Hi everyone!!! This is my first attempt at puting down in writting what I would normally tell,or show people,so please be patient with me.Thank You. I am a 37 year old bassist with 22 years stage experience and 24 years playing experience.Soon after I started playing I found out that there were publications out specificlly for guitar and bassist.The GPI publications taught me a great deal.Talking and jamming with friends did the same,although some of these people were brutal as far as letting me know about myself and my playing.Taking occasional lessons with a teacher got me through some difficult passages.Today we have the internet with all its websites(such as Activebass),where you can learn stuff.So it amazes me when some rival bassist wants to know how I can play as well as I do,He/She can't seem to get anything happening. I will ask them if they know five basic things. If they answer yes they know all this,then I ask what is it they want me to teach them There are five essential things that every bass player should be able to do. They are as follows: 1)Drone-holding down one note 2)Root/Fifth-this is your typical country bass 3)The 12-bar Blues-many variations to this 4)Scales-these help get you from point A to point B 5)Riff or Main Theme of the song

If you can do these five basic things, then you are well on your way.What I find is that most people don't know that they are good. Because they are bass players,they get attitudes from guitarists that because they play simple lines,the bassist has no talent.IT"S OUR JOB TO PLAY SIMPLY.If you try and strech out,These same guitarist will get upset that you are walking all over thier domain. For those wondering, I was into the progressive rock music of the 70's. So I have listened and learned Chris Squire,Geddy Lee,John Entwistle,Etc.But when I started working I found out that most of the people I worked for didn't care about my being able to play like that the way all my high school friends did.When I tried to put a bassline to an original we wrote it came out simpe anyway. Just remember two things about bass playing. 1)All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten 2)KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)