Welcome to the first of my new ‘Interactive Style Files’.

Every month, I’ll be composing a short tune that ties in with a theme from that issue.

This issue featured a special on Ska! If you aren’t familiar with Ska, here’s a link to some information from my friends at allmusic.com

You can listen to the track here for free…

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1. Bass Guitar Magazine issue 48 has a transcription of the bassline for you to study.
2. I’ve posted a series of video lessons on Youtube to give you an in-depth look at how I played the parts. (To see all of these videos together, click here.)
3. If you who really want to get inside this piece, I have a copy of the full song and also a backing track with the bass removed, available to purchase for just £1.
4. Simply select the file type you prefer, click ‘Buy Now’ and for £1 you can be downloading both tracks in a matter of minutes.

Downloading the tracks

• If you wish to purchase the files as mp3s. (Compressed so that they are a much smaller file. They are still high quality mp3’s and are the best option if you’re going to listen to music on an iPod / iPhone. This is also recommended if you have a slower internet connection)

• If you wish to purchase the files as WAVs. (These are full quality, uncompressed files. Sonically, these are as good as it gets, but bear in mind the files are around 40mb each! If you have a slow connection, you’ll be waiting a long time!

(If you like, you can download the WAVs and convert them to mp3 on your computer – that way, you can have the best of both worlds….)

4. Finally, for those of you who like a challenge, post a video response on YouTube with you playing along to the backing track. The best performance we see that month will win a prize and a mention in the next issue…

If you like the tracks, make sure to spread the word – post about ‘em on forums, tell your friends…!! I need all the help I can get to promote these tracks and nothing works quite so well as word of mouth

Skattershot is a great fun track to play along to. It has an interesting, syncopated bassline which locks in with the drummer and the guitarist’s offbeat skank. There are a few technically tricky parts, so it should hold some challenges for those of you with fast fingers and there’s room for a short bass solo, so you can explore some options and bring your own style to the tune.

Putting It Together

It may help you place the notes of your bassline by having a basic understanding of your rhythm section partners.

In a typical Ska groove, the drummer is playing heavily on beats 1 & 3 with the kick drum and giving a solid snare backbeat on 2 & 4.

His hi-hat and the rhythm guitar part are both playing on the ‘and’ of each beat.

(one) and (two) and (three) and (four) and

To help, I’ve included a little rhythm section transcription, so you can see how the groove fits together in bars 1 & 2.

The Bass Solo

As a little bonus, I’ve also posted the transcription of my bass solo. See if you can get your hands around the Bassline first – you might even want to have a try at working out the solo. (extra points awarded for that) 

skattershot.bass.solo.pdf (right click to save the pdf to your desktop)

Credits:

The track features:

Drums:

Darren Ashford (of The Dub Pistols!)

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Trombone:

Tim Smart (The man who brings trombone to the horn section of… The Specials!)

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Bass, Guitars and Percussion:

That would be…..me.

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All production and engineering: That was…. me again.

Mixing:

Jo Webb and …. yep, me.

Recorded, produced and mixed at Clean Feet Studios, Stanley House, London.