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Reader Spotlight: Ben Titus
Meet Ben Titus, a multi-instrumentalist who calls himself a bassist first, and who keeps busy with a variety of music-related gigs. Ben in this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I’m a born and raised Virginia native who is a recent transplant to the Mid-West. Music has alternately been my salvation and my greatest frustration,...
Talking Style: Oh Freedom – A Post Civil War Spiritual
I’ve been wanting to do some Gospel episodes but wasn’t sure where I wanted to start until now. The first song that we’ll look art is the post-Civil War spiritual, “Oh Freedom”. In particular, I’m going to show you some ideas on how to “hear the changes” , an extended Gospel-style turnaround and how you might approach this song if...
Sly and the Family Stone: “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and “I Want To Take You Higher”
“Hot Fun in the Summertime” is the perfect song for the season, and “I Want To Take You Higher” is a bass masterpiece. Larry Graham throws it down in this medley of the two songs. The mix on this clip is a little wonky, but luckily the bass is turned up nice and high.
Nik West Releases 6-Song EP
Bassist Nik West (Prince, Dave Stewart) has released a new EP, Say Somethin. The EP features another female rock powerhouse alongside West — Australian singer/songwriter and guitarist Orianthi – on the tune “My Relationship.” The version of the record available via SoundCloud kicks off with West’s cover of AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” and the rest of the album promises classic...
Bass of the Week: Nichols Guitar Company Seas of Cheese Bass
Just like with music, great bass designs often come from the inspiration of other basses. That’s the case with our featured bass this week: the Nichols Guitar Company’s Seas of Cheese Bass. As the name suggests, the model is inspired by the famous Carl Thompson basses used by Primus’s Les Claypool. “The design was inspired by Les Claypool and some...
Maximizing Resonance with the Bow
If you play the bass long enough you’ll hear someone talking about making a “resonant” sound. When we are searching for a resonant sound we are attempting to create an unrestricted sound, one with some “depth,” where the strings and the bass itself both vibrate freely. Obviously, some basses vibrate more easily than others. These tend to be the more...
Antonin Rubatat & Romain Chenard: Hungry Beats – Vol. 3
The first video we shared by bassist Antonin Rubatat and drummer Romain Chenard was a big hit. Here’s another from their “Hungry Beats” series – “Vol. 3”.
“Decade of Dio” Set Released
The six albums metal’s Dio released from 1983 through 1993 have been compiled as the box set, A Decade of Dio: 1983-1993. During that decade, the band, fronted by former Black Sabbath/Rainbow singer, the late Ronnie James Dio, featured several bassists: founding bassist Jimmy Bain (Rainbow), who died in January of this year, as well as Teddy Cook, and toward...
Weekly Top 10: Talking Triads, New Bass Gear, On Harmony, Chuck Rainey’s Life in Music, New Videos and More
Happy Sunday. Time to celebrate another week from the world of bass. Here are the top 10 No Treble reader favorites for the week of July 16-22, 2016. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Cody Wright and Andy Irvine: Funky Bass Jam Cody Wright joined Andy Irvine for this bass jam on Andy’s The Daily Funk Club. Cody...
Karl Clews: The Pink Panther Theme (Solo Bass Arrangement and Transcription)
Karl Clews shared another one of his terrific solo bass arrangements with us, and this time he’s also offering the transcription. In this video, Karl tackles Henry Mancini’s “The Pink Panther Theme” on his Status Graphite Kingbass. Check it out and grab the transcription from Karl’s website.
Hal Leonard Releases Book on Scales Over Chords
Hal Leonard Corp. has published the “Bassist’s Guide to Scales Over Chords: The Foundation of Effective Bass Lines.” The book looks at how to apply scales in a musical way, which is essential knowledge for those learning how to create and improvise bass lines and solos. The book, which covers 11 scales and features 136 audio tracks and 17 extended...
Jesús Rico Pérez: Blue Orleans (Michael Manring Cover)
About three years ago, Jesús Rico Pérez shared a cover he did of Michael Manring’s “Come With Me, My Love”. Manring was impressed. Jesús has a new Manring cover, this time performing “Blue Orleans”, which appeared on Manring’s 1989 album, Toward the Center of the Night.