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The difference between an average player and monster chops...

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#161
BassHappy, I remember you guys from the late 70s, cool stuff! Thanks for posting the links.
I had a couple of HTM albums back then but I have no idea where they went off to.
At the same time I was playing with these guys in Texas. Medium scale Alembic Series I on these tunes:
 
#162
In my musical world, the bass is not the star. So to me, Monster Chops is playing the right note in the right place, staying in the pocket, and approaching the bass as a melodic rhythm instrument, syncing with the drum kicks and fills.
 
#163
Can someone sum up this thread for me? It seems like it's about monster chops, whether or not you need them, how to get them, how most of you won't acquire them, and the merits of scale differences. I'm actually not sure though. :eyebrow::D
 
#166
Lackey said:
Honestly, what is the point of this thread?...
Click to expand...

metron said:
Can someone sum up this thread for me?
Click to expand...

This thread is an advertisement for the OP's band, Happy The Man. I'm digging the music. :D


jim777 said:
... FM, another great prog band that didn't get as big as it could/should have. When I saw them open for Rush on the Permanent Waves tour, I was sure they'd be big in a few months. ...
Click to expand...
YeAh! FM! ...


Roy Vogt, thanks for the links, particularly Aurora.
 
#168
Hello again....

Looks like this post is finally winding down and may have run it's course.

The blabbers got to blab, the scientists got to science, the believers got to believe, the doubters got to doubt, the naysayers got to naysay, the bullies got to bully, the gossipers got to gossip, the dummies got to dummy and the dreamers were magically allowed to dream.

Seems like a pretty perfect slice of life to me.

RoyVogt - great stuff man - really enjoy the tune you shared. Very VERY nice!

Seems a little more improvisational than HTM - who structured things a little more rigid - we were probably more classically oriented as far as song structure, not much improv with us. We were too obsessive to leave much to chance.

Sounds like you may have been fans of one of my all time favorite bands "The Flock" out of Chicago with Jerry Goodman. Any chance?

Absolutely up my alley. Thanks so much for sharing!

My favorite band of the moment is here. These guys are monsters:



It's been real, and always remember - in the words of the great George Bernard Shaw - "Who you are speaks so loud - I cannot hear what you say"

Pluck like your life depended on it (it does!)

Best,

BassHappy

PS: My butt has never felt better
 
#169
maturanesa said:
Having bass chops is all about the RIGHT HAND. A medium, short and a 34' scale are the same!
Click to expand...

The first assertion is correct: Your left hand is what you know. Your right hand is who you are.

The second assertion indicates the author has a very novel theory of the physical world, which I would be very interested in hearing. :D
 
#170
Bunk McNulty said:
The first assertion is correct: Your left hand is what you know. Your right hand is who you are.
Click to expand...

then our approaches and training must be very different.

So be it, vive le diference', but there's so much to the left hand in all this that's missed with that approach if you ask me :rollno:

For the record, I'm a scale length nihilist, I play a variety of stringed instruments at different scale lengths so whatever works for you and your sound is OK with me.
 
#171
BassHappy said:
Hello again....

L

RoyVogt - great stuff man - really enjoy the tune you shared. Very VERY nice!

Seems a little more improvisational than HTM - who structured things a little more rigid - we were probably more classically oriented as far as song structure, not much improv with us. We were too obsessive to leave much to chance.

Sounds like you may have been fans of one of my all time favorite bands "The Flock" out of Chicago with Jerry Goodman. Any chance?

Absolutely up my alley. Thanks so much for sharing!

My favorite band of the moment is here. These guys are monsters:

Click to expand...


Loved the Flock! We were heavily influenced by Mahavishnu and Jean-Luc Ponty and I remember bringing in a copy of the Dixie Dreg's "Free Fall" album to rehearsal and saying, "Guys, it's all over! Back to the drawing board-we have to work harder!"
Now these guys (The New York Gypsy All Stars) are sick! It's like the old joke about the drummer getting a gig subbing at the last minute with a Bulgarian Wedding Band. The leader said, "You'll do fine! Just groove and don't play anything fancy-just give me a solid back beat on 5 and 13." LOL!
 
#173
Funny how people are considered touchy when they don't respond positively to a poorly worded rant that didn't hold up to light scrutiny.

The betcha can't play this music thing is a hoot. Because that's everyone's dream.
Right?
:D
 
#176
Bunk McNulty said:
The first assertion is correct: Your left hand is what you know. Your right hand is who you are.
Click to expand...

brilliant !!! , because that sums me up.
Doesn't matter if its ,short,medium,long scale,fretless,rounds, flats,whatever....it will still sound like me playing it.
I am an "average" player and yummy chops are not in abundance on the menu,particularly "monster chops" as I tend to get more bone than meat.
But that has not stopped me from gigging for 20+ years.
I own short and long scale basses and it makes no difference to the "chop" menu on either.Even when I know the waiter !
 
#177
pinz said:
I am an "average" player and yummy chops are not in abundance on the menu,particularly "monster chops" as I tend to get more bone than meat.
But that has not stopped me from gigging for 20+ years.
Click to expand...

If you want to gig a lot playing simple grooves in the pocket will get you a lot more work than "monster chops" IME.

A nice, and quite relevant, quote from someone that has played on a heck of a lot of hit records, Lee Sklar:

I know how to accompany, and how to listen to a person breathe to hear where the down beat is – to never try to lead them. I’m really comfortable on that seat – I’ve never considered myself a virtuoso. It’s like going to the NAMM show and listening to all the guys with the monstrous chops – I’ve never considered myself that. I’m happy when people say I’m ‘king of the whole note’
 
#178
Roy Vogt said:
Loved the Flock! We were heavily influenced by Mahavishnu and Jean-Luc Ponty and I remember bringing in a copy of the Dixie Dreg's "Free Fall" album to rehearsal and saying, "Guys, it's all over! Back to the drawing board-we have to work harder!"
Now these guys (The New York Gypsy All Stars) are sick! It's like the old joke about the drummer getting a gig subbing at the last minute with a Bulgarian Wedding Band. The leader said, "You'll do fine! Just groove and don't play anything fancy-just give me a solid back beat on 5 and 13." LOL!
Click to expand...

Yeah, bulgarian wedding band - HA!~

When we signed to Arista we told them our first choice as producer was Ken Scott, mostly due to the incredible job he did on Mahavishnu's "Birds of Fire". Ken loved the band and ended up producing the first two records. We didn't even know about his history with Bowie, Elton John and other mainstreamers, but we loved what he was producing for Stanley Clark, Jeff Beck, Billy Cobham - and the fact that he engineered most of the Beatles "White" album blew us away.

I saw the Flock in 1969 and I was completely bowled over. What a great "live" band! Introduction - man I still feel that - when the band comes in together at the end. What a rush!

All the best,

BassHappy
 
#179
malthumb said:
This bass solo / drum solo woulda been so much better if the bassist was using a medium scale and the drummer was using chopsticks...

(if you're the impatient type, fast forward to 1:02)

http://youtu.be/Uc4oPqmCbFA

:hiding:
Click to expand...

I met Johann at the Frankfurt Musik Messe in 2000. He was another Hotwire Bass Artist and is definitely a bad boy! Thanks for posting this one!
 
#180
One of my favorite bassists rocking a short-scale Alembic:

Go Stanley!
IIRC I bought the medium scale Alembic Series I because I couldn't make up my mind what scale to go with and remembered that Jack Casady used that one on Alembic #1. I'll have to break it out for some more gigs now. It sounds great, though it weighs a ton!
 

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