Buzz
No Doubt Returns With “Push and Shove”
After a lengthy hiatus, No Doubt has released Push and Shove, their first studio album since 2001. While still heavily influenced by Jamaican music, the band took a turn towards the synth-pop bands of the ’70s and ’80s. The writing process also proved to be a new direction, especially for bassist Tony Kanal, who took a page out of Peter...
Digitech Unveils JamMan Solo XT Looping Pedal
Digitech has announced the latest in their JamMan series of looping pedals with the JamMan Solo XT. Building on the JamMan Solo, the XT is a true stereo looping pedal with several new features including JamSync, which allows for multiple units to be linked together and record different length phrases while staying in sync. You can sync as many Solo...
Arpeggio Work for Bass Players: A Daily Practice Routine
I have mentioned previously that our daily scale practice should include arpeggio work. There are numerous ways to approach this, and most scale books devote some time to various approaches to arpeggios. I find the patterns below to be good solid foundational patterns for any bassist’s daily routine. The patterns below are presented in C major, but should be applied...
Trioscapes, Featuring Dan Briggs: Curse of the Ninth
Ever since Dan Briggs and his band Trioscapes released their debut album Separate Realities, I’ve been hooked. The sax/bass/drums trio has a unique sound that blends their metal and jazz fusion influences to create something new. Check out this live performance of the song “Curse of the Ninth.” Briggs lays it down heavy on this one, utilizing a looping pedal...
Weekly Top 10: Remembering Jaco, New Victor Wooten Interview, and the Week’s Top Bass Gear, Lessons and Videos
Here are the top 10 most read stories and features on No Treble for the week of September 16-22, 2012. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. 25 Years Later: The Continued Influence of Jaco Pastorius Usually when we mark an anniversary, it is cause for celebration. Today isn’t one of those anniversaries. Twenty-five years ago today, the world lost...
Snark Introduces SN10 Pedal Tuner
Snark has introduced the SN10, the company’s first pedal tuner. The new stompbox features a large LCD display to show which pitch you’re tuning and red, yellow, and green bars to determine whether you’re flat, sharp, or in tune. It also offers pitch calibration from 415Hz to 466Hz. The pedal is powered by either a 9-volt battery or a 9-volt...
Ethan Farmer: Watch
Ethan “EBassMan” Farmer has just released the music video for the song “Watch” from his solo album Wine & Strings. This song is funky beyond belief.
Brandi Disterheft Releases “Gratitude”
If legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson ever likened you to bassist Ray Brown, you’re obviously doing something right. That’s just the case for Brandi Disterheft, whose new album Gratitude is available now on Justin Time Records. The 27-year-old Canadian bassist, who has studied with Rufus Reid, Don Thompson, Niels-Henning Orsed Pederson and Ron Carter is well versed in the jazz...
Focusrite Introduces Scarlett 2i4 Audio Interface
Focusrite has a new USB audio interface dubbed the Scarlett 2i4. Featuring two inputs and four outputs, the 2i4 is housed in an anodized aluminum unibody chassis. The two combo XLR inputs allow for plugging in your bass, guitar, or microphone. Each input’s gain knob has a signal halo around it that changes color to inform you about your signal....
Pablo Elorza: “Havona” Lesson and Analysis
Bassist Pablo Elorza has started a new series on YouTube he’s calling “Deep Into Electric Bass Classics” with the infamous Jaco Pastorius tune “Havona.” Elorza rips through the tune, then breaks it all down for everyone trying to learn. He speaks in Spanish, but don’t worry, there are English subtitles for his in-depth analysis. Time to hit the woodshed!
Julie Slick Releases “Terroir”
Two years after her self-titled solo debut, Julie Slick has returned with Terroir, which is now available on BandCamp. Full of lush soundscapes, inspired compositions, and incredible bass playing, the 10-song album’s title offers several dimensions to the album’s meaning. ”Terroir is a French word, meaning ‘from the earth,’” she explains. “It is used to describe the qualities of a...
Fodera Introduces Monarch 4 Standard Bass Guitar
Fodera is finishing out their Standard series of basses with the Monarch 4 Standard. Similar to the Matt Garrison, Emperor 5, and Yin Yang Standard basses, the new model is built in batch and offered in a single configuration with no options in order to keep the price and wait time down. The Monarch 4 Standard is built with a...