Rewind: The Top Stories for the Week of March 21st, 2010

by Corey Brown Monday, March 29th, 2010

Here are the top 10 articles from No Treble for the week of March 21st, 2010.

1. Video: Jacogrow’s Funk Groove: Fretless Bass Improv
Choi Dong-Ju, who goes by the screen name “jacogrow” posted this cool fretless bass jam, showcasing some of his great Gary Willis-inspired bass playing.

2. Gear: TC Electronic BG500 Combo Amps
TC Electronic is introducing the new BG500 bass combos at the Frankfurt Musikmesse 2010, which runs from March 24th to the 27th. The 500-watt BG500 is available as a 1×15 or 2×10 combo, each equipped with a 1? tweeter.

3. Player News: RIP Sean Stewart
Bassist Sean Stewart of the Australian alt-rock band HTRK died last week according to a recent statement by the band’s label, Blast First Petite Records.

4. Lesson: Live looping: Thinking outside the box
Our resident looping expert Russ Sargeant says that live looping may have become a little typecast in the minds of many musicians, but it can take on an altogether more creative, exciting and ‘edgy’ nature.

5. Ask Damian Erskine: Choosing A Bass
Damian answers a reader’s question: “I’m thinking of buying a new bass. What do you look for when instrument shopping?”

6. Lesson: Scale Patterns from Tetrachord Combinations
In this lesson we’re going to explore the concept of tetrachords and how they change the way we look at scales.

7. Gear: Aguilar Announces New Line of Bass Pickups
Aguilar Amplification has just announced the first in their new line of bass pickups, the AG-4J pick up.

8. Video: Stanley Clarke Remake: Hot Fun by Chiel
Here’s Dutch bassist “Chiel42” performing his own version of Stanley Clarke’s tune, “Hot Fun”.

9. Player News: Ex-Pantera Bassist Rex Brown to Debut New Band
Down and ex-Pantera bassist Rex Brown will be debuting his new band, Arms of the Sun, in Dallas, Texas on April 17.

10. Column: Contract Considerations
Whether you’re playing a small gig, major venue, or are signing a recording deal it’s crucial that you know the value of a contract and how to navigate one. This column covers some common advantages and pitfalls to having an engagement-contract for a performance and what to look for in a recording-contract.