Free Bass Lessons -- Electric Bass Questions Answered

Jeff Berlin and Metronomes

2008-04-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, the monstrously talented and legendary electric bass player Jeff Berlin is very outspoken against the metronome as a learning tool.

Recently on myspace, he brought out his arguments against the metronome. Friend him on myspace if you want to read them for yourself.

In my opinion, he is extremely gifted and had never found a personal use for a metronome, so he therefore decided they are useless. Mere mortals like myself disagree. Below is my reply to Mr. Berlin.
___________________________________________________________________

Granted, there are many people all over the world who have developed great time and musical feeling without metronomes.
In the history of music and its practice, the metronome is a relatively new innovation.
These facts alone, while true and compelling for what they are, do not mean metronomes are useless or harmful.
I was fortunate enough as a child to have a piano teacher show me how to use a metronome as a constructive practice aid, NOT as a crutch to support bad time. She showed me how to use a metronome to pick apart and master technical passages, bridging from playing them out of time toward playing them in time, first slowly, then gradually up to performance tempo, with FEELING and CONFIDENCE and AUTHORITY every step of the way.

The metronome gives me a means to scrutinize my technical problems and turn those problems, ultimately, into the effortless coordinated action which results in music.
In other words, after playing arpeggios on the changes of Giant Steps out of time, I played them at 40 on the metronome. Then 42. Then 44. It helped me figure out exactly what was getting in my way at any particular moment so that I could stop and fix it.
I think this method of metronome practicing has also helped me with fluid, lyrical, out-of-time playing as well. This is because interpretive "pushing and pulling" of time can be done with more freedom from technical blocks. I am not tempted to "slow down for the hard parts" in a performance situation (like so many of my students do and have to be trained out of).

Further, I know of no instances where practicing with a metronome has harmed anyone's musical development.

Finally, for as many good musicians with great time and feel (like you, Mr. Berlin) who have not used or needed the aid of a metronome in their development, there are many more who resist the metronome and trot out all the arguments about how "it kills the feel" and is "too mechanical" and "has no soul" etc. when it is obvious to me that they are in denial about their own deficiencies and, rather than confront them, criticize and dismiss possibly helpful tools out of ignorance, fear and personal insecurity.

These same people often resist things like learning to read music, scales, and arpeggios. You may know someone like this. To put it bluntly, these people say "I play from the heart" so that they can continue to SUCK and not feel internally conflicted about it.

Come on. You know it's true.

I credit the metronome for valuable assistance in my technical development. Simply because you have never used or felt the need for one, Mr. Berlin, does not mean it did not help me. It did.

OK I'm done now.

BTW I saw you give a clinic in about 1990 when you were endorsing the Peavey Pallaedium bass. Watching you up close showed me that I had to use my RH thumb as a floating mute to keep the open strings under control. Thank you very much -- that realization alone made a huge improvement in my playing. I got to talk to you a bit and you were very cool. I appreciate it to this day.

Guess how I practiced that technique and got it completely internalized?

WITH A METRONOME!

So I will continue to disagree with you on this point.

OK now I'm really done.

You play an electric bass!

2008-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

So touch the strings lightly, turn your amp up, and let the power company in your area do the work.

Gary Willis talks about this a lot and even uses a thing called a ramp to keep from digging in too hard.

That's all for now.

Love,
Andy

Modes of the major scale and minor scale types explained

2007-09-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

>Hi andy, my name is J., i'm from --------... i took one lesson from you over
>a year ago but unfortunately could not continue due to financial reasons...
>hopefully there will be more in the future... anyway.. i was just wondering
>if you could help clear something up for me.. it pertains to modes...and i
>know how much you love them...lol
>
>what is the difference between major and minor modes?
>
>arent all modes (ionian, dorian, phryigian, aeolian, lydian, etc) just
>variations of the major scale, making them MAJOR MODES. If i begin with
>ionian on C and proceed to play dorian on D, phyrigian on E, and so forth...
>i will have played thru all the notes in the key of C major...correct??
>
>however, would the "key of A minor" be the key of "C major" simply because
>they are relative?
>
>or are there an entirely different set of modes for playing in a minor
>key...?
>
>and where do harmonic and melodic minor scales come into play? would these
>be considered modes of the minor scale... or major.... and can you replace
>the 6th degree mode (aeolian) with a harmonic minor scale... or would this
>not fit as affectively as the natural minor
>

