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greghagger

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Everything posted by greghagger

  1. greghagger
    I've made a few lessons on 12/8 Blues recently and this has raised questions from some of you. A few of you have asked what the difference is between playing in 12/8 and 4/4 shuffle time. This can be very confusing as you can technically notate shuffle grooves in both 12/8 and 4/4. But you do need to know the differences between these two time feels if you play at Blues jams or in Blues bands. I've made a video lesson covering all of this, in easy-to-understand language with musical examples. There’s a free PDF link in the video description.
  2. greghagger
    Really great video. Cheers.
  3. greghagger
    I've had many requests to cover some Outlaw Country, so I thought I'd take a look at the style for this week's YouTube lesson. I've always liked Willie Nelson's, 'On The Road Again,' which has an uptempo Country feel to it and that's the song I've picked to take a look at. There's more to Country bass, then the simple root/5th pattern and you'll learn some useful Country walking patterns from this bass line that are perfect for transferring to other songs. This song goes at a fair old tempo, so as always, the challenge is playing the bass line with good groove and feel. Check this video out by clicking the link below. You can pick up a transcription of the bass line by clicking the link in the video description. Enjoy!
  4. greghagger
    I frequently bang on about pentatonic scales because they are essential to know if you want to start creating your own bass riffs, licks and fills. It can sometimes be hard to actually find the practical use of scales, but the pentatonic scales give you fretboard patterns and a particular sound, that you can use as a framework when creating or learning bass lines. In my latest video I cover the two pentatonic scales and also show you alternative patterns for both scales. This is the starting point for delving into pentatonics, and I've presented the scales in a lesson that is clear and easy to understand. There’s a free lesson PDF which you can get by clicking the link under the video in the description. This would be handy to have on a wall or music stand in your practice area. Enjoy!
  5. greghagger
    In my YouTube lesson for this week, I show you how to play five bass grooves that sound great and are easy to play. I’ve picked grooves from different styles of music, including: 🟢 Blues 🟢 Rock 🟢 Funk 🟢 Reggae 🟢 Pop This video is perfect for beginners and intermediate players who want some easy-going riffs that they can jam along with drum loops. You are going to improve as a bassist if you learn bass lines from different styles of music, so make sure that you don’t stick exclusively to one style when learning the bass. You can pick up a free PDF with all 5 bass grooves by clicking the link in the description below the video lesson.
  6. greghagger
    Last week I released a video lesson that focused on the slow 12/8 Blues style. 6/8 time is very similar to 12/8 time, and is often used for slow Blues tunes too. In my latest lesson I show you how to play the bass line from the Freddie King version of, 'Same Old Blues'. This is a lovely 6/8 slow Blues tune with the addition of a choir at one point. Learning to play in 6/8 time will strengthen what I showed you last week, and it's important to be able to do this if you want to play at Blues jams, as a slow Blues tune is bound to come up. There’s a free transcription of the original bass line under the video. Enjoy!
  7. greghagger
    One of the many things that I like about Blues is the slow epic guitar solo. The slow Blues is where you’ll find these solos and this style often contains the most heartfelt, emotional and serious side of the Blues. Slow Blues songs are mostly in the 12/8 time signature, which requires a different mindset from playing in the more usual 4/4 time. There are also particular bass patterns that work well in this style, and some that don't! In my latest lesson, I deep-dive the slow 12/8 Blues style and give you examples of the types of bass grooves and rhythms that work well in this style. It's essential to understand the slow Blues and know exactly what to play if you want to sound like an authentic Blues bass player. Check out how to do this in my latest video. Free PDF download link in the video description.
  8. greghagger
    No worries, glad it’s useful.
  9. greghagger
    That’s my next move. Also interested in trying some Creamery pickups.
  10. greghagger
    Really interesting. Great info. I’ll be trying my Mustang with some effects to see! Thanks
  11. greghagger
    Yeah I agree. I was pretty surprised at just how similar they sounded. Within a mix, I don’t think many people would be able to tell the difference.
  12. greghagger
    Interesting. The Squier P-Basses must be light. My Mustang is considerably lighter than any other 4-strings that I’ve picked up before. But I know they are making basses a lot lighter nowadays.
  13. greghagger
    Short-scale basses are becoming very popular lately, and there are many reasons why, not least because they are so much lighter than full-scale basses. Personally I'd never really considered short-scale basses before I had to play one when covering for another bassist on a gig. This particular short-scale bass was a Fender Mustang, and I've got to say that I was pretty impressed! The Mustang was instantly easy to play, and through a decent amp, it sounded much fatter than I imaged it would. So, of course I've gone out a brought one! In my latest YouTube video, you can check out what I think of my new Mustang bass, and hear how it stacks up against a full-scale P-Bass. This is a useful video if you’re considering buying a short-scale bass, and you want to hear how a Mustang bass sounds. Enjoy!
  14. greghagger
    It seems that bass players are frequently talking about other bass players that have good groove or who, 'play-in-the pocket'. There's good reason for this. If you're watching a bass player at a gig, you might notice some nice note choices, but invariably, it's the way that the bassist locks in with the drummer. and the band, that often catches people’s attention. Good groove is not as elusive as you might think though, and working on your timing with a metronome, click, or drummer will help you to improve in this area. My latest YouTube lesson covers these areas of playing and delves deeps into the different places that you can play with the beat. There’s a free PDF under the video. Enjoy!
