Anatomy of a musical giant
The classical backbone
Jazz, slap, and rockabilly
The extreme and the bizarre
YOUR GOAL
Master of The secret life of the double bass
maestro Slap Bass
When my bow snapped in Louisiana, I slapped that big bass to make it loud!
maestro Time your slaps on the strings to discover how the double bass anchors the orchestra.
Bass gymnastics: Some rockabilly bassists perform stunts, standing on top of their upright basses while playing them live on stage.
A performance technique on stringed instruments where the strings are pulled and released to produce a percussive sound. Bill Black famously used this percussive style in 1954 while playing double bass for Elvis Presley.
Which part of the hand do jazz bassists primarily use to pull the strings for a standard pizzicato sound?
maestro Jazz double bass players replaced traditional bowing with the pizzicato technique.
Which influential bassist is credited with perfecting the walking bassline in Count Basie's 1930s jazz band?
What electronic device was invented in the 1940s to help acoustic double basses be heard over loud jazz bands?
In rockabilly music, what drum sound does the physical 'clack' of a slapped bass string replace?
What is a common nickname for the double bass when played in jazz, bluegrass, or rockabilly bands?
Why did early bluegrass and rockabilly bassists slap the strings against the fingerboard?
Which jazz bass technique involves playing steady quarter notes that step through the chord progression?