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How to play slap bass: an essential guide to slapping and popping
Also known as thumpin’ and pluckin’, slap bass is one of the mainstays of funk bass
Bass chords: shapes that work on bass guitar – and go beyond the power chord
Learning how to play chords on the bass is an absolute must if you want to develop your musicianship
20 metal bassists who took heavy bass playing in new directions
Featuring metal’s leading low-enders – from old-school thrash to modern metal
John Myung on how the return of Mike Portnoy has changed the band – and his bass playing
Parasomnia is Dream Theater's first new album with drummer Mike Portnoy for 16 years
21 slap bass legends who made thumpin’ and pluckin’ their own
From the godfather of thumpin’ and pluckin’ to Victor Wooten’s game-changing slap technique, we bring you the players that you must know if you want to call yourself a true bass aficionado
The bassists of James Brown reveal what life was really like playing alongside the Godfather of Soul
Fred Thomas, Ray Brundidge and Bootsy Collins dig into what it meant to play with Soul Band No. 1
20 funk bass legends who took low-end groove to new heights
A rundown of the best funk bass players of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, and the monster groovers around today
“There’s an art to simplicity, and Jason Newsted brought that art”: The bassists of Metallica
From Ron McGovney to Robert Trujillo, we trace the evolution of Metallica’s low-end sound
“Our goal is to stay at the forefront of amplification innovation”: How Seymour Duncan set out to create the ultimate bass amp solution by pushing its PowerStage lineup to greater heights
Sponsored by Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan has expanded its revered PowerStage line with a do-it-all amp head designed specifically for bassists – but it's so much more than just a companion for your amp modeler
“If Leo Fender could come back today I think he would approve”: 10 6-string bassists you need to know
From John Myung to Felix Pastorius to Thundercat, we follow their historic quest for the ultimate extended-range axe
Having graced hits by OutKast, TLC, and Usher, LaMarquis Jefferson has carved a niche in a scene long dominated by synthetic low-end
LaMarquis Jefferson reveals what it takes to set the pace in today’s studio scene
Tobias instruments were trailblazers in the bass world. Now they’re back as part of the Gibson family
Luthier Michael Tobias’ ergonomic and tonally versatile bass guitars were lauded in the late ’70s, and now Gibson has spearheaded their return
Former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Nicole Fiorentino on how she landed her role in Garbage – with no audition
Fiorentino continues the trend of former Pumpkins bassists delivering the low-end for both bands
“We’ve only changed the strings one time”: Travis Barker reveals the bass he uses on everything he records
The Blink-182 drummer and producer has made a revelation about a go-to bass that has proved perfect for almost every record he's produced
From Ritchie Blackmore to Ozzy, bassist Bob Daisley has worked with rock’s heaviest heroes
For more than 30 years, bassist Bob Daisley laid the foundations on which some of the greatest rock and roll ever was built
“We took 36 hours to cut Good Vibrations. We knew it was a big deal”: Carol Kaye’s 10 greatest basslines
The session legend was responsible for some of the finest bass playing ever committed to tape – here are her best moments
Slayer’s Tom Araya charts his incredible 4-string journey
From starting on a Paul McCartney Höfner ripoff to pioneering some of the heaviest metal ever committed to tape, Tom Araya admits he's no bass virtuoso… but he “can play fast sometimes”
Created by the Ibanez Custom Shop in L.A., Thundercat’s double-neck bass guitar has a 6-string on top and an 8-string on the bottom
It’s impossible not to notice Thundercat onstage, especially when sporting a custom-made double-neck bass
