Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[emjazz]

but if you were lucky, you met some like-minded people to play and hang with.

I got exactly what you mentioned....I learned how to analyze and understand music, and I got to meet some amazing people...people that I will work with for the rest of my life. Time and money well spent for me. I still would like to see more focus on creative thinking and less on hero worship.

 

[Frodolicious]

How you like the Infinity 2? The original was a huge beast, I get the impression this one's way scaled back.

Im super late in responding. The Infinity 2 is really fun! Im not familiar with loopers at all, and after reading through the short manual and watching an online demo or two, its really easy to use and powerful. Its so nice having two independent loops to get more creative with songwriting.

For my lizard brain, its the perfect combo of versatile and simple. Definitely worth the cost i think.. The size is nice but a deal killer for me.

There is a footswitch that Pigtronix sells to control octave, decay, and stopping for both loops, which ill likely get eventually.

 

[Frodolicious]

I've only recently become aware of Lehle volume pedals, but they're on my short list when I finally decide to abandon the three different volume pedals I currently own, all of which I have issues with. Glad to hear that's working out well for you.

Two words, its beautiful.

Built so great, the sweep is amazing, and feels like it will last longer than I will

 

[emjazz]

Best volume pedal. Period. Worth every cent. Hope to get one again.

 

[JES]

I might have told this story before in this very thread, but a friend of mine who did time as chair of a music department at a major university once said to me that “music schools are the last refuge for people who hate music.” That said, I do see things changing now on both the playing and studying sides of university music schools (Berklee and places like that IDK). Not fast enough, but it is definitely different from when I was an undergrad and was told—this is the exact phrase—“bass guitar is not an instrument.”

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

I might have told this story before in this very thread, but a friend of mine who did time as chair of a music department at a major university once said to me that “music schools are the last refuge for people who hate music.” That said, I do see things changing now on both the playing and studying sides of university music schools (Berklee and places like that IDK). Not fast enough, but it is definitely different from when I was an undergrad and was told—this is the exact phrase—“bass guitar is not an instrument.”

Lemme guess....
McGill University ??

 

[JES]

Lol. The source of my story works at a US school. On the research side at McGill I can confirm there are several faculty who actually like music and not just the kind you’re supposed to like. Performance, the numbers might be lower.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Lol. The source of my story works at a US school. On the research side at McGill I can confirm there are several faculty who actually like music and not just the kind you’re supposed to like. Performance, the numbers might be lower.

I was refused an audition at McGill when I was younger because they did not accept ANY electric bass players at the faculty.
Only upright bass.

What a fun bunch they must be.....
ZZZzzzzzzz

 

[JES]

Same problem for me in 1989 at U of Minnesota. I was sure I was going to be a double major between music and something else. Instead, I just studied something else and played music on the local scene.

[Heavy edit for correctness]: I decided to google McGill's performance dept to see what's happening now. There is a prof listed for electric bass now but you have to look for it. [REMAINING SNARK FOLLOWS]: They do admit students who play bass guitar, but here's what they say about jazz auditions: "electric bass players may perform the optional etude without the bow." That's almost funny enough to put it in my signature file.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Same problem for me in 1989 at U of Minnesota. I was sure I was going to be a double major between music and something else. Instead, I just studied something else and played music on the local scene.

[Heavy edit for correctness]: I decided to google McGill's performance dept to see what's happening now. There is a prof listed for electric bass now but you have to look for it. [REMAINING SNARK FOLLOWS]: They do admit students who play bass guitar, but here's what they say about jazz auditions: "electric bass players may perform the optional etude without the bow." That's almost funny enough to put it in my signature file.

Wow......I really am at a loss for words.....and they wonder why jazz is dying in academia.
How efffffin stupid is that!!!!

I already know the curriculum at McGill .....my last teacher was actually a McGill teacher as well and I asked him to school me like they do over there. I don’t know if he still teaches there his name is Adam Over.
At that school you have to start learning “THE LIST”.....haha.
(He only played upright, but he was a very good teacher, most of my lessons he spent them on the piano. Very nice guy also. But nothing after 1958 existed for him....so.....

 

[JES]

It's funny, right now is great time to study with people IF you're not broke and can make the time. I've done a couple 1-off lessons here are there via Zoom, and I have a regular teacher who's a touch guitar virtuoso. Probably more than I need at this point, but the discipline of lessons keeps me learning and he's a good teacher. I'm going to try to keep it up during the school year but I think I am going to get my ass kicked by the school year part, so we'll see.

 

[cosmicevan]

Same problem for me in 1989 at U of Minnesota. I was sure I was going to be a double major between music and something else. Instead, I just studied something else and played music on the local scene.

I debated heavily taking the college route towards music...but in those days, I kinda let life happen to me a bit...teenager, just discovering sex & drugs while still believing that my band would eventually take over the world. I ended up sliding towards the corporate life while taking music classes as all my electives (which I always did really well in since there was passion & genuine interest there). When I first got into the working world I was borderline suicidal about the choices I had made and couldn't dream of this life of going to an office...but over time, I found what I loved about it and where I could leverage my passions and energies and it's worked out ultimately affording me the opportunity to keep my passions as my side-gig identity. A drummer in a band I played with around that time who was going the lawyer route eventually had a nervous breakdown about it and had to take a half a decade off moving back in with his folks at 40 to re-evaluate his life. He's kinda okay now and coming to terms with the choices he's made.

 

[cosmicevan]

As for music stuff...



...and also Teenage Engineering is up to something...

 

[theunknowndude]

Not sure if any of you guys are a fan of the ocean... but this was cool from their up and coming new one



I do know adelaide has a symphony orchestra but yeah music at university level is niche here... my bass teacher did teach me pretty well and I think he has decent skills but yeah I got turned off from he was saying he was working 6 days a week and gigging three times a week to make ends meet and pay back his degree. I met him through the Saturday private lessons “rock school” which is mostly the way kids learn here.. I just liked that he let me learn whatever I wanted... I’d walk in one week and say wow I’ve never heard fretless like this metal band cynic... so he’d listen and let me learn it By trying to transcribe a bit and then give me some jaco as well hah

 

[theunknowndude]

I know Sean Malone from cynic is teaching at university level... be interesting to take a class from him... hmmm

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

"New" old piece of crap mixer to test out.
40$ cad....so about 10$ usd
This one turned out pretty....meh....very hard to get feedback loops going

.....anyways...
Everything works ok on it.

After trying so many, I still have no idea why some are good and some are aweful for no input mixer stuff.

 

[monsterthompson]

The 1920's Spanish style home across the street, was taken down by a large back hoe yesterday.
So I took advantage to test a concept. Except for the reverb, these little ditties are all sourced from crunching house.

These are fun!

 

[monsterthompson]

Another mini machine for making noises that are bass-like.


There's also a Stradi model called the Symphonette, but I'm still hunting for videos.

 

[mrgittleman]

4 string Mood Blooper (time stretching filtering) 2 passes to make loops then one live pass into garage band.

Informally self taught. Decided to get “serious” in June of last year and started taking lessons with a classical guitarist.
Amazing until we couldn’t meet in person and because of latency zoom didn’t work. Still in touch a couple of times a month and working through what is given. The in person relationship of being able to play/ study in real time is something that is greatly missed. Definitely not making the same progress as before.

 

[jbybj]

These are fun!

I really like the sources and the initial results, but it’s not fun to create editorially. I will have to figure out how I can “play” these samples, if I’m gonna use them creatively.