Dmanlamius: Sleep, Melody, Sleep.

Was just jamming to my daughter (Melody) as it sends her off to sleep. This is what I jammed...

Finger Funk precision exercise # 3 (two got lost in the post)

And here we have another exercise created by me to perfect your finger funkiness.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Playing funk with the fingers is all about a quick and snappy attack, and hitting those notes true and with precision. You have to be on the beat, and in the pocket.

At the moment I'm telling people that these exercises are for intermediate players. Now, the newer guys don't understand this, because the lines themselves are quite easy to play.

But it's not the line that makes it for intermediate. You have to ask yourself (and be strict) "can I play this line, in time, perfectly with no timing errors, technique errors, or anything else that sounds bad?" Be honest. If you can play these lines perfectly, then yes, I would say you are well on your way to becoming intermediate.

That's the difference!

Enjoy...

G||----5-----------------5-----------------
D||---4--0-7-5---------4--0-7-------------
A||------------0-3-4-5---------------------
E||--5-----------------5-------------------

As an alternative, try muting those open strings:

G||----5-----------------5-----------------
D||---4--x-7-5---------4--x-7-------------
A||------------x-3-4-5---------------------
E||--5-----------------5-------------------

Bass tapping exercise #1

And here we have the first in my tapping exercises! Woot!

If you have no idea on how to tap, or what it is, check this lesson out. In it, we go through the motions, and you end up playing a nice little line at different speeds. Come back to this after!

I tabbed this video, but they kept on saving differently than I wanted. However, Garth at my forums was kind enough to tab it over there. Click here for it!

The new Lessons:

Ok, i'll explain my reasons for doing these new lessons.

Excuse me if I waffle.

A lot of people like the new exercise structure, and a lot of people don't. Some people like me to talk, and some don't.

It wasn't a professional choice, but one of necessity. Here are a few reasons below:

- I don't have much time at the moment. Doing these "quicker" vids, is easier, because I just plug in my Korg, jam, show, and it's done! If i'm speaking, I need to unplug Korg, plug in amp, mess with settings, yadayada. This just means I can do a lot more lessons.

- I have passed the "beginner" part of my online tuition. I feel i've chucked a lot of good information out to get people on their way (a lesson on tuning, and alternate tunings will still arrive, though). I HAD to speak when I did the beginner lessons. I had to, to teach. I don't need to so much, anymore. But...people need to be aware that all people are at different levels in their growth. Some people may need me to speak. Some not.

For that reason, I WILL do lessons in the future where I talk. I'll need to.

- I'm now a guest teacher on MarloweDK's site, and I felt I needed to "up my game" if I was going to host my vids on his site. It wouldn't be fair on him, or his regular visitors if my videos were of a lower quality.

- I feel i've come far with these lessons. From where I had a crappy camera, amp and bass, and just talked and taught. I've learnt a lot about myself and teaching. It's been great, and I thank those that have supported my efforts from the start (you know who you are). But now is time to move on.

Expect many more of these new and shorter lessons. Many more. We're moving on...

Hope that clears some things up, and I hope you guys enjoy what I've got in store in the future.

It goes much further than learning bass with me. I'm giving people an opportunity to get involved in music my friends (some very talented musicians) and I are creating, and even earn some cash in the process.

The future looks good...

slap precision exercise #2

Ok, this lesson is a little less "funkier" than the first precision exercise. But needs must, and I designed this exercise to really help with your thumb targeting!

G||-----------------------
D||----7-5---------------
A||---------7 6 5-3-5---
E||--5--------------------

As per usual, strike the strings clean with your thumb. It's quick, so you're going to have to be precise. If it's too fast, slow down. If you can do it easily (without accidently hitting ANY other strings), speed it up.

Good luck, and tell me how it goes!

Finger Funk precision exercise # 1

Finger Funk exercise numero uno.

G||------------------------------------------------
D||----2-3-0-5-3-----------2-3-0-5-3---------------
A||--------------0-3-4-5-------------0-3-----------
E||--3-------------------3-------------------------

Ok, this lesson is aimed more at intermediate players, rather than beginners. Of course, beginners are welcome to give it a go, but as usual, take it slow...!

Let's consider why it's a little more difficult.

Funk, played with the fingers, has to be very precise. We can't get away with sloppy playing. In this example, my notes are very quick, and you need good control of the strings to get good attack without ringing out anything else.

Take the open D string played here as an example:

D||----2-3-0-5-3---

That string is played so quickly, and so precise that it almost becomes a mute. Infact, in that example, I swap between hitting that open real quick, and playing a mute, because the difference is minimal.

For you beginner guys, play the with slow. Work on finger control. We want the strings hit true, fast and with precision.

This is the nature of playing funk with our fingers...

Good luck, and have fun with it!

Slap precision exercise #1

Slap precision exercise numero uno.

