leroybasslines

[quote name='wombatboter' post='1114912' date='Feb 4 2011, 08:32 AM']I had the pleasure to speak to Pino Palladino once in the lounge of a Brussels hotel for about 45 minutes and he was polite and friendly...They had played in the lobby to pay for their expenses in the hotel. He came up to me himself because he seemed to have noticed that I was a bass-player (one can not stop looking at him :-)) and sat down for a chat. He was very down to earth and indeed very humble about his projects.. When I asked him what his future plans were he said that he was leaving the day after for a tour with Jeff Beck.. Certainly not in a bragging way but only because I asked.[/quote] Wow! How cool to have met him and how cool that he's a decent guy. According to his wiki page he's on tour with Herbie Hancock at the moment. That's what I call a gig!

[quote name='gjones' post='1114787' date='Feb 4 2011, 12:51 AM']Ahhhhhh Pino.......such a groovy guy Here's some Pino neck bobbing action you may have/have not already seen (he's using the usual two finger method here but very effectively)[/quote] I love this clip! I thought it was a brilliant decision by the director to focus on Pino for the vast majority of the song - you get a real insight into the world of the bass player - and well done to Mayer for allowing his band to take the limelight for a bit, not something a lot of pretty boy rock stars would normally do! In fact, I love this clip so much that I wrote a blog about it! [url="http://runningbomb.blogspot.com/2009/10/magic-thats-between-linesbehind-scenes.html"]http://runningbomb.blogspot.com/2009/10/ma...ind-scenes.html[/url] if you're interested. I wrote it for non-bass players, so forgive me if it's somewhat patronising to those of us already in the know. I'd be preaching to the converted on here... [quote]he plays on the 4 tracks produced by Rick Rubin of the new Adele album "21"[/quote] It's great to hear what he's working on at the moment. Unlike a lot of players, he doesn't advertise much what he's up to. He doesn't appear to be massively into the Internet at least - his website hasn't worked for years! He seems like a pretty quiet guy anyway, so it's quite hard to find out what he's up to. I know that he's still pretty much the most sought after session player in the world and one of the most well respected musicians too - a real musician's musician. Jeff Beck wanted him for the tour that Tal Wilkenfeld played on, but he wasn't available and recommended Wilkenfeld to Beck instead. Beck said "I trust Pino's opinions implicitly" and hired Tal for the tour. Not a bad plan B that!

[quote name='owen' post='1114624' date='Feb 3 2011, 10:13 PM']I think that the main question here is, can I actually watch this programme regularly in the UK?[/quote] Fat chance! It's very 'French' innit? Arty and cool and all jazzy and that. We've got Britain's Got Talent anyway...what more do you want?

[quote name='owen' post='1114357' date='Feb 3 2011, 07:24 PM']The main album from his period on the Welsh language scene is actually available on Spotify[/quote] Wel mamo damo! I wasn't aware that he was active on the Welsh language scene. That's brilliant - and a whole load of new stuff to put in the playlist! Thanks! I know he's a Cardiffian, but does he siarad dipyn bach o Cymraeg? Or is he so blummin good that he transcends barriers of language! Diolch byt! Hwyl.

[quote name='razze06' post='1113989' date='Feb 3 2011, 03:25 PM']Seems to be that way for certain brands, especially guitars IMO. I will stick my neck out and say that Gibson are top offenders in this. The mid-life crisis market is a very lucrative one, especially for aspirational items such as motorbikes, sport cars, and musical instruments (rock and roll ones, can't see anyone splash out on a top of the range flame maple veneered bassoon to cure their crisis). People are cashing in on that![/quote] Yup! It's all about the mid life crisis and that fact that many players are men, and as such born with a mild case of Asperger's! Collecting is part of the fun really. Owning a good bass don't make you a good player...

[quote name='ezbass' post='1114100' date='Feb 3 2011, 04:30 PM']I use this technique (well something like it) when I want to play a root/octave line where I want an almost popped octave but a very smooth root. Pino uses this techique to great effect on John Mayer's Vultures (albeit no octaves).[/quote] I often do a similar thing - @risingson mentioned the palm muting technique earlier and I'm comfortable with that. However, he seems to have taken this technique to a different level with the speed and attack he gets.

[quote name='risingson' post='1114094' date='Feb 3 2011, 04:28 PM']Downloaded![/quote] Add new stuff in if you can think of any. I play along to this playlist as a practise session!

