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Articles by Damian Erskine - Page 34


Getting Started with the Nashville Number System
Ask Damian Erskine

Getting Started with the Nashville Number System

Q: I am classically trained, so I’m used to Roman numerals to designate chords (I, IV, V7, etc.). I have become aware of lead sheets using numbers 1, 4, 5’ 1/5). Are you aware of any music I could download that uses this system? A: What you’re referring to is the Nashville Number system. The good news is that it’s...

Tachyon: A Look at the Visual Music Creation App for iOS
Apps

Tachyon: A Look at the Visual Music Creation App for iOS

Dream Theatre Keyboard wiz Jordan Rudes has been making quite a name for himself as the mastermind behind some pretty creative musical iOS apps like MorphWiz, SampleWiz, Geo Synthesizer and now, Tachyon. The common theme to these apps is that they offer an ethereal aesthetic which serves to mesmerize to the point where one almost forgets that they are making...

Getting Over Extended Range (and Other Musical) Ruts
Ask Damian Erskine

Getting Over Extended Range (and Other Musical) Ruts

Q: I’ve been playing bass for many years, and started playing the 6-string bass only about six years ago. I’m currently stuck in a dormant sludge of un-creativity! Any thoughts on who offers a good 6-string finger exercise, scale patterns, a book or even a good video? I can’t seem to get out of the same old riffs… I’m not...

Bass in an Acoustic Setting: Knowing How to Play Your Role
Ask Damian Erskine

Bass in an Acoustic Setting: Knowing How to Play Your Role

Q: I think I have a good suggestion for an area you may have not covered: the role of a bassist in an acoustic setting. No drummer (maybe a Djembe), just acoustic guitar, bass and vocals. How do you keep it grooving, how do you fill the space, how do you make it sound good? I’ve had to play a...

Bowing Fun: A Look at the iOS App for Bowing Exercises
Apps

Bowing Fun: A Look at the iOS App for Bowing Exercises

Bowing Fun offers up exercises for bowed instruments – double bass (violin, viola and cello too) – designed to develop sight-reading skills and agility. A friend recommended that I check out this app, as he’s enjoyed it thought might be worthy of a review here. I have mixed feelings about it, but decided it was worth sharing the good and...

How and Why Woods Affect Your Bass Sound
Ask Damian Erskine

How and Why Woods Affect Your Bass Sound

Q: Experience and all instrument makers tell us that the choice of wood affects the sound of a bass. Of course we know and feel the difference of alder vs. ash bodies, ebony vs. rosewood vs. maple fingerboards, and so many other differences. But, do we know why exactly this affects the amplified sound? What we deal with are metal...

Gigging Life: Elevating Your Game with the Right Musicians (or Vice Versa)
Ask Damian Erskine

Gigging Life: Elevating Your Game with the Right Musicians (or Vice Versa)

Q: I’ve found myself in somewhat of a middle-ground with my gigs. Some gigs I have are with much better musicians than me, and I find that I actually play better with these guys. But many more of my gigs are just your everyday bar gigs. I’m noticing that I just can’t play the same way when the musicians around...

iMaschine: A Look at the Beat Sketch Pad for iOS
Apps

iMaschine: A Look at the Beat Sketch Pad for iOS

I have a confession: I am completely useless when it comes to making beats or using synths and drum machines. While I pride myself on being both musical and tech savvy, for some reason, when I combine the elements, the results are not exactly fantastic. But as they say, there’s an app for that. I’ve had a lot of fun...

Getting the Same Swing Feel on Electric and Upright (or… Be Patient in Practice)
Ask Damian Erskine

Getting the Same Swing Feel on Electric and Upright (or… Be Patient in Practice)

Q: I can’t get the same swing feel on electric as upright. Any advice? A: While I don’t play upright, this does present an opportunity to share a broader concept that may help you. Patience, padawan… patience (and focused practice). I’ve found with a vast majority of my students that whenever something is not “clicking”, you can break down the...

Triplets: A How To Guide to Timing and Practice
Ask Damian Erskine

Triplets: A How To Guide to Timing and Practice

Q: Can you give me some exercises to play with a triplet feel? I’d also love a comparision of how the division is different from a binary feel. A: Simply put: A triplet is kind of like shifting the time where you can fit three notes in the space of two: A half-note triplet is when you fit three half...

Anytune Pro HQ: A Look at the New “Slow Downer” for iOS
Apps

Anytune Pro HQ: A Look at the New “Slow Downer” for iOS

Note: This review is based on a beta version of Anytune V3.0 which is due out this week, pending Apple’s approval of the app. This beta has proven to be incredibly stable and performs beautifully, so I expect nothing different in the final version. As I have already reviewed both Capo and the Amazing Slow Downer, I wouldn’t have bothered...

Climbing Out of that Rut: A Guide for Musicians
Columns

Climbing Out of that Rut: A Guide for Musicians

Q: I’ve been feeling like I’m stuck in a rut lately. Do you have any advice for how to climb out of this thing?? A: To start, I want to say that ruts can be a good thing, because they’re usually followed by a breakthrough. The trick is that you have to push your way through and never let it...