Exercises

"One task at a time"

This exercise is specially useful learning complex combinations of bass/ melody, as it frees you from bass-stress until you have learned your line.

Play a scale without playing a bass groove - but holding your right hand 1st finger and the thumb in the position, as if you were playing a bass line. Your left hand should be in the right position too - incl. the "bass fingers". Throw your weekest fingers (eg. 4th) at the downstrokes. How does it afford your melody line? Does it sound more egal?

When you start playing bass line, pay attention to bass-melody balance - it must be in you hands! Concentrating on the melody first helps developing precise and good sounding bass groove.

Ex: "Absent lovers" groove - 8th notes from upper C down to Gb and back