Doddy

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1319657187' post='1417018'] So, is it more the player than the bass? [/quote] I think so. Janek still sounds great on a P-Bass or his new Ibanez. Tom Kennedy sounded great on his Yamaha,as does Tony Grey.Richard Bona sounds great on his Pensa or NY Bass Works. A lot of the high profile Fodera players are ridiculously good that it has helped to give the brand a huge prestige,but any of the guys would (and do) play and sound great on other instruments.

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1319642126' post='1416802']You've got to play in an ensemble where you can hear the bass as a separate sound before you can indentify if the sound is any different or has any 'signature'. That happens less nowdays because making a feature of the bass is well and truly out of fashion compared to an era like the eighties. The other reason why it's less likely to happen is the proliferation of 5 string basses. Rumbling away on a heavy B-string cable might make your band sound good but is unlikely to get you noticed as an individual (as much as a traditional 4-string). 5 - string playing is good deal more anonymous for that reason hence there are less 'signature' sounds. It's no accident that the players that [i]have [/i]attracted more attention recently have a habit of playing on high tuned 6 strings where they're poking in to the guitar area (Squarepusher, etc)- or piccolo tuning 4 -strings (like M. Manring, etc). The innovations are unlikely to happen in the sub bass, IMO, and the anonymity is likely to persist for the foreseeable.[/quote] Interesting points,but I don't think that 5/6 string players are any less individual than 4 string players. Players like Nathan East and Anthony Jackson and Michael Rhodes do a lot of work in the lower register and sound very different from each other. However I will agree that there are a number of players who do 'rumble away' on the B string and sound very much like each other-although I think that this is mostly(but not exclusively) within the various genres of metal. The guys playing in the upper range obviously get attention,but there are still a lot of great players who have developed their 'voice' in the lower ranges of the instrument. Then you get players like Jaquo III-X who are experimenting with extending the range of the instrument well into the sub bass range-you might not dig the music,but it's an interesting concept and approach.

I don't think I've ever worked through any book from start to finish,in order. With a book like that I tend to skip between the early technical exercises and the more musical stuff.

[quote name='Faithless' timestamp='1319638192' post='1416734'] You said you're looking for new synth - are you going to sell this one? [/quote] I'll still keep the Akai,because it's a cool little synth.

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1319551403' post='1415640']It can indeed be done. Oscar Pettiford did it - .[/quote] Ron Carter did it aswell

I dig the CV 50's Precision. I played one (butterscotch) a couple of months ago and instantly bought it. It's a really nice instrument-I'm especially impressed with the neck.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1319630367' post='1416583']The truth is that Fender don't do Fender that well! Sadowsky et al take the basic idea and look and execute it a he'll of a lot better than the original...![/quote] I don't know about that. I think Fender still do Fender better than anyone,but makers like Sadowsky enhance it. A Sadowsky doesn't really sound like Fender because of its famed preamp,but what it does is it gives a more 'refined' and 'modern' version of the Fender sound (As far as I'm concerned,of course).As a passive instrument though,I think Fender still do it great.

[quote name='Faithless' timestamp='1319625474' post='1416480'] I've been thinking about Akai MiniAK, the one that Doddy uses - it seems cool for starter, but, Doddy, what do you actually mean by that Akai being pain in the ass with programming? Don't You just program one or few sounds and leave it there? easy Laimis[/quote] I'm really rubbish with anything technical,and to program the Miniak you have to go into menus and edit things like attack,envelope and that kind of thing. I'm just quite impatient and don't get along with that kind of programming and editing (that's the same reason that I don't use the Roland V Bass as much as I could). Luckily for me the Miniak has some cool built in sounds,including a cool Moog type sound that I use most of the time. I mainly just use 2 or 3 of the stock sounds. If you've got more patience than me (and know what youre doing)programming the Miniak is probably no big deal.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1319623661' post='1416437'] Nice track - a hidden gem, got any more recommendations? [/quote] There are a ton of great MJ synth lines,but I particularly love Alex Al on the live version of 'Jam' from 'This Is It'-it's pretty simple compared to some,but it's really cool.

I saw them when they played Celtic Connections a few years ago. They were awesome. I'd go again if I wasn't already away.

He's giving away 3 tracks from this gig via his website. All you have to do is put a link on either Twitter or Facebook. Absolute monster player.

Pete...I remember your letter that was printed in Bass Player a few years ago telling them to never do an article on synth ever again

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1319566693' post='1415926'] I know there are Fodera owners on the forum. The closest I have come to seeing one is when Janek Gwizdala came to our shop for a clinic, but I was too timid to ask for a go. My questions are: Have many of you tried one? Are they as great sounding as claimed? Are they so much better than other hand-built basses, like Roscoe, Ritter, Sadowsky, Ken Smith, Wal, etc? Just curious... [/quote] The truth is they are probably all on a par with each other....They are all quality instruments. As far as their sound goes,all the notable players sound like themselves-Victor sounds different from Janek,who sounds different from Tom Kennedy. At that level of instrument it's all down to favouritism rather than 'better'.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1319485481' post='1414835'] He must had have something abiout him as he was on just about everything for 5 years or so. [/quote] Add another 30 to that. The guy is still one of the busiest drummers anywhere.