OK...this is where I admit to the true extent of my geekery on Pino. If you're a spotify user, get involved with my Pino playlist: [url="http://open.spotify.com/user/owen_liam/playlist/4J0KMwu3HUz9u2joumbZ2Z"]http://open.spotify.com/user/owen_liam/pla...3HUz9u2joumbZ2Z[/url] Feel free to add or contest as you see fit! As far as I'm aware, Pino played on everyone of these tracks, from Sugababes to Manu Katche, Gary Numan to Daniel Bedingfield! My fave at the moment though are his contributions to Roy Hargrove's Hard Groove. Awesome playing!

It does seem to be an economical style - he barely moves when playing what is a pretty busy line on the A sections. Interesting that he switches to an orthodox two finger style on the B and middle sections. I guess he's using the clawfinger thing (for want of a better name!) when he needs to make lots of jumps across strings, but when he needs to dig in he still goes for the normal finger style. His versatility is staggering but subtle if you know what I mean. He doesn't do tricks (I don't think I've ever seen him slap or tap) and you rarely see him step into the limelight, but he can adapt his playing to a mind boggling range of situations with just a few tweaks to sound and style. I think he's my favourite player at the moment. Although, being a fellow Welshman, I'm biased! It's not music that I'd normally go for, but I love it that Pino is really enjoying it! I've heard some of the PSP studio recordings and they don't make as much sense somehow - it seems like a live thing to me, watching musicians at the top of their game enjoying themselves. The recordings are too clinical and lack the character of this performance.

[quote name='Stuee' post='1113919' date='Feb 3 2011, 02:37 PM']Congrats, man.. that's a lovely bit of wood you got there [/quote] Cheers mate! I sold three basses to get my grubby hands on this. Swingeing cuts...

[quote name='DanOwens' post='1113849' date='Feb 3 2011, 01:43 PM']Link doesn't work for me.. [/quote] Sorry guys! I'm on my iPhone and out of my depth... Try this: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0...be_gdata_player[/url] The action starts about a minute or two in...

Just posted this clip in a thread about Fender Jag basses. The music isn't to everyone's taste, but the musicianship is stunning. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0...be_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0...be_gdata_player[/url] Go to 1:23 in... I've always loved Pino's playing and have nicked a lot of his ideas and techniques. But in this clip he's using a really unusual right hand technique: he seems to be playing the E with his thumb, A with his index finger, D with middle finger and G with his ring finger. I can see why this is a great way to be able to play, but I've no idea how he gets the attack that I can hear in his playing. When I try it, it sounds LAME! Anyone mastered this technique or something similar?

I've not played one, but having seen Mr Palladino play one, I'd really like one! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WeLmVWzRiY0#t=84s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...LmVWzRiY0#t=84s[/url]

Well, it was a bit of a tussle with DHL - I hate having to get musical instruments shipped - but my new Lakland 55-60 is here. A quick tweak of the truss rod - the neck was a little squiffy after being manhandled by a multitude of courier monkeys - and I was playing it. A great bass...you know when you pick up an instrument and it instantly seems to 'work' for you. I've played very expensive and beautiful basses that just didn't quite do it for me, but I think I have an instant rapport with this one! Here are some picks for those of you that like to ogle other people's basses! Full frontal: [attachment=71004:photo1.JPG] I am a sucker for a really good sunburst! When I was a kid, it was the way ALL guitars should look. [attachment=71005:photo2.JPG] Mmmm...block inlays. Love em. [attachment=71006:photo3.JPG] Lakland and Stevie...Old Skool... [attachment=71003:Hipsta_Lakland.jpg] Going to put my J Retro in it, but it seems impolite to do it straight away! I feel like I need to play it for a while with the original electronics, to get to know the bass and it's characteristics before I start supercharging and messing about with it.

Which is why I need to try an OC-2! The OC-3 felt a little out of control to me and too fiddly for one or two useable sounds. The OC-2 may be similar, but might make more sense useability wise...

Hmmm...I'm thinking OC2. I like Pino's sound when he uses one, so maybe that's the way forward. I've got a Bass Juice for distortion and I really like it! Although my guitar player keeps nicking it when we play live - he loves the bottom end it gives him compared to guitar fuzz boxes. Thanks guys - these are all really helpful recommendations and ideas. Gives me somewhere to start from at least!

