Next Level Bass with Billy Sheehan

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Few bass players carry a resume as stacked as Billy Sheehan. From his early days with 'Talas' to his Grammy Nominated time with 'Mr. Big' - Billy's skills have been sought after by industry heavyweights such as Tony MacAlpine, Greg Howe, and Steve Vai. In this intermediate to advanced level course, Billy will cover the mandatory skills required to unlock your playing potential and turn heads whenever you pick up your bass. Learn from the best with this exciting course!

Quite possibly the best bass player on earth and legendary figure in the almanac of bass players, Billy brings a wealth of knowledge to JamPlay. He recorded two platinum-selling albums with David Lee Roth and achieved critical success after setting out on his own and Forming Mr. Big in 1989. The band achieved a Billboard #1 single in the US and 14 other countries with 'To Be With You' from their 2nd Atlantic Records album release 'Lean Into It'. While developing his trademark style of playing he has performed over 4000 live gigs on every continent except Africa and Antarctica! Learn more or start the course with membership

Course Details
15 Lessons
3 Hour+ Runtime
Tabs (gpx, pdf)
Playalong Tracks
HD+ Video
90 day guarantee
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Stream online, plus all other courses with membership.

Meet Billy Sheehan

Voted the "Best Rock Bass Player" 5 times in Guitar Player magazines Readers Poll, an honor which placed him in their "Gallery of Greats" (alongside Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee, and Eddie Van Halen to name but a few), Billy Sheehan has also won readers polls in Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, and many other countries. On January 27, 1999, Billy's handprints and signature were preserved in cement on the Hollywood Rockwalk at Guitar Center. An honor attributed to those artists who have made a significant contribution to Rock and Roll. In Japan, Billy has won the prestigious "Player Magazine" (Japan's #1 Music mag) Readers Poll for Best Bass Player an unprecedented 14 consecutive times, and Burrn! Magazines (Japan's #1 heavy metal mag) Readers Poll 5 times while selling out Budokan arena 3 consecutive nights with his band Mr. Big.

Section 1

Right-Hand Skills

  • Advanced Right Hand Exercises
  • Right Hand Embellishment
  • Raking Technique
  • Right-Hand 3-finger Technique

Section 2

Next Level Techniques

  • Advanced Tapping
  • Octaves
  • Advanced Arpeggio Ideas
  • Bending and Detuning
  • Harmonics

Interviews

Industry Tips

  • Gear Philosophy
  • Playing in a Cover Band
  • Songwriting
  • Playing Bass in the Business

Next Level Bass with Billy Sheehan

A Bass Masterclass from One of the Best to Ever Pick Up the Instrument

Billy organized Next Level Bass into two sections. In the first section, he passes on 10 key skills that comprise his singular style and approach to bass guitar.

In the second section of the course, Billy shares industry insider tips such as his philosophy on gear, songwriting, and even being a bass player in the music industry! This course offers 15 lessons covering 3+ hours of material in step-by-step, digestible presentation.

Lessons in this Course
1

Right Hand 3 Finger Technique

Billy starts his artist series off with a lesson on something he gets asked the most questions on about his playing: right hand 3 finger technique.

13:32 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

2

Right Hand Embellishment

So you have the basics down but you want to advance your right hand technique into the stratosphere? Well Billy Sheehan is here with a lesson just for you! In this lesson you will learn how to slap your bass from a rock players perspective. There is a wealth of information to be learned in this lesson.

14:47 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

3

Advanced Right Hand Exercises

Billy shows you some of his go-to exercises for your right hand. Make sure to warm-up before tackling these!

8:00 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

4

Raking Technique

Learn how to rake the strings with your right hand and bust out a flurry of notes with style!

6:28 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

View this Lesson
5

Left Hand Chop Building Exercises

In this lesson you will learn how to build stamina and dexterity in your hands, especially your left hand. Billy covers 4 finger grouping exercises as well as a muscle punishing pull-off exercise! Warmup first!

15:17 Runtime

4.5 Difficulty

6

Advanced Tapping

Billy Sheehan walks you through some advanced tapping examples. He explains that it is better for you to learn a lot variations on your own and encourages you to do so.

14:48 Runtime

5.0 Difficulty

7

Octaves

Here is a GINORMOUS lesson on how to utilize the basic octave with a ton of advanced techniques mainly centering around tapping.

18:18 Runtime

5.0 Difficulty

8

Advanced Arpeggio Ideas

Learn how to play huge arpeggios by tapping the upper notes with multiple fingers.

11:44 Runtime

5.0 Difficulty

9

Bending And Detuning

Learn how to effectively bend your strings and even how to mimic a fretless bass. Billy also explains what a Hipshot Detuner is and how he uses it.

9:07 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

10

Harmonics

Learn what a harmonic is and how to use it in your playing.

15:00 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

11

Billy's Gear Philosophy

Billy explains that you eventually want to fine tune your bass to your body and playing style. He also explains the evolution of his gear over the years.

15:00 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

12

Playing In A Cover Band

Billy talks about more advanced topics like singing while playing, playing in a cover band, and learning and adapting other instruments parts to your bass part.

12:00 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

13

Songwriting

If you want to become a songwriter, you need to watch this lesson. Billy imparts years and years of knowledge and experience as a songwriting musician.

15:12 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

14

Being A Bass Player In The Music Business

Geared towards the more professional bass player; Billy explains things like endorsements and the music business today.

12:00 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

15

Interview With Billy Sheehan

Jamplay.com interviews Billy Sheehan. Topics covered include: early years, writing riffs, working with other musicians, creativity, hustling, playing other instruments, learning songs, and much much more!

50:00 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty