Bass Edu
Welcome to the Phil Zone: A Lesson in the Phil Lesh Style
For educational purposes only.
A Lesson in the Phil Lesh Style…
Several things make it difficult to describe, characterize, or analyze Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh’s style of playing. One issue is the improvisatory nature of the Grateful Dead’s music. Songs are never played exactly the same way twice. Even the songs with a fairly strict structure will vary from performance to performance. Lesh will usually stick to a basic feel like it’s a road map, but how he navigates from point A to point B in each performance varies. This presents a hurdle if you want to learn to play a song the way Phil played it. Which version are you going to learn? For most bands, the studio album version is thought of as the definitive version. For the Dead, the studio version is often the least definitive. The songs are given life on stage, not in the studio.
Another issue is that the Dead aren’t just known for improvisations—the Dead are known for long improvisations. Performances of “Playing in the Band,” “Truckin’,” and “Bird Song,” among others, often last 15 to 20 minutes. “Dark Star” usually lasts longer. And for the most part, once the jam section of the song begins, what Lesh plays in one version won’t translate seamlessly to another.
There are, however, some things he does relatively consistently. So let’s look at several key aspects of Phil’s playing before we dive into some transcriptions.
- Durations. Lesh tends to play short note durations. Think “staccato” rather than “legato” (or “detached” rather than “connected”). Even when leaving space in his line, the space will often come in the form of a short note followed by a rest, rather than a note sustained for a longer duration.
- Lack of repetition. Lesh very rarely repeats himself. This lack of repetition is true from performance to performance of the same song, as mentioned above, but in Lesh’s case, it is also true within a particular performance of a song. He almost never repeats an idea, which sometimes gives his bass lines a “stream of consciousness” feel. They are always looking forward, never looking back. And especially once the improvisatory jam begins, he is increasingly less likely to play a repetitive pattern.
- Avoidance of downbeat. Lesh tends to play “across the bar lines,” and does not hit the root of the chord on the downbeat as often as expected. In most other rock/pop or groove-based music, bass players will hit the root of the chord on every downbeat, or at the beginning of every 2-measure pattern (think the Beatles’ “Come Together,” the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There,” Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour,” et al). As we’ll see in the examples below, Lesh doesn’t completely avoid playing the chord root on the downbeat, but he very often withholds it as a way of building tension.
- Syncopation. Tied closely to the previous idea is Lesh’s frequent (near constant) use of syncopation. Playing through the transcriptions below, you’ll notice how often he plays on the “and” of the beat, rather than right on the beat.
- Register. Phil uses the entire range of his instrument, whether he’s playing a 4-, 5-, or 6-string bass. He’s not afraid to hang out in the upper register for long periods of time.
Phil Lesh – Playing in the Band
“Playing in the Band” is one of the Dead songs that became a vehicle for extended jams. Below are transcriptions of Phil Lesh’s bass line from the first verse of three different performances of this song: 12/9/73 from Tampa, FL (available on Dick’s Picks Vol. 1); 9/9/74 from Alexandra Palace in London, England (Dick’s Picks Vol. 7); and 2/3/78 from Madison, WI (Dick’s Picks Vol. 18). The Grateful Dead played this song almost 600 times between 1971 and 1995. A transcription of a few measures of three different versions is by no means exhaustive, but it will give us an idea of how Phil builds a bass line and how he varies it from performance to performance. We can see what is consistent and what is not.
The verse of the song is based on repetitions of a 10-beat pattern (4+4+2). I’ve transcribed four passes through this pattern and labeled them A, B, C, and D in the excerpt so it’s easy to keep track of where we are.
Glancing at these three transcriptions (example 1), they seem to be wildly different, but there are several things Phil does consistently between all three versions. One thing to notice is that Lesh lands on a strong root D on beat 1 of each 10-beat measure (i.e., the first beat of A, B, C, and D). In the 1980s, Phil would gravitate toward 5- and 6-string basses, but the D he plays in these transcriptions (5th fret on the A string) is the lowest available on the 4-string basses he favored in the 1970s. In other words, he’s playing his lowest, strongest D as a way of keeping the band anchored in this unusual time signature.
Something else Phil Lesh is consistent about in these three performances is his note choices. He plays almost exclusively notes from a D major pentatonic scale (D-E-F#-A-B). In fact, the only note outside of D pentatonic in the transcriptions is the G# near the end of the 3rd measure of the performance from the Alexandra Palace. Even that G# is short and is very much just a passing tone to get to A.
Another similarity is that Lesh emphasizes the “off-beats” in all three versions, though to different extents. The performance from 1973 is the most syncopated.Notice how few notes fall on the beat. His bass line from the 1978 show in Madison is the most regular. The first 6 beats of A and B are exactly the same, a rare instance of Lesh repeating himself. He then begins C the same as A and B, but varies it slightly after a few beats.
As we see from these three performances, Lesh does not have a specific bass line that he plays for this song. He does, however, seem to have basic parameters for his groove that he follows as a sort of framework for variation: 1) improvise with the D major pentatonic scale, 2) accent the first beat of each repetition of the 10-beat phrase with a strong root D, and 3) emphasize the off-beats everywhere else. Given that this song usually includes an extended jam section, Lesh will gradually discard these parameters as the band moves toward free improvisation.
Scarlet Begonias
“Scarlet Begonias” was another staple of the band’s concert repertoire subjected to extensive jamming, often leading into “Fire on the Mountain.” Example 2 is a transcription of the first 16 measures of the jam section in the performance from Alexandra Palace on 9/9/74, starting at approximately 4:35 in the recording. This is where Jerry Garcia and keyboardist Keith Godchaux play the riff that ends the song proper, and is the starting point for the jam that follows. Everything takes off from here. I’ve included a transcription of the riff Jerry and Keith are playing, because it’s important to see how Phil Lesh plays against it. Most bass players probably would have played this riff with the guitar and keyboard. Phil opts for an independent line that acts as a sort of counterpoint against the main riff.
The riff and accompanying parts are based around a B mixolydian scale (think B major but with a lowered 7th—so A natural rather than A sharp), but Lesh is mostly playing notes of a B major pentatonic scale with the occasional addition of E. In the excerpt transcribed, he completely avoids any kind of A, although as the jam continues over the next several minutes, he does begin incorporating A naturals.
In this section of the song, the band is playing a 4-measure pattern. Phil plays the root B on the first beat of each pattern (i.e., downbeat of mm. 1, 5, 9, and 13 of the example). The first two times through the pattern, he plays a C# on the downbeat of the 2nd measure (mm. 2 and 6). Otherwise, bass notes on downbeats are scarce.
As the band begins to jam after this transcribed example, it is clear they’re still thinking and playing in 4-measure groupings. Lesh continues in much the same manner, playing syncopated lines and, at least for a while, hitting a strong B on the downbeat every 4 measures, usually accompanied by a crash in the drums. This helps keep the band together, but also keeps the jam relatively grounded.
As they keep playing, though, Phil Lesh begins to avoid hitting that B at the beginning of each 4-measure pattern. Example 3 is from about a minute later in the jam (approximately 5:44 in the recording). The arrows above the 5th and 9th measures indicate where we expect him to land on B, but he consciously avoids it. This is a common way Lesh builds tension. Hitting the root at the beginning of each pattern is like a release valve. The longer he avoids it, the more the tension builds. When he finally lands back on B on the downbeat of the 13th measure, he releases the tension and can begin building it up again.
That kind of tension and release is important in all music, but in improvised music, you as the bass player have a lot of control over how that tension builds and when it is released. You can think of it like sitting in a chair. When all four legs of the chair are on the ground, you feel entirely stable. If you begin leaning back in the chair and the front legs come up off the ground, there’s a certain amount of tension created. The farther you lean back, the more the tension builds. You can release that tension by putting all four legs back on the ground. Playing the root of the chord (or key, mode, etc.) on beat 1 is the equivalent of having all four legs of the chair on the ground. The groove is stable, and sometimes you want that. In fact, sometimes you need that. Once you begin moving away from the root, avoiding the downbeat, and/or introducing or increasing syncopation, you are creating tension in the music (leaning back in the chair). The longer you do that, the more tension you create–at least to a certain point. Do it too long and you run the risk of losing the sense of cohesion the music originally had.
Phil Lesh – Dark Star
“Dark Star” was a vehicle for some of the Grateful Dead’s most experimental improvisation. The performance shown in example 4, from Veneta, OR 8/27/72 (released as Sunshine Daydream), begins with the song’s intro riff, which leads to an “opening jam.” In this particular performance, the opening jam lasts over 11 minutes before Garcia sings the verse. I’ve only provided the first 16 measures of this jam, but it’s a good starting point.
Phil Lesh’s line here isn’t as syncopated as the ones discussed above, though it remains anything but regular. Notice the arch shapes in Phil’s line each time he moves away from A. He repeatedly ascends, then gradually descends back to A. He gets into the higher register of his instrument early and often. This makes the song feel lighter and less grounded and creates a bigger impact when he finally lands back on the root so heavily. It’s another example of Lesh moving away from the root as a way to build tension, then landing back on a strong A to release it.
Lesh is primarily improvising with an A mixolydian scale. Again, as the jam goes on, he gradually adds dissonance, but he periodically reasserts A mixolydian to keep things from going completely off the rails. In the extended jam section after the verses, the same is true… for a while. At a certain point, the band abandons A mixolydian altogether in favor of some atonal improvisation.
Phil Lesh has an unusual approach to the bass. It is one that suits the Dead’s style of music very well. But it also requires a lot of trust and understanding from other members of the band who may be expecting more traditional bass lines. In most situations, we can’t get away with Phil’s approach to playing. Even in Grateful Dead cover bands, many times bass players either don’t attempt to play like Phil, or perhaps were told not to by other band members. Lesh’s playing, though, is a key component of the sound of the Grateful Dead, probably second in importance only to Garcia’s lead guitar. So, if you’re going for that authentic Grateful Dead sound, give your bandmates fair warning, then dive headfirst into the Phil Zone.
Hello bass players and fans of bass playing! This month, we’re going to talk about The Art of Playing Live! ARE YOU READY TO GROOVE?
There’s a powerful shift that happens the moment you step on stage.
Practicing at home is about control.
Playing live is about connection.
And as bass players, we live right in the center of that transformation.
We are not just supporting the band… we are anchoring the entire musical experience.
Groove Over Everything
In a live setting, perfection is overrated.
The audience won’t remember how many notes you played… but they will remember how you made them feel. The way your bass locks in with the kick drum can move an entire room without saying a word.
Playing less, with intention, often creates more impact than filling every space.
Great bass players understand this: Space is part of the groove.
Listening is Your Superpower
One of the most underrated skills on stage is deep listening.
Your connection with the drummer defines your foundation.
Your awareness of the vocalist shapes your dynamics.
Your sensitivity to the band creates cohesion.
When you truly listen, you don’t just play your part, you become part of the conversation.
And that’s when live music stops being structured… and starts being alive.
Presence Speaks Louder Than Notes
You don’t need to be front and center to command attention.
Presence is not about position—it’s about energy.
A bass player who is engaged, expressive, and connected elevates the entire performance. Your body language, your movement, your eye contact—it all communicates something beyond the instrument.
If you feel the music, the audience will feel it too.
Preparation Creates Freedom
The best live moments often feel spontaneous—but they are built on preparation.
Knowing the structure, transitions, and dynamics of each song gives you the confidence to explore without losing control.
When you’re prepared, you don’t overthink.
You react. You adapt. You create.
And that’s where the magic lives.
Adaptability is the Real Skill
No two stages are the same.
Different rooms. Different sound systems. Different audiences.
Sometimes, even different band dynamics.
A strong bass player reads the room and adjusts.
Maybe you simplify.
Maybe you dig in harder.
Maybe you leave more space.
Live performance is a living organism, and your role is to keep it grounded while allowing it to breathe.
Playing live is not just a performance… it’s a responsibility.
As bass players, we don’t just play notes… we shape the feel, the pulse, the emotional core of the music.
So the next time you step on stage, remember:
You are not in the background.
You are the foundation.
And everything moves because you do.
Stay tuned for more great stuff in the next issue and keep in touch with #bassmusicianmag,
#basslines, #bmmbasslines, #keepgrooving, #keepthegroovealive&kicking, #jdvinstrumental, #groovewars, #fullbassattack, #jdv, #boricuabass, #groovingtheworld, #bassgrooves, #groovemaniac, #6stringbass, #goodpracticemakesperfect #theartofplayinglive, #livemusic
The bass line is the heartbeat of modern music. It bridges rhythm and harmony, connecting the groove of the drums with the harmonic structure of the band. A well-crafted bass line does more than support; it defines the feel, direction, and emotional impact of a song. From Motown to rock, jazz to Latin music, the bass serves as both anchor and storyteller.
What Makes a Great Bass Line?
A great bass line balances time, tone, note choice, and space. While technical skill is valuable, musicality and intention are what truly elevate a bass performance.
1. Time and Groove
The primary responsibility of the bassist is to lock in with the drummer. This rhythmic unity creates the pocket, the groove that makes listeners move.
• Play slightly behind the beat for a laid-back feel
• Sit on top of the beat for energy and drive
• Maintain consistency to build trust within the band
Legendary players like James Jamerson demonstrated how groove can define an entire genre.
2. Note Choice and Harmony
Bass lines outline chord progressions and guide listeners through harmonic movement.
Essential tools include:
• Root notes to establish tonal center
• Fifths and octaves for strength and clarity
• Passing tones to create motion
• Chromatic approaches for tension and release
A strong bass line makes harmony audible even without chords.
3. Space: The Power of Restraint
One of the most overlooked aspects of bass playing is silence. Space allows the music to breathe and enhances the impact of each note.
Ask yourself:
• Does this note serve the song?
• Am I leaving room for other instruments?
Great bassists know that what you don’t play is just as important as what you do.
Styles of Bass Lines
Walking Bass
Common in jazz, walking bass lines use quarter notes to create forward motion while outlining chord changes.
Ostinato and Riffs
Repeated patterns, common in rock, funk, and Latin music, establish identity and groove. Think of iconic riffs that define entire songs.
Melodic Bass Lines
In modern genres, the bass often takes on a lyrical role, using phrasing and dynamics to create memorable melodies.
Tone: Your Sonic Signature
Your tone is your voice. Factors that shape tone include:
• Fingerstyle vs. pick vs. slap
• String type and gauge
• Instrument choice
• Amplification and EQ
A warm, round tone suits ballads, while a brighter tone can add articulation and presence in dense mixes.
The Bass in Contemporary Music
Today’s bassist must be versatile. In modern productions, bass lines may blend traditional playing with effects, extended range instruments, and melodic approaches. Six-string basses, looping, and chordal techniques are expanding the role of the instrument beyond its traditional boundaries.
The bass line is more than a supporting role, it is the foundation upon which music stands. Whether simple or complex, the best bass lines serve the song, connect the band, and move the listener.
As bassists, our mission is clear: support, enhance, and inspire through groove and musicality
Stay tuned for more great stuff in the next issue and keep in touch with #bassmusicianmag,
#basslines, #bmmbasslines, #keepgrooving, #keepthegroovealive&kicking, #jdvinstrumental, #groovewars, #fullbassattack, #jdv, #boricuabass, #groovingtheworld, #bassgrooves, #groovemaniac, #6stringbass, #goodpracticemakesperfect, #jdvbass, #jdvinstrumental
Practicing scales using sequence variations ignites the imagination and provides a wealth of new melodic ideas and concepts to choose from. My previous lesson on “Seeing Shapes and Patterns” introduced the basic pentatonic scale along with the five permutations that are derived from the scale. Review this lesson before proceeding.
The first exercise breaks the scale into ascending groups of four. Practice the patterns up and back, respectively.
The second exercise follows a pattern starting with the root, second scale degree, fifth, and third. Practice and follow the pattern up and back through the scale.
The third exercise starts with the pattern—root, third, fifth, and second scale degree. Follow the pattern up and back, respectively.
As with many scale exercises, don’t make the mistake of only learning them in root position. Take them through all five permutations, in all 12 keys. Good Luck!
The news…
It’s been a while, but it’s good to be back. Last year was a bit of a steep climb, and I had to step back for a while to focus on the essentials. Thankfully, things have calmed down, the coffee’s hot, the beer is cold, and we are officially back in the saddle.
2026 is looking like a cracker—I’m releasing my first solo album, and there’s a lot more in the works from Starlite & Campbell, the VIBRATIONISTS, and my session work for the lovely Trent Chapa.
I’ll be getting stuck into the bass side of things shortly, but first, in case you missed it, here’s a New Year’s greeting to celebrate a brand new chapter with you all.
All about the bass…
If you happen to stumble across this article, and to understand where it all started, it may be worth reading Walking the Bass Line #7, which is the first in my series for new bass players, or, if you want to deep dive, check out all the articles about my bass journey.
Let’s start a little theory
Before we continue the chronological journey through my bass career to date, we need to confront a little theory, whilst not trying to fry your head.
Track breakdown | Blow Them All To Pieces
As I mentioned in my previous article, I was hoping to do a full breakdown of two tracks for you this time, but things have been a bit of a squeeze with our current workload. Instead, I’ve dug out a video from a couple of years back where I’m playing Blow Them All To Pieces from Starlite.One. I’ll be sure to do the full ‘behind-the-scenes’ talk soon—stay tuned for that!
Working with the chords
The most important thing about the bass part in Blow Them All To Pieces is the melody and how it works with the chords, which I will be covering in the next edition. For now, let’s look at the basis—I was going to say bassis, but that would be far too cheesy—of my thinking.
I’m all about the melody—as soon as I hear a few chords, a tune pops into my head straight away. It’s how I write everything, from the songs themselves down to the bass lines.
To be honest, it can be a bit of a nightmare technically, especially when I’m doing session work. You haven’t got the luxury of sitting around for hours treading water and ‘finding the vibe’. You’ve got to be sharp, get stuck in, and nail the part right then and there. No hanging about.
When I first started playing bass, I had a bit of an epiphany: you’ve got to master the ‘safe’ notes within a chord and wrap your head around scale harmonisation. It sounds like academic heavy lifting, but once it clicks, it’s a total game-changer for your playing.
Take a piece in G Major. The major scale is G, A, B, C, D, E, F?, and these are the likely root notes of chords you will find in the song.
When you stack these into triads (three-note chords), the landscape reveals itself: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F?m?5 (that lovely, bruised half-diminished sound we’ll dive into next time), and back home to the G major octave.
If a song is in G major, these are the chords most likely to show up. Your ‘safe harbour’ notes for each chord are the root, the third (major or minor), and the fifth. Now, you could just stick to the root and fifth—it’s the ‘reliable’ choice, but frankly, it’s a bit pedestrian. We’ve all heard a million country tracks that don’t dare to stray further.
Make your bass lines cool
The real trick I picked up early on? You aren’t tethered to the root. It’s far more evocative to lean into the third, the fifth, or even a cheeky seventh—which I will discuss next time. It adds a bit of grit and character to the line.
For example, take God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.
The bass line is famous for avoiding the root notes. Brian Wilson (who composed the part exactly as played) used two bassists, Ray Pohlman (electric bass) & Lyle Ritz (upright), to highlight inversions (putting the third or fifth in the bass). This creates that famous sense of ‘suspended’ emotion, where the song never quite feels like it’s landing on solid ground until the very end.
Fun fact. While many associate bass on the Pet Sounds sessions exclusively with the legendary Carol Kaye, on this track she played 12 string guitar!
If you want to try something more straightforward, try While My Guitar Gently Weeps, by The Beatles.
Remember, when playing the line, look at the underlying chords and understand which note from the chord they are using in the bass!
Caveat – many interesting and great songs—including the ones mentioned above—change key within the song structure and therefore unexpected chords appear! Play what sounds right to you, don’t be shackled by theory.
But that’s quite enough theory for one session.
Before we leave though, take a look at what Kid Anderson has to say about George Porter’s much-discussed note in The Meters’ track, Cissy Strut. Very, very funny and always makes me laugh…
Endorsements #2
As mentioned in my previous article, I endorse several products, but in the real world, what does that mean?
Firstly, I only endorse products I love and use. In exchange for the endorsement, I receive discounts on the products, ranging from modest to mind-bogglingly great!
Currently, I am lucky enough to be working with Curt Mangan Strings, Matamp, Scott Dixon Cases (which have saved my basses more time than you can believe), HiWatt, Fylde Guitars, Bergantino Audio Systems, TWS Pedals, Radial Engineering, ACS, Sequential, Hipshot, Mike Lull Guitars & Basses, Hudson Electronics, Headway Music Audio, Supertone, Lehle and our wonderful friend Jez Levy of Eyes on St Albans.
So, how do you do it?
You always have to remember that a commercial organisation will want something in exchange for preferential discounts, and therefore, you must have something to offer them.
If you are a famous session musician like Guy Pratt, Pino Palladino, Gail Ann Dorsey or Rhonda Smith, it’s easy. Even easier if you are a world-famous artist: I am sure companies are falling over themselves to encourage the likes of Justin Chancellor (Tool), Joe Dart (Vulfpeck), Paz Lenchantin (Pixies) and the wonderful Laura Lee (Khruangbin) to use their products!
For me, it’s just about loving the product, then contacting them. If they think you can help their brand, they will come back with an offer of some type, which usually includes promotion of the products at live gigs, social media and…
Interviews
Over the years, I have been interviewed many times, first by Joel McIver for the now-defunct Bass Guitar Magazine (Bass Guitar) in November 2018 and July 2022, I was featured on the Wonderwoman section of the ‘No Treble’ website with a feature-length article and 60-minute video interview with the wonderful Britanny Frompovitch.
2025 saw me becoming a writer for Bass Musician Magazine and the editor, Raul Amado, interviewed me. Take a look!
It’s this type of thing that encourages suppliers to work with you.
Take a deep dive by visiting the equipment section of my website here >>> VIEW
A big surprise
I haven’t given birth to children, but on marrying my musical and life partner Simon Campbell, I inherited two fully grown and well-trained sons, James (Jim) and Joseph (Joe). In the 13 years since we have been together, they have both married, and we now have three grandchildren: who’d have thought it, eh…
We have always lived in Europe together, but visit them as much as we can.
Several years ago, the band were staying in Brixton, London, hanging out with Jim for a couple of days after playing a gig at The Half Moon in Putney.
We had just opened our first adventurous beer of the day when in walks Jim carrying his 1974 Fender Precision and proceeds to place it in my hands, saying that he would like me to have his bass as he doesn’t play anymore, and I will make more use of it! What an amazing gift!
Here is a detailed piece on my website
My amps & cabs (part three)
As mentioned in my last article, I like to play loud on stage using valve (tube) amps and big cabinets. The funny thing is—which I haven’t gotten my head around yet—is that a 200W valve amp sounds louder and more present than a more powerful, solid state (transistor) based amp.
Over the past few years I have seen the resurgence of lower powered valve amps, such as vintage 100W Fender Bassman stacks on stage replacing the ubiquitous—but still wonderful—Ampeg SVT. Perhaps it’s because stages are getting quieter, I don’t know.
Sunn have rereleased the legendary 60W 200S and no Nashville studio is complete without a vintage 25W Ampeg B15N Portaflex.
Bass players still love the sound of the mighty valve!!
A little history about British valve (tube) amps
In the early days, British amps were trying to be ‘clean.’ You had brands like Selmer and Watkins (WEM) popping up, but the real game-changer was Vox. Dick Denney at Jennings Musical Instruments (JMI) created the AC15 in 1958. When bands needed more volume to be heard over screaming fans, they doubled it to create the AC30 championed by The Shadows and The Beatles.
As the decade progressed, players needed more grunt. Remember, this was in the days before great PA systems, with bands relying on guitar and bass amps on stage to be heard.
Jim Marshall, a drum shop owner, started building amps because American imports like the Fender Bassman were too pricey. He took the Bassman circuit, tweaked it for British components (like the KT66 and later EL34 valves), and created the JTM45 and later SuperLead/SuperBass 100W and Major 200W models as demand for more power became prevalent.
While Marshall was all about saturation, other builders focused on clarity and military-grade construction. Enter Sound City—known as the proto HiWatt and HiWatt.
Dave Reeves’ Hiwatt amps were the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of the amp world. Used heavily by guitar and bass players of the time, they offered massive headroom—they stayed clean and punchy even at ear-splitting volumes. Yes, that’s why I own a HiWatt DR201 (200W) from the 70s and wrote about it in edition #8 of this series.
Matamp & Orange
Matamp has one of those classic British origin stories that starts in a garden shed and ends up on the world stage.
The foundation was laid by Mat Mathias, a German-born engineer who moved to the UK during WWII. Around 1945 or 1946, he started a business called RadioCraft in Huddersfield. At first, he was basically the “Radio Doctor,” fixing anything electronic, but by the late 50s, he’d opened a recording studio and was experimenting with his own amplifier circuits because he wanted a different sound from the ubiquitous Vox amps of the era.
The name we know today appeared in 1964. Mat partnered with a hi-fi engineer named Tony Emerson. This is when things got serious. They released the Series 2000, which caught the ear of a young Peter Green. Green used his Matamp to record much of the early Fleetwood Mac catalogue, giving the brand instant ‘holy grail’ status among blues-rockers.
