Bass Player 10.2022
Bass Player 10.2022
Bass Player 10.2022
E F I N A L I SSU E
T H
SP E C I A L C O L L E C T O R ' S E D I T I O N
E FI N AL I SSU E
TH
CONT E
16 24
This is the last
print issue of BP.
We’re not finished
yet, though...
NEWS THE WOODSHED GUY PRATT
e knew this day was coming.
Magazines have been ceasing
6 New bass gear, new
14 Ace luthier Rob Elrick
24 We psych out with the
publication at an increasing stories, and everything else reveals the tech beneath mighty Guy Pratt and the
pace over the last few years, that’s essential in the cool your bass gear’s surface. acclaimed Saucerful Of Secrets
not because their content is world of the low end. band, zeroing in on his fully
THEORY OF
substandard or because their
THE ALBUMS 15 THE MONTH
amazing touring gear.
readers are moving on, but because the print
industry itself is on its knees. Now it’s Bass
10 THAT MADE ME AL CISNEROS
Player’s turn. Five career-defining albums
Master a chunk of bass
theory at three levels of
28 Dig into the music
Our sales are good. Advertising revenue is recalled by Josh Smith of ability with the great made by OM and Sleep bassist
decent. Subscription numbers are great. Our heavy rockers Halestorm. Joe Hubbard. Al Cisneros, and you’ll come
content is better than it’s ever been. Our readers up against a universe of very
I WAS THERE THIRTY-TWO
are loyal—but paper stocks have increased
punitively in cost, while energy prices make
12 Remember when Duff
16 YEARS OF BP
applicable bass philosophy.
Tune in and turn on here.
distribution a nightmare. McKagan wrote a bass solo After 427 issues of Bass
We’re still Bass Player, though, the coolest Player, we have a whole lot of PASS THE BASS
bass magazine ever published, and we still have
for GNR’s biggest ballad?
memories to enjoy, from the
32 We tell the story of
LOW LIFE
a community to support, and a lot of great
bassists and basses to write about—so we’re not
14 Hone your live skills
scurrilous to the dramatic
and way, way beyond. Come
bassist Dylan Flynn, who
turned a career-ending
going anywhere. You can still find us at www. with BIMM performance with us and we’ll share just accident into a chance to
bassplayer.com, where we’ll be reporting with tutor Antonio Angotti. some of the highlights. raise awareness.
artist and gear exclusives before anyone else.
In some ways, our jobs will be easier as a
digital channel because we won’t be worrying
about print logistics. We’ll be especially happy
not to have to lie awake at night asking
34 36
ourselves whether the stupid coronavirus will
be preventing you from reading about life in the
world of bass.
Thank you for your support, your
engagement, and your friendship over the last
32 years. You mean more to me, my team, and
my many talented predecessors than words can
possibly express.
Now, we’ve got important bass stuff to write
about. You don’t want to miss it, believe me. See
Mike Lawrie/Getty
you at bassplayer.com!
Joel McIver, Editor
04
Future PLC, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA, UK
Editorial
Editor Joel McIver, [email protected]
Art Editors Rosie Webber, Mixie Von Bormann,
Philip Cheesbrough, Mark White
Managing Editor Stan Bull
Technical Consultant Stuart Clayton
Content Director, Music Scott Rowley
Group Art Director Graham Dalzell
Head Of Design (Music) Brad Merrett
Contributors
Antonio Angotti, Rob Elrick, Chris Gill, Joe Hubbard, Steve Lawson,
Ryan Madora, Phil Mann, Lee Marlow, Ellen O’Reilly, Rickard Persson,
Joe Shooman, Dan Veall
ENTS
Photography
Getty and Future Studio
KELLY HELLMRICH ERNIE BALL I SPY Production Project Manager Clare Scott
BEGINNER
delivers the verdict.
64
managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this
magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming
JOHN STIRRATT
36 Kickstart your learning to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill
holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation
CHARVEL PRO-MOD
Wilco’s bassist digs
deep into his band’s bass
52 SAN DIMAS PJ V
with the great Steve Lawson. All contents © 2022 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights
reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced
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of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies
on this beefed-up but with the mighty Phil Mann. in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly
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JUNA SERITA
40 retro instrument.
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Commit or quit:
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Which is the most important
career decision?
54 BULLHEAD RIG
Stu Clayton digs into
Stu Hamm’s chordal work.
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10 OF THE BEST THE LAST NOTE
42 Soreption bassist
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82 Gear guru Dan Veall
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40 42
Mihail Siergiejevicz/Getty
05
Lowdown
THE
News and views
from the bass world,
collated by BP's team
of newshounds
BASS PLAYER
MAGAZINE
MOVES FULLY
ONLINE BP’s print magazine is over, but
we’re not done. See you online.
“Until now, Bass Player’s online content has only
Bass Player consisted of content that has come from the print
magazine. Now we can focus on delivering new
and exclusive stories and videos that appeal to
will be a final, UK-only issue. the global bass community on a daily basis.
be contacted and offered alternative “We thank everyone who’s ever bought an issue
options. of Bass Player over the last 32 years, all the great
We’ve faced massive challenges over the last bassists who have given us their wisdom and their
few years, through a difficult retail landscape and time, and all the talented writers, photographers,
an actual pandemic, to maintain Bass Player as a designers, educators and gear manufacturers who
profitable magazine, but 2022’s dramatic increase in made the world of bass such a great place to be.
costs for us and our suppliers – paper, printing, fuel, We will strive to do you proud at Bass Player’s new
and distribution to name a few – mean that our print online home.”
edition is no longer viable. Every cloud has a silver Bass Player magazine was founded in 1988 as
lining, though – the time has come to focus 100 a spinoff of Guitar Player magazine. Two trial issues
percent on our huge and growing online community. paved the way for issue 1 in 1990, featuring Billy
Editor Joel McIver will join the online team, Sheehan on its cover: 32 years and 426 issues later,
running the Bass Player channel at www.guitarworld he’s scheduled to appear in the final issue, too.
.com, and serving Bass Player’s growing digital If you need a reason why Bass Player won’t be in
audience, which already numbers almost half print any more, here it is. While readers stayed loyal
a million followers on social media, with daily news, (thank you) and subscription figures are healthy
reviews and features. (likewise), the market for print magazines is
As Joel says, “I’m gutted, that goes without impossibly difficult. Our content has never been
saying, but we also think that the bass-playing better: the market has never been more harsh.
community will be much better served by us The second phase of Bass Player’s career is about
putting all of our efforts into Bass Player’s digital to begin. Stay with us – good times are ahead!
side, as one part of the Guitar World site. www.guitarworld.com/bass-player
06
07
© Andrew Benge/Redferns
Boogie Down
Mesa/Boogie unveils the
Subway D-350.
Mesa/Boogie’s new Subway
D-350 is a compact but powerful
unit that the Gibson-owned
company says is the lightest,
smallest, and most
affordable bass amp it’s ever PAUL RYDER
produced. Given that it weighs RIP to the Happy Rex Brown
just over three pounds and Mondays bassist.
GEAR
measures at just 3” high and 9” Paul Ryder, the co-founder
wide, we have no reason to and longtime bassist of the
quarrel with those claims. Small British alt-rock band Happy
Mondays, died at the age
ROUNDUP
as it is, the amp packs a punch,
with 350 watts of power. It’s built of 58 on July 15.
with a solid-state preamp “The Ryder family and
coupled with a lightweight Class Happy Mondays band
D power amp and switch-mode members are deeply
power supply, a four-band EQ, saddened and shocked to
say that Paul Ryder passed
There’s plenty of gear to get excited
separate Gain and Master Volume
controls, Active/Passive and Input away this morning,” the
band wrote in a statement,
about. Check BP online for more!
Mute switches, and a Bright
switch. Expect to pay $699. adding “A true pioneer and antera and Down legend 11th to 13th frets. Sporting 22
legend, he will be forever Rex Brown has joined frets, a 34” scale length, a 12”
missed. Long live his funk.” forces with Gibson to fretboard radius and a single
Born in Salford, England in create a new signature Goldsound pickup, the new
1964, Paul Ryder took up the Thunderbird bass guitar. instrument is designed to help
bass at 13, and formed the The metal bass titan’s first Adelekan switch his right-hand
Happy Mondays with his collaboration with Gibson, the technique from thumbing,
brother Shaun, the band’s Rex Brown Thunderbird was fingerstyle or using a pick.
dynamic frontman, reportedly two and a half years Markbass has lifted the lid on
guitarist Mark Day,
© Daniel Boczarski/Redferns
08
Groove
IN THE
MILES DAVIS ,
© Paul Hoeffler/Redferns
09
The Albums That Made Me
Back From
The Dead
(2022)
“Don’t overthink it—
just play the song!”
Josh Smith
to play these big open arenas. It’s
less about quantity, and more
about what value you’re giving
a note rhythmically, and how
long you’re holding it down.
The rock bassist du jour discusses his band It’s our second album with Nick
Raskulinecz producing, so with
Halestorm’s five albums to date... that comes evolution. His studio
has a really dialled-in setup, so
osh Smith is the bassist The band’s new album, Back says. “In the second movement, there’s an old Ampeg SVT cabinet
and keyboardist in the From The Dead, blends their even the right hand is down in with an Orange head—it’s beefy
shape-shifting rock juggernaut live energy with their the bass clef. If you want to with that heavy tube sound. He
band Halestorm, whose customary studio explorations, hear a cool bass-line I highly loves his Geddy Lee Sansamp too.
five albums to date have been as the engaging Smith tells us. recommend it. That said, to get So the cab is being miked, of
acclaimed for their growing, He’s not just a fine bassist: back into the bass guitar and course, but there’s also a DI going
ever-developing sound. The His background includes nerd out is just fun.” on, so it’s a blend of several
group’s willingness to push their accomplished jazz studies, We couldn’t agree more, so channels. Nick has an early 1970s
own musicianship, as well as which have imbued him with let’s crack on as we discuss how P-Bass which is really heavy, like
their genre, marks them out as a superior technique. His first songs develop constantly on the a brick. He’s never done anything
one of the most inventive heavy instrument, Josh explains, was road, the advantages of using to it, and never modded it, but
acts of today, as evidenced by the piano. “When I’m home a pick, the value of jamming in that thing just rips across the
2013’s Best Hard Rock/Metal I usually go up to my piano and the writing process—and how board. Every note on the neck
Performance Grammy award for play Beethoven: At the moment you sometimes have to bite the is as present as the last, and it’s
‘Love Bites (So Do I)’. it’s his Sonata Pathétique,” he bullet and jump right in. just unbeatable.”
