6 string bass improvisation. (aka: Messing around)

[taoofmetal]

I dont understand how ANYONE could dislike this!!!

[MattyBassK]

Wow

[legatotechniques]

superb

[wedbasshead5]

Sound like vick

[wedbasshead5]

Daw sick!!!!

[keysagoh]

YIKES, STOP MAN! You're Ridiculous, fast and CLEAN! Nice!!!

[seba330]

i thing it actually is something from Victor Wooten, NICE JOB MAN!! :)

[eljazzerosix]

wow! very inspiring, and soothing, GOD bless you man. :D

[eljazzerosix]

wow! very inspiring, :D

[Rael0505]

What a gorgeous instrument! What kind of wood is that? Great playing also!

[heiian]

impressive! i could easily zone out to your "frustrated" jam session haha

[zaretix]

Awesome playing man, really inspiring! and the "lick" in the backgrounds sounds friggin' awesome

[MakeMeBadKornPorn]

nice man! beautiful impro... did you study bass at some institution?

[BassMasterPL]

nice!

[1993BigNasty]

I wish i got frustrated like that... I'd be a beast then

[AZWozzeck]

Dude, I really want 6 string bass but I'm also looking to buy a $38,000 contraforte though. But that was a cool improvisation. Are you still bored musically?

[MELONMOVIES]

Just ordered my Brice Defiant 6 from Rondo Music, can't wait for it to come! :D

[PennybagDarrell]

dude you just made this up?! damn.

[DrKillinSpillin]

I'm thinking of getting a 6 string bass... I have a four string and lately have been playing Dream Theater stuff (converting to 4 string obviously) I like to change strings a lot and so on, I like to shred and stuff also. I play a lot of Metal, should I get a 6 string? Been playing about a year.

[redvsbluefanman]

@DrKillinSpillin Go to a guitar store and play on one for a while. I personally love six strings, even though I don't own one. It does take some getting used to, as the strings are spaced really closely together compared to a 4 string.

Ibanez makes a nice 6 string. Forget what it's called though

[musicmaster555]

this is AWESOME!!! I'm working on having that much control, fluidity, and musical know-how.. but by the way you do it so well it looks like it's gonna take me quite a while :P props man, seriously

[BallsmackBassist]

Beautifull man :)

[blockopastorius]

damn...

[LIGHTRONIX]

Dude that was awesome I could listen to this kind of bass playing all day...

[Numlocq]

Im sorry but that isn't bass playing. It's guitar playing on a bass. You fail

[billnoceros]

@Numlocq what just cause he doesn't play some boring-ass repetitive pedal tone and actually puts some skill into the piece means its not "bass playing?" since when did you become the end-all-be-all authority on bass??

[Numlocq]

@billnoceros No because he is playing guitar...on a bass. As I said. You're clearly not much of a bass player yourself saying crap like that. "some boring ass repetitive pedal tone" If that is really how you see bass playing then you, sir, are a failfag

[billnoceros]

@Numlocq did you SERIOUSLY just call me a "fail fag"....my god...some people's kids...anyways. that is definitely not how i see bass playing. boring pedal tones are what talentless idiots with zero songwriting capabilities do and claim that its bass. what bassists like les claypool, john myung and alex webster do. THAT is bass playing. and by the way, i've been playing bass for over 10 years so you shouldn't say shit like i don't know what the fuck i'm talking about. go back to your nickelback..

[Numlocq]

@billnoceros Yes I did just call you a fail fag because you're basically trying to turn my opinion into a fact. And don't try telling me about claypool and Myung. I am well aware of their capabilities. I don't really care how long you have been playing bass for. Doesn't automatically mean you know more than everybody.

Also, I hate Nickelback

[billnoceros]

@Numlocq i hate arguing with people. can we just end this idiocy of our pointless argument?

[Numlocq]

@billnoceros By all means

[LIGHTRONIX]

@Numlocq dude.... stfu

[Numlocq]

@LIGHTRONIX Why should I? Im entitled to give my opinion and you're just being a wanker in assuming you have the right to stop me. So why don't you 'stfu' as you lazy wanker's put it

[TeamGreenHQ]

@Numlocq Who said bass can't play lead?

[Numlocq]

@TeamGreenHQ I dunno, who said that?

[MELONMOVIES]

@Numlocq Those damn trolls... :P

[Numlocq]

@MELONMOVIES damn trolls. GET BACK UNDER YOUR BRIDGE!

[anthonyjperri]

very talented!

[teddfox]

Amazing session. This is what makes me want to buy another 6-string and start playing bass again, Impressive! I have watched/listened to this clip the entire day today. AMAZING work! Keep it up!

[4iamu]

Awesome!! This is what I imagine it would sound like if Vic Wooten were to play a six-stringer. What kinda bass is that?

[Masterwill68]

Beautiful......

