An awesome challenge for putting arpeggio studies to work

By Jon Liebman
November 14, 2024

I see it all the time. People diligently practicing away, learning to play scales and arpeggios on the bass without really knowing why, or how to apply those skills to making music.

Truthfully, I admire these folks. They have the best of intentions. At the same time, though, I want to do all I can to help them learn to play a good solid bass line that’ll really help the music.

In this week’s lesson, I offer some insights into how to lay down a genuine, feel-good bass groove using only three notes in each chord, in this case, all major chords. It’s a wonderful discipline when you work in a confined framework like this. It forces you to expand your creativity.

Watch this week’s video for some examples and actionable takeaways. There are also some tips on applying this skill up and down the entire bass fingerboard, which will help you become an all-around more proficient bass player.

Be sure to leave a comment below and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s play bass!

Jon