Transforming You From A ‘Bump-Fwap’
Bass Plunker Into A Serious Grooving Machine

Discover How To Put The ‘Special Sauce’ Into Your Bass Playing

In about two hours, you’ll understand the basic principles of the bass guitar that took me years to figure out on my own. No boring classical theory — just the practical stuff that makes you a better player immediately.

$50 • Instant Download • 60-Day Guarantee

Yes, I Want To Decode The Bass

Hi, I’m Jonathan Boettcher. The first time I ever picked up a bass guitar, a big grin slid instantly across my face… I’m sure you can probably relate to that feeling — just loving that deep, rich tone of a great sounding bass.

But you know what? That day when I first played the bass, I sucked.

Now, to be fair, I already knew how to play guitar fairly well, so I at least knew where the notes were… but most of the songs I played ended up sounding remarkably the same.

I honestly remember being surprised that I couldn’t play the bass well, considering I knew how to play guitar already! I figured it should be as easy as falling off a log…

You see, I had no idea what to play other than the root note of the chord…

Shortly after, someone showed me the octave trick, but it wasn’t until I really dug in and started to understand the theory that my bass playing really took off.

But… Isn’t Music Theory BORING?

You bet it is!

(Betcha didn’t see that one coming!)

In fact, classical music theory is so boring I’d rather watch paint dry in the middle of a snowstorm!

Terms like “hemidemisemiquaver” and “quindicesima bassa” just about make my eyes jump out of my head! (and yes — those are real terms… you can look them up if you don’t believe me!)

And this is exactly why music theory has gotten such a bad rap: well-meaning but completely misguided music teachers have been teaching people for years all of this arcane theory that only about one-tenth of one percent of the population would ever have a use for.

Fact is, most people just want to play their instrument for:

• Personal Pleasure
• Stress Relief
• Jamming With Friends

Am I right? Very few people ever go on to become truly professional musicians, and most who do, STILL don’t understand, let alone use, all that mumbo-jumbo!

“So Jonathan, What’s Your Angle?”

So how can I say that theory is what made such a tremendous difference in my playing? Well, perhaps I should replace the word ‘theory’ with something a bit less misunderstood… like ‘basic principles’.

You see, once I began to understand the basic principles of my bass guitar, I began to see all kinds of new ways of playing it.

Here’s An Example…

I don’t know a whole lot about cars — so when something happens to mine, I basically end up taking it to the mechanic. That’s like playing the root note, okay? Having a single response for pretty much every situation.

In contrast, a good friend of mine knows a great deal about cars, and anytime he’s got a problem with his vehicle, he just pops open the hood and gets creative. That’s because he knows what he’s working with. He understands how it works, what the problem is, and what can be done to fix it.

That’s the equivalent of taking a very different approach to the music, and playing intervals and riffs that sound incredibly cool… understanding the mechanics of what makes your music work, and putting that knowledge to good use!

So Easy A Child Can Master It

I’m not talking about complicated theory here! My basic requirements are these:

• Do you know the first seven letters of the English alphabet? (If not, I’ll TELL YOU!)
• Can you count to eight? (Again, we can WORK on this!)
• Do you WANT to learn the bass guitar? (The ONE thing you’ll have to provide on your own…)

If you answered YES to all three, then you’re already well on your way to mastering the bass guitar.

The basic principles I’m going to show you about your bass guitar don’t require anything more than you already have… and yet these principles are so powerful, that you could use them to go all the way to Nashville, should you have the desire to do so.

So What’s With The 2-Hour Claim?

My Decoding The Bass Guitar lesson is almost exactly 2 hours long, so I’m actually leaving room in there for a washroom break if you need it.

Fact is, I believe that once you watch through this bass guitar lesson, and the principles I teach in there sink into your head, you will automatically start playing differently. That’s what knowledge does to you — it actually renews your mind into a different way of thinking!

It’s no wonder they say Knowledge is Power!

After going through this lesson, you will not look at your bass guitar the same way again… I guarantee it.

Now — time for the disclaimer — I don’t have any secret potion of bass mastery that I can send you, so just like everyone else in this world, you’re going to have to practice in order to improve. There’s no getting around that. No pain, no gain, right?

However — with these principles in mind, your practicing will be far more effective, and you will literally notice yourself improving very rapidly.

I’m The Most Patient Teacher In The World…

…but only on video! Have you ever been trying to learn a particular thing on your bass, perhaps from a friend or another musician, and you just couldn’t get the hang of it, no matter how hard you tried?

One of the reasons why video lessons are such a great investment is the fact that the video does not get frustrated or impatient if you have to replay a section a dozen times before you get it right.

Fact is, if you wanted to learn the same material that I cover in Decoding the Bass Guitar from a local music teacher, you would end up paying far more for the same information.

On video, the material has been distilled into the purest form of musical goodness… Every last minute has been thoughtfully considered and included in order to offer the student the greatest benefit.

That means that a two hour video lesson is easily equivalent to at least four hours of in-person lessons… in fact, probably more.

A half-decent guitar teacher is going to charge at least $30 per half hour lesson… so do the math. To learn this same material from a local teacher would cost you at least $240.

But I’m A Newbie… Will This Help Me?

Decoding the Bass Guitar is NOT a complete ‘learn to play bass guitar’ course… Instead, it is laser focused on the principles you need to understand in order to take you to the next level.

If you’re a beginner, you may need to learn a few things elsewhere, but I guarantee you will find Decoding the Bass Guitar a tremendous help as you’re learning the bass. With the principles I’ll teach you, you will find yourself:

• Learning songs faster than before
• Intuitively understanding what others teach you, picking up new techniques with ease
• Wanting more and more of that sweet musical instrument you call the bass guitar… with your appetite in gear, you’ll be advancing more quickly than you thought possible

I’ve Played Bass For Years… Is This For Me?

