Power Grooving 2.0 is coming!
Hi!
I’m SUPER close to finishing up the eagerly anticipated second edition of my digital course, Power Grooving for Bass Players.
I’ve been modifying and tweaking the course, ever since I first launched it about a year and-a-half ago.
And it’s coming together beautifully!
Target release date for version 2.0 is August 2022.
Power Grooving is focused on teaching you how to lay down the "right" bass groove in any style of music, in any key.
The course is made up of 6 modules, each with a group of lessons and a step-by-step process for nailing all kinds of styles, including rock, blues, pop, jazz, Latin, gospel, funk, R&B, slapping, hip-hop, reggae, odd meters, and lots more!
HOWEVER, I need your help. Before I finalize everything and click the “publish” button, I need to make sure I’ve got everything covered.
Please take a few minutes to answer this super-short survey. Here's the only thing I want to ask you . . .
What are your top two questions about bass grooving that I absolutely NEED to address in this new version?
Answer in the “comments” section below.
Thanks!
Jon
Not really sure how you can teach anyone groove.. Groove is ones interpretation of what one could or should play in a piece of music using time space and notes and feel. That come from life experiences how the music moves or inspires us or doesnt And our exposure to other types of music and our awareness and internalization of it. Most times its what we dont play that makes it groove and the space between notes
I was in Cuba in Feb I doubt one person was counting the The Clave but never really diving in as an American I def was until I could just feel it..
Thanks, Mike. Yes, grooving is definitely about feel. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Thanks for weighing in!
Hey Jon, There two things that I learned (far later than I should have) from extensive recording that I think are interesting and are often missed. When playing a fill, (or even a pattern) there’s always a tendency to play the start and finish stronger. (And you can see that with the readout). The “middle” of the phrase is usually weaker in volume. Why? Because the brain is thinking about where it’s starting and where it’s winding up, and naturally considers the “middle” as connecting the two. HOWEVER, if those middle notes are played as evenly as one would play the start and finish, the groove remains more intact and the overall feel is more solid. The second thing I would address is using the best sound for any particular groove. Guys can fall in love with a specific bass tone and then apply it to everything they do. But certain grooves sit better with the proper balance of highs, mids and lows. It can make all the difference in regard to how a part grooves. That’s TWO! I got lots more! LOL Hope that helps.
Great insights, Nelson. Thanks!
How to learn accurate time control without getting boarded?
How to survive the period of not seeing any progress?
Thanks, Moreno!
Jon, I have not viewed the older version of Power Grooving, so I am not familiar with the course. So, I am probably not the right person to ask.
Thanks!
No worries, Kevin. Feel free to weigh in on anything at all regarding bass grooving. Your comments are welcome! Thanks.
Teach about the space between the notes and not just coming from the bass. How does everything from the drums to the guitar to keys to the bass all fit together. If each instrument doesn’t respect its own “silence”, they’re probably stepping on the groove instead of propelling it.
Great advice, Dan! I’ve never liked to think of the bass as a “background” instrument, but rather a “supportive” instrument. You’re so right about how everything’s got to fit together. Thanks!
For me, grooving is all about moving to the music. Forever, I was so wrapped up in concentrating on what I was playing, making sure I was technically correct, that I didn’t feel the music. I was kind of just standing there like a statue. Once I started kind of “dancing to the music”, the feeling of the song changed for me, and not only was I able to get into the groove better, I enjoyed playing more. So, as Sly would say, “Dance To The Music”.
Right on, Kevin! Yeah, you’ve got to be technically correct, but you’re supposed to have fun too! Thanks for the great comment!
Hi Jon:
For me, groove comes from knowledge and joy of the stuff you play with others. A confident player, that dominates his parts or his craft (when improvising), can communicate with the other players more, and respond to the music that is happening.
Yes! Confidence, communication, and responding to what’s going on around you. All are important. Thanks, Gonzalo!
for me I HAVE TO ME MOVIG. YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER
Thanks, Jesse. Always good to hear from you!
Should the bassist always link in with the drummer even if the drummer is boring and monotonous.
Generally, yes, although at times you may need to lead the drummer, trying to get him/her back on course. It’s easy to say, “Just find another drummer,” but that’s not always possible. As a bass player, you need to do your job, even if it’s not always easy.
I’d be curious if anyone else want to weigh in. What do you think???
Hey Jon!
…,.to reiterate many of the previous comments…. note length AND release
are incredibly important in the overall groove creation, also listening/being aware of, not only the kick drum pattern but also the snare hits – because many times (not always of course) our bass line will be in a “call & response” pattern with the snare hits, so releasing before the snare cracks is key!
Thanks, Joe! These things, unfortunately, are all too often overlooked.
The option to isolate a few bars to repeat would be awesome! I think it would help to improve timing and muscle memory. It would be most helpful to master the last half of a lesson which are always tougher.
I know this is a big technical challenge. It may be too late for this version, but I remain patient.
Great suggestion, Mike, as always! Thanks.
