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greghagger

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Everything posted by greghagger

  1. greghagger
    Yes I suppose there are many angles to come at this from. I was leading up to the British Blues Boom of the 60s which is most likely the peak of Blues in Britain. But I also wanted to illustrate that it didn’t just happen with the likes of Muddy Walters and Chicago Blues. I hope that I managed to point out that Blues was already taking a hold earlier than that. Bit ultimately my point was that it came from African-American musicians.
  2. greghagger
    😂 that was a stable in our household when I was younger with my brothers and sisters and Dad because we thought it was funny. So I guess that I went for that one for that reason. I like the humour in it. Very British!
  3. greghagger
    A big driver for making this course was to try highlight the great music of the 60s Britain. While making the course, two musician from that era who were looked at in my course died so this makes me think it’s even more important than ever to collate all this information.
  4. greghagger
    Cheers @Waddo Soqable it’s just an easygoing brief overview really. My real knowledge is more from the 1960’s onwards but hopefully this video has provided a backdrop and sparked some interest in the fantastic era of the 60s.
  5. greghagger
    @Burns-bass you hit the nail on the head and thanks for understanding the purpose of this sort video. It’s a very quick overview of how Blues landed in British to set the scene for my bass course that looks in detail at the bass players who were around in the so called ‘British Blues Explosion’ era. it was actually mainly to get the message across that the influences were the African-American Bluesmen as they are sometimes forgotten. Personally I think that’s more important than the other stuff. It was never meant to be an extensive or detailed look at the Blues or Skiffle scene in British so sorry if I offended anyone by leaving their favourites out. It’s a great idea to share anything that anyone thinks is useful to add as I can put those as footnotes in the description. Or maybe make a video on the other areas you mentioned. You might be surprised that it’s harder than you think! This is my first try at making a documentary style video (instead of my usual lessons) and it’s a learning curve so do bear that in mind. I’m very open to positive criticism but also remember that we are all bass players here and share a common goal. It’s easy to fire off a criticism from the comfort of your own armchair but there are real humans at the end of your messages!
  6. greghagger
    British Blues has been the focus at GBS for the last few weeks, starting with some YouTube lessons, British Blues Week and the launch of the brand new Birth Of British Blues video course. To finish things off, I have created a short six minute documentary style YouTube video that I think summaries how British Blues actually became a thing. There are key British musicians responsible for this movement but the heart of the British Blues Boom has to be credited to the African-American Bluesmen who were the sole influence on these British musicians. Find out more in my latest YouTube video and I’d be interested in knowing what you think in the comments.
  7. greghagger
    Thanks!
  8. greghagger
    Recently I had a really interesting online chat with American bassist, Jeff Ganz who has played bass for many artists including Johnny Winter, Roy Buchanan, John Lee Hooker, and Chuck Berry, just to name a few. Seeing as he is American and has played with lots of top Blues musicians, I thought Jeff might throw out some interesting perspectives on British Blues - the topic of the month at Greg's Bass Shed. He certainly did that, along with a ton of other gems about bass playing and how he approaches music in general. We really had a great time on the call and spent well over an hour exchanging stories from our experiences as pro bass players I’ve put the interview on YouTube and in it you can find out Jeff's perspective on British Blues and hear some great advice about what you need to do to develop the types of skills you need to play great Blues bass. I hope you enjoy it! https://youtu.be/S3ENhhErsdU
  9. greghagger
    Stupidly, when I decided to make a lesson this week on the Badge bass line, I thought it might be a quick and simple lesson. But of course, Jack Bruce is involved which means there will be some tasty fills and licks and the bass line will be anything but simple! Again, I'll admit that I always used to play a much simpler version of this bass line when I played it live. I learnt the main riff and played that along with the odd variation thrown in for good measure! The opening riff is pretty simple but later on in the bass line there are some pretty fast runs. I've spent some time this week getting the exact Jack Bruce bass line down on paper and I've also drawn up a simplified version so this lesson is very approachable whatever level you are at. This is a real Cream classic and the band are on form throughout. It's another hit from the 'British Blues Explosion' era which I'll look at in more detail in the GBS British Blues Week. Find out more in my latest YouTube lesson. Free transcription under the video. https://youtu.be/9aHjw-BgJLg
  10. greghagger
    Glad it’s useful @stevie 👍
