A Quoran asked about pentatonic scales in instrumental solos, I answered. It is a good question. Did you, for example, know that the pentatonic scale is a slice right out of the cycle of fifths? Just stack four fifths on top of each other and there is your major pentatonic (well, you have to put them

Practice with a Purpose! Related article: Why “Just keep playing is not working!” Are you a “weekend warrior” looking to up your game, but always pressed to find time to practice? Or maybe you’re just starting out and not sure where to begin when it comes to practicing?  In both situations, you may find yourself

Okay, so let’s say you are learning a song. Here is the usual approach: You decide to figure out the right notes as a first step to learning the song. So you: check out the TAB (a discussion for another time), or have the guitar player show you, or find a bass cover on youtube.com

Want a sneak-peek? Check it out! The new Platform is now OPEN! Tuition going up October 20th! Enroll now and SAVE! ENROLL NOW

Current Course Participants  Yes, I have kept my promise to you – whether you were an early bird or signed up any other time with any plan – you got grandfathered in! All the new features, no increase. This is my thank you to early adopters and loyal course ninjas! You already received an email with

Obsessed with Your Success
And we are incredibly proud to unveil course 2.0 – now open on the new platform!
To say we are obsessed with making this course the best it can be so you will excel on the bass is an understatement: since November 2017, I and the A-team have been tweaking, creating, re-creating, testing, pulling our hair out, testing and enhancing yet again. Night-shifts and lots of coffee!

It was three years ago in September when I had finally finished Music Theory for the Bass Player! And it had taken me just as long to write it! Many writing retreats to carve out time, even students giving me their keys to summer homes and huts so I could work without distraction… rounds and

It’s an American Dream story for sure…. The desire to study music in the American tradition brought me to this country. Then the dream of entrepreneurship blossomed and possibilities galore opened up. Thank you, America, for welcoming me! And thanks to Rich Freedman for a great interview, published in the Vallejo Times Herald!

“C’mon Ari, how you say I should do this exercise for only three minutes – I haven’t even scratched the surface!” Well, actually, if you do it right, that is really all the time you need for the type of practice I have in mind. And when you do it right, you will make more

We are getting all Shakespearean here but it is indeed that deep (ha!) of a question: To Fill or not to Fill? Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to be content always staying in the background or to take arms and make a fitting statement? Whether it’s worth the risk of getting chastised (or fired)

Called to solo and feel cold sweat coming on? Wrestling with a million thoughts in your mind and feeling like you have to now play a million notes to impress everyone with your chops, speed, loudness, and amazingness? There is lots to say about soloing effectively (more on that coming). But if this is new

These Wicked Dexterity Drills are just what the Doctor ordered… First published on notreble, this dexterity regimen effectively addresses several common issues: coordination between the right and left hands independence of all fingers, but especially the third and pinky fingers more comfort with one-finger-per-fret string crossing speed training Dexterity is all about coordination It’s a

I got this question twice last week: Ari, what do you think of squeeze balls and grip devices and other gadgets to strengthen my fingers? From my experience these items will not help you. I advise against them because to use them corectly, one needs to have a good plan, pay attention, be constantly aware

Last week I was talking about the importance of sending tension packing so creativity and flow can move your way instead. Here are a few general tips and checkpoints for relaxed and effective playing technique Work on your technique regularly so overgripping and overworking become a thing of the past. Let the big muscles get

I used to believe that peak creativity is just happening to us in rare, lucky moments and that the best we can do is pray to the muses. Over time I realized that there are a lot of things I could do to foster creativity and to have more of these lucky moments. This gives

When I wrote my book, Music  Theory for the Bass Player, me and my editors went back and forth (and forth and back!) about using the description of “kinked fingers” in the Technique Chapter! My editors wanted me to use the word “crooked” instead. It’s a subtle distinction between the two, but the word crooked just didn’t

Working on Walking Bass? Creating an interesting walking bass line over changes is one part art, one part science (music theory) and a whole lot of feel . Well, how can we turn this somewhat cryptic recipe into a useful recommendation for walking chord changes to give your own lines an instant lift? Walking bass

Got a fret buzz that is just not going away? A fret buzz can really be putting a damper on the joy of playing. Here is help: First – check your set up! Maybe your truss rod is not adjusted correctly, or you have a fret sticking out that is causing the buzz. Take your

If you have ever opened up a music theory book, you will see the “functions” of chords within a scale. They are famously named: The “Functions”: Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant Tonic (that’s the chord built on the first scale degree) Subdominant (that’s the chord built on the fourth scale degree) and Dominant (that’s the chord built

Remember the shortcuts to Modes from last week? Here is a great ear training exercise to hearing the modes. It is so amazingly easy, it is wild. Remember there are three major modes, three minor modes and one mode that is in a class of its own. The three major ones: ionian lydian (with the

Remember to enter to win the beautiful Kala UBass! That lovely Passenger Kala UBass will be drawn very soon! Repeat submissions encouraged! Lucky winner, get ready! Terms and Conditions here! Repeat entries encouraged. It sounds awesome, check it: