks and PDF's here www.reggaebasshub.com/flabba-downloads
I have zero and I mean *zero* idea how I was recommended this video, but for the first time in my life, I know what I want to be when I grow up: a reggae bass player that grooves like Flabba Holt.
🤣🤣🤣
@@donstrumental1 kkkkk the same here. And maaaan I love the way he talks, the way he says "Flabba Holt"
Go get a bass and start groovin!
@@RickyMontijo I keep thinking about it. This video has stuck in my head like no other. The pandemic has hit me fairly hard, but I'm not destitute yet. I still have a few bucks to throw around. Roughly how much do you think a person would have to spend to get just a very basic, serviceable bass and reasonable, no frills amp?
@@OTOss8 about $150 would get you started lots of good package deals around 👍
The execution of rests makes the whole groove nice and steady. Reggae bass is totally on a different level.
Absolutely!!!
I think leaving space is just as important as playing a note, a great example of this is this fabulous Bassline 🙂 ua-cam.com/video/K0Ux_w4XV_g/v-deo.html
Hits different 🇯🇲❤️
You teach the actual FEEL of it better than any other music teacher!
Thank You Bob👊🏾
He leads u staright to the battle field.......Captain my captain
Holding my 2 days old bass guitar and trying to mimicking you is so phenomenal
Congrats and good luck with your playing
You and me both 🤙
I’m not a bass player, but it’s the subtle economy of the reggae bass that keeps all other instruments grounded and tells them HOW to play and not overplay. This video has done more to demonstrate that than countless playing and listening. Great job
Wow, I’ve been playing bass 60 years, and I learned a lot. This man is a Wizzard and a great instructor 🙏
Back in the ‘90’s I had the honour of Don playing live with our hip hop/reggae band.
Best bass player I ever worked with by a country mile.
And a lovely brother to boot.
I have done all kinds of arts, from music to painting to writing to dancing. In all of them, space is the overlooked magic ingredient. This is one of the reasons I fell in love with reggae when I was 20 years old, and a reason why I love to play reggae and '68-'75 funk bass. Silence speaks louder than sound.
Space is underrated, especially in the modern era of funk bass. Too much information and no one comes up for air.
@@donstrumental1 I like your metaphor
This guy is teaching you bass when he has the voice of the gods
🤣🤣🤣
I'd rather hear the bass in the bass lesson, not his "god" voice. Useless
@@samn5564 Virgin detected
true that! what's most important - he's happy with teaching us bass with diz godly vocal.
note.. note note..
Reggae bass is like nothing else. I joined some great Jamaican guys to fill in on the bass, coming from rock music "space, before the beat, after the beat. Don't be so precise" was what I was told.
Bless up!
You were told the correct stuff👊🏾
When you dropped that note on the first beat of the second bar ("space") at the end, it brought a huge smile to my face. Your lesson is such a gift. Thank you. I like your round fat bass sound as well.
That is the sickest bass tone I’ve ever heard! So tight!
No kidding & I think that bass would sound like reggae no matter what style of music it was playing.....
Pre amp?
@@zeusapollo8688 He's also got a block of foam muting the strings slightly
lf I had to guess I would say the mids and highs are both rolled back to detent (maybe even further). Lows slightly boosted. Pickup pan definitely rolled up towards the neck. That just covers the electronics. The kind of strings could definitely be helping achieve that tone too. Last thing would be how he's got his rig EQ'd
@@andreswaringer1476 definitely got the mids and highs cut. It's reggae bass, all about the sub. String wise, I'd say maybe flatwounds but that's not a stereotypical choice really. Most of the sound of reggae bass comes from the EQ on the desk and tape compression and saturation.
Roots producer here, one comment to add which I'm sure is innate to you but may not be obvious to others: listen (or feel) the kick drum pattern as that will also influence your bassline. In the drum pattern, the 1/8 pick up note on the kick before the snare has a huge impact on how this riddim grooves. Remove that kick and you have an entirely different feel. Of course if it were the other way around where the bass line came first, a good drummie is going to match his kick pattern to the bassline.
