Become A Bassist Summit
Hey there, bass players!
I’m super excited about a new educational opportunity occurring this month, the Become A Bassist Summit. The Summit will take place between August 10th-14th, 2020, and it’s TOTALLY FREE! Visit Become A Bassist to learn more and register. You can check it out live (for free!), or you can purchase an “all-access pass” to have ongoing access to all of the content. That way, you can watch or rewatch any of the courses whenever you feel like it! It’s less than the cost of a private lesson, and you can purchase the pass here.
Okay, okay, so you may be wondering why I’m so excited about this. First off, masterclasses range from technique to tone, practicing strategies to on-the-gig application, and musicality to ingenuity. There’s something for everyone.
Ryan Madora’s Bass Masterclass
My masterclass takes place on August 11th and is titled, “Holding Down The Fort” – Blues Bass Essentials and How To Master The Blues Jam Session.” I discuss the playing style of bass players that you need to know—including Willie Dixon, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Tommy Shannon—and how they’ve contributed to the evolution of the genre. I also describe the proper etiquette for a blues jam and why the genre is easy to learn but difficult to master.
Second, the organizer of the event, Luke McIntosh, did an absolutely fantastic job curating this event. In doing so, he got in touch with some of the best bass players in the business, and frankly, I’m thrilled and very thankful to be included in the bunch. The other educators are people who I look up to, players that I’ve learned something from, and phenomenal people who make the bass world better. That said, I figured it would be worthwhile to provide you with “Ryan’s Inside Scoop” so that you can learn a little bit more about some of the educators that I am honored to call friends.
Bryan Beller
I originally met Bryan Beller at Gerald Veasley’s Bass Boot Camp and was absolutely blown away by his control over the instrument, his approach to crafting tone, and his diverse musical repertoire. As I got to know him, I realized that he’s the hardest-working bass player in the business. Not only has he toured with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and The Aristocrats (his fusion power trio with Guthrie Govan and Marco Minnemann), but he has released some absolutely magnificent solo work, including his latest record, Scenes From The Flood. Oh yeah, he has toured and recorded with Dethklok from the TV show, Metalocalypse, served as a contributing editor for Bass Player Magazine, and was a VP for SWR amps. The dude knows what he’s talking about. Not only does he have a fantastic sense of humor, but he has a pretty sweet collection of Mike Lull Basses.
Ariane Cap
In addition to writing the book Music Theory For the Bass Player: A Comprehensive and Hands-On Guide to Playing With More Confidence and Freedom, Ariane Cap is a fellow contributor to No Treble and an educator with TrueFire. She’s a remarkably talented teacher who practices what she preaches, knows how to relate information to students of all levels, and has technical chops for days. I’ve been lucky enough to sit across from her at our yearly No Treble dinner during the NAMM show, and trust me, she’s wonderful. Fun fact: she was voted one of the Hottest Players In The World in Bass Player Magazine’s 2019 Poll.
Damien Erskine
I can’t think of anyone who has contributed more useful knowledge to the online bass community than Damien Erskine. Between his long-running column series on No Treble, his books Right Hand Drive and The Improvisor’s Path, and his online learning site basseducation.com, there’s nothing this guy doesn’t know. His methods are practical, inspiring, and useful for players of all levels. He’s played with everyone from The Jaco Pastorius Big Band, to Gino Vannelli, to Jeff Lorber and has taught clinics at universities around the world. That being said, there’s a whole lot you can learn from him just by sitting in your living room.
Despite the gratuitous gushing, these are just some of the players that you can learn from FOR FREE by checking out the Become A Bassist Summit.
Other Become A Bassist Educators
Nathaniel Andrew, Nick Clark, Anthony Crawford, James Eager, Greg Haggar, Steve Jenkins, Ian King, David Labruyere (one of my favorite Nashville bassists), Tim Lefebvre, Marc Peric, Magnus Sjoquist, and Mark Smith.
Become A Bassist All-Access Pass
Purchase the All-Access Pass to have the content forever and ever!
I hope you have the opportunity to check it out, learn a few things, and get inspired by each and every one of these educators.