10
Halestorm The Strange Into The Wild Vicious
Case Of… Life
(2009) (2012) (2015) (2018)
“I was trying to get my “We were ready to “We challenged “It’s all about taking
hits in where I could” make album two” ourselves in new ways” new risks”
“We were just over in the UK, “You spend your whole life “We decided to experiment “Our producer, Nick
and we were looking at the making that first record, and and challenge ourselves in new Raskulinecz, got us to come
set-list, as we like to change it with the amount we were touring ways with this one. It’s such to the studio, set up a jam
up live, keep it interesting for we got a feel for what we needed a departure from the first two and start recording, then if we
the crowd. We do a little jam, to do. You go on the road and albums. We threw the rock heard something we liked in
I switch to keyboards, and it’s every night is a lesson. We’d formula of the time out of the the playback we’d go back and
a lot of fun, so we pulled out done a covers EP [2011’s window. It’s still one of my work on it. So we were in the
‘Dirty Work’ from the debut Reanimate], and learning favorite albums. live room playing for weeks.
album. It was one of those someone else’s song and “I’d always played with my Joe had a riff for a chorus,
‘end of the album, let’s put approach is a lesson in itself too. fingers, but around this time a really interesting, unique
this on there’ situations. It’s On there we’d done Skid Row’s I started using a pick a little metal riff, and from there we
a really fun bass-line—a very ‘Slave To The Grind’, and when more, trying to get some new built ‘Uncomfortable’ which
thumpy walking line, which we wrote ‘Love Bites’ you can sounds, using new techniques. is a kind of Frankenstein of
goes right back to my roots see the connection there. I was waiting for people to call a song. In the verses I do
of being a jazz bassist. The “We were ready for album me out and say it sounded bad, a much more rhythmic strum
song is quirky. number two. It was fun to make. but I treated it as a really great live than just straight 16th
“On ‘I’m Not An Angel’ I do We’ve been trying ever since this challenge, and these days I use notes, and the song is quite
this one-five thing up the album came out to find a better a pick more than fingers. a ride for how relatively
neck on the 14th fret. I always closing song live than ‘I Miss “I had a little fun intro in short it is.
think of the way Flea uses The Misery’, and we’re damned ‘I Am The Fire’, then there’s “We experimented with
his voicings—they’re just if we can! We do this big long ‘The Reckoning’ which is different backbeat rhythms
so beautiful—so I tried to jam every time and the crowd almost abstract in a way that it too, like on ‘Vicious’ and
employ a little bit of that. reaction is always amazing. doesn’t seem to be following ‘White Dress’. Joe, Lzzy and
There’s a fun little riff at the I have a really melodic part in any part or any pattern. I’m Arejay [Hale, drums] and I are
end where Lzzy is singing the bridge—it’s tucked away, but just peeking in and out, and playing, and everyone has a
the title. It’s the climax of if you listen you can hear it up then hitting it with the vocals, part they are responsible for to
the song and I did a little top in that 12th fret area. then off I go again. I think of make it rhythmically sound as
pentatonic. I was trying to “Another breakthrough ‘Airbag’ from Radiohead’s a whole. We did that a bunch
get my hits in where I could, moment was when Lzzy brought OK Computer, and little on this record. I don’t know
as a bassist. ‘Rock Show’ to the table. ninth-grade Josh saying ‘Oh, what I was listening to at the
“It was our first big release, I decided to just drive it, on the I can do that’. I love making time, probably soul, as I was
so I knew I had to make some downbeat, with an accent at the unique voicings and rhythms. employing the ninth a lot
moments, make more of it. top of the measure. I could tell I was a piano player first, and more, like on ‘Skulls’ which
I feel like that is where your everyone was looking at me like, to me, our band is less-is- moves around the root note
signature is as a player. You’re ‘What the hell is he doing?’ But more. My tone has moved into by a whole step. It’s a voicing
the glue between the melody on the playback, they were like, the midrange over the years. I hadn’t used as the focal point
and rhythm for an entire ‘That’s really cool’. It’s this Bass down, mid pushed and of a bass-line before, so again,
song, so you have to pick and syncopated moment before treble pushed even more. it’s about taking new risks,
choose these moments and we all come back in, locking That’s where my bass sits learning new approaches, and
say, ‘That’s me, right there’.” in again.” really well.” making them work for us.”
11
I WAS THERE!
A historic moment in bass
world – recalled by those
who were there to see it
© Paul Natkin/Getty
12
Duff and Axl in 1988:
practically (sweet) children
13
he question of whether
Low Life
COMPRESSION:
to use a compressor live
is one that I hear often.
Compression is an
YES OR NO
absolute staple for mixing and
mastering engineers in a studio
context, or for front-of-house
THE BEST...
aspire to own the best bass that
money can buy, but too often
that ‘dream bass’ is financially
14
Theory of the Month
STUDY LINE Joe Hubbard takes us
TRANSPOSITION
through three ways to
exploit this useful theory
elcome! Learning to play Not only is this beneficial while developing EXERCISE TWO
bass-lines and solos over your musical vocabulary, it’s also extremely Here, we’re taking the exact same line as
different chords has its useful for your technical development and in Exercise 1 and transposing it over a C7
challenges. One of the ear training. Thanks for reading! chord. Over the C7 we’re using a C Lydian
most effective ways to b7 scale, which means that there are two
learn this skill is by taking a line or a given EXERCISE ONE different notes to Exercise 1: These are
chord and then transposing that line, note Notice how I’m taking a simple motif in bar 1, E and F#.
for note, over another chord. The benefits are which is b3-chromatic below-5-b3, followed by
immediate, because you’ll be learning how a descending scale line using the C Dorian EXERCISE THREE
to play a melodic idea over one chord—and by mode. In bar 2, the same phrase is being Exercise 3 follows the same line transposition
simply altering a few notes, or even a single played with the same formula, but this time rules as in the previous exercises. Over the
note, you will see how the line adapts to the starting from the 11. In bar 3 the same formula Cmaj7 the scale is C Lydian, so now we have
new chord. is being played staring from the 5th, and in three different notes to Exercise 1: E, F# and
This is extremely powerful, because instead bar 4 the phrase starts on the 13. A common B. Work out the fingerings slowly as dictated
of learning hundreds of licks, you can take mistake when playing this line is hearing it as in the tablature, and once you have the
a finite number of ideas and replicate the a Bb major scale idea, with Bb being the root. fingerings down, practice slowly with
same lines over all the given chord qualities. Over the C-7 chord, the C is the root. a metronome.
EXERCISE ONE
EXERCISE TWO
EXERCISE THREE
15
Readers, We Salute You
P
Goodbye
BP GOES ONLINE rint magazines
have had a tough
time in recent
years, with readers
migrating to online
news and social media,
advertising revenue going to
Google and Facebook, paper
stock prices spiralling out of
control, energy costs making
distribution difficult – and
Print,
the small matter of a global
pandemic meaning that many
readers couldn’t physically
get this magazine.
Here at Bass Player, we’ve
watched while magazines
closed all around us, with our
colleagues and friends left
jobless and their readers
devastated. While you, our
readers, have stayed loyal
and our subscriptions and
Hello
advertising numbers have
remained relatively healthy,
the costs of paper and
distribution have finally caused
us to cease print publication
as of our next issue.
While we’re saddened by
this, we’ll continue to do our
jobs at our online channel as
efficiently and with as much
enthusiasm as ever. We’re bass
players, right? That means we
have a job to do, and damn it,
Online
we will do it well. There’s as
much to write about in the
world of bass as ever, and
without printing and
scheduling logistics to worry
about, we’ll be free to do that
better than ever before.
We’re proud of our history as
the world’s first and best bass
magazine, of course. You may
remember when we launched
our first issue in 1990. Our first
editor Jim Roberts knew what
he was doing, blazing an
editorial trail that combined
information with education
Thirty-two years and 427 issues since its launch, and added a ton of bass-centric
entertainment on top.
Bass Player is going online. We’ll miss the print Regular cover stars in the
16 16
Heroes of the past for whom
BP came too late for an
interview – Jaco Pastorius,
Charles Mingus and James
Jamerson among them – still
got much-deserved covers,
with our staff knowing full
well how important those
pioneers were to today’s
bassists.
BP didn’t just stick to
headline names, though, and
as subsequent editors Karl
Coryat, Richard Johnston,
Bill Leigh, Jonathan Herrera,
Brian Fox and Chris Jisi
guided the magazine into the
new century, newer bass
players such as Meshell
Ndegeocello, Michael
Manring, Fieldy, Tony Kanal,
Thundercat and Justin
Chancellor all got page space.
The regular Bass Day added
a live strand to BP’s role,
expanding to the Bass Player
LIVE! event that became
a must-visit for a generation
of bassists. We also awarded
Lifetime Achievement Awards
in most years, a tradition that
we’ll be proudly continuing.
A BP award on even the
biggest bassist’s shelf is
something to treasure,
as you’ll recall from the
reactions of Gail Ann Dorsey,
John Taylor, Marcus Miller
and Charles Berthoud
last year.
Our job isn’t over yet. Come
and see us at our web page,
where we’ll be doing what
we’ve always done, which is
chronicling the history of our
instrument and pushing its
role forward. We’ll miss the
physical artefact of the print
magazine, of course: but now
we will be able to do our jobs
without worrying about paper
costs, delivery trucks that
can’t afford gas, or pandemics
preventing readers from
getting to the store.
I’ll see you at our online
channel. We’re just getting
started.
We’re all bass players.
We’re all Bass Player.
Joel McIver
August 2022
17
Trial issue 2, 1989
Just look at that background. We
knew BP was badass from the off.
and sometimes
overambitious,
but damn, they
had charisma.
All credit to
BP’s killer
design teams.
Geddy Lee, December 1993 Michael Manring, January 1994 Robert Trujillo, August 1994
A mix of intensity and naivety, A ‘hot’ bassist, right? By now our Rob T plays bass bongos, you win
our early covers had charm. art direction was really cooking. $11.5k of prizes: everybody wins.
18
Meshell Ndegeocello, Apr ’95 Tina Weymouth, March 1997 Nathan East, May 1997
Taking no prisoners and Weymouth and Wooten in the Look at this cover concept!
teaching the value of groove. same issue: two geniuses. Give the editor a raise.
Jeff Berlin, January 1998 10th anniversary issue, Jan ’99 50 Years Of The P-Bass, Oct ’01
The answer to this cover’s A decade in, our role was clear, We never lost sight of the past,
question? “Both.” Cheers, JB. and we knew how to fulfil it. even as we looked to the future.
We featured
bass stars,
sure, but we
Charles Mingus, April 2002
Upright bass meant as much as
electric bass, then as now.
always made
room for new,
experimental
or just cool
bass players,
no matter how
many records
they sold.
Ray Brown, October 2002 Bill Laswell, May 2003
We always saluted the greats Name another magazine of BP’s stature that would give Bill
who paved the way. RIP, Ray. Laswell the cover. That’s right: you can’t.
19
Pino Palladino, March 2004
The ultimate modern session
bassist? We think so.
By the mid-
2000s, BP had
become the
archetype of its Geezer Butler, July 2004
Fifteen years in, BP was on a
roll. Look at these names.
Brian Wilson, October 2004
A huge coup for any magazine:
we encountered a lost legend.
Kim Deal, November 2004
Ms Deal earned this cover many
times over. Farewell, Rick James.
20 20
Adam Clayton, Jan 2006 Brian Ritchie, May 2006 SMV, January 2007
Adam rarely does interviews, Why picture the whole band, We made history by helping to
so this was a real coup for us. not just Brian? There’s a tale... bring three icons together.
Aston Barrett, October 2007 Meshell Ndegeocello, Nov 2007 John Taylor, January 2008
Saluting the reggae and root Another beautiful shot: at their Stark and convincing, this
master: a key player for us. best, BP’s covers were pure art. shot sent a clear message.
As the years
passed, BP
embraced
Esperanza Spalding, June ’08
We saluted the future star, just
as her career took off.
the internet,
launched a
digital issue
and founded a
live event. Our
core mission
stayed the
same, though.
20-year issue, Holiday 2008 Norwood Fisher, January 2012
Looking forward and back as Keeping things classy and simple, we celebrated the Fisher talent
two decades rolled to a close. and reported on that year’s Bass Player LIVE! event.
21
Lee Sklar, July 2014 Sheryl Crow, Holiday 2017 Lenny Kravitz, Holiday 2018
Lee Sklar is the coolest person “Wait, Sheryl Crow plays bass?” Another massive coup: Lenny
on the planet. That is all. said an uneducated world. had never done a bass interview.
Tal Wilkenfeld, April 2019 Hot new bassists, July 2019 VMan, October 2019
Kind of blue: giving Tal a Four different covers celebrating Yes, that mask looks weird, but
much-deserved front cover. four amazing bass players. under it, there’s a bass master.
In Bass Player’s
last decade ,
we’ve pushed
the envelope Justin Chancellor, Nov 2019
Giving the prog bassist of our
era his due, after a long break.
even further,
welcoming
YouTubers and
TikTokers on
board. We’re
all part of the
same family.
30-year issue, April 2020 Our 400th issue, October 2020
Mr S was on issue 1, so the wheel Do you know how much work it takes to put together 400 issues of
came full circle 30 years later. the world’s coolest magazine? We loved every single day of it.
22
Suzi Q and the 70s, Dec 2020 Jason Momoa, February 2021 Thundercat, March 2021
Possibly the coolest cover we This bassist is a huge movie star. Turn off your mind, relax and
ever did. What do you think? Do you know what that means? float downstream...
Bootsy Collins, April 2021 Prince, June 2021 Lemmy, January 2022
The cable says ‘Funk’ behind Paisley Park sent us that photo. Plug in. Play loud. Live life to the
him. That’s how we rolled. The BP/Prince link endures! full. In the end, what else is there?
After 32 years
and 427 issues,
we’re proud
100 Greatest Bassists, Feb ’22
We asked the question. You
answered it. A job well done.
of what we
achieved at BP.
We couldn’t
have done it
without you:
our gratitude
surpasses
words.
