Welcome to Bass Week

Where would popular music be without bass? It would certainly be a great deal less primal and groovy, that's for sure. Although often overshadowed by preening show ponies on lead vocals and guitar, the humble bassist is an essential ingredient in the rhythm section.

Lest we forget, it's rhythm that makes people want to get up and shake their asses in the first place. You sure as hell can't dance to an unaccompanied guitar solo. Not without an inadvisable level of chemical assistance, anyway.

Bass Week on MusicRadar celebrates all things bass, where we'll bring you a selection of features, interviews and lessons, all with a heavy emphasis on life at the bottom end of the frequency spectrum.

What’s more, we’ll bring you the results of our all-powerful best bassist and best bassline polls. With tens of thousands of votes already cast, you’d be mad to miss it.

Bookmark this page as we'll be adding great new content throughout the week, and cataloguing it all here. Bass on!

The 30 best basslines of all time

How to play slap bass

Mike Kerr talks Royal Blood's meteoric rise, his elusive bass rig and How Did We Get So Dark?

10 classic bass tones - and how to get them

How to play walking basslines

How Ned Steinberger redesigned the bass world

The 30 best bassists of all time

How to play fast-paced rock and metal fingerstyle bass

Session bass supremo Justin Meldal-Johnsen talks playing with Nine Inch Nails and Beck, and reveals his studio secrets

Victor Wooten's top 5 tips for bass players

10 of the best high-end bass guitars at £1,500/$2,000 or more

How to play bass like James Jamerson

Billy Sheehan: my top 6 tips for bassists

13 types of bass player: a spotter's guide

10 of the best mid-range bass guitars from £750/$1,000 to £1,500/$2,000

Bass basics: how to write compelling basslines by working around root notes

Classic interview: Paul McCartney on his favourite basses, key lines and influential players

11 reasons why being a bass player is awesome

10 of the best budget bass guitars at £750/$900 or less

MusicRadar

MusicRadar is the number one website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the craft of music-making that no other music website can.