As a kid, Freekbass dreamed of becoming a magician who could pull off mind-blowing tricks and captivate audiences. As it turns out, he has accomplished just that, though instead of using a deck of cards or a magic wand, Freekbass's weapon of mass entertainment is the bass guitar. A verifiable funk and electronica master inspired by the likes of Zapp and Midnight Star, Freekbass has created his own brand and style that can only be described by his name. He loves to explore new places with the bass, and that's exactly what 50 Freekbass Licks You MUST Know exemplifies. Now it's time for YOU to join the New Bass Revolution!
50 Freekbass Licks You MUST Know not only covers totally new techniques, but also expands and evolves on some of the more common ones. All aspects of bass playing are covered, with emphasis on melody, rhythm, and groove. Freekbass will also show you his take on single-thumb techniques, double-thumb techniques, other finger techniques, hard-mute bounces, trampoline thumb techniques, thumping and plucking, sock hops, struts, chromatic runs, hammer ons, pulloffs, percussive hand mutes, and much more.
No one is better suited than Freekbass to help you expand your bass-playing horizons. He has studied the classics of Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Parliament, and Bootsy. He's also released four full-length CDs, including the current "Junkyard Waltz" which includes guest appearances by Phish bassist Mike Gordon, guitarist Buckethead, keyboard wizard from P-Funk/Talking Heads Bernie Worrell, and is produced by funk-legend Bootsy Collins, who also gave him his stage name. As if all of that wasn't enough, Freekbass also has plenty of one-on-one teaching experience behind him and 2 other instructional DVDs.
Now don't be too freaked out--there's plenty of goodness in this course to complement the skill set of any bass guitar player. The video lessons are structured in an easy-to-follow format and Freekbass does an excellent job of explaining every move he makes. The course also comes with tab, standard notation, and Power Tab so you can ingest and decipher every note at your own pace. Freekbass has also included some killer jam tracks so you can learn the licks faster and create your own revolutionary bass sounds. You're going to be blown away by this one. Time to dig in!
What you'll learn
Execute thump-hammer-pluck combinations smoothly
Combine hammer-ons, pull-offs, and muted notes in a rhythmic pattern
Execute an aggressive, driving bass line with percussive elements
Use pinky anchoring technique for easier octave execution
Apply rim shot/ghost note technique for rhythmic punctuation
In this 50 licks series, we are going to explore new places to take the bass. We will cover new techniques, and expand on traditional ones. Both the melodic and the rhythmic sides of the bass will be covered, with emphasis on both melody and rhythm and groove.
The bass guitar is no longer the instrument that stands in the back of the class, but now it is front and center, and with that new and expanding role, comes new and exciting ways to expand what we can do with our instrument.
The Bass Revolution WILL be televised!
2Freekbass Primer
In this section, we are going to be talking in detail about some of the techniques we are using throughout the program. Double-thumb technique, hard-mute bounce, trampoline thumb, thump and pluck, and others will be talked about.
This is a good section that you can always go back to, when you need to see something I am talking about in one of the 50 licks, with a little more detail. Some of these techniques you may already use, or be familiar with, but if not, this will give you a little more detail about what I am using to create some of these basslines.
3The E-Minor Sock Hop
This lick will show using the m3, m7, and octaves and how to create a simple, yet funky, lick using the thump/pluck technique, with some ghost/mute techniques.
I am spreading out on different parts of the neck where I am making my hits/plucks which creates different tones and feels since each string has its own timbre. On the first pluck on the E on the G string, you will notice that between the plucks I am coming down with my full right hand to create another rhythm. Likewise when I hit a hammer from D to E on the 5th to 7th fret on the A string, I do a muted ghost note with a thumb upstroke before the hit.
All of these help to make the line more interesting and groove a bit more, similar to the way a drummer hits different parts of his or her snare drum to create different feels.
4The Hard Mute Bounce (in E)
This E minor pentatonic lick shows how you can create more feeling and groove in your playing by how you attack the neck with your left hand. By not fully pressing on the neck you create almost a clavinet or horn type feel.
Giving the notes and feel a more staccato feel help to make them punch more through the groove and other instruments when you are playing along, so your line does not get lost in the mix. You are still attacking at full force with your right hand, but with your left, you are not fully pressing down.
5The G Strut
With this lick, I am starting to develop something from the "top" of the run, as opposed to starting from the root note. I develop the lick based on the minor 3rd (or the 10th), using the hard mute technique I talked about in an earlier lesson.
I like lines like this because it gives them more of a melodic quality,while still being groovy. If you are vamping in the same key a lot, this will get it out of feeling like your line is based too much around the root, and open it up a bit.
6Chromatic Man
With this lick in D I am using a double-thumb technique, where your thumb almost acts like a pick. That is how I started or discovered this technique.
I was playing in a band where we were doing driving and heavy type feels, and I never liked the idea of being trapped by a pick, because that would limit what I could do with my right hand. So I started using my thumb as a pick, and using both up and down motions, which opened up a whole new world of feel and rhythm to me.
This lick is just using simple octaves, but when you do a ghost or muted up and down attack between each note, it gives the rhythm a more moving and interesting feel.
7C U Dorian
This lick in C Dorian will show how to use plucking-pulloffs and percussive hand mutes to create a strong groovy bassline, almost like using your plucking hand like a snare drum.
The plucking notes are almost like snare drum hits or fills, and my double thumb technique is almost creating a 16th note percussion feel. On the last part of the line the thumb is almost all up-strokes which has a more "on top" kind of feel to the pocket.
I have already taken several courses from Truefire and am very satisfied with them. The teachers are all very skilled, the explanations are clear and it has already brought a lot more creativity into my bass playing. I also pick up bass lines much easier. Highly recommended to every guitarist/bassist, both beginning and advanced.
M
mattywix
Verified buyer
03/27/21
Really cool licks
This course is full of really cool licks that are hard to learn for intermediate but worth it. Really clearly presented and just super interesting.
P
pfetsch
Verified buyer
01/26/21
Freak out
Maybe Not a Must have but a Little bit like pepper and salt
B
bassdoctor
Verified buyer
10/04/20
Freekbass - Inspiration to play bass guitar in a special way
