Articles by Ryan Madora - Page 12

Like any aspiring bass player, I went through a “fusion phase” (otherwise known as college). I spent countless hours infatuated with complicated harmony, the wild and masterful displays of technical ability, and the jammiest of jams. It wasn’t long before I discovered the CAB albums featuring Tony MacAlpine, Dennis Chambers, Brian Auger, and bass player Bunny Brunel. This quickly sent...

Today’s column is brought to you by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. My usual route to and from downtown involves quite a bit of highway driving and every few days; the TDOT message boards provide a less-than-clever quote to inspire better driving habits. Apparently, plenty of drivers have been neglecting their turn signal, and the government has decided to do...

Austin, Texas, here we come! As the plane takes off, I think about everything that I want to experience on my short visit. Tacos, BBQ, and of course, blues. Austin has an incredible live music scene and, in addition to popular festivals such as SXSW and Austin City Limits, an equally impressive list of musicians who call the town home....

For those of you who haven’t noticed, I enjoy learning about food almost as much as I enjoy exploring the bass. Lucky for me, there are plenty of parallels between the world of food and the world of music. Both rely on unique combinations of ingredients in order to make a final product. Both can be traced back to a...

There’s a lot to be said for bass players who know how to play a song. While it may seem like a simple thing, it takes a mature attitude and a keen ear to do so. Sure, soloing is fun, and many of us want to showcase our slap technique, but exhibiting those skills doesn’t necessarily lead to being a...

There’s an old saying that goes: if it were easy, everyone would do it. Playing music isn’t easy. Navigating the fretboard is confusing, playing with a metronome can be tedious, and there’s a never-ending list of songs to learn. Despite all of the work that goes into playing music, most of us love it and in many ways, are defined...

I’m a firm believer in keeping good company. Entrepreneurs need a solid team, Presidents need a strong cabinet, and songwriters need a great band. After Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize, I figured it was time to revisit his catalog, do a bit of listening, and gain some insight on the players that bring his music to life. Certainly,...

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s traffic. Anyone living in, visiting, or planning to move to Nashville has become burdened by the time wasting, frustrating, 4-hour rush hour that is seemingly inescapable. I’m no stranger to the woes of metropolitan areas, the growing pains of urban development, and the high concentration of oversized vehicles, but this city has...

It’s election week here in the U.S. The country has been saturated by advertisements, campaign rallies, and repetitive debate jargon. Times like these require a creative outlet, a way to ease the politically charged anxieties. For many people, music is the perfect remedy. While some listeners flock to acoustic folk music or groovy reggae, others set their radio dials to...

I’m an avid radio listener. The preset buttons in my car are heavily worn, the numbers barely legible after years of searching for the perfect song and attempting to dodge commercial messages. Sometimes it’s nice to drive in silence, but usually, the radio is what truly fuels my time spent behind the wheel. I always enjoy hearing new music, but...

When it comes to picking out a bass player to know, I always try to look beyond the scope of my own musical knowledge. Frankly, it’s the best way to learn and discover new things and my hope is that you, the reader, look at this column series as a way to do the same. By enlisting the help of...

We’re all looking for ways to get more bang for our buck, especially when it comes to practicing. We watch videos, scroll through forums, and read columns about how to establish a better practice routine (you may be doing this right now). So, for what it’s worth, here are my two cents. Frankly, most of us don’t like to practice...