The Future Of Bass, August 2021 Charles Mingus, March 2022
These four bassists deserved their cover, for sure, but the future of The master returned for one
bass is also about you, us, and our online home. See you there! last cover. Rest easy, sir.
23
Players
GUY PRATT
SECRET
SAUCE
The great Guy Pratt takes Ellen O’Reilly
on a tour of the incredible bass gear that
his current world tour with Nick Mason’s
Saucerful Of Secrets requires. Be warned,
your mind may be blown...
Photography: Getty, Guy Pratt
24
ho could have predicted that Pratt guides me to his impressive signature
one of the most acclaimed rock Ashdown Engineering bass rig, made up of his
bands of recent years would be signature Interstellar 600 head and two CL-310 DH
devoted to playing the early, cabs. “I’m very, very excited about this amp,” he says.
vividly psychedelic music of Pink “Ashdown and I have been talking about doing
Floyd? Led by that legendary band’s drummer Nick something like this for years. It all started back in
Mason, who is joined by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp 2006, on a David Gilmour tour, when I had WEM logos
(guitar, vocals), Guy Pratt (bass, vocals), Lee Harris put on my Ashdown cabs. We always had this joke
(guitar), and Dom Beken about old WEM cabinets,
(keyboards), Saucerful Of because in the early days,
Secrets have been met with “I’m very excited about this it was all WEM gear and
rapturous approval since their amp: Ashdown and I have PA equipment.”
pre-pandemic formation back Readers of a certain age will
in 2018. been talking about doing remember that gear by WEM,
The fact that this unique this for years” or Watkins Electric Music,
group has been met with such a epitomized a certain Sixties
keen universal response may be down to the and Seventies bass sound. As Pratt points out, “Roger
musicianship of its members; it might be because [Waters, original Pink Floyd bassist] used to use a
the music, taken from Floyd’s unnerving but brilliant WEM PA speaker and a WEM bass amp, so the idea
Syd Barrett era, is so powerful; or perhaps it’s because that Ashdown and I had was to build something that
real music, delivered by real musicians, always finds was a bit like that. It’s basically an ABM head, but the
its niche. EQ is slightly different and it’s got a much pokier valve
Pratt in particular does a lot of work in this in it, because I never really used to use drive at all, but
ensemble, trading vocals with Kemp while navigating on this stuff I do. It also has a Taurus input on the back,
a sea of bass effects and anchoring the group through which I’m actually using!”
arrangements and time signatures that would I ask him if the Taurus pedal input was built
defeat most of us. Little wonder that the band has specifically for Saucerful Of Secrets. “Yes, it’s for this
international dates lined up throughout this year and tour—but it’s part of the ethos. The joke is, what’s the
beyond: They will be on tour in North America in most prog thing you could have? The cabs are based
September and October. on the old WEM PA cabinets: Each of them has three
25
Players
GUY PRATT
10” speakers, with a tweeter on top.” That’s right— while Saucerful Of Secrets were on tour in Europe
three speakers. “They’re concise and punchy, and earlier this year—it’s more like a pedal patio, laden
they work really well, especially now that I’m with all kinds of weird and wonderful stompboxes.
on in-ears. You always want something that you can While he’s tap-dancing on these, the show also
really hear.” requires him to sing lead, employ incredible playing
We move on to his arsenal of basses, and in true technique in different time signatures—and still
prog fashion there are a couple of Rickenbackers in the stay true to the Barrett-era spirit of the band.
mix—a 2003 Montezuma and a 2018 Jetglo. Pratt also No mean feat, we think you’ll agree, and when Pratt
brings out a 2007 Bill Nash bass, demonstrates a complex
which Nash built especially for bass-line that doubles up on
him. “The year 1970 was when Taurus pedals, chorus, and
As he tells us, “On everything
Floyd from ’67 to 1970, I play
Pink Floyd had their gear octave effects at the same
time, it sounds beyond epic.
a Rickenbacker bass, and on stolen, so that’s when Roger “My previous tech, Mike
everything from 1970 onwards, got his black Precision” Clement, had this pedalboard
I play a Precision. The year 1970 built,” he explains, “but I now
was when they had their gear stolen in New Orleans, have to have this exact amount of pedals—because I
so that’s when Roger got his famous black Precision. have to have a full board!”
Mine is an American Professional P-Bass: It’s the first Pratt does literally mean a full board; to his right he
new Fender instrument that I’ve played for years, and has Studiologic Taurus pedals, a TC Electronic Alter
it’s really great.” Ego Vintage Echo, and a Moog Minotaur Bass Synth.
He then shows me his pedalboard, although—as Directly in front of him he’s got a Chicago Parachute
you can see from the photos, shot especially for BP Wah and a Dunlop DVP1 Volume pedal.
26
Bass: How high
can you go?
What about the infamous early-Floyd delay sounds? not one but three compression pedals in tow: These
He has those covered with a Foxgear Echosex, a Boss are an Origin Effects Cali 76, his signature Ashdown
DD-500, a TC Electronic Hall Of Fame reverb, a Boss Macchiato, and a Demeter Compulator at the end of
Dimension C DC-2W Chorus and his signature Foxgear the chain.
Knee Trembler tremolo. All of this is topped off with two octave pedals, a
As for drive, that’s sorted too, with the Ashdown Boss Super Octave OC-3 and a TC Electronic Sub’n’Up.
footswitch to kick in the valve when needed, and a Why, we ask? “Well, it just wouldn’t be me without
Boss OD-200 to give it more bite. Pratt demonstrates one!” he chuckles.
the various effects configurations for us, depending At this point I’m buzzing—and I can’t wait to go and
on which classic song from the early Floyd see Saucerful Of Secrets play live. Make sure that you
repertoire he’s playing, including some impressive see them if you can: It’ll be a bass masterclass that you
cinematic soundscapes. won’t forget in a hurry.
With all this mayhem going on, pretty much any Saucerful Of Secrets are touring the USA in 2022.
bassist would need a hell of a lot of compression, as the Info: www.guypratt.com,
touring bass players reading this will agree. Pratt has www.thesaucerfulofsecrets.com
27
Players
DUB
AL CISNEROS
STORM
OM and Sleep bassist Al Cisneros gathers his solo singles
into a collection, Sinai Dub Box, discusses the role of flow
states and the universal groove, and reveals which bass is
so heavy he needs pain relief to play it...
Interview: Joel McIver Photography: Tim Bugbee, Getty
inai Dub Box (2012-2022) is the perfect vents in the building and everything! That doesn’t
collectible artefact, a box set of seven 7” sound good, so it’s been a learning process for me
vinyl singles that is limited to 1000 about bass frequencies and their relationship to the
copies and is therefore both scarce and drums, so that they can both speak without eclipsing
expensive to buy, although fortunately one another. There’s a couple of records in the box
digital alternatives exist. Fans of Al Cisneros, bassist which I would definitely remix if I was recording
and vocalist with the cult stoner/doom metal band them today. You have to turn the bass down on the
Sleep and founder of the experimental duo OM, will hi-fi to hear it properly, because it just sounds like a
line up to purchase the box set. Somehow, its weight truck outside.”
and exclusivity, coupled with the sidewalk-shaking A lifelong Rickenbacker player, Cisneros has been
low end of the immense music it contains, aligns seen with a variety of Rickys worldwide since he first
perfectly with the ethos of Cisneros’ mission. came to prominence in 1992 with Sleep’s much-
“There’s a few new songs on this box set, and acclaimed second album, Sleep’s Holy Mountain. “For
the rest are ones that I put out myself over the past my lifespan, I’ll be playing Rickenbackers,” he says,
decade. I decided to remaster all of those and put prompting us to ask what it is that he loves about
them into one place, because it’s time to move these ever-popular, always-divisive basses.
forward with the next chapter,” says Cisneros. “I also like the sound of a Fender Jazz,” he tells
With a decade of monstrous bass tones contained us, “but for me, when I hear the sound of the
in these seven slices of vinyl, does he feel that his Rickenbackers on Rush’s Permanent Waves, and
sound has changed over the Geddy Lee’s tone on ‘Free
years? “To an extent,” he Will’ and ‘Jacob’s Ladder’,
agrees. “The early songs were “It’s important to pause there’s nothing else like that.
recorded on a Rickenbacker
4004, and I love those bass
and ask, ‘Are we really I see bass makers trying to
improve and re-improve
tones. It’s just direct: It’s not making this bass better what they do, but for me,
even through an amp, it’s than it was before?’” I think that at a certain point,
just direct into the board with it’s more important to pause
a little bit of compression. And then the most and ask, ‘Are we really making this bass better than
recent song is ‘High Concentrate’, which I recorded it was before?’”
with a Ricky 4003S5, again straight into the board, Does he acquire new Rickenbackers as time
although I’ll also use Ampeg and Orange if I need an passes, or has he got his collection down? “I’ve got
amp. I think that bass sounds a little bit better than it down now,” he says. “They recently built me a
the 4004, but it’s not a large difference. As I’m sure 4420, which is a four-string 4003AC on top and the
you can tell, I EQ the hell out of it, to get some five-string version on the bottom. It’s incredible. It
overwhelming sub frequency.” means I don’t have to switch basses on stage
The box set also represents 10 years of Cisneros between songs. Depending on the way that we
learning to engineer his music, he tells us. What are compose the set, that can be really cool.”
the challenges there? “Well, there’s been times I’ve We recently interviewed Les Claypool of Primus,
got a test pressing back from the vinyl factory, and a fellow Geddy Lee fan, who bewailed the weight
the stylus doesn’t even want to stay in the groove, of his Rickenbacker 4080, which has a bass at the
because there’s so much low end. It’s resonating the top and a guitar on the bottom. “My 4420 is really
28
© Tim Bugbee
and listen.
Sinai Dub Box (2012-2022)
is out now.
Info: www.dragcity.com/products/
sinai-dub-box
30
Players
PASS THE BASS
PASSING
NOTES
Dylan Flynn nearly died in a car crash more than two decades ago.
His injuries were so bad that he had to give up playing bass—so now
he lends his bass out to professional bass players to raise money for
charity. Lee Marlow tells his unique story.
t’s a late-Nineties American Fender Precision untouched and unplayed. There’s a tragic, real-life
Deluxe, in one of those colors that only fragrant reason for this.
interior designers or Fender custom paint Flynn learned to play bass when he was 15. He was
sprayers truly know or even attempt to describe. a natural and quickly became proficient, playing with
“Just say it’s bluey-green,” says its owner, a guitarist friend. However, on the last day of that
Dylan Flynn. year’s school term, it all came to an end when Flynn
Flynn, 37, of Columbus, Ohio, bought the bass was involved in a serious car crash. He was lucky to
new 20 years ago for $1,200. “I started with a Squier, survive, having been in a coma for 12 days. Doctors
then a Mexican P-Bass—and then this. It’s such a told his mother he might not live and that if he did,
beautiful instrument. I care about two things in this he’d be severely mentally and physically disabled.
house: My bass and my dog. It’s the most expensive Miraculously, Flynn walked out of the hospital six
thing I own.” weeks later—but more or less everything he used to
And yet, for most of the time Flynn has owned the take for granted had crumbled. His recovery was slow.
bass, it has remained in his closet gathering dust, “I remember nothing of the crash, and very little
32
“These were my punk rock heroes,” says Flynn,
Paying it forward “so it has genuinely meant something to me.”
His old school pal, Brian, persuaded him to raise
money while doing this in order to help other people,
like Flynn, with lasting brain injuries. In five years,
they have raised more than $30,000 for two US
brain charities.
It’s good, says Flynn—but it could be better. It could
be bigger. They could raise more money, and he aims
to spread the word beyond the US punk community.
“I’d like bigger bands and bigger bass players to get
involved,” he says. “The Eagles, well-known metal
bands, Elton John—wouldn’t it be great if Paul
McCartney, the world’s most iconic bass player,
could play it?”
More than 50 bass players have played Flynn’s
Deluxe Fender Precision—but what if it was 150?
500? 1000 or more?
“We’ve done a lot and raised a lot just by word of
mouth—but I know we could do more,” he says.
33
Players
KELLY-DAWN HELLMRICH
34
COPING
STRATEGIES Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich of Aussie rockers Camp Cope
had a tough start on bass, but persevered.
Read and learn!
grew up with a musical parent and better for my body and my chest, and its short I’m heavily influenced by the post-punk
a house full of instruments, so it feels scale meant I could reach notes I couldn’t sound, and I like listening to Nineties R&B and
like I’ve played guitar forever: I probably before. That’s when I really started to develop early-2000s synth parts to inspire me when
picked up a guitar every day of my life my style of playing high up on the neck—it I write. We write very emotional music, so our
once I was physically able to. My dad just felt so comfortable to sit there. lead singer Georgia is also a big inspiration
bought me a bass for my 13th birthday because I think what has been cool is that a lot of for my bass parts: I try to tell the same story
he was so determined that I was born to be our female, trans and non-binary fans have through the bass-lines that she does lyrically.
a bass player. I was really repulsed by the idea reached out and said that the Mustang bass People tend to have a lot of opinions on the
at first, but I came around. I picked it up to has been perfect for way I play. I’ve been
learn some Blink-182 riffs one day—and them to learn on, too: told I play bass more
then never really put it down. they wouldn’t have “I think that if I was a man “feminine”, “like
My first bass guitar was an OLP MM4
Stingray, but it was so heavy and way too big
really known that if
I didn’t preach its
I’d be more respected in my a guitar”, “all over the
place” and the worst
for me. I got that bass because a kid in a local playability in that way. bass playing individuality, of them all is when
band I really liked had one, but it was just I’m painfully loyal to rather than scrutinised” people say “I play
so wrong for me. It hurt my hands and my the Mustang. As I said, wrong”. I don’t
shoulders—and for a while I thought I was I’ve just never found a bass that fits my body think that there is such a thing as playing
just too small to play bass. It was frustrating in the same way. I usually play through an an instrument “wrong” and it’s the most
because I got pretty good at bass, but just Ampeg SVT. I don’t use any effects: I like hurtful when people imply I don’t know what
couldn’t play for long periods of time. a clean sound and plugging straight into I’m doing. I also think that if I was a man I’d
The singer of my first band ended up giving the amp. be a bit more respected in my individuality
me her brother’s short-scale Mustang bass Peter Hook was a major influence. He’s the way Peter Hook was, rather than
that was lying around their garage. It turned super unique, and when you hum a Joy constantly scrutinized.
out to be a Japanese vintage from the Nineties. Division song you hum the bass-line. That’s My band have been my number one fans
The curve of the body of that bass fit so much the inspiration for how I write for Camp Cope. when it comes to my bass-lines, and are
always supportive with me trying out new
things. They also push me when it comes
“We write very to the writing and recording process: they’re
emotional music.”
like, ‘Okay, you need to make the song more
interesting, that’s your job. You can do better’.
It can be frustrating, but they’re always
right, and it always leads to me coming up
with an interesting part. During the recording
of our last album I said ‘On the next album,
you gotta give me some different chords
because I’m running out of ideas.” And you
know what, on this new album they did
that—I think it’s some of my best work.
Camp Cope’s new album Running With
The Hurricane is out now.
Info: campcope.bandcamp.com
35
Players
JOHN STIRRATT, WILCO
COUNTRY
WAYS
Wilco bassist John Stirratt looks back at decades of
struggle—and a trajectory that has made his band
a modern alt-country institution.
Interview: Ryan Madora Photography: Getty
ohn Stirratt is one of the best bass players double LP that recently debuted at their Massachusetts
you’ve never heard of. He has served as festival, Solid Sound.
the steadfast foundation of Wilco, a band The creation of this record took advantage of The
that has shaped our definition of rock, Loft, a Chicago-based Wilco clubhouse that serves
alt-country, and indie music for nearly as a creative playground, studio, and gear-filled
three decades. Standing alongside Jeff Tweedy since wonderland. For the first time in years, the band
Wilco’s inception in 1994, he has received two recorded live and with all members on the studio floor.
Grammy awards and industry accolades, headlined This old-school method meant that Stirratt had to
festivals and toured the world, and recently recorded carefully select gear that would work within this
their twelfth studio album, Cruel Country. Stirratt has setting. While his go-to basses typically include
made a career as the bass player in a rock and roll a few vintage Precisions, a ’65 Fender Jazz, and
band—something that many of us have aspired to do. a ’73 Les Paul Signature, this record called for
As with most bands, the first few years were riddled something slightly different.
by landmines: Ego trips, label feuds, rigorous touring “I wanted to hold everything down, given how much
schedules, and personnel instrumentation was going on:
changes. By 2004, Wilco finally Acoustic guitar, two electrics or
settled into their current “With Wilco, things two pianos, and drums. I’ve
line-up, a six-piece ensemble
that could instantly go from
happen live, and the had a Guild Starfire since
recording the album Being
chaotic noise and grizzly guitars first take could really There [1996] and I’ve always
to an exposed acoustic sound be the take” come back to it for this sort of
accompanied by vulnerable mid-tempo, acoustic-style
vocals. With hard work, consistent output, and the bass. It’s got an incredible bottom end when played
willingness to defy industry standards, they’ve with fingers, and when I play it with a pick, it’s got
anticipated the needs of their audience and continued a wonderful, woody sustain.
to reap the benefits of longevity. They’ve never had “I was also using an Epiphone Embassy bass. It has
a hit song or topped the charts, yet they’ve proven the same pickups as a Thunderbird, but with a cutaway
time and time again that if they make a record, the and a massive low end, and I also bought an Eighties
fans will listen. Rickenbacker that was really useful on a couple of
2021 marked the twentieth anniversary of Wilco’s songs. I went with these basses because there were
industry-disrupting and critically acclaimed record, a lot of competing frequencies when using Precisions.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which they’ve taken to re- With this material, and the band recording six at
releasing and performing in full. It’s only fitting that a time, Jeff was playing a lot of acoustic, so I was
they follow this milestone with Cruel Country, a new looking for the boomiest basses I could find.
36
© Mike Lawrie/Getty
Players
JOHN STIRRATT, WILCO
Plus, I played a B-15 throughout the whole thing, the session with a goal in mind. “I try to provide a good
so that was fun.” rhythm track with Glenn [Kotche, drums]. Alongside
Regarding inspiration, Stirratt referenced classic his innovation and creativity, he also has a great
country recordings and the concept of tic-tac bass, pocket and feel for what the song needs. It has to be
a style of playing that involves doubling or mimicking something that can be built on by the other
the sound of an acoustic bass. “I think one of my instruments. With this record, I was very intent on
favorite bass sounds is Bee Spears’ tone on Honky Tonk keeping the right vibe—giving people something
Heroes [1973] by Waylon Jennings. It’s a super clicky, substantial to play off of, and guiding things with
picky bass, almost like they’re trying to approximate a a certain direction and feel. I do think that with the
tic-tac bass. As we were working on a few songs, I was bass, you can change the tone of different parts and
playing with a pick and sponge, and it was a big decide to be more flowery or sparse. I try to find
enough ensemble that it needed something broad and a really good rhythm track that aids the melody.”
really full-range. I grabbed the Guild and the sonic Stirratt also has an aptitude for chord inversions and
scope of it just sounded right. I also listened to George recognizes how flexible the harmony of folk music can
Jones and Tammy Wynette records, music from the be. This stealth tactic takes a familiar sound and adds
English folk scene, and to players like color by nudging our ears toward something other
Danny Thompson and Dave Pegg.” than the root note. Referring to the song ‘Handshake
Thinking back to some of his favorite bassists, Drugs’ from A Ghost Is Born [2004], Stirratt mentions
Stirratt cites the studio giants known for their melodic how working with producer Jim O’Rourke inspired him
sensibilities. “Joe Osborn is one of my favorites, to “find something memorable that really starts from
without a doubt. He’s a player that you aspire to be a different place. There’s a lot to beginning on a fifth
like. His playing on Simon and Garfunkel’s Bookends or a third and trying to work your way down to where
[1968] and Bridge Over Troubled Water [1970] is just the root is.” This approach was put to good use on
so enjoyable; all of the the Cruel Country tracks ‘Many
counterpoint is amazing. Worlds’ and ‘Country Song
“There’s also Tommy Cogbill. “It’s wonderful to have Upside Down’.
I remember hearing ‘Son Of
A Preacher Man’ when I was
this camaraderie with Crafting parts and
harmonizing alongside Jeff
really young, and the bass a larger group and to Tweedy, both as a vocalist and
completely moved me. I also work on your craft” as an instrumentalist, has
have a real appreciation for Lee gotten easier over time.
Sklar’s work in the Seventies, especially the smooth, “There’s a second nature thing about playing off of his
nuanced finger-style playing on Gene Clark’s record, voicings. It’s really innate. With Jeff playing all
No Other [1974]. And then there’s Chris Hillman, who acoustic on this record, it’s a very comfortable place for
inspired me to buy a Guild Starfire in the first place. me, and I can often feel where he’s going. There are
It’s amazing how he just picked up the bass as a interesting parts and I’m playing off of the arpeggiated
beginner and did what he did with the Byrds.” stuff that he does. A lot of the mid-tempo stuff is in
“McCartney will always be the gold standard. He our DNA and has been established for a long time,
writes songs within songs on bass, with amazing since Being There. Even singing with Jeff, I can make
melody and muscle. I’m still trying to learn Beatles my voice sound exactly like what it needs to be. We’ve
© Tim Mosenfelder/Getty
bass parts: I go back to them whenever I can. That got this brotherly thing happening after all this time.”
should be required, I think, for every bassist.” Even though they can anticipate what might
Thanks to his obsessive musical knowledge and happen, there’s still a mystical element that keeps
plenty of experience in the studio, Stirratt goes into Stirratt returning to the studio. “I think it’s the magic
of a take, frankly, beyond anything. It’s the chills that
you get when you come down on the last note or when
you listen to the playback. You think ‘This might be
pretty special’. That’s the drug, for me. It’s trying to
find magic in the air and going after that. It’s what
makes everything else worthwhile.”
Capturing that magic often happens quickly,
especially when recording with everyone on the floor.
“With Wilco, things happen live, and the first take
could really be the take. We talked about it not being
unlike a Nashville session. When we started to take
on more of a cosmic country direction, we realized that
so many of the records we liked were done this
way—pretty fast—and I think the Buck Owens or
Seventies Waylon Jennings records were like that.
Plus, Jeff had great live vocal takes and this material
really lent itself to that. I think that now, we work so
Jeff Tweedy and
Stirratt in Mountain much faster and we’re just better at what we do.”
View, CA in 2003. And they really have been working together for
a long time. Making a lifelong career of playing in
38
© Erika Goldring/WireImage, Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
With Michelle Zauner
in Austin, Texas in 2021.
39
Players
JUNA SERITA
40
KEY
MOMENT Be a musician, or take the safe route?
Solo bassist Juna Serita weighs in
on a tricky decision...
first started playing the guitar, and money wouldn’t be wasted, but actually
since my original music invested. Luckily, my grades weren’t that
inspiration was making songs good and I had no confidence to work in
and singing rather than playing general society, so I chose to become
any instruments. Instruments a professional musician.
just helped with that. However, “My very first bass was a Photogenic. At
there was a Japanese band called the Blue the time, it was the most affordable bass
Hearts that inspired me to play guitar, so I could find, and it helped me to start playing
I decided to be a guitarist and vocalist. bass right away. Eventually, I felt like I was
“Originally, I was doing some covers and getting better at bass much faster than guitar,
originals, but whenever I performed live, so I bought the second one pretty soon after,
every other guitarist played solos so well, but which was an FGN. I enjoyed this one because
I really couldn’t—that was my first musical it was a simple instrument, sounded good,
frustration in my life. My lack of talent on the and wasn’t too complicated, meaning I could
guitar made me not want to play it any more. use it for live performance as well.
Later on, I got the idea “My latest album is
that even though I can’t called Battlefield. The
play the guitar well, “I knew that if I became a basses I play on it are
maybe if I reduced the
two strings from the six
pro bass player, all of this both Sadowsky
Slapmaster basses,
strings, it might be way time and money wouldn’t one a four-string and
easier to play. That’s be wasted, but invested” one a five. I play a Phil
how I started on bass. Jones Bass BP800 amp
“At the time, music was just a hobby: I was head with two of their C4 cabinets.
working three different part-time jobs at the “I’d say some of my favorite players are
same time, while I was a high school student, Rocco Prestia, Bootsy Collins, Flea, Louis
to buy gear. I used all my money and time Johnson, and Marcus Miller. Funk music
on that and did nothing else. Then I started inspired me in many ways, and these
thinking, ‘I have to make a decision about my players are the main reason why I want to
life. I should stop putting energy into music keep improving on the bass. A great piece
and get a stable job, or put all my time into of advice is: Don’t focus on the phrase first,
becoming a professional musician.’ I knew feel the groove first.”
that if I become a pro, then all of this time Instagram: @junaserita
41
Players
10 METAL BASSISTS
TH E S O UN D
Soreption’s
Rickard Persson
nominates 10
bassists who are
taking metal playing
to the next level
etal bassists may not be
as flashy as their six- or
seven-string counterparts,
but there are countless
bassists out there elevating
the act of plucking four to eight strings to an
art form. One of these is Rickard Persson of
Swedish tech-death headspinners Soreption,
whose playing is frankly off the scale: Check
out one of his YouTube playthroughs if you
don’t believe us. But which bassists get the
seal of approval from Persson himself?
42
O F M ET A L
STEVE DI GIORGIO
DEATH, SADUS,
TESTAMENT
“A true legend and an absolute giant of
the scene, and someone I’ve looked up
to a lot over the years, Steve really
influenced me with Death and Sadus—
© Javier Bragado/Redfernstt/Getty
EUGENE ABDUKHANOV
JINJER
“I first heard Jinjer around two years ago, and
of course that band has a lot of reasons for the
listener to be blown away. For me, Eugene’s
playing was the reason. A really great tone,
combined with intriguing ideas regarding
rhythmical patterns, surely hits home! I hope
I’m able to see them live one day or even
better, tour together.”
OLIVER PINARD
CATTLE DECAPITATION
AND CRYPTOPSY
“This dude is just a straight ripper of the bass,
putting that fine Spector Euro LX to work in
Cattle Decapitation and Cryptopsy. They’re
two bands that I hold dearly. Cryptopsy were
the first really extreme and technical death
metal band I got to hear, and I remember
being totally blown away with the sound and
the playing. And then at a later stage in life,
discovering Cattle Decapitation: They have
become one of my favorite bands.”
ALEX WEBSTER
CANNIBAL CORPSE
“The all-father of the metal bass, the main
man! He’s been a truly inspirational figure for
me when it comes to playing. His tone is just
unprecedented, and you just know it’s him
every time you hear him play. I looked a lot at
his techniques when I got into playing, and
I tend to always go back to him in search for
inspiration. A personal hero.”
Abdukhanov: © Mihail Siergiejevicz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Webster: © Jay West/WireImage
to be blown away. For
me, Eugene’s playing
was the reason ”
44
“From absolute
shredding to tasty
playing, Jared Smith
can do it all ”
45
GEAR
GEAR
ehold our world-beating bass
gear review section, where
we bring you the crop of each
month’s new, interesting, or
Reviews
otherwise relevant bass guitars,
bass amplifiers, bass cabs and bass effects.
Occasionally we’ll review a guitar effect if it’s
useful for bassists, but generally speaking,
this zone is reserved for bass-specific gear.
We take our reviews seriously. BP is the
last English-language print magazine
devoted solely to bass in the world, and
Reviewed this
month...
48 52
48
ERNIE BALL
DARKRAY 5
$2,799, www.music-man.com
52
CHARVEL
PRO-MOD SAN DIMAS PJ V
$1099.99, www.fender.com
54
TRICKFISH
BULLHEAD MINI 500 AND MINI 112 CAB
$799, $879, www.trickfishamps.com
54
47
ERNIE BALL
www.music-man.com
MUSIC MAN
DarkRay 5
The DarkRay saga continues with
the addition of a five-string model.
Chris Gill goes low
48
GEAR
FROM
$2799
ast year, Music Man captured the hearts, Whereas last year’s DarkRay four-string
minds, and fingers of thousands of Even the knobs here feel came in either Obsidian Black or the limited
bassists by revealing the company’s Graphite Stone finishes, the five-string is
collaboration with bass effect and classy, with a firm-but- offered with either grey sparkle Starry Night
amplification specialists Darkglass Electronics
on a new bass model called the DarkRay.
silky-smooth action or limited White Sparkle high-gloss polyester
finish options, with the former featuring a plain
Combining features of the beloved Music Man StingRay with built-in headstock while the latter has matching paint. The top-loaded steel
Alpha (distortion) and Omega (fuzz) circuits and a new two-band EQ bridge with steel saddles, neck plate, and round string tree for the
preamp designed by Darkglass, the DarkRay was an instant hit. Now, A and D strings on the four-plus-one headstock have a matte black
Music Man has returned, offering a five-string version of the DarkRay. finish, while the knurled dome-top metal control knobs and tuners
are gloss black. Two compartments for the 9-volt batteries that
Build Quality power the preamp, EQ and effects are located on the back.
In essence, the DarkRay 5 is a single-pickup StingRay 5 Special with Our DarkRay 5 arrived nearly perfectly set up, needing just a minor
Darkglass electronics and a handful of slightly different specs. The tweak of the truss rod: We have lots of love for the Music Man
neck is crafted from roasted maple and features 22 high-profile/wide easy-access truss rod wheel that can be adjusted without special tools.
stainless steel frets, an 11” radius, a 1.75” nut width, and a single Every single detail of the fit and finish was perfection, from the
choice of fingerboard, made of ebony. rock-solid neck-to-body joint and expertly capped, crowned and
Music Man’s signature five-bolt design solidly attaches the neck polished frets to the mirror-like shine of the Starry Night finish,
to the body, and the heel is generously rounded to facilitate playing which is decidedly more uptown bling than the downtown industrial
comfort around the highest frets. Music Man doesn’t specify the exact vibes of last year’s Graphite Stone paint job. Even the knobs feel
tonewood used for the body other than ‘select hardwood’, but our classy, with firm-but-silky smooth action similar to that of the
example weighed in at a reasonably comfortable 9.4 pounds (4.3 kg). controls on an expensive studio mixing console.
49
ERNIE BALL
www.music-man.com
Sounds And Playability Perfect for StingRay lovers compressed tones. The Gain control can also
The original StingRay bass is known for its be backed down to provide just the slightest
distinctive midrange character. The DarkRay, who want even more hint of grit in the Alpha or Omega settings,
however, lives up to its name by delivering an
inherent tone that is warmer and richer with the
tones and textures providing a useful range of textures.
Although the Alpha’s fuzz effect fortunately
preamp-only setting engaged and the treble and bass EQ controls never gets flabby or farty, I found that it made the low B string sound
centered, although the StingRay growl comes out in the Alpha and less clear and defined than when the Omega distortion was engaged,
Omega settings. Many players will consider this a bonus, as it tames which enhanced the low B’s punch and growl. The Darkglass treble
pick attack and string slide noise while bringing core musical notes and bass EQ is an improvement over the classic StingRay EQ and a
even more to the forefront. The noise-free specs of the Darkglass better complement to the humbucker, with its powerful neodymium
electronics provides an excellent clean base that keeps harsh magnets, than the StingRay Special’s three-band EQ, capable of
overtones and attack transients under control when the distortion and dialling in a wide range of highly desirable tones with deeper, rounder
fuzz beasts are unleashed. bass and shimmering treble.
The ring around the Gain control for the Alpha and Omega effects
illuminates blue when the three-way switch is set to Omega, red in Conclusion
the Alpha settings, and is unlit when the preamp-only setting is The Music Man DarkRay 5 is perfect for players who love the
engaged. Omega’s distortion effect scoops out the midrange slightly, StingRay’s feel, tone, and character, but want even more tones and
while the mids are more prominent with Alpha’s fuzz, which is more textures. Fuzz and distortion enthusiasts who don’t mind always
of a smooth Big Muff-style effect than a sizzling classic fuzz like that having these effects first in the signal chain will like the instant
of a Gibson EB-0F Fuzztone bass. The Blend control adjusts balance access—and metal, punk, and progressive players may never use
between unprocessed and distorted signals, which is especially helpful anything but the aggressive, gut-punching Alpha and Omega
for maintaining clarity for more percussive styles or dialling in fat, settings, free at last from the tyranny of the pedalboard.
50
GEAR
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
WHAT WE THINK
Plus | Distortion/Fuzz circuits optimized
for bass, stellar craftsmanship
Minus | Electronics and light wear
batteries quickly
Overall | Incredibly versatile and
useful tones plus convenience of
effects at fingertips
BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE
CHARVEL
Pro-Mod San
Dimas PJ V
Charvel’s new five gets a new DiMarzio: Joel McIver gets nostalgic
FENDER
www.fender.com $1099
e reviewed Charvel’s relaunched San Dimas bass high-register playing is out, but at least you can get up there with ease
models a year ago, partly because we’re suckers for thanks to the deep lower cutaway. There’s a range of solid
Eighties chic around here and a day-glo finish always hardware—a hi-mass bridge, open-gear tuners and heavy-feeling
gets our collective heads spinning. More importantly, controls—that are designed to work without any fuss, and a heel-
they were and remain highly playable, fully-featured active basses that mounted truss-rod adjustment wheel for that quick pre-gig tweak.
acknowledged their Bill & Ted-era roots, but added modern touches for
today’s player. They continue to occupy a midmarket position in the Sounds And Playability
low four figures, too. Now the five-string San Dimas has been beefed Eighteen volts of power has almost become the default in today’s
up with a new Area J DiMarzio pickup in bridge position, hence its look-at-me-on-YouTube era, but never fear, the 9-volt battery we
reappearance, with new black and white finishes that are a little more have here is capable of powering some monstrous tones. Make sure the
mature than the vivid options of last year. volume pot is pushed down to the body, so you’re in active mode, and
roll on any of the three EQ controls. The treble and mids pots perform
Build Quality in a bitey, aggressive manner that you can (and should) use to irritate
First off, Charvel and the brand’s owner Fender are presumably keenly your drummer, while the bass boost is truly huge, especially when
aware of the value of these instruments’ legacy from the late Seventies, you hit hard on the low B string.
when real men wore denim and a flannel wristband was as essential as There’s a pickup blend control that actually makes an audible
a cab the size of a fridge to any self-respecting bassist. However, rather difference, quite the revelation given that such controls often have
than simply clone the old basses, stick a $4000 price tag on them and little value, which brings us to the new DiMarzio bridge pickup. Zero
sell them to nostalgic “business leaders” in their fifties, they’ve kept in on it and you’re rewarded with a subtler performance than this
the cost down to a relatively manageable level and added the power and otherwise enjoyably over-the-top bass might suggest. DiMarzio
tone range that your modern bass player requires. themselves caution that this pickup is not intended for high overall
What this means in practice is an alder body for familiar tones and volume; instead, it allocates punch to the center of the tone. In use, this
weight, a graphite and maple neck that is almost comedically fast means that it gives you clarity and a precise feel, which adds some edge
under the fingers, and a focus on general practicality that should make to the overall sound you get when you add in some input from the
the San Dimas easy to work with. There may only be 20 frets, so very much bigger-feeling split-coil.
This is a very playable instrument, with a neck profile that players of
basses by Jackson and other shred-friendly marques will recognize. The
slippery, flat maple neck gets flatter as you approach the heel, and the
rolled fretboard edges really help you get from bottom to top at speed.
Fun as this slinky feel is, you might prefer an old-fashioned sticky
baseball-bat neck if you want to play slowed-down reggae or soul—
although there’s no reason why you can’t use any bass for more or less
any genre of music nowadays, is there?
Conclusion
For around $1100, or £1100 if you prefer, you’re getting a lot of bass.
The new San Dimas five is solid, sleek, and professional, and offers 99
percent of all the tones you would ever need. It looks and feels great,
and plays flawlessly, with the only possible hesitation before purchase
being the fact that there are hundreds of other, equally tasty basses
available at this exact price point. In that case, your incentive to buy it
is the Charvel name and heritage, both assets that should help with
its value retention and (admit it) bragging rights.
