Bass vs. Guitar: The 6-String Debate
Q: I mean this in the most respectful of ways but, when I listen to six string bassists who play a lot of chords and solo. I can’t help but wonder why they don’t just play guitar. A: I’ve heard this question before, and thanks for being respectful. I’m a 6-string player, so I’ll share my views on the subject....
Robick: A Look at the iOS App for Transcribing Music
If you’re looking for an “slow-downer” app for aiding in transcribing tunes, you might want to give Robick a shot. While this app is not entirely intuitive, once you get the hang of the interface, it’s actually a pretty powerful music slowing/altering app for transcription. When you launch the app, you’ll land in the one and only screen for the...
A Practical Guide to Modes and Scales
Q: What are modes and how do they work? A: I get this question a lot, but have only touched on it in past columns, as it relates to other questions. Here’s a straightforward guide to modes and scales to follow. Modes are a very simple concept but can take some time to really understand and get under your fingers...
Practical Scalar Practice
Q: I’ve been reading a lot of posts online and doing searches about which scales work over what chords. I’ve found a lot of good information, but I’m not really sure how to actually practice and internalize the information once I have it. Any advice? A: This is something that I’ve been working on with my students at PSU (Portland...
iRiffPort: A Look at the Digital Instrument Interface for iOS
So far, I’ve focused in on mostly iOS apps in this space, but this time around, I’m going to focus in on hardware that works with many of these apps. I recently tried out the new iRiffPort by PocketLabWorks, which is a digital instrument interface in conjunction with the PocketGK app. For starters, PocketLabWorks got things right by making it...
Who Am I? A Thought Exercise for Bassists
I whole-heartedly believe that who we are as people translates to who we become on our instrument. I’ve been kind of meditating lately during any down moments on every aspect of my personality and how it may or may not relate to any given part of my style of playing – the good and the bad! This includes focusing on...
Muscle Memory
Q: I keep hearing bassists talk about muscle memory. What is that? A: Good question! And one that can open up a bigger discussion on the purpose of daily practice. First, let’s look at the Wikipedia definition of muscle memory, which is a good one: “Muscle memory has been used synonymously with motor learning, which is a form of procedural...
Clear Tune: A Look at the Chromatic Tuner for iOS
I have tried most every tuner on the app store and there are many that I like for many reasons. Some look fantastic, but have accuracy issues. Some are accurate but are just plain ugly. After trying about a dozen tuner apps, I have finally settled on Cleartune. This app is attractive, highly accurate and versatile. Cleartune works quite well...
The Purpose of Practice
Q: Hi Damian, a few weeks back I started doubting the “purpose” of practice, due to the fact that if you practice a specific tune, or any give exercise, its only for a short period of time (couple of months or so) and then it goes to the back of your head. How can I make my practice more “permanent”...
A Guide for the Self-Taught Bassist
Q: I’m in the middle of high-school, and I’m really thinking of pursuing bass as a career. However, with a lack of decent teachers around, I’ve turned to teaching myself. But there’s so much to cover… where do I start? A: I would first suggest that you continue to keep your eyes and ears open for a good teacher. It’s...
Beyond the Metronome: A Look at Metronomics and Time Guru for iOS
I was planning on writing this article on Metronomics, an app developed by John Nastos offering quite a few new features that go beyond your basic metronome app. However, I was recently tried out “Time Guru” by Avi Bortnick (John Scofield’s sample guru and rhythm guitarist) which does many of the same things – and also a few different things....
Mindfully Mindless Practice
Q: I’ve heard some people talk about practicing while watching TV, and I’ve heard others warn against it. What’s your take? A: Actually, I’m a huge fan of certain types of practice while watching movies and television. As I’ve mentioned in earlier columns, certain things are only really mastered through repetition (licks and patterns, internalizing scale or chord shapes, and...