Norm Stockton’s Art of Groove Instructional Website {REVIEW}

Norm Stockton’s Art of Groove Instructional Website is chock full of 60 lessons for all bassists.

Wether you are an amateur, intermediate, or advanced player, there is something there for you on Norm’s Art of Groove Instructional Website. In addition to the 60 lessons available via subscription, there are also over 100 video’s available for either streaming or download. The streaming videos and downloads can be purchased without having a subscription. The streaming videos and downloads differ from the subscription just so you know that if you are a subscriber, the streaming and download section contains different lessons from the subscription portion.

Subscribing to the site gives you three different courses. Groove course level 1 covers all the fundamentals from getting you more familiar with the fingerboard, doing things such as scales, arpeggios, modes, developing the ear, and getting through a chart.

Groove course level 2 covers more on developing your ear, and delves right into creating grooves and even gives you the ability to be more creative with your own grooves.

Groove course level 3 explores a multitude of styles covering Funk, Country, Jazz, Latin, Reggae, R&B, and quite a few more. Level 3 also dives into combing and refining grooves.

Lessons are constructed using audio and video examples, pictures, and complete with notation and tab. Instructions are written out for each exercise, and as you progress, there are audio examples created with drum grooves for you to play along with, depending on the lesson you are currently working with.

Norm takes the grooves even further by giving examples of a note’s duration used with a groove and how it can change the feel of the groove, essentially making different statements with the same groove. I found this aspect of the Groove lessons very interesting. Not only does Norm cover the rhythmic aspect of a groove, the harmonic aspect is covered as well. He also explains the proper “tone” to use with a groove, for example, a Country groove is more of a warm round tone where a Reggae “tone” is warm, but also more staccato and muted.

The streaming video and download section of the website covers a lot with Rock bass, groove basics, the Grooving for Heaven complete DVD series, and real world insight. You can learn the bass parts that Norm used on his own releases as well as the bass parts from Lincoln Brewster.

Keep in mind that the subscription gives full streaming access to everything on the site, plus a 25% discount should the subscriber want to purchase a clip to download.  It should be noted that some of the content is not available to purchase as a download even to subscribers, such as the LB song tutorials, 60-lesson groove course, etc.  But most of the content can be purchased and downloaded and new content is always being added.

A subscription to Norm Stockton’s Art of Groove Instructional Website also gives you a 25% discount in his store. The store contains all of his CD’s, the Grooving for Heaven DVD series and transcriptions, Norm’s Worship Bass book, and some really cool t-shirts.

While a lot of sites just teach scales, modes, and technique, this site is completed by actually focusing on what every bassist needs to do, which is groove. Without the groove, there is no dancing or head-bopping and a band without bass is just, well, bass-less.

No matter what your level of proficiency, Norm has creative ideas that will expand what you already do and know, and for the subscription rate, it just cannot be beat!

Check out a free lesson from Art of Groove:

Visit online at artofgroove.com and normstockton.com