Double Bass Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp

[Dan Waineo]

Well I just had my first day of camp. It was the combo weekend training.

My hand started to seize up and "claw". I also feel a blister coming on. I'm not sure I'll survive the week. Any suggestions on surviving an intensive week playing bass?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Well I just had my first day of camp. It was the combo weekend training.

My hand started to seize up and "claw". I also feel a blister coming on. I'm not sure I'll survive the week. Any suggestions on surviving an intensive week playing bass?

Yes, I've been there many times. Not sure which hand is tightening up and clawing, but for right hand issues:

- lighten up and brush the string by decreasing the downward pressure of the right arm rather than digging so hard. There's an art to digging, but it's like kung fu and takes a lot of practice. You have to pace yourself this week. Come see me tomorrow after auditions are over and I can take a look; I'll be in 231 (my office).
- Bob Sinicrope likes to use talcum powder on his hands to help them glide over the strings. I think another camper from Canada has some with her.
- If you know things are likely to be a long haul, you may want to think about lowering the strings a bit and using a bit more amp. In the big picture, we generally want to move away from this, but as a survival skill, absolutely do this for your health is you need to.
- if things get really bad, you can do part of the week on electric bass. I have an old one in my office that I often loan out to people in this situation whose hands are hurting. The musical lessons that you might learn this week can be learned on either.

Look me up tomorrow, and good luck!

 

[Dan Waineo]

Yes, I've been there many times. Not sure which hand is tightening up and clawing, but for right hand issues:

- lighten up and brush the string by decreasing the downward pressure of the right arm rather than digging so hard. There's an art to digging, but it's like kung fu and takes a lot of practice. You have to pace yourself this week. Come see me tomorrow after auditions are over and I can take a look; I'll be in 231 (my office).
- Bob Sinicrope likes to use talcum powder on his hands to help them glide over the strings. I think another camper from Canada has some with her.
- If you know things are likely to be a long haul, you may want to think about lowering the strings a bit and using a bit more amp. In the big picture, we generally want to move away from this, but as a survival skill, absolutely do this for your health is you need to.
- if things get really bad, you can do part of the week on electric bass. I have an old one in my office that I often loan out to people in this situation whose hands are hurting. The musical lessons that you might learn this week can be learned on either.

Look me up tomorrow, and good luck!

Thanks Chris. I will. It's both hands actually. I'm using a loaner bass without an amp. Nobody is using one in our combo training group. That's probably some of my problem as I'm trying to project over guitars and drums.

I'm going to try to keep going with the bass I have. I sold my electric bass, because I wanted to concentrate on upright.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Does your loaner bass have a pickup? I would definitely try to use an amp if you are already having hand issues and the week of combo rehearsals hasn't even started yet. I'm sure something could be worked out if you don't have a pickup.

 

[sean_on_bass]

Well I just had my first day of camp. It was the combo weekend training.

My hand started to seize up and "claw". I also feel a blister coming on. I'm not sure I'll survive the week. Any suggestions on surviving an intensive week playing bass?

Disclaimer: I'm no pro, but wanted to share my experience with this recently. Those with more experience can validate or challenge what i am saying.

I recently went through this after a very busy week of playing. Blisters and left hand strain galore. Ended doing a gig just playing through a blister...not fun!

Anyways, i had to take a hard look at my technique and setup as obviously i had gotten off track somewhere. After personally analyzing, i had gotten off track in a number of places:

-String height: Due to changing weather my string height had crept up to an ungodly level. No wonder i was working so hard with both hands. I didn't notice it because it was so gradual. I lowered my strings a good deal.

-Right hand pizz: I wasn't putting enough meat on the string and wasn't playing into the fingerboard. Also, my hand motions were wildy exaggerated(fingers flying high on their way down to the string). I needed to tighten up each pizz motion to play more efficiently.

-Left hand: My fingers weren't quite curved enough to create good connectivity between fingers and big muscles.

Also, when playing with a drummer i always try to use an amp. Exception may be when the drummer is simply on a snare. I went to my first ever big band rehearsal and didn't bring my amp. I apparently thought i was some sort of badass that didn't need one. After straining myself for two hours and barely being heard over the hard hitting drummer, i brought my amp to every rehearsal thereafter. You can keep the amp pretty low in a small group, just enough compensation for you to play more relaxed and be heard.

 

[Dan Waineo]

Does your loaner bass have a pickup? I would definitely try to use an amp if you are already having hand issues and the week of combo rehearsals hasn't even started yet. I'm sure something could be worked out if you don't have a pickup.