Hi J.,
Your thinking is on the right track. The major scale is also the Ionian mode,
and its relative minor is the Aeolian mode (starting on the sixth degree of its
relative major). A major and its relative minor share the same key signature so
yes, C major and A minor share a key signature, like F major and D minor, Bb
major and G minor, etc.
Harmonic minor is an alteration of the natural minor (Aeolian mode) which raises
the 7th degree to create a leading tone one half step below tonic (root). This
alteration make the V chord a dominant chord (major triad + minor seventh)
instead of a minor seventh chord. It's a stronger chord and makes for stronger
harmonic motion. It's all over 18th century writing (J. S. Bach, etc.) and is
still maybe more common than natural minor. Melodic minor, with its raised 6th
and 7th when ascending, takes this idea a little further. The alterations show
up in written music as accidentals (sharps or naturals not indicated in the key
signature).
Hope this helps,
Andy

http://www.andrewpfaff.com
http://www.myspace.com/andrewpfaffmusic

Onboard Active Equalization

2007-08-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

>Hi Andrew .Im a newbie with a spector legend6 Its got
>a tone pump jr 2band active eq with 2 pots .i really
>dont now how to work it i just fiddle with it till it
>sounds good .How do it really work ? D.

Hi D.,
I'm not familiar with your bass so I don't know if the two pots are bass and treble (more common) or level and curve controls (if it's a parametric eq).
If it's the former, then you use it just like any other bass and treble controls. In my experience active tone controls are pretty radical. On my basses with active eq I tend to leave them flat(no gain or cut).
If it's the latter, then you use one control to determine the center point of your eq curve and the other control to cut or boost around that frequency. I think it's unlikely this is what you have though.
Hope this helps,
Andy

http://www.andrewpfaff.com
http://www.myspace.com/andrewpfaffmusic
http://www.andrewpfaff.com/BCTHSmusic

Octave Equivalence

2007-02-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

>Andrew,
>
> I have a question for you regarding scales and patterns.
>can you explain to me how you would transition from one pattern to the
>next. I have been playing rock guitar by ear for years and recently
>have gone to the bass but I cant figure out the transition of the
>patterns. The tabs themselves are easy to figure out but like in Hal
>Leonard's Bass method he shows you the patterns (i.e. pattern 1 pattern 2 and
>pattern 3 etc etc) of the same note and scale and they are always not in order
>from the fret on. I am wondering (feel stupid because I years ago took
>theory and harmony and have played for years) if each pattern is actually the
>next step in key structure IE the circle of fifths.
>
>In other words, take a c major Ionian pattern three. The root is at
>the nut, or E then the scale progresses to f, g a b(root) c, etc etc, However
>pattern 1 starts at the c on the 8th fret. Now I understand that this
>is also a c major scale but what I am looking for is what the relationship from
>one pattern to the next is and why would the not be nut pattern as number 1 then
>progressively up from there?
>
>I hope this questions isn't to moronic for you as I really want to learn
>this and get very good at base. I would like to actually learn musically
>so I can join in on anything group playing rather than the head banging noise
>that I have done for years. So any help you have would be great on this
>subject.
>
>Thank you
>
>D. P.

Hi D,
Without actually seeing the book, it sounds like each pattern is a rotation of
the major scale in question (in the case of your example, C major).
The rotation, or pattern, of the scale starting at the nut on E, seems like it
should start on the 12th fret of the E string or the 7th fret of the A string,
because you are starting from the third step of the scale.
While that is logical, the point to remember is that there are only seven letters
in the musical alphabet (ABCDEFG) and they keep repeating octave after octave.
The E at the nut is equivalent to the E at the 12th fret E string or 7th fret A
string (or 2nd fret D string), but sounds one octave lower.
So your book is dropping the register by one octave to make it more convenient to
learn and play.
Hope this helps,
Andy

Shameless plug for the release of my book in e-format

2007-02-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

Mode Shapes for Bass (my book) is now available as an e-book for instant download from bassbooks.com. Direct link here.

Shameless plug for my various web presences

2007-02-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.andrewpfaff.com
http://www.myspace.com/andrewpfaffmusic
http://www.andrewpfaff.com/BCTHSmusic

Also, I'm getting into the podsafe music thing. I'm getting carried on podcasts through http://www.podshow.com.

