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Contents

Issue 66 May 2011


Regulars
08 THE LOW DOWN
Keep up with all the latest new gear
and industry news

12 BASS TO THE FUTURE


Introducing Andrew Fletcher, bassist with

30 TROY The Amateurs

ANTUNES 17 TAKE FIVE: DUFF MCKAGAN


The bass-playing ex-punk from Seattle
A star of the London reveals his top bass albums
Bass Guitar Show, Troy
18 BASSICALLY SPEAKING
talks us through his We talk to bassists Ben Cross, James Laff,
Joe Cang, Mick Murphy, Nadja Mesmer,
inspired bass work Shane Phillips, Toshi Ogawa, Duncan Robert
with some of the Illing, Chris Sharp, Jeff Valentine, Mark Egan
& Ben Wooster
biggest names in pop

LONDON BASS
GUITAR SHOW
Check out our full report on page 22

Interviews
34 MIKE HINDERT
Meet Mike Hindert, bassist with New York
outfit The Bravery

36 AVISHAI COHEN
Avishai talks us through his latest vocal-led
Blue Note album, Seven Seas

42 REMEMBERING JET HARRIS


Laurence Canty pays tribute

44 ‘PIGGY D’
Joel McIver chats to Rob Zombie’s Matt
‘Piggy D’ Montgomery

46 SHAUN CORNELL
Find out what makes
Transfer ones to watch in 2011

4 BASS GUITAR MAGAZINE

Contents_1nw.indd 4 06/04/2011 15:44


Gear

Gear Regulars
Bass Technique
Bass Techniques s

cher:
stefan redtenba ANDREW MCK
’funkyologies’ INNE Y: TUITION TIP
stein How To Read Musi
Exploration 6: Dr Hypen
open your mind to
open strings The 19th in a series
on reading
c: Lesson 19
Open ‘String-o-Rama’- Here are my reasonsa go:
for
music notation:
Reading under
but also for
mightily powerful sound, lot of grit As with the last direction
ted takes a giving open stringsstrings few issues, we are
Mildly opiniona technical reasons. It It sounds good, as open
to look at factors continuing today
involved in reading
views on the world
clean notes instrument as part
and power to produce are truly powerful and
wonderful beyond just playing
the right notes
music that go
hands free all of
of the band, so
they
of funk bass... when pressing the
strings down
Upright bassists things.
There are times
need to follow
when reading music
and rhythms.
they will often
the time. In musical-thewon’t have their
atre settings
onto the fretboard. live directions from when you will be playing keyboard
stefan did, Marcus and

48 IBANEZ
more in the but in pop bands at the same time,
Jamerson did, Jaco probably play a lot position shifts musical director. a conductor or any
It helps to facilitate This presents certain Also, in a pop music of the musicians can be the MD.
redtenbacher Victor do … so you
should too …
thing open-string positions
(they call it ‘half
bassists. One (‘Dr. Hypenstein’ - letters
A, B). there are some
directions and challenges and
and the tempo
setting, once a
song has started
Open strings are a beautiful be an position’) than electric full use be aware of. terminology you
need to has been established
to it is physically It allows you to make to change, so all , it
Redtenbacher is – for any bassist it appears in the reason is certainly that the MD really needs is very unlikely
Stefan ‘The Count’
and writer obvious choice to play tunes
easier on the electric
bass to play of the range of your
bass and
leaps into ANDREW Conductors specific cues and to
directions for repeateddo is give any
the bassist, bandleader
for the RB Funkestra,
a fortified keys of E or A, for example
major
(minor
alike). It is immediate
and ‘closed’ positions all
over the neck.
that Leo Fender
incorporate big-interval
your lines (‘Dr. Hypenstein’
- letters MCKINNEY In classical music,
conductor. The
an orchestra will
always have a
endings. However,
they may start
if the MD isn’t happy sections and
conducting and with the tempo
a strong and Remember Head of bass at overall sound and you need
jazz-funk band with powerful-sounding,
as open strings Bass to ‘free the A, B). Tech Music School performance of wishes. If they are
playing an instrument to follow their
invented the Fender orchestra is their