If you’ve already played bass for a while, chances are you’re either quite advanced, or you’re looking for some new ideas. And that’s exactly what Decoding the Bass Guitar is intended to give you… in spades!

• Relate to the bass in visual patterns instead of letters, names and notes — our brains work far faster and more intuitively with this method!
• Tired of hitting the same old notes and patterns? Learn how you can use intervals to really spice up your playing
• Surprise your jam buddies by playing new things that not only sound better, but add a totally new dynamic to the band!
• Finally watch yourself progressing as a player for the first time in years…

What Decoding The Bass Guitar Is NOT

As I mentioned earlier, Decoding The Bass Guitar is a laser-focused bass lesson.

It will NOT teach you:

• Specific riffs
• Specific playing styles (ie country, rock, jazz, etc)
• ‘Thumping’ styles (how to use a pick, your fingers, hybrid style, etc)
• It is not a complete ‘learn to play bass’ course — this lesson is laser targeted…
• How to lock in with a band

All of these things are important, but really you need to be adding those to a proper understanding of the bass guitar… not the other way around! Riffs and grooves are cool, but if you don’t understand how and why they fit the song, you’ll never be able to use them productively. Decoding the Bass Guitar is designed to give you that core understanding, thus building a strong foundation from which you can take your bass playing to new levels in any direction.

What WILL Decoding The Bass Guitar Teach You?

• The most powerful and yet incredibly simple way of looking at the fretboard you’ll find anywhere
• Two simple scale patterns that are literally all you need — I’ve never seen anyone else teaching this method, but it is incredibly powerful
• How to turn theory into beautiful music — playing harmonies and even melodies on your bass
• Why the chords in each key work together, and how you can turn that to your massive advantage as a bass player
• How to break free from the “root note rut” so many other bass players are stuck in

Why DO Those Chords Work Together?

One of the most common problems I see with bass and guitar players is that they don’t really have a good understanding of why certain chords work together. They know how to play the chords — but they have a really hard time trying to anticipate which one will come next, or which chord groupings belong in a particular key.

With Decoding the Bass Guitar, I’ll teach you not only how and why these chord groupings work together, but I’ll also show you why it is so important for the bass player to understand this. Many bass players jam away blissfully unaware that the band is playing a major or a minor chord, because they’re just playing the root note. However, if you truly want to open up your potential as a bass player, you simply must understand the concepts of I IV V.

Rule #1: Don’t Be Boring!

Let’s face it — the bass player’s main function is to hold down the rhythm section, along with the drummer. But who doesn’t want to make things a bit more interesting?

Picture yourself for a moment holding down that rock solid bass groove, locked in tight with the drummer, and then flawlessly and intuitively creating bass fills on the fly, at the end of every phrase — adding a depth to the song that your jam mates have never seen before…

That is the kind of playing that becomes possible when you understand your bass and how it works — you’ll begin to notice your playing improving purely due to a different way of looking at your instrument!

That is the kind of playing that truly makes the bass guitar the heart and soul of any song!

I’m Throwing In 3 Cool Bonuses

• Cheat Sheets: This pack of cheat sheets will be a huge help for you as you’re learning the bass
• Acoustic guitar jam track looped over and over so you can easily practice what you learn without needing another player
• Free Lifetime Updates to the course! (The course has already been expanded once already!)

Major Update: New Bonuses Added!

Since the original Decoding the Bass course was recorded, I’ve added three bonus lessons — an extra hour of material! Here’s what we’ll cover:

Extra Bonus #1 — How To Play Chords On The Bass (Stacking Thirds)

This is a really cool technique that I use all the time to create chords on the bass guitar. We’ll look briefly at how to build major and minor chords on the bass using intervals, and of course, how to apply that to your playing in riffs and other ways. This is an excellent way to add a lot of extra depth and presence to a song, especially if you find yourself playing bass in a three piece band where there is a lot of room!

Extra Bonus #2 — Taking Bass Chords Further (Compound Intervals)

When this technique begins to click with you, the door will be flung wide open to all kinds of new riff ideas and rhythm parts. This single idea can add an entire new dimension to your bass playing, as it has to mine.

Extra Bonus #3 — Putting It All Together Into a Jam

In this lesson, I am joined by Colin Daniel playing guitar, and we’ll jam out the ideas covered in the previous two bonus lessons. Here’s where you get a chance to see a few different ways to apply chords to your bass playing in the context of a song. Oftentimes this practical application in the context of a real jam makes all the difference in seeing how everything fits together.

Taken together, these three bonus lessons total about 58 minutes, and add tremendous value to the Decoding the Bass package. They build on everything you learn in the main course, taking it to new levels — and everything is applied practically to your bass in the context of how you’d use it in a progression.

Decode Your Bass Today

Decoding The Bass is available in two options: Download Only, and DVD + Download. Either way, you’ll be able to download the lessons today and get started immediately. Level up or your money back — guaranteed.

Let’s work together to take your bass playing to levels that you never before dreamed possible!

Keep on playin’,

Jonathan Boettcher
Founder, PlayGuitar.com

P.S. Decoding the Bass Guitar will greatly improve your knowledge of the bass, and your ability to play it. It will give you a strong foundation to take your playing in any direction you later choose to go.

P.S. If for any reason you’re not completely satisfied with the lesson, you’re protected by my 100% “No Weasel Clauses” 60-Day Money Back GUARANTEE.