Bass Player is the world's most comprehensive, trusted and insightful bass publication for passionate bassists and active musicians of all ages. Each issue delivers the latest tips and techniques that are guaranteed to make you a better player.
We’re fortunate enough here to meet the true greats of bass, whatever their approach, playing style, or preferences when it comes to the low frequencies. Young or old, traditional, or experimental, what unites the true icons of our field is a solid foundation in a well-thought-out, tried-and-tested philosophy when it comes to the low end—and there’s no more philosophical bassist than Victor Wooten. Although he’s regarded by many as the most technically-accomplished bass player in the world, Wooten takes no notice of such accolades, revealing to us in this issue the wisdom on which his approach rests. We could all learn from what he tells us. He’s joined in this value-packed issue by bassists of all stripes, from jazz and soul titans Leon Lee Dorsey, Michael Janisch, and Andrew Levy,…
BIG HITTERS 2020 will see the release of bass-heavy albums by a bunch of our favorite rockers, not least Biffy Clyro, whose bassist James Johnston has graced these pages a few times over the years. Their new record, their eighth in two decades, will no doubt see the Scottish trio take another step up the ladder—and it should also feature a stack of memorable bass-lines, the great advantage of any power trio. Then there’s fellow Scotsmen Del Amitri, whose frontman, leader and bassist Justin Currie has been doing acoustic stuff in between the main band’s activities; it’ll be good to see him wielding a Fender bass again. (Fun fact: No-one knows what the names Biffy Clyro and Del Amitri actually mean, and the musicians themselves aren’t telling.) Finally (for now),…
NEW ALBUM Sepultura, Quadra (2020) It’s fast, it’s mostly Brazilian, it’s metal with a capital M—and Paulo Jr’s bass parts are as zippy as ever. OLD ALBUM Marcus Miller, The Sun Don’t Lie (1993) Still astounding after a quarter of a century; there’s nothing Marcus can’t do at the low (or high-mid) end. REALLY OLD ALBUM The Godfather Soundtrack (1972) Sure, those wedding dance tunes may make you tremble with fear, but you’ll love their nifty, subtle bass parts.…
Welcome back, bassists! This month we will be continuing with my Player Series, having started with advice on being a touring bass player in the last issue. This time around, I’ll be sharing tips on the required skills, tools and knowledge for life as a deputy, or ‘dep’, bassist. If this is a new term to you, this role in the music world denotes standing in (‘deputizing’) for other musicians in bands or projects. There’s a whole set of skills specific to being an effective dep, but I’ve condensed them into the following key areas: GETTING THE GIGS Firstly, how do we get dep gigs? Fortunately, it’s easier than ever with the evolution of social media. There are plenty of Facebook groups now for specific areas or parts of the…
NO TREBLE KEVIN JOHNSON Wood you believe it? There’s nothing like a ‘best of’ list to get bassists all riled up. That’s why the most viewed and commented-upon video for the month was of Scott Devine’s Top 20 Bass-lines Of All Time. Devine prefaces the list by saying it’s his personal list, although it’s a solid collection of grooves. It ranges from Chic’s ‘Good Times’ by Bernard Edwards to Marvin Gaye’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ by James Jamerson to the Beatles’ hit ‘Come Together’ by Paul McCartney. Of course, it’s impossible to list all the best bass achievements in 20 songs, and No Treble readers chimed in with plenty of their own favourites. What would be at the top of your list? In industry news, the Conference on International…
There are basses; then there’s Fodera basses. Established in Brooklyn back in 1983, by master luthiers Vinny Fodera, and Joey Lauricella, their company and instruments have no need for an introduction—playable works of art that would give the Sistine Chapel a run for its money. Attracting the kings of the lower frequencies such as Tom Kennedy and Matt Garrison with their game-changing designs, it’s their relationship with virtuoso Victor Wooten that immortalized the name Fodera into the halls of greatness forever. Chatting to Lauricella, how did they cross paths in the first place, we ask? “Back in 1983, a friend of mine named Ira Siegal, who’s a great guitar player, calls me up and asks, ‘Joey, you have any basses that are playable right now?’ I say, ‘Yeah, I have…