I decided to push through without an amp. This was probably a mistake. I have two big blisters now. I don't have the cramping anymore though.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Sorry to hear about the blisters, but glad the arm didn't get any worse. Please stop by and say hi in the next day or so - I've probably seen you but didn't make the TB connection. Please don't tell me you were in my master class and I was too tired to put 2 and 2 together!

 

[Dan Waineo]

Sorry to hear about the blisters, but glad the arm didn't get any worse. Please stop by and say hi in the next day or so - I've probably seen you but didn't make the TB connection. Please don't tell me you were in my master class and I was too tired to put 2 and 2 together!

I did see you play tonight. You sounded great!

I think it was good that I tried to play without an amp this week. I think I learned a lot doing it about projection, string height, etc. I think Jamey's bass is a lot louder than mine. This is probably mostly because of the string height. I'll introduce myself if I see you. So far I've only seen you on stage.

 

[Dan Waineo]

Disclaimer: I'm no pro, but wanted to share my experience with this recently. Those with more experience can validate or challenge what i am saying.

I recently went through this after a very busy week of playing. Blisters and left hand strain galore. Ended doing a gig just playing through a blister...not fun!

Anyways, i had to take a hard look at my technique and setup as obviously i had gotten off track somewhere. After personally analyzing, i had gotten off track in a number of places:

-String height: Due to changing weather my string height had crept up to an ungodly level. No wonder i was working so hard with both hands. I didn't notice it because it was so gradual. I lowered my strings a good deal.

-Right hand pizz: I wasn't putting enough meat on the string and wasn't playing into the fingerboard. Also, my hand motions were wildy exaggerated(fingers flying high on their way down to the string). I needed to tighten up each pizz motion to play more efficiently.

-Left hand: My fingers weren't quite curved enough to create good connectivity between fingers and big muscles.

Also, when playing with a drummer i always try to use an amp. Exception may be when the drummer is simply on a snare. I went to my first ever big band rehearsal and didn't bring my amp. I apparently thought i was some sort of badass that didn't need one. After straining myself for two hours and barely being heard over the hard hitting drummer, i brought my amp to every rehearsal thereafter. You can keep the amp pretty low in a small group, just enough compensation for you to play more relaxed and be heard.

The string height is higher on this bass too (than mine). I liked it when I started playing with it. The guy next to me said "it sounds like a cannon" because it was so loud. I also had to curve my fingers on my left hand more, and I do have to work harder with the strings higher. I may stick with it. If I can get callouses on my hands I should be fine, and my strength should improve.

I do fear I'll lose some sustain with higher strings, and that I'll have less mobility on the fretboard. I like that I don't have to have an amp. The combo is pretty large with a trombone, sax and two trumpet players. The drummer has pretty good dynamics, so that made it much easier.

 

[Tom Lane]

I did see you play tonight. You sounded great!

I think it was good that I tried to play without an amp this week. I think I learned a lot doing it about projection, string height, etc. I think Jamey's bass is a lot louder than mine. This is probably mostly because of the string height. I'll introduce myself if I see you. So far I've only seen you on stage.

Dan, you were in Rufus' master class yesterday, no? You sounded very good but... had some reservations. If I can help, and you catch me, just let me know. I'm no Yoda like Chris or Rufus, but then, I got a lotta down time to pass on what they've taught me.

Don't get me wrong, much better to get it from the horse's mouth, but, if I can help, I'd be happy to. Part of jazz, IMO, is passing it along.

 

[Dan Waineo]

Dan, you were in Rufus' master class yesterday, no? You sounded very good but... had some reservations. If I can help, and you catch me, just let me know. I'm no Yoda like Chris or Rufus, but then, I got a lotta down time to pass on what they've taught me.

Don't get me wrong, much better to get it from the horse's mouth, but, if I can help, I'd be happy to. Part of jazz, IMO, is passing it along.

Thanks Tom. I saw you. You had a talkbass shirt on! I was too embarrassed to introduce myself after screwing up a Bb blues. I'll look for you tomorrow.
-Dan

 

[Tom Lane]

Jamey Aebersold's summer jazz workshop is now open for registeration. If you haven't been, this may be their last year. I'm sure it's not for everyone but the vast majority of attendees have a great time and learn a ton.

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[Jim Dombrowski]

Where do they list the prices?

 

[Jim Dombrowski]

Thanks Tom

 

[Tom Lane]

The news is getting around: Jamey emailed the faculty that 2018 will be the last year for his Summer Jazz Workshops. Here's the email:
=========
Hello

This year will be the last SJW camps.

