Reading music is a subject that can strike fear into the heart of many aspiring musicians. It’s a tough skill to learn, but do bass players REALLY need to read sheet music? If your ambition is to be in a three chord punk band then you won’t be too worried. But there are TONS of great benefits, as Ian and Scott explore in this episode.

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, John Davis is a master of synth-bass tones and electronic music. A multi-faceted bassist with Jojo Mayer’s Nerve, John has developed an extraordinary facility to emulate almost any sequenced synth bassline from his bass guitar and pedalboard in real time.

Learning to invest in yourself could be the best move you ever make as a musician. By making small changes, the positive effects can be huge! In today’s episode Ian talks through some of the key decisions that he made to help change his life for the better.

​Should you or should you not write down everything that you practice? Transcribing for the sake of filling up pages with dots might make you feel like you’ve done your homework, but it won’t necessarily teach you as much as you think. In today’s episode, Ian and Scott discuss the ins and outs of learning by ear.