It's so difficult to get bassists or any instrumentalists for that matter to think of space, but reggae bass NEEDS that space! Bass being the heartbeat of the music it can be misinterpreted that you have to play constantly to keep it moving but those bass players that lock in with the groove of the rhythm section can add that extra spice when the "heartbeat" stops that's what catches your attention right?! The groove comes first and sometimes the groove calls for a heart attack to have the bass/rhythm drop out completely to get peoples attention!
I couldn’t of said it any better than you did👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Just realized reggae may be the best music out here. It feels like music in the mother tongue..
Not going to argue with that👊🏾
It is
This video taught me more in 13 minutes than my precalculus teacher in 45. Subscribed.
1:06 Flabba Holt groove move (rythm)
2:36 Police in helicopter - John Holt
3:30 I’m still dancing - Michael Palmer
5:43 original baseline
as a metal guy, bass is sinfully treated in our genre. those bands that make proper use of it and make it genuinely audible and have a groovy REALLY stand out - and yet it's still very rare for some reason
im a metal fan but the bass is hardly audible in most bands because the rhythm guitar is supposed to have a fat low end to sound chunky, so they cut the bass. That and the rhythm section groove isnt as important as it is in reggae, thats why i appreciate it more
Well, adding 3 bass strings to the guitar doesn't help either. Most modern metal today is guitars pretending to be basses and basses pretending to be guitars virtuosos.
Check out Havok if you're not familiar for some good bass in metal
@@ReezMo havok has one good album… rest are now boring generic “new thrash”
For some amazing metal bass playing check out Dan Briggs of Between the Buried and Me.
Usually a punk/metal bass player but always looking to expand my horizons
Thank you very much. I liked it a lot. I'm bass player but mainly to play salsa. Since I was a teenager I love reggae music because it is very cool due to the flavour of the rithyms guitars and the super smooth bass lines. Greetings from Caracas, Venezuela
Greetings Claudio👊🏾
I used to see Flabba a lot in LA whenever he would pass through on tour, we meet and have a meal at one Jamaican restaurant. Such a wonderful Man and he KNOWS bass. A mentor for sure ! That tone though !!!
I met him at Rotorom festival many years ago, he was just finishing on stage and I was going on. I told him that he was the reason I play. He called over Style Scott and said “tell him what you just said”🤣
@@donstrumental1 Sounds like him ! He was w Israel Vibration most times and the other time w The Abyssinians, we were like two kids, singing and playing ‘mouth bass’ he is so animated !
@@donstrumental1 lmao, great story.
I love it how reggea bass players play off the 3 (in cut time) it sounds awesome especially when they pick it up straight after its disorienting in such a great way...literally been taken a trip.
I see reggae and bass, I subscribe.
Done the right thing👊🏾
Same here 💯
true dat. same.
Jam on. ✌🏽
Same 🙃
Eye give thanks for the inspiration, Flabba Holt coming up soon on a SoulFyah riddim for shure :) Love the silent "one" in the 2nd bar, massive!
I'll be looking out for it. Keep me posted👊🏾
Reggaebass is one of the hippest things in music history. 🔥🔥❤
Agreed👊🏾
You know this is true
@@donstrumental1, cfc, 4,😏
This man Flabba Holt and the Roots Radics band were very pivotal to Gregory Issacs success. Legendary indeed..
I’m mostly a jazz guy, but man I dig reggae bass. Definitely something I need to work on
@Guy Fredlund Those must be bassists who used to be guitarists, and wanted to emulate "busy bassline" like Chris Squire or John Entwistle :p
I grew up on soul, funk and reggae and I would say the discipline of reggae helped me play everything else better.
I saw the photo from that concert in the amusement park when I was in a venue in Stockholm. People were everywhere. You lucky man.
Flabba Holt is my favorite reggae bass player of all times, blessings for all the vibes - big up!
All slow and heavy bass is the reason why I have played Bass and 5ers. I love the slow heavyweight swing. Like swells in the ocean 🌊.
I have played R&B bass lines forever and only listened to reggae bass lines never trying to play them...but you have opened my eyes and ears to how the bass moves the groove.
Thank you for this video and the tone of your bass is thick and solid.
Thanks Lincoln R&B is a wide word nowadays, which era of R&B are you into?
@@donstrumental1
I have played all types of R&B...from BB King to Moris Day and the time.
