How to Build a Groove in 7 Days
Learn to craft basslines from the ground up.
Beginner bassists
This class is for late beginner players who know the basics and are ready to start building their own basslines.
7 days
Keith will guide you through 7 days of step-by-step instruction with daily practice plans and assessments.
Build basslines for any song
You’ll leave this Challenge with the skills to create lines that serve the song with great rhythm in any genre.
Take the next step
Once you've mastered this class, keep learning with more Challenges and guided pathways.
What you'll learn
Your low-end guru Keith Karman is here to help you create basslines that are versatile, musical, and uniquely yours.
- Make the most out of simple bass parts
- Understand what makes a great groove tick
- Develop your sense of pocket and time feel
Curriculum
Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.
Your guided learning experience
In this 7-day Challenge, Keith will teach you how to hone in on the nuances of melody and articulation to sharpen your groove skills and hold down the rhythm in any situation that comes your way.
Fundamental grooves
This class is about making simple ideas sound powerful. To kick off the Challenge, you’ll dive into a workshop on time feel and tone to take your rhythmic foundations further.
You’ll start by drawing maximum musicality from a single‑note groove, then move on to eighth‑note rhythms to build coordination between your plucking and fretting hands.
All about the box
With your groove foundation locked in, we'll dive into a compact fretboard framework that serves as the building blocks for countless grooves: the box.
You’ll start by reviewing the shape, then build on it with techniques that add flow and efficiency.
Style-specific grooves
Next, we'll shift focus to how the bass operates across different genres. These lessons are all about sharpening your rhythmic precision and expanding your technique.
You’ll dig into tight 16th‑note patterns that demand control and groove, then explore a hip‑hop‑inspired approach that deepens your pocket and introduces new tools like raking.
Playing with time
In this final lesson, you’ll experiment with timing and strengthen your sense of rhythm by separating your internal clock from what your hands are doing.
Performance pieces
To cap off the course, you'll take what you learned and apply it in a purely musical context with two original tracks by Keith.
Days 1-2.
If your rhythm isn't on-point, it doesn't matter what kind of vocabulary you're playing with. To kick off the class, we'll use one note to dial in your timing.
Day 1. Single-note groove
Sometimes, just one note played the right way can be extremely impactful. In this first lesson, you’ll learn how to extract as much tone and beauty from one note as you can.
You’ll test your patience and timing by waiting to hit right on the 1. To add a little tonal spice, you’ll work on shaping your sound through muting.
Day 2. 8th-note groove
Keeping with the theme of simplicity, you’ll step up your groove game with a basic 8th-note pattern. This lesson will help you build flexibility and coordination in your fretting and plucking hands.
Continuing the work from Day 1 you did on muting, you’ll hone your dead notes to add rhythmic texture to your groove. Keith will also show you how to alternate plucking fingers to play faster basslines.
Days 3-4. All about the box
In these lessons, we'll focus on the the box: a simple and versatile shape that'll give you ton of groove mileage.
Day 3. Simple box rock
What if we told you that there’s one super simple shape you can learn to play that will unlock your fretboard and pretty much any song? Well, that simple shape is real, and it’s called the box.
The box is a small but powerful chunk of fretboard that covers just three frets and three strings. It includes all the notes you need to craft impactful basslines right away. Keith will show you how to find the root, 5th, b7th, and octave within the box.
Day 4. Expanding the box
Now that you have some simple box skills down, we’ll strengthen them by exploring slides and finger rolls. While these techniques add flair to your playing, they are also essential for navigating the fretboard efficiently.
You’ll learn how slides let you explore different box positions across the neck without losing the groove. You’ll also use finger rolls to limit movement and stay locked into the groove.
Days 5-6. Style-specific grooves
Now that you’ve built your box and honed your rhythm technique, it’s time to apply these new skills to a variety of musical styles.
Day 5. 16th-note funky groove
There’s arguably no genre more bass-friendly than funk. This lesson will help you get comfortable with fundamental subdivisions. Once you have these locked in, you’ll have the rhythmic control to make every note count.
Day 6. Below the A-string box
It’s time to connect with the drums and start thinking like a beatmaker. This hip-hop-inspired groove will let you hone your control and time feel while opening the door to a new rhythmic vocabulary.
In addition to working on finger rolling and alternate plucking, you’ll also develop your raking technique. This will be vital to descend the strings during fast lines.
Day 7. Playing with time + final performances
Playing with time is a key concept in popular genres and styles like neo soul and lo-fi music. You’ll learn how to master the groove first before you take some creative liberties.
Day 7. Playing with time
As bassists, we have a lot of control over the vibe of a song. In this final lesson, you’ll work on feeling the groove first, then finding fun ways to be more unconventional with time.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to shake things up rhythmically by placing your notes around or on the beat. For example, if you want the song to feel laid-back, you’ll place your note slightly later than the beat. On the other hand, if you want to drive the song forward, you’ll hit just a fraction before the beat.
