General Music Chat

like ....craaaaaazy, man!

nicely done, youngster.

we all hear things differently and so these things are real subjective. i mean, when DOESN'T it come down to ...."well, here's how I would approach it!" ?

you got some cool stuff going on, but it's pretty thick soup, no? i mean w the fairly busy drums and that bass line that has a lot "personality" (taking up a lot of sonic space) moving along at pretty good clip....i would probably leave a little more space and maybe TRY to come up w one or two "distinctive" hooks that let the rhythm section "breathe" a little more.

the other bit for me (and MY tastes) is that when making chili....there's gotta be more spice than just a lot of chili powder! the basic trks (my gtr/bass/drums) have a good bit of inherent tension already built into them.....so, my tastes and that bit of "how would I approach this?" would likely steer me towards not adding MORE "chili powder" but maybe a little cumin, garlic, or a bit of instant coffee to the chili!

but like i said before....i find it endlessy interesting how people hear and approach things differently! (what can i say....i'm easily entertained) thanks, jook for spending some time w that and sharing!



...but i get where you were coming from with it!

Again, what a treat to play w/ this rhythm section!!
Things get pretty intense there after it stews a bit.
You guys are kickin' the dog!!
I could play this sh*t until I passed out! TOO much fun!

thanks bro. always nice to hear good things from your peers. sadly i don't get to play bass w Monty these days and i really miss it. we've been playing together in different bands, playing different types of music for close to 30 yrs and from day one we hit it off. he's the kind of drummer that just spoils ya and ruins other drummers for ya!

no worries, man. i DO dig it.

and trust me, i KNOW what it's like when something tickles ya musical funny bone and makes ya wanna play. i'm glad it gets your juices going and makes ya wanna jump on it!

Hey, you gotta give me some credit.

I did! I DO !!!

you're most welcome. and thanks for playing along out there in radio land!

i will now take both a bow AND a curtsy.

I'd love to play w/ you 2 and a nutty sax player w/ me on rhythm guitar. I love skanking on those grooves. It beats playing lead any day.

i'm the same way when it comes to playing rhythm and accompaniment. i enjoy comping just as much or more so than soloing. and i take pride in being a good accompanist.... giving good support, and making the soloist or singer comfortable.

i love soloing and playing melodies on mandolin, but playing rhythm, chopping, and holding things together in a bluegrass or newgrass band on mando???? man, THAT is truly a BLAST!

bassist mentality....well, i'd amend that to "GOOD bassist mentality"! i DO know what you mean...but let's face it, we all know and have played w bassists who aren't the best team players.

being a good accompanist is like being a "GOOD bassist"...understanding and being content w your role.... that's it's not about YOU standing up at the podium and holding court all the time.

i use the Hippocratic oath as my approach to being a good accompanist...."do no harm!". figure out what's necessary to keep things moving down the track ....and try not play any more than that.

and within that mentality...try to find little spots where ya can insert a little "personality" without pulling the rug out from under the soloist or singer. it's not quite walking a tightrope...more like a bit of a balancing act. and like most things....it all comes down to taste.

My favorite bass players lay a really solid foundational groove under a soloist and gently introduce interesting harmonic ideas that inspire and propel a solo into new territory. At our gig last week I had the bass player arrested for loitering.