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Biography
Hello and welcome to my web site, CliffEngel.com! I am an electric bassist from Hays, Kansas and the founder of The International Institute of Bassists (IIB). I have been playing electric bass in all styles of music for the past 20 years with a primary emphasis on solo electric bass guitar, fusion, and jazz.
As a solo bassist, I have been arranging and performing music for unaccompanied electric bass guitar for many years through the utilization of contemporary fingerstyle, slapping, tapping, and chordal techniques along with harmonics and altered tunings.
I am a former long-time student of world-renowned jazz improvisation instructor Charlie Banacos (New England Conservatory of Music). I also studied Music Performance under the guidance of Anthony Vitti at the Berklee College of Music in Boston during the summer of 1993. I earned a bachelor of arts degree from Fort Hays State University.
Through the years, I have played in a number of ensembles including regional jazz duos, trios, quartets and quintets, university jazz ensembles, fusion bands, R&B bands, rock bands, funk bands, big bands, country bands, musicals, choirs, and orchestras.
With over a decade of teaching experience, I provide instruction on electric bass guitar locally and to bassists located around the world through my bass lessons by correspondence program. Since its opening in 2003, I have also been an instructor of jazz improvisation at MusicDojo.com.
I endorse Zon Guitars, Aguilar Amplification, SWR Sound, La Bella Strings, and Evidence Audio Cables. In May 2002, I was profiled in Bass Player magazine.
On June 1, 2005, I launched the brand new web site of the IIB at InstituteOfBass.com (formerly BASSically.net).
I am currently working on a series of instructional books and a DVD demonstrating my techniques and concepts.
As a solo bassist, I have been arranging and performing music for unaccompanied electric bass guitar for many years through the utilization of contemporary fingerstyle, slapping, tapping, and chordal techniques along with harmonics and altered tunings.I am a former long-time student of world-renowned jazz improvisation instructor Charlie Banacos (New England Conservatory of Music). I also studied Music Performance under the guidance of Anthony Vitti at the Berklee College of Music in Boston during the summer of 1993. I earned a bachelor of arts degree from Fort Hays State University.
Through the years, I have played in a number of ensembles including regional jazz duos, trios, quartets and quintets, university jazz ensembles, fusion bands, R&B bands, rock bands, funk bands, big bands, country bands, musicals, choirs, and orchestras.
With over a decade of teaching experience, I provide instruction on electric bass guitar locally and to bassists located around the world through my bass lessons by correspondence program. Since its opening in 2003, I have also been an instructor of jazz improvisation at MusicDojo.com.
I endorse Zon Guitars, Aguilar Amplification, SWR Sound, La Bella Strings, and Evidence Audio Cables. In May 2002, I was profiled in Bass Player magazine.
On June 1, 2005, I launched the brand new web site of the IIB at InstituteOfBass.com (formerly BASSically.net).
I am currently working on a series of instructional books and a DVD demonstrating my techniques and concepts.
