GonzoBass

When I play more aggressive I tend to reach for a pick and rest my hand on the bridge- I've found that combination helps me cut through a bit more. Especially if I'm going to be grinding eighth notes over two guitars.

Here is a pretty basic primer article at [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/lessons/guitar_techniques/guitar_harmony.html"]Ultimate Guitar[/url]. After you've grabbed that, give this one a read- [url="http://www.activebass.com/default.asp?src=l&l=11063&p=1"]Bass Lesson #11063 at ActiveBass[/url]. He's got an interesting idea.

[quote name='timmyo' post='283826' date='Sep 14 2008, 07:52 AM']I was put off by the notation only. I'm not going to be in any situations that require me to read...[/quote] It appears as if you may already have been.

That's my technique. (right or wrong) It originated from trying to imitate Steve Harris' fingers when I was starting out, specifically the intro to "Killers", but wanting to be louder.

[url="http://www.activebass.com/default.asp?iTarget=http%3A//www.activebass.com/basics/scales.asp"]THIS[/url] is kinda cool too for visualizing scales...

In college we had a teacher who had us clap to the metronome. If you're on, you don't hear the click at all. It's harder than it sounds. Try it once!

Very cool!

Top to bottom: Ibanez AEB10K Acoustic Synsonic Half Scale Dean Rhapsody 8 String Carvin BK2A Fretless Wilkat Gonzo Bass (Signature Series #001) Steinberger XP2 Workhorse EBMM Stingray *Not shown- Fender mandolin, a few guitars and a Gibson EB3 project.

Nah, "Dawg" is on another island. (Oahu- Known for Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, traffic, concrete, etc. We call it "Town".) We've got UFC champion [url="http://www.bjpenn.com/"]BJ Penn[/url] over here on the Big Island though and a lot more country. I'm always around, but I will try to post more CK.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='266046' date='Aug 19 2008, 08:44 PM']Gonz! You're back! You haven't forgotten us![/quote] How could I? I'm usually lurking while you're all asleep over there on your side of the planet. Always keeping one eye on the Theory and Technique page, I am...

Metronome = Chinese Water Torture

[quote name='Cliff Burton' post='257746' date='Aug 7 2008, 03:58 PM']I hate to say it but TheBrokenDoor and SteveK, you guys need to dum that down slightly. Sorry Cliff[/quote] Have a look here- [url="http://www.visionmusic.com/lessons/bassmodes.html"]Modes for the Bass[/url] The audio tracks might help you. If you've got your bass handy, try playing an eighth note C under each example to hear what they sound like over a root note.

Correct phil! These would sound a lot better (and make more sense) if played over the root chord of each mode, but for now you could try moving them to E by starting each mode on the 7th fret of your A string and playing each one over a ringing open E root note. Notice each mode's "flavor" and in turn each note's specific tension when played slow over the open E root. (The "Spanish or "Egyptian" sound of the Phrygian Mode for example...)

[quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='258392' date='Aug 8 2008, 07:45 AM']ok, you've now made me pick up my bass to sacrifice my Friday bloody evening just so I can plunk my way thru this thread in the hope that it'll all fall nicely into place and I'll know WHAT THE HELL you're saying!![/quote] Excellent! [quote name='phil_the_bassist' post='258392' date='Aug 8 2008, 07:45 AM'] it can't be THAT hard, can it? [/quote] No, not really if you just take it slow. Especially with these great explanations.

[quote name='Bit-Crusherrr' post='250974' date='Jul 29 2008, 01:59 PM']Chords...[/quote] Lots of chord charts are available on the web if you Google up "Guitar Chord Chart" but this one looks pretty extensive- [url="http://www.guitarnotes.com/guitar/notes2/ultimate11.shtml"]Ultimate Guitar Chord Chart[/url] [quote name='Bit-Crusherrr' post='250974' date='Jul 29 2008, 01:59 PM']Dissonant riffs...[/quote] You might want to look into the diminished scale: (or it's brother the augmented scale) Lots of tension to be found there! I hope this helps.

That's when this one comes in handy- *On another thought... If you're taking a laptop with you? I've been fooling around with Finale NotePad lately. It's a lot of fun and helps with composition. You can download the free version [url="http://www.finalemusic.com/notepad/"]HERE[/url].

