Dog Plays Bass?

[GreggBummer]

Ok, anyone ever heard about this guy?

http://www.dogplaysbass.com/

I was looking for more information about Gov't Mules new bassist and I (somehow) ended up at that site.

I did a TB search and didn't find anything. I like the humorous approach even if the guy is a kook. If anyone knows anything let me know.

G

[DogPlaysBass]

I met him once. Kook is right. I let him borrow my car and he returned it without refilling my tank. BAD MOVE.

[Psychicpet]

Originally Posted by DogPlaysBass

I met him once. Kook is right. I let him borrow my car and he returned it without refilling my tank. BAD MOVE.

Dog... you are book marked and a new source of kook research....





metaphysicianmusicians untie...err... ummm...unight!

[Slax]

Edit: I apologize for my response. I didn't think it was actually him. :\

[DogPlaysBass]

Sometimes I hurt inside.

[Psychicpet]

Originally Posted by DogPlaysBass

Sometimes I hurt inside.

I'm a laughin' on the inside kind of clown myself

[GreggBummer]

I am surprised. I shouldn't be... but I am.

Ok, I'll buy your book. However, I will post a review on TB. I promise not to wear a pit bull mask when I do.

[DogPlaysBass]

Very good. Wear any kind of mask you choose. You can shred my book to pieces and I will remain completely unaffected. I desire honesty much more than praise. I know how good my book is and I don't need anyone to validate that. However, please note that the companion to my technique book is a book about keeping time, which isn't finished yet. If you are interested in a review I will send you an advance copy when it is finished (very soon). So just reading one only gives you half of the big picture. With that being said, fire away!

[keywitness]

I ordered his e-book, and I have to say that it's a refreshing change! It's the first resource that I've bought (and I've just about bought them all over the years) that does what it says. Let me explain....

Most of the books on the market advertise how much better you'll be as a bass player after buying/reading/using their product. Then, when you get the product, it teaches you theory (which is good), but that's about it. Well, knowing theory "inside and out" doesn't make you a better bass player - knowing HOW TO PLAY THE BASS does. That's the distinction that DOG PLAYS BASS makes; he stresses TECHNIQUE, not theory. There's a difference between knowing WHAT to play, and the HOW of transferring that knowledge to the bass; the "WHAT" of bass playing is theory - the "HOW" of bass playing is TECHNIQUE. Knowing theory makes you a better musician; it's TECHNIQUE that enables you to be a better bass player.

Four days after reading his e-book, I play my bass with a noticeable EASE; a feeling that I didn't have before. I play BETTER and FASTER since hearing him explain the HOW of bass playing, versus the WHAT. I'd gladly pay DOUBLE what he's asking for his e-book (Lord knows I've paid more for other garbage), because I'm actually beginning to get out of it what his advertisement says I would.

As to whether or not he's a kook, that's relative. I, for one, didn't seek him out for his preferable mental profile; I sought him out in my quest to learn HOW to play the bass guitar better. What he shared with me helped me to make more progress in four days that I had made in a whole year. If I sound like an advertisement, well, maybe it's one of those rare products that delivers on what it offers. It's my belief that this product does. Just my 2 cents.

[fenderphil]

i think he's from houston...

[DogPlaysBass]

ive played houston before. ive played a lot of places before.

[Psychicpet]

I feel an e-book download comin' on

[bass'n it]

LMAO.......... exellent bass player tho. ya........ aKook! ..its gota be hot under that mask huh? LOL

[bass349]

well i had a look at the site..

my first thought - why would you trust anything from a guy hiding behind a mask? Where are his credentials? Who has he played with? Who has he studied with? Who is he and why should you buy his product if he hasn't had any real success in his chosen field.. I'm guessing he hasn't had a lot of success, otherwise i'm sure it would be in bold and highlighted in yellow like every other statement he feels is important

some other thoughts;

- Looking at his promo video, i'm not impressed by his playing and ESPECIALLY not his "technique"! Isn't that what he's selling? his technique i mean..

