Contemporary Bass Guitar Grooves

with Bruce Gertz

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Intermediate 29 lessons (1h 11m) Sheet music included Mobile, Tablet + Desktop

Award-winning bassist and educator Bruce Gertz (Berklee) teaches you how to build bass lines and master the major feels you'll encounter on electric jazz bass in his series of dynamic online jazz bass lessons.

In this course, Bruce starts with a recap of the basics in jazz and base, introducing you to how he teaches key concepts of pulse & time. He then moves on to demonstrate the major feels you'll encounter as an electric jazz bassist including:

  • Walking bass
  • 16th note funk
  • Slap bass
  • Latin tumbao
  • Double time
  • Ballad feel and many more. 

Bruce then looks in detail at key articulation techniques that will make your playing sound authentic and professional, including pull-offs, double pull-offs, ghost notes, pickup notes, skips and drops.

You'll then learn how a pro builds a bass line, bringing together harmony, groove and time-feel. Bruce explains 8 different approaches to creating a bass line, demonstrated over 5 sample chord progressions.

The course includes play along tunes for each of the 5 chord progressions. Also, as with all our MusicGurus courses, you can slow-down and loop any part of the jazz bass lesson so you can easily learn and copy what Bruce plays.

Please note this course was originally published as a DVD and converted from this format - it is therefore in Standard Definition quality.

Once you’ve completed Bruce’s jazz bass lessons, browse our full collection of jazz music courses to continue your journey in the genre.