Theory and Improv
Playing Jazz in a Western shirt
Western Swing on Bass I’ve been playing in a Western Swing band lately, and it’s rewiring something in my ear. On paper it’s familiar: rhythm
Ariane Cap
May 29, 2026
Western Swing on Bass I’ve been playing in a Western Swing band lately, and it’s rewiring something in my ear. On paper it’s familiar: rhythm
My marketing team reviewed my Starting Point Quiz this week. Their feedback?“It’s too academic.”“Lead with pain points.”“Make it lighter.” They’re not wrong. I could write you a
Effective Bass Practice: Practice with a Purpose Here’s something I keep having to relearn: When you’re not having an effective bass practice, the answer is
Bass Guitar Theory Struggling to create your own bass lines and grooves? Thinking it’s time to go beyond TAB and imitating YouTubes and learn theory?
Want to learn the Bass Guitar Notes? Bass Guitar Notes are easy to learn, but there is a trick to it:The trick is to start
It’s great to learn bass lines via video but watch out for this When you watch a video to learn bass songs you may sometimes
Always have to… “Steal My Kisses” by Ben Harper features an inspiring bass line using tenths by the awesome Juan Nelson (RIP 🕯️). Tenths are
If you know a scale like this, you know it well. Hint: It involves the diatonic cycle… Ready? Free TABS and diagrams for you here:
Who would have thunk that just by using two main concepts, octaves and chromaticism, could open up so many fresh ideas… and they certainly can!
Scale shedding (this is Pattern VI in the key of A major for those of you have my Pattern System book!) is on tap here.
Videos • Tips • Practice Hacks • Transcriptions