Archive for 2016 - Page 101

Q: I had a student ask if there was some way of learning chords like kids learn multiplication tables. Sounds like it would be handy but I couldn’t think of anything like that. Any ideas? A: I assume your student was thinking of the grid-like table for learning multiplication. I also couldn’t think of a way to do that visually,...

Adam Ben Ezra is back with a new solo bass video – this time performing a tune he wrote 10 years ago. The track made it on his album, Can’t Stop Running. This performance is his solo-looper version of the song, filmed and recorded live at Mookie’s Rhapsody.

The Distance is jazz double bassist/composer Michael Formanek’s latest, this time featuring his 19-musician big band, Ensemble Kolossus. “I wanted a large, rich, chewy sound with this music – and the ensemble’s rhythm section is particularly big, with piano, marimba, guitar, bass and drums,” Formanek said of the album, which was recorded in December in Brooklyn, New York. “I also...

When Zack Cramp submitted his story to us, it didn’t take me long to decide to share it. I mean, any one who loves bass and vinyl as much as he does is solid in my books. Zack lives and works in both categories (and enjoys a few of my other favorite things). Here’s his story… Bio: I’m a 26...

Dunlop went old school at NAMM this year by introducing a new set of flatwound strings. The Dunlop Flatwound Strings are designed to give the tone of classic rock, funk, and R&B recordings while providing a more modern feel. Designed for lower tension, the strings are described as providing a solid fundamental with rich articulation on top. “Rolling off your...

Here’s trombonist Hal Crook and his band Behind These Eyes performing “Love Me If You Can”. The tune was written and arranged by Crook. Bassist Wesley Wirth lays down a funky line behind this performance, which also lots of horn goodness.

Snarky Puppy joined with a host of vocalists and musicians in February 2015 in New Orleans to record an album in front of a live studio audience. Now, that album, and an accompanying video, documenting the performance is available to hear and watch as Family Dinner, Vol. 2. The project from Snarky Puppy, led by bassist/composer Michael League, aims to...

This week we’re taking a look at the Futura from Roks Instruments out of The Netherlands. Luthier Axel Roks, who created the bass as part of Dutch Design Week, uses the human body as a large influence on his creations. “This design originated out of the idea that a bass guitar could be an object in itself,” he writes on...

The lower frets on the bass are arguably the ones we use the most, but they’re also the largest frets. That makes it difficult for us to apply our “one finger per fret” rule in the lower register. So how can we overcome this physical obstacle? We’ll go over some exercises to get your fingers in shape for the low...

Miki Santamaria joined the band Drew De Four in studio to record their album, . “Pretty excited about this one, you guys,” Miki shared. “I was in Michigan for a week in March 2015 recording bass for my friend’s Drew De Four newest album… This was such a fun project to be a part of – recording live band straight...

Mostly Other People Do the Killing’s leader, bassist and composer Matthew “Moppa” Elliott has released his solo bass album, Still, Up in the Air. The jazz album was recorded live in one day — Feb. 15, 2015 — at St. Stephen’s Pro Cathedral in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Elliott favors a non-linear approach to his work, using authors David Foster Wallace and...

Time for your weekly dose of bass greatness – aka the No Treble top 10 reader favorites. This week has a bonus – a top 10 list inside the top 10 list. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Bass of the Week: Gibson SG Standard Bass Today we’re checking out another iconic bass with the Gibson SG Standard....