Currently podcasting seems to be the new darling form of media. You can find podcasts focused towards everything from self-help, business, and comedy, to story telling and music production. I’ve found myself diving deeper and deeper into the world of podcasts for a while now. For me there’s nothing better than listening to a good podcast on my morning and evening commute. While I have explored many different types of podcasts, my favorites all revolve around music. Being a bass player I naturally sought out bass related podcasts first. While I can’t say I’ve found many devoted specifically to the bass, the couple I have found are truly stellar. As audio production and songwriting are also areas I have an interest in, I eventually branched out to find more and more interesting podcasts to fill my drive time.
So, without further ado, here are my top 6 Podcasts I feel every bassist should listen to or at least check out: Continue reading “6 Podcasts Every Bassist Should Listen To”
approach your instrument.  Playing around with the cards I found myself exploring ideas I would have never thought of on my own.  I didn’t even consider the fact that I was improvising, I was just having fun playing bass.  The game is definitely a great way to get yourself out of your normal practice routine and shake things up a bit.  I can see myself playing Tonic in the future to boost my inspiration and motivation.  It is so easy to pick a card and start fiddling around, no scales to think about, no technique, just pure musical enjoyment.   
I just finished watching Dave Grohl’s HBO series Sonic Highways, and I must say that I think it is the most inspirational series I have ever seen.  Each one-hour episode features a different iconic American city’s music scene and one of the studios that make it tick.  The history of each city’s music scene is explored as well as it’s culture and interviews with artists that have defined and been shaped by each city’s musical identity.  
There was a time, early on in my bass playing years, that the only strings I would use where Rotosounds.  To be honest, I don’t remember which exact strings they were, all I recall is that they came in an orange package, that the E string was .105 gauge and that they tore the crap out my fingers and frets.  At the time I really had no inkling of what the differences in strings were.  Steel, nickel, roundwound, flatwound, I just played whatever was on my bass and when I needed a new set I’d buy a set of Rotosounds. Looking back, I’d have to guess I was using Stainless Steels, which accounts for the loss of finger skin and fret metal.  
First off, the presentation.  Gone is the clear plastic sleeve with orange insert of yesteryear.  The new packaging is biodegradable, recyclable cardboard, and the Nickel set comes in a lovely deep blue with the British flag poking through.  The strings themselves sport a lovely light blue silk wrap that looks fantastic on my bass.  
These days bass players have such a wide array of teaching tools it is simply amazing. When I started playing you either got a book or took lessons from a more experienced player, and those were pretty much your only two options. Now we have books, videos, private lessons, Skype lessons, YouTube videos, Apps, and an increasing amount of Online Lesson sites. Falling into this new category, Juno Award winning bassist, Chris Tarry, has recently launched