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Found a great way to improve...and improv

B

bassclefjeff

Dec 26, 2007
21
1
#1
I found out that playing along to "A Cappella" groups singing (mens groups preferably)...is a great way to practice the bass lines. Ive seriously always had dream of singing in barbershop quartet as the baritone/bass guy.

I think these guys are great.....




the link listed here happens to be a sitcom tv show medley....but they have a wide variety of material to play along to. I think it is fun to play to. You know....just something different.

_JEFF:bassist:
 
#2
Oh man...
If you enjoy Acappella music, you have got to check out Spike Lee's PBS special "Spike Lee Does it Acapella". Tribute to the Persuasions, featuring the Persuasions, Take 6, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the Mint Juleps, Rockapella, True Image....
Some amazing, amazing singers and singing.
Seriously, watch it before you die.

Quote from the bass in Rockapella "You know, most people don't know that Acapella means "without clothes" ".... :D
 
#6
Ok, I was rushed on my last message so I just gave the list.

If you ever get the chance, go see Toxic Audio. This is just insane. Paul Sperrazza is their percussionist. OMG this guy has talent! I would love to jam with him. Check out their Turn the Beat Around video (bandwidth warning 7 meg) http://www.toxicaudio.com/sounds/toxicfinal.mov They are great people too.

I have to put a disclaimer here. I am not associated with Toxic Audio, but my wife's store is a sponsor of Acappellastock, so I have met several of the acappella bands in the last few years and Toxic Audio is about the best.

The funnest part of Acappellastock last year was at the end of the show Barry Carl and all the percussionists came out and did about a 15 minute "drum" show.

Go see an acappella band. It will inspire you to work harder on your bass and vocals.
 
#8
Ok technique wise. I think that accapella bands need to break down the music into it's basic forms and they don't have all the "fills" that electronic bands have. So the different parts are easier to pick out in their music. Plus they seem to do really fun music to sing along with. In order to get better on the bass you need to be able to sing what you want to play. As a beginning bass player you need to learn to hear the bass line in a song. Accapella is great for that. As you advance you need to listen to other forms of music that you don't normally listen too to gain inspiration. Accapella is great for that because it is not a main stream music form.

So back to Jeff's point, it helps your bass playing to play and/or sing along with accapella bands. It also helps you to learn to look at some of the songs you do just a bit differently.
 
#9
I think that it works both ways. Since I was a singer before I took up the bass, I wanted to 'tune in' to the bass in order to get a handle on bass lines - what makes them idiomatic to the instrument, what sounds natural on the instrument and why. I wanted to construct bass lines that were both instrumental and vocal in nature, since the instrument, especially a fretless one, is a very natural complement to/extension of the voice. I can sing anything I can play, and vice versa. Granted, I have a freakazoid voice so I can pretty much sing and play in the same register, but regardless of the register one sings in, I think that this thread is on to something important - breaking the music down, being able to hear the line in your head, and being able to sing it.

As a player I was always taught that note selection and duration were more important than playing lots of notes, and that groove ruled above all else. I still believe that. I also believe that being able to sing and play at the same time is a great musical chops-building tool, aside from being fun.
respectfully,
Barry Carl

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