Janek Gwizdala Podcast

This past week has been one of the bigger musical challenges of my career when I was asked to sub for one of my all-time bass heroes Tony Levin in the band Stick Men. This episode takes a look at the process of learning their show in less than two days, transcribing and charting all the music, and playing 9 note phrases over an 11/4 time signature. It was a real highlight of my year to be trusted...

Adam Neely is a bass player, band leader, YouTuber and much more as you're about to find out in this interview. I sat down with him recently in NYC and got into what it takes to be a bass player and artist in 2025 and beyond. We talk touring as a band leader, breaking the YouTube algorithm, and a little nerdy pedal chat thrown in for good measure. This was the first time we were meeting in person,...

This episode of the podcast started life a couple of days ago as a post on my newsletter, and has now become a deeper dive into the inner workings of some of the most legendary bass players we all know and love. You might have heard of these bassists, maybe heard these albums. Perhaps you've even heard these exact songs before! But if you leave with nothing else from this episode, I want you to th...

You might be a bass player who owns more than one bass, but has had difficulty switching between them. You are not alone! This was me for the longest time. I used to be so tied to one specific instrument that I missed out on a lot of opportunities to play music. I've since shed that security blanket and am sharing the process in today's episode as I highlight how much easier it has become to switc...

Playing a Thundercat song on SBL wasn't something I had on my bingo card at the beginning of the year, but that's exactly what happened! I had a blast shooting the video and was (in a very rare instance for me) quite happy with the performance. I think it was a product of being surprised by the material, feeling comfortable around the crew, and just letting it happen. Massive thanks to Sharon for...

It all started as a very innocent comment about not being a huge Soundgarden fan. Over 200k views and 1k comments in the first week later, and the dumpster fire that YouTube comments can become has been quite an eye-opening ride. The irony is, I don't hate Soundgarden at all. I've even seen them in concert at the old LA Forum and had a great time. The way in which most of the outraged commenters o...

When life happens and what you actually need to be doing to get ready for recording, performances, or clinics gets put on the back burner, it can feel a little hectic and out of control. I found myself waking up today, the day before leaving for Europe, and feeling very underprepared with my playing. Today’s episode takes a look at the idea I’m using to inject some confidence and stamina back into...

It's not clickbait, it's not a hack, it's not a shortcut, and there is no avoiding the work. This is literally how you get better faster than you’re doing it now. Laser focus on small pieces of information for as much time as you can during your practice sessions, will help give you the freedom to play without thinking when it comes to be onstage. More soon, Janek P.S. There are crazy delays on th...

In this no-holds-barred episode, we (yes, my wife is finally back on an episode!) react to the recent storm surrounding Danny Sapko's exposé of Giacomo Turra , who’s been accused of stealing musical content and passing it off as his own. The controversy triggered widespread conversation across the online music world—drawing in heavyweights like Adam Neely and Rick Beato . But here’s the twist: we...

We’re into a harmony deep-dive in today’s episode that, towards the end of the epsiode, becomes somewhat of an “internet musician” deep rant. Thankfully I’m not 21 anymore, and I think we pose some important and positive questions before the episode is over. Get in the comments below the YouTube video to chime in with your thoughts. More soon, Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgw...

Just a quick note to let you know that, besides today’s episode of the podcast dropping, we’re getting really close to being able to announce the London clinic with myself and Ian Martin Allison on June 1st . In today’s episode, I take a crack at sharing my latest harmonic curiosity: Neo-Riemannian Triadic Theory . It’s a bit of a mouthful for something that’s essentially just major and minor tria...

A quick emergency episode of the podcast to let you know that Bass Day Europe has been cancelled a the last-minute, and that Ian Martin Allison and myself are going to try and do something in London together in its place. Comments on the video with suggestions are already pouring in which I really appreciate, but we can’t have too many ideas. So put your thinking caps on and let’s see what the bes...

