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Bass Emporium Lesson #9: The Major Pentatonic Scale by Ed Friedland Last month we examined the ubiquitous Queen Mother of Rock And Roll, the Minor Pentatonic scale. This time, we look at its closely related cousin, the Major Pentatonic. The Major Pentatonic is a handy scale to know, it’s widely used in R&B, Funk, Country, … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #8: The Pentatonic Scale by Ed Friedland This month we’re going to look at our good friend the Pentatonic (5-note) scale—the DNA of rock and roll. The Pentatonic scale has roots in many different cultures from around the world, but its influence on American music is directly linked to the Africans that … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #7: Two Octave Scales – All Over The Place by Ed Friedland February was a short month, so I suppose you might need a few more days to master the previous lesson—so, how about knocking it out this weekend? Two octave major scales in all keys, all through the fingerboard? Piece of … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #6: Two Octave Major Scales – All Over The Place by Ed Friedland Continuing along with the idea that anything worth knowing on the bass is worth knowing all over the neck, this month we’ll look at a two-octave major scale (in C). Unless you play a 5 or 6 string bass, … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #5: The Major Scale – All Over The Place by Ed Friedland Last month we looked at how to find a CMaj7 arpeggio in multiple positions, and I hope you’ve taken the time to explore this idea with other chord types in all keys. Continuing along with our music theory Kama Sutra, … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #4: Fingerboard Discovery by Ed Friedland In the last lesson, we looked at the Major Diatonic seventh chord arpeggios (in the key of C). As I instructed, the goal is to eventually memorize this material in all keys. That will take quite a while, but this information is a critical part of … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #3: Diatonic Chord Structures by Ed Friedland The last two lessons have dealt with the major scale in different ways, but there are many more secrets to be learned from this ubiquitous series of tones. Lesson #2 examined the scale as it is broken up in various intervals, and there were several … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #2: Major Scale in Intervals by Ed Friedland Welcome to my second lesson installment for the Bass Emporium— Lesson 1 was well received, so it looks like I’ll continue along this track for a while. I will be drawing from a variety of topics, being careful not to duplicate any of the … Continue readings
Bass Emporium Lesson #1: Extension Fingerings by Ed Friedland Hey everyone, this month we’re trying something different for the newsletter. Instead of a gear review, I’m going to do a mini-lesson – I hope you enjoy and find it useful. Bassists typically rely on two different fingering systems: One-Finger-Per-Fret, and the 1-2-4 “Simandl” method (named … Continue readings
Zon Sonus Special, Bubinga Top/Ash Body, Satin Finish, 3-Band EQ w/ Mid Switch, Chrome Hardware, Fretless Lined 5-String Electric Bass Guitar by Ed Friedland Many players love the stability, clarity and even response of a graphite neck—and thankfully, they have some choices. While Modulus originated the carbon-fiber neck, Joe Zon has put his own unique … Continue readings
Fender American Standard Jazz V, Black Finish/Maple Neck 5-String Bass w/ High-Tech SKB Hardshell Case by Ed Friedland <<News Flash: Fender Hits A New Low! >> Like many bass players, I identify as a “Fender guy.” The Jazz bass was my preferred companion through my formative years, and thirty years later, it’s still the benchmark … Continue readings
Modulus Guitars Modulus FBJ5 5A Quilt Maple Top/Clear Gloss Finish, Tortoiseshell Pickguard & Composite Fingerboard 5-String Electric Bass by Ed Friedland The carbon fiber bass neck is the brainchild of bassist, bass builder, and former aerospace engineer Geoff Gould. He enlisted Alembic co-founder Rick Turner to help bring this idea to life; forming a company … Continue readings
Stuart Spector Design Euro 4 LX High-Gloss Ultra Amber Burst/Flame Maple 4-String Neck-Thru Electric Bass by Ed Friedland The year 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of the first Spector NS series bass. Designed by Ned Steinberger and built by Spector, the NS bass became a new standard—one that would be imitated and sometimes downright copied … Continue readings
Sadowsky Metro RV4HPJ-OWH Hybrid P/J, Precision Bass, Alder Body/Rosewood Fingerboard in Olympic White w/ Hardshell Case by Ed Friedland In 1979, Roger Sadowsky was a luthier handling repairs for New York City’s top session players. Working on the Fender basses that launched a thousand hit records, he soon determined there was a market for a … Continue readings
The Bass Whisperer Reports: Elrick Gold Series eVolution Bolt-On 5-String, Buckeye Burl Top/Swamp Ash Body, Birdseye Maple Fingerboard, Black Hardware, Soapbar Pickups w/ Hardshell Case by Ed Friedland If you use attractive woods, it isn’t very difficult to build a bass that looks good. Lately, even some of the lowest price-point imports are coming in with … Continue readings
The Bass Whisperer Reports: Roscoe LG-3005 Quilt Maple Top/Ash Body & Birdseye Maple Fingerboard 5-String Bass Guitar by Ed Friedland While many of us can find beauty in the worn patina of a beat up old Fender, the artful luthiery of Keith Roscoe has an undeniable appeal. His unique designs, choice of high-grade materials, flawless … Continue readings
The Bass Whisperer Reports: Fender 1975 Reissue Jazz Bass by Ed Friedland Since it first arrived in 1961, the Fender Jazz Bass has set a high standard for tone, versatility and playability. Originally conceived as the deluxe model to the already popular Precision bass, the J’s two pickup configuration offered greater tonal options, while the … Continue readings
The Bass Whisperer Reports: Bergantino Audio HS-410, 4-10″ & Horn Bass Guitar Speaker Cabinet by Ed Friedland Since first entering the bass cabinet market in 2001, Bergantino has set several new benchmarks for quality and tone. With the introduction of their HT series, bassists experienced full-range sound reproduction with an overall sweetness that was previously … Continue readings