Active or Passive

2006-11-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

>Andrew,
>
>
>
>I was searching the internet for an answer to what does an
>Active or Passive bass guitar mean – came across your info in the
>About.com site – can you answer the question? Or could you point me at a
>good source of information on this and other Bass Guitar fundamentals.
>
>
>
>Many thanks
>
>
>
>S.C.

Dear S.,
"Active" and "passive" refer to the electronics in a guitar or bass. An active circuit means the instrument has an internal preamp which is powered by a battery -- usually a 9-volt. These batteries have to be replaced every so often or the signal gets weak and distorted. Passive, on the other hand, is the older and more traditional circuitry which requires no battery in the guitar.
Active and passive electronics both have their pros and cons. If you are shopping for an instrument you will want to try out some examples of both and let your ears be the judge.

Hope this helps,
Andrew Pfaff

andrewpfaff.com

Is the bass physically hard to play?

2006-10-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

>Dear Mr. Pfaff,
>
>Thanks for answering my question about the bass and for your advice. You're right in not over thinking it. I don't want to do that. I just want to find a bass that is easy to play.
>
>I was told that a bass is hard to play and that if you don't have strong wrists that you shouldn't even bother. What do you say to that? Also, if you were starting to play all over again, which brand or instrument type would you get? Would you reccomend a book to learn from?
>
>Thanks again Mr. Pfaff.
>
>J.

Dear J.,
Your wrists gain strength through practice. A bass that is set up decently should be playable by anyone with normal wrist strength.
I started with a cheap copy of a Fender Precision made by a company called Crestline. I imagine they have long since gone out of business. It was fine for what I needed at the time, and as my playing matured my tastes and preferences matured as well, which led me to the next bass and the next one after that.
If I had it to do over again that bass would still have been fine. Just about any of the inexpensive models you see in music stores today are playable if they have a good truss rod adjustment.
As for beginning bass books, get one that teaches you how to read standard musical notation. It's a far superior system to tablature for many reasons. Most of the books in that category are equally good. Again, I encourage you not to overthink it. Any book you pick out and practice from diligently will give you results.
Hope this helps,
Andy

http://www.andrewpfaff.com

Low Action

2006-10-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

>Dear Mr. Pfaff,
>
>My name is J. I've been playing guitar for a few years now, but want to learn the bass.
>
>I have no plans on being a great bassist or anything, I just want to play basic stuff and join a rock band.
>
>I guess my question to you is, do you know of a type of bass that has very low string action (so it's not hard to play and fret notes)? I would need a bass that is set up really well. Also, I'm sure you get e-mails from people like me a lot, but could you give someone like me any advice?
>
>Thank you.
>
>J

Dear J,
All electric basses come with a metal truss rod in the neck, which you adjust to give the amount of "bow" you want. This is primarily what determines the string action. You could make any bass have low action. As long as the neck isn't warped and the frets are level, you can have low action. Don't adjust the truss rod more than a quarter-turn at a time. It's a very sensitive adjustment.
Outside of that, my advice is to get a bass and play. Don't overthink it.
Hope this helps,
Andy

andrewpfaff.com

Sight Reading

2006-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

>Hi Andrew,
>
>I'm an electric bassist wanting to improve my sight reading skills. I'm
>currently using a trombone book that was transcribed from vocal
>exercises. I can't remember the name of the book but the author is
>Johannes Rochet (in case you know the book).
>
>Can you recommend any other sight reading material in bass clef?
>
>Also, I'm beginning to teach my 15-year old son to play bass. Is your
>book Mode Shapes for Bass a book for beginners or will that be too
>advanced to start?
>
>Thanks for any info you can provide.
>
>D.

Hi D.,
I am not familiar with the Rochet, but another book transcribed from vocal
exercises is called _Rhythmical Articulation_ by Pasquale Bona. You can get a
bass clef edition. It really gets into some complex territory!
For more material in bass clef, I would recommend _String Bass Etudes_ by
Simandl. This will be a lot simpler than the Bona; probably better for actual
sight reading. The harder Bona selections require practice but improve your
reading through practicing the unusual rhythms.
I know quite a few people who have taken a book by Louis Bellson and Gil Breines
called _Modern Reading in 4/4_ and used it for their chosen instrument. It was
written as a drum book, but you could apply scales, apeggios or whatever you
wanted to the written rhythms.
Cello literature might be a good source for reading, too. Just make sure it's
bass clef literature. Some cello music is written in tenor clef.
And of course string bass music in general will always work.
As to your question about my book, I don't consider it a beginning book. My
book assumes at least partial knowledge of the fingerboard and an already
somewhat developed technique. I think most of the beginning bass books I've
seen are equally good. The information is the same in all of them; the
presentation varies some but in most cases not in a huge way.
Hope this helps,
Andy

andrewpfaff.com

The magic answer is: Just buy a bass and learn music.

