Bass Lessons

A collection of videos, links, transcriptions, and audio clips focused on the art of bass playing. This blog is intended to be a place where my students can always come for inspiration and new ideas. Contact me if you are interested in private lessons in the Bay Area or via Skype. Also, stay tuned for my own bass lesson video series coming soon! Bio:Matthew Davis grew up in San Jose, California and began his musical journey with the piano at age 5. He added the trumpet in elementary school and switched to the electric bass in junior high school. Matthew became very involved with music through the San Jose Jazz Society, the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), and Valley Christian Schools. Playing in gospel groups, rock bands, jazz bands, chamber ensembles, and orchestras, Matthew honed his skills in high school and chose to continue his musical studies at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA. In 2004, he was awarded the John Coltrane scholarship for composition and performance and left for southern California. At CalArts, he acceled in many different types of music including straight-ahead jazz, contemporary jazz and fusions, blues, salsa, Macedonian folk songs, funk, and improvisational rock to name a few. His main bass teachers included Alphonso Johnson, Darek Oles, and Charlie Haden, but he also worked closely with and performed the music of Larry Koonse, David Roitstein, Vinny Golia, and Wadada Leo Smith. The incredible diverse student body provided him many opportunities to perform in unique ensembles and experiment with his own compositions. After his graduation in 2008, Matthew lived in the Central Coast city of San Luis Obispo and San Jose performing with Audiomedic, The San Jose Rockers, the Cuesta Jazz Big Band, the Nudes, the Modesto Briseno Septet, NTAC, MakeMake, Project 41 and many other projects. He also worked as the house bass player for the weekly jazz jam at Linnaea’s café. In addition to performing he was a substitute teacher for the Conservatory of the Arts of Valley Christian Schools. In the summers, he taught classes at the San Jose Jazz Camp and while immersing himself in the Bay Area Music scene. In the Fall of 2010 Matthew moved to Asheville, North Carolina to join the formerly Brooklyn-based soul-rock band The Broadcast (www.thebroadcastmusic.com). He is now living in his hometown of San Jose, CA. Check out my other blogs: mdcollageideas.tumblr.com musicofmattdavis.tumblr.com

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I’m running out of table space for my synths. Time for a case. #behringermodelD #behringerneutron #korgelectribesampler #moogwerkstatt #chaseblissmood #adamtv7 #arturiakeystep37 #allen&heathQu16 https://www.instagram.com/p/COl7HGABP0I/?igshid=1gwd78a3jxnz6

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Wow! This is a really great in-depth analysis of the bass playing on the Nightfly album by Donald Fagen. pdbass (Paul Thompson) combines research, transcription, and technique to make one of the most advanced videos on electric bass playing that I’ve seen in a long time. Anthony Jackson, Chuck Rainey, Marcus Miller, Abe Laboriel, and Will Lee contributed bass parts on this album. Enjoy!

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Bassist, guitarist, and producer Ken Andrews explains how he got this massive bass sound on a Failure song.

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https://youtu.be/JI8cIZ9VIpg

Check out Thundercat’s favorite bass lines and discussions on why he likes them!

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Short interview with James Brown's Bassist, Fred Thomas. He’s got some nuggets of wisdom and a deep groove!

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Geddy Lee has done a lot of interviews and research on the history of the electric bass. Here’s an interview where he shares some stories and talks about his new book, “Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass”.

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More Carol Kaye: 

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Rick Beato explores the greatest players of the greatest instrument: 

THE BASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now take notes kids. This is only a 7 min history of an instrument steeped in tradition and innovation that attracted some of the  most unique personalities over the last 100+ years. Almost every form of music utilizes a bass function. It’s what grounds you and makes you dance!

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Cool overview and demonstration of Pino Palladino’s style.

Here are the original videos referenced:

D’Angelo - Send It On: https://youtu.be/M8nxyoG5Gc4

D’Angelo - The Charade: https://youtu.be/atMgkBL-LMw

Jose James - Trouble: https://youtu.be/LLm5IVeip0c

Erykah Badu - Cleva: https://youtu.be/u2Kys3AFhqA

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Bernard Edwards on Chic’s tune “Everybody Dance”. Check out his chucking technique where he strums with his fingers as if he was using a pick. This way, we can get the attack with his fingernail and retain the meat of the sound with the flesh of his finger. Dig?

Also, check out this demonstration and discussion of Bernard Edwards style from Chris Gambaro-Vega: 

https://youtu.be/RnBJWwK4kks

And here is a transcription:

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SuperBass trio with Christian McBride, Ray Brown, and John Clayton play Thelonious Monk’s tune “Blue Monk”. They actually harmonize the melody together and take turn soloing and accompanying each other with chords and/or walking bass lines. Each solo is punctuated by a big band shout chorus.  Recorded in 1997.

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hi, would you have a link to a transcription of ´Like a dream´ by Darek Oles ? best regards, Friedrich Bauer from Bonn, Germany

I do not, but I bet if you email him, he would you send you a chart or something. Look him up on the CalArts website.

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Hi Matt. Are you back in San Jose? My son Davis Dunaway took bass from you years ago. he is still playing and I am sure would love to connect and take some lessons from you. Cammie Dunaway

Yes! I would love to catch up wit Davis!

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 A good summary of how to get that Motown bass sound: 

Fender Precision Bass - ‘57 and ‘62

LaBella Flatwound Strings - heavy gauge

Acme D.I. (There were no amps used when those motown tracks were recorded. They used handmade custom D.I. boxes. Acme build replicas: https://reverb.com/item/2842979-acme-audio-wb-3-motown-di-2016-legendary-d-i-box-reverb-exclusive-11-off-free-shipping-399

Ampeg B-15 “Fliptop” amp (Jamerson used this live)

reverb.com/news/video-how-to-sound-like-motowns-james-jamerson

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Jack Bruce Documentary

bassist and lead singer for Cream

Post down in the comments after you watch the video. Let me know what you liked and didn’t like from the documentary!

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Francis Rocco Prestia III - bassist from Tower of Power

Instructional video on his fingerstyle funk

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Everyone wants to learn how to play the bass!

(more footage: https://youtu.be/r5I5pLyiybo)