Performances
Now that your rhythm skills are dialed in, you’ll get two chances to apply them to genre-spanning tracks. It’s time for your hard work to pay off.
FULL REFUND, NO QUESTIONS ASKED
If you don’t get better, we’ll give you your money back
We’re so confident that Pickup Music can help you make progress that we’re underwriting your membership with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
Your Instructor
With 20+ years on stage and in the studio, Keith knows how to write basslines that stick. In his 7-day Challenge, you'll learn how to craft grooves in any style.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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⚡️ Getting started
Is Pickup Music right for me?
Are you a bass player who feels like you haven’t made progress in a few months… years… or even decades?
You’re probably stuck in what’s called the ‘intermediate plateau’. This is very common and can be very frustrating.
What’s the cause? Well, it’s pretty easy to learn the basics on bass.
But what then? Triads? Modes? Arpeggios? The phrygian scale?!
Without a clear plan and learning system you fall back to playing the same old lines over and over again. Or you bounce around free lessons online but nothing seems to stick. It’s a recipe for a lot of practice without much progress.
That’s where Pickup Music can help. We specialize in taking players stuck in a bass rut and turning them into advanced bassists.
We do this through Learning Pathways that take you on a step-by-step journey towards fretboard mastery. We give you a highly structured system that shows you exactly what to work on each week to make serious progress.
These Learning Pathways take the guesswork out of your practice routine. You are guided through a proven grade-by-grade system with daily lessons, play-along practice exercises and interactive workouts.
But it’s not all about theory. We apply everything you learn to real music. That’s why every grade of our Learning Pathways build up to performing a song with a live backing band. This simulates what it’s like to play a real gig, with real musicians. It’s the absolute best way to learn.
You also get 1:1 video feedback on your playing from our expert instructors and can attend weekly live lessons. This personal feedback makes Pickup Music the closest thing to taking in-person lessons, but at a fraction of the cost.
So does this method actually work? Will you see results in your playing?
The most common thing we hear from new members is that they’ve made more progress with Pickup Music in a few months than in years of teaching themselves. As one member recently told us, “I'm finally seeing progress for the first time in many years”.
Want to hear about other members’ experiences with us? Read our independent Trustpilot reviews.
Is Pickup Music worth the money?
Private bass lessons will cost you at least $50 per lesson or $2,600 a year.
Going to a music academy will cost you about $40,000 a year.
A Pickup Music membership will cost you just $180 for the whole year.
That works out to 50 cents a day!
But it’s not just about the money. It’s about not wasting your precious time. It’s about making actual progress on this beautiful instrument.
By following our proven Learning Pathway system, you can stop wasting your time and effort trying to guess what you should practice next. Our guided programs eliminate the guesswork so you know exactly what you need to focus on each day and week to make lasting progress with bass.
What makes Pickup Music better than other bass lesson sites?
Most online bass lesson sites are very good at teaching one-off styles and techniques. Or they get super famous bassists to record one-hour video lessons talking at length about their particular style and career.
The problem is that these approaches don't stick. They don’t help you to actually get better as a bassist. You can waste a lot of time bouncing around these types of unconnected, one-off lessons. It’s a recipe for a lot of practice without much progress.
Pickup Music takes a different approach. We give you a highly structured system that shows you exactly what to work on each week to make serious progress. We take you beyond the basics through a step-by-step journey towards fretboard mastery.
By following a Pickup Music Learning Pathway, you are getting the most guided way to learn bass. Over 6 grades, you are taken through daily lessons and practice exercises that carefully explain what’s going on behind the music.
Each grade then builds up to song performances that apply everything you’ve learned with a live backing band. These challenges - where we simulate what it’s like to play a real gig, with real musicians - is the absolute best way to learn.
The Learning Pathway method takes the guesswork out of your practice routine. Most bassists start to see a rapid acceleration in their progress in a matter of weeks.
You can also get 1:1 video feedback on your playing and weekly live lessons. This personal feedback makes Pickup Music the closest thing to taking in-person lessons, but at a fraction of the cost.
Want to hear about other members’ experiences with us? Read our independent Trustpilot reviews.
What exactly do I get from a Pickup Music membership?
When you become a Pickup Music member you get unlimited access to our huge library of lessons across both guitar and bass.
You get to enjoy amazing features that create a premium learning experience:
- day-by-day lessons
- 1:1 video feedback on your playing
- weekly live lessons
- progress tracking
- interactive TAB
- multiple HD camera angles
- play-along practice exercises
- downloadable course notes and diagrams
- quizzes to test your understanding
- jam tracks with the Pickup Music Live Band
- exclusive members-only forum, contests and giveaways.
How do the Learning Pathways work?
Learning Pathways are kind of our special sauce here at Pickup Music. They take all the guesswork out of what to practice.
You get day-by-day lessons, play along practice exercises with your instructor, interactive jams with the Pickup Music live band and you can submit videos of your playing for feedback from the Pickup Music team.
We designed this system so that you will know exactly what to practice every time you pick up the bass. This means that even if you only have time to practice with us once a week, you will still make great progress by following a Learning Pathways.
