African bass book interest?

[vin*tone]

Great idea - I'd love to see a book that outlined the regional differences in musical styles.

The term "African music" irks me a bit. The different styles within Africa are so distinct it often makes no sense lumping them together. Imagine if 'European Music" was a genre - no-one would know what you were talking about.

 

[Rev J]

I know there is a chapter in the Collectives book on Afro Carribbean grooves on West African Grooves. I haven't worked my way up to that chapter yet but I have read it. One of the things I would suggest borrowing from their presentation is transcribing drum/percussion parts and including which clave the part is based on/locking in to. For example the notate a West African clave that hits on the 1, the and of 2, the 4, the and of 4, the 2 the 3 and the and of 4. I found when working on Afro Cuban (I refuse to use the phrase Latin when discussing music for reasons I won't go into here) I found it more effective in terms of locking into the groove by programming the clave into my drum machine and locking in with that than trying it with a click.

C/S,
Rev J

 

[gfour]

I would also be interested. I've been studying traditional West African music for the last two years and playing polyrhythmic dundun stuff on the bass is lots of fun.

 

[cazclocker]

I'd be very interested. I know next to nothing about African grooves, except for what I've heard on the old Paul Simon "Graceland" album. If your proposed book turns out to be something of a primer, I'll buy a copy. I hope you're thinking of producing hard copy, and not an e-book. I don't do e-books.

 

[Mark Plays Bass]

I am very interested. Particularly in some of the older or more foundational styles.

 

[bass12]

I've listened to quite a bit of African music (from many different countries) and would be interested in a book if it was extremely well-researched. I have to admit that I would be more likely to buy a book from one of the many excellent African bassists out there than by a non-African bassist. But a good book is a good book. I will say that you definitely have to do some more research though if you think that soukous, bikutsi and makossa are "traditional" styles.

 

[bass12]

As you mentioned it, there are many different styles of music and rythms throughout Africa. Between North African, West African, East African and South African styles themselves with hundred of variations I actually see no real common denominator. Depending on the regions those different music are not one bit connected besides that they are all made to make people dance. It would be similar to write a book about "European music" or "American music". When living in France I played with some West African musicians and got to play with a few North African bands too - A book about "African music" sounds just too generic and unspecific to be credible and not to be a cliche.

There are countless links and common denominators between various styles of music from Africa!

 

[Dynacord]

...when I was studying and transcribing initially west African music, there was zero info to be found.

True. There's almost nothing (at least, that I know of). All I ever found was a book on African guitar which had a few pages of sample bass lines and a book of Touré Kunda transcriptions in a Paris music store.

A lot of great players mentioned already. Joseph Makwela would be an obvious one to include - and his parts are often very catchy and repetitive. Worth including some sintir examples as pre-'bass' roots.
And then there's Richard Bona...

 

[MixBass]

Thanks again for all the replies and suggestions! I've had discussions with a few people who would be key in helping me make this happen. So far it looks like people are on board. I have no problem with the time and effort it would take. How much I can afford to lose is important.
I believe I will have support from some known African players as well.
One thing that is daunting to be sure is as stated several times: it's an enormous field.
I am no ethnomusicologist. I have no desire to be one. I would never pretend to know all or most African music. I am very fortunate to scrape a living out of playing and teaching music, most of which has little to do with African music these days. But I do have not hundreds but thousands of hours spent in rehearsals, performances and study time under my belt. I am fairly literate as a musician.
I believe I can put some of this on paper in a way that can be educational. I like very many of us did not come out of the womb hearing a ton of music in 3,6,9 etc. So I had to figure out how to get my head around it in a way that worked for me. That was my mission and i worked on developing some exercises to achieve that.
There is no "magic" book, exercise or pill you can take to play like Armand or any of the guys we love to listen to!
But....there are some things I honestly believe can develop a pathway to "feeling" and improvising through many of these grooves. Another area I spent time with was some of the static/pedal-ish approach. I find that can actually be employed in "mainstream" music easier than the 3ish stuff. I always notice smiles on the bandstand when I can find a place for it!
I adore much of the music I came and continue to come across. The joy I hear and feel when listening and playing it is precious. The goal of this project is to hopefully make getting "inside" of "some of" this music
a little easier and also spread some amazing music.
Thanks Rev J, I have not seen that book and will look into it!
cazclocker: I'm with you on that! I love to sit by the window and read through "exercises and etudes for the Jazz instrumentalists" by JJ Johnson or "standing in the shadows of Motown" (both are great books)! I spend far too much time in front of a screen as it is.
Again thanks to all for the input!

 

[Spin Doctor]

I think it's a great idea. I played in an afrobeat band (Fela/Femi Kuti covers & originals) in Beijing and it just about did my head in (in a good way) to wrap my head around some of the rhythms we would play. I consider myself very privileged to have had the opportunity to be stretched in my understanding of music through that experience.

I would LOVE to be in a Fela Kuti coverband! I saw one in Baltimore MD last year and it was awesome! All those horns blasting at you like a Mack Truck, all the grooves within a groove.... Just amazing...

