So many, many years ago...how many years ago I can't even remember...I nearly bought an acoustic-electric bass. I was long before Ye Olde Motor Primitives...MAYBE even before Wyrd Tuesday. It must have been after quitting grad school though...when I was really into collecting and teaching myself to play new stringed instruments. I don't even know how I got the person's contact because this was before the internet...an ad in the paper? Who knows? But I remember distinctly going to a person's apartment to test out an acoustic-electric bass and being THIS CLOSE to buying it and then deciding that I had no idea what I was looking for and could easily be ripped off. Also, I think it buzzed...which I know now isn't surprising, but might or might not have been fixable.
Everything old is new again...and I find myself interested again. Sometime after that first time I decided that acoustic-electric basses were pointless because you had to amplify them to really hear them...and what's the point of that. But some of the bands are looking at unplugged sets coming in the next year...and...well.
I know that a cheap instrument is a cheap instrument and probably not worth the money. I also know that every instrument I own is cheap and they've all taken me as far as I've wanted to go.
If I'm not mistaken, for Newport Kim Deal used a Godin...probably an A4. That's just way out of my price range...and possibly designed with amplification in mind. I'm talking about a 100% unplugged show with full band.
KS recommends a Guild...but jesus those don't even seem to be for sale at any major retailer...and that tells me they will be 1)hard to find and 2)expensive.
No...I'm probably looking at a Dean EAB or similiar. I recognize this is a shit instrument...but for the price (about $150...just stupid cheap) it seems to get pretty good reviews. I think it would be smartest to try one out in a store with one or both of my guitar players in tow. We should all three play together and see if you can hear the bass at all. I'll probably have to use a pick all the time. If I bought it at a brick and mortar store I could have them set it up for me too...to assure no buzzes and best action possible of the piece of shit.
So begins the research anyway...
Monday, February 13, 2012
Fundamentals Week Six
This week is samba...which it turns out bossa nova is a variety of even though we treated it separately. It'll be another rough week...though maybe not as bad as I thought. For some reason the variations in the lesson seem more intuitive to me than I'd expected. We'll see.
While I think this course was valuable, I don't think that I'm putting enough time into it to get as much out of it as I might. And I feel myself starting to hate it a little bit and hoping for the day when it will be over. So it was an interesting experiment, but I think it is just too hard on me emotionally.
I'm not sure how I get into a daily practice that is sustainable. It is very much like exercise of any kind...you know it is good for you but you have a hard time motivating to do it. And the less you do it the less able you feel to do it...and so on.
I want to advance my skills and to be respected. But at the end of the day...it really just needs to be fun...right? I mean no one gives a shit that I'm doing this...it's supposed to be for fun. What a wonderful thing it would be to actually have fun with no judgements on if I was good enough or not? Pixies gets close to that (minus vocals anyway) and this is why I love it so...but it is also why I discount it as "too easy".
I'm pretty much inconsolable and the architect of my own misery.
While I think this course was valuable, I don't think that I'm putting enough time into it to get as much out of it as I might. And I feel myself starting to hate it a little bit and hoping for the day when it will be over. So it was an interesting experiment, but I think it is just too hard on me emotionally.
I'm not sure how I get into a daily practice that is sustainable. It is very much like exercise of any kind...you know it is good for you but you have a hard time motivating to do it. And the less you do it the less able you feel to do it...and so on.
I want to advance my skills and to be respected. But at the end of the day...it really just needs to be fun...right? I mean no one gives a shit that I'm doing this...it's supposed to be for fun. What a wonderful thing it would be to actually have fun with no judgements on if I was good enough or not? Pixies gets close to that (minus vocals anyway) and this is why I love it so...but it is also why I discount it as "too easy".
I'm pretty much inconsolable and the architect of my own misery.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Album Tunes Left for Band to Learn
1. All Over The World
2. The Happening
3. Hang Wire
4. Stormy Weather
5. Havalina
6. Lovely Day
7. Motorway to Roswell
8. Navajo Know
2. The Happening
3. Hang Wire
4. Stormy Weather
5. Havalina
6. Lovely Day
7. Motorway to Roswell
8. Navajo Know
Left to get Bass Tab for
1. Lovely Day…have guitar chords...ALBUM SONG
2. Rock a My Soul…have guitar chords...ON OUR LIST
3. Santo…have guitar chords...ON OUR LIST
4. I Can't Forget (Leonard Cohen) …have guitar chords...RICK LIKES
5. Wild Honey Pie (Beatles)…think this is almost done
6. Evil Hearted You (Yardbirds) …have guitar chords
7. Hang on to Your Ego (Beach Boys) …have guitar chords
8. I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young) …have guitar chords
9. Boom Chicka Boom…just recently got guitar chords
10. Bam Thwok…have guitar chords
11. Make Believe…have guitar chords
12. Born in Chicago (Paul Butterfield Blues Band)…blues song
13. Theme from Narc…I got nothing
14. Ain't That Pretty at All (Warren Zevon)…I got nothing...I KIND OF WANT TO LEARN
2. Rock a My Soul…have guitar chords...ON OUR LIST
3. Santo…have guitar chords...ON OUR LIST
4. I Can't Forget (Leonard Cohen) …have guitar chords...RICK LIKES
5. Wild Honey Pie (Beatles)…think this is almost done
6. Evil Hearted You (Yardbirds) …have guitar chords
7. Hang on to Your Ego (Beach Boys) …have guitar chords
8. I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young) …have guitar chords
9. Boom Chicka Boom…just recently got guitar chords
10. Bam Thwok…have guitar chords
11. Make Believe…have guitar chords
12. Born in Chicago (Paul Butterfield Blues Band)…blues song
13. Theme from Narc…I got nothing
14. Ain't That Pretty at All (Warren Zevon)…I got nothing...I KIND OF WANT TO LEARN
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Stirrings and Change
I feel like CJ is on the cusp of something. It is strangely random.
A year ago today we'd been a band for less than a year and we decided to take on the challenge of playing a Halloween gig as the Flaming Lips. I won't say that this was a mistep because the experience was useful, but it certainly distracted us and exhausted us. We cared too much how it went and maybe worked too hard on it. We started out with high expectations and had to make too many compromises. After the dust cleared I was kind of worried that we might lose our drummer...and that maybe all of us were just a little too exhausted or depressed or SOMETHING to carry on. The future seemed really unclear and shakey.
But we took a little time to rest (just a few weeks, but what a difference that makes)...then a little time to learn new tunes (again, really only about a month of this). And the learning of new tunes went surprisingly well. We've added Silver, D=RxT, Space I Believe In, In Heaven, Wave UK, Ana, Blown Away, and Bird Dream since Halloween...all but one of them since Jan 1st. And now the finish line of finishing the complete catalog is in sight...it's a little ways away yet...but you can make it out for sure. It is buoying.
Enter Martin Atkins.
Such a random thing. We HAPPENED to hear about the coaching session. We went on a whim. We intended to talk Drain but got sidetracked talking about CJ. Essentially...one half hour conversation with one person got us:
1. To decide to print swag...then buy the equipment and start to learn to use it...and to start working on designs.
2. To make a contact for a show in Chicago...and another potential contact for Milwaukee.
3. To start thinking like we were headed somewhere.
Martin is a hell of a guy and he actually followed up with us to tell us to get our asses in gear on the Chicago gig. What a shock. And so now we've been promised a Chicago show at a really nice venue...just waiting on a date (probably a long time off because of how far in advance they book, but promised/pending all the same). Meanwhile...we've got a show every month for the next three...all are on weekends...two are headlining with 2 set gigs...and one is a benefit at HNS.
The feeling today is much different than the feeling that I had on November 1, 2011. It's a total turnaround. I hope that we can sustain this. Learn the rest of the songs. Start playing outside Madison on a regular basis (once every three shows perhaps?). Make and sell swag. Be a respectable band. Get Albertonied for crissakes. MAMMA-fy us bitches. And then stick with it for a while (I don't know about the boys, but I'd be happy to still be doing this schtick five years from now...or longer...if people still came to the shows...which is probably how the real Pixies feel too). Let's fucking do this thing.
A year ago today we'd been a band for less than a year and we decided to take on the challenge of playing a Halloween gig as the Flaming Lips. I won't say that this was a mistep because the experience was useful, but it certainly distracted us and exhausted us. We cared too much how it went and maybe worked too hard on it. We started out with high expectations and had to make too many compromises. After the dust cleared I was kind of worried that we might lose our drummer...and that maybe all of us were just a little too exhausted or depressed or SOMETHING to carry on. The future seemed really unclear and shakey.
But we took a little time to rest (just a few weeks, but what a difference that makes)...then a little time to learn new tunes (again, really only about a month of this). And the learning of new tunes went surprisingly well. We've added Silver, D=RxT, Space I Believe In, In Heaven, Wave UK, Ana, Blown Away, and Bird Dream since Halloween...all but one of them since Jan 1st. And now the finish line of finishing the complete catalog is in sight...it's a little ways away yet...but you can make it out for sure. It is buoying.
Enter Martin Atkins.
