i can't begin to say how thrilled i am that you have been growing this channel. It's amazing to have a bassist playing the way you do on here and I can't wait to see what you do as time goes on!

I literally just got back from a gig where I only had one day to learn the music. Funny how we all live these parallel lives sometimes. Lots of great advice in here. This video is gonna help a lot of people if they take it to heart and put it into practice.

As a former house bass player for a couple open mic jams, and played in cover bands locally, the best way to learn songs fast (by which i mean nearly instantly on stage) is to already know a bunch of other songs! If someone says this is a 1-4-5-4 in G, already knowing a handful of songs with that kind of progression makes it easier to pick up a new one with that same kind of form & improvise something appropriate.

7:33 Philip the “ahhh” you gave when you heard the first 2 chords.

Love these videos Philip! I thought the singing the song advice was cool. I fill the gun for hire role a lot these days. In my opinion, it's especially important to know classic song forms. While songs can be open ended, they all have specific forms! Doing houseband gigs out at gaslight and smiths olde bar REALLY trains your ear to follow and predict whatever the singer-songwriter may do!

So cool to see some full songs left at the end! That Who cover was great

Jmj roadworn mustang..nice choice. daphne blue with the nitro finish and rosewood fretboard just slaps something beautiful

Excellent advice! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, experience and your friends theories and methods. When Sam called out a song you weren't expecting or practiced, I liked how you just repeated the chord progression and then listened, locked in with the drums and dropped into the groove. A true Pro! (I would have held my breath, Root/Fifth and tried not to panic :-D )

More of this please. I love your perspective of learning and Tony’s was very interesting

Great vlog man! I appreciate the soundboard audio.

Solid advice. The listening through the set-list is gold. I've found it really helps for finding the groove on the individual songs and for the set in general.

Another excellent vid Philip - learning a lot from these!

That was a cool version of my generation. Thanks for sharing.

Hi) Super enjoyed this vlogy format! Reminds me about Rhett's videos, and this is really really good! Exited to hear live music and backstage rehersals. Love the simplicity of the music, but crazy-deep work on the details and feel of it.

Great advice and a really entertaining vlog. Not surprisingly given your experience in movie production, you combine those cinematically really well Phil. It strikes me too that your prior advice about playing lines that serve the song and being that kind of player, generally, in the rhythm section help a lot because one's impulse is to play maybe a little less and little more deliberately, which helps when you are learning fast and need to listen on stage. I have a church gig where we play new charts every week with no rehearsal and often I'll have changes but no written line. So I'm always aware that the thing to do there is not to overplay! Also good advice from the person below who says learn what the iii sounds like. I would add that you should learn to recognize major/minor on sheet music if you don't have chord symbols spelled out. A key signature is part of the puzzle but you also need to be able to scan the chord tones across a progression to know if you are in the major key or the relative minor. This is where your tip about being able to sing the melody also helps tremendously as it will be the best indicator of the chord qualities too. Thanks so much for the video!

I’ve come back to this video several times in my brief bass career. I had only been playing bass (and really just messing around at that) for a few months when I was first asked to audition for a local cover band. I had played guitar, mandolin, etc., but bass was brand new, so I initially demurred; however, they needed someone quickly and for some reason believed that I could fill the spot, so I took on the challenge - which meant learning *lots* of songs very quickly. This video helped a lot, mostly by teaching me to listen. I thought I was familiar with most of the songs, having grown up hearing them on the radio, but I had never *really* listened - and certainly hadn’t paid attention to the bass. (Honestly, I didn’t even know that a lot of iconic lines/riffs were being played on the bass; that’s how obtuse I was when it came to the instrument!) Learning how to really *tune in* to the bass (something I first learned from Josh Fosgreen on BassBuzz) and then paying attention to the song structure (which I got from you) made it possible to absorb and remember material much more efficiently and effectively. That was several months ago (almost a year now), so why am I back? Because I’ve had to do the same thing for the band I’m now working with. I had to master 13 songs in 5 days for my audition; that went well, so I had 3 more sets of 13 to learn (for a total of 52) for a 4-hour trial gig about 4 weeks later (we rehearsed together 2 or 3 times); and now (since I’m an official member!) I’m working to learn the rest of their 116-song master list, about a third of which are songs I’ve never (or barely ever) heard, much less played. The singing trick is what I’m taking with me from this most recent viewing of this very useful and enjoyable video. I think I’ll not only listen and take notes but try learning the lyrics, too. Thanks again!

