When Megadeth’s James Lomenzo stopped by the BP office to film a segment for Bass Player TV, he did more than break down his latest gear and reveal a thing or two about the Megadeth metal style. He also showed up with a prepared lesson. Using two examples of delicious bass riffage—Wilbur Bascomb’s line on Jeff Beck’s “Come Dancing” (Ex. 2) and Andy Fraser’s part during the guitar solo of Free’s “All Right Now” (Ex. 3)—James offered an exercise to help tackle big, neck-spanning jumps with accuracy.
Ex. 1 shows the basis of James’s drill, beginning with a two-octave jump from the A string’s 1st-fret Bb to the 15th fret of the G string. As Lomenzo explains on BPTV, while still holding the low note, move your eye and attention up the neck to the target note. Then begin to move your hand upward, still concentrating on the target. As your hand approaches the note, accelerate, and quickly nail it down. Work through Ex. 1 slowly, increasing your speed as you improve your accuracy. Then when you’re really comfortable, try the Jeff Beck and Free examples, and feel the difference in your command of the neck.
For the full interview and lesson with James Lomenzo, visit www.bassplayer.tv.