Well, when I've been away from my bass and wanted to play (or show someone an idea) I just put my right hand on my left shoulder and Viola! Instant bass neck to fret with your left hand! It might help you keep your fingers in shape and limber if you're going to be away that long. Also, here's an article of mine that's posted at various places around the web, maybe you'll find it helpful- ========================================= One thing I have come across quite a lot with my students is a lack of communication or coordination between their left and right hands resulting in improper timing, meter and just bad rhythm in general. Here is an exercise I learned in piano class at college which I always share with my students to help them overcome this problem: Place both your hands on your legs like they were at a keyboard. Now tap each finger one at a time from your pinky (4) to your index (1) on both hands like you were waiting impatiently for something. Like this- (4 3 2 1) repeat Easy, right? Now try doing it backward. Like this- (1 2 3 4) repeat Not quite as easy is it? How about trying- Left hand (4 3 2 1) while doing Right hand (1 2 3 4) at the same time. repeat and then backwards- L (1 2 3 4) while doing R (4 3 2 1) at the same time. repeat Now try going forward and backward. Like this- L (4 3 2 1) while doing R (1 2 3 4) at the same time. and then L (1 2 3 4) while doing R (4 3 2 1) at the same time. repeat Now try alternate tapping, LIFTING YOUR FINGER before tapping the next. Like this- L(4) R(1) L(3) R(2) L(2) R(3) L(1) R(4) repeat Now try this backwards. Like this- R(4) L(1) R(3) L(2) R(2) L(3) R(1) L(4) repeat You could try double tapping each one. Like this- L(1-1) R(1-1) L(2-2) R(2-2) L(3-3) R(3-3) L(4-4) R(4-4) and then apply this double tapping method to the patterns above. Obviously the possibilities are nearly endless, but the important thing is to get your hands to communicate with each other. Working with a metronome by starting out slowly and increasing the tempo gradually will greatly help you with this. The best part about this exercise is that it can be done anywhere, at anytime- Waiting in line at the bank, in a boring class, listening to your girlfriend ramble... Well, you get the idea. = ) I hope this helps you as much as it did my students and me. =========================================

I'm currently playing in the pit orchestra for Leonard Bernstein's "On The Town" where he changes key signatures quite often in some songs: 2 flats to 4 sharps to 5 flats to 1 sharp... all within a few staves! So what was a Db a few bars ago is now a C#, and suddenly F# is now a Gb, etc. It's best to learn your enharmonic spellings...

I have students grab a note, play the fifth interval of that note on the next string and then slide to the octave on that same string. For example: Play A (5th fret E string) Play it's fifth interval (7th fret A string) Slide to the octave (12th fret A string) Of course you don't have to stop there. You can continue on up the neck: Play the next fifth interval (14th fret D string) Slide to the octave 19th fret D string and then reverse the exercise going down the neck: 19th fret D string 19th fret A string Slide to the 12th fret A string 12th fret E string Slide to the 5th fret E string ...but I've found it's the sharps and flats that really get you thinking. Try this: Play C# on your A string Play the fifth interval on the D string Slide to the octave on the D string Play the next fifth interval on the G string Slide to the octave on the G string If you practice this starting with all the notes within your first five frets (the money area) while saying the note names as you play them it should really help to open up the fretboard for you.

