Pete Academy

A subtle bump up for this gig.

I remember learning Gaslighting Abbie. It is without doubt the hardest bass part I have ever had to learn. I had to ie down every half hour.

Gaslighting Annie is just sheer genius.

It's Chuck Rainey's masterwork. He loves it. Absolute genius.

Herrington doesn't play the recorded solo. Saying that, Becker and Fagen can do what they like with their own songs. I always love to hear that solo, though.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1345128566' post='1773971'] I agree with you Pete , that this is a masterful piece of work by Chuck Rainey , and I salute the fact that you are able to tackle it at all! I cannot think of a better example of a bassline that sounds reasonably straightforward on first hearing, but when you sit down to try and have a go at it yourself turns out to be a much more daunting prospect. What a player and what a performance. I think both approaches you outline are perfectly o.k - who's to say that Chuck wouldn't throw in the odd change or ad lib if he was playing the song again now- but I suppose the more you know of the original version, the more you could work it in to your own rendition. It sounds like you are only talking about the finer points of the line anyway. I've seen video of Nearly Dan on this site and always been full of admiration for the playing of all the musicians. The thought has crossed my mind on who the target audience would be for a Steely Dan tribute band would be. I have been loving the Dan for nearly the last thirty years since a guitarist friend really got me into them, but I know some people find their music a bit esoteric . To people used to listening to more mainstream pop music the more sophisticated approach of Becker and Fagen can be hard to enjoy, in my experience. I would be genuinely interested to know what kind of venues/ functions are booking your band.; whoever it is it must be someone who has good taste. Obviously they are, because the band have been working for 15 years, [/quote] We've played just about everywhere around the country, good and bad. We play more theatre-style gigs these days. We do the odd private function, too.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1345204289' post='1774919'] [i]Still [/i]trying to nail the guitar solo on this. It's a thing of beauty when Larry Carlton plays it, just a thing when I try! Does NDs guitarist play it verbatim from the record? [/quote] Yes, he does. It's too much of a classic solo not to.

[quote name='patch006' timestamp='1345201726' post='1774863'] Can you daisy chain the cabs Pete? [/quote] I'll try doing that next gig.

Just another thought. When I connect my two cabs, I use the speakon output for one cab and the jack out for the other. Is this OK to do?

I've brought my amp into the shop today and tried it plugged into a New York 804 cab. I set the input gain high and twatted the strings, especially the low B, causing the blue clip light to come on constantly. The amp never cut out. I'm totally confused. Live I use 2 x New York 604 cabs. I use Monster speaker cables and a Monster bass guitar cable. Any suggestions?

Thanks folks...looks like a definite fault.

I'm careful to run the amp below the clip. However, there have been the odd times I've accidentally gone into clip, and the amp has cut out. Weird. I don't understand how other players have got away with it. R

Has anyone had issues with the amp cutting out when the blue clip light comes on?

This track is, in my opinion, Chuck Rainey's masterpiece. In interviews he would probably agree. Apparently a first take. This song has been in our set from day one, so I've been playing it for fifteen years. I tend to put some of my own slant on it, but have often thought I should play it as Chuck did, especially as we are a tribute band. I've listened to various versions and they all seem to differ. Lately I've been studying the bass part more and more, and discover bits I've missed or got wrong. Anyone else struggled with this. Should it be played perfectly or just with the same feel?

Nearly Dan play the Jazz Cafe in Camden on Sunday 19 August.

Faker than fake.

I have tried the new Ashdown 1 x 12" cab, which has been designed to go with the MiBass head. I must say I really like it. It's punchy and loud, and is really light. Fantastic slap sound, especially with a Fender Jazz - the horn is voiced just right, unlike the TC BH250, which in my opinion cuts your head off. Looks great, too, with a carbon fibre-style covering. Massively great value at £249, so if you think need two, it's a really affordable rig.

Play for the song. If it's just root notes and they do the job, then that's fine.

Ashdown's customer service is the best in the business.

A fairly slap-heavy issue this month.

Imagine this shoved up his patronising arse [url="http://www.ritter-instruments.com/item_info.php?i=234"]http://www.ritter-instruments.com/item_info.php?i=234[/url]

Is the sound you're after in your head, or do you go for a sound from a favourite bassist?

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='143409693' post='1750419'] Louis Johnson was better on record than by himself. Example: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTBcOWmmHGI[/media] I prefer Louis Johnson's playing overall, he always just struck me as a much more competent player on record than Larry was, and not just as a slap player. But I think they're both great and they both have their place. [/quote] Instantly recognisable, genius playing.

I would think Larry is probably the titleholder, but it's interesting to see how Louis learned the style.

Larry Graham is credited with inventing slap bass. However, in an interview, Louis Johnson reckons he developed the style on his own without ever hearing Graham play. Fight!!!