52
GEAR
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Price | $1099.99
Made In | Mexico
Body | Alder
Neck | Maple, graphite reinforcement
Neck Join | Bolt-on, four bolts
Fretboard | Caramelised maple, 20 frets
Pickups | DiMarzio Area J DP551 at bridge,
Charvel Split-Coil P in middle
Controls | Three-band active EQ, pickup
blend, master volume with push/pull
selector for active/passive modes
Hardware | Charvel tuners and
hi-mass bridge
Weight | 9 lbs / 4 kg (approx)
WHAT WE THINK
Plus | Very playable; tone range
is impressive
Minus | 20-fret range may hinder soloists
Overall | Excellent homage to a vintage
style, with added modern touches
BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE
53
TRICKFISH
Bullhead Mini 500
and Mini 112 Cab
Think small, think cool: Can this agile amp match
its competitors? Steve Lawson finds out
TRICKFISH $799
www.trickfishamps.com
$879
rickfish have now been around for almost a decade, making On the back we have a DI out with ground lift and pre/post EQ
highly regarded heads and cabinets as well as preamps, and selector, a combined jack/Speakon speaker out and an effects loop
have built up an impressive list of pro players who swear by that’s placed handily before the level indicator, so any pedals can be
their range. The Bullhead Mini 500 and Mini 112 are the factored into setting the optimum input signal. No surprises, but
newest additions to their line. Let’s see if they live up to the reputation nothing missing.
of their larger, more powerful siblings. So what does it sound like? The first thing you notice is how usable
every EQ band is across its whole range. The treble, set at 8Khz, adds air
Bullhead Mini 500 and sparkle without a hint of brittleness. This is particularly striking on
The Mini 500 is instantly recognisable as a Trickfish amp. The same slap sounds where the pops are way more present but not significantly
in-line six-knob layout as the larger amp heads is present, and it louder than with the treble down. The bass control, at 80hz, offers
sports the same Mike Pope-designed four-band preamp. Gone are fullness and body rather than mud.
the frequency selector switches for the EQ bands, but otherwise it’s It really feels like a lot of time has been taken to get the Q (the width/
what we’ve come to expect from Trickfish, balancing the versatility slope of the EQ) right, so there are no surprising or disrupting edges
of two bands of mid control with the ease of use of a simple cut and to the sound when you cut or boost particular frequencies. The fixed
boost EQ section. frequency mid controls are broad enough to be highly usable in shaping
The headphone socket and line-in have been moved to the back your tone, or controlling how present your bass is in a mix without the
panel, part of a series of adjustments that have made the Mini 500 sensation that the center frequency is off.
significantly smaller and lighter than previous Trickfish units. The However, the striking thing about the Mini 500 is how responsive it
front panel is rounded out by a -10dB pad switch for hotter signals, is to everything across the frequency spectrum, so if you wanted more
and a mute switch. It’s clean and simple without lacking any EQ, adding one as a pedal works wonders. Both the superpower of the
essential features. Trickfish sound, and potentially the thing that would make some
54
GEAR
players look elsewhere, is that it is incredibly transparent. It’s as close This setup isn’t designed to keep up with a drummer in a metal band
to a ‘Full Range’ bass amp as I’ve come across. Even the gain control and definitely isn’t the best choice if you spend most of your time
adds no noticeable harmonic enhancement: It just sets the level of the playing a five-string in drop-A. For situations where portability is a
input signal, making it perfect for amplifying sounds that you’ve must and the volume requirements are more modest, though, such as
developed with pedals or an FX unit elsewhere. rehearsals, recording sessions and folk or jazz gigs—especially paired
For pedal junkies, the Bullhead Mini 500 is a godsend. It also has the with a second cabinet—it’s ideal.
quietest fan I’ve ever encountered on a bass amp, making it perfect for What makes it such a perfect match for the Mini 500 head is the
low level at-home playing and recording. Nowhere is this transparency transparency: Its ability to amplify anything across the frequency
more apparent than when pairing it with the Mini 112... spectrum. There’s none of the harshness that often comes with
tweeters in bass cabs when you run a lot of treble into them, and none
Mini 112 of the woolliness that can plague larger cabinets. With the bass boosted
Trickfish’s speaker range already includes a 112 cabinet, so the addition on the amp just a fraction, every nuance of my sound is apparent—
of the Mini 112 invites a bunch of questions, including ‘Why add whether it’s just a passive bass plugged straight in, or a full suite of
a second one?’ Well, as the name suggests, it’s significantly narrower, pedals and effects running multiple loops and layers. Every aspect of
width-wise, by approximately four inches, and consequently lighter. the EQ in an active bass is pleasingly replicated in glorious detail. The
It’s one of the most compact 1x12 cabinets I’ve ever tried, although not slight mid-boost noted earlier can be easily compensated for with the
the lightest: The birch construction and metal handles and corners on-board EQ, but in a live situation it can really help a bass sound
leave it feeling robust, and therefore able to handle some volume shaped in isolation actually carry all the way to the audience.
without rattling off the edge of the stage. Back in the Nineties, one American boutique builder used the slogan
The back panel for the 8-ohm cabinet is simple, with a level control ‘the sound in your head is in this bass’, and while that may or may not
for the tweeter and two combi jack/Speakon connectors. The tweeter have been entirely true, it’s certainly the case that the sound of your
control is an attenuator, so fully up is just ‘on’ and anything else bass is in this amp. The Trickfish Mini 500 and Mini 112 do a sterling
reduces the level. This would be useful for a more muted, vintage tone, job of faithfully reproducing whatever you throw at it.
but in most situations leaving it wide open makes the most sense. If you’re looking for an amp with a signature sound of its own, you
With everything set flat on the head, the notched zero positions on may be disappointed, but for clarity and versatility when handling
the EQ knobs making this particularly easy, the cab sounds present a huge range of effected or clean bass tones, it’s tough to beat.
across the frequency spectrum with a slight mid boost, but no
significant tonal bias either way. If you’re used to a more hyped low
end, you’ll be reaching for the bass control on the head straight away. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Thankfully the amp is more than capable of dealing with a ton of low
end. While the ‘flat’ sound is more balanced, it’s quite possible to get MINI 500 AMP MINI TF 112 CAB
a dub-heavy tone at the kind of volume you’d expect from a 1x12 cab. Price | $799 Price | $879
Made in | USA Made in | UK
Power Output | (4 ohms) 500W Power | 300 watts RMS, 600 watts
(8 ohms) 250W peak handling
Features | Class D amplifier, all-analogue Speakers | 1 x 12” proprietary Neodymium
solid-state preamp, 1/4” phone input with speaker built by Eminence, HF driver (3500-
switchable attenuation and rotary gain 20,000 Hz) 80° conical horn
control, signal level and clip LEDs (green/ Frequency response | 35Hz-16kHz
red), four-band EQ with shelving bass and Features | Custom crossover with peak
treble, Variable Gain Band Pass Low-Mid and protection and HF Attenuation, 2 x NL2
Hi-Mid, master volume, line in, headphones Combo connectors, 16 gauge steel grille,
out, mute switch, effects loop, balanced 22oz sharkskin vinyl
direct out, XLR, Pre/Post, Ground Lift, Dimensions | H 17” x W 15.25” x D 12.25”
Neutrik speakON connectors, five-year Weight | 29 lbs
limited warranty
Dimensions | H 2.77” x W 10.55” x D 7.87” WHAT WE THINK
Weight | 3.5 lbs Plus | Compact, robust, amazing
clear high end
WHAT WE THINK Minus | A tad light on the deep low end
Plus | Transparent, lightweight, Overall | A wonderful addition to the world
well thought-out EQ of pro-level compact speaker cabs
Minus | Fixed frequency mid controls
aren’t for everyone BP RATING
Overall | A remarkably clean, powerful BUILD QUALITY
and well designed amp for its size
SOUND QUALITY
BP RATING
BUILD QUALITY VALUE
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE
55
Bass Lessons
Making you a better bass player in every issue, our state-of-the-art team
of educators will guide you every step of the way. Say hello to them here!
58
BP Notat on Legend
The following is a guide to the notation symbols and terminology used in Bass Player magazine
The Stave: Most music written for the bass guitar uses the bass
clef. The example to the right shows the placement of the notes
on the stave.
Tablature: This is a graphical representation of the music.
Each horizontal line corresponds with a string on the bass guitar,
with the lowest line representing the lowest pitched string (E).
The numbers represent the frets to be played. Numbers stacked
vertically indicate notes that are played together. Where basses
with five or six strings are required, the tablature stave will
have five or six lines as necessary.
PLAYING TECHNIQUES
SLAP AND POP TECHNIQUE ADVANCED SLAP TECHNIQUE PLECTRUM TECHNIQUE TAPPING TECHNIQUES
Notes slapped with the thumb Fretting hand slaps are marked Where necessary, down and Fretting hand taps have a ‘+’
are marked with a ‘t’, notes ‘lh’ and double thumbing upstrokes with the pick will in a circle. Picking hand taps
popped with the fingers upstrokes are shown with be shown using these symbols are just ‘+’. Particular fingers
marked with a ‘p’. an upward pointing arrow. (down-up-down-up). may be shown with numbers.
FRETTING TECHNIQUES
59
Ryan Madora
I SPY…
CONNECTIVITY In session and stage bassist Ryan
EXPLORED
Madora’s amazing new column, we
discover a stack of useful secrets
hidden inside our favorite bass-lines
ey there, bass players! I don’t know to be tempered. To do so, we’re going to Typically found in jazz and pop, the
about you, but when I sit down to sandwich our dissonant note between two I-vi-ii-V progression sounds quite
craft a bass-line, I like to find a nice consonant notes and connect the chords. harmonious and allows for this movement
balance of flavors. Maybe I’ll stick By approaching our destination from either to take place. Most of the chords are a fourth
to something classic, like chord tones with a a whole step above or below, we can often play apart: The vi-ii, ii-V, and V-I all feature this
splash of pentatonics, or perhaps I’ll add a few a chord or scale tone followed by a chromatic intervallic distance. When moving a fourth,
sour notes to tug at the listener’s ear in the note as a method for setting up the next root. you can easily play the fifth of the chord
form of half-step dissonance. It’s a delightful This allows us to take advantage of the you are currently on, and either ascend
cocktail of sorts, complete with a few voice-leading that we get from half-step or descend chromatically to the
harmonious liquors and a touch of bitters. The dissonance, but with a slightly sweeter and upcoming root note.
process of mixing and matching notes that are more palatable approach. Let’s look at these relationships in the key
deemed “right” with those that are deemed Lucky for us, this method is great for of C. Here, the vi chord is Am and the fifth of
“wrong” can be a delicate recipe, but one integrating chromaticism, and it’s easy to the chord is E. Since our destination point
worth mastering. learn and conceptualize as a pattern for would be the ii chord, Dm, we can move down
In our previous column, we discussed the connecting chords. In fact, certain chord chromatically by playing E-Eb-D. Therefore,
use of half-step dissonance to bring tension progressions, and extremely common ones when we’re moving a fourth away, going from
into our bass-line, particularly when resolving at that, cater perfectly to this type of motion. Am to Dm or vi-ii, we now have a tried-and-
to the root note of true method for using
EXERCISE ONE
60
Esperanza Spalding
performing in 2019.
© Paul Marotta/Getty
61
Ryan Madora
chord progression in the key of C will begin on and play the #5th (G#). This will set up our provides a textbook example of voice leading.
C Major, then move to Am, Dm, and G Major. new destination point, the root note of the Am As you move through the progression, use the
We’ll play with a quarter-note feel to allude to chord, to be played on the downbeat of the same method to set up each new chord. Once
a walking bass-line. First, play the root note second measure. you’ve returned to C, repeat the progression
on beats one and two. On beat three, play the As you can see, we’re approaching the new but search for the root notes in other places.
5th of the chord (G on the 3rd fret of the E root by way of a chord tone and a chromatic For instance, ascend to the higher G to set up
string). On beat four, ascend chromatically note. This creates a sense of motion and the Am chord on the 7th fret of the D string.
EXERCISE TWO
EXERCISE THREE
62
In Exercise 2, repeat the same exercise, but
with a new rhythm. Instead of playing quarter
notes for all four beats, play the root notes on
beats one and two, then rest on beat three.
Play the connector to the next chord using
eighth notes on ‘four-and’. Feel free to
experiment with this and try to tackle the
more syncopated rhythm in Exercise 3.
