Archive for January 2012 - Page 10

Lehle has released the DC Filter, a stereo filter for removing unwanted DC voltage from audio signals. The filter handles both mono and stereo signals and sports a passive design, so it doesn’t require a power supply. Lehle explains that audio signals with a DC offset can cause an “unpleasant” switching noise. While offsets can occur in various places in...

Q: I’ve been playing for a little bit now and would consider myself a solid player, but I’m looking to really up my level of expression. There seems to be a dichotomy on modal vs. chordal approaches to theory, I figured I’d ask you where the break is. Both seem necessary, but some seem to think the modal stuff is...

Fender is kicking off 2012 with the introduction of the Fender Select Series, which they describe as it’s “new top-of-the-production-line best” instruments. The series, which includes new Precision and Jazz Bass models, presents the company’s classic designs with marked upgrades like choice tone woods, quartersawn maple necks with compound-radius fretboards, and specially voiced Select pickups. The Fender Select Precision Bass...

On January 4th, 2011, the world lost bass legend Mick Karn. Today, we honor the bassist with a video from JPK, performing “Plaster The Magic Tongue”. JPK is the name that former Japan members Karn, Steve Jansen, and Richard Barbieri recorded under. RIP, Mick. You are missed.

Hal Leonard has published a whopper of a bass transcription book. The Ultimate Bass Songbook: The Complete Resource for Every Bass Player includes note-for-note transcriptions for 70 songs, spanning bass lines, bass melodies and solo bass arrangements. The book is designed to allow you to pick the arrangement you prefer to many top hits. The Ultimate Bass Songbook Complete Song...

Meet Dave Kurtiak, a 27 year veteran of bass who has a gigs with several bands and music projects around the Seattle area – and nearly all-improv. (Very cool). Dave is our player in the spotlight for January 3, 2012. Bio: Born in Bayonne, NJ to a musical family, it was no surprise when Dave picked up the bass at...

In my last lesson, we covered the topic of improvising over a minor 7 chord. This time around, we’re going to focus on improvising over a minor key progression. For this lesson, we’ll use this progression: | Am7 | G7 | FMaj7 | FMaj7 Bm7b5 | For this particular progression, you can play the A minor Aeolian/A minor pentatonic scale,...

A year ago Sunday, bass great Charles Fambrough passed away after a long illness. In honor of his memory, here’s a fantastic live performance of “Blues for Bu”, from Blues at Bradley’s. RIP, Mr. Fambrough.

Steve Lawson has released Believe in Peace, a four song album taken from his performance at the I Ching Arts Exhibit in Minneapolis. The exhibit featured the work of Geoff Bush, which moved Lawson so much that he decided to break from his normal gig routine with his wife and play an additional improv solo set. “Intending to play a...

Pete Stevens, co-founder of Wal Basses, has passed away at the age of 65. The announcement came from the Wal Bass website. “It is with deepest sadness that we must pass on the news that Pete ‘The Fish’ Stevens, co-founder of Wal Bass Guitars,” the company stated. “As many in the Wal family will know, Pete had suffered from chronic...

For all instrumentalists, excess tension should be a source of concern. We should work to eliminate it as much as possible. For string players, and especially bassists, excess tension can not only lead to technical and musical inaccuracies, but also to physical discomfort and injury. Sometimes these injuries can be resolved or worked around, other times they cannot. When serious...

During our down time (is there such a thing?) during the holiday week, the No Treble crew decided to put up a petition site for Rush, calling out the epic failure on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s part to keep them out. Well, they didn’t nickname me “Instigator” for nothing. Thanks to some help from our good friends...