How Triad Inversions Unlock Continuous Melodic Lines
If you’ve ever listened to a great improviser and wondered how they seem to spin one long musical thought without getting stuck, you’re not alone. Most musicians don’t just…
How to Use Triad Pairs Without Memorizing Two Triads
Most musicians learn triad pairs by memorizing…. two triads. One triad, then another. And before long, you’re trying to remember: It’s not so much that memorizing a triad…
You Know Your Scales. So Why Don’t Your Lines Sound Melodic?
You know the scale. You’ve practiced the pattern. You know which notes belong to the key and which scales sound best over certain chords. Maybe you can move through the scale in several…
Why Some Musicians Sound Fluent
For years, I thought musical fluency came from several things. Now I think I underestimated one of them. More than a decade ago, when I was running Mutant Bass, I became fascinated by a…
How to Build a Vocabulary of Musical Phrases
Many musicians spend years learning scales, arpeggios, songs, and even transcriptions, yet still feel stuck when it’s time to improvise. I’ve experienced this myself. In fact,…
How One Bass Phrase Can Turn Into Many Pieces of Vocabulary
A lot of bass players think learning a phrase means memorizing it note-for-note and then moving on to the next thing. I used to approach phrases that way too. Learn it. Play it. Check it off…
The Scale Isn’t the Goal. The Sound Is.
When you’re learning a new scale, it’s easy to think your job is to stay inside it. But that’s only the first step. If your goal is to build musical vocabulary, memorizing a…
You Don’t Need an Hour to Build Your Musical Vocabulary
When I became a parent six years ago, one of the things I struggled with was finding uninterrupted time alone with my instrument. Before becoming a parent, I was used to practicing for long…