How often do I need to practice to see results?
Ideally you would practice about three times a week for 30 minutes at a time. But we know that life gets in the way sometimes! So here’s the good news: deliberate practice matters so much more than how often you practice.
After working with thousands of bassists, we’ve found that the most important thing is to know exactly what you’re going to practice before you pick up the bass. Even if you can only use Pickup Music a few times a month, you will still make really good progress if you stick to the step-by-step structure of our Learning Pathways.
Can I take the lessons at my own pace?
Everything on Pickup Music is designed to be taken at your own pace. There are no deadlines, so you can work at your own speed. You can stay on a topic until you really understand it before you move on.
While we divide our Learning Pathways into ‘days’ - this is a suggestion only. Some learners might take a few days in one sitting, while others will spend a few sessions on a single day. You can go at the pace that feels most comfortable to you.
How does the 1:1 video feedback work?
We want our members to get the closest thing possible to in-person lessons but at a fraction of the cost. That's why you can now get individual video feedback on your bass playing from our team of expert instructors.
Here's how it works:
- Choose a performance piece to learn at the end of each grade of a Learning Pathway.
- Upload a video of yourself playing the performance piece.
- An expert instructor from our team will review your playing and send you back a detailed video on what you're doing well and what you need to work on.
- Repeat for each grade of the Learning Pathway.
I'm brand new to bass. Is Pickup Music the right choice for me?
Absolutely! We make learning the bass fun and simple – the way it should be.
Too many people get frustrated with bass because they develop bad habits and poor technique. Avoid these costly and time-consuming mistakes by taking Pickup Music's structured and step-by-step approach to learning bass.
You'll start with Pickup Music's introductory program Beginner Learning Pathway. Over a few weeks, we break down everything from simple chords and melodies to rhythm and lead playing. By the end of the program, you'll be able to play any simple pop or rock song (and even write your own).
Most importantly, we make sure you don't get stuck in the beginner's plateau - a common pitfall for bassists who are just starting out. You'll keep making progress through Pickup Music's guided Learning Pathways. These programs are designed to quickly take you from a beginner player to an intermediate one who feels comfortable across the whole fretboard.
Is Pickup Music good for intermediate and advanced bassists?
Pickup Music is the best platform available for intermediate and advanced bassists. Our courses take you beyond the basics to advanced concepts like triads, arpeggios, modes and improvisation.
The biggest trap for intermediate players is bouncing around from lesson to lesson without a plan or structure to get to that next level. We are known for taking intermediate and advanced players who have hit a ceiling and busting through until they reach the next level.
Am I too old for bass lessons?
Many of Pickup Music’s members are in their 60s and 70s and have seen amazing success with our programs. Our platform is designed to be user-friendly for all ages and skill levels. And our supportive community is made up of bass learners of all ages, cheering each other on.
Do I get access to the guitar lessons as well?
Yes. You get unlimited access to all of our guitar and bass lessons under the one membership.
💳 Pricing and plans
How does the 14-day free trial work?
When you first sign up to a Pickup Music membership, you enter your credit card but it will not be charged for 14 days. That means that if you decide to cancel within 14 days of signing up, you won't pay anything.
And we send you a reminder before your trial is about to end so you don’t forget about it.
If you decide to cancel after that, you won't be charged at your next billing cycle. That means: if you’re a monthly member, you won’t be charged for the next month. If you’re an annual member, you won’t be charged for the next year.
How does the 60-day money back guarantee work?
In addition to the 14-day free trial, we offer a 60-day money back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your progress in the first 60 days of your membership, we will give you your money back - no questions asked.
Please note: The 60-day money-back guarantee does not apply to app purchases made via Apple.
Is it easy to cancel?
Canceling is easy. It’s just one click of a button on your account page.
You won't be charged anything if you cancel during your 14-day free trial. We also send you a reminder before your trial ends so you don’t accidentally forget about it.
If you cancel after your 14-day trial, you won't be billed again at your next billing cycle. Your membership will remain active until it expires on the day it was originally set to renew.
What’s the difference between the annual and monthly plan?
The only difference is the price. The monthly membership is $29.99 charged monthly and the annual membership is $179.99 charged once a year.
That means that if you select the annual plan you will pay 50% less and save $180 over a year compared to the monthly plan.
We'll also send you reminders before we bill you each year so that you don't accidentally forget about it.
We give such a big discount for annual members because it aligns with our long-term vision to inspire and support lifelong bass learning.
Can I buy lessons individually?
We don’t sell lessons individually. But the good news is you get access to every single lesson on Pickup Music through the one membership. If you’re only interested in one lesson, you could purchase a monthly membership and cancel when you’ve finished it – we have a hunch you’ll want to stick around though :)
How do I restart my membership?
It’s easy to rejoin Pickup Music and we’d be thrilled to have you back! We even saved all of your lessons for you while you were gone on your My Classes page.
To restart your membership, log in with the email address you used to sign up the first time around and then select the plan of your choice.
