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Articles by Ryan Madora - Page 15


Bass Players To Know: Colin Greenwood
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players To Know: Colin Greenwood

I must admit, writing the “Bass Player To Know” series can be somewhat self indulgent… I selfishly spend hours listening to and researching some of my favorite players, expanding both my knowledge base and musical collection. Every column rekindles my fascination with a particular player and sparks the desire to investigate others of a similar style or musical era. I...

The Lightbulb Moment: It Takes One To Know One
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: It Takes One To Know One

How do I play that bass line? Why do I have to use my pinky? Can’t we skip all the theory stuff? These are just some of the questions raised by a student in a recent lesson. Some of these are easy to answer… like the usefulness of the pinky finger (two heads are better than one, four fingers are...

Bass Players to Know: Leroy Hodges
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players to Know: Leroy Hodges

The Funk Brothers, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Booker T and The MGs — most of us have heard of these incredible studio groups. James Jamerson and Bob Babbit at Motown Studios, David Hood at Fame and Muscle Shoals Sound, and Duck Dunn at Stax… these session players (and their respective studio affiliations) have defined what we know to be...

The Lightbulb Moment: Man VS Metronome
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: Man VS Metronome

Scales, scales, scales. Why does my teacher always make me play scales? If I have to play the C Major scale one more time, I think I’ll puke. And with a metronome? Why can’t I just learn songs and jam with my friends? Ah, the war between playing and practicing. I know this battlefield well; the metronome is always outnumbered...

Bass Players to Know: Robert DeLeo
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players to Know: Robert DeLeo

Every now and then, a song sneaks up and triggers a memory. It’s something buried deep in our vault, hidden behind the various phases of our musical development and our obsessions with radio singles and old records. The song is uniquely nostalgic, reminiscent of our musical coming of age. It transports us to the formative years—to the time when we...

The Lightbulb Moment: Super Powers
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: Super Powers

“We can fly!” “You can fly!” “We can fly!!” “Come on, everybody! Here we gooooooo… Off to Neverland!” With just a few happy thoughts and a sprinkle of pixie dust, Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael swooped around the nursery, singing, laughing, and soaring with the greatest of ease. It was off to Neverland for an adventure… second star to...

Bass Players to Know: Paul Chambers
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players to Know: Paul Chambers

Name any genre of music and certain bass players immediately come to mind. Rock and roll? Paul McCartney. Blues? Willie Dixon. Funk? Larry Graham. They are the ones who stick out as paving the way, defining the roll of the instrument in that particular music, and creating those classic lines that we can’t help but listen to, learn, and hope...

The Lightbulb Moment: Antici…pation
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: Antici…pation

It’s 6:57pm. I made it — and with three minutes to spare! Sixty minutes ago, I was at work, way across town, biting my fingernails as I shut down my computer for the day and ran out of the office. Thankfully, the traffic gods smiled upon me and aside from a few inescapable red lights, I managed to weave my...

Bass Players to Know: Phil Lynott
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players to Know: Phil Lynott

Jumping back into the world of rock and roll, I can’t help but appreciate the bass players that infuse a band with their energy, musicality, and personality, making us fall in love with both the person and the music. Providing far more than just a bass line, players like Jack Bruce, Rick Danko, and the latest bass player to know,...

The Lightbulb Moment: You Make It Look Easy
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: You Make It Look Easy

“Are you ready for bed?” “Yes, mom.” “Did you pick out a book to read?” “Yes!” “Did you brush your teeth?” “Ye-es” (with a slightly sarcastic tone). Twenty-odd years later and I’m still brushing my teeth, as I’m likely to do for another twenty years, and hopefully another twenty after that. Needless to say, I’m well practiced in the art...

Bass Players to Know: David Hood
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players to Know: David Hood

It’s been roughly a year since we featured David Hood in the interview, I’ll Take You There, so it’s about time we highlighted him in this series. Taking an opportunity to revisit his music, I am yet again reminded of his musical sensibilities, refined approach, and an unmistakable feel. Known for his session work with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section,...

The Lightbulb Moment: Time For A Change (of Strings)
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: Time For A Change (of Strings)

A letter, documenting the moment when you realize that things aren’t what they used to be but that you have the power to amend the situation. This particular moment, and the frequency with which it occurs, is different for everyone. That said, this letter highlights a few subtle signs to help you determine when it’s time to make some modifications....