GROOVELINE
tantalising in London and who responsibility. During the
flavour of groove and can resonate to maximum
effect
double bass players
from their “dog plays with the they direct the a performance
time this may not
follow the established at the same
the double It provides you with alternatives James Taylor Quartet. musicians with classical conductor patterns that a
brass work. their arms (often
and sustain.
have been house” [as he nicknamed on how to play ghost
notes. baton) to control
the with a would – you may
www.rbfunkestra.com Many funk(y) basslines bass]’ and created an
instrument
cool guitar- mood of the piece. tempo, dynamics and also general a series of head
nods and gestures, need to interpret
m open E string, upon with It allows you to play For the full Tuition There are specifi some shouting and maybe even
www.stefanredtenbacher.co created based on the that at first was looked in ‘Dr. Tip archive, how the tempo c conventions for too!
include the open but was type licks like the one including sound is to be indicated,
featuring keys that suspicion by bassists, C). files and directions for things but a lot of the
E and A for guitarists who Hypenstein’– letter videos, visit Andrew’s like dynamic and other In Performance
strings, in particular
Chic, with quickly embraced by able to profile on the website:
teacher indirect and can
be interpreted mood are more
The main challenge
Times’ by by how agitated
bassists (‘Good suddenly found themselves jump It can add subtle shifts
of colour www. calm the conductor or presented to the
bass, comes to bass. The techmusicschool.co.uk. looks! when following reading bassist
Bernard Edwards on double on guitar and lines (‘Dr. These aspects of direction is just
to mention, bass might and timbre to your Each issue Andrew performance can read music and that – you have

We audition the latest


mind). Almost surplus from guitar to double F; play the will be discussed during also be follow direction to
satisfying far to even Hypenstein’ – letter featuring a specifi rehearsals, and up your music at the same time.
but slapping is especially by Level have been one step too run in the c class taught the conductor it should always stand so that you Set
Games’ reasons (oh yes, D of the G blues scale at the school, giving who has the final be conductor in your can see the MD
in the key of E (‘Love attempt for physical string, rather you a bite- sergeant major, say. They are the peripheral vision. or
on bass, or ‘Run issues, there is 4th bar on the open size chunk of the and the musicians to prepare, try to If you have time
42, with Mark King and besides fretting fret on the lesson and an unflinchingly in report directly and memorise important
Sanborn, with than the D on the 5th insight into what the line of duty! you can confidently sections so that
For Cover’ by David also the bow!). a course.
it’s like to be on The tempo of the look up at the MD
are two great assumptions A string). piece is indicated your head buried and not have
Marcus Miller on bass, So, with these basic pattern of arm
or baton movement by a specific in the music.
probably tens draw your
examples). There are aside, I would like to

model from Ibanez


are showcased of which depends s, the exact nature
worldwide strings As most of my points on
music performanc the time signature. In popular- Terms and Symbols
of thousands of bassists the key attention to using open the tune of this month, I want e we are generally
licks in rather than with Here are some terms
that have a few slap within your basslines strings and tempos as consistent trying to keep and symbols commonly
for that very strings as the to write about open as possible, but directed music
of E in their repertoire just using the open the case in the this is not always – refer to the exercises used in
know, I used to of B, E, A, D or ghost notes a little more. performance of action. All of these to see them in
reason – trust me, I tonic notes in the key conductor will
often vary the tempo
classical music.
The require a conductor or
in the bass tunings, the give the signal
work in a music store G (I will talk about drop dramatic effect, of the piece for or cue so that the an MD to
in association with department! beloved key of D and
the Hipshot Ghostnotes (See below)funk and follow these
and the orchestra
should be alert together as one,
rather than each
whole ensemble
acts
of course, also Example 1 shows a typical subtle, or even up their own mind individual
Upright bassists, tuner another time). vamp, a little bit à la
Verdine White tempo. dramatic, changes
of and everyone pulling making
open strings directions.
make full use of their Fire. Other main features in different
for sonic from Earth, Wind and of a conductor’s
at all times. This is partly cueing musicians job include
strings have a when to start (or Vamp
reasons, as the open when they are stop),
not playing throughout particularly
Also, they conduct This can be written
the