  11. greghagger
    There are so many great Rolling Stones hits but there is one tune that they have played the most frequently at their live gigs - Jumpin' Jack Flash. This is another one of those songs where the bass line is rarely played like the original when covered by bands. I think this is in part due to confusion with the different guitar riffs and the fact that the bass part is 'buried in the mix' for a lot of the song. I can still remember years ago getting up and 'blagging' this bass line at a mate's gig after a few beers. I definitely didn't play the original bass line but whatever I played, it seemed to work! So, to continue with the British Blues theme from last week, I've made a lesson on the Jumpin' Jack Flash bass line and written a full transcription, which is as close to the original bass line as I could get it. Find out more in my latest YouTube lesson where you can also download the transcription. Watch out for my Jumpin' Jack Flash play-though video on Tuesday where you can see me jamming with the original song, this time playing the actual bass line! https://youtu.be/2ss49qoiJhE
  12. greghagger
    'Oh Well' by Fleetwood Mac is such a classic British Blues tune from the Peter Green era. But, if you've played it before then you’ll know that the unison lick at the end of each chorus can cause problems! I must admit to struggling with this when I use to play it with my Blues band back in the early 90's. On the original recording it’s sometimes hard to hear the bass clearly and the lick actually changes from chorus to chorus. It's a good idea to work this lick out with the guitarist beforehand if you are going to play ‘Oh Well’ at a gig because quite frankly it sounds rubbish if you are both playing different things! This week I finally sat down and transcribed the whole bass line note for note, including the licks and discovered some interesting new lines from John McVie. I’ve made a lesson on the bass line and you can get the free transcription in standard notation or Tab under the video. Enjoy this classic. It certainly gets the fingers moving! https://youtu.be/QZaNtLPz3_w
  13. greghagger
    Brown Eyed Girl can certainly raises a few groans when it's spotted on a setlist but considering the fact that I've performed it a lot, I still actually really enjoy playing this bass line. I must confess that up to now I've never played it correctly note-for-note from the original bass line though! So it was fun to sit down and spent time transcribing it accurately and I discovered some interesting variations on the basic riff, especially in the outro. Out of all the bass lines out there, this is the one where I've heard the most hilarious things played in the bass feature, from slap to jazz fills! I prefer playing the basic groove here as it is in the original bass line. What about you? Leave me a comment and let me know what you’ve played here or heard someone else play. The full transcription in standard notation and Tab is under the video. Enjoy this classic!
  14. greghagger
    There's no better time than at the beginning of a year to take stock of where you are with your playing and make the changes you need to really achieve what you have dreamt of with your bass playing. It's so easy to keep doing the same thing, whether that's running the same bass lines you always play, not sorting out technical issues or simply not moving forward for another year. So to kick the year off, I’ve created a short and simple YouTube lesson to help you to quickly set up a bass plan for 2023. The lesson is 6 minutes long and I reckon that you can watch that and fill out the plan in under an hour! But this will give you a roadmap for this year and help propel you forward. Who knows, this could be the year when you start a band, play at a jam night for the first time or manage to play that bass line which is currently out of touch. I've made up some handy PDF sheets which you can use to help you with your plan. Let me know how you get on in the comment. I hope you find this useful. https://youtu.be/C6PMu3hOiYo
  15. greghagger
    With a few days to spare I've tackled a Christmas bass line to get you into the festive spirit! In my latest lesson I look at the bass line from the Eagles version of 'Please Come Home For Christmas'. Timothy B. Schmit is on bass duties for this song, his first ever recording with The Eagles. This is a fun bass line to learn and not too tricky so I hope you enjoy it. There is a full bass line transcription in standard notation and Tab available in a free PDF which you can find the link for under the video. If you also want to check out a video of me playing along with the original track then click here and you will be directed to a lesson page on the GBS website. Have fun and seasons greetings to you for the festive period. https://youtu.be/iyJak5-VIOg
  16. greghagger
    If you don't know the song 'Soulshine' by the Allman Brothers then check it out! It's one of those feel-good Southern Rock tunes and it has a great bass line that you can learn a lot from. It's got a nice bass groove, muted notes, slides and pentatonic fills. I tackle this epic bass line in my latest lesson but as the song is nearly 7 minutes long, I just show you the main sections. The bass line constantly changes throughout the song, so some of you may find it tricky to learn. But I've made up a simplified version that still sounds great and you can see that towards the end of the video. There’s a free PDF download with the bass line written note for note in standard notation and Tab. You’ll find that under the video. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/NhcwQpGEXZg
