Top Ten Basslines

Recently I came across a Facebook post titled "Top Ten: Most Recognizable Basslines" from the Seymour Duncan blog. While I agree with some of the choices, my list is quite different. Naturally anything that relies on subjective opinions-- especially in music-- is a good way to spark a good conversation. 

Therefore dear reader, I submit my list of Top Ten Basslines; those to which I would direct anyone wishing to better understand my musical perspective.

Not necessarily in any order:

Otis Redding, I Can't Turn You Loose. This is the tune the Blues Brothers opened their sets with, and played it a bit faster than the original. 

Rush, YYZ. Originally began as strictly a drum & bass jam until Alex came in and added his imagination to the mix.

Concrete Blonde, The Sky Is A Poisonous Garden. Singer Johnette Napolitano is a bass playing, kick-butt kind of gal on stage, but a real down to earth person off stage. I challenge anyone to find a more passionate artist than Johnette. If you've never heard of the band, start with their live albums first (Live In Brazil, Still In Hollywood, Recollection), then check out the studio cuts. Chances are you'll be hooked right away! LOVE the tone from her Stingray bass.

Pink Floyd, Echoes (parts One & Two). Of course some might say One Of These Days has a better bass line, but I think of that tune as a drumming feature-- but the bass lines are very cool! Not only is Echoes enjoyable to listen to, watching it played on the Live At Pompeii video is a real treat.

Pink Floyd, Money. There are so many Floyd tunes that could be listed here, but this is probably the most well known, and very fun to listen to again and again.

Queen, Another One Bites the Dust. Queen was the first band I really got into as a kid, and searched out all their tunes-- something much more difficult to do in the early 1980s, without the convince of the internet and Youtube.

The Police, Walking On the Moon. This is the second tune I learned to play on bass (first being I Can't Turn You Loose). It is simple, but really, really enjoyable to listen to and play. 

Rolling Stones, Jumping Jack Flash. Somehow this one is missing from a lot of folks "top" lists, but a personal favorite of mine. 

Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl. I've been known to put this song on repeat while driving around town. It's just one of those tunes that I never get tired listening to... and how many classic songs do you know of that have a bass solo? It's a short list ;)

Finally, I saved the best for last; from my all-time favorite bass player, Donald "Duck" Dun-- here he is with Booker T and the MG's grooving' on Green Onions:

So there you have it. A list this short is pretty difficult to write because there are so many great songs with memorable basselines. A long list would include classics such as KISS, Detroit Rock City, Aerosmith, Sweet Emotion, Deep Purple, Child In Time, and anything from Iron Maiden-- such as Aces High!

With a little luck, these will inspire you to head to the woodshed and practice-- that's what they've done for me!

Stay tuned & in tune~

New Perspectives

An old maxim declares "...everything in life can be learned through music." The deeper I get into studying music, the more I find truth in this claim. 

For instance, one of the greatest benefits of learning a new instrument is the need to see-- or in this case listen-- through completely new perspectives. This is a most valuable skill to apply in all aspects of ones life. The ability to see beyond your own perspective presents an entire world of new possibilities.

Subliminal Imaging-- A bass guitar!

Musically, I experienced this when I decided to learn to play the bass guitar. After years of being a rhythm guitarist and listening to music from a guitarists perspective (identifying the model of guitar being played-- Fender or Gibson, single coils or humbuckers, what kind of amplifier-- Fender blackface, or tweed, Marshall combo or stack...) I began concentrating on what the bassist was doing. Knowing very little about the instrument at the time, I was free from trying to figure out what type of bass, amp, effects, etc. were being used and listen to the music.

When listening to my favorite songs from this new perspective I was amazed at how much I had been missing. I was of course familiar with the lyrics, and what the guitarist was doing-- I could even describe the specifics of the guitar tone... but once I started paying attention to the bassist everything changed. It was like listening to my favorite songs for the very first time. 

The song that might best illustrate this concept is Deep Purple's, Smoke On the Water. It is one of those songs that EVERY guitarist over the age of 25 can play in their sleep. Even non-guitarists are familiar with the iconic tune: "...dun, dun, dun...dun, dun, dun-un. Dun, dun, dun... dun -  dun." Right?! But what was the bass doing? Check out these two videos; first the full song, then a version of the isolated bass track:

Smoke On the Water; 1973

Smoke On the Water isolated bass track:

I have a completely new appreciation for the song from listening to it through this new perspective. Then I started listening to how the bass and drums are interacting... listening to what each instrument is/isn't doing, throughout the song. 

