The New Generation of Fusion Bassists

[lefty007]

I've been using a guitar fingerstyle approach on the bass for years, and I have been aware of Matthew Garrison for years as well.

But lately, I'm seeing all these "new generation" of bassist expanding on this technique. A few I've seen:


-Matthew Garrison
-Tony Grey
-Dominique Dipiazza (finger picks)
-Hadrien Ferau
-Janek Gwizdala
-Damien Erskine
-Gary Wills (although he has a more sofisticated technique).

So, is this technique really taking over?

I know a few of these guys have been or teach at Berkley. Are schools teaching these technique? A new trend?

Any other bassist doing this?

[damianerskine]

Thanks for the mention!
Berklee never really dealt much specifically with technique (although once Matt Garrison starting teaching there, I understand that his 4 finger technique was of special interest to a LOT of bass students). My version of multi finger stuff was completely born out of experimentation and one thing leading to another. I started muting with my pinky instead of my palm, which led to a different hand position which put my thumb in a place where it was just obvious that I should start using it more. I then invented my own exercises to work on it.
I'm a big fan of assessing whatever need you have technically and then inventing your own exercises to push it. I also like to incorporate scale patterns so I can
1• also work on melodic stuff at the same time (kill 2 birds with one exercise)
2• different scale patterns (harmonic minor played in 6ths, for example) really forces you to move around the bass, further developing the technical side of the exercise.

[Tslicebass]

Well said damian. Neccesity is the mother of technique