http://www.notreble.com the site for bass players Thu, 17 May 2012 00:30:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/16/exploring-turnarounds/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/16/exploring-turnarounds/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 19:30:47 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=24138 Q: I really enjoy and find great value in your columns on No Treble. In your last column, you discussed the modal and chordal approaches and mentioned this: “Don’t forget to also practice and transcribe things, which will make you a stronger bassist (walking, common endings and turnarounds, time, various time-feels, and so on.)” Could...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/16/exploring-turnarounds/feed/ 0 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/14/audio-midi-connect-a-look-at-the-instrument-to-midi-converter-for-ios/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/14/audio-midi-connect-a-look-at-the-instrument-to-midi-converter-for-ios/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 19:30:31 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=24122 If you’re like me, the existence of an app like Audio MIDI Connect is a dream come true. This app allows you to take your instrument signal and convert it to Midi and send it over Wifi! The implications are pretty cool, because this means that your instrument of choice can be a midi controller...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/14/audio-midi-connect-a-look-at-the-instrument-to-midi-converter-for-ios/feed/ 3 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/09/playing-chords-a-guide-for-bassists/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/09/playing-chords-a-guide-for-bassists/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 19:30:10 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=24028 Q: I recently bought a 6-string bass and started working on playing chords. How should I voice more complex chords (e.g. Gm13) using few (3 to 4) notes, while maintaining the quality of the chord? A: It is important to note a few things when doing this. Much of this is learned by doing it...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/09/playing-chords-a-guide-for-bassists/feed/ 14 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/02/to-effect-or-not-to-effect-a-discussion-for-bassists/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/02/to-effect-or-not-to-effect-a-discussion-for-bassists/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 20:45:37 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23940 Q: What’s your take on effects pedals? Do you use any? A: I have been exploring many different pedals and having fun with the sonic possibilities, though I rarely use them outside of my home. My most used pedal is my reverb pedal, because I like the what it offers when playing in small group...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/05/02/to-effect-or-not-to-effect-a-discussion-for-bassists/feed/ 61 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/30/figure-a-look-into-the-music-making-app-for-ios/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/30/figure-a-look-into-the-music-making-app-for-ios/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:30:04 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23924 When it comes to music making apps for iOS, I’ve generally been quite disappointed. Most of what’s out there is convoluted and confusing, making for a poor and often awkward experience. Propellerhead Software is looking to change all that with the release of their newest app, Figure. Figure offers three different voices to work with:...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/30/figure-a-look-into-the-music-making-app-for-ios/feed/ 1 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/25/choosing-the-right-webcam-in-the-youtube-era/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/25/choosing-the-right-webcam-in-the-youtube-era/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:30:19 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23856 Q: I am looking at starting a Youtube channel, and I was wondering what you’d suggest for a webcam solution. I’m looking for one that has good audio. Alternatively, what is the best, cheap USB interface to buy? A: As many of you may know, I could stand to focus a little attention to my...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/25/choosing-the-right-webcam-in-the-youtube-era/feed/ 14 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/18/following-the-singer-a-guide-to-dealing-with-rhythmically-challenged-vocalists/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/18/following-the-singer-a-guide-to-dealing-with-rhythmically-challenged-vocalists/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:30:51 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23779 Q: What do you recommend when you’re tasked with accompanying a seriously rhythm-challenged vocalist? I was both music director and bassist for a recent musical review, with our band backing up a variety of vocalists. Two talented singers passed the audition with their carefully prepared selections, but with new show music, we discovered some serious...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/18/following-the-singer-a-guide-to-dealing-with-rhythmically-challenged-vocalists/feed/ 8 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/16/master-tour-a-look-into-the-app-for-gig-and-tour-management/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/16/master-tour-a-look-into-the-app-for-gig-and-tour-management/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:30:11 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23735 If you’re a gigging musician, especially if you’re on tour, Master Tour by Eventric is an app you’ll want to check out. I was first introduced to this app by our tour manager’s wife, who hailed it is “100% indispensable”. The app is a companion to the company’s desktop app and web portal, which allows...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/16/master-tour-a-look-into-the-app-for-gig-and-tour-management/feed/ 0 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/11/from-groove-to-changes-to-soloing-damian-erskines-practice-routine/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/11/from-groove-to-changes-to-soloing-damian-erskines-practice-routine/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:30:16 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23657 Q: You answer a lot of questions to help bassists out. But I’d like to know, what are you personally working on to improve your playing? A: I am in a constant state of flux with my practice habits. Different things bug me about my playing depending on the gigs I have one week versus...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/11/from-groove-to-changes-to-soloing-damian-erskines-practice-routine/feed/ 1 http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/04/a-guide-to-making-the-switch-fretless-bass/ http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/04/a-guide-to-making-the-switch-fretless-bass/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:30:24 +0000 Damian Erskine http://www.notreble.com/?p=23566 Q: I’ve just removed the frets from my first bass, and this is my first experience with a fretless bass. What advice do you have to start out? A: There are two areas of focus for making the switch. At a glance, these might seem to contradict each other, but one applies to practicing and...]]> http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/04/04/a-guide-to-making-the-switch-fretless-bass/feed/ 36