that bass tone is honestly everything i need to hear

Phil is the best!!!

Man I wish I was there that show live, but I like this backstage view too! Good stuff.

Love this. The drummer is great.

Found this channel after you appeared in one of Rhett's videos. Great channel you have here!

The short-scale is an interesting choice for a trio. Yeah Jack Bruce whatever. Ear training for functional harmony has to be in place before you need to get a couple dozen songs together for the weekend. Tip for neophyte sidemen? Learn what iii sounds like. Related: learn what V/vi sounds like.

Brilliant video…..that arrangement of My Generation is ace.

Great stuff Phil! The My Generation cover turned out really nicely; I'll admit I wouldn't have played the bass part with as much restraint and dynamics as you did.

I'm self taught and have learned to play by ear. As someone who didn't learn intervals or the number system, I can wholeheartedly say, learn intervals and the number system lol. Seriously. It makes learning songs and changing keys so much easier not to mention charting for session work. I'm fortunate that I can manage without but I've made it so hard on myself. I'd love to be able to listen, make a chart an play back instead of memorizing. I plan to get instruction to remedy this once I free some time. Ah, the joys of musical regrets lol.

Very tasty and unique stuff - Ive watched all throughout this guys set in the video! 👌 Keep it coming, Philip!

I get a kick out of an outdoor show in a park where people sit far away as possible in lawn chairs and the area in front of the stage is little kids running back and forth

Great video, really enjoyed it - great music as well!

Can't get enough of the subject. Separately, this My Generation cover is slow burning dynamite 🤙

I know this video is older at this point, but it looks like Sam & the Scoundrels will be in town here on Feb. 10. I’m hoping to catch the show. Any chance you’ll be with them?

Fantastic video! I'll definitely have to listen to the new album - y'all sounded tight! You presented a ton of great tips! I've always struggled learning songs (my ear is terrible and I'm REALLY reliant on charts), but I think learning and practicing with the Nashville Number System is going to be my next big project! Keep on making fantastic videos!

at 14 minutes . that's a great song. keep up the work man.

great (and very helpful) episode!

Great video! I'd panic if I had to learn 45 minutes of music in that short a time, hah. I tend to overpractice though. I'm learning now its important to listen to the whole song first and get the feel, dynamics / structure down instead of trying to just trying to jump in and learn my instrument parts as soon as I hear them on the recording. Hey I was wondering how'd you get the audio for the show, is that just from your camera and mic on stage or are you getting a board feed? Sounded great!

Really great video man!

You guys need to double with Good Trouble. It would be double duty for you but a great show. Dude's good.

this video rocks

Love, love, love the Who cover, My Generation!

Really good drum tone.

Awesome

I will definitely have to check that album out. Sounds awesome on the video. When you and the drums came in on My Generation I got chills!

Really great video and I discovered a new artist! Is anyone can tip me on the song that wasn't on the set? Thanks!

Sam is a killer part of the SC-NC-GA scene

The songs at the end of the video sound very nice, good job playing/composing :)) A nice refresher from youtube smartasses that in reality sound like shit, thanks for the vid :)

ok

Adam Neely with a mullet like hair cut lol

Was this a Spoleto gig? Sam & Pip the Pansy are the real deal!

Great video, but DUDE, how is a mullet still a thing?!?

Just curious, kind of guitar was Sam playing?

7:39 - Whats the name of that song?

Pedals !