Transforming You From A 'Bump-Fwap'
Bass Plunker Into A
Serious Grooving Machine
Discover How To Put The 'Special Sauce' Into Your Bass Playing
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:
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:
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.
(No one's forcing you beyond your living room here... I'm just sayin'...)
So What's With The 2-Hour Claim?
And here I thought you'd never ask...
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.
"The Best Training Tools For Theory"
Fortunately, I find Mathematics a very interesting subject and I'm pretty good with numbers. With the bass being tuned to 4th's it makes it pretty easy to find your way around the keyboard. You have done an excellent job in your explanations and examples of Patterns and Locations. I have looked at many other training tools available on the Internet and I have found yours to be the best for Foundation and Theory.
Especially helpful are the Fretboard Charts and Scale diagrams that I can download. Like YOU I too have difficulty remembering the NAMES of the notes. I sincerely do find the writing exercises to be very helpful. If beginners don't take the time to get involved in the written exercises, they are missing an important part of the learning process. The charts are a great addition to the program. Keep up the excellent work, and I'm looking forward to receiving any new or updated information or lessons you're working on.
Steve Pagano Georgia, USA
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? It can be a bit embarrassing... (I've been there!)
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.
Why is that? Well, it's pretty simple. I've taught people in real life, and the process is very different from video. You spent time chatting, you get distracted on a cool riff, you have a question about something else. Time goes by quickly...
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. Tons of material was first recorded, then considered, then cut, and lastly refined in order to deliver you the best all in one shot.
That means that a two hour video lesson is easily equivalent to at least four hours of in-person lessons... in fact, probably more.
Toss in the fact that you don't have to pay to go back and hear the same thing again if you didn't get it the first time, and you've got a powerful combination.
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.
And, that's IF you could find one that would teach you the same thing, and didn't try pulling the old "quindicesima bassa" -style boring theory move on you.
But I'm A Newbie... Will This Help Me?
Have you ever seen that video clip of a smart bomb being dropped precisely on its target? Well, 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:
"I wish this was available 20 years ago!"
I really dig the DVD. The info has helped so much just the few times I have watched it. I really wish this was available 20 years ago! My son has started to learn the bass and I am giving this to him.
I recommend this lesson for everyone and is a MUST HAVE for those just starting out. The more you watch it the clearer and clearer the fret board becomes. Having the ability to reach out and email any questions is such big bonus. Questions do arise and having someone to turn to for the answer is sweet. Your jokes are a bit corny but funny none the less. GREAT Work.
Scott Wilkes
Amateur Musician But Getting BETTER!
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. Seeing as you're here reading this, I'm going to go out on a limb and go with looking for new ideas...
And that's exactly what Decoding the Bass Guitar is intended to give you... in spades! Plus, in the bonus lessons we'll take things even further, giving the more advanced players something to really chew on.
Still not sure? Read what other people are saying about this course:
"Made The Fretboard My Friend Instead of a Puzzle"
The bass DVD was great! I haven't been playing bass steadily but was shown some things back in the late 70s. Mostly I just played a root note and an alternate, such as going from a G to a D and back, C/W style. I recognized a few notes on the fretboard but never really had the time to memorize them. I would have to re-invent the wheel each time I played, to use an old cliche.
Your DVD has allowed me to grasp a lot of what a bass guitar can do, and has made the fretboard my friend, instead of the puzzle it was. This was just after the first time through! After watching and taking notes I have improved drastically and I think my own style is finally starting to emerge.
I am a tutor at Boise State University, for the Student Success Program and the Veteran's Upward Bound Program. I tutor in Math and English. I also have played acoustic 6 and 12 string guitars since the late 60s, but mainly rhythm; and I play bass guitar at church for our worship team. I've never tried lead, but even after a short time with your DVD I have begun to experiment and created a walking bass line for the Gospel song, Just a Closer Walk With Thee.
I still have yet to use the worksheets included in the DVD but am going to, as I feel they can only deepen my knowledge of the fretboard. Thank you for a great product, and keep up the good work.
Kermit Hale Boise, Idaho, USA
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:
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?
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
Major Update: New Bonuses Added!
Since the original Decoding the Bass course was recorded, I have been involved with the Riff Ninja Guitar School, and have created a number of bass lessons over there as well. Now, I'm adding three of those lessons from inside the School to to the Decoding the Bass package - 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 order options (both contain the same material): Download Only, and DVD+Download.
Either way, you’ll be able to download the lessons today and get started immediately, or watch them directly in your browser (this option works best for mobile devices). Please keep in mind that the download files are very large – around 1 Gigabytes in total – so if you have a slow internet connection this will take a very long time. For this reason, the DVD is recommended.
Let's Get Started!
Make your guitar playing more interesting, dynamic, and musical!
$50
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
All Prices are in USD
Let's work together to take your bass playing to levels that you never before dreamed possible!
Keep on playin',
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 your not completely satisfied with the lesson, you're protected by my 100% "No Weasel Clauses" 60-Day Money Back GUARANTEE.
I now feel in command of the fretboard
I really did enjoy the lessons and I must say that the concept of how to play along with others musicians on the bass suddenly "clicked".
After watching the videos for the first time I can truly say that I feel "in command" of the fret board.
Sometimes I give free music lessons to people from my church, which is one the reasons why I've purchased your lessons in the first so that as a teacher I can improve my knowledge and skill of the various instrument to in turn help my advancing students. I chose your lessons because the concept you use is how I taught myself to play various instruments, and what I use to teach others as well. I think it's the simplest way! One young brother from my church when I showed him some of your patterns on bass he asked "Is that's all there is to it?"
I truly believe that your material is what many people out there are searching for but instead are wasting their money on bass and guitar lessons that are useless.