Jon, for me one of the most important things a bassist should be aware of is the pulse of the groove. Knowing, without thinking, of subdividing the beat into the smallest increments while playing, even though you might not be playing the subdivided rhythm itself, feeling it keeps you in the game. Like an outfielder in bassball (pun intended) every play might not involve you, but your head has to be in every play, every pitch. Making music is like having a conversation, which involves listening and feeling, as well as talking.
Love it, Mike! You should know it so well that’s it’s like second nature to you. Thanks for weighing in!
You have covered most styles that a large number of bassists might wish to get under their fingers. While a lot of of people do not speak of the back, middle and top of the beat, it exists. Different drummers (good ones) will play the same groove evenly in either of those three. While it certainly is important in groove tunes to sit with the kick drum, knowing how to play with any good drummer makes for a good engine room.
Perhaps? – It’s also worth mentioning in swing and BeBop tunes to let people know that the accent is on 2+4 in a bassline not 1+3 like popular music or it doesn’t swing.
It’s a groove book so if it does not groove or swing then it don’t mean a thing.
Great points, Andy. Thanks!
What are your top two questions about bass grooving that I absolutely NEED to address in this new version?
Jon, Power Grooving is excellent, and I would address these top two things.
1) The playback player needs to be easier to move forward or back when playing with it.
2) Maybe have a metronome on there as well.
Thanks, John. Good suggestions! Keep ’em coming!
Hi John, i have to admit that I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with this course. Seems as though life and relationships have been taking priority over lessons. When I have had time, the modules have been very beneficial , even as a healthy reminder of the basics . Sometimes as a weekend warrior , with close to 40 years of experience, I can forget why most of these fundamentals are second nature. I don’t have much new to add , to answer your questions. I do agree with what some others have mentioned about how grooving is mostly a feel and a spatial relationship of sounds exchanged between musicians. This can be tough to teach, but if you could actually bring a live drummer into a lesson or two it could be a great example. This could complement your lessons and add a visual aid for some that may need it.Anyway I do enjoy the course, so keep them coming.
Great points, Jim. Thanks!
Since groove comes from your interpretation of the music and feel for the music as a player, I would say that you’d need to listen to a wide cross section of music first; different genres and cultures. If you have a lot of music in your veins already, you are better prepared to add the right type of groove to what you’re playing-because you understand the feel of the music. That variety of rich flavoured music background might allow you, as a musician, to be ready to cross connect things and add something unique. Like a little Soweto in your Dublin. So perhaps a selected ‘listening list’ would help with that direction. Songs where the bassline really added the right groove flavour. Hope that makes sense.
Great points, Pete. Thanks!
I can just about play someone else’s groove (like your own) and make it ‘feel good’ as you say, but what I would be looking for in a course such as Power Grooving is something to teach me how to write my own grooves, playing with other musicians (e.g. being able to lock in with the drums and support the other musicians) – even better would be if I could do this spontaneously – it’s my dream to be able to hear a song and just know what to play on the bass that would make it sound better.
The main things I think I would need to learn are:
• Rhythm and timing – being able to play more complicated, syncopated rhythms with rests and 16th notes (e.g. as you may see in funk) and be able to hit the right subdivision at the right moment so it grooves perfectly with the band. Also dealing with odd time signatures e.g. 5/4 would be useful to know
• Note choice – how do I know which notes to play, the function and effect of particular notes (e.g. resolution, approach notes) and the use of different scales over chords (e.g. using modes) so as not to get caught in the ‘Pentatonic rut’ as I’ve heard can happen
• Effective use of articulations – how should I use techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides and ghost notes effectively
Sorry that’s more than two, but I found it difficult to know what to suggest as I currently don’t know enough to even know exactly what I need to learn, so that’s why I wrote about where I want to get to!
Celia, it’s as though you read my mind! 🙂 The new version of Power Grooving will include pretty much everything you mentioned. In addition to the Groove Grower™ theme-and-variations format (as in the Bottom Line Club), each lesson will include approximately 10 more suggestions of new ways to play the groove (including syncopated rhythms with rests and 16th notes). It will also include another PDF, tentatively called “All You,” which is basically a blank sheet of manuscript paper with chord changes, encouraging you to see what you can come up with on hour own. The other issues, including odd time signatures and finding correct note choices, are included as well. Thanks so much for weighing in!
Just a reply to Mike Sheehan’s comment above – a looper which enables you isolate and loop specific bars of a backing track is an amazing practice tool – I use one on another website and I find it extremely helpful, especially as I can also slow down the tempo. The technology is available so I think you should look into it Jon, for all your stuff – the tracks you’ve started putting some of your courses have been really useful to me because I can practice at different speeds, but it would be even better if I could just loop a few specific bars and really drill those to get that ‘muscle memory’ into my fingers!
Thanks for the suggestion, Celia. At least three people have requested this feature and I’m moving it up on the priority table!
Jon, a quick question – what does “playing in the pocket” mean – I’ve heard that a few times but, whilst I could hazard a guess, I don’t know what it really means – is it something that can be taught?
Basically, Celia, playing in the pocket means playing the notes exactly where they should be played, not pushing ahead nor lagging behind. It’s really about feel. When the bass player and the drummer are locked in, playing right in the pocket, it feels great!