[quote name='Doddy' post='1109774' date='Jan 31 2011, 05:58 PM']Mainly because in a larger band with guitar,horns and keys I don't need to worry about filling the sound out and use effects to give more synth like tones and give a different texture to some tunes.[/quote] Makes sense. When I think of this fx stuff, I think of Stevie Wonder's left hand keyboard bass lines. That's the kind of vibe I'm thinking of, and that would suit my larger band with keys, horns etc. We play a lot of Stevie stuff... Having said that, just starting up a jazz/soul instrumental trio with some players I've known for a while - keys/piano, drums and EB/DB. This is what made me think that fx might be fun...soloing and all that.

[quote]Why don't you get a multifx unit like Boss and try almost every fx available and see if you can get any use out of them. Then start buying dedicated pedal for each fx.[/quote] I think that may be a concession too far! I hate those computer generated multi pedal things...mainly because I get confused and then nearly fall over when using them! Thanks for the pedal tips though - you like the MXR stuff? That's what's drawing me, but I'm struggling to find a dealer in Bristol that carries the bass stuff so that I can have a fiddle... [quote]It's funny,I find myself using more effects playing in a larger band (8 piece) than when I'm in a smaller guitar based band.[/quote] That's interesting Doddy! Not that I use them much at all, but I'd have thought that was counter-intuitive! Why do you reckon that's the case? Never heard of the DiscomBOBulator! Thanks for the tip...I'm off to find out more! Went to try out the Boss OC-3 today at PMT in town (I have an irrational hatred of big music shops btw, so I may rant). I didn't like it much - the sound seemed unwieldy and characterless. There was almost too much octave and not enough subtlety. The sales guy was raving about an Ashdown bass octave and how it was the best thing since sliced bread and I could put a tenner down as a deposit and he'd order it in so I could try it out. As he could barely play the bass at all, I decided to leave it and ask you guys instead! Any experience of Ashdown octavers? I did quite like the sub bass thingy on their amps when I've used them in the past.

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1108832' date='Jan 30 2011, 10:38 PM']I`m much the same, not really into effects on bass. Only time I ever really used them was in a 3 piece, to add some variety into the sound. Used a chorus pedal, and a delay pedal. Just enough to add to what was there, but nothing too extreme to detract from the original sound. In a band with either 2 guitarists, or one guitar and keyboards, I not sure I would want to be changing the sound on the bass, and would prefer to let them handle this.[/quote] I play in quite a wide variety of bands - in the large soul band there's no way I'd start messing about with fx because I've got a job to do and like you don't want change the sound of the bass. But I've come to think that perhaps in smaller band situations it could be fun...and unless I've given it a go I can't turn my nose up at it! I'll probably get some pedals, try it for a bit and then sell them! How do you use a delay pedal with the bass? Do you use a short delay for an effect or more crazy stuff?

Now, I've never been one for effects and all that malarkey. I've always seen it as a weakness of character reserved for our six stringed 'friends'. However, recently I've been thinking that it's about time that I should try it all out. For a bit. And then go back to just plugging my bass straight into the amp and having a pint while I watch the guitar player and keyboard player desperately try to work out why no sound is coming out of their amps. Sooo. By my reckoning, a soul/jazz/funk/bit of rock bass player like me doesn't need much. I'm thinking somekind of warm fuzz thing, an octave thing and one of those wah wah wah envelope things. That should do it. I've already got the fuzz - I recently got a 2nd hand Bass Juice, and very good it is too. That leaves the octave and envelope things. I looked around and the MXR stuff seems good (I especially enjoyed this demo - exactly the kind of vibeI'd use it for: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_WqyHJaoQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_WqyHJaoQ[/url]. Dirty, dirty funk) I've heard the MXR octave is good, but it's pricey. So, any suggestions for an old school Luddite would be greatfully received.

[quote name='nick' post='1108280' date='Jan 30 2011, 04:31 PM']Would be unprofessional of me to comment publicly on the way other bands go about their business, even if it is [i]"the finest 60's & Motown showband in the country".[/i] Lets just say, I found it an 'interesting' experience. Hi Liam, if you're interested go for it mate, give 'em a try - the do seem to be getting the gigs. If you still want to know why I jettisoned, PM me. [/quote] How can I resist?! PM coming your way...