Carol Estrado
Gospel Missionary
It All Fits
Jonno, Thanks for DVD on Decoding the Bass. You should‘ve told me about your way of learning the bass 25 years ago. I learned music and the piano as a pup, then taught myself guitar. Picked up bar cords and all I needed from what I knew about music. When a mob of us formed a band I then picked up the bass and learned as we went along for nearly 15 years. Watched other bass players and played what seemed to fit with the music knowledge I had.
Now you’re teaching me with patterns and numbers and it all fits. Almost the same as I learned myself, but a lot easier and now I can understand more about minors and pentatonic scales and know what I’m actually playing. The only problem is I have more years behind me than what I have in front of me, but I still enjoy it.
Thanks cobber. You ever come down our way let me know and we’ll jam together.
Keith Povey Australia
Enough Theory So You Can Understand
Decoding the Bass Guitar is a great beginning bass lesson. It has enough theory so you can understand and get started playing bass right away. I also play guitar and it relates and is a great refresher course for guitar as well.
Jim Dewitt Michigan, USA
Much More Exciting Bass Lines Than Before
I loved the course and I refer back to it often. It was a more mental approach and it opened up many doors for me as a bass player. I am a pastor of a church in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and I play bass on the church worship team.
Your course has helped me come up with much more exciting bass lines than I was using before. Music theory is everything!
I am not very talented as far as natural ability goes. The course has helped me be creative and find great grooves that I still can play.
It is all about technique and not my lack of talent! Knowing the proper notes to play in any situation is invaluable. I feel that I can play in any band and be an asset and certainly not harm them! If you are taught to play correctly as your course does, how can you ever not be an asset!
Scott Gillis Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
Scott Gillis Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
Scott Gillis Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
It Feels Great When Other Musicians See My Growth
The guitar video did exactly what I hoped it would. It gave me the basics on how to build chords and how that whole thing works. I must have watched that thing 50 times or more to make sure that I understood what you were teaching. Not that it was hard to understand or anything, on the contrary... I learned the basic concept after only watching the video once. It was all the other little nuances that I kept going back over the video to absorb. You packed a lot of information on that video.
Somewhere in our correspondence I mentioned that I was actually a wannabe bass player and you mentioned that you had a bass video. Well, I bought the video and I was not disappointed at all. I've been "foolin' around" with the bass for over 30 years. I could learn songs and make them sound good... I even played in a few bands when I was younger, but there was always something missing. The combination of the two videos opened a whole new outlook for me.
I had actually not really played for about 20 years because it just wasn't fun anymore. I can't remember just when I bought the videos, but it can't have been more than 8 or 9 months ago. I'm happy to say that I am now the bass player for my church. It started out a little rough. The drummer, guitarist, and keyboardist are all accomplished musicians and naturally they always got the attaboys and kudos after service. I just kept watching my videos and practicing. Yes, I got discouraged and actually shut it down for about 2 months, but I kept watching the videos and practicing. After 2 months of wood shedding with your videos, I came back and to make a long story short... I'm getting a few attaboys myself. It feels great when the other musicians tell me that they can see my growth. I also get a few compliments from the congregation and even the Pastor every now and then.
I know my testimonial is all over the place, but Jon I am so glad that I found your videos. Yes, I obviously worked hard (and I am still working hard) to get my chops together, but your videos truly "unlocked" the bass for me. Thanks man. God bless you.
Oh...by the way...I am a Deacon at my church and they have dubbed me "Deacon Boom Boom."
I'm loving it!
Alvin Campbell
aka "Deacon Boom Boom"
Showed Me What I Was Missing
You asked for my honest opinion of your Decoding the Bass lesson, so here it is. FYI, I am a journeyman carpenter doing home construction and a professional musician. I live on the big island of Hawaii.
First, I have been playing the bass with many bands for the last ten years. I usually get paid well to play and have even recorded an EP in a big-time studio. I played piano as a kid and first started playing bass as a young teenager in 1974. I know and can play hundreds of songs really well. But whenever I was asked to do a solo, it was missing something. I found that knowing a bunch of songs or being able to find the keys quickly is still not enough to “rip” on the bass. So, last month I decided I needed to step up my abilities with more applied music theory and purchased the DVD. I am very glad I did.
This lesson solidified what I have found out the hard way over the past few years, and then showed me what I was missing. For instance, WHEN the relative minor applies, and where it is RELATIVE to where you are playing. This allows me to provide those killer fills and solos! I then applied the rules in reverse and found the relative major to the minor keys we often play in. Most of the lesson is very basic and like I said, just reinforced what I knew from years of playing and figuring things out. But then it started tying things together in a way I’ve never seen before. Also, I found a new way of changing octaves on the major scale, to more easily allow a two octave pattern on a four-string. Every little bit helps!
I’m glad I bought and watched the course, and would recommend it to anyone serious about playing the bass. I also appreciate the follow-up tips and other free videos you have sent me. Thank You for a great job, and feel free to post my comments anywhere you want.
Steve "Sid Typhoon" Massey
Journeyman Carpenter & Professional Musician
I Learned So Much In Just Two Hours!
Wow! I learned so much in just two hours. It was four lessons worth of material for the price of one.
Let me know if you create some more advanced lessons. I’m one of those guys who just doesn’t “get” music theory, but your approach made a ton of sense to me.
Robert Steffeck
Figured Out Overlapping Patterns
I have acquired a lot of things that I have either have forgotten or never quite learned. It was a refresher course for me and it showed some new techniques in scales and some new ideas how to implement them.
I have played over 50 years and still hadn’t figured out overlapping ideas of finding where all the patterns lay. It has been quite an adventure to learn this new way of thinking and I highly recommend this if you want to see how the bass is laid out.
My name is Bill Rees and I have been a professional musician for over 35 years full time and 15 years part time.
Bill Rees