The Bass Player's Rhythm Workshop by Danny Ziemann is an online course which comprises 6 hours of HD video across 47 lessons. This course has been designed for jazz bassists who want to develop a killer rhythmic feel and groove which their bandmates will love!
Many of the lessons feature a live band so you can see and hear how to apply these concepts and ideas in context.
Detailed transcriptions of the exercises, bass lines and solos are included so you can see exactly what Danny is playing. There are 74 pages of sheet music, so you will have everything you need to practice at home.
Optional subtitles in English are provided for each video.
This course is available to view online, exclusively at Discover Double Bass.
Artist
Bassist, educator, and author of the jazz bass method books, The Low Down Vol. 1 & 2, Danny is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and was the 2018 bassist in the Focusyear Artist Diploma band in Basel, Switzerland. Danny currently teaches at The Eastman Community Music School, SUNY Oswego, and is a visiting professor of jazz bass at the Eastman School of Music.
We're going to talk about developing rhythmic independence, how to play in a group situation and how to improve your groove!
We all know that rhythm is important, but why do we focus on it?
As improvisers, we can get fixated on note choice and as bassists, we can also be too focused on playing in tune. This can mean we neglect the most powerful aspect of music: rhythm. All bassists who really made a difference in the music world have one thing in common, they play with a great time feel which allows them to communicate their musical ideas in a compelling way. We all know what it sounds like when we hear someone play with an incredible time feel, and this course will demystify the process so you can develop your own. Many things can be done to help our rhythm, and many things can detract from it—especially habitual things we may be totally unaware of. After all, it's not what you play, it's how you play it!
What will I learn?
The 47 video lessons are presented in a step-by-step order giving you a clear and logical route through the course material.
Topics include:
- Odd meters
- Playing with and without drums
- Metronome exercises
- Playing ballads
- Sound development
- ...and much more.
Each concept or technique is demonstrated using chord progressions to commonly played jazz standards such as 'But Beautiful', 'All the Things You Are' and more.
Check out the full lesson list below:
Contents
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Start01. What Does It Mean to Have “Good Time”? (2:29)
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Start02. Strengthening Time Away from the Bass (“Air Bass”) (6:21)
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Start03. The Right Hand Part I — Open Strings (6:31)
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Start04. The Right Hand Part II — Varied Fingerings (8:14)
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Start05. Subdividing the Pulse with a Chromatic Scale (10:39)
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Start06. Chromatic Scale Exercise — Full Demonstration Video (3:31)
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Start07. Major Scale Drone (9:38)
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Start08. Your Sound is Your Time (1:30)
Want to check out a free preview lesson? Click here.
Transcriptions
Transcriptions of the exercises for those who would like them. These PDFs are displayed on the lessons pages and can be downloaded if required. There are 74 pages of sheet music, so you will have everything you need to practice!
"Danny Ziemann has once again - with his new course on "Discover Double Bass" - showed advanced and new jazz bassists the equally important instrumental and "mindset fundamentals" of building a solid foundation as a rhythm section player with deep insights from not just the bass chair. For me, it serves as a natural continuation of his much praised books "Low Down" and "Harmony vol. 1"
Through a highly musical interactive playing Ziemann´s always clear and beautifully sculptured bass lines offers a complete course that ought to serve as mandatory curriculum in any serious jazz education"
- Morten Ramsbøl, Prof. of Jazz Double Bass, Kunst Uni Graz
Meet the band:
Danny is joined in many of the lessons by Jamil Sherif on piano and Caroline Boaden on drums. Their tasteful and supportive playing will help you to hear how these concepts sound in context.
Who's this course for?
If you are a jazz bassist, this course will be a great fit, but many of the concepts can also be applied to other styles such as popular music. The content ranges from the basics which would suit beginner students, right through to more advanced topics.
Learning to develop a strong sense of time can feel elusive and mystical. In this course, we break it down to help you become your most swinging self!
Start Learning!
Frequently Asked Questions
Our courses are only available on DiscoverDoubleBass.com and include a 30-day, full refund policy.
Have questions about the course or need help? Contact us.