But only listened to Reggae never really tried to play it. I have several friends who played in Reggae Bands here in St.Louis. The difference in the tone of their bass was alot thicker and not as bright as mine.
This video was very helpful to me but fundamentally the same as any music the bass and drummer sit in the pocket and make the groove solid.
I agree that Flabba's a bass genius. One of my favorite tricks of his was when he reversed the two halves of the bassline for Joya Landis' "Moonlight Lover" when he backed young Barrington Levy's version of the tune. He started out with the sixteenth-note delay in the line to "modernize" the line. Very clever and really propelled the riddim!
I love so many of his lines...another of my faves is his wikked line for Leroy Sibbles' (who knows something about bass himself!) "Give Me What is Mine," recorded in JA with the Radics when Leroy was living in TO.
Sorry for the late response, I had to go check out the song. Think I’ve found a bigger Flabba Holt geek than myself👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 LOL so you see (hear) what I mean?
Big up. Great lesson.
Thank You👊🏾
Uncle!!!! please i beg, give us at least one video a month... the knowledge that you share is soo valuable to us young musicians.
I will do my best to do better than one video a month. Happy to know you’re enjoying the videos.
@@donstrumental1 Yeah man we love it. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@albertonavas6357 Thanks bro👊🏾
Yeah yeah !!!... Hitting that space. ..gives it so much groove
Absolutely
Bruh I could listen to your thoughts and experience and watch rhythms and lines evolve all day and never get bored. This was incredible. Thank you for sharing with us!
Thank you! This is excellent. I play harmonica, 45 years, full-time pro at age 20. Started in bluegrass, full time in honky tonk Band, later for 10 years a band that played swing, blues, Jazz (could play jazz festivals or blues festivals), R&B. Listen to drum & bass videos to improve my groove! Thank you for sharing your art here! San Diego based.
There’s some great harmonica in the late 70s Reggae. The slower tempos of reggae will definitely improve your groove👊🏾
As someone who's always wanted to play some old school heavy dub music, I'm insanely impressed with your last 3 videos. You've somehow managed to do what most fall far short at by condensing extremely important concepts into short, to the point videos WHILE providing references, tabs, and even backing tracks! Seriously please keep it up, one of the best music channels I've seen on YT. You deserve way more subscribers.
Thanks Man. I found the reggae of the last 20 years has been lacking good bass hence I need some bass disciples to help bring it back to life. I’m sure the subscribers will come, I’m in no rush👊🏾
Are you kidding? He is talking to me while grooving that hard...
@@donstrumental1 subscribed! It's clear from that rock steady groove that you are in no rush
Let me put it to you now, Don might not work. Big it up.
@@donstrumental1 hit us with how to get the best tone brethren.
String choice, rounds vs flats vs tapes. I love flats.
How to set tone on amps, whether to use a compressor...
Many thanks
BASS!!!!!!
A drummer buddy of mine sent me this since reggae has always eluded me. Conceptually I've always understood the role of the bass in the genre but the way break down making a line in this one has finally made it start to click for me, definitely diving deep into anything else you've got now!
This doorway into reggae makes me look at the music in a whole new way. Thank you and subscribed!
Thanks Ed, happy to have you on board👊🏾
I am
This as well as Funk opened up a whole other world for me.
Reggae is deep rabbit hole. The amount of good music that came out of the tiny island of Jamaica is insane. Dive in buddy, you wont be disappointed!
Crucial man. Thank you for this knowledge. Subbed for sure. I first heard Flabba when he played with the Dub Syndicate long time ago. Loved the vibe ever since. RIP Style Scott.
Hey Pat Kelly, great name👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 I ain't him. It is my name
Only 5 minutes into watching this and already learning a ton. I just got back into bass last month after a verrrryyyyy long pause and have been jonesing to play some reggae, rocksteady, and dub lines that I’ve been loving the last several years. I’m so looking forward to digging through your vids. Thanks for sharing your craft. Much love.
