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What I learned from a week at Berklee
- Thread starter DanielleMuscato
- Start date
I play with one. He often looks to me to do some solo work as he gets a bit zany and hits that Sonic Youth type sound around my grooves.
Personally, I'd be bored only doing the simply quarter-note groove all night. I like to go off the edge and take a bit of an adventure with the guitarist and hope we land safely with a parachute. Improvising rock. I throw in walks and jazz and all sorts of triads in one song in A minor. People seem to enjoy it.
But the comment that "You sound good" over "Your band sounds tight" resonated with me. I get "you sound good" and have yet to hear that we sound tight.
I'm self trained and have a very, very hard time understanding theory, even the basics. I've tried. And I've never been able to find that one terrific, inspiring teacher.
Personally, I'd be bored only doing the simply quarter-note groove all night. I like to go off the edge and take a bit of an adventure with the guitarist and hope we land safely with a parachute. Improvising rock. I throw in walks and jazz and all sorts of triads in one song in A minor. People seem to enjoy it.
But the comment that "You sound good" over "Your band sounds tight" resonated with me. I get "you sound good" and have yet to hear that we sound tight.
I'm self trained and have a very, very hard time understanding theory, even the basics. I've tried. And I've never been able to find that one terrific, inspiring teacher.
No, come back, because I agree. Play from the heart. Would I like to be able to easily understand theory and use it? Sure. HAve I yet? Nope. Has it stopped me from playing live? Nope.
Do I make up bass lines on the spot live? Yep. Do I play the same bass line the same exact way every time I play one of our original tunes? Rarely.
The basics of the song is there. I just learn new ways to play it at every practice and gig.
But, my bass idols are Phil Lesh and Mike Gordon. That might assist anyone who doesn't get what I am trying to say.
Do I make up bass lines on the spot live? Yep. Do I play the same bass line the same exact way every time I play one of our original tunes? Rarely.
The basics of the song is there. I just learn new ways to play it at every practice and gig.
But, my bass idols are Phil Lesh and Mike Gordon. That might assist anyone who doesn't get what I am trying to say.
ouch pacman!
talk about "dogpile on the rabbit"
thats gotta hurt....
Momma Dave---thanks so much for this info!
you really add alot to the bass community, and I have read alot of your stuff on here and on your webpages....
been meaning to do this, and just say thanks! thanks for sharing your knowledge. some people just are not kind enough to do that.
uhmmmm, how much was the week long class anyway? just asking, prolly two thousand dollars or so.....am I close?
big al
aka
rokkitt
talk about "dogpile on the rabbit"
thats gotta hurt....
Momma Dave---thanks so much for this info!
you really add alot to the bass community, and I have read alot of your stuff on here and on your webpages....
been meaning to do this, and just say thanks! thanks for sharing your knowledge. some people just are not kind enough to do that.
uhmmmm, how much was the week long class anyway? just asking, prolly two thousand dollars or so.....am I close?
big al
aka
rokkitt
Dave,
Just found this post and I'm really glad I did. I agree with the original post that a solid FOUNDATION is what's most important. Playing like Marcus is great (and I love his stuff) but if you can't laydown solid basics...what's the point? I've taught karate for over 10 years and I always tell my students that the "jump spinning triple flip back handspring kick" that they see in tournaments looks really cool, but maybe their time would be better spent learning to block a punch in the mouth!!! Same concept!
That list will pretty much keep me busy......forever!
I'd like to add Duck Dunn to the greats to be learned.
Just found this post and I'm really glad I did. I agree with the original post that a solid FOUNDATION is what's most important. Playing like Marcus is great (and I love his stuff) but if you can't laydown solid basics...what's the point? I've taught karate for over 10 years and I always tell my students that the "jump spinning triple flip back handspring kick" that they see in tournaments looks really cool, but maybe their time would be better spent learning to block a punch in the mouth!!! Same concept!
That list will pretty much keep me busy......forever!
I'd like to add Duck Dunn to the greats to be learned.
One of my favorite bass players - Abraham Laboriel - switched FROM classical guitar TO bass during his studies at Berklee School of Music. Now if that doesn't say something about the hipness of the curriculum what does? You can't get much funkier and grooving than that guy!
