Taught By Todd Phillips.
Level 1
Two DVD or VHS Set

Lesson One:
Todd familiarizes you with your instrument, shows you how to play with good tone and timing, and provides you with the essential techniques you'll need to eliminate unnecessary stress on your body and hands. Unique on-screen diagrams and close-up camera work will guide you in visualizing the geometric grid of notes on the fingerboard as Todd guides you through major scales and chords in both open and closed positions.

Moving to right hand techniques, you'll learn how to achieve volume, tone production, definition and the solid rhythm to lay down a musical foundation for any kind of music you want to play.

Lesson Two:
Brings you firmly into intermediate territory with the teaching of minor scales, leading tones, a variety of time signatures and more complex chord changes. You'll learn invaluable exercises to help you strengthen and stretch your fingers, develop strong rhythmic technique and accurately locate the notes on the fingerboard. Todd also provides important advice about how to function as a bassist in a group, listening, supporting and responding to other players.

Reviews: "...Phillips is relaxed and warm throughout these two tapes, explaining concepts clearly and demonstrating them in a way that just about any aspiring bassist of moderate talent and motivation will be able to understand." - Bluegrass Unlimited

"Essential Techniques is highly recommended for beginners and aspiring doublers, and more advanced bassists may be inspired to re-examine technique and clean up bad habits.... The camera work is excellent, and Todd is relaxed in front of the camera and behind his bass." - Bass Player

Bassist Todd Phillips has worked with a virtual “who’s who” of acoustic musicians, including David Grisman, Stephane Grappelli, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien and Paul McCandless. He has played in numerous bands, and together with Tony Rice, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson and J.D. Crowe launched the popular Bluegrass Album Band. He is a five-time winner of the Frets Magazine readers' poll award for Best Jazz and Bluegrass Bassist and a two-time Grammy winner. Todd’s solo albums have blended influences ranging from Bill Monroe to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In 1999, he teamed with guitarist David Grier and mandolinist Matt Flinner to record Phillips, Grier & Flinner for Compass Records.