Decision has been made.

Tell all.

Jamey
=========
If you know Jamey's emails, you'll recognize his "brief" style. The end of an era, 50 years. No one knows if someone will start a new camp in it's stead. As of now, it appears that Jamey will not be involved in any new workshops.

If you want to go, this is your chance. There's a note saying that piano is already closed for both weeks except beginner piano. You can get on the waiting list. Guitar is already closed for the 2nd week. Based on that, piano closed within 6 weeks of the registration opening, I'm guessing that the camp will be particularly well attended this year. John Goldsby won't be there due to WDR BB commitments, but Rufus and Lynn Seaton will be there for one week each. If the attendance is bigger than usual and given that it's the last year, I'd expect some great guests like Chris Potter, Randy Brecker, Carl Allen, etc, but no promises.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Yes - the end of an era indeed! We all got this email today. Hope to see a full bass studio to send the thing off right!

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

This will be my 21st year. After Jamey and Dan, the longest tenures are probably Rufus and maybe Mike Tracy. The original core was Jamey, David Baker, Dan, and Jerry Coker and they built faculty around those guys since they taught the theory. Some of the big name faculty who taught there were people like Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Hal Galper, and many others I will remember as soon as the coffee kicks in. Lots of young kids who went on to become players came through - Chris Potter and Sam Barsh come to mind. I remember being in the camps back in the 80's with Craig Wagner and Todd Hildreth. I had Hal Galper as a piano instructor the whole week! Who could forget that?

 

[John Goldsby]

I went to the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops as a student in '76 '77' '78 '79. Then I started teaching for Jamey in 1980. I taught at most of the camps through the '80s into the '90s before I moved to Germany in '94. Since then, I did them sporadically when I could make it. The Aebersold Workshops were a huge part of my life and development. The first couple that I attended in '76-'77 had one bass teacher: Rufus Reid. The couple of years after that, I had the pleasure of learning from Wayne Darling, Ron McClure and Todd Coolman. Then I had the chance to move into "faculty territory," and got to teach alongside Rufus and Todd and a lot of other great players.

When I was a student, Rufus Reid, Ed Soph, Dan Haerle, Jerry Coker, David Baker and Jamey Aebersold were the core of the program. There were also a lot of younger teachers—like Pat Harbison and Mike Tracy—who were usually participating. Jamey always made a point of hiring "educators" to teach alongside "jazz professional players" (and those lines are often blurry with a lot of teacher/players). I was in combos with Slide Hampton, Dave Liebman, Jerry Hahn, etc. He hired players like James Williams, Ed Thigpen, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Tom Harrell, who would teach (and play, and play and play). He always had the wisdom to make sure professional educators were teaching alongside professional players (Some of whom rarely taught—the Aebersold camp might be their only teaching experience in the year). I remember first meeting and hearing Chris Potter when he was a student at the camps when he was 14 or so. I also met Larry Grenadier there when he was a student at age 14.

I've heard that Chris Fitzgerald might take the whole camp over . . . but that's just a rumor (that I just started).

Jamey's workshops have left an incredible mark on the music landscape of the 20th-21st centuries. His work and legacy are exponential—his students, teachers, and the students and teachers that they've developed into, will continue to spread the jazz language long into the future.

I had the pleasure to play a gig with Jamey when I was back in Louisville last September. As he almost always does, he recorded both sets, and sent me copies of the CDs in the mail a couple of weeks later.

So, if anyone is thinking "Should I go to a jazz camp this year," the answer is "Yes!" Go to Jamey's camp—you'll experience a part of jazz history, learn a lot, and have a blast.

 

[Tom Lane]

For the last 5 years or so, I've been looking for an alternative to Jamey's camp. First, I was motivated by the day-long, hassle-guaranteed commute through O'hera... later, I was looking for an alternative to the camp once Jamey shut down. So, I've been looking for 5 years or so.
What I found is that Jamey's camp is the largest camp in the U.S., with the largest and most diverse faculty. That may not sound very important, but I think it's critical because as students, we get to dialog with and hear an accomplished and varied set of instructors, accomplished performers and highly skilled educators, and... at least 10 bass instructors.
Every other jazz camp in the U.S. I've surveyed typically has 2 or 3 bass instructors. Jamey has three times as many, and many Internationally recognized bassists.
Next year, I'll seriously consider international camps despite the longer travel. At least I'll get to appreciate another culture.

 

[John Goldsby]

@Tom: As I've mentioned before, this is a blast: Invalid Link Removed

See you in Ireland!