G||---------------------------------------------------------------5
D||-------4h5-X------5h7-X----------------4h5-X------5h7-X----
A||---------------5h7----------3------------------5h7-------------
E||--5-5-----------------------------5-5---------------------------

With beginners and some intermediate players (those with not much slap and pop experience) I’ve noticed that they mostly get the pop down of slap and pop, but find the slap part a little more difficult. Especially as they move off of the E string, and onto others. This is completely natural, and happened to us all. It really is a case of practising your slap precision, until you have it down comfortably, and without making contact with the other strings!

So I’m going to make a few videos of slap parts, alone. No popping at this stage.

If you are a beginner, take it really slow. Go through the whole line, and try not to touch the other strings. Keep it clean, and be precise.

It doesn’t matter how slow you go. They key is precision! Of course, you could slap scales if you wanted, but I wanted to add a bit of funk to make things a little more interesting for you.

Once you have it down at your comfortable speed, speed it up. Again, you’re looking for precision. Clean strikes.

Repeat and rinse.

I’ll do a few of these videos, and then we’ll add some pops!



If these videos are too much for you, and you find these difficult, check out my tips on getting better precision:

Getting better Slap precision.

Slap dynamics.

And if this is way past your standard, check out my premium vid "Red hot Slap 'n pop" which covers the much muted method that Flea (And I) like to use.

Red hot Slap 'n pop.

How to get a gig (Band advice)

Some peeps from my forum have asked me some advice on how to go about getting a gig. Here is some info below. If anyone wants to add anything to this, then give me a shout!

How to get a gig!

So you feel you are ready to move on with your band, and are ready to gig? Well, good for you! You may want to take notice of some of my information, below:

Get a pair of compasses and draw a circle on a map to work out how far a field you can travel on any given day or night, then contact all the venues in that area.

Google is your friend. So are local newspapers and forums.

A demo is the most important thing in getting your first gig. It doesn’t need to be as perfect as if you were sending it to a potential label - its main function is to show the promoter what you sound like and how suitable your band is to the venue. Sometimes thrash metal doesn't tend to go down well in wine bars. Sometimes.

Along with the demo, you should include your contact information and a biography. Don't be afraid of self promotion, but try to keep things short and informative. Keep it sweet, and don't get heavy. I once met a band that outlined their extreme political beliefs in their bio.
They didn’t get many gigs.

Promoters will want a demo CD. Three songs are perfect for this, with tracks that are representative of your sound. Don't send in a CD of your rockier moments and then choose to play jazz on the night. Oh, and don’t send MP3’s in e-mails, unless asked to. I know that this is a pet peev of a lot of promoters…

Sometimes it's easiest to just get in touch with a local promoter with a phone call or email. With demos it's nice to see an effort being made: a nicely presented package with a printed cover and nicely done biog makes the promoter pay more attention.

When chasing a venue, don't worry about ensuring a sold out gig. Sure, promoters will be more receptive if you can guarantee a good crowd, but you should worry more about sounding good and less about pleasing the promoter.

If it's your first gig, be patient. Promoters receive lots of demos, so be prepared to wait a while. Do chase up the venue, but refrain from bombarding them with reminders, be assertive but be prepared to wait. A small nudge a few days after should do the trick.

But what to do when you've successfully secured your first gig? What should you do when you're in the venue? Every band has a different approach to their sound, but there are some basic pointers that should make life a little easier...

Check equipment specs thoroughly within the venue. Find out what they have and haven't got and get in early for the soundcheck, and be nice to all the technicians. Should you get the wrong side of them, they have the ability to make you sound terrible. Or steal your girlfriend when you're onstage. I've seen it happen.

Also, keep your ego in check - it's your first gig, don't make it your last. Do ask for payment though, even if it's only to cover your petrol. Be reasonable and you'll get some money - you're doing this for fun, but collecting scraps will help pay for new kit or gigs in the future.

Take note:

An attitude and swagger may be good for the cameras, but you should ALWAYS be nice to promoters and venue staff. If you don't treat the promoter with respect you can kiss any other future gigs goodbye and you will have lost a potential venue. Separate your onstage persona from your professional self.

Finally, remember to have fun! Once you're first couple of gigs are out of the way you can build contacts with venues and promoters. You'll increase your exposure and play more regularly, and they will come to you rather than the other way round.

Good luck guys, and I hope this helped!

The writing of the Book!

Forum members, blog members fellow bass players, lend me your ears...

As some of you know, i've started writing a book about bass. It'll be an E-book (nice and easy for me = good for my sanity!) and will be available from my webbysitious.

Now, i've covered a bunch of stuff. I didn't want to make it theory heavy, as there is a lot of stuff out there that you can already learn from. It's more aimed at practical usage. Playing live, training ear, singing and playing, as well as covering techniques.

We DO cover a few scales, though. These can be used as warm-ups if need be.

I also cover the evolution of the bass, where it's going, and where it's come from.

I also try to push different thinking.

Now, if you guys wanted to learn something from a book on bass, what would it be?

You can answer here, or at my forums. Either is fine. I want to get an idea of what YOU want, rather than what I think you might want.  Dig deep into your thinking gear.

Here is a picture of me for you to admire, as the top half of my blog is looking a bit sparse. Enjoy.