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Bass Player CD Review

Bass Player CD Review

Roscoe Beck - Instructional Videos

 

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Blues Foundations is an in-depth look into traditional and contemporary blues bass playing. Roscoe Beck, one of today's leading performers and authorities on blues bass, has recorded and appeared with many rhythm and blues, pop and jazz artists including Eric Johnson and Robben Ford. In this 90-minute video, Roscoe leads the viewer through numerous examples ranging from early traditional to modern blues bass lines. Joined by fellow Blue Line members Robben Ford and Tom Brechtlein, Roscoe demonstrates shuffles, walking bass lines and "guitar type" comps used in early blues. Players of all levels will find a wealth of information as they discover the history of blues bass and the evolution of the style. Roscoe also includes a special section on his famous "organ sound" two-hand tapping technique . He shows how to tap chords and create "horn punches" with the right hand on the fingerboard while simultaneously playing a bass line with the left. This program also features exciting live performances by Robben Ford and The Blue Line including their popular "You Cut Me To The Bone" and "Talk To Your Daughter ". The video includes a booklet with examples in standard music and tablature .

 

Buy it online (or call 1-800-628-1528 x215)

On Blues Bass, Step One you'll learn: The 12 bar blues progression Technique and hand position Classic shuffle, slow and minor blues lines Equipment and sound And much more! Blues Bass, Step One also features on-screen graphics and tablature plus a great band to illustrate each point. Running time: 40 minutes Level: Beginner/Intermediate "Great presentation *****" -Bassist Magazine, May 1997

 

Buy it online (or call 1-800-628-1528 x215)

On Blues Bass, Step Two you'll learn: More classic shuffle blues bass lines More minor blues bass lines Alternative bass line styles Special bass techniques And much more! Blues Bass, Step Two also features on-screen graphics and tablature plus a great band to illustrate each point. Running time: 40 minutes Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Bass Player Instructional Video Review

Roscoe Beck
Blues Foundations for Bass

Instructional value: A
Production values: A

Generally, an instructional video features your favorite player either guiding you through an overview of good bassmanship or focussing on a specialized area. Not surprisingly, there seem to be more quality tapes of the latter type--and rocketing to the top of that list is Roscoe Beck's 90-minute, nothin'-but-the-blues video debut. Though renowned for his "organ sound" two-hand tapping technique as a member of Robben Ford & the Blue Line (with drummer Tom Brechtlein), Beck's primary concern is laying down the bottom. This point is brought out both verbally and by the limited amount of time he devotes here to illustrating his chordal tapping approach.

Following an opening song by the Blue Line, whose performances punctuate and close the tape, Beck takes us back to the Delta to demonstrate early bass lines originally played on guitar or keyboard in the style of such artists as Elmore James and Little Walter. From there, he moves on to cover more than a dozen slow blues and shuffle parts, recalling everything from stride piano bass riffs to Willie Dixon upright lines. Each example begins with a cue for the accompanying music/tablature booklet and is presented up to tempo, usually with support form Brechtlein and Ford. As a follow-up, Roscoe slows down the example and plays it by himself, utilitzing a screen-within-a-screen format and offering valuable additional tips.

Short sections on soloing and Beck's equipment and bass collection are relevent, even if they do disturb the overall groove, so to speak. That aside, no matter what your current three-chord bass line repertoire is, Blues Foundations for Bass can transform you into a virtual blues scholar.