Give it a try with one of your favorite songs. Are there parts that you've overlooked because you were focused on just one aspect? Perhaps you have an overall familiarity with a song, but never focused your attention on just one aspect of it. 

New perspectives can take us to higher levels of understanding-- not just in music, but in our daily lives as well.

'Till next time...

Stay tuned & in tune~

Why the Bass Guitar?

Rickenbacker bass

Even though I am a long-time guitarist, I've always wanted to play bass. It was in fact the bass guitar that sparked a fire within me to pick up the instrument in the first place. The event remains at the forefront of my memory-- I was at a friends house and we decided to watch a music video he had on VHS tape; Rush, Exit Stage Left. I remember watching in awe Geddy Lee playing a Rickenbacker bass. 

At the top of the instrument—its headstock, is what the manufacture describes as a “cresting wave,” a shape that mimics an ocean wave that is cresting. Being that the headstock was not symmetrical, and knowing nothing about guitars at that young age I assumed it was broken. My thought was, “wow! The guy’s instrument is broken and yet he is still playing it—and it sounds terrific!” It was that film, and my subsequent reverence for Geddy Lee (“that guy with the broken guitar”) that inspired me to learn to play guitar. Not knowing the difference between the bass and six-string guitar I ended up with the latter during my senior year of high school. 

My Carvin amp with G&L LB-100 bass

I've enjoyed my guitar adventures over the years, but that desire to play bass never left me. In fact, that desire got stronger the more I began playing in bands. The flashy, "look-at-me!" personality of lead guitar never appealed to me as a player. I enjoy watching those who are good at it, but I identify more with the rhythm guys like Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh-- sure they had great hooks, but I admired them most for their rhythm playing. More and more I found myself being asked to play the part of a more... "type-A" personality-- and thats not who I am. 

So there was a push/pull dynamic happening where both were steering me toward learning the bass guitar. The big day came in the fall of 2013 when I finally decided to accept the challenge of learning bass guitar and purchased a new G&L LB-100, and a Carvin bass amp. I had in mind a test-- if I could learn to play the song the Blues Brothers used to open their shows (Otis Redding's, Can't Turn You Loose) I would focus as much attention as possible to learning the instrument.

It took a little time, but after a few days I had it down, and found it is a great song for me to focus on relaxing my hands while I play-- otherwise my fretting hand cramps up after the tunes first few bars. From that point on I knew this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship!  

'Till next time,

Stay tuned & in tune~

Prep Week: Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

Because my hope is that someone older than 30 will come across this blog, I want to provide some encouragement-- Don't let anyone tell you that you're too old to learn a new instrument. 

There is a lot of current scientific research to support this fact, but rather than posting some dry research papers, here is my review of Guitar Zero.  

Author Gary Marcus is a developmental psychologist, professor at NYU, and regarded by his peers as “one of the deepest thinkers in cognitive science.” In Guitar Zero he debunks the popular belief that talent for music is innate, or that its something an adult is unable to learn.  The idea that an adult can't learn something complicated like a musical instrument was the basic idea behind the "critical periods" of learning. Since this theory is based on weak evidence, scientists have been reconsidering these theories. The “critical periods” suggests that if a person fails to learn a language, music, etc. in their formative years that they will never be able to learn as adults. I can’t help but wonder how many people accepted that as truth, and decided to forgo making the attempt.

Early in the book, the author examines the health benefits of music;"...the journey... exercising our brains helps maintain them by preserving plasticity, wards off degeneration, and literally keeps the blood flowing" pg3. This idea isn't new; the Sudoku craze for instance, or the brainteasers once found in every newspaper. Perhaps the latest addition in brain exercising is a website called Lumosity. Its home page currently displays in large letters, "Harness your brain's neuroplasticity and train your way to a brighter life. Lumosity turns neuroscience breakthroughs into fun, effective games. Stimulate your brain today." Of course, they aren't giving it away- there are monthly fees to improve the plasticity of your brain.

