This plectrum study illustrates how a pick can be used to play funk and R&B lines, as popularised by bassists such as Carol Kaye and Bobby Vega. This piece was written as a practice resource for working on sixteenth note-based funk lines and strummed chordal parts, and is great fun to play.
If you require additional help with your picking technique, be sure to check out our Plectrum - Beginner video course.
Don’t forget to hit the Download Resources button above to get the PDF transcription and the audio files for this piece (available to subscribers only).
This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above.
This video is a demonstration of Advanced Plectrum Study #2, performed 1972 Fender Jazz bass.
This video gives a brief overview of the course.
In this video we’ll be working through the main chordal riff that opens the piece. This lesson covers bars 1-4.
In this video we’ll be working through the R&B-flavoured sixteenth note line that’s played during the B section. This lesson covers bars 5-12.
In this lesson we’ll be working through the D section of the piece, which acts as a Middle 8. This lesson covers bars 17-20.
In this video we’ll be taking a look at the E section of the piece, which features a very cool line based on an A dominant seventh chord. This lesson covers bars 21-28.
This short video covers the final section of the piece, at letter F. This lesson covers bars 29-37.
In this final video of the course I’ll be talking about the tone and instrument that I used for this piece, as well as offering some advice on how you can achieve a similar sound.