Bass Magazine – Issue 4 2019

70 BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 4 ; bassmagazine.com

Abraham Laboriel

O

ld-school bass students may re-

member Abraham’s instructional

videos Funk Bass Concepts (1990)

and Beginning Funk Bass (1994),

which balanced humor, heartfelt advice, and

encouragement with hardcore practical tips.

Over the years, Laboriel has conducted many

clinics and workshops around the world, in-

cluding in Spanish-speaking countries and

for Christian musicians. He has also conduct-

ed masterclasses at his alma mater, Berklee,

which gave him an honorary doctorate in

2005. More recently, he did two videos for
      MyMusicMasterclass.com that covered top-
      ics such as rhythmic displacement, playing
      ahead of/on top of/behind the beat, tapping,

rhythmic independence, articulation, versa-

tility, on-the-gig advice, pedal tones, chords,

and of course — his ferocious right-hand

technique. We asked him for a few pearls of

wisdom.

Keep your ears open. “One of the

things I say to people in all my clinics is that

when you arrive at the studio, pay attention

to all the conversations that the producers

are having with the other musicians, or the

artist is having with other musicians, because

it will inform how your part fits or doesn’t.”

Pick target notes. “One of the import-

ant things I learned in Berklee is that when

you have a very difficult part, pick your target

notes and play those target notes perfectly in

The Teacher

PHIL AFRNSWORTH

Abe, Patrice
Rushen, and Steve
Gadd at 2005
Berklee
Convocation