This is a chordal plectrum part that makes good use of power chords, major pentatonic lines and open string tenths. When learning this line it’s important that you stick to the picking guide that’s been written between the staves. Remember that when playing semiquaver-based lines with a plectrum, you should adhere to the down-up-down-up picking […]

This exercise is a fast-paced fingerstyle line that was originally intended to be part of the Victor Wooten-style piece that I wrote for my book Giants of Bass. It might not have made it into the final track, but it’s still a great line that I wanted to share… After playing the E and octave […]

This exercise is a slow slap and pop bass groove that has a Marcus Miller vibe. This line opens with a double stop: G on the E-string and Bb on the G-string. To play these, pluck the G with the thumb and the Bb with the first finger. These notes are then played again as […]

This exercise is a rock bassline that is built on the E minor pentatonic scale. This line was written to be played with a plectrum and sounds great with some mild distortion/overdrive. This bassline makes use of an important scale – the minor pentatonic. This scale is a great choice for rock basslines, but is […]

This exercise is a fingerstyle funk bassline that reflects an F# dominant seventh chord. It also uses trills and double stops, both of which are common ingredients in funk lines. This line opens with an A# played on the ‘and’ of beat 4 of the count-in. After playing this note, slide upwards to E, then […]

This exercise is an uptempo slap line that uses the triplet popping technique that was pioneered by bassist Stuart Hamm. After playing the F# at the beginning of bar one, a semiquaver triplet is played on the second half of the beat. All of the notes here are ghost notes and are performed as follows: […]

This week’s exercise is a two handed tapping line that’s a lot easier to play than it might sound. In fact, if you’ve never tried the technique before, this is a perfect exercise to begin with. This line opens with two notes that are performed solely by hammering on with your fretting hand: use your […]

This exercise is a slow-tempo chordal lines that uses open string tenths and harmonics. This line begins with a hammer-on from D to E at the twelfth and fourteenth frets of the D-string. This is immediately followed by a pull-off from A to G# at the fourteenth and thirteenth frets of the G-string. With the […]

This exercise is another funk groove that’s played with the plectrum. The approach used here is very similar to that used in Bass Lick of the Week #1, so if you have successfully worked through that exercise, you should find that this one comes together quite easily. Like Bass Lick #1, this line is based […]

This exercise is a fingerstyle funk groove written in the style of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. This line is based on an Eb7 sound and uses chord tones heavily – as all good basslines do. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the notes in this chord before working on […]