Great to have you
While i can pull off many bass lines just off tabs i appreciate this because you are educational and my style has just been memorizing the notes. This teaches you how to play bass while i just mimic others work at my current skill level
I didn’t realise so many people were reliant on tabs until I put up my first video and everyone shouted “where’s the tabs” tabs are a great entry but at some stage you have to let go and start using your ears. I’m hoping I could help bass players to do this, not hard, just a bit of ear training. If you need help drop me an email donstrumental@gmail.com👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 i started with guitar and have always had a decent ear but i seemed to hit a plateua and since then i have found bass to be more my speed. I agree with the point you are making totally, regardless of instument and that is uncommonly kind. I will send you an email soon if for no other reason than just to have each other's information.
Flabba holt is a legend with the legendary roots radics
Underrated!!!
An old gentleman and musician from the 50s, Nam Vet, whom I have played some drums with and always go over to help him with his computer willed me his '71 Fender Jazz bass yesterday and said i can use it anytime before he passes. i felt learning classic dubs would be the right thing to do so here i am.
thanks 🙏
Thank you for this... I am always teaching "less is more." Now I have an example... plus many more examples. Gratitude...
Hard to get through to the kids nowadays when every bass video is someone playing 20 notes in a second👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 Maturity has its advantages. .I was just listening to an old video of a very talented gal, from '82. I was smitten with this gal's stage presence and talent. At the time she was a goddess... Now, with my mature ears, I hear her youthful flaws with phrasing and timing. It is a blessing and a curse.
Again, thanks for laying this groove down... I'm sharing this with my drummer, who has a tendency to over-play. She's slowly "getting it," but has a way to go.
@@thomaswalz3515 depends what music your playing though. Genre I mean.
That space is really key!
All about knowing when not to play👊🏾
My mantra when recording is "bass needs space" be it reggae rock or soul or whatever.
This guy's nailed the feel perfectly.
Thank You
used Flabba Holt style last sunday reggae session... bad bad bad!!! Thank you Brother!
It works doesn’t it?
Everything you teach works! Blessings
@@JohnnyCoconat We call this drum pattern a Radics when we’re in the studio. You can throw 2 notes at it and it sounds great.
Love it. Definitely the pause gives the music breathing space.
Great teaching skills, Sir. Nailed it from the off by saying Flabba does very little but makes it sound huge. It's all about the economy and the space in the delivery. Hats off!
Thank You Mark. UA-cam would have you believe great bass players play a million notes per second. My favorite players make the music feel good by playing what the song needs. Not just reggae. As amazing a player Marcus Miller Is. When he is producing a singer e.g Luther Vandrosss he doesn't stamp all over the record like an elephant.
this has to be one of the most useful things i've been taught about music. i don't plan to play much reggae, but this quality of tutoring and knowledge isn't something i find very often. thank you for sharing!
Thank you Sir not just for your time for the material as well. Excellent teacher.
Thank you👊🏾
That space on the 2nd bar does so much difference to the feeling. Incredible! Keep it up and thanks for sharing :)
You are very welcome👊🏾
He told you what he was going to do and when he was going to do it. When it finally happens at 11:03, it still hits. Well done Maestro, well done.
Haha Thank you bro👊🏾
This is one of the best bass tutorials I've seen; clear, direct and inspiring. Thank you!
Thank you, hang around, there’s more to come.
So much flabba
Probably one of the best bass videos I’ve ever seen. Perfectly explained and presented. I’m now want to play reggae after watching this
Nice vídeo! I'm a bassist in a reggae band here in Brazil and I had the pleasure of meeting and traveling around my country with Flabba on an Israel vibration 2019 tour, he told me great stories about Gregory Isaacs and others, Flabba is phenomenal as a bassist and also as a human being.
Reggae is the one off the best musical zones for a bassist, in my opinion, keep it up!
would love to hear you're band👊🏾
Valter qual nome da sua banda? eu adoraria conhecer!
My friend Smokey Johnson, who taught me to skank, turned me on to this video. I write reggae ska and usually work with bass players….which are hard to find. after this video…I’ll be doing it myself.
Thank you for this amazing description!
If you've got a Drummer ... "A REAL Drummer..." LOL Love you and thanks for sharing master!
Love it ..Love it ...great tutorial 👌
Thank you.
Flabba Holt is the one that inspired me to play bass :)
Today it's my fav' instrument !
