Incredibly, he didn’t pick up a bass until the age of 22, in 1988. Completely self-taught, Igor has gone on to share his insights and skills on his very comprehensive Spanish-language website.

Starting in 1991, Igor developed a fingerstyle “sweeping” technique he now refers to as the “Vectorial Synthesis Technique.” He now uses this technique exclusively, and for this purpose, he also created "Igor's Mic ramp," a wooden ramp located under the strings. A pioneer of extended-range basses, Igor has been playing an 8-string bass since 1999. That same year, he developed a concept called "Rear Truss Rod Access" and has installed it in all his basses. The RTA allows bassists to access the truss rod without moving the strings to insert an allen wrench.

Since 1988, Igor has worked with more than 100 top Chilean and international artists and groups in all musical styles, and recorded on more than thirty CDs. This list includes Bob Sheppard, Hanz Zermuhlen, Fareed Haque Quartet, Tom McMorran, Ramón Stagnaro, Jim Paxson, Jan Fabricky, Jean Marc Belkady, Miucha Buarque, Antti Kotikosky, Marcelo Berestovoy, Robert Incelli, Enzo Villaparedes, Walfredo Reyes Jr. and Joe Bianco. In 1997 he recorded a version of Rymsky Korsakoff's Flight of the Bumblebee, note by note, at original speed, with finger technique (no pick), and without any tapping or tricks.

In 2009 he joined a project called B3L, a bass trio with two other top Latin American bass players, Guillermo Vadalá and Gerardo Carrillo.

Igor has taught more than 400 private students and performed hundreds of master classes in different countries, including clinics shared with Jeff Berlin (1990), Walfredo Reyes Jr. (2002), Gregg Bisonnette (2002), Marty Friedman (2003), and Gary Willis (2004). From 1995 to 1999, he was the head teacher of the Electric Bass Department at California Music Studio in the US. In 2008 he published "T.G.E.S Rhythmic Applied to the Electric Bass Vol. 1”, the first volume of a series of three books. "Applied Technique for the Electric Bass and Vectorial Synthesis Vol. 2" and "Applied Harmony and Improvisation for the Electric Bass Vol. 3" are coming soon. This ambitious set of books will offer more than 500 pages of bass knowledge and deep analysis of all aspects of the electric bass.

Igor says of Markbass, “These bass amps are a dream come true.”

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Videos

2007-12-26

Igor Saavedra - Master Class in Santiago - Chile 2007.

2007-12-26

Igor Saavedra - Master Class in Santiago, Chile - 2007

2011-10-23

Igor Saavedra on CNN Chile

Igor Saavedra on CNN Chile, discussing his appearance at Bass Player Live in Los Angeles (in Spanish), Oct 22-23, 2011.

2011-11-26

Igor Saavedra on Chilevision TV News

Igor discusses his appearance at Bass Player Live in Los Angeles, on TV in Chile.

2012-11-28

Igor Saavedra and Markbass

Chilean bassist and Markbass artist Igor Saavedra talks about Markbass gear and why it's his choice for amplification.

News

October 13, 2011

Hadrien Feraud and Igor Saavedra to appear at Bass Player Live

Hadrien Feraud and Igor Saavedra will both give clinics at the Bass Player Live event in Los Angeles, October 22-23.

News

June 19, 2012

Igor Saavedra and Dany Noel featured in Bajos y Bajistas magazine

Spanish magazine Bajos y Bajistas has included interviews with Markbass artists Igor Saavedra and Dany Noel in their latest issue.

Press

October 16, 2012

Bass Player Live 2012 to feature Hadrien Feraud and Igor Saavedra

Bass Player Live will be held in Hollywood this weekend (Oct 20 and 21) and will feature a clinic by Hadrien Feraud, and appearances by Igor Saavedra.

News