Inside the Changes of ‘Confirmation’ — a Bebop Etude

Bass Player Magazine adieu …

As some of you might have noticed, Bass Player Magazine is going through some changes. The great US bass magazine — going on 30 years of publication — has been purchased by the Future publishing group, the owners of Bass Guitar Magazine in the UK. I’ve stepped down from my position as writer and contributing […]

The Super Summer Workshop Post

Like many musicians, I often teach at workshops during the summer. I always learn as much from the students as I hope they learn from me. It’s a teachers’ cliché, but I  learn from other musicians of all levels—students, beginners, hobbyists, semi-pros; and also from the huge breadth of talent, expertise and dedication embodied by […]

Fingerings for Artificial Harmonics on “Three Short Stories”

I got this email recently from Jack, a bass teacher who was looking for new material for his jazz student: Hi John, I just picked up the print copy of Three Short Stories. I have a graduate student who is pretty proficient with the bow, and I thought it would be a great piece for […]

Questions, Answers, and more stuff you might not need to know.

I receive quite a few questions from bass players, fans, and “others” from around the globe. Here is a sampling of a some recent inquiries. Am I too old to learn the bass? How Do I Hold My Bow? Gig Inquiry Fail What The Sus? 1. From Vincent the bass player Question: Hi John, Just wanted to […]

But Is It Music?

Chord/Scale Theory Practicing scales is great for your musicianship, but it’s not music! I recently got an email from Hector in Florida asking for my thoughts on chord/scale theory and whether it’s okay to play notes outside the generally accepted chord/scale sounds. Hector boiled several far-reaching questions down to this one, simple question: “Is it […]

Whaddya’ Know? Learning Jazz and Standard Repertoire

I recently got a dub from a cassette recording of a gig I played in 1979. I was young, in over my head, and playing with Buddy DeFranco and Jimmy Raney, a couple of true jazz masters, plus the swinging Louisville drummer Darryl Cotten. DeFranco and Raney were featured for a week at Stanley J’s, […]

Workshop: John Goldsby

Why Did I Write a Jazz Bowing Book?

I recently received an email from a masters student who is doing research on jazz bowing techniques. He asked a few interesting questions about my book Jazz Bowing Techniques for the Improvising Bassist, which I thought I would present here. From Art in England: I am currently writing my Master Thesis in Musicology on the […]