I've been looking for the perfect touring pedalboard case my entire career, and even though I think I've come pretty close with this latest setup, only time on the road over the next two weeks will tell. We start our tour here at home in LA for four nights, but once we leave for the airport it's 14 flights in 10 days. I'll be sure to report back on all the wins and losses for the board when the to...

It's incredible what can be staring you in the face for so long, and you just can't see it no matter how hard you look. My discovery this week, of a function on a pedal I've owned for over 5 years, changed the way I'm able to play, to write, and to enjoy music. The pedalboard has now been cannibalized as a result, and is being totally rebuilt before touring starts next week. As a result, some peda...

A bass arrived yesterday that I'm holding onto for a friend before I deliver it to him, and I get to share it with you on the channel while It's in my studio. It’s always interesting to see what other builders are doing, and what other people are playing. It’s definitely not my particular flavor, but still a fun and challenging exercise to play a strange instrument and try and sound like yourself...

Today's episode of the podcast takes a quick look into the new "medium" stereo pedalboard build, a dive into the epic 10th anniversary version of the JHS Colorbox, and some lo-fi exploration with the Vibrato Coral from EQ Circuitos. More soon, Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe

As touring season approaches, another rig build is imminent. I've been working on some sounds and figuring out how I'm going to take this massive stereo image on tour with me for both playing live and recording. With tours in the US and Europe with Vital Information, solo clinics, bass days, and several large recording projects scattered around the world, compact and easy to carry is the name of t...

I recently hopped on a flight to Boston to meet up with my good friend and bass-hero John Patitucci. We went all the way down the rabbit hole on his entire discography as an artist, his new album Spirit Fall, and so many details of how his career was shaped by Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter, and how it is still taking on new shapes and forms to this day. Be sure to check out tour dates at his WEBSI...

Whilst sifting through old drives for B-Roll for another video I found this old overhead shot of me working on a Till Brönner transcription from a few years back. Obviously I don’t set up the camera and makes videos like this every time I transcribe something, but I do make a habit of transcribing on a regular basis. As my ear gets stronger, the material I’m transcribing tends to change. It’s quit...

In today's episode I dig into the Wayne Shorter composition Capricorn , take a look at new chord voicings, and explain my process for creating a new challenge in my practice routine. Since the recent video about the dozens of books that got stolen from my porch we've managed to re-stock, so there are 10-Minute Manuals, Scales and Arpeggios, and almost every other book we have in stock right now! D...

As 2025 gets well and truly underway I have so many music-related things to be thankful for and excited about. My latest album, Mystery to Me - 20th Anniversary Edition , is now available for pre-order on vinyl. It’s the first album in 20 years of releasing music as an artist that I’m having pressed to vinyl, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Two beautiful new instruments have just arrived! O...

In this week's episode we get into Winter NAMM 2025, new basses being delivered, huge interview guest announcement, and a crap load of bass books get stolen from my house. We’re also launching merch for the first time in many years. Shop the store for super-soft hoodies, T’s, Baseball shirts, caps, and much more! More soon! Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/...

I’m doing the full price breakdown of the new stereo pedalboard, and the number at the end of the episode is eye-watering. I’m always astonished at the kinds of prices people think they can get away with charging for gear, but as we run through the cost of each pedal on the new board, scouring Reverb.com for current prices, things get a little out of hand… More soon, Janek Get full access to Janek...

I have some new pieces in the pedal library that are going into the new stereo setup. I’m actually most excited about the one pedal that makes no sound at all: The Walrus Audio Stereo Canvas. More on that in the episode! Could it be the solution to a Stereo/Mono all-in-one board that I’ve been looking for? If it is, that board might get even crazier with a stereo loop switcher in the end going out...

I know that stereo anything is probably not front and center when you're leaving the house for a gig to play bass, but there is a use-case once in a while for delays and reverbs and they sound amazing in stereo! I'm digging the Del-Verb from UAFX, and will soon add the Golden Reverberator to the signal chain to see if I can get where I want to go with ambient soundscapes. Make sure you get in the...