This is an older article of mine which has been posted at various places around the web, but I feel it bears repeating here. ==================================== [u]Is Knowledge of Music Theory Really Necessary?[/u] I had a student ask me the other day if music theory was really necessary to him as bass player. His point being that there are many of his "bass heroes" out there who can't read music, don't fully understand the modes and really don't even have a clear grasp of major/minor other than the fact that some notes sound better than others at times (and some should be avoided altogether!). Yet these players are still on the covers of magazines, making CDs, and playing on MTV. To this end, all my student wanted to know was technique, technique, technique! He didn't want to hear all that boring theory about the relative major/minor... Just show him how to do the four finger tapping riff! And forget about the modes... How do you do the double thump?!!! I found myself searching for a way to explain to him why he should "eat his vegetables" and not just his "cake" without using the old parental sounding cliches of- "...because they're good for you" or even worse- "...because I said so"! Finally, I came up with an age old adage; "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime." In other words- I could just show you the tapping riff you so desire young Jedi, and you could use it to impress your friends, fans and possibly even a talent scout or A&R man (the first time they saw it)... or I could explain to you what notes make up this riff, the scale or mode it is based on and how to apply this knowledge to other keys or even a progression and you could in turn adapt and expand upon this idea to suit your own playing style and use this technique to express yourself in many new, different and very musical ways, not just use it for what is called "technique for technique's sake" because all you learned was that one riff in that one key or position. But I could see by the look on his face he hadn't heard anything past the "use it to impress your friends and fans" part... I have found knowledge of musical theory to be a bit like a box of Crayons. (Follow me here...) You may not use every color you have on every drawing, and in fact to most, that might be considered "overplaying" or in this case, "scribbling on someone else's drawing." In fact, sometimes you could even get by with just using only the black and white crayons to convey your ideas (major/minor?), but when you are able to bring out just the right color for a song, (say, Dorian Mode for a funky feel?) and bring out yet another color for the next song, (maybe Mixolydian for a Blues?) and then convincingly use yet another color for the next (coaxing a Spanish feel from the Phrygian Mode or throwing down some Diminished riffs for a Fusion feel) I think it makes your palette all the more interesting and in turn just may help you to express yourself better and help you to reach your musical goals. In the same instance, extent of music theory (again, like boxes of Crayons) come in many different sizes. The basic box will consist of maybe 8 colors, but through synthetic scales (secondary colors?), harmonization and chords (blending colors?) you will find the palette of colorful possibilities to be nearly endless! (Remember the 64 box?!!!) Learning music theory is a great way of both improving your music vocabulary and expanding your appreciation of music in general. The bottom line to me is- [u]Why limit yourself?[/u] Need a starting place? By just adding the Flat Five to your minor pentatonic scale, you will find yourself in possession of a very cool shade of blue! = ) I hope this helps you as much as it did my students and me. ====================================

[quote name='BeLow' post='167060' date='Mar 31 2008, 07:17 AM']Gonzobass that is just the diagram I havebeen looking for[/quote] Glad you found it useful!

Here's a hand out I made up to help my students visualize and explain the theory behind the construction of the modes (it's sized to print out on standard 8.5"x11" paper)- [attachment=7040:Modes.jpeg] The partial fretboards at the bottom are so you can write out the 8 tone whole step/half step pattern each mode creates. This will help you to translate and apply them to all keys. ...hopefully.

Since you appear to be a Jaco fan and have some of his technique I might suggest his version of "Amerika". It makes a nice solo piece. Mike Dimin also has a few chordal solo pieces available [url="http://www.michaeldimin.com/licks.htm"]HERE[/url]. Definitely worth a look...

Sorry for the temporary highjack here folks, but... [quote name='nig' post='162223' date='Mar 23 2008, 05:04 AM']Hi Gonzo bass, what you doing here, a long way from home buddy.hope that your well,[/quote] Hey there nig! Good to see you too!!! Been here (although intermittently) since day one actually. I believe I was member #002 at the original BassWorld. Even before it went public! In fact, the idea to add a theory forum was one of my contributions. Glad to see it's survived the move. [u]Thanks and well deserved props to all the dedicated people who fought to keep this site alive![/u] ...and now back to our regularly scheduled thread.

You might want to try playing your scales over a sustained chord or at least a root note to understand the "flavor" each scale is implying. If you don't have a piano or guitarist to assist you with this, try recording yourself playing just a simple eighth note pattern like pounding an open E for a few minutes. Playing the scales over this root tone will help you to hear the specific tension each one provides. If you don't have access to a recorder, simply let an open E note ring out while you play the 8 tones of the E Major scale on your A, D and G strings starting on the 7th fret of your A string. (E F# G# A B C# D# E) Then play the 8 tones of the E Minor scale in the same fashion. (E F# G A B C D E) By doing this you should easily be able to hear how the Major scale sounds "Happy" in comparison to the more "Serious" Minor scale in relation to the E root. Once you've copped the feel of these two touchstone scales, I suggest looking into the seven modes. By playing each of the modes in the same manner, you should be able to find: "Spanish" (or "Egyptian"), "Funky", "Angry", "Jazzy", etc. ...and when you're ready? [url="http://www.geocities.com/scaleopia/"]HERE[/url] is one of my favorite scale resources. (Try the Japanese scales. They're delicious!) Endless hours of fun and in turn, means of self expression! Of course this is just the doorway into the world of scale theory, (All keys, over the entire neck) but it's a start. I hope I understood the question correctly and that this helps!