Weekly Top Ten: The Best in Bass for the Week of January 12th
The gear is coming, the gear is coming! News from the NAMM Show started coming in advance of the event, and we’re very happy about that.
In addition to the new gear stories, we had three great columns and some awesome bass videos last week, which all add up to the top 10 most popular on No Treble.
Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing.
1. Memorizing Chords and Scales
There are some better ways than others to help internalize harmonic relationships. This week’s Ask Damian Erskine column offers up some great ideas on practice and more…
2. Nathan East Debuts “Sir Duke” from Upcoming Solo Album
We reported last August that Nathan East was working on his first solo album. Now we know a date. Nathan East will be released on March 25, 2014. Here’s a preview track, East’s cover of “Sir Duke”…
3. Jeff Berlin and Cort Announce Signature RITHIMIC Bass
Jeff Berlin has teamed up with Cort for a new signature bass for 2014. Dubbed the RITHIMIC, the model features an alder body with a striking padouk and spalted maple top with a matching spalted headstock…
4. Byron: “Zeitgeist” Live Bass Cam
I really love bass cams. Sometimes they make you feel a little dizzy, but the perspective is so cool. Here’s a bass cam video of bassist László Demeter playing with his band, byron. Demeter pins down the low end for the song “Zeitgeist”…
Our friend Steven Smith sent this in to us, saying “I just discovered a new band – new to me, that is – Spare Parts. Great 70s groove! The bassist is Colin Scott, [and he’s] layin’ it down on the Fender Jazz. Sweet!” Sweet indeed. Love that old school sound…
6. Fumbling Fingers: When Common Tasks Take Their Toll on Bassists
Playing bass is one of the only activities that involves a considerable amount of accuracy and perfection. We must focus, remember proper hand position, and re-establish the effort needed to perform a task. Ryan Madora shares her thoughts on this topic…
7. Matt Gruebner: “Hey Jude” Solo Bass Performance
I randomly stumbled upon the work of Matt Gruebner – aka Maxgroover – over the weekend. His solo bass performance of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” really knocked me out…
8. Bass of the Week: Jimmy Haslip’s “Gabriella Rose” Bass by Wyn Guitars
The best basses come with great stories. Jimmy Haslip’s six-string bass from Wyn Guitars, called “Gabriela Rose,” is a great example. Luthier Randy Fullmer recounts the whole process on his website. “It’s a luthier’s dream to make an instrument for an artist with the stature and playing chops of Jimmy Haslip”…
9. Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (December 2013)
I always enjoy the top 10 video recaps each month, but this one seems exceptionally great, don’t you think? These are the top 10 most watched videos for the month of December, 2013…
10. Finger Independence for Bassists: A Preparatory Double Trill Exercise
Complete independence of the left hand fingers is a laudable goal for every serious bassist, guitarist and string player. Below is a short beginning exercise designed to prepare us for playing double trills, (trills on two notes simultaneously). Dr. D shows us the way…
