Here is a tall tale to tell (pun-filled introduction, but you should be used to this by now): The third part of a great groove is the groove tail. It’s the most fun part, the sign-off, the least structured part, the freedom-loving revolutionary of the Three Groove-sketeers. It’s what you play at the end of your groove; it’s your signature lick, a sign-off for the preceding phrase, and a lead-in for the next phrase. It’s an opportunity for you to put a bit of a flourish into your groove (think John Hancock’s signature) and a place to prep the other band members for the next downbeat, making sure everyone is on the same page and in sync. When you play the groove tail, you don’t necessarily have to adhere to the groove’s harmonic structure, as you do with the groove skeleton and groove apex (see the two previous issues of Bass Magazine). And you can vary your rhythm each time — you don’t need to keep it consistent. The only thing you must keep in mind is to be in time for the next downbeat! That’s it. Naturally, I just happen to have some great exercises to help you get used to creating a beautiful groove tail and nailing the downbeat on time. The groove tail can be unpredictable and even inconsistent, so it would take up this entire issue to go through all of the possible choices you have for rhythms and notes — and that’s just for the 16th-note subdivision. Instead, let me show you fail-safe combinations that always work, whether you’re repeating the same chord you’ve just played (static harmony) or you’re moving to a new chord (mobile harmony). Harmonically, the rule of thumb (and no, I’m not talking about slapping) is this: When you’re getting ready to repeat the same chord you’ve just played, make the last note of your groove tail the 5th of the chord. For instance, if you’re grooving on a C chord, play a G as the last note of your groove tail just before you return to the beginning of the next C chord. When you’re approaching a new chord, play the root of the previous chord as the last note of your groove tail. For example, if you’re playing a C chord and you’re getting ready to go to an F chord, play a C as the last note of your groove tail before hitting the F. Likewise, if you’re grooving on a C chord and you’re heading to a G chord, or an E chord — in fact, anything but another C chord — also play a Cas the last note of your groove tail. Rhythmically, you have nine common possibilities for subdividing the last beat of the measure, the typical home of the groove tail: a quarter -note; two eighth-notes; four 16th-notes; two 16th-notes plus an eighth-note; an eighth-note and two 16th-notes; a dotted eighth-note and a 16th-note; a 16th-note and a dotted eighth-note; a 16th-note followed by an eighth-note and another 16th-note, and finally, three eighth-note triplets. I’ve picked a groove that works fabulously well as a default groove over just about any chord in any style to practice t