FOR 7TH MAJOR ARPEGGIO TABZ, CLICK HERE.

Lessons? Well, I don't know that I consider myself a teacher, but this is the spot where you can find a bunch of resources that I think would help out the beginner/intermediate bassist. I'll include fretboard diagrams, a "Slap" section replete with PICTURES, and tabs for 7th chords, arppegios, and scales. If I've helped you out in any way, then I've done it right. I've heard that the best way to learn the right way to do something is to try and teach it to someone else. Let's see if they're right. And, hey. If I've done something completely wrong in this section, please don't hesitate to tell me, so I can keep others (and myself) from looking like total idiots.

bassist95@hotmail.com

FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS: NOTATION

Sorry if the quality of these is a little low-key, but I don't have a scanner. They are still readable though, so if you're looking to learn the notes on your fretboard, this could be what you're looking for.

A few notes on reading them, first... They run left to right, left to right, all the way down. It would've been great if I could've scanned this, but all I have at my current resources is a webcam. A good, clear one.

Fewf!! That was a lot of code... Anyhow, for those of you struggling to learn this crap, a diagram like the one above can be a godsend. I know it was for me.

SLAPPING AND POPPING

Hey there. I've been on many bass discussion boards in my time, and one subject always crops up: slap bass. "How is it done?" they all ask. With a little practice, slapping can add a whole new palette of tones to your bass arsenal.

SLAPPING

First things first: positioning of the hand. With your thumb jutting out, strike the string with the hard joint of your thumb, as pictured below...

Strike the string where the neck of your bass meets the body, right up near the last fret, and bounce back off it right away. Bounce like a bunny, like a rubber ball, like an airhead stripper!

Proper position. (As shown by my ugly little hands...) Well, it would be proper if I weren't hanging onto the G-string to hold my bass up for the webcam picture. This is how it's supposed to look, anyhow.

POPPING

Popping isn't as tough as slapping, but doing it just right isn't easy, either. Most slap/pop bassists slap their lower strings and pop the higher ones, but I'll give major props to anybody who can properly slap on all strings!

Anyway, to popping. You'll want to pluck the string a little harder than usual, hooking just the tip of your finger under the string, like this:

You'll know you have it when it sounds just like it does on all your fave funk tunes.

Basically, that's all there is to it, but it takes a lot of practice to be able to do it well. That can be said for most things in life, but for slapping and popping especially! Yes, your thumb joint will go raw and the tips of your index and middle fingers will get callouses on 'em like they've been dipped in Superglue, but that's the point.

Speaking of Superglue... Did you ever hear about the time Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, of course) slapped so much and so hard that he wore a hole in his thumb? True story. He poured Superglue into the hole and kept on a-groovin'. And Stevie Ray Vaughan (not a bass player, but an INCREDIBLE musician) also used Superglue to put his callouses back on during a night of ripping it up on the fretboard. Now you don't have any more excuses to stop playing when a little soreness pops up, right?

Stay tuned for more lessons coming up here on Small Town Music, including scales and fretboard diagrams for free! Happy playing. ~jean