Am looking into pedals, at the moment. I've experimented with a Behringer multi-fx, which when it worked was immensely fun and educational, but now I have developed my left and right hand techniques to the point where I get by..
BUT ITS NOT AS MUCH FUN AS THE RAW JOY OF NOISE!!
So, I really do need to develop my sound, through FX: here is what I would like.
Compression. For Surge, I would benefit from a smoother sound, although primarily a studio effect, Jamerson used it and more recently, I have read that The Roots use tonnes of it, which is a no-brainer for me, I love that bass sound with a passion.
Fuzz - As opposed to distortion, which just sounds like a downtuned guitar, I like how the low end doesnt get entirely sacrificed for the effect, and its a staple of the funk bassists who made their solos and fills all the livelier for it - Bootsy and Larry Graham, and later Christian MacBride.
Envelope Filter - That whompah wah whomp sound? Makes me make that O face I get when I really feel a groove, would be of minimal use other than Surge, but good damn I want it to hand.
Thats all at the moment, the others I don't see a pragmatic need for, but I can use my imagination in the moment.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Things In Life
There are things in life that haunt you, that define and scar you. You can try and outrun them, but they wait, patiently for you to catch your breath and then they whisper in your ear.
"I'm here"
"I'm here"
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Surge(Lounge)
The sessions at Starbucks are going well, and El and I played at the launch of Yarmouth as a fair trade borough, as a duo which was nerve wracking but went really well in the end, the accoustics were lovely and it seemed to mark the end of my brief sojourn with the accoustic-electric, as I have now moved to the Adam Black with flatwounds, going full-circle.
Laura is great - and she adds so much texture and flavour to what El and I do, that when we play without her, it doesnt sound the same, in fact the space between the three instruments is fast becoming a signature. Part of me would like a keyboard player, although I do need to work on my own keyboard playing, I do like how when we get it going, it comes alive.
I tend to fall into patterns with my playing, and El is really good at suggesting places I can go and he tends to push me creatively, in a way that means I stretch out, something that I always benefit from. It'll be interesting to see how we do with Rich on Tuesday, for me it'll be cool to interpret someone else's music rather than having to constantly think on your feet, which although enervating, is sometimes a challenge. Once I get the sound card, I do want to get more into composition, so that I can avoid falling into patterns, the different tonal centre that Laura comes from, means that I have to be able to play in different keys, and my technique is getting better as a result, seeing as I am the only bass clef instrument, I have to watch my dynamics and my intonation. I play softer and smoother in Surge(Lounge) and I am all the better for it. The key to it, from Miles Davis, is to let the bass ask a question, wait a moment and then answer it, it is all about listening, and getting to a place where you can focus purely on listening and responding to what the other instruments are doing.
The key now, is getting content and raising our profile, along with getting out of our comfort zone, which was a problem for TGME when we had the jam nights at Rasputins.
Still, good times at the moment.
Laura is great - and she adds so much texture and flavour to what El and I do, that when we play without her, it doesnt sound the same, in fact the space between the three instruments is fast becoming a signature. Part of me would like a keyboard player, although I do need to work on my own keyboard playing, I do like how when we get it going, it comes alive.
I tend to fall into patterns with my playing, and El is really good at suggesting places I can go and he tends to push me creatively, in a way that means I stretch out, something that I always benefit from. It'll be interesting to see how we do with Rich on Tuesday, for me it'll be cool to interpret someone else's music rather than having to constantly think on your feet, which although enervating, is sometimes a challenge. Once I get the sound card, I do want to get more into composition, so that I can avoid falling into patterns, the different tonal centre that Laura comes from, means that I have to be able to play in different keys, and my technique is getting better as a result, seeing as I am the only bass clef instrument, I have to watch my dynamics and my intonation. I play softer and smoother in Surge(Lounge) and I am all the better for it. The key to it, from Miles Davis, is to let the bass ask a question, wait a moment and then answer it, it is all about listening, and getting to a place where you can focus purely on listening and responding to what the other instruments are doing.
The key now, is getting content and raising our profile, along with getting out of our comfort zone, which was a problem for TGME when we had the jam nights at Rasputins.
Still, good times at the moment.
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