 

[bass12]

Thanks again for all the replies and suggestions! I've had discussions with a few people who would be key in helping me make this happen. So far it looks like people are on board. I have no problem with the time and effort it would take. How much I can afford to lose is important.
I believe I will have support from some known African players as well.
One thing that is daunting to be sure is as stated several times: it's an enormous field.
I am no ethnomusicologist. I have no desire to be one. I would never pretend to know all or most African music. I am very fortunate to scrape a living out of playing and teaching music, most of which has little to do with African music these days. But I do have not hundreds but thousands of hours spent in rehearsals, performances and study time under my belt. I am fairly literate as a musician.
I believe I can put some of this on paper in a way that can be educational. I like very many of us did not come out of the womb hearing a ton of music in 3,6,9 etc. So I had to figure out how to get my head around it in a way that worked for me. That was my mission and i worked on developing some exercises to achieve that.
There is no "magic" book, exercise or pill you can take to play like Armand or any of the guys we love to listen to!
But....there are some things I honestly believe can develop a pathway to "feeling" and improvising through many of these grooves. Another area I spent time with was some of the static/pedal-ish approach. I find that can actually be employed in "mainstream" music easier than the 3ish stuff. I always notice smiles on the bandstand when I can find a place for it!
I adore much of the music I came and continue to come across. The joy I hear and feel when listening and playing it is precious. The goal of this project is to hopefully make getting "inside" of "some of" this music
a little easier and also spread some amazing music.
Thanks Rev J, I have not seen that book and will look into it!
cazclocker: I'm with you on that! I love to sit by the window and read through "exercises and etudes for the Jazz instrumentalists" by JJ Johnson or "standing in the shadows of Motown" (both are great books)! I spend far too much time in front of a screen as it is.
Again thanks to all for the input!

I think you can take solace in the idea that a book on "African bass" does not need to be (and, indeed, probably never could be) an all-inclusive compendium. As I see it, the best approach would be to narrow it down to styles which are most likely to be of interest to modern bassists and to present a wide enough variety to provide a good enough (and broad enough) foundation that players can then build upon. You definitely don't need to cover "everything" to make the book of value (or of interest).

 

[Dogbertday]

Im definitely interested! Maybe premptively volunteering to product testing as you put your method together?

Also i always like when instructional books reference real artists and assign listening. Puts exercises in context.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I think you can take solace in the idea that a book on "African bass" does not need to be (and, indeed, probably never could be) an all-inclusive compendium. As I see it, the best approach would be to narrow it down to styles which are most likely to be of interest to modern bassists and to present a wide enough variety to provide a good enough (and broad enough) foundation that players can then build upon. You definitely don't need to cover "everything" to make the book of value (or of interest).

I agree with not trying to go too big. "African Music" seems like a gigantic topic to research. You'd have to go back 5000 years to introduce the topic because if you didn't, some purist will have something to say about that.

I'd say just pick one or two styles to explore to see how it goes. If people dig it, then expand the series with other volumes. Besides too much information can be overwhelming for the reader, but I guess it depends on how someone's brain is wired.

 

[bass12]

I agree with not trying to go too big. "African Music" seems like a gigantic topic to research. You'd have to go back 5000 years to introduce the topic because if you didn't, some purist will have something to say about that.

I'd say just pick one or two styles to explore to see how it goes. If people dig it, then expand the series with other volumes. Besides too much information can be overwhelming for the reader, but I guess it depends on how someone's brain is wired.

I think choosing one or two styles would drastically limit the appeal of such a book and would require much more expertise in the given style(s). I also can't think of a single African style that is overwhelmingly popular enough in North America (which, I'm assuming, would be the primary target for the book) to warrant such a narrow focus.

 

[Feral Feline]

A few decades ago my Gateway Drug was Malagasy music, way before I picked up the bass.


About the same time I picked up the bass I've become good friends with a Moroccan jazz guitarist who's been feeding me new drugs, pushing other African styles on me.





Now you want to sell me a book and make me a full blown Afro-junkie?









Where do I send the deposit?

 

[MixBass]

A few decades ago my Gateway Drug was Malagasy music, way before I picked up the bass.


About the same time I picked up the bass I've become good friends with a Moroccan jazz guitarist who's been feeding me new drugs, pushing other African styles on me.





Now you want to sell me a book and make me a full blown Afro-junkie?









Where do I send the deposit?

Haha!! Some of that Malagasy stuff is scarrrrryy! I'm sure you've come across D'Gary.
Absolutely mind blowing what he does.

 

[cazclocker]

Haha!! Some of that Malagasy stuff is scarrrrryy! I'm sure you've come across D'Gary.
Absolutely mind blowing what he does.

Wow, now you've piqued my interest! I've never heard of Malagasy or D'Gary. No clue. Guess I'd better investigate.

 

[bass12]

Wow, now you've piqued my interest! I've never heard of Malagasy or D'Gary. No clue. Guess I'd better investigate.

Check out Jaojoby and Rossy while you're at it.

 

[Clark Dark]

I would be interested but there are many styles on the continent. Soukous, Malagasy, and Cameroon pique my interest. Learning the time signatures of some Malagasy music is an education in itself.
As examples: Wenge guitar/Soukous





Example: Malagasy/Salegy

 

[Rev J]

It's interesting I've watched some Soukous guitar lessons on YouTube and some of the 2 guitar stuff almost reminds me of the old Chet Atkins duet stuff.

C/S,
Rev J