- Looking at his "preview" page, i don't agree with the first page. IME, IMO (etc, etc) no "strength" should be needed to play the bass. Sure, you will build up finger independence, dexterity, and fluidity in both hands with time and practice - but i personally believe this will come from PLAYING, not from doing a hand exercise away from your bass. Your pinky shouldn't need to jump out at extremes like he suggests - and he's suggesting avoiding tendonitis???! Again, i'd like to see his experience with tendonitis.

- There are some interesting claims like
- Play a single note beautifully
- Emulate a sitar by controlling fret buzz
- Utilize unconventional methods like sweeping and piano attack
- Understand and take advantage of the difference between clean and dirty pull-offs



his site looks like one of those telemarketing adverts on telly late at night..

anyway, if you feel like it's worth $19 for a totally unqualified opinion on bass technique then be my guest.. and please, let me know how you get on emulating that sitar.....

[DogPlaysBass]

BASS 349

The 'sales' page is a parody of other sales sites. That is my way of making fun of all those sites. I even mention that it is a parody on the main page. Have you ever tried to contact anyone at those sites? They don't respond. But I want you to know I am here for you BASS 349. If we lived in the same village I would buy you a cup of premium coffee and a chocolate bar.

The point of the video is just to have fun. I had a little freak out and as you can see by the expression on my face, I was really enjoying myself. When I see a lot of bass players take solos, the way they move looks like they are receiving electric shock treatment.

In regards to the pinky exercise, strength is very important. However, it means nothing without control. The books deals mainly with control. However, the pinky is typically very weak compared to the other fingers, so doing a little strength training will help to even things out. By just playing, it is hard to make real change because players typically just solidify old habits.

I made all the claims by going page by page through the book and writing down what is covered. Make no mistake, I want people to buy my book, and part of what they want to know is what they will find inside.

Play a single note beautifully - A lot of time in the book is dedicated to looking at a single note, how any note like a good story as a beginning, middle, and end. The book then discusses all the holes in technique players usually have in regards to some part of any single note. Many books do not look at technique this closely.

Sitar - you can control fret buzz with your left hand with practice. You can make it buzz in and out. It sounds like a sitar sometimes, especially with the right compression setting.

Sweeping - this is a technique that will save you on stage if you burn your arm out playing fast. This one is for the guys who play metal.

Piano Attack - just a different style of right hand technique. Different attack, different tone.

When I play with other musicians, I don't want to know who they have studied with or anything like that. I don't care. I've played with people who you guys would respect, and I've played with bums on the street. You ever jammed with and talked to a bum who beats a drum for money? You will learn things they will never teach in a university. All forms of expression are valid. They all have something to teach. So do I. I'm not part of the so called "Washington Elite" and frankly I'm tired of dealing with the mainstream liberal media trying to get me with all those "gotcha" questions. But hey, that's politics for ya. I'm just a hockey mom in a dog mask, and with your help, talk bass forum, I would be honored to serve as vice president of this great country we live in.

[mattsk42]

Interesting. if I had not just moved I would be tempted to buy the book, just based on originality. I do NOT, however, appreciate the many craigslist ads I've seen. I swear there's a new one every day.

[DogPlaysBass]

I don't have any idea how all those craigslist ads get there. To whoever is constantly posting those ads... STOP!!! Frankly, I'm offended.

[Oratorio]

If this book is in any way okay to use for developing intermediate to advanced technique (and I don't mean tapping/slapping/thumb-picking stuff) and gets good reviews you got yourself another buyer, Dog. These questions though:

"Is your skill level high enough to justify how long you have been playing?

Have you come to a place where you can't seem to improve?

Do you practice every day, but don't seem to be getting any better?

Are you nervous about playing in front of other musicians, especially other bass players?

Do you feel like everyone gives you the same suggestions for improvement?

Do you ever think maybe you just don't have enough talent?"

