Tag Archives: caliva

Learning Other Instruments

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I’m not going to say I get bored with playing the bass, but sometimes I like doing something different. Something that I haven’t done before.  However, I still like doing something music related.  That’s why I jump at the chance to learn other instruments.  There are so many things you can learn from other instruments that can help you with the instrument you play.  Here are some things you can learn from other band instruments.

1. Guitar

As a bass player, our job is to bridge together the melody and the beat of the music.  So, that’s why I think it’s important to learn at least a little guitar. The guitar’s job is to hold down the melody and I think that is something important to understand.  Also, knowing chords on a guitar (and knowing the relation between chords and a capo) can help if your band gets a request for a song and you don’t know the chord structure.  I can’t tell you how many times knowing a little bit of guitar has helped me.

2. Drums

The drums and the bass have a very special relationship.  I don’t think that any other relationship is as strong or as significant as the relationship between a drummer and a bassist (maybe it’s an exaggeration, but whatever). I’ve never played drums before, but I really want to, because I think it is extremely important to understand the role of drummers.  Drummers have a lot of pressure on them.  They develop to the groove, they must be the band’s metronome, and follow the band leader at the same time.  I think it’s nice to understand that importance.

3. Miscellaneous 

All in all, knowing other instruments can be a useful thing.  By knowing other instruments, you can put on your resume, “Plays Ukulele, Fiddle, Accordion, Harmonica.” So, if a band needs any of those instruments, they can give you a call.  Another great thing is to learn somewhat obscure instruments, such as Banjo, Mandolin, etc.  These instruments are becoming more popular, but so few people play them.  In a music city, you could find a lot of work by knowing a little bit of these instruments.

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Custom Basses

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The best thing to any musician is a custom built instrument by a really talented luthier.  Custom instruments are the best, because (like it’s name suggests) they are custom for the musician and it sounds exactly the way the musician wants. In my free time, I like to find cool custom bass websites and price out what it would be for me to buy one.  One day I’ll have them all.  But in the meantime, here are some of my favorite custom bass websites.

1. Fender Custom Shop

I love Fender, so the Custom Shop (for me) is second to none.  No too long ago, I downloaded their price list and pretty much customized my entire instrument and got a free quote.  Don’t worry, it’s not a reality yet.  Maybe someday… It’s not a lie when people say that Fender is expensive, especially when it comes to the custom shop. However, you really are getting some excellent craftsmanship and an absolutely beautiful instrument.

2. Rybski Custom Bass Guitars

I actually just stumbled upon Rybski this week.  The basses that Rybski makes are completely unique.  They have unique pickups and unique body shapes.  If you’re looking for something that will catch the eye of the audience, Rybski will make that bass.  And for a much cheaper price than most custom bass shops. Give them a look!

3. Über-Jay Custom Basses

I stumbled upon Über-Jay basses a couple years ago and I haven’t forgotten about them. I still want my own.  The thing I love about Über-Jay basses is how similar they are to Sadowsky instruments. Über-Jay uses the Sadowsky preamps and pickups.  They also use Hipshot bridges.  For the tuners, they use a headless tuning system that looks totally classy. The best is that price wise, they start around $1,500.  Not bad at all! Check them out, too!

What’s your favorite custom bass shop? Tweet me, Facebook me, or leave a comment below!

Bass Cover: “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People

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I know I’m late on being obsessed with this song, but at least it happened :-) .  Anyway, I found this crazy cool bass loop version of Pumped Up Kicks by Adam Stevens.  Check it out!

Review: Hearos High Fidelity Ear Plugs

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I would like to start this post off by saying that I’m extremely sorry for being so M.I.A. this past week.  It was CMA week and I was just sooo busy!

Right before CMA week I said to myself, “You know what? I shoulg get some earplugs. Just because.” Well, that was the best decision of my life. Before CMA Fest, I usually was okay on stage. My dad (who plays guitar) was usually on the other side of the stage and the drums would be far enough behind that me that I would be okay.  However, we brought on two more players for CMA fest. So, that meant that I was literally sandwiched between my dad’s loud amp to my left, my bass amp was right behind me, and the snare drum was directly to my right.

So, with that being said, it was extremely loud on stage. However, I can say that Hearos saved my ears. Hearos earplugs are designed for musicians.  So, they cut about 15-20 decibels of sound, but they don’t sound muffled.  Hearos High Fidelity ear plugs have little filters on the end, so that all highs and lows to be heard equally.  Hearos are reusable and come with a free case.

The best thing? They are inexpensive.  I bought my earplugs at Sam Ash and got them for about  $10.  So, not a lot of money for all of the protection you get.  They are also discreet, so fans won’t be able to tell you have them in.  All in all, a great product.  I definitely recommend Hearos High Fidelity earplugs. I know I will never, ever play another show without them.

You can check out Hearos at the following websites.

Hearos website

Hearos Twitter

Hearos Facebook

Review: Boss BF-3 Flanger

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So…not too long ago I posted about how much I wanted a Flanger pedal. After I posted this, I said to myself, “Lisa… you don’t need it.  Just go to Sam Ash and play it so you can review it on your blog and then walk away.  Give it back and walk away.” So that’s what I did.

I bought it.

I couldn’t restrain myself!  I bought it.  I had made enough money in tips the night before, so that’s how I justified it.  Also, I justified it by the fact that it’s a purple pedal and I didn’t have a purple pedal on my board yet.

Anyway, let’s get on with the review. I’m still not quite sure how to describe the tone of a Flanger, so I’ll explain what it is.  A flanger pedal splits your signal into two exact copies. One of those copies is delayed (no more than 20 milliseconds) and then put back together with the other copy.  As a result notches in the frequency are created and thus create The Flanger. A totally distinguishable and extremely cool sound. A “Phaser” works much the same way, but a Flanger works much more dramatically.

Since I’m such a Boss-head, I bought the BF-3 without much thought.  This pedal has four knobs, “Manual and Resonance” (They take up the same real estate), “Depth”, “Rate”, and a knob to switch between the different modes: “Gate/Pan”, “Standard”, and “Ultra”.  This pedal also has inputs for Guitar and Bass and, also, two outputs: Mono and Stereo.  All around, a beautifully built pedal.

I usually leave my resonance a little to the right of dead center.  I like a nice deep flange, so my depth is at about 3 O’clock.  My rate is set at about 1 o’clock and I’m pretty consistently on the “Standard” mode.  The other modes are set mostly for if you’re going stereo, which I rarely do.  Still nice to have, just in case. My favorite feature that the BF