Bass Musician Magazine - 8th Anniversary Issue with Stu Hamm | Page 13

delighted bassists worldwide. Though Stu refuses any claim to inventing the techniques he uses to
design his solo masterpieces, it is well recognized that his skilled work with these mechanics have
taken solo bass playing to levels never before known.

In his most recent release, The Book of Lies, Stu again pushes the solo bass catalog forward. The
album opens and closes with full band pieces, including the excellent cover of the Beatle’s “Lucy In
The Sky With Diamonds”. Between the bookends that the full ensemble pieces create on the album,
Stu offers a bass suite: solo bass pieces, each built on a specific playing technique. Slapping,
harmonics, chords, and tapping are all covered in songs that, as Stu reveals in this interview, are
designed for both enjoyment and study.

Such investments in the shared knowledge pool of the bass community are a hallmark of Stu’s.
He is one of the most active and sought after bass clinicians and is constantly sharing his vast
knowledge with bassists of all levels. At an event, Stu can be seen carefully sharing the basics
of the major and