Performing Experience

[Johnny L]

I just finished performing with a band in a local musical production, Godspell. Never heard of it or the song Day by Day before I signed up. The last 6 performances sold out here, and I'm very proud of my contribution and hard work to the play.

Most of the songs I played on electric bass, but I was able to sneak in the big bass on some songs and even played an arco solo for All Good Things. The particular singer's range wasn't too great for the key of D, so we dropped it to C. That was a drag, cause I did the solo on one string rather than going across the strings and ended up doing lots more shifting than I was comfortable in and out of thumb position. Now that I think about it I should have been more lyrical and stayed on one finger more often, but I wanted the pressure of performing for an audience to keep learning and growing with the big bass and knew I was going to get knocked around some and not realizing additional solutions it until it was over.

At any rate, the production overall was a big success and it felt good to really care about seeing it the best it could be in my role as the bass player, along with doing what was possible to influence others to do their best...including working with a drummer who can keep a straight beat and let me anticipate the kick drum!

[FidgetStone]

Way to go Johnny. I play in the contemporary service at my church and have played a few tunes from Godspell on the upright including 'Day by Day'. I didn't play anything as high as to play in the thumb position however.

I just played from the chord chart and not from the actual bass clef. The score we used was written for piano and the bass clef was only a guideline at best. It was a bunch of giant chords that even a 5-string couldn't get to.

To compare notes, I find myself playing the upright bass on pieces that would be much easier on the electric but I play on the upright because that's where my heart is. I love the electric every bit as much as the day I first picked it up, but the upright is it's own special world for me.

Keep plucking . . .

[Johnny L]

I only played the big bass for All Good Things, Turn Back Old Man, and All For the Best. I used the bow for the solo and bridge of the first two songs respectively. I also sang the harmony to Willows...nice song. Other than that, we played the 2000 version note for note since that's what the actors were studying as they were learning the songs, except for my bass line to Day by Day where I followed the written part and pulled out all my Jamerson tricks.