[quote name='Orange Monkey Love God' timestamp='1319453941' post='1414152'] Who is this John Robinson of whom you speak? [/quote] Really? http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-jr-robinson-p119373/credits/date-asc/ Just check out Michael Jackson 'Off The Wall' and Quincy Jones 'The Dude' for his awesome groove.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1319548131' post='1415539']. Its not devalue, its double value. [/quote] Exactly. I look at it as kind of modern doubling. I've doubled on electric and upright for years and got more work from doing it,but for a lot of modern music it can be more important to double on synth bass rather than upright. Of course,if you can play all three (trebling?),then it gives you alot of versatility and options.

[quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1319547064' post='1415525'] I've just bought a Roland Gaia after a recommendation from Phil Simmonds and at the moment i'm loving it. I find it so much easier to use than my previous laptop set up as it's so hands on.[/quote] I've been looking at getting the Gaia recently...either that or a Moog little Phatty. Although the Gaia appears more versatile. I've been using the Akai Miniak,which has got some really cool sounds,but is a pain in the arse to program. I like using a hardware synth as I don't want to take my laptop to gigs.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1319545839' post='1415500']No disrespect meant but if they want keyboards played why don't they employ a keyboard player?? - are they going to get horn players to play a synth that sounds like horns?? They devalue your talents as a bassplayer by asking you to play something else!![/quote] Not at all. You're still playing bass,just not on a bass guitar. You get a totally different sound,timbre and feel playing synth bass than you do on a stringed instrument that works really well for a lot of things.

There is a difference between the Blues style and the Blues scale. The Blues scale,as I said,is a Minor Pentatonic with an added flat 5. The majority of Blues music (style) is played over moving dominant 7 chords which contain a major 3rd (chord tones I,III,V,bVII). If you are playing notes that are outside of the chords or key,then you are adding 'tension'. Playing a major 3rd over a minor,or vice versa,does exactly this whether you choose to resolve it or not.

I've been finding myself being asked to play more and more synth bass on gigs lately and was wondering if many other people on here have found that using synth bass has added to their sound and reportoire? I'm not talking about using effects pedals to get a synth type sound (which I also do),but using an actual keyboard to play basslines like players such as Greg Phillanganes and Michael Boddiker and the pop/R&B guys like Kern Brantley. Any opinions,influences,gear choices etc.?

[quote name='topo morto' timestamp='1319542576' post='1415388'] Ambiguous is probably not not be the best word... but in performance is it not common to bend from the minor third towards the major?[/quote] Maybe. I often hammer from the minor to the major third,but that is now adding a slight tension and is used as a short passing tone. It doesn't make the third ambiguous though because it resolves,and the harmony becomes clear. Regardless of if you bend a note or what,the Blues scale is always minor.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1319542016' post='1415368'] I was looking for some specific guidance for a particular element of playing - Jazz improv so that i can practise productively. .[/quote] The exercises that me and Faithless mentioned on the last page are good places to start with that,because it gives you a grounding on the changes and then brings in approach tones. Also,learn the melodies.

[quote name='topo morto' timestamp='1319540399' post='1415324']. There's an interesting crossover between the Major scale, the mixolydian mode, and the blues scale with its flattened 7th and ambiguous thirds... they're all good friends really.[/quote] The blues scale doesn't have 'ambiguous thirds'-it is clearly a minor Pentatonic with an added flat 5 (I,bIII,IV,bV,V,bVII)

[quote name='Ant' timestamp='1319381679' post='1413363'] from this: [/quote] Why did you get rid of the Pigtronix Mothership?

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1319372407' post='1413184'] The problem is that we have often found ourselves having enough theory and technique for the music we play and see no [i] practical[/i] reason to push ourselves. [/quote] This is a very good point.It's easy to say 'I don't need (whatever) because.....' (not that you are),and not see how it will benefit you as a musician. I know that you're not into Jazz but I find that it is great to study with regards to chords and structures and more.Even if it's just taking a chart of a standard and looking at and playing the chord voicings and reading the melody. Later you may want to analyse things further and try soloing over the changes. It might be worth checking out the Ed Friedland books 'Building...' and 'Expanding Walking Basslines'. It might also be worth looking at books like 'Chord Studies for Electric Bass','Serious Electric Bass' and 'The Evolving Bassist'. There is a lot of material in just those three and it gets pretty deep. I can easily spend a couple of hours on one 8-bar exercise from 'Chord Studies'.