Beginner Bass for Guitarists
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At some point, almost every guitar player will end up picking up a bass. Whether there’s no bass players at a jam session, a band member can’t make it to a practice, or you’re just hanging out in a music shop, you’ll inevitably find yourself playing the guitar’s lesser-stringed brother. But while the superficial similarities are obvious, to really understand the role of the bass and how to play it takes more thought than one may think. Enter a fun new live course from JamPlay. Over 10 weeks, veteran bassist Alex Scott takes you through the basics of bass guitar. We learn about the differences between bass and guitar playing techniques, and discuss simple aspects of music theory and note knowledge that are sure to have you grooving in no time. Learning bass as a guitarist has never been easier!
Each Tuesday
This course starts at 8:00pm EST each Monday for 10 weeks! Starts on February 27th, 2018. View the full schedule below. And of course, we save everything... so you can tune in even if you miss a week.
Filmed in 4k
Our live platform has been a major focus over the past year, and we now film in 4k and deliver live video to you in 1080p with improved audio streams. This is an awesome way to learn!
Interact Live
Ask your questions and get real time feedback. We also have the ability to take your calls via live video stream which allows you to show us what you are struggling with and get instant feedback.
Tabs & JamTracks
Each weekly session comes complete with full tabs and notation in PDF and Guitar Pro formats. Alex also provides free JamTracks with each week to practice to and learn the material.
Meet Alex Scott
Alex Scott is a professional freelance bassist, drummer and recording engineer based out of Denver, CO. He has had the honor of sharing the stage with such artists as John Popper (Blues Traveler),
Stanton Moore, Robert Randolph, DJ Logic, and many others. As a producer and engineer, he has 12 albums to his credit, as well as work in television and online content creation.
He tours nationally with Fox Street, 40 Oz to Freedom, and performs and records all around Colorado with a variety of different local projects. Alex began
playing music at a very young age thanks to his father Joe Scott, a guitarist, songwriter and producer with a career spanning 25 records over 40 years.
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Live Course Schedule
Learn more about each week of this course, and don't forget, a full JamPlay subscription comes with full access to this course, along with On-Demand lessons from the some of the best players on earth. Learn from Billy Sheehan, Bryan Beller, Rex Brown and more!
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
In the first week, we look at the physical similarities and differences between bass and guitar. We cover tuning, playing position, setup, and equipment. We also talk about differences in approaching the instrument, such as use of open strings and capos.
To Pick or Not To Pick?
We play along with our first track, focusing on simple fretting patterns to get acquainted with wider string and fret spacing. We also cover fingerstlye playing vs. playing with a pick.
Scaling Up I - Major
We take our knowledge of chords on guitar and apply them to scales on the bass over the next 3 weeks. We begin with major by looking at a major barre chord, and finding all of the in-between notes to make a major scale. We also discuss intervals.
Scaling Up II - Minor
Continuing from the previous week, we look at a minor barre chord and turn it into a minor scale.
Scaling Up III - Dominant
We blend major and minor to get the third most common chord/scale variant - the dominant.
Genre Grooves I - Rock
Moving into the next section of the course, we take what we’ve learned in the first half and apply it to real-world music, starting with learning a simple pedal bassline over a rock chord progression.
Genre Grooves II - Blues
We turn our attention to a walking bassline over a 12-bar blues form. We also discuss feel through playing along with a shuffle groove.
Genre Grooves III - Country
Continuing along with the genre concept, we learn about the tradition of 1-5 basslines in country.
Genre Grooves IV - Funk
Our last genre study is one in rhythm and syncopation as we learn a simple funk groove. We also tackle a new key, moving away from the simple, open-chord keys that many guitarists are used to.
The Grand Finale
We learn the most engaging song yet in the final week - a 3-part Southern rock form that incorporates all of the techniques learned thus far.