- Jun 19, 2004
- 4,782
- 83
- 42
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist, Schroeder Cabinets
Ha, this thread is still alive!
I, too, came to bass from classical guitar. They are much more similar than people think, in my opinion. A lot of the time, on (solo) classical guitar, you are playing a bassline with your thumb, anyway.
I took my first two [and only] bass lessons from a bassist that learned from a classical guitarist, so I have that thing "in my veins" too. I've played bass with a guitarists technique from the get-go, which helped me when buying a guitar last week. [I'll need to switch to heavy- gauge strings though.]
This is a good thread, and I'm glad it's back.
I thought I was some kind of freak for thinking like this heh.
Take a look at the Seamenn from Rammstein (yes rammstein). Its a nice bass line, but if you look at the live version, he plays it with his thumb and plucking fingers. Its a pretty cool technique. Someone once told me thats the way classical guitar is played as well, so I assume thats where he got it.
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
Just finished reading this whole thread. Informative, entertaining, and even a good torch job!
I played through my teens, only to give up playing for several years while I tended to family/work/business projects and rediscovered bass a few years ago. I am eager to learn, and have a great in-person teacher (a Todd Johnson student/disciple). My question is about Berklee's online program: How much time commitment is required of the Rock Bass curriculum? I'd probably take it non-credit, but there are some weeks that my "real life" cannot pause for me to practice for hours each day. I play for my own fun and enjoyment, perhaps occasionally playing a party or a small gig.
Can these online classes taken as non-credit be done at the student's pace, or do I need to wait until the rest of the world stops spinning so fast?
I played through my teens, only to give up playing for several years while I tended to family/work/business projects and rediscovered bass a few years ago. I am eager to learn, and have a great in-person teacher (a Todd Johnson student/disciple). My question is about Berklee's online program: How much time commitment is required of the Rock Bass curriculum? I'd probably take it non-credit, but there are some weeks that my "real life" cannot pause for me to practice for hours each day. I play for my own fun and enjoyment, perhaps occasionally playing a party or a small gig.
Can these online classes taken as non-credit be done at the student's pace, or do I need to wait until the rest of the world stops spinning so fast?
That whole "A bassist is supposed to (insert whatever opinion) in the band, not (insert ignorant remark)" is getting more than old; it's annoying. A bassist, is a musician, and like any musician, the point is making music. Let's obviously ignore that these "pros" can't aparently dissimilate between an opinion and a fact, and add that even if what they were saying was fact, don't you guys think that if everyone did the exact same thing, creativity would go down the drain? Where would slap be? or tapping for that matter?
I, as in myself, as in my opinion, believe bassist, as musicians, do whatever the heck they want, because hey, it's their music. All musicians must work as musicians if they want to acomplish music, now that's logical. Perhaps most big people in the music business are interested in a traditional type of bass playing, and that's fine if you want to work for them, but if you're doing your own thing, why should any of this advice be taken as gospel?
As I read some time ago,:" The reasonable man tries to follow all the rules as best as he can, and continues a system, while the unreasonable man doesn't follow the rules and tries to change things to how he sees that it's correct, therefore all changes in the world will be made by unreasonable people"
Also, I'd like to know which statistics those bassists follow to know that 99% bassists have to play the same thing.... and comments like this are hilarious coming from someone like Stu hamm. Interesting my ass, more like hypocritical. I love it when flashy bassists try to pose as traditional bassists to appeal to others...
I, as in myself, as in my opinion, believe bassist, as musicians, do whatever the heck they want, because hey, it's their music. All musicians must work as musicians if they want to acomplish music, now that's logical. Perhaps most big people in the music business are interested in a traditional type of bass playing, and that's fine if you want to work for them, but if you're doing your own thing, why should any of this advice be taken as gospel?
As I read some time ago,:" The reasonable man tries to follow all the rules as best as he can, and continues a system, while the unreasonable man doesn't follow the rules and tries to change things to how he sees that it's correct, therefore all changes in the world will be made by unreasonable people"
Also, I'd like to know which statistics those bassists follow to know that 99% bassists have to play the same thing.... and comments like this are hilarious coming from someone like Stu hamm. Interesting my ass, more like hypocritical. I love it when flashy bassists try to pose as traditional bassists to appeal to others...