  15. greghagger
    One of my favourite pieces of fretless playing has to be from Pink Floyd's, 'Hey You', and I've loved this bass line ever since I first heard it on 'The Wall.' The bass line has two sections of lyrical, melodic fretless bass and some very effective slides throughout the bass line. What I particularly like about the fretless bass tone from Hey You, is that it doesn't have a ton of chorus on it, like a lot of the 80's fretless features. You just get the pure sound of the fretless and this really adds to the emotion of the song. If you want to work on your fretless playing, this is a brilliant choice of bass line to play and study. You can also jam this bass line on a fretted bass, if you don't have a fretless. There’s a full transcription of the bass line in notation and Tab under the video lesson. Enjoy this classic bass line!
  16. greghagger
    Sounds great! I didn’t realise over here in the UK how popular Simple Man is for bands to play. It’s such a great song!
  17. greghagger
    The song 'Simple Man' by Lynyrd Skynyrd is such an epic and the bass line is really inventive too. Ed King was the bassist on the original recording and there's an interesting story regarding him, this bass line, and Leon Wilkeson. All will be revealed in my latest YouTube video! It's a pretty tricky bass line so I've spent some of the video teaching a simplified bass line that I've created for this song. Even though this bass line is much easier to play, it still sounds great. There’s a link in the video description to a transcription of the simplified bass line and the main sections from the original bass line. Enjoy this classic!
  18. greghagger
    I’ll definitely have to try one then!
  19. greghagger
    A very common question that I'm often asked is, "how do I lock in with the drummer?". This question might resonate with you, and it leads to a whole host of other questions like, "do I have to play with the kick drum?", or, "can I create my own independent bass groove?". These are all very good questions that I wrestled with in my earlier years of bass playing. We should all be looking to interact with the drummer, but we might not always know just how to do this. So, I've made a video explaining my take on how to lock in with the drummer, and in that video I present simple concepts that you can take away and use when jamming or creating grooves with drummers. I hope that you find this useful. Leave a comment and me know what you think.
  20. greghagger
    Nice, have fun with the bass line. How is your EB-3 to play? I’d like to try one.
  21. greghagger
    Andy Fraser's bass lines always impress me when I study them in details, particularly when I remember that he was very young when he recorded the Free material. Recently I had a recommendation to look at Andy Fraser's bass line from the live version of the free song, 'I'm A Mover', and what a groove! The bass tone is magnificent with superb 'in-the-pocket' playing throughout. This bass line really epitomises how I think the bass player can both lead, and support the band at the same time. You can check out this bass line in my latest video lesson and download a free copy of my transcription in the description underneath the video. I hope that you enjoy this awesome bass groove!
  22. greghagger
    If you've heard the words, 'chord tones' and wondered what they are, why they are important, or even how to use them, then read on... Chord tones are very important to us bass players as they are the essential notes of the chord, that we can use to outline and establish the harmony for the rest of the band. These are our building blocks, and you need to know what they are, and how to use them if you want to start creating and improvising your own bass lines. Chord tones really are very simple to use, once you know how, of course! So I've put together a short lesson explaining chord tones in a way that is very easy to understand. I’ve put the link to a handy free PDF under the video and this containing the fret diagrams from the lesson and a bass cheatsheet.
  23. greghagger
    If you're a fan of Chas Chandler and The Animals, then you'll bound to know 'It's My Life'. If not, then check this song out as it has a really great little bass line that drive the song from start to finish. Chas Chandler was such a solid bass player and his sense of groove is excellent. This bass line isn't too technical but it good for practicing groove, and it's also a fun one to play. You can check out the bass line in my latest video lesson by clicking the link below. Full transcription in notation and Tab under the video. Enjoy!
  24. greghagger
    If you're familiar with my teaching style, you'll know that I'm not one for promoting the playing of mindless exercises for hours on end. I believe that It's much more constructive and effective to spend the majority of your practice time working on bass lines. But technical exercises do have their place, especially for helping to develop certain aspects of playing technique and for fixing any annoying flaws that we might have. There's one single exercise that has had the most impact on my playing, because it helped me to develop a good fretting hand technique, including sorting out my 'flying pinky' finger! I've lost count of the times that I've recommended this exercise to my one-to-one pupils, so I thought it was high time to set it down in stone in a YouTube lesson, so that you can access it to help with your own playing. It's simple to grasp the concept of this exercise, but I bet that you'll find it harder to play this exercise perfectly! This is the sort of exercise that you can also use to slowly warm up before each practice session. Check out the exercise in my latest YouTube video by clicking below. You can download the exercise on a free PDF under the video. Enjoy!
  25. greghagger
    You may have noticed that chord progressions seem to follow similar patterns and that certain chords will be major, and others minor. Well, there's actually a formula that dictates the chord type of every chord in a particular key. Knowing this formula is extremely useful when creating or learning chord progressions. But there's also a very logical way of working out these chord types, and that is by building triads off every degree (note) of the major scale. Now, if this sounds daunting or the theory is going over your head, don't worry as I've made a YouTube lesson on this topic, that's very easy to follow! This area of music is very important, and shouldn't be missed out, so check this lesson out and learn it once and for all! #gregsbassshed #fretboardshapes #triads
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