Beautiful authentic sound and feel
Bass' tone is perfection in the mix
Thank you Uele, some of the comments say the bass is too low, I deliberately mixed it too loud. I can hear it clear through my phone with no headphones.👊🏾
Shout out to to you and Flabba Holt and the Roots Radics. Saw Root Radics live and direct in VA 1987 or 88. I'm still riding that vibe lol I can play bass however have to study fundamentals I like your teaching style will study your tutorials, Respect
He is the groove master.
Roots Radics are my favorite so I had to watch even though I don't play bass yet.
Get that bass and join us Jeff, you only live once👊🏾
Thank you very much Bro, this is the first time I see a soulful reggae bass player reaching out to teach others in such an open way, unique!
You're very welcome Victor
This is brilliant. Been listening to Roots since mid/late 70's and Ska, Rocksteady etc from before that. Also been playing bass a long time too. I've learned more in the last 12 minutes than I have in years. Not so much about triads, which I already knew but the timing and the importance of the occasional space or 'short' note. I will be subscribing and watching with great interest the rest of your content. Thank you. Rude boy forever. Praise be.
A lot of reggae taught on youtube is very academic. Things like "Family plays off the back of the beat" doesn't really mean anything. Each player has a personality, Those are the qualities I dissect. That space at the beginning of the second bar is a thing Flabba does on so many recordings, It's part of his D.N.A, He probably has no idea about the the things he does. Thanks for jumping on board👊🏾
Thanks much for this video. I have never played Reggae Bass and our band is learning a Reggae tune to mix things up. How fun.
Great lesson. I’ve been playing reggae bass for 15 years now and played with the likes of the wailers, Barrington Levy, Toots and The Mattel’s, The Itals, Soul Syndicate
Whats your name and where you from bro?
@@donstrumental1 why is my leg getting longer 😂
Excellent tutorial. That Bass tone is Exquisite. Rocksteady!
Thank you👊🏾
Jah led me here! what a great way to display a lesson. just exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the downloads..helps a lot.
Jah will always guide you👊🏾
Enjoyed that. Roots reggae is my favourite music and as far as i understand it the beauty of it is letting the instruments breathe, less is more kinda thing and they are not afraid of stripping stuff back to basics. Carlton and Family man do it for me.
Absolutely!!!
awesome lesson. coming from a heavy metal background this is refreshing to hear and learn. cheers
Metal and reggae are my to favorite styles of music. Bad Brains album Quickness is kind of the pinnacle of that to me.
ありがとう！音数が多いベースラインプログラムはたくさんあるけど、"space"=「間」のことを解説してもらえてとても参考になりました！
Thanks! I've seen many bass performance videos with so much notes but never seen the ' space' you explained. Thus your video stimulate me to build 'cool' ones.
Really great video, I like the way you break it down, and the tabs on screen are so helpful, keep em coming don ☝️
Thank you so much for this. Flabba Holt and Style Scott - pure genius.
Absolutely👊🏾
This video reminds me of Bob Ross "The Joy of Painting" ...it's worth watching even if you're not interested in the subject, because the presenter is so righteous.
Thanks man☺️
Such a nice comment
I had a passion for reggae music ever since I was little listening to Peter Tosh and Majek Fashek but that made me want to play bass in which I bought a Stingray RayHH4 with two large humbuckers and a fat attitude in the amp. I had been learning the style of Robbie Shakespeare and Chris Meredith for a few months but your video on how to play Promised Land by Aswad ft. Dennis Brown came up in my recommended and you taught me the Stalag Riddim. That lead me to learning the Five Man Army Riddim and the Real Rock Riddim. Thanks to you, I have a deeper understanding and now have aspirations to learn sound engineering to make my own old style dubs. Unlike a lot of modern producers, I want to record only using analog to bring back that sound that everyone loved. Your playing has the spirit of tearing down Babylon and it’s through the years of experience that you acquired this beautiful warm and hard compressed tone that fits with almost everything. I hope to achieve the same!
I've never tried playing this style before, just tried the foam at the bridge and it's a HUGE part of the sound/tone. I was trying to mute the strings with my left hand to get that short-sustain muted note, but the pressure is critical and it's tough as a newbie. As soon as I put the foam in I all of a sudden started sounding like Don here! I was lucky enough to have exactly the right kind of foam from an acoustic panel for a studio. There's still a lot of skill that goes into making this sound really good, though. Now I can keep practicing.
