The IIB Monthly Newsletter
Volume 8, Number 2
Hello fellow bassists and friends!
Welcome to the latest issue of The International Institute of Bassists newsletter and the web site of the International Institute of Bassists!
Welcome to the latest issue of The International Institute of Bassists newsletter and the web site of the International Institute of Bassists!
IIBtv - Todd Johnson
IIBtv contains selected instructional, bass clinic, and concert performance videos which feature some of today's premier bass artists. Now showing on IIBtv are excerpts of Todd Johnson's instructional DVD's, Technique Builders and Walking Bass Line Module System.
In Technique Builders, Johnson shows you how to control the shape, attack, decay, and articulations of the notes you play in a logical, organized, and concise method. Johnson also demonstrates right and left hand ergonomics, right hand muting, supportive fingering, string skipping, floating thumb technique, shifting, hammer-ons and pull-offs, as well as how to play ghost notes on electric bass. This DVD is ideal for beginners who want to learn things right the first time and also for the self-taught bassist hoping to fix bad habits that have been unintentionally picked up over the years. In his Walking Bass Line Module System DVD, Johnson takes the "mystery" out of learning to play walking bass lines by breaking techniques down into small, bite-size pieces that anyone can easily digest. In Volume 1, Triad Modules, Johnson outlines the strong beat/weak beat theory, ear training (playing what you hear), blues changes, "Autumn Leaves" changes, major and minor triads, chromatic approaches from above and below, and helps you put together a solid, organized practice plan. ... Read More!
In Technique Builders, Johnson shows you how to control the shape, attack, decay, and articulations of the notes you play in a logical, organized, and concise method. Johnson also demonstrates right and left hand ergonomics, right hand muting, supportive fingering, string skipping, floating thumb technique, shifting, hammer-ons and pull-offs, as well as how to play ghost notes on electric bass. This DVD is ideal for beginners who want to learn things right the first time and also for the self-taught bassist hoping to fix bad habits that have been unintentionally picked up over the years. In his Walking Bass Line Module System DVD, Johnson takes the "mystery" out of learning to play walking bass lines by breaking techniques down into small, bite-size pieces that anyone can easily digest. In Volume 1, Triad Modules, Johnson outlines the strong beat/weak beat theory, ear training (playing what you hear), blues changes, "Autumn Leaves" changes, major and minor triads, chromatic approaches from above and below, and helps you put together a solid, organized practice plan. ... Read More!
Product Spotlight - AccuGroove
"AccuGroove is not a market-driven company where we have pressure being placed upon us from the sales department in trying to get us to introduce something before its ready," asserts AccuGroove co-founder Mark Wright. "When we start a project, there are no time restrictions or budget limitations. The only goal is sonic purity and total reliability. We don't even calculate the cost of any cabinet until the project has been completed and our objectives have been reached. We simply refuse to compromise the sound and reliability of our products in order to deliver something to the market faster," adds Wright.
Since 2002, Wright and David Innis have been building high-tech AccuGroove cabinets in their northern California workshop. At the foundation of their engineering concepts are atypical speaker configurations which feature low, mid, and high frequency speakers that are sealed within isolated compartments to deliver a full-spectrum sound in a single, compact enclosure. By housing the speakers in their own specially tuned "cabinet within a cabinet," each driver is able to retain its distinct sonic signature while generating optimal response without adding any unwanted colorization. Whether they are utilized on the stages of small clubs, large arenas, or outdoor venues, the innovative AccuGroove design produces a studio monitor sound which faithfully represents the true tonal palette of the amplified instrument and is endorsed by many of today's top bassists including Bill Dickens, Keith Horne, Todd Johnson, Yves Carbonne, and Steve Lawson. ... Read More!
Since 2002, Wright and David Innis have been building high-tech AccuGroove cabinets in their northern California workshop. At the foundation of their engineering concepts are atypical speaker configurations which feature low, mid, and high frequency speakers that are sealed within isolated compartments to deliver a full-spectrum sound in a single, compact enclosure. By housing the speakers in their own specially tuned "cabinet within a cabinet," each driver is able to retain its distinct sonic signature while generating optimal response without adding any unwanted colorization. Whether they are utilized on the stages of small clubs, large arenas, or outdoor venues, the innovative AccuGroove design produces a studio monitor sound which faithfully represents the true tonal palette of the amplified instrument and is endorsed by many of today's top bassists including Bill Dickens, Keith Horne, Todd Johnson, Yves Carbonne, and Steve Lawson. ... Read More!