Let’s switch up our chord progression and
see if this method still works. In Exercise 4,
we’ll use a progression very common in pop,
rock, and country: I-IV-ii-V. Still in the key
of C, our chords will now be C Major, F Major,
Dm, and G Major. Since this progression © Noam Galai/Getty
essentially substitutes the IV chord for the vi
chord, we can still take advantage of this
motion. Furthermore, the interval distance The great Lee Sklar
between C and F is a fourth, so we can easily
play the root note of the C chord, the fifth
(G) and then descend chromatically with gracefully demonstrating this technique as that often goes between the root, fifth, and
Gb to land on F. she moves through the chord progression. octave. Listen closely to hear how the bass
While this doesn’t work for every chord While there’s a bit of extra dissonance thrown connects the chords by moving chromatically
progression, there’s a good chance that any in, the method of approaching a root note is from the fifth of one chord to the root of the
song you’re playing will include some kind of front and center. next one.
movement in fourths. Plus, we don’t need to Next, throw it back to one of Stevie Taking it back even further, listen to just
limit this movement to the fifth of the chord, Wonder’s biggest hits, ‘Isn’t She Lovely’. As about any jazz standard that features walking
but that’s another lesson for another day. In the tune moves through the vi-ii-V-I chord bass and this type of harmonic movement.
the meantime, let’s do some spying. progression, the bass-line has a bouncy feel One personal favorite is Frank Sinatra’s
First up, take a listen version of ‘Fly Me
EXERCISE FOUR
63
Beginners Lesson
START HERE!
LEGATO PLAYING
MADE EASY
The great Steve Lawson is dealing with
health issues this month, so let’s revisit
this classic lesson from a while back...
elcome back! This that’s way easier to fix, and a lot of modern parameters that we use to describe
month, we’re going to construction methods have caught up with dynamics over time for any given sound—
look at an aspect of what graphite necks are capable of in terms Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release, or
controlling your sound of sustain. Our basses now demand a bit of ADSR. What would you say the ADSR of that
that is often overlooked, a rethink in terms of what we can do with note looks like? Big peak right at the start
but which for a number of reasons has all that natural sustain. as you pluck the string? Slow‑ish fade to
become more and more noticeable over So, after that long introduction, let’s get a sustained quieter note, and eventually
the years—giving notes their full length. playing! The first thing we need to be aware disappearing, right? How can our picking
The amount of decay we want in of is just how long the sustain is on our hand technique change that?
a particular note—from ultra‑short particular instrument. Fret a D at the fifth Try playing the same note—but this time,
palm-muted notes to infinite sustain—is fret on your A string and pluck it with instead of plucking it with your fingers,
a huge factor in shaping the sound of a line whatever technique first comes to mind. ‘squeeze’ through the note with the side of
and its impact on the song. Today, we’re Try and visualize the shape of the note. your thumb, bringing your thumb to rest on
looking at the sustain end of the graph. We’ve talked before about the four the next string down. If you hear any fret
The reasons why this has become more
significant over time are both stylistic and
technological. Style‑wise, the prevalence
of synth bass in much pop music has
brought about a taste for incredibly
smooth‑sounding bass‑lines—often
with no gap between the end of one
note and the start of the next.
Simultaneously, advances in bass guitar
manufacture have also impacted the degree
to which controlling the tail end of the note
is a significant factor. A lot of older basses
had a relatively short natural decay. That
64
buzz, you’re pressing too hard. Experiment
with the level of pressure that gives you the Fretting hand
most sustain and the smoothest transition hammer-on brace
from peak to sustained note.
Our picking hand, as we’ve noted before,
is our first tone control. Before we touch the
knobs on our bass, amp or pedals, we can do
a whole lot to shape the sound—and
length—of a note with our picking hand.
The distance our hand is from the bridge,
the angle we move our finger or thumb
through the string, even the amount of
flesh of our finger that is in contact with the
string will all impact the sound and shape of
the notes we play. And when we’re thinking
about legato—and therefore slow—playing,
we can extend our techniques beyond those
we might use for playing a constant eighth
note line or a more tricky funk line.
Here, we’re reimagining what it means
to be a ‘beginner’. Your current lack of
extreme dexterous ability doesn’t mean
that you don’t get to apply your exquisite
taste to the task of playing simpler lines.
As we’ve noted in the past, many of the
greatest moments in bass didn’t require
amazing amounts of dexterity, just great
taste and controlled execution. These are
both factors that we can work on from
the very beginning.
Okay, now we’ve given some thought
to how our technique can elongate and
smooth out individual notes, let’s try it with
two notes! Our first move is going to be to
try a hammer‑on. It’s a technique we’ve
explored before, but this time, we’re using Picking fingers
used together
it as our baseline (no pun intended) for what
sustaining the first note as long as possible
sounds like. With a hammer‑on, the second to the fret you place the hammer‑on impact with the same technique as the first. If
note relies on the vibration of the first note the tone or duration of the second note? Is that’s with the side of your thumb, you may
for its volume and tone. there any buzzing? How do the variations notice a tendency to bring your thumb
Place your first finger on a C at the third in picking the first note that we’ve just down onto the string a fraction of a second
fret on the A string, pluck it, and after been looking at change the relationship before the note is supposed to sound,
a second or two, hammer on with your little between the two notes? leaving a gap. Try to eliminate that gap, and
finger on the D at the fifth fret. If you find This may seem like a crazy number of as you adjust your fretting hand to reach for
that your little finger struggles with this, questions to ask of just two notes next to the second note, listen for fret buzz or for
you can brace it with either or both of your each other, but if we make these kind of the first note decaying too fast if you release
ring and middle fingers. If the stretch feels observations part of our playing, you won’t too much pressure off that first note.
a bit This exercise is all about the details.
much at If you’re playing a line that’s exposed in
this stage, Learning to control the signal the mix, these elements become really
move
that same
before relying on an effect leaves significant. What we’re trying to eliminate
here, as much as possible, is any gap
two‑fret you with many more options between the two notes—and we’re trying
shape to smooth out the dynamics of each note.
further up the neck to a place that’s more have to suddenly start listening to yourself If you own a compressor pedal, hold off
comfortable. properly when you’ve learned a bunch of on using it for a while. They’re designed
Once we’ve got the motion comfortable, Victor Wooten licks, but finally notice your to reduce the volume of any note above
we can start to really listen. What’s the tone, timing, and articulation are terrible! a threshold, and increase the volume of
volume difference between the two notes? Let’s play those same two notes, only this any notes that drop below it. However,
What’s the tonal difference? Does how close time we’re going to pick the second note learning to control as much of the signal
65
Beginners Lesson
The mighty Joe Osborn
© Andrew Lepley/Redferns/Getty
as you can before relying on an one when we play the D again,
effect leaves you with many
more options in the moment. It’s important that we explore or just leave the finger where it
lands ready to play the note.
On a number of occasions in
my career, I’ve found I was a little
all the options so we know we’ve These are all decisions that
depend on a number of factors,
too quiet, so I dug in harder to chosen the best, not just the first some tonal and some just to do
increase the volume, only to find with comfort. What’s important
that a compressor was thwarting my notes down for the whole time, and if it is that we explore all the options so we
attempts at fixing the problem! So, long feels like a bit of a stretch, it’s okay to shift know we’ve chosen the best one, not just
before we start messing with compressors, your hand between the two. What we’re settled for the first.
we need to sort out our hands. It gets even focusing on is making that transition as Let’s shift the string‑crossing exercise
more tricky when we need to cross strings smooth as possible, and reducing the to a bigger hand position shift. This time
between notes. It’s possible to hammer on gap between the notes so that it’s we’re going from D to E, but we’ll play
notes on adjacent strings, but without the imperceptible. the E at the second fret on the D string—
initial vibration of the note we’ve just played With our picking hand, we can so we’ve got D at the fifth fret on the A
to carry on, we end up with less continuity. experiment with the same range of string, and then we move to the adjacent
So we need to think about how our picking techniques we applied to our single string string for the next note. For our picking
hand can move across the strings, as well as exercise, but we need to be aware of which hand, it’s the same movement as the
how we can make sure our fretting hand strings our fingers come to rest on. If we’re previous interval. But for our fretting hand,
doesn’t let go of the first note earlier than it playing the fifth with our index or middle we’re far more likely to need to pivot on our
has to. Let’s look at two examples. fingers, bringing that finger to land on the A thumb to reach it in time. This is a co‑
First, let’s take the interval of a fifth, string after playing the note is a great way to ordination exercise: How we deal with the
between a D on the fifth fret of the A string mute the D and have the two notes meet in dead zone between our little finger leaving
and an A at the seventh fret on the D string. the middle. No further muting action is the D and our index finger arriving on the E.
This is a great test of how relaxed and needed in your fretting hand. We just have We also want to make sure that no strings
comfortable our fretting hand is. to work out whether we’re going to get that are left ringing, or squeaking as our hand
Remember, you don’t need to hold both finger out of the way to switch to a different moves over them.
66
These exercises can
be approached in a lot
of ways—why not see
what a pick brings
to the table?
All of a sudden, playing two notes
accurately becomes a maddeningly specific
task, but if you’re detail‑oriented, giving
yourself space to think about these things
will pay massive dividends going forward.
And if—as is the reality for so many of us
right now—your main musical outlet is
recordings, this skill will improve the
quality of your tracks massively. You’ll find Picking thumb playing
through the string
that it’s easier to EQ or process your sound
after you’ve recorded it without discovering
unwanted squeaks and scrapes that were
hidden before you tried to add a trebly edge
to your sound. The cleaner your playing, the
more malleable it will be as you try to
manipulate or edit it.
These exercises can be approached in a lot
of ways. You can see what a pick brings to
the table; you can try moving the notes
across bigger intervals; or string together
multiple string shifts to see if your hand
position needs to change mid‑note. You can
try playing the same interval in different
places on the neck to see if the thickness of
the string impacts your tone in a desirable
way. And obviously, we can start to mix up
our line between shorter and longer notes.
Let’s finish with a line that uses both the
intervals we’ve been looking at today, and
mixes up the length. Take it slowly and
Fretting hand
focus on giving every note its full value. root-fifth brace
Stay in touch, everyone!
EXERCISE ONE
67
Intermediate Lesson
STEP UP!
FLAT 5 ARPEGGIOS
and educator extraordinaire. Get
ready to step up your bass game!
id you know that contemporary majority of those environments, the focus found on the seventh diatonic
music only tends to reference is generalized on those primary structures degree is less familiar than its
a few fundamental chord residing on the first, fourth, and fifth more common counterparts.
sequences—and that in the harmonic degrees? That’s why any structure Let’s explore this!
EXERCISE ONE
Exercise 1 denotes the chords and arpeggios produced when the major scale is harmonized using tertian construction. These
structures, their arpeggios, and most importantly, the order in which they’re presented are a fruitful source of information, as this
data is used to analyze and interpret the majority of contemporary music. Dissect each bar, memorizing the chord names and
accompanying structures, paying particular attention to the minor7th b 5 arpeggio in the penultimate measure, as it’ll be the
focal point of this month’s studies.
EXERCISE TWO
Like all 7th arpeggios, minor7th b 5 structures are formulated using tertian construction; the process of stacking of intervals of a third. As
the name suggests, minor7th b5 structures are simply a minor7th arpeggio with a flattened 5th, produced by stacking two minor 3rds,
followed by a major 3rd. This sequence appears in Exercise 2, so take the time to learn the formula of any melodic, or harmonic
structure, whether it’s a triad, arpeggio, or scale.
68
Take the time to learn
the formula of any
melodic or harmonic
structure
© Leon Neal/Getty
EXERCISE THREE
For ease, each of this month’s studies will be notated using the appropriate key signature associated with minor7th b 5 chords when
perceived as the seventh degree of major harmony, but be aware that it’s more common to encounter these structures as two
chords in minor tonality than as sevenths in major. Exercise 3 denotes the minor7th b 5 (or ‘half-diminished’) arpeggio over two
complete octaves. It’s possible to deliver this linear approach to the structure utilizing only two fingers of your fretting hand,
so try to play the exercise with just your index and little fingers in an alternating manner.
EXERCISE FOUR
Many of you know that an inversion is a means to interpret melodic and harmonic vocabulary with an alternative perspective.
Essentially, you’re delivering the same vocabulary in an array of different circumstances, but the audible outcome from this process is
enlightening. Exercise 4 delivers the minor7th b 5 arpeggio in root position and its ensuing inversions. In each instance, the lowest note
of the preceding structure is repositioned an octave higher to form the next. If this process seems unclear, take a pencil and write
the names of each pitch above each crotchet (quarter note): You’ll soon become receptive to the pattern.
69
Intermediate Lesson
EXERCISE FIVE
To help develop the physical dexterity required to deliver minor7th b 5 arpeggios, these exercises will investigate them from different
perspectives. This exercise will require you to deliver the inversions in the preceding study in an alternating manner. Although this
process may seem straightforward, in practice the fingering can feel alien, partly due to the presence of the b 5 interval and the
unfamiliar patterns produced as a result. Patience and perseverance are your biggest allies.