2006-09-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

The following is an example of the notes I commonly get:

>

Hi, Im something of a bass novice, ive played guitar for 5 years and purchased a cheap bass to play with some freinds. Id like to buy a new bass but am completely stuck as to which one would be most suited to the music i play. My main influence is punk along with some hard rock and metal, i heard the Ibanez sr range were particuarly well suited to these genre. Ive visited some stores but they can only suggest what they have in stock so i was hoping you might be able to help as an acomplished bass player. Also, are there any scales which in your mind would help me to progress in my playing, given my influences. I seem to be stuck around just major and minor patterns and im struggling to get an interesting sound going. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I read this and thought, his style of music calls for a plank of wood with strings. And he has the common misconception that somehow there is a certain segment of music theory that applies more specifically to his genre of music than to others. The fact is, the same information applies across all tonal music. Practially any theory book and a decent teacher will do. All this stuff about "style" and "influence" is irrelevant. Could you imagine what it would sound like to any music educator worth their salt to hear me say something like, "oh yeah, the mixolydian mode is great for punk music."
Just buy a bass and learn music.
But I was nicer to him in my reply and responded thus:

In my opinion any good solid-body bass works for punk, rock and metal. The Ibanez series you mentioned would fall in that category but so would a lot of other things. Try a lot of basses and pick what feels good and sounds good to you. Ultimately the "right sound" comes much more from your hands than your bass.
You mention "major and minor patterns". Major and minor scales and arpeggios are the backbone of technique regardless of whether your instrument is bass or saxophone or violin or piano. Find a good teacher and take that teacher's recommendation on a good book. The major scale actually breaks up into seven different scales -- the modes. Find a book which explains them and then practice the scales in every combination presented.
You're welcome.

andrewpfaff.com

Links

2006-08-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

How to play
acoustic guitar - Learn how to play acoustic guitar easily - free
lessons!

Walking Bass -- The Thought Process

2006-06-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

>Hi,
>
>This may sound like a weird question...but I was just
>curious about your thought process while playing
>walking jazz bass lines. For example, if you were
>playing a tune that you were not intimately familiar
>with, and using a head chart are you thinking about
>the shapes or patterns of the chords and how they fall
>on the neck...or are you thinking about the notes that
>make up the chords and what your options are?
>
>Thanks,
>
>T. S.

Hi T.S.,
I think everybody thinks differently, so the fact that I think one way about performing a task (in this case a walking bass line) doesn't give it any more or less merit than how someone else thinks about it. Plus there's the whole issue of "levels" of thinking -- what am I conciously thinking about and what is going on in the background, so to speak.
But if i stop and imagine myself in that situation -- someone puts an unfamiliar head chart in front of me -- I guess it would depend somewhat on the tune but I would try to look first for what are the "usual" things in a jazz tune or standard -- the ii-V-I progressions, 8-bar phrases, a 32-bar form, the bridge temporarliy modulating out of the original key and finding it's way back somehow in time for the final 8 bars -- those kinds of things. If I think of a new tune that way, then the deviations from that format stand out in my mind and I pay special attention to them. If a whole 8 or 16 bars of a tune are in a single key, then I can pay more attention to simplifying the chart.
If indeed we're dealing with a 32-bar standard type tune, then it's good to remember that chord changes are a "serving suggestion," not a mandate. The 1st 3 bars of "I Could Write A Book" go Cmaj, Amin, Dmin, G7, Cmaj. It's a slightly fancier way of taking a melody which works over the I-V-I and dressing up the harmony so it moves instead of being static. If I remember that, then actually spelling everything out is not so important. Will the listener miss the point if I don't actually play an A note under those two beats of Amin7? I worry about making sure the main melodic idea is supported. Within that there is freedom.
When approached this way a tune sounds potentially more fresh and free. It's not each chord that's important -- it's the areas of common tonality. If you do those some kind of justice everything is fine.
But let's say the new head chart is for a Wayne Shorter tune or something that isn't following the harmonic rules of a standard. In that case I want to do whatever supports the melody best. I figure I can't go wrong by starting simple and playing a lot of roots. Chances are that's what everyone else would appreciate anyway. Two or three times though the form, it gets a little more comfortable and easy to experiment.
As far as actually thinking of the notes making up chords, or where they fall on the neck, that kind of thing goes on in the background for me now -- I don't consciously think about it any more although there certainly was a time when I did.