In 1968, Mat teamed up with Cliff Cooper, who owned the Orange music shop in London. For a few years, Matamp actually manufactured the amplifiers for Orange (the legendary Orange-Matamp units) used by Wishbone Ash, Free and Led Zeppelin, amongst others.
By 1971, the partnership split because Orange wanted to move to mass production, while Mat wanted to keep things small, hand-built, and high-quality.
The Supertone Matamp 200
I love my HiWatt but it’s 42 years old, and although ultra-reliable, touring with just one amp is a dangerous business. I also needed a new sound, something bigger at the bottom end and a more prominent mid-range.
Simon has known the current owner of Matamp, Jeff Lewis, for many years. He is a troublesome Yorkshireman, in a very cool kind of way and always swayed by a pack of chocolate biscuits! Simon was having a customised 120W amp made for him, and when we met, I asked him if he could build me an old-school Matamp 200. Their current model is the Green / Matamp GT200 mkII, which features a mid-cut control, but I really wanted the original preamp circuit with a few personal tweaks.
Jeff and his amp tech Hayden Minett, built this for me under our Supertone brand, and it is available to buy 🙂
It’s built like a tank, totally beautiful and can be played at any level—but beware, it can tear your head off…
Another couple of pedals
If you delve into the previous articles, you will see that at this point in my career, I was using a Sonic Research ST-300 TurboTuner, Supertone Custom Bass FUZZ, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal Jr., and ElectroHarmonix POG2 polyphonic octave generator running through a Lehle RMI BassSwitch IQ DI.
Grit…
Listening to Lemmy (Motörhead), Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), and Chris Wolstenholme (Muse), motivated me to explore ‘edge’.
Loud is one thing, but getting the amp to the point of breakup is quite another. As discussed in edition #8, I have a Supertone Fuzz, which is fantastic for solos and specific parts, but I did need something for grit that would not have my band members and the audience being sonically disembowelled.
Enter the…
Hudson Broadcast
I have never played through a classic British broadcast console of the 60s, but we do have a similar type of preamp in the studio: the H2 Audio 2120. This is a faithful recreation of the preamps found in the first Helios consoles, probably best known for the installation in Olympic Studios, London and the recording of Led Zeppelin 1 along with many others including the Rolling Stones, The Who and David Bowie.
When you plug in and raise the gain, the transformer saturates, and components start to overload, giving a fabulous, gritty tone.
The Broadcast is similar but uses a discrete Class-A germanium pre-amplifier (I am not a tech head and know nothing of this; it’s straight from the Hudson Broadcast website).
They go on to say:
“In the low-gain setting, the Broadcast can cover everything from sparkling clean boost through to transparent overdrive, all with a healthy dose of volume available to push your amp. The Broadcast features a specially selected Triad steel-core transformer and a Germanium transistor. Advancing the gain on the Broadcast starts to saturate the transformer and the pedal’s discrete circuitry, giving rise to a gentle and dynamic compression coupled with subtle thickening of the mid-range. With the gain switch in the high setting and the trim control wound up, the Broadcast starts to deliver heavier distorted sounds with a warm and fuzzy edge to them.”
It’s all Japanese to me. All I know is you plug it in, turn it up, mess with the controls and hear the beauty. It’s featured right from the start of Saving Me from our latest studio album Starlite.One.
https://starlite-campbell.bandcamp.com/track/saving-me
Compression
99% of every recorded track you hear featuring bass guitar or upright bass will feature compression, to a greater or lesser extent.
But what the hell is compression, and why do we need it??
To explain it in the simplest way possible: imagine you have a tiny, super-fast sound engineer living inside your amp with their hand on the volume knob. Think of a compressor as an automatic volume smoother.
When you play the bass hard and cross a certain line (the Threshold), the ‘engineer’ quickly turns the volume down. When the music gets quiet again, they turn it back up.
So basically, it squashes the difference between your loudest notes and your quietest notes. It makes your playing sound more consistent, allowing it to ‘sit in the mix’. It also adds sustain to a bass or guitar because, as the note naturally fades out, the compressor is effectively ‘turning up’ the tail of the note.
Warning: compression also make any ringing notes, pops, squeaks, or thumps louder, so your technique has to be spot on.
Origin Effects Cali76 Bass Compressor
In the studio, we tend to use rack-mounted studio compressors. Simon favours our vintage DBX 165 and Urei 1176, but there are plethora of pedals available for use in a live scenario. After testing many of them, the Origin Effects Cali76 Bass came out on top.