Reviews - The deMania Trio (featuring Michael Manring) - deMania
deMania, the debut project from The deMania Trio, features an eclectic collection of original compositions, inventive arrangements, and expanded improvisations by guitarist Alex de Grassi, bassist Michael Manring, and percussionist Chris Garcia. As acclaimed artists in their respective fields, de Grassi is noted as a leading steel-string acoustic guitarist, Manring is acknowledged as a solo bass guitar pioneer, and Garcia is cited for his performance on unconventional percussion-related instruments such as the tabla. Together within a trio format, they merge their non-traditional instrumentation with an unrivaled degree of technical prowess and a diverse fusion of genres ranging from traditional folk, classical, jazz, and world music, to produce a unique repertoire and sound all their own consisting of sensitive sonic textures, complex harmonic structures, lyrical melodies, intricate rhythmic figures, and odd meter grooves. ... Read More!
Bass Tips Of The Week
Jazz Bass Lines - "Rhythmic Embellishments: Skips"
In this lesson, you will find three choruses of the 12-bar blues, the most common set of chord changes played in jazz music, in F. To illustrate the development of solid, functional walking bass lines with rhythmic embellishments, I have composed a number of lines which are intended to supply you with ideas on how to effectively employ skips over these changes. As their name implies, skips create a sensation comparable to that of what a person experiences while skipping from step to step. They are played within the framework of eighth note triplets, and similar to most other rhythmic embellishments, skips fill in space between quarter notes and help propel the momentum forward. Skips accentuate the first and third subdivisions of the eighth note triplet figure and add a rhythmic bounce to bass lines. By placing a slight accent on the skip, you will create the feeling of anticipation and tension that is then resolved upon the continuation of the quarter note-based walking line. ... Read More.
Jazz Bass Lines - "Rhythmic Embellishments: Slurred Skips"
In this lesson, you will find three choruses of the 12-bar blues, the most common set of chord changes played in jazz music, in F. To illustrate the development of solid, functional walking bass lines with rhythmic embellishments, I have composed a number of lines which are intended to supply you with ideas on how to effectively employ slurred skips over these changes. Slurred skips are played within the framework of eighth note triplets, and similar to most other rhythmic embellishments, slurred skips fill in space between quarter notes and help propel the momentum forward. They accentuate the first and third subdivisions of the eighth note triplet figure and add a rhythmic bounce to bass lines. I often refer to slurred skips as left-hand or fretting-hand articulations because as its name implies, you will be using a finger on your fretting hand to slide from one note to the next in an ascending or descending fashion by either a half-step or whole-step without a break. Typically, slurred skips consist of half-steps and whole-steps, but by utilizing wider intervals in the slurred skip, you can create a more dramatic effect. To achieve the most smoothly connected lines, I would recommend playing slurred skips comprised of half-steps and whole-steps. Regardless of the intervals contained within the slurred skip, the line should be played with a consistent, fluid motion. After the eighth note within the triplet figure is sounded with standard right hand bass technique, the slurred skip is executed by simply sliding to the subsequent quarter note without articulating that note with the right hand. In the standard notation and tablature, the slurred skips have been notated using a solid line ("__"). ... Read More.
In this lesson, you will find three choruses of the 12-bar blues, the most common set of chord changes played in jazz music, in F. To illustrate the development of solid, functional walking bass lines with rhythmic embellishments, I have composed a number of lines which are intended to supply you with ideas on how to effectively employ skips over these changes. As their name implies, skips create a sensation comparable to that of what a person experiences while skipping from step to step. They are played within the framework of eighth note triplets, and similar to most other rhythmic embellishments, skips fill in space between quarter notes and help propel the momentum forward. Skips accentuate the first and third subdivisions of the eighth note triplet figure and add a rhythmic bounce to bass lines. By placing a slight accent on the skip, you will create the feeling of anticipation and tension that is then resolved upon the continuation of the quarter note-based walking line. ... Read More.
Jazz Bass Lines - "Rhythmic Embellishments: Slurred Skips"
In this lesson, you will find three choruses of the 12-bar blues, the most common set of chord changes played in jazz music, in F. To illustrate the development of solid, functional walking bass lines with rhythmic embellishments, I have composed a number of lines which are intended to supply you with ideas on how to effectively employ slurred skips over these changes. Slurred skips are played within the framework of eighth note triplets, and similar to most other rhythmic embellishments, slurred skips fill in space between quarter notes and help propel the momentum forward. They accentuate the first and third subdivisions of the eighth note triplet figure and add a rhythmic bounce to bass lines. I often refer to slurred skips as left-hand or fretting-hand articulations because as its name implies, you will be using a finger on your fretting hand to slide from one note to the next in an ascending or descending fashion by either a half-step or whole-step without a break. Typically, slurred skips consist of half-steps and whole-steps, but by utilizing wider intervals in the slurred skip, you can create a more dramatic effect. To achieve the most smoothly connected lines, I would recommend playing slurred skips comprised of half-steps and whole-steps. Regardless of the intervals contained within the slurred skip, the line should be played with a consistent, fluid motion. After the eighth note within the triplet figure is sounded with standard right hand bass technique, the slurred skip is executed by simply sliding to the subsequent quarter note without articulating that note with the right hand. In the standard notation and tablature, the slurred skips have been notated using a solid line ("__"). ... Read More.
