Roland Guerin :: Jazz Bass Lessons

Lesson #1 (Advice): Neb Elimination
8/1/3

Being a bass player is a very powerful thing. With the right tools and understanding, one can control the groove, harmonic movement, feel, tension and beat placement in a band (or of course on your own). One of the first steps to becoming a great bassist is to remove all known and unknown "neb" from your musical vocabulary. Nebulous playing involves the urge to just play any old thing at the high point of excitement or at any given time. A bassist can control a lot in a setting if he/she knows how to. Next week, we will take a look at some of the first steps in this process.

What to consider if you are currently taking bass lessons:

I always ask my students:

• How long have you been playing?

• What kind of playing do you like?

• Can you give me an example of how well (or advanced) you want your playing to be?

• Who inspires you?

• What can I do to help you achieve your goal?

I suggest that if you are taking bass lessons, that you consider exactly what you are learning and make sure that it is covering all of the "basses" that you need. If not, consult your teacher and ask. Maybe he/she is teaching you techniques that will take you where you don't want to be. If this is the case, you need to re-evaluate your purpose for taking bass lessons.

I do teach private lessons to students in the south Louisiana area. If you look at my tour dates and see that I will be coming to a city near you and would like to arrange a private lesson, that can be done as well. Please email for more information about private lessons.