17. jan. 2011
7. jan. 2011
15. des. 2010
James Brown - Mother Popcorn (1969)
Via Christian McBride on Facebook
[Wanna know why I love James Brown so much? Just watch this video. Easily James Brown at his peak. No dancers, no special effects, no pyrotechnics, just a man and his band KILLING IT....DEAD!!]
5. sep. 2010
Will Lee & Steve Gadd - Jam Session
This video proves it: good bass and good drums is all you need. Bassist Will Lee and drummer Steve Gadd do a nice little jam, with some commentary by Gadd on the drum/bass relationship.
3. sep. 2010
31. ágú. 2010
King Curtis & The Kingpins: Memphis Soul Stew
Today’s special is “Memphis Soul Stew”, with about a half a tea cup of bass from Jerry Jemmott.
Listen to the band move, watch the people groove y’all.
10. ágú. 2010
James Jamerson Isolated Bass
James Jamerson Isolated Bass
Yesterday I talked about how Paul McCartney was, in my opinion, the most innovative bass player in rock besides James Jamerson. It wouldn't be fair not to listen to Jamerson after listening to Paul, so here are a number of Motown hits featuring Jamerson's signature bass playing. Of course, Jamerson was one of the mainstays of the Motown house band known as theFunk Brothers
.
Here are a couple of his greatest parts including Marvin Gaye's
, and The Four Tops'
.
1) On What's Goin' On, listen to how Jamerson builds the intensity of the track as it goes on. You can just feel him pushing the track as his line gets more and more complex and he digs in harder.
2) Jamerson's bass has a distorted edge to it. He supposedly went direct while recording and used an Ampeg B-15 when playing live, but the tone on this song sure sounds like a B-15 to me.
3) Bernadette may be Jamerson's masterpiece. He's playing a fairly busy part yet it's always in the pocket and always seems effortless.
) Bernadette is also a really good example of how a Motown track is put together when you hear all the instruments fall in with the bass.
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9. ágú. 2010
3. jún. 2010
Rhythm Series: Keeping Time
Rhythm Series: Keeping Time
by Donovan Stokes Monday, April 12th, 2010
Keeping a steady pulse is a fundamental skill for any musician, and it is especially important to any one who is part of the rhythm section. Even in styles of music that encourage flexible rhythmic expression (i.e. rubato, etc.), the ability to maintain an accurate pulse is essential for a musician. No matter what style of music we play, or what instrument, we can all benefit from improving our “time.”
One of the most common causes of tempo problems is a performer’s inability to maintain an accurate internal pulse. In order to keep a steady beat musically we must be able to consistently feel the beat/pulse. Precise rhythmic acuity is the result of not only of an intellectual understanding of rhythm, but a finely honed physical sensation of pulse as well.
What does it mean to keep an internal pulse?
First off, an internal pulse something you feel physically, not something you understand intellectually. It is also something you feel… well…internally, as opposed to externally.
I sometimes try to express the sensation of feeling a pulse internally like this:
Dr. D: “Have you ever been to a concert where the music was so loud that you could feel the beat of the bass drum in your chest?.
Student: “Yes.”
Dr. D: “That is what you want to feel when you play”
Most people comprehend my meaning immediately. Your pulse should not be abstract or ethereal, but tangible. Although you can move your body to the beat by tapping your foot, bobbing your head, dancing, etc., it is the internal sensation, not it’s external representation, which is most important in having a good sense of tempo. Don’t start tapping your foot and hope it will remain steady. It won’t, and you will only be fooling yourself if you think it will. It is highly unlikely that your foot will keep a steady pulse without your express direction to do so, particularly while playing a complicated passage.
Of course, you can have an excellent rhythmic sense and not move outwardly at all. Some people feel this is the ideal goal to shoot for, others find it an irrelevant goal. Whether you like foot tapping and head bobbing or not, it is essential to realize that an internal pulse is something you experience, not something you understand. Aim for the feeling.
Using a Metronome to Improve Pulse
When someone performs with an inconsistent pulse, (i.e. they “can’t keep a beat”) they are usually advised to practice with a metronome. While this is an appropriate prescription for someone diagnosed with poor rhythmic accuracy, it is an incomplete instruction.
Although most of us know we should “use a metronome,” many people never learn HOW to use a metronome so that their sense of pulse actually improves. As a result, so many aspiring musicians practice with their metronome clicking or beeping away for hours on end, to no avail. They seem to have improved rhythmic accuracy when the metronome is going, but once it is off, they are back where they started. No matter the hours spent, they don’t improve. This can be frustrating.
The primary thing to realize is that the metronome should only be a guide to check your internal pulse, and not a crutch to keep time for you. If you are letting the metronome keep the time, and you are not feeling an internal pulse simultaneously, then you are not using the metronome to it’s best advantage. In short, the metronome is keeping time, but you aren’t. You are relying on the metronome, but not learning form it. Don’t fall into this trap.
When using a metronome you should keep an internal pulse of your own, one that just happens to be in sync with the metronome. In this way, the metronome can show you when, where and how often you need to correct your internal pulse. When your internal pulse rushes, drags or drops out entirely, you should notice it and adjust it to match the metronome. Again, awareness is key. The more you practice in this manner, the better your internal pulse will get. When the metronome is off, you should continue to feel your internal pulse, which you have been training with the metronome on.
When practicing with a metronome, you should be striving to create and maintain a visceral feeling of accurate pulse. If you remember this every time you click on the metronome, you should be on your way to an improved sense of time.
2. jún. 2010
'Waiting" 1st Bass Mix | Gavin Fisher
6. mar. 2010
17. feb. 2010
14. nóv. 2009
28. okt. 2009
The Rosanna beat explained - Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro explains how he composed the groove for the song "Rosanna".
He ingeniously morphed together 3 beats. The Bernard Purdie "1/2 time shuffle" + "A Fool in the Rain" (Led Zeppelin / John Bonham) + the Bo Diddley rhythm figure!
Brilliant!
Toto - Rosanna (HQ Audio)
Um mig / about me
- Siggidóri
- Bass player, father, husband, band member, musician, son, brother, hobby photographer, friend, coffee drinker,
