Learn Bass online with Ari

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader Happy Thanksgiving! If you're in the U.S., it's Thanksgiving today - one of the biggest holidays of the year here.As an Austrian, I didn’t grow up with this tradition. No turkey, no pumpkin pie, no annual food coma. But over time, it found its way into my life. Or maybe it came with my American passport. In any event, I have to say: celebrating gratitude and family? That’s absolutely worth pausing for. (And let’s be honest... the pies are simply...

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader After I shared the story of my mother’s passing, I was so moved by the many heartfelt messages, shared stories, and kind words you sent in return. Thank you. Your support and openness made me feel less alone/crazed in this moment of loss. Many of you shared your own journeys through grief, memories, wisdom - and I appreciated every message. Thank you! I know how fortunate I was to have her for so very long. She had me late in life, and I still had her...

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader Originally, I had planned to visit my mother for just two weeks - our usual fall get-together, a ritual we had kept for many years. But when I arrived, it was immediately clear that she wasn’t well. She was frail, quiet, and no longer interested in food. She kept taking turns for the worse and I kept moving my flight until the two weeks turned into two months - the most intense, terrifying and yet deeply meaningful months of my life. I never slept...

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader I hiked a mountain today, Ebner Joch, 6400 feet. We were higher than the clouds... At one point, though, I was struggling. The path grew steeper and narrower. Stones and roots everywhere. My breath got heavy. I was pushing - trying to force my way up. That’s when my mountain-savvy friend Susanne advised:“Ariane, relax into it. Take a breath and a step. Stop forcing it.Don’t slow down, don’t speed up - just go steady. A breath, and a step.” Like music,...

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader I once saw Jimmy Heath give a clinic in Florida, maybe University of South Florida or University of Miami. What I do remember clearly is this: He took his sax and soloed using one single note.That’s right- one note.And he managed to make it super interesting, even thrilling. Super musical. How? Well, for one, as a saxophonist, one has breath. A saxophone can bend, swell, squeak, whisper, scream. As bass players, we don’t have air, but we have touch....

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader There’s one rhythmic figure that's the hardest. It’s this one: Also sometimes written like this: or like this or like this Here is our animation video for it Note lengths aside, this is all the same “rhythmic shape”. And it tends to do us in. Pulling it onto the beat, rushing it, or losing it entirely. Here’s how we conquer it in the Rhythm Matrix: See it clearly. Our animated rhythms strip away confusion. Groove Gym Exercises to get it into your body....

Notes to Self (and Bassists) Dear Reader There’s a question I hear all the time: “How do I know if what I’m practicing is actually making me better?” The question usually appears when progress feels slow or a new concept isn’t landing right away. Or when working on a challenging piece or concept for a while, and it feels like treading water. It’s a fair question - and one I’ve asked myself: is this even working? Here’s what I’ve learned - both from my own practice and watching hundreds of...