Articles by Damian Erskine - Page 41

Q: How would you approach teaching children? Trying to keep it interesting while teaching technique, reading and material seems an impossible combination to me. Kids just don’t have the patience that adults do. Any advice? A: My advice? Teach adults! Seriously, this has perplexed me as well and I’ve had to become honest with myself and decided that I just...

I am often asked how one can better learn the fretboard and how one can improve their reading. I generally talk about certain things I’ve spent time studying and how to practice with intention and focus, the importance of repetition (to make information stick) and suggest a few books, and so on. I now will have one more thing to...

Q: I have a hard time remaining interested when I try and practice at home by myself. I have no problem finding inspiration when playing with others, but I quickly get bored and want to stop playing when I’m home alone. Have any tips? A: I think this is a common issue. Many of us are “reactive players”. We need...

Ruppert Musical Instruments dubs their Basswitch IQ DI the “Swiss Army Knife for Bass Players”, and I have to agree. The device is just now available in the U.S. The device indeed is many things in one: A/B box: Allows you to have to instruments plugged in for fast switching on stage Clean Boost: Engage the EQ with a separate...

Q: How do you go about making your song arrangements? Do you have a plan from the beginning for the different instruments, or do you let the other musicians fill in the gaps based on their experience/ideas? I imagine that the distance between what you intend to create vs. what you actually create is much larger when other musicians are...

I’ve long been on the lookout for a great recording app for my iPhone. Not for multi-tracking, because Garageband on my iPad has me 100% sold for that stuff, but more for recording quick ideas, recording rehearsals, concerts and so on. I recently tried out FiRe 2 by Audiofile Engineering, and after just a few short hours, I’m already impressed...

Q: Do you have any advice for those looking to make the leap from a 4 string to a 6 string bass? A: I made the leap directly from a 4 to a 6 string bass, and had the advantage of making the switch while I was attending music school, at Berklee. This is an advantage because you are 1)...

First, thanks to all of you who write in with comments about this column. I get a lot of great feedback from you, and I appreciate it very much. Please keep it coming! This column starts with reader questions, and at the moment, I’ve run out. Here’s where you come in! Send me your questions. They can be strictly about...

Many of us have longed for a good, quality “Slow Downer” for iOS. Look no further! Capo, by SuperMegaUltraGroovy, will allow you to pick any song from your music library and adjust the speed, without altering pitch or alter the pitch, without altering speed, or both. Once you’ve selected your song, you’re basically presented with the wave form. You can...

Q: I know a lot of guys who spend quite a bit of time and money on their gear. In your opinion, how much of a bassist’s sound is contained in the rig that they are using versus the hands and so on? A: I’m glad you asked! I just had this conversation the other night, at different times and...

Q: Is there anything outside of the norm that you are working on or thinking about with your musical explorations? A: Actually, in the May issue of Bass Guitar Magazine (UK), Franc O’Shea (his columns are always enlightening and thought provoking), wrote an interesting piece on dividing the chromatic scale and giving every semi-tone a pulse in a bar of...

I have tried every metronome on the market (app store market that is) and, while “Metronome Plus” is my favorite when all I need is a quick, clean way to keep time, Dr. Betotte is hands down the best metronome for odd meters, trickier functions and as a practice tool. I believe that this is actually based off of the...