Hope this helps,
Andy

http://www.andrewpfaff.com

Quest for speed

2005-07-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

J.O. writes:

>I've been playing bass for more years than I'd like to count. After a 5
>year absence, I've been practicing every night since a year last January.
>Since reading Essential Bass Technique, by Peter Murray, I've reworked my
>technique from the ground up with good results. I work on excersises as
>well as songs. One of the more difficult ones is an old Yellow Jackets song
>called Sylvania from the Samurai Samba CD. If you haven't heard it, it's
>basically thumping 16th notes using your thumb at around 126 - 132. I have
>slowdown software I use to gradually work songs up to speed. I've worked
>this one up to 90% on a good day with a lot of warm-up. I'll keep this up
>for a couple of weeks and then everything seems to fall apart and I end up
>having to go back to scratch because my right hand just won't do what I want
>it to do anymore. I've been working on the song and have had to restart 3
>or 4 times now. My thinking on this is that I'm changing something that
>reduces my efficiency of motion in my right hand making it fatigue faster
>but I can't figure out what I'm doing right when I'm doing it and what I'm
>doing wrong when it all goes to hell. The song isn't the end all be all but
>it's just something I've always wanted to play. I keep trying because I
>know I can do it. Any suggestions or resources would be appreciated? Also,
>can you recomend any teachers in the Ft. Worth TX area.
>
>Thanks,
>J.O.
>

Dear J,
I'll have to go dig up the song now because I want to hear what you're talking about!
You seem to have a good handle on your own practicing process and you understand that anything fast and consistent demands economy of motion. Your own detective work is telling you that something is causing your right hand to collect tension and tense up as you approach performance tempo.
Be careful that you are not fatiguing your right hand to the point of injury.
Your practice routine of approaching the tempo gradually is good, but you may need to shake things up a bit by trying a different approach. Can you play four bars at performance quality AND at the original performance tempo? You may want to try it that way and then expand it to eight bars, and so on. This may shed new light on exactly what is happening that causes your hand to become fatigued.
If things start out well, i.e. you can play four or eight bars at performance tempo and quality without tension, then perhaps the tension is the product of your internal dialogue.
What do I mean by internal dialogue? The voice in our heads that says, "yeah, I'm getting this, I'm finally playing it! The practicing is paying off!" This thought causes us to lose focus on the relaxed mindset that finally made the exercise work. The tension and fatigue come back. We get frustrated. We have become attached to the results instead of focusing on the process. Focusing on the process, and detaching from the results, is what works. We get tense when we inadvertently focus on the desired result instead of simply staying in the moment and doing what only we need to do.
I see my students' hands collecting tension in all kinds of unconscious ways. Fingers coming way up off the fingerboard is a common one. A tense wrist in the plucking hand is another. I always point these things out to the students in an effort to make them conscious of the tension. I explain that the tension comes as a result of wanting to be able to play what they are practicing. In other words, it comes from desiring the result. The answer is to stop desiring the result, stay in the present, and trust the process of practicing. Results take care of themselves this way.
Let me leave you with this thought: when you have your next practice session, don't think "I need to try harder" when you hit the glitch. Think, "I will try less."
Let me know how it goes.
Happy playing,
Andy

http://www.andrewpfaff.com

Many questions, one answer

2005-05-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Many students' questions have one simple answer: Acceptance.

Many times a student will ask a question when he or she really already knows the real answer. I think most of the time this is in the hope that the teacher can show them an easier way.

Here's some examples:

"How do I work on playing faster?"
"How do I learn better sight reading skills?"
"How do I correct my left-hand technique so my fingers don't come off the board?"
"What do I do to learn to solo over chord changes?"
"How do I figure out the note combinations I can get with harmonics?"
"How do I improve my fretless intonation?"

The answer sought is along these lines:
"Just do X, Y and Z for a specific amount of time and your problem will be solved."

But an observant student who is honest with him/herself knows such answers really don't exist.

