guys, thank you so much for such wonderfully kind comments!!! convectuouso, much too generous though!!!! 
david, i appreciate that about the note choices. i was thinking about this the other day - just wanting to make every note count.
thanks for favouriting, landry! and thanks jordie for that comment about control - though, whenever i play that piece i feel like any second i might lose control!
elemetal, i'll do my best to answer your questions: my composition process for this piece was based around a simple tuning change (i moved my second lowest string up a whole step). usually, i tune 'epic love' to D A C F. this creates some pretty harmonic chords. from there, i tried to make up several melodies - which would eventually become the 'intro' 'verse' and 'chorus'.
for this piece, i used the chord progression on the verse to help find a melody using harmonics. for example, i played the root note of the chord on my lowest string and then i found what harmonics i could reach from there and tried to find a nice melody. i did the same sort of thing for the chorus, except i had arpeggios in mind. sometimes i hear a piece of music and there's a particular chord change, or a particular chord, and it just sounds incredible. i think i always attempt to do this when i compose, but i remember finding certain chords for 'epic love' and really feeling that these were the notes i was looking for.
i think what helped me with composing is definitely listening to other solo bassists and trying to get an understanding of what they're doing. i could never play anything that michael, steve, victor, jeff or trip could play, but i like to think that i can kind of understand what makes it sound so awesome. when i listen to michael, for example, i'm trying to think about what he's doing that is creating harmony and what he's doing that's creating melody (and then i come to the conclusion that no one could do both at the same time, he must be some kind of god or at least an extraterrestrial, and i temporarily decide to quit bass).
something kind of simple to do might be to listen to a folk singer - just guitar and vocals. it's helped give me an idea of harmony and melody, chords and voices, and the different ways of structuring music.
ok, i gave you the short answer today. when i have more time tomorrow, i 'll give you the longer version...
take care,
zander
david, i appreciate that about the note choices. i was thinking about this the other day - just wanting to make every note count.
thanks for favouriting, landry! and thanks jordie for that comment about control - though, whenever i play that piece i feel like any second i might lose control!
elemetal, i'll do my best to answer your questions: my composition process for this piece was based around a simple tuning change (i moved my second lowest string up a whole step). usually, i tune 'epic love' to D A C F. this creates some pretty harmonic chords. from there, i tried to make up several melodies - which would eventually become the 'intro' 'verse' and 'chorus'.
for this piece, i used the chord progression on the verse to help find a melody using harmonics. for example, i played the root note of the chord on my lowest string and then i found what harmonics i could reach from there and tried to find a nice melody. i did the same sort of thing for the chorus, except i had arpeggios in mind. sometimes i hear a piece of music and there's a particular chord change, or a particular chord, and it just sounds incredible. i think i always attempt to do this when i compose, but i remember finding certain chords for 'epic love' and really feeling that these were the notes i was looking for.
i think what helped me with composing is definitely listening to other solo bassists and trying to get an understanding of what they're doing. i could never play anything that michael, steve, victor, jeff or trip could play, but i like to think that i can kind of understand what makes it sound so awesome. when i listen to michael, for example, i'm trying to think about what he's doing that is creating harmony and what he's doing that's creating melody (and then i come to the conclusion that no one could do both at the same time, he must be some kind of god or at least an extraterrestrial, and i temporarily decide to quit bass).
something kind of simple to do might be to listen to a folk singer - just guitar and vocals. it's helped give me an idea of harmony and melody, chords and voices, and the different ways of structuring music.
ok, i gave you the short answer today. when i have more time tomorrow, i 'll give you the longer version...
take care,
zander