  17. greghagger
    Boogie Blues is a really fun style to play and it's also great to study as lots of classic Blues bass lines come from the left hand of solo Boogie-woogie piano tunes. This style of Blues originated in the Barrelhouses of Texas and eventually evolved into a heavy electrified Blues played by artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan. In my latest lesson I show you five Boogie Blues bass riffs and also how to plug them into the 12-Bar Blues progression. It's great to have these riff at your fingertips for Blues jams and these riffs are dual purpose in that you can also use them for Rock n Roll Blues. That require a simple rhythmic change from shuffle feel to straight feel. Find out more in my latest GBS video lesson. The free PDF link is under the YouTube video. Have fun! https://youtu.be/8ya6AooPzHQ
  18. greghagger
    Off the back of my lesson on 'La Grange' a few weeks ago I've had a request to look at ‘Blue Jeans Blues’, also by ZZ Top. I wasn't really aware of this great ZZ Top tune, although I'm sure I must have heard it at some point. If you don’t know it then check it out and you might be as surprised as me that ZZ Top played such a 'pure' Blues tune. It's such classic Blues but the ‘ZZ Top sound’ is also unmistakably in there too. This is a very accessible bass line for all levels but after mastering the notes, the challenge is then where you place the notes in relation to the beat. If you haven't thought about playing behind the beat before, you'll benefit from the end part of this lesson. Throughout my professional career as a bass player, being able to play the notes correctly is always a given, but 'feel' is what we frequently discuss and work on. You don't always have to play right on the beat. Find out more in the latest YouTube lesson. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/zIadbiAVmYU
  19. greghagger
    I’ve been on a bit of a roll with classic bass lines lately! This week I look at the bass line from 'The Joker' by the Steve Miller Band. This is instantly recognisable and is one of those bass lines that really defines the song. It's actually more tricky to play in places than you might think and varies a lot during the song. I love how the bass line is a sort of mix of Reggae and Motown. I've transcribed the whole bass line and have also written a simplified version which works over the whole song. You can see that at the end of the video lesson and on the PDF which is under the video in the description. Have fun with this one! https://youtu.be/dG-pYdzqZ_I
  20. greghagger
    Ever since I played I'd Rather Go blind at a gig around 15 years ago, I've always loved this bass line. It's so simple but works so perfectly. I'm talking about the original Etta James version recorded in 1967. But there have been a lot of covers since then by artists such as Beth Hart, Christine McVie and most recently, Dua Lipa. In the latest GBS YouTube lesson I show you how to play the Etta James bass line and also go through some key features of the Beth Hart/Bonamassa bass line. You can get a free PDF of the bass lines in standard notation and Tab under the video lesson. Enjoy!
  21. greghagger
    One of ZZ Top's most well-known tunes has to be 'La Grange' which you'll hear being covered at many a jam night. The main riff is straightforward to play but the bridge tends to cause problems. It's actually very simple once you know to ignore the rhythm of the guitar part in that section. This is a great Southern Rock tune and although it's not too technical to play, you need to really lock into a solid Boogie Blues bass groove and maintain it for pretty much the whole tune. Full transcription in standard notation and Tab under the video lesson. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/lKwmpQ8R46Y
  22. greghagger
    I brought a preamp directly from Michalik who makes the preamps for Spector. https://michalik.cz/index
  23. greghagger
    Hey there, I started this thread. I fitted my Spector with Bartolini pickups for the same reason as you. I just couldn’t find the sound I wanted out of the EMG’s. I thought the Barts worked really well.
  24. greghagger
    I’ve made a new video lesson on classic Rock bass lines. The lesson features bands such as, Deep Purple, AC/DC and Toto. I wonder what you think of my 5th bass line in the video. I think it’s classic rock but some of you might disagree! It was very hard to choose which bass lines to use as there are so many great classic Rock bass lines. So there's bound to be a follow-up lesson on this topic! I'd love to hear some of your favourite classic Rock bass lines I could use in another lesson, so leave me a comment under the Youtube lesson and let me know. I hope you enjoy the video. https://youtu.be/07zbf4X6_L4
  25. greghagger

    Jazz bass parts

    greghagger replied to Roxy's topic in Jazz

    It’s usual to only have chord charts as the bass player will usually improvise their own walking bass line. There are books out there that have Jazz bass line transcriptions at the end of them like The Improviser’s Bass Method by Chuck Sher.
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