Archive for 2012 - Page 51

Hot on the heels of his new album Compared to That, bassist Brian Bromberg is paying homage to two of his musical heroes with Bromberg Plays Hendrix and In the Spirit of Jobim. The albums were originally recorded for Japan’s King Records, but are now available in the U.S. via Artistry Music. “Even though people know me as a jazz...

After you feel comfortable with the single string exercises from last time you may want to challenge yourself a bit more with the two string exercises below. Two String Left Hand Dexterity Drill Notes: These exercises can be done pizzicato or arco. If done pizzicato, I suggest beginning each pattern using the second finger of your right hand, followed by...

Another bass legend has left us with the passing of Funk Brother Bob Babbitt, as the iconic bassist succumbed to complications from a brain tumor which was discovered last year. He was 74. Along with fellow low-ender James Jamerson, Babbitt was the foundation for the Motown Sound and played on over 200 Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits. His undeniable...

Darryl Anders is bringing the old school to the new school with his new band AgapéSoul. With a deep pocket of groove, the bassist set out to make real music, not show off his skills. “It is not about us, as people or as musicians. It’s about the songs,” says Anders. “I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to share my...

How much bass can you take? Hopefully at least enough to get you through this weekly top 10 list of bass greatness. Here are the 10 most read/most watched stories and videos on No Treble for the week of July 8 – 14, 2012. 1. Victor Wooten: “Isn’t She Lovely”, Live Solo Bass Performance In April, Victor Wooten held a...

Schroeder Cabinets has introduced a new line of bass cabs called the Pyramid series. Developed for bassists that have trouble hearing themselves on small stages, the long throw design helps the artist hear what they’re playing while projecting just as well to the audience. The new line includes an 800-watt 2×12, a 400-watt 1×12, and a 600-watt 1×15, all of...

Reggae icons Steel Pulse will be hitting the road for a U.S. tour kicking off July 20th in Boston, Massachusetts and wrapping up September 9th at the Doheny Days Festival in California. The trek will be partly in support of a new album due out later this year, though details are sparse. Formed in 1975, the band has gone through...

Today’s featured video is as instructional as it is cool. Bassist/instructor Anthony Pell breaks down how to construct a funk line, using James Brown’s “The Payback” – a tune from Godfather of Soul’s 1973 album of the same name. Fred Thomas was the bassist on that album, by the way. Pell breaks down three approaches to note selection for the...

Back in April, we shared the news that the Rolling Stones were re-uniting with Bill Wyman, in celebration of the group’s 50th anniversary, which they celebrated last week. Wyman held down the low end for the group from 1962 until 1993, when he left to form his own band, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings. Guitarist Ronnie Wood said Wyman is returning...

In 1976, a relatively unknown bassist by the name of Jaco Pastorius joined Weather Report as a full-time member – an event that brought unprecedented commercial success to the six year old band. Jaco’s impact wasn’t limited to Weather Report either. It was during this same year his solo album debuted – an album which redefined the electric bass in...

John Taylor really brought it in the Duran Duran tune “Rio”. His active bass line locks in with the drums and drives the song forward. Luckily, we have a video of Taylor’s isolated bass line to scope out his groove and tone.

PocketLabworks has launched the PocketHz for iOS, an app that brings together a tuner and a song trainer. The tuner utilizes the company’s WarpSpeed pitch detection technology, which engineer Kevin Robertson explains warps the frequencies for even measurement across all octaves. It covers 8-octaves to reach down to a low B-string, high C-string and beyond. The song training half of...