52 FENDER 60TH
to you any specific endings entire piece. either at the above a repeated
section of music,
This column is brought marks – refer to
the Terms and Symbols and pause
beginning, at the
end or both. A
the with repeat marks
by the Funk University, Ghostnotes Check out the clip list. is usually repeated section
of Mr Bean ‘Salvation section is performed
online school masterminded Carols’ to see him Army Band twice in total (fi
once, so the
Collins having a go at
by bass icon Bootsy being a conductor! the repeat). If ‘vamp’
is written, then
rst time and
lessons,
that offers lectures, and IN ASSOCIATION Musical Director repeating that
section until the
you are to keep
WITH
exercises, gear tutorials In many popular-mu s to continue to MD gives you a
media the next section signal
a wealth of exclusive a similar role to
sic settings there common in musical of the music. This
guest is someone with is very
from Bootsy and FU a conductor, and theatre where a

ANNIVERSARY
as Meshell to as the ‘musical they are often referred repeated while some action section can be
professors such Andrew’s column director’ (MD), and onstage. The length or dialogue is taking
Wooten, exactly the same the
Ndegeocello, Victor Roxx,
is brought to – they are responsible principle is time, so a vamp
of this may not
be the same every
place
you in association
John B Williams, Divinity with Tech Music and performanc
e of the band. Each for the sound allows the music
to continue for
more. long or as short
TM Stevens and many School in London. style, and a big MD has their own as as
For the price of one
average is understanding
part of performing
under direction Rit and Rall required that time.
learn and interpreting Rit and Rall
in-person lesson, students www.techmusicschool.co directions. different MDs’
from the greatest assembly 020 8749 3131 .uk ‘Rit’ is short for ‘ritenuto’,
world The main difference and ‘rall’ is short
of bass virtuosos the in a classical-mu between following – they both indicate for ‘rallentando’

PRECISION
a conductor that the tempo
has ever seen. Visit www. pop music setting
sic setting and
following an MD slow down, so
you will often see is to gradually
for more. in a
thefunkuniversity.com to give continuous
is that an MD will
be much piece of music.
Two other Italian
this at the end
of a
direction, ie conducting less likely conjunction with terms
throughout – also
known as ‘carving’. the tempo ‘rit’ or ‘rall’ are ‘molto’, you may see in
down to the fact This is mainly or ‘very’, and ‘poco’ meaning ‘much’
that they will often , which means ‘little’
be playing an would mean a . So ‘molto rall’
dramatic slowing
80 BASS GUITAR would indicate down, while ‘poco
MaGazine to slow down a rall’
74 Bass Guitar MAGAZINE
10/01/2011 17:08 little bit.

Fender mark the 60th


Andrew McKinney_1nw
74 .indd 70
Stefan_1nw.indd

Techniques
11/01/2011
11:47

anniversary of the best-


selling bass of all time

50 VINTAGE 64 THE WOODSHED: HIPSHOT


We take a trip stateside to talk 74 STEFAN REDTENBACHER
VCB430 with Hipshot’s Jason Ungleich Funkyologies
Mike Brooks
goes acoustic
66 ESSENTIAL 78 JANEK GWIZDALA
60 LINE 6 POD EFFECTS Tuition Tip: Reading Notation
This month, the
X3 PRO Dunlop Q105 80 ANDREW MCKINNEY
Line 6 extend their Bass Wah Modern Bass Improvisations
POD range with the
most extensive piece
of hardware to date
68 THIS GOES TO 11 … 82 FRANC O’SHEA
How we hear low frequencies Bass Beyond: The Tempered Scale

70 ON REVIEW 84 DAVE MARKS


We preview the latest bass-related CD Rhythm Section Development
releases, featuring the likes of Avishai Cohen
and the James Taylor Quartet 86 JON CLEMENTS
Scholarship Diary

BASS GUITAR MAGAZINE 5

Contents_1nw.indd 5 06/04/2011 15:44

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