In this issue

THE WOODSHED - Luthier Rob Elrick reveals the secrets beneath your bass gear’s surface.

THEORY OF THE MONTH - Grasp essential bass theory with the help of ace educator Joe Hubbard.

Stephen ‘Thundercat' Bruner – 'Bass Traverses Different Worlds'

Want to learn the secrets of the universe? Then you’d better join us as we sit down with Stephen ‘Thundercat’ Bruner, the pre-eminent bassist of his generation. This one goes deep!

10+ mins

Haim Sweet Haim

“It’s just me, with no bells and whistles,” explains Este Haim of the bass behind her trio’s acclaimed music

7 mins

KIND OF BLUE

Fusion artist extraordinaire and sometime Pat Metheny alumnus Mark Egan brings us up to date with his new album, Electric Blue, recorded with his long-time drummer colleague Danny Gottlieb

4 mins

BASSIST Of The YEAR

Meet Danny Sapko, voted by you as Bassist Of The Year 2020!

4 mins

POP MUSIC

Cat Popper has earned her stripes as a bassist with a long list of big names—so a solo career is long overdue. We meet the reluctant star...

4 mins

MEDICINE MAN

The Foo Fighters return with a new album, Medicine At Midnight, with the low end taken care of as always by the great Nate Mendel. Has he fallen for a five‑string yet? Find out here...

7 mins

LAKLAND Skyline J-Sonic

A classically-styled Jazz with a sonic twist... does that sound interesting? You bet it does, says Mike Brooks

3 mins

I SPY…MIX AND MATCH ARPEGGIOS

Hey there, bass players! We’ve recently dedicated two columns to arpeggios, and for good reason. Whether you’re creating a groove or walking through changes, we do our jobs better by gracefully outlining the notes of the chord and clearly defining the harmony.

5 mins

HONE YOUR SKILLS: DIG DEEPER WITH YOUR BASS THINKING

Last month we looked at inversions, which are chords where the lowest note is something other than the root. Using the third, the fifth, or even the seventh in the bass—in other words, the lowest note in the chord— offers us a whole lot more interesting options as bass players.

8 mins

THUMBS AHOY! MIX AND MATCH: ADVANCED SLAP

Welcome! For the last year or so we’ve been working on some very advanced slap bass techniques.

2 mins

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Bass Player US Magazine Description:

Bobby Vega
Ever since his first recording session with Sly Stone at the age of 17, Bay Area bass badass Bobby Vega has set the bar for funktastic pick playing. In this month's cover story, he goes deep on his plectrum technique and artistic approach. Plus: interviews with Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson, Dream Theater's John Myung, and Jerry "J Blakk" Henderson of Big Sam's Funky Nation; reviews of the Blackstar Fly Bass mini-amp, Mesa-Boogie D-800 head and Ultra Lite cabinets, and new pickups from Lindy Fralin; Jazz and R&B lessons you can use; a full-song bass transcription of Deep Purple's "Gettin' Tighter;" and more!