Today's practice tools

He asserts that learning to play the guitar, not only benefits the brain, but also benefits our emotional wellbeing. It is an activity that provides a lasting happiness, as opposed to a fleeting pleasure. Instead of spending not only my money, more importantly-- precious time-- playing games (Lumosity), why not focus that energy learning something that will enrich your life; learn to play a musical instrument. This is the path our author followed.

One of the more interesting topics in the book that stood out to me was that of practice. Again, the wisdom from Zen Guitar came to mind when reading about the worlds leading expert on expertise, cognitive Psychologist Anders Ericsson, and his theory about practice. Ericsson says there are two vital keys to becoming an expert:

1) A ton of practice

2) Deliberate practice

Practicing at home; garage band, chord maker, Tele & coffee

By “a ton of practice” Dr. Ericsson is talking about the often-repeated phrase "10 years, or 10,000 hours." He is actually the one who coined the phrase. Relating this to Zen Guitar, author Philip Toshio Sudo writes, “Beginning students often ask, ‘how long will it take me to learn the Way of Zen Guitar?’ My answer is, as long as you live—that short. Your playing may progress enough to impress your friends in a years time, perform onstage in two years, or turn professional in three. But if those are the ends you seek, your concern is not Zen Guitar… is learned day by day, minute by minute, second by second, now to eternity. There is no faster way.”We see this is true of Perry Beekman, and all of us who have a guitar as part of our lives.

But practice alone, is not enough; it needs to be meaningful. That’s where the second part comes in; deliberate practice. This is a process of constant self-evaluation, focusing on your weakness—not your strength. There is a significant difference between playing what you already know, and stretching yourself to reaching new levels. The world can be changed by three chords, but why stop there? Without being overly scientific, Marcus explains the theory of the “zone of proximal development” pg12. The theory is that learning is most effective when it’s not to hard, and not to easy; the goal must be set just beyond reach. To illustrate this idea, Marcus uses the goal of 80% success. If the rate of success is greater people get bored. If less than 80% people get frustrated and give up— believing the task is just too difficult for them to learn. 

Trees of inspiration; Life moves fast-- follow your dreams

The idea of deliberate practice is again consistent with Zen Guitar; Sudo writes, “…concerns the way you physically take it in your hands. Don’t pick up your guitar aimlessly. Act with a sense of purpose. Be of the mind that you’re going to dosomething… maybe you just want to noodle on it while watching TV. Then pick up your guitar with the mind of noodling while watching TV. Remember, the guitar is an instrument—a thing by means of which something is done. Keep this in mind every time you reach for it” pg29.

In a nutshell, the book is about his journey as a 39-year old adult, without the slightest hint of rhythm, learning to play the guitar. Along the way he explains the psychology behind the process, and delves into the brain science of how anybody of any age can learn to play a musical instrument. If you are an adult with the desire to learn to play, then do it! Find a guitar of good quality-- one that speaks to you, and begin your journey. Gary Marcus’s book is proof that it can be done by anyone, of any age.

"It will test your head... and your mind... and your brain, too" 

~Dewey Finn; School of Rock

Prep Week: Why Bring Another Blog Into the World?

This blog is designed to capture my adventures in bass guitar during the summer of 2014. 

As an adult, life tends to get in the way of hobbies and interests. Because I am blessed to have this summer off, I want to ensure I do something productive with my time and in the process leave a record of my endeavor. With a little luck, someone in the digital realm might even stumble onto my blog and become inspired to learn to play a musical instrument-- maybe one that they've been told they are too old to learn.

The inspiration came from Brenda Miller & Suzanne Paola's bookTell It Slant; Creating, Refining, and publishing Creative Nonfiction. The writing exercise at the end of chapter 11, Writing online, provided the springboard for this blog idea:

“Eight Weeks, Two Hours a Day.” This would encourage me to stick with the titles schedule, and capture eight weeks worth of practice on my bass guitar. It would be interesting to see how my playing develops over that time… two hours a day over eight weeks would total 120 hours—compared to my current approximate four hours a week practice routine which totals 32 hours...

It will also include notes beyond the practice sessions, links to practice guides, photos, audio clips, videos ...and any other interesting bass related happenings.

I invite you dear reader, to come along with me on my latest undertaking; my Bass Guitar Adventures! 

Stay tuned and in tune~

Getting In Tune...

I'm still setting up a few things here, but I hope to begin the daily posts as soon as tonight!

Stay Tuned & In Tune!