The answer to the above set of questions is _acceptance_.

Specifically, it is acceptance that it will take however much time it takes to learn whatever you want to learn. You cannot accelerate the process of your own learning. You cannot get there any faster than you can get there.

The better you internalize this philosphy, the less time you will waste in not learning the material at all.

Trying to speed through the material, whether it is a reading exercise, a scale study, a piece for performance, or anything else, is time wasted not learning. If you are making mistakes or wild guesses, you are outrunning your learning rate. Why else would you have to keep going back to "try it again"?

Let each attempt tell you more about your learning rate. If you hit the glitch and can't play it perfectly, or you start guessing, you need to slow it down to the point where you play the trouble spot perfectly. When you find that point, gradually perfect it and speed it up. You have fallen in line with your learning rate and now your practice time will be spent with maximum efficiency.

PATIENCE GETS YOU THERE THE QUICKEST!!

Expected to "make stuff up" -- what to do? (FREE BEGINNER LESSON)

2005-05-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

To: ALL (1 of 1)
1414.1 I play bass, and I'm having troubling making up stuff to go with
pre-made guitar stuff. My friends made up a lot of songs with no bass,
and now they expect me to come in and make stuff up...I can't! I can play
any tab, and I can make up stuff alright on my own...but I have a lot of
trouble making up stuff to go with guitar, I just can't seem to hear it right, I
have to go by trial and error (and that takes forever). Help me!
(from an About.com Musicians Exchange post)

Dear Musicians Exchange poster,
Hello, and sorry for the delay in responding!
Here are some facts which may help. The four-string electric bass is
tuned E-A-D-G, from the thickest and lowest pitched string to the thinnest and
highest pitched. The six-string guitar is tuned E-A-D-G-B-E. Your four
strings are exactly one octave below the guitarist's E-A-D-G.

What are the implications of this? Well, if your guitar player is
playing any kind of single-note line or melody (meaning NOT chords) and it's on
those four strings, then you can watch the guitarist and play the exact
same line with the exact same fingering. Doubling the guitar line may be the
answer for a particular tune or part of a tune, but if not, at least
it's a place to start.

Further, if the music for which you're being asked to compose a bass
line has "power chords" in the guitar part, meaning those chunky sounding two
or three note chords played on the E, A and D strings or the A, D and G
strings, if you play the root note of that chord, you are guaranteed to
sound right on! What do I mean by the root note? It's the note that
gives the chord its name. For instance, if your guitar player is playing a G
at the third fret of his low E string, a D at the fifth fret of his A
string, and a G at the fifth fret of his D string, he's playing a G power chord.
If you play a G on the third fret of YOUR E string, or on the fifth fret of
your D string, you are going to sound good.
All of the above assumes that both you and the guitarist are tuning your
instruments to standard tuning -- the rules change otherwise!

There's one other important thing I haven't mentioned. Making parts
that compliment a song and sound like they belong there is something that
gets easier with time. As a kid, I learned all the parts for every tune my
band covered by listening to the records OVER AND OVER AGAIN until the
grooves were worn out. In the beginning it was very, very hard! But over time,
my ears improved from all the practice at figuring out parts from recordings.
Your experience with "trial and error" is not unique. After enough
trial and error, it gets easier. So hang in there!

Thanks for writing and good luck,
Andrew Pfaff

http://www.andrewpfaff.net

Is bass easier than guitar?

2005-05-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

I hear this question disturbingly often. As a professional bass player I find it kind of insulting, even though most folks who ask this aren't trying to be disrespectful. Here's how I answered this query in an About.com forum:

If you already play guitar, you do have some advantages when it comes to bass guitar. The strings on a 4-string bass correspond to the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th strings on the guitar (G, D, A and E) but one octave lower. If you can find individual notes on a guitar fretboard, you can find them on a bass.
Beyond that, playing technique on a bass can differ A LOT from guitar.
Playing bass badly is easier than playing guitar well.
Playing bass well is as hard as playing guitar well.

For more, see my site:
http://www.andrewpfaff.com

Should I learn to read?

2005-05-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

M.W. writes:

>I am 42 years old now. Have been playing bass since the late
>seventies. I have a lot of dexterity, and have good chops in most styles
>but are an expert in none. I have learned by ear throughout all the
>years. What is really turning me on lately is swing bass, jazz style
>walking. Asleep at the Wheel style. My question is, now that I have
>a "real job" and I don't play out any more, would it be in my best
>interest to learn how to read music. At least on a basic level so that I
>can utilize the Bass Builder series books. Or should I continue to go with
>the ear?
>
>Also, if I learn these great walking styles wont this help my ability to
>solo? This is also a week point.
>
>
>M.W.