Welcome to the reggae tribe Matt👊🏾
I always used to hear those guys say, "yeah man, I think I'm gonna play bass cause it's easier." I'd just smile and say sure. Needless to say, those guys never did learn an instrument haha. Love reggae bass. Great video.
Exactly!
Brilliant! I bet I'm not the only one who discovered Flabba from the Scientist records... I was playing bass in a Motown covers band when I got into Roots Radics, so you best believe we did Please Mister Postman with a Flabba Space 😁
Yep!!! Greensleaves Record label had the credits on the 12” records in this order Mixed by Scientist at King Tubbys Recorded at Channel One, Backed by Roots Radics. That was all I needed to see to fork out my saved up dinner money👊🏾
Reminds me of The Collingwood Arms in Newcastle, Every Sunday. '81 thru '83. Thank you for wonderful video. 😊😊😊
Sounds like I missed a cool event👊🏾
Feel blessed that this video was recommended to me, instant subscriber.
Thanks. I just tried to play reggae for the first time last night and was blown away by the subtle difficulties when the rytham informs the phrasing of each voice. I tried guitar, bass, and singing, and was struggling with it all.
This is very helpful and easy to digest
This is sick man. The bass lines are so tight and groovy . Love it
Been playing reggae on bass for 6 years now, without it I feel I would not have an ear to hear anything. Im self-taught so having at least a good ear now has taken my playing places I never thought I'd go.
exactly. only as good as your taste
I’m hoping I can get everyone off tabs and start using their ears.
I've played reggae bass from feel and now this has given it context and meaning... awesome!!💲💲
Don............I really dig how u teach...u mellow and knowledge dropping professional....I'm christopher in west virginia........u da TEACH....much love
I play reggae bass but this... this has just opened my eyes to a whole new approach and concept.
Thanks for this tutorial. Love the groove and the bass mix is lit 🔥
Liked! Subscribed! Shared!
You're welcome Russell👊🏾
Lucky to stumble onto this channel! Thank You so much for sharing your wisdom. :)
I thank YOU for stumbling on this channel 👊🏾
great great content! love it!
this kind of thing is missing on youtube
Yes, a lot of misinformation on UA-cam👊🏾
I recently started taking a deeper interest in reggae and as luck would have it, the UA-cam algorithm recommended me one of your videos. I'm consistently impressed with how clearly you describe things and the attention to detail you point out that is often easily missed with a casual listen. It's quite fascinating to learn the nuances of these different styles and it really gives me a whole new appreciation for the music. Thank you so much!
I'm a year late but Thank you.
Very interesting, and nice to hear. Beautiful bass sound !
Thank you👊🏾
Thanks Don. Great tutorials and great inspiration!! Cheers!!
You’re Welcome
I love that you show people you can have rhythm and sound good without playing like a mad man lol
Especially in todays online world. Thank You
Yes you are a good tutor! I do a lot of just improv and this is helping me keep the rhythm in check, as I tend to diverge after a 5 minutes of a totally fine looping riff..I hit the feels and the other guys are like?? Then it goes a bit pear shaped, but I am generally ok when random guitar comes in, bring it back to the bass and that! Thank you x Think I will be saying "rest" in my head, or telling it to the guitar!
You’ve got amazing timing! That’s the hardest thing to nail when playing this type of Music I think..
Thanks bro👊🏾
I think playing this type of music helps your timing. It’s easier to play in time fast than it is to play slow because the space between the notes gets further apart when playing slow.👊🏾
@@donstrumental1 Howard Cowart (bee gees,john fred& the playboys ect)(rip) told me the same thing in 2005 when I recorded some R&R at his studio ,playing fast is easier
**he had a very creative original style he played on many disco hits w/ bee gees ..but judy in disquise is a very creole south Louisiana zydeco flavor bass line
As someone who's experimenting with Jungle right now I find this video excellent to truly understand that groovy reggae bass, much appreciated.
I love jungle but cant find enough juicy stuff :( Do u have any reccomendations?
Dat bass tone.... Definitely subscribed!
Thank you Rob👊🏾