EXERCISE SIX
Arpeggios are customarily perceived as four-note structures, so it’s habitual to deliver their content using even subdivisions. But what
happens if we go against the grain and utilize odd groupings? Exercise 6 investigates this notion by delivering an A minor7th b 5
arpeggio using groupings of three notes. Commencing on the tonic, you’ll be required to ascend only three notes up the arpeggio
before descending the same distance from the consequent pitch. This pattern is then synthesized and duplicated over two complete
octaves. It’s worth noting that although it’s written in a 6/8 meter, this rhythmic arrangement can easily be portrayed in 12/8, or even
triplets in a 4/4-time signature.
70
What happens if we go
against the grain and
utilize odd groupings?
Thom Yorke of
Radiohead, playing
© Jim Bennett/Redferns
EXERCISE SEVEN
Although constructed using intervals of thirds, the manner in which the consequential pitches of an arpeggio are delivered can easily
be manipulated. For instance, instead of approaching the minor7th b 5 arpeggio using a rudimental ascending and descending
method, Exercise 7 will require you to play the note a diatonic 5th interval above, and below, all of the associated pitches as you
transcend two octaves.
EXERCISE EIGHT
Although minor7th b5 arpeggios seem less common than other four-note structures, their strengths aren’t necessarily limited to minor
II-V progressions and the seventh degree of major tonality. For example, examining the notes of an A7 arpeggio discloses the pitches:
A, C#, E, and G. However, when isolated C#, E and G actually produce a diminished triad… which is 75 percent of a minor7th b 5 arpeggio!
Thus, playing a ‘half-diminished’ structure off of the 3rd of any dominant 7th chord allows access to the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th intervals,
while simultaneously omitting the root. The result is a wonderfully inspiring and influential melodic device that can be utilized to
strengthen the portrayal of all dominant vocabulary.
71
Intermediate Lesson
EXERCISE NINE
Here’s a four-bar motif designed to utilize the melodic device introduced in the last exercise. For the first three measures, chord tones
and chromatic vocabulary have been utilized to portray the associated A7 chord. This ostinato phrase commences on the tonic,
conveyed by a dotted eighth note, which is then supplemented by an ascending slur between the b 7th and octave, and chromaticism
between the 3rd and 5th degrees. In bar four, the melody is crafted from a C# minor7th b 5 arpeggio. Placing your index finger on the
fourth fret of string three will optimize your delivery of the subsequent vocabulary.
EXERCISE TEN
Expanding upon the conceptual components of the last exercise, this month’s penultimate study once again addresses an A7 chord,
with the help of a C#minor7th b5 arpeggio. One significant difference is the inclusion of 16th note triplets. Traditionally, 16ths are
portrayed as a subdivision of four, residing evenly within the space of a single quarter note, but 16th-note triplets are an entirely different
beast. They require you to divide each quarter note in half, producing two eight notes, and then deliver a triplet within each of these
subsequent subdivisions.
72
EXERCISE ELEVEN
Exercise 11 collates all of this month’s insights into a single study. Although you will once again encounter dotted rhythms, slurs, and 16th
notes, there are a few additional surprises to keep you on your toes, such as 8th triplets and a little syncopation. Work though each of
the measures, remembering at all times that the bulk of the context is derived from insights you’ve already covered. Until next time!
James LoMenzo of
Megadeth If you only
practice one
thing this
month…
Most contemporary musicians are
more likely to encounter major 7th,
minor 7th, and dominant 7th chords
on a regular basis than minor7th b5
structures. Therefore, if you only have
time to practice one thing, try to
ensure you’re familiar with the basic
construction of a half-diminished
© Aldara Zarraoa/Getty
73
Advanced Lesson
AND FINALLY...
STU HAMM:
CHORDS LESSON
Ace bass educator Stuart Clayton
takes us deep into the work of Stu
Hamm for an advanced masterclass.
elcome back! In the Augmented triads are made up of two begins. The first time through (bars 13
last issue we looked at stacked major third intervals, which to 20) it is predominantly played with
chordal fingerstyle results in an augmented fifth interval two-note chord voicings. Over an open A,
playing, an area of between the root note and the fifth. various voicings of an A minor triad are
bass technique that The first augmented triad is E+, played played. Bars 15 and 16 hint at a Lydian-
offers some alternative perspectives on with the E at the nineteenth fret of the flavored chord (Fmaj7#11), which will be
the combination of harmony and melody. A-string, the G# at the eighteenth fleshed out more fully later in the piece.
In the previous instalment, we looked fret of the D-string and the C at the In bars 17 and 18 we have three-note
closely at the technique and worked seventeenth fret of the G-string. This chords that feature some difficult minor
through 10 exercises that put it to use. figure (or shape) is played twice, then sixth intervals. In bar 17, I recommend
If you’ve worked through that material descends down the neck, following fretting the A with the second finger, the
successfully, you’re ready for the the whole tone scale. You’ll hear that E with the fourth and the F (a minor sixth
next challenge. augmented triads—and the whole tone above the A) with the first finger. These
This month, we’re looking at an entire scale with which they are frequently notes should be arpeggiated quickly, as
piece that was performed using the used—have a unique sound. indicated by the arpeggiation direction
chordal fingerstyle technique. ‘Chordally next to the chord. The same fingering
Yours’ was written by virtuoso bassist PART B can be used for the chord at the beginning
Stuart Hamm and is part of his Le Petit At letter B, the main melody section of bar 18, which is the same voicing
Suite For Solo Bass, a series of solo bass a fourth lower.
pieces written to illustrate the versatility In bars 21 to 28, the melody is played
of the instrument. You’ll find this piece
on Stuart’s 2015 album The Book Of Lies.
“I hope this piece leads again, but with embellishments to make
it bigger and louder. First of all, the initial
“Chords are a great tool that you can you on a journey to voicing of A minor is arpeggiated using
use in your solo bass vocabulary,” says
Hamm. “When writing this piece my aim writing your own solo the chordal fingerstyle technique. Next,
a full voicing of Fmaj7#11 is used in the
was to include every permutation of chord pieces using chords” third bar of the sequence (bar 23). Fret this
that I could think of, so that you’ll be as follows: First finger on the F, second on
learning new shapes and fingerings while Stuart Hamm the E, third on the C, fourth on the B. This
also learning to perform a beautiful piece chord resolves to an Fadd9 chord in the
of music. We’ll be using some different following bar that should be fretted as
fingerstyle techniques here as well, follows: F with the first finger, A with
while paying attention to phrasing and the second, C with the third, G with
dynamics again. I hope this piece leads the fourth.
you on a journey to writing your own When playing these chord note
solo pieces using chords.” voicings, use the thumb to play the notes
on the E and A-strings, the first finger
PART A for notes on the D-string and the second
When playing the Intro (at letter A), the finger for notes on the G-string. These
chords are initially arpeggiated across the chords are followed by a Bbmaj7 chord in
A, D and G-strings. It is recommended bar 25, after which a ii-V-I progression
that you use the thumb of the picking in Bb is played: Cm7-F7-Bb^7. This
hand for the A-string (and later, the progression, common in jazz, is
E-string), the first finger for the D-string something that most bass players
and the second for the G-string. When should be familiar with.
playing this part, you should allow all Unusually, the Bbmaj7 then moves
notes to ring into one another, as this to E7, which in turn then resolves to
© Richard Ecclestone/Redferns
is usually the desired effect of using A minor. This is a nice sequence, one
this technique. that illustrates how effective three-
After ascending the neck during the note chord voicings can be on the bass.
first eight bars, a descending sequence of Note that when playing three-note
augmented triads is played in bars 9 to 12. voicings such as these, the fifth is
74
© Richard Ecclestone/Redferns
75
The master at work.
Advanced Lesson
usually omitted as it is the most for the awkward D7/F# chord in bar 40: PART D
‘expendable’ note of the chord. Play the F# with the first finger, the At D a new section begins, outlining
D with the third, the octave F# with more four-note chords. You will have
PART C the second and the C with the fourth. used the first two voicings earlier in
At letter C, four-note chords are played, Similarly, the G7sus and G7 chords in the piece, but the Dm7/C should be
one note per string. The first of these, C, bars 41 to 44 must be fretted in a particular played as follows: Second finger on the
is arpeggiated and is followed by a simple way. For the G7sus, fret the G with the F, fourth on the C, first on the D and
ascending tenth line. In the next four first finger, the D with the third, the F third on the A. This section is played
bars, the previous C chord voicing is with the second and the C with the fourth. four times, and Stuart suggests that it
embellished, with the octave note moving When this chord changes to G7, you have could be looped for a solo when
upwards to the ninth of the chord. two options: You can either move the playing live if desired.
I recommend fretting this with the first fourth finger down to B, or if you find this
finger on the C, the second on the E, the uncomfortable, switch to the following PART E AND ONWARDS
third on the G, and the fourth on the D. position: First finger on the G, fourth on The remainder of the piece consists of
The same fingering can then be used the D, second on the F and third on the B. repetition of earlier sections. The very
for the Fadd9 chord that follows it. Switching between these two positions best of luck, and let us know how you
I recommend the following fingering will require some practice. get on!
PART A
76
PART B
77
Advanced Lesson
PART C
78
PART D
79
Advanced Lesson
PART E
80
PART F
81
he Digitech XBW
The Last Note
DIGITECH XBW
Bass Synth Wah
Envelope Filter, to
give it is full name,
has achieved icon
status in our world, having been
at the foot of many a bass player A lean, green, fighting machine
the world around. Using
Nineties digital signal processing
technology, Digitech shoe- programming which produces moments in your set. There’s
horned not one, but seven filter the bass-centric effects. All of some undeniable funk in there,
effects in to this cute, green, this technical wizardry doesn’t especially that quacky envelope Dan Veall is a session and
all-metal casing. guarantee a great-sounding filter sound we all know and stage bass player, educator
pedal, of course. With modern love. The XBW’s performance and gear expert and is here
Why on earth are we looking DSP, the algorithms running has its foibles, compared to to answer your questions.
at this uncool dinosaur? have as much to do with the modern DSP. Sometimes the Contact: @DanVeallBassist
Any “uncool” pedal that more resultant sound as the physical tracking is a tad suspect, and
than doubles in value after its electronics of an analog pedal... online reviews leave me with
demise is worth looking into. are you still there? the feeling that overall, the Range knobs per effect, while
We need to find out why! XBW is either loved or hated. the Sens knob affects the trigger
Sorry, I fell asleep. You’re using Yet in the right hands, it can of the filter effects. Two outputs
Does it sound good? too much technical jargon. produce some iconic sounds. mean you can mix both dry and
Well, the XBW is capable of a Well, listen up, idiot. The octave wet effected sounds elsewhere
respectable frequency response. effect is convincing, but as with So how do you use it? in the chain and hidden away
From my investigations, I have many analog pedals, watch your The right-hand knob on the from view. You can also enable
discovered that it processes at playing to ensure good tracking pedal selects between five a 4x10 cabinet emulation circuit.
24bit 44.1Khz, with 16bit 44.1Khz and stay away from the low bass different effect types across
being CD quality, for people notes or you may unleash some seven positions. We’re treated What do the experts say?
who still buy them. Featuring wobbly noises. to an envelope filter, also We asked Tom Bowlus of Bass
a Harman brand Audio DNA DSP available with octave, two Gear that very question, and he
chip, this pedal shares its design This page is a wobbly noise. synth sound patches, two filter said: “The Digitech Bass Synth
with the guitar version, the XSW Shut your piehole! Some XBW sounds and an octave effect. The Wah is lots of fun, occasionally
Synth Wah. The fundamental sounds should probably be processor handles assigning of frustrating, and definitely has
difference here is the DSP reserved for the more ‘out there’ parameters to the Control and its own personality. With the
‘right’ settings, it is nicely
touch-responsive. One thing
“In the right hands, this
it is not is subtle: This is not an
pedal can produce
some iconic sounds.” effect to use when you want to
nudge your tone in one direction
or the other without calling for
undue attention. This thing
screams for attention! For many
bass synth sounds, I find that I
prefer my Deep Impact or Boss
SY-1, but for some funky/trippy/
octave tones, I find that the Bass
Synth Wah can take me places
I can’t go with any other pedal.”
82
9000 9001