A Structured Learning Pathway for Improvising Great Lines
Freedom Through Structure
Master Walking Bass,
Apply Your Knowledge,
Ignite Creativity
You're feeling stuck, and overwhelmed with information.
Unlock the fundamental building blocks of thousands of jazz tunes to build a logical step-by-step approach to walking bass so that you feel free to express the music in your soul.
Get Started →
126
Videos
170+
PDFs
201
Backing Tracks
9.3k+
Subscribers
Build A Meaningful Practice That Adds Color & Spark To Your Life
So often we get stuck. You've learned the basics of walking bass but you feel that you've reached a plateau and you're looking to perform with more command and ease. Focusing on the foundational forms of jazz will help you get there. We'll explore:
- The Major Blues
- The Minor Blues
- Standards
- Harmonic Cycles
- Rhythm Changes
Take ownership of crucial foundations of jazz tunes by taking a deep dive to uncover countless ways to create strong and logical bass lines.
“Matt has it all...”
“'Ive been playing double bass for a bit over 40 years. Done my conservatorium studies and I strongly and highly recommend people wanting to learn to play upright to pay very close attention to Matt and his lessons. I check out all tutorials and Matt is one of the most easy to follow. To teach is a special art form. Matt has it all.”
@TIMOBARA64
“Great stuff...”
“Yours are the best jazz-bass lessons I've seen anywhere. I would strongly recommend your lessons not just to bassists, but also to pianists and guitarists who want to add jazz bass lines to their solo performances. It's also essential to anyone who wants to write jazz arrangements. Even a beginner who can't read yet could learn by listening and watching. Great stuff.”
@mbmillermo
“One of the best...”
I must say, my double bass playing has definitely improved since I discovered your channel. You're one of the best to do it. Keep doing what you're doing."
@ bustabass9025
Impress
Your Listeners & Fellow Musicians
Unlock insights into creating walking bass lines that will inspire your own creativity and bass line performance.This five-part guided course will give you powerful tools to master the harmonic structure that supports thousands of jazz songs.
Enroll NowWhat You'll Learn
Beyond the Basics: Master the Must-Know Major Blues
Never Look at a Blues Chord Chart On a Gig Again
Eliminate any doubt about playing the blues. By exploring dominant harmony, blues form variations, and turnarounds you'll be able to, as Duke Ellington said in a song title, "Play the Blues and Go."
Ready? Let's Go →Major Blues Topic Curriculum
Mr. MB: Augment Your Abilities with Minor Blues
Now You'll Be The Leader When Playing "Mr. P.C."(Take That, Mr. Sax Player)
Tackle and command the rarified minor blues form to add to your blues bass lines skills, keeping you up on the bandstand during the jam session.
Ready? Let's Go →Minor Blues Topic Curriculum
Calling Tunes: Uncover the Secrets of Standards
Play Thousands of Standards Effortlessly
Having fluency in the recognizable and established harmonic patterns of great standard tunes allow you to learn and play a huge repertoire much more quickly and effortlessly.
Ready? Let's Go →Standard Progressions Topic Curriculum
BREAK OUT OF THE LOOP: DEMYSTIFYING CHORD CYCLES
Stop Feeling Lost in a Random Series of Chords
Learn to create amazing bass lines that reflect the musical DNA of patterns in countless tunes so that you'll be "first call" for the next gig. Cycles of chords are common compositional tools in the jazz song canon. Grasping concepts like cycles of fourths and tritone substitutions further deepens our ownership of these songs and informs how we create great walking lines.
Ready? Let's Go →Harmonic Cycles Topic Curriculum
Chasin' the Bird: Snaring the Elusive Rhythm Changes
Find Calm Command in Complex Musical Moments
It's fast. There's a lot of chords. A LOT of chords. The pianist is playing one way–the guitarist is playing another. It's madness. Discover some "Swedish Schnapps" calm in the hurricane of sounds in the countless approaches to tunes based on "I Got Rhythm."
Ready? Let's Go →Rhythm Changes Topic Curriculum
Navigate an Rigorously Defined Path with a Juilliard Jazz Alumus & Faculty Member
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Matthew Rybicki has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Ernie Watts, Laurence Hobgood, Hilary Kole, Wycliffe Gordon, Ted Rosenthal, Mark Gould, Nnenna Freelon, Renee Fleming, Terell Stafford, Winard Harper, Mark Whitfield, Victor Goines, and Marcus Printup.
He has also had the great fortune of performing at many well-respected venues in New York such as The Village Vanguard and The Blue Note, as well as concert halls and festivals in locations ranging from Italy to Qatar.
Matthew is a faculty member at The Juilliard School and a visiting artist at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He was an artist/instructor for Jazz at Lincoln Center where he developed and taught the inaugural bass course in the Essentially Ellington Band Director Academy. In addition, Matthew was a program coordinator for Midori and Friends and has led musical workshops at both The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Guggenheim, where he designed and presented educational performances that incorporate jazz with fine art.
He has also authored books for Hal Leonard Publications including The Hal Leonard Jazz Bass Method, Ray Brown: Legendary Jazz Bassist, and the Goldmine Series for Bass.
Matthew received his Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1995 and graduate degree from The Juilliard School in 2004.
Learn More →
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“Thanks so much…”
“...blew me away. love the way that you play, how generous you are in explaining things, how much you love the bass, and how much you want to improve others playing. Thanks so much!"
@jameswasil8961
“Just WOW...”
“Absolutely brilliant and stunning lesson, Matt! I did learn a lot! Thank you so much for just giving away all those things. Your channel is one of the best educational channels you can find on YouTube! Just WOW!”
@GeorgiAndre
“Certainly my favourite...”
“Finally, someone said all of that! This is rapidly becoming one of the best bass channels on YouTube and certainly my favourite!”
@AlessandroAzara
What's Included
STEP-BY-STEP HOMEWORK
Get the Most from the Course with Exercise Checklists
Get the most out of your learning experience and keep moving with manageable tasks to give you a sense of accomplishment. Learning this music can be very overwhelming. Every module in each topic contains a "homework" checklist to guide you through each video.
On-Demand Video Lessons
Forget the Pressure of Private Lessons, and Take Your Time Absorbing Material
With multiple videos in each of four modules in each topic, you'll be able to view the lessons at your pace. With 4k resolution, closed captions, and accompanying downloads and partner images, you'll have ample opportunity to study.
In-Depth Resources
Be Ready for the Gig
Arm yourself with core bass principles. Hundreds of print-quality downloadable PDFs and mp3s that are specially designed for each topic, and include many full transcriptions from masters like Buster Williams, Ron Carter, Scott LaFaro, and Israel Crosby. You'll also be able to download all of the PDFs from Matt's YouTube channel.
Engaging Bonus Material
Play With Young Jazz Masters
Want to play along with Gerald Clayton, Ron Blake, Freddie Hendrix, and Ulysses Owens, Jr.? You can! I've extracted my bass parts from my debut CD so that you can use these masterful performances to work on concepts we've discussed. There are hundreds of other bespoke backing tracks for the course, as well as a free download of my CD, bonus transcriptions, and a surprise bonus for completing the course.
Trying to Decide?
This is for you if...
- you have prior experience playing jazz
- you are able to read conventional notation
- you have a basic understanding of jazz harmony
- you are committed to learning but frustrated from a lack of structure
This is not for you if...
- you're looking for a course for a true novice
- you're interested in learning specifically about soloing
- you're interested in non-traditional roles for jazz bass
- you're comfortable with your lack of progress
Need a Reason to Start?
Here are 3 Great Reasons
Tame the Tidal Wave of Information
Enjoy clear action steps to overcome information overload. I applied a rigorous structure to this course that allows for natural and logical progress, while challenging you with attainable tasks and goals. By the end of the course you'll be not only a stronger bassist, but a stronger musician.
Find More Pleasure in Practice and Performance as You Slide Into That Flow State
Armed with the information from the course, you can feel confident and relaxed taking that rehearsal, that jam session place, and that gig!
Be Welcome In the Local Jazz Community with New Friends & Colleagues
Confidently sit in at the jam session knowing you've studied the material There's goodies. Lots of goodies. Hundreds of PDFs and transcriptions. Hundreds of backing tracks. Cool bonus stuff too!
Get Started
Grab Your Bass
We're About to Get Started
There's no better time than now to get yourself out of that "feeling stuck" place. Let's work together to get you prepared for the many gigs to come in your future!
Enroll Now
Let's Put You on the Path
to Fulfill Your Musical Visions
Beyond the Basics: Master the Must-Know Blues
How well do you really know the blues? Let's find out!
Mr. M.B.: Augment Your Blues Abilities with the (M)inor (B)lues
"Mr. P.C."? Naw, no you're Mr. (or Mrs.) M.B. now that you've tackled the minor blues.
Calling Tunes: Uncover the Secrets of Standards
Master the DNA of thousands of tunes in the American Songbook.
Break Out of the Loop: Demystifying Chord Cycles
Level up your walking lines on these critical standard patterns.