After hearing something like this, I wish i could pickup my six and start playing like this.. I have to learn this piece. try to get close to it.. practice, practice, practice

[jkuebler89]

damn yer too good to be bored. you need to get a band together man.

[fishybishbash]

"thats my nephew" - "thanks Pete" Wha??? you're Pete Erskines nephew?? Thats cheating. Like being Rockefellers grandson

[damianerskine]

@musicman9901 no problem! It's a Zon TJ-6

[musicman9901]

@damianerskine cool, thanks. great looking and sounding bass, nice playing

[1993BigNasty]

@damianerskine What kind of amp u play?



[musicman9901]

sorry if youve been asked a million times before but what kind of bass is that?

[FloydBlueElgar]

I love how you glide over the strings... Great use of phrasing!

[doublethumpbass89]

awesome playing and improv....

[Fujitsufeee]

cool, respect!

[SuperScorpion101]

nice job. how long have you been playing?

[LusciousLemur]

What did you use to loop the intro portion of the improv?

[stratoguz]

awesome

[Masterwill68]

Thanks, just what I needed... Now I must practice.

[dumbhotguy]

nice man, it sounds like you might have classical guitar skills too. Just a guess.

[damianerskine]

@dumbhotguy I get that alot! nope, not a lick of guitar.. just bass and drums! ;) I always felt like the necks were to thin for me on guitar (even classical). just felt weird after playing bass for so long...

[gomeras40]

Same lol, I don't like playing guitars, there not only are way to many, but I just prefer hitting with sticks and plucking with my fingers or wedgie picks.

[boiwon]

My God,if I had your skills I could never be Frustrated awesome man Ty so much you're AWESOME BASSIST!!!!!!

[jonjonjonmw3]

Damn, I wish I could afford a zon, lol

[lunchmeat317]

Shit. I need to practice.

Really badly.

*headdesk*

Definitely a really good motivator to practice scales.

[zerodarknova]

hey man .. YOU 'RE AWSOME!!!!

which scales do you use to improv???

since I saw this video I just decided to buy a six strings bass and looper

to play that song... but I don't know the scales that u use

[damianerskine]

@zerodarknova all of them! I don't really think in scales tho (most folks sound like they're playing scales when they get too hung up on em). I'm more thinking ovrall tonality and chord shapes.

[SpearShark]

Awesome playing! what's the brand of bass?

[damianerskine]

@SpearShark it's a Zon!

[mmills131313]

nice jam man..

[RadioMasterDude]

Awesome! Reminds me a little of Victor Wooten... :D

[huniy]

Improvisation wise. I dont think I've heard anyone like you Mr. Eskine. (Shakes Head....) LOL

[ottonello]

very good .. thank you :)

[sabueso32]

Great taste and very elegant hand positioning

[nychotboy123]

amazing

[louisianarookie]

good stuff D.

[willyanko]

nice man..... what loop pedal do you used?? i want to buy a loop pedal too, bit i have no idea about it..

[frofront]

iv started to use a loop too, pretty fun.

[bassvirgin17]

Wow, even when your bored this sounds incredible, how many hours did you practice to get that good?

[damianerskine]

@bassvirgin17 how many 'years', you mean? ;)

[JJT247]

Wow really cool.

[djlsb]

beautiful playing man ,  sometimes being bored musically is a good thing lol

[dtonbassist]

agreed its when i am bored musically that i make some decent riffs. i cant say that they are as good as this fellows playing though.

[Bassbumpin]

what kind of strings do you play with?

[damianerskine]

D'Addario Nickels.

[Bassbumpin]

It sounds great.

[harleydude1016]

dude...great music.

[PWEB07]

great video! your music is amazing

[jpcreepers]

dude, so melodic. how long u been playin?

[knik002004]

man just listening to you play the bass is making me want to cry lol if you had a cd out i would totally buy it this is amazing work

[damianerskine]

Thanks man! I do have one CD out and am working on a second! You can find te first one on itunes, cdbaby, etc...

[knik002004]

sweet imma look for it

[yogsothoth2099]

great job man , i love you improv, could you please explain me what are you doing? what scale etc tnx , great solo .

[damianerskine]

A minor! other than that, just playing and hoping something comes out of it...

[carloscs5]

How has being the nephew of a drumming legend (Peter Erskine) influenced your playing?

[damianerskine]

It hasn't influenced my playing so much, rather watching him and his work ethic/professionalism is what really influenced me. He's always been my model for how a pro works, presents himself, etc.. He's been more of a professional influence than musical influence, I guess...

[RebornThroughHate]

Excellent. Seriously, I am rarely impressed by bass videos on YouTube, unless we're talking big names, but this really got me. Great technique, physically effortless, soft touch in the hands, pleasant sound, good melody to go along with the technique. Congrats, Damian.