News
Be sure to check out the latest books, DVD's, CD's, and gear. ... Read More.
Brian Bromberg - Downright Upright
Brian Bromberg - Downright Upright
The IIB Monthly Giveaways
Each month, the IIB gives its viewers the opportunity to participate in various monthly giveaways. Sponsored by: Line 6, D'Addario Strings, Gallien-Krueger, Ibanez, Hartke, Zoom, Evidence Audio, and Zon Guitars. To become eligible to win products including basses, amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, gig bags, straps, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, apparel, and more!
ENTER TO WIN TODAY! ... Read More.
ENTER TO WIN TODAY! ... Read More.
The IIB MP3 Bass Sampler
The IIB MP3 Bass Sampler is comprised of selected tracks that have been recorded by many of today's premier bass artists including Marcus Miller, Michael Manring, Adam Nitti, Gary Willis, Norm Stockton, Gerald Veasley, and many more.
OVER 1 HOUR OF MUSIC! ... Read More.
OVER 1 HOUR OF MUSIC! ... Read More.
As a subscriber, you will receive the following benefits:
The IIB Monthly Giveaways - Each month, your name will be entered in all of our various monthly giveaways providing you with the opportunity to win basses, amps, effects, strings, instrument cables, gig bags, straps, DVD's, CD's, books, lessons, apparel, and more! ... Read More.
The IIB MP3 Bass Sampler - You'll receive access to the IIB MP3 Bass Sampler which features selected tracks that have been recorded by many of today's premier bass artists including Marcus Miller, Michael Manring, Adam Nitti, Gary Willis, Norm Stockton, Gerald Veasley, and many more. OVER 1 HOUR OF MUSIC! ... Read More.
Bass Tips Of The Week - You will have access to a huge database of lesson material that has been written on subjects such as Classical & Jazz Music Theory, Sight Reading, Ear Training, Bass Line Construction, Right & Left Hand Technique, Soloing, Jazz Improvisation, Slapping, Tapping, Chordal Techniques, Harmonics, Fingerstyle Funk, Altered Tunings, and Concepts For Solo Bass Playing. All of the lessons are available as downloadable PDF files.
By becoming a subscriber, you will help keep this resource online for you and others to enjoy in the future.
The IIB MP3 Bass Sampler - You'll receive access to the IIB MP3 Bass Sampler which features selected tracks that have been recorded by many of today's premier bass artists including Marcus Miller, Michael Manring, Adam Nitti, Gary Willis, Norm Stockton, Gerald Veasley, and many more. OVER 1 HOUR OF MUSIC! ... Read More.
Bass Tips Of The Week - You will have access to a huge database of lesson material that has been written on subjects such as Classical & Jazz Music Theory, Sight Reading, Ear Training, Bass Line Construction, Right & Left Hand Technique, Soloing, Jazz Improvisation, Slapping, Tapping, Chordal Techniques, Harmonics, Fingerstyle Funk, Altered Tunings, and Concepts For Solo Bass Playing. All of the lessons are available as downloadable PDF files.
By becoming a subscriber, you will help keep this resource online for you and others to enjoy in the future.
CLICK HERE To Subscribe Today For Only $9.95 Per Year!
Advertise On The IIB
If you are looking to increase your online presence and promote your product in front of a serious bass-targeted audience, check out the brand new Advertising Opportunities available on this web site. Through the utilization of the latest banner rotation software technology, the IIB is offering advertisement space in 5 different zones placed strategically throughout the template of the IIB web site and priced well below industry standard. Advertising packages are available at a reduced rate to those interested in securing an advertising contract of 6 months or longer. Purchase a 6-month advertising contract on the IIB web site and receive 1 month of advertising for FREE!. As an advertiser on the IIB web site, you have the opportunity to submit an advertising banner(s), pictures of your product(s), and a text-based ad of any length outlining product specifications, company history, contact information, and links to be posted on a page specifically designed to promote your merchandise within our Advertiser's Index at no additional cost to you. If you'd like to rotate information on your storefront, we can update that information for you on a monthly basis. There are virtually limitless possibilities available with your storefront.
If you have any comments, suggestions, news-related items such as press releases, or products that you would like to submit for review on the IIB, please feel free to e-mail me at: Editor@InstituteOfBass.com.
Thanks so much for your continued support, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Editor: The IIB
February 2007
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If you have any comments, suggestions, news-related items such as press releases, or products that you would like to submit for review on the IIB, please feel free to e-mail me at: Editor@InstituteOfBass.com.
Thanks so much for your continued support, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Editor: The IIB
February 2007
To Unsubscribe from the IIB's monthly newsletter, simply go to: http://www.instituteofbass.com and submit your e-mail to be removed.