Dear M,
Regardless of your musical activity or goals, it is always a good idea to learn to read music. Music is a language. Why would we want to speak a language but not know how to read and write it at least a little?
I am not suggesting that you must become a killer sight reader who can walk in off the street and instantly play anything put in front of you. But you should know how rhythms and pitches are organized on paper.
If you don't learn the written language, you won't be able to benefit from what the books can show you. Tablature is a poor alternative because it does not give you nearly as much information as standard notation.

Don't be intimidated by what you don't yet understand. There are lots of good resources for learning to read music. Check out musictheory.net for good music reading trainers. Also, let me suggest the book I use to teach reading, Sight Reading for Bass by Ron Velosky.

As to your other question, the answer is yes. Good walking bass is built on a solid knowledge of harmony (chords). Walking lines and solos are both improvised over a set of chord changes, so the skill is the same -- coherently linking one chord to the next with a single-note line.
For more, check out http://www.andrewpfaff.com.

Hope this helps,
Andrew Pfaff

Imprisoned by roots

2005-03-03T02:33:00.000-08:00

Hi I' ve just recently joined a band in which we write our own material one of the songs we do our vocalist came up with a very basic bass line the chord progression is C,G,A,F The guitarist's expanded on that and have harmonies and such and I' ve been told that i have to stick with the (C,C,G,G,A,A,F,F) which i find incredably boring and i have to play all the way through the song i want to expand on this I' ve been told i can but im cant get any help but i don't know where to start i don't know what scale to use and if its not to the vocalists likening then i cant use im in desperate need of advice what scale would i use? and any advice for expanding on this little riff?

Please E-mail me back soon

J. W.

Dear J.W.,
I don't know how fast the chords go by or in what specific rhythm, but let's say we are in 4/4 time and each chord is for one bar (i.e. C/// G/// A/// F///). Further, let's say we're in the key of C major and the chord QUALITIES are actually Cmaj, G7, Amin, and Fmaj. In this case you can use the C major scale (CDEFGABC) and build a line around the chord tones of each chord, which are all in the scale.
Cmaj = C, E and G
G7 = G, B, D, F
Amin = A, C, E, G
Fmaj = F, A, C

Hope this helps,
Andrew Pfaff
http://www.andrewpfaff.net

Success (?)

2004-12-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last night the band I normally work for played a private holiday party in Lower Manhattan. We shared the bill with a singer who had a big disco hit in the '70s. The singer, who shall remain unnamed, and her band, played a "disco oldies" - type set capped by the big hit that originally catapulted her to fame. Then, to my surprise, the band played another tune they had already played in the set. Then, they played the big hit A SECOND TIME. I'm not saying the name of the tune but you know it.

Fine band. Good musicians. Not a criticism of the singer or her band in the least.

But just in case you thought having a gig backing a "name" was all gravy, the reality is having to keep playing that hit song and pretending you like it. I wouldn't want that job.

The Price of Fame

2004-12-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

So the other day I heard from a couple of my guitar students that the guy from the now-defunct band Pantera had been shot and killed onstage playing a gig with his new band.

To me it's another example of the hidden price of fame: many, many people know you but you don't know them. Your chances of exposure to crazy people, some violently crazy who might hurt or kill you, rise exponentially the more famous you are.

Makes me glad I got over wanting to be famous a long, long time ago.

BEAD Tuning

2004-12-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

Andrew,

first of all, nice site. I am an avid bass player of 3 yrs. I am a huge fan of B F# B E and BEAD tunings. I currently play an Ibanez gsr 205 five string. i'm very comfortable with five stringers, but i also love four stringers(i'm a fingerstyle player). My experience with playing a four string in these tunings is that the E string can be really floppy and somtimes muddy. don't get me wrong, i like for the top string to pop the fret board just a little to add to my b tuned tone. But is it true that a 34" scale four string can make the string too floppy and do harm to the neck (thinking of buying the new epiphone goth thunderbird, so i would play it as described above)? I've heard that a 35" scale four stringer is way better suited to deal with such low tunings (not muddy and adds the slight pop which I prefer Is this true? i've never had my hands on a 35" scale four stinger so i don't know. also, if i manage to actually find a 35" scale four string Ibanez, esp, schecter, or my much
wanted 34"scale t-bird, would it play normally (not as much mud)? Any help would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks for taking time to answer my e-mail.

