How To Practice — Presentation Materials

Here are the supporting materials for my “How to Practice Workshop” that I recently presented at ZUYD Conservatorium Maastricht. Download and enjoy! Download the zip file: Goldsby_Practice_Presentation Please check out my new online video lessons from Discover Double Bass a great way to jump start your practice routine!

Jazz Concepts: Back to the Roots

Jazz Concepts: Back to the Roots by John Goldsby — Bass Magazine — Issue 9 How large is the number called a Googol? You could Google it, but I’ll just tell you: A Googol is 10100, or one followed by a hundred zeros. That’s about how many quarter-notes I’ve played in my life, or at […]

Triads over “All the Things You Are”

Inside the Changes of ‘Confirmation’ — a Bebop Etude

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, […]

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 […]