As you would expect from the name, the Cali76 is inspired by the world-famous Urei 1176.
They are a bit tricky to set up, and not wishing to go over old ground, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there that can help, but as far as I’m concerned its a very usable effect that really tightens up the sound.
There are two very useful controls in addition to those found on many more basic compressors.
The ‘dry’ knob varies the amount of uncompressed signal through the pedal (known as parallel compression). So, you can compress the bass heavily then add some of the original signal which allows the dynamics to shine through! It’s very useful and often used in studio as compression is like a drug; you always want more, but overuse can take the dynamics out of your tone.
The other is the ‘High Pass Filter’ (HPF), which allows you to vary the amount of bass frequencies (0-400Hz) that is allowed through the pedal without compression.
If you think about it, it’s usually the transients—god help me like those created by slap bass techniques—pick attack, and increase in volume and thinness of tone/increase in volume as you move up the neck (especially on the D and G strings) that need controlling. You want the lows to breathe!
Again, I plug it in and mess with the controls until is sounds the way I want it, but you do need to know some technical stuff to get the best out of it! Watch the video.
I always have this on and adjust the amount of signal going into it using my GigRig ATOM switching unit to accommodate my different basses, which have a huge variety of outputs. But more of that next time.
Headroom
The unit allows a power supply to deliver from 9-18V DC. The higher the voltage you give it the more headroom (the amount of level you can put in before distortion) you have. This got me thinking about power supplies: time to speak to Simon, who has been using pedalboards for most of his career. I run this at 12V, as that’s what I have.
And finally
Next month, I will feature my approach to session playing, a new big speaker cabinet, my own signature bass and of course, more pedals.
Please comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!
Much love
Suzy
One of the most common sources of confusion for bassists studying harmony is the melodic minor scale.
You may have encountered two different definitions that seem to contradict each other: the traditional (classical) melodic minor and the jazz melodic minor. Understanding the difference between these two is essential, not only for theory exams, but for real-world application on the bass.
In this column, we’ll break down both concepts clearly and, most importantly, explain how and why jazz bassists use the melodic minor scale the way they do.
The Traditional (Classical) Melodic Minor Scale
In classical theory, the melodic minor scale is directional, meaning it changes depending on whether you are ascending or descending.
Why does this happen?
When descending, those alterations are removed, reverting back to the natural minor scale. This approach makes sense in a classical, melodic context, but it presents challenges for improvisers and rhythm section players.
For bassists, a scale that changes depending on direction is impractical for spontaneous improvisation and harmonic analysis.
The Jazz Melodic Minor Scale
Jazz musicians simplified the concept.
In jazz, the melodic minor scale is:
The major scale with a flat 3rd — used the same ascending and descending.
This consistency makes the scale extremely useful for:
• Improvisation
• Chord–scale relationships
• Modern harmonic vocabulary
For bassists, this is the version that truly matters in jazz, fusion, gospel, and contemporary music.
Why Jazz Uses This Version
Jazz harmony is vertical and functional. Chords do not exist in isolation—they imply scales.
From the jazz melodic minor scale come seven powerful modes, each associated with specific chord qualities.
These sounds define modern jazz language. Without the jazz melodic minor scale, much of contemporary harmony simply doesn’t exist.
Practical Application for Bassists
Here’s how bassists should approach the melodic minor scale in real playing situations:
• Forget directionality — use one form up and down.
• Associate the scale with chords, not keys.
• Practice modes from chord roots, not scale roots.
• Apply it to walking bass lines, not just solos.
For example:
• Use Lydian Dominant on a V7 chord resolving to a major tonic.
• Use the Altered Scale on a dominant chord with tensions.
• Outline minor-major 7 chords with confidence instead of avoiding them.
The melodic minor scale is not just a “soloist’s tool.” It’s a harmonic roadmap that allows bassists to support, color, and drive the music forward.
Final Thoughts
The traditional melodic minor scale belongs to classical voice-leading and composition. The jazz melodic minor scale, however, belongs to the language of modern music.
As bassists, our job is clarity, foundation, and intention. Understanding the jazz melodic minor scale equips us to navigate complex harmony while remaining grounded in the groove.
Learn it. Internalize it. Apply it musically.
Stay tuned for more great stuff in the next issue and keep in touch with #bassmusicianmag,
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