[damianerskine]

Thanks man!

[keeef66]

Dude, this is sweet. If you think you're bored with yourself, you should hear me! I can't stay awake for more than eight bars of listening to myself.

[ricktobinmusic]

Hey mate, love your stuff. Just wondering how you control sympathetic vibrations from the lower strings (especially the B) when you're playing up high. From the vid I can't see a lot of muting going on or am I missing something?

[damianerskine]

I never had many problems with that on the Zon.. But, generally speaking, I just have gotten used to lightly pressing down my palm on the strings when necessary to dampen them (I mute in a lot of ways with both hands, but that's how I usually deal with the sympathetic vibrations). I have gotten used to it so I can dip my palm down just a bump for a second to mute the strings if they start to ring noticeably.

[yayah102]

thats really cool...just 1 question,i play bass too,i have a 4 string and a 5 string...does the 6th string get added on above the B,or below the G???

[damianerskine]

Typically, a 6string is strung BEADGC, but you can string or tune it however you want to! A lot of guys these days string 5 strings EADGC instead of BEADG... it's up to you!

[yayah102]

ima girl...but mine was bought strung BEADG...i got it online for $230NZD...mint condish...its a squire by fender 5string,in my videos,my finger bass improve is on my 5string,and my pick bass improv is on my epiphone nikki sixx blackbird 4string...itd be cool if you comment on my videos if you watch them

[hobbilybobbily]

thats kewl as ur playing it lyk a guitar!pro...

[RandomoVideos]

I wish I had a C string :D

[ZomgMudkipz]

Your bass looks nice :D

The playing sounded amazing o-O

...And i like what you done with your beard xD

5* :)

[bgrbass19]

great stuff damian...ive ben playing bass for a year and a half now but ive ben a musician all my life...i can read ok but i kinda get bored...what can i do to learn how to do stuff without getting bored?

[Optimist1046]

Dude, you sound like Matthew Garrison

[damianerskine]

WOW... seriously not worthy of that! Maybe Matt Garrison in high school!! LOL...

[bloodthrillbassist1]

yeah but if he does it during every song, that shit would get annoying at some point. i know someone that doesnt solo that crazy. and it gets very irritating.

[damianerskine]

That's me PRACTICING! I play bass for a living... not that stuff.. Just like to explore the instrument.

[white0nerdy]

god that neck is thick =O

do they have 6 strings with thinner necks? i dont think i could handle playing it when its that thick =P

[damianerskine]

It might be the camera angle.. It's a much thinner neck than most 6's...

[memestrat]

Sweet, man!

[itsdojoson]

awesome playing

nice bass

[zairuku]

You listen to alot of victor wooten, or jaco pastorious im sure ^.^

Luving the mix of speed, dead notes, harmonics and that smooth bass sound ^>^ 5/5.

I will learn how to combine these one day soon

[9jed9]

I am going to have to agree with everything you said.

[damianerskine]

Thanks man!!!

[wanquarta]

hey cool trill-like-snake phrasing at 1:22!

[Eltexicano01]

you listen to a lot of wooten dont you lol

[OutFromOutWere]

yea ur right hand kicks ass! good shit man

[dti]

cool jaz man

[boatsbassplayer]

great stuff man!

[dummmah]

fuckin' wicked.

[candyfunk]

Damn tough man ...love your tone :O)

[imstoned6]

very nice, 5 stars

[mikeyfatstrings]

how do you improv solos so well?!?!?! Teach Me!!!

5/5

[damianerskine]

Ha, thanks!! Watch the other videos.. I go through some of the things I've worked on... Have fun!

[bassology123]

Very good playing Damian... you are one of the best players today. Don't be frustrated with yourself just keep on playing... this is great stuff.

[theinfamousnick]

smooth right hand man. keep these videos coming!

[toofpick151]

Man I keep coming back to this. This has got to be my fav solo bass video on youtube.

[BezZo0]

wow:) how long have you been playing? are you in some band or project?

[toad2039]

wow

[HM2028]

Beast!!!!!!

[musicmaker838]

Woww.. veryyy nice =) Makes me wanna try 6 strings!

[zealo007]

Yeah great great and melodic!!! I love the way you play!!!

[BrianS198]

Nice job!

That 6 string is crazy though, how do you get your fingers in between the strings when there isn't hardly any space? Haha.

[CoolBear777]

Bad ass, dude!

[luketube]

awesome!

[roysterbass7]

Nice work! I hear a little bit of Matt Garrison in there-did you study with him?

[LLroomtempJ]

When i watch this video, words cannot describe the feeling that i get man. You are REALLY a musical dude!!! LOL Part of me goes insane from trying to comprehend whatever it is that i'm hearing...the other part of me is like "dude...you need to step your bass game up".