From one low-end lover to another,
B V

Dear B,
I have never owned a 35" scale instrument but have heard that the slightly longer speaking length of the string helps when dealing with a low B. But I think it's wise to consider other factors as well. I own 5- and 6- string basses with low B strings on them and can share some things I always do to help them sound their best.
First, I use a B string which is tapered at the point where it hits the bridge saddle -- in other words, toward the ball end. I find that having a smaller contact point where the string hits the bridge makes a much clearer B string tone and is also more likely to stay more in tune all the way up the neck.
Second, when changing strings, I always apply some pressure at the point where the string hits the bridge saddle, after tuning the string to pitch. This way I get a small kink in the string at exactly the right angle over the contact point which gets a better, more focused tone.
Third, I find that I have to modify my touch a little for the B string. In order to get it to sound consistent with E, A, D, and G, I have to touch it just a little more lightly. You'll find out how much to adjust your B string technique for your particular bass and playing style.
As far as I know there is no danger of neck damage when tuning a 4-string to BEAD. You may find that the increased tension requires that you adjust the truss rod so that there is not too much neck relief ("bow"). If you are not experienced with truss rod adjustment, leave it to a professional.
The fact that you don't find a lot of 35" basses is telling. I suspect most players find that the extra inch translates into a more difficult playing experience for the fretting hand because you have to reach a tiny bit more for each note. The relative ease of playing a 34" scale instrument, in most instances, outweighs the sound benefit gained by adding an inch.
You may also need to experience some different string brands and gauges to find what works best. The gauge for a B string is typically .120 to .130. A standard E string gauged .100 would be way too floppy and out of control when tuned down to B. Again, look for strings with tapered ends.
Hope this helps,
Andrew Pfaff

http://www.andrewpfaff.com

Piano Class = Survival Skills

2004-12-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

I teach a beginning piano class at the high school where I work. Last night my piano students gave a recital. While a couple of my students had some previous piano experience, and recital performance experience, most did not. They started playing piano in September.

It's those new students I'm the most proud of. Each one of them had to step outside their comfort zone and confront some fear. Happily, each and every student survived the experience.

That's the point. If I make you a better piano player that's just a bonus. But if you leave my class knowing you did something you weren't sure you could do, that's the lasting value.

King Diddy

2004-11-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

I work for a large club date office out of NYC which recently got the job of playing P. Diddy's 35th birthday party at Cipriani Wall Street.
As a club date player in the Big Apple I see lots of lavish affairs. This trumped all of them in its sheer grandeur. People Magazine et. al will cover the celebrity sightings in detail to be sure.

I turned down my chance to schmooze. For one, I doubted anyone wanted to pay any attention to someone obviously dressed as the hired help that I was. Also, I never did do well at the "all night hang," which probably explains a lot of how my career has gone. I don't drink or do any recreational drugs, and even if I did I doubt I could feel comfortable with myself in that environment. I'm not that particular variety of social animal.

If I was that particular variety of social animal, the kind that can freely circulate at these shindigs and feel comfortable, I might be a touring rock musician today instead of a club date/utilitarian type musician and teacher.
I am a modest, self-effacing personality who does not wish to call attention to himself. I like to let my work speak for itself and get a great sense of pride from that. This is the recipe for not being famous. Which is fine with me.

My guess is that P. Diddy is a very different personality type. He is able to shamelessly self-promote. He is comfortable with commissioning a video montage projected on the walls in which he is referred to as "King Diddy." Self-consciousness does not interfere with hiring women to perform an elaborate, provocative floor show. He is fine with rolling up to his own party two hours after it starts, to a brass fanfare on the red carpet.

I do not say any of this to criticize P. Diddy. It does not take a genius to see that this complete absence of modesty is one of the main components, if not THE main component, of his success. His sheer belief in his own worth somehow convinces those around him. It is almost as if his dream comes true simply because he wills it to be so. In some way or other, this is how anyone's dream comes true. This is not to say P. Diddy didn't have to work for it. But the attitude of entitlement to the kingdom followed him every step of the way.

If he's enjoying himself, great. I would hate being a king.