Such a random thing. We HAPPENED to hear about the coaching session. We went on a whim. We intended to talk Drain but got sidetracked talking about CJ. Essentially...one half hour conversation with one person got us:
1. To decide to print swag...then buy the equipment and start to learn to use it...and to start working on designs.
2. To make a contact for a show in Chicago...and another potential contact for Milwaukee.
3. To start thinking like we were headed somewhere.
Martin is a hell of a guy and he actually followed up with us to tell us to get our asses in gear on the Chicago gig. What a shock. And so now we've been promised a Chicago show at a really nice venue...just waiting on a date (probably a long time off because of how far in advance they book, but promised/pending all the same). Meanwhile...we've got a show every month for the next three...all are on weekends...two are headlining with 2 set gigs...and one is a benefit at HNS.
The feeling today is much different than the feeling that I had on November 1, 2011. It's a total turnaround. I hope that we can sustain this. Learn the rest of the songs. Start playing outside Madison on a regular basis (once every three shows perhaps?). Make and sell swag. Be a respectable band. Get Albertonied for crissakes. MAMMA-fy us bitches. And then stick with it for a while (I don't know about the boys, but I'd be happy to still be doing this schtick five years from now...or longer...if people still came to the shows...which is probably how the real Pixies feel too). Let's fucking do this thing.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Fundamentals Week Five
This week is bossa nova. My talent in the latin rhythms is not...good. But of all of them bossa nova is the one that I get the best. Probably because it is relatively simple, relatively slow, and ubiquitous in American culture.
Last week's lesson was horrible on so many levels...but I take heart in the fact that everyone else in the class thought it was horrible too. I got a C+...which is probably the first time in my life that has happened (I failed an English paper once for not following directions...on purpose...but I've never gotten a C before I don't think...of course...I'm probably blocking out Nuclear Engineering grad school now that I think of it). His comments were not helpful. I made quite clear that I was struggling with the assignment and his comments amounted to "you did it wrong"...which I had already full well admitted. The professorship is minimal here.
And again I have to say that the care and organization of the course is subpar. For instance...it was implied this week that we had already studied accents. We have not. Accents were thrown into an assignment...but they were never explained or discussed. Same for dynamics in general...they've been thrown at us...but not truly examined. In this week's lesson it says we will start 32nd notes this week...only we started them last week. And I got zinged for playing both etudes last week when we were only supposed to play one...well THAT wasn't made clear AT ALL. Oh...and in some places he'll say to play things at 50 bpm...then somewhere else it'll say 60...for the same portion of the assignment. Just really bad editing and consistency checks all around. It'd be ok if this was cheap...but it isn't at all. Lazy...sloppy.
Last week's lesson was horrible on so many levels...but I take heart in the fact that everyone else in the class thought it was horrible too. I got a C+...which is probably the first time in my life that has happened (I failed an English paper once for not following directions...on purpose...but I've never gotten a C before I don't think...of course...I'm probably blocking out Nuclear Engineering grad school now that I think of it). His comments were not helpful. I made quite clear that I was struggling with the assignment and his comments amounted to "you did it wrong"...which I had already full well admitted. The professorship is minimal here.
And again I have to say that the care and organization of the course is subpar. For instance...it was implied this week that we had already studied accents. We have not. Accents were thrown into an assignment...but they were never explained or discussed. Same for dynamics in general...they've been thrown at us...but not truly examined. In this week's lesson it says we will start 32nd notes this week...only we started them last week. And I got zinged for playing both etudes last week when we were only supposed to play one...well THAT wasn't made clear AT ALL. Oh...and in some places he'll say to play things at 50 bpm...then somewhere else it'll say 60...for the same portion of the assignment. Just really bad editing and consistency checks all around. It'd be ok if this was cheap...but it isn't at all. Lazy...sloppy.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
More Thoughts on Berklee
The feedback that I've gotten from the Berkleee instructor has been strange. He picks up on strange things that don't seem all that important to me and misses things that seem like a big deal to me.
I particularly liked when he told me to work on better synching of my video and audio files. Yeah...they aren't synched dude...it's one file.
This week (last week's assignment) he said I should try to have fun with the song. So...have you ever tried to have fun while reading sheet music that you aren't familiar with? It's hard. When I know a song well I can have fun. When I'm reading tiny dots 3 feet away I have to focus. We only have a week to learn these songs. If all I had to do was kind of play them like them seem I could have fun. But if you want me to read them note for note...well it's reading dude.
Anyway...all of this reinforces to me that the feedback portion of this course isn't that useful except in that it forces deadlines.
I particularly liked when he told me to work on better synching of my video and audio files. Yeah...they aren't synched dude...it's one file.
This week (last week's assignment) he said I should try to have fun with the song. So...have you ever tried to have fun while reading sheet music that you aren't familiar with? It's hard. When I know a song well I can have fun. When I'm reading tiny dots 3 feet away I have to focus. We only have a week to learn these songs. If all I had to do was kind of play them like them seem I could have fun. But if you want me to read them note for note...well it's reading dude.
Anyway...all of this reinforces to me that the feedback portion of this course isn't that useful except in that it forces deadlines.
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