Feels like they've come out of a business catalogue. They are all perfectly valid - because it's a high probability that most bassists feel this way. How does your book improve all this?

[DogPlaysBass]

You're right, they do sound like that! They are however, honest questions. I wrote the book from the bottom of my heart and the website as well. Let me go one by one.

Is you skill level high enough to justify how long you have been playing?
I am speaking to those who buy all the books and take lessons and take more lessons and take more lessons and don't get any better. Lessons can sometimes be like going to a psychologist. They will make more money if they slow your progress. People are still crazy and bass players are still complaining. I remember I got a job once teaching lessons at a conservatory and the boss handed me some books from the music store and said "teach out of these". Ridiculous.

Have you come to a place where you can't seem to improve?
All this means to me is that there is a weakness somewhere in your playing. This can cripple you and stop your progress. My book puts a microscope to your technique to find those problems and offers methods to correct them.

Do you practice every day, but don't seem to be getting any better?
WHAT ARE YOU PRACTICING?!?!? I get better constantly whether I play bass everyday or not. You must be disconnected from your emotions if you feel this way. Sometimes I play just to let my heart sing. If you are connected to the deepest parts of yourself you will never even ask these questions.

Are you nervous about playing in front of other musicians, especially other bass players?
How could you be nervous if you are coming from a positive place? Something is wrong and you need to get to the root of the cause. Often times when people practice and play they are so stuck in old physical habits that the added stress of an audience puts them over the edge. The book shows you how to break these habits so you can experience all situations in a new light.

Do you feel like everyone gives you the same suggestions for improvement?
I feel like this all the time. People would say 'do this' and 'do that'. But exactly HOW?!?! Give me something concrete. For example music teachers love to say 'practice with a metronome'. That's like taking a tylenol for a shotgun wound. My book tells you how.

Do you ever think maybe you just don't have enough talent?
This is like the abused child. Every time something goes wrong they think it is their fault. NO! There are just some things buried deep inside that have to be fixed. Then everything else gets better.

So the philosophy behind the book is this. Stop everything, and just play one note. Can you sit down and play one note beautifully? Does it sing from attack through sustain through release? If it doesn't, you have holes in your playing. If one note doesn't sound good, how can many notes sound good? Are you pressing too hard with your left hand? Can you play beautiful notes with every finger on every string on every fret?

The focus on the book is improving subtle aspects of technique as a method to enhance the connection to the deeper parts of music we all feel. Greatly enhancing any aspect of your playing will do this. The book focuses on technique specifically because I don't see any other books or publicized methods that really get into it the way I understand it. The book will help all levels, beginner through advanced, though some fundamental basic knowledge of the bass and tab is required.

There is more to it, but that is that covers the basic principles. I watch so many bass players play and they are trying so hard. They trap themselves in a cage of strange physical quirks that hinder the music they are trying to express. If they could only relax, everything would be so much easier. My book shows you how to relax and make everything a little bit easier. You don't even have to read the whole thing. Just find your troubled spots, and improve. This works at the root level of your technique, so you will see improvements in everything you do.

Playing my bass is a refuge from the world. It makes me happy. If I am not safe inside my bass playing I am not safe anywhere. If you don't feel this way I urge you reevaluate why you play and what you practice and who you take your advice from. I think all forms of expression are valid, and I just want to make it a little bit easier for anyone to express anything.

[S. Katz]

Four months ago, I finally gave in to a longtime urge and picked up the bass. I figured I would give myself 6 months to study on my own to learn (not master) the absolute basics (technique, music theory--enough to know what I need to master) and, if I was still into it, I would invest in a decent instrument and lessons.

One of the things that was driving my nuts was a gap in left (fretting) hand technique for which I could not find a good explanation--how to release without any ugly buzz, especially on the E string. Was it me? Was it the bass?

Dog's book was my "a-ha" moment. I now understand what I need to do, and with even a modest amount of practice I have improved dramatically.

For this alone the book was well worth the price.