[BrazilianBassist]

Greetings from BRAZIL,

Very , very nice solo man. I would like to ask you this question ( coming from a very less talented bass player ok ) Is it possible to improvise just like you do using only the pentatonic scale. And by the way: nice beard too !

[damianerskine]

Thanks so much man! To answer your question.... not really.

But if you have the pentatonic scale down, that means that you are only 2 more notes away from most every other scale! Pentatonic is great for blues, funk, etc... but it's a limited vocabulary and excludes some much more colorful and interesting note choices. Kind of like speaking but never using adjectives, for example... that said, you can indeed do a lot with the Pentatonic scale.. just not everything

[BrazilianBassist]

Hey DAMIANERSKINE thanks a lot for your tips. I liked a lot the way explained them.

[fingerboy18]

Learn the pentatonic, blues, harmonic/melodic minor, and major scales. That's a great start.

[BrazilianBassist]

Fingerboy18, I also appreciated your tips. I will look for them for sure . Thanks a lot too.

[fingerboy18]

My pleasure, anything to help a fellow bass player.

[Flemmingdoerken]

good attitude

[andydenver]

Another Question: is it really hard to do slapping on 6-string bass or is it just because of the nature of the bass guitar?

[damianerskine]

Some people do it well (Les Claypool, Alain Caron). But I can't do it at all! Takes a lot of precision on a six (does on a four, too tho ;)

[andydenver]

thank you for the reply!

[callthemall]

I've been playing a 4 string bass for about 4-5 years now, and got a six string within the last month, I dunno I've only been playing slap for maybe a year or two, and only got good recently, but I don't find it too hard on a 6 string, the only real issue is the smaller string spacing is eating up the backs of my finger nails...

[fingerboy18]

It's much more difficult on the 6 string bass, especially on the E since the B is right there to get in your way. It can and has been done; keep on working on it, you WILL get it down.

[TIMGRAY2]

dog you need to get frustrated more often!! LOL

[XSymphony]

nice feeling

[damianerskine]

Accidentally deleted a comment mentioning the end sounding like Vic (meant to hit "reply" and hit "remove" DOH!! sorry man.

Yeah, little Vic possibly (not consciously), actually that harmonic line was inspired by Avishai Cohen and I had a second of Portrait of Tracy at the very end as a part of the ending... little bit of everyone..

Good ears! 8)

[andydenver]

did you learn 4 string bass first or did you start directly with 6 strings? just curious =D

[damianerskine]

I started on a four string and switched to 6 (never played 5) in college. I've been primarily a 6 string guy since about 95' but still play four string a lot in funk bands, song-writer oriented stuff, etc...

[Craptron2000]

That was pretty man. That loop is stuck in my head! Are you in a band? What's the story??

[damianerskine]

Just freelance. Tour with Tony Furtado and different folks at different times... sessions, local Portland gigs, etc.. little bit of everything! Thanks for asking!

[RegAgainstTheMachine]

You have just persuaded me into buying a 6 string bass, are you thought by your self or a teacher *by self I mean books/internet if so can you please tell me where you learned the information to be able to play with the low b and high C in the scales you've played* amazing tune and tone what kind of bass is that so i`ll know to pick one up :) keep playing

[damianerskine]

It's a Zon bass! Love that thing...

I went to Berklee, but honestly, it did more harm than good. Most of what I know I learned through teachers as a kid (scales, etc...) and learning through gigging!! PLaying with other people is the best way to learn (for me anyway).. when you mess up in front of peers and an audience, it really makes you want to go home and practice!! ;)

[danny61913]

nice playing man!...very smooth...keep it up!...

[SalsSnakepit]

Very nice! Im getting a 6 string soon, and im very impressed with your style.

[Joshmatlak]

Omg. Man i really want you to make a recording of this and i will buy it for any price you put on it. This is what makes me want to pick up the bass, I have been playing drums for about 10 years now and i recently ordered a bass guitar and amp and i really wanna pick it up. Well AMAZING and INSPIRATIONAL !!! - Josh

[damianerskine]

WOW dood... Can't thank you enough for that compliment!

[toad2039]

hwta type of bass did you order

[n00b4f4c3]

One of the most original bass tunes I've ever heard.

[pit666lord]

such an inspiration... 2:20-2:30 got me all choked up and everything... From one bass player to another, that was amazing.

[damianerskine]

THANK YOU!!

[gothicmusican]

That's what i call a perfect improvisation

[damianerskine]

and.. THANK YOU!! ;)

[DTRemcoG]

Damn.. You kick some serious ass with your 6-string bass!

This was really one of the most inspiring, creative and original perfomances I've found on YouTube.

[damianerskine]

just made my day man!

[avyion13]

coming from a guitar player, 2:00-3:00 was awsome, very smooth and nice. :)

[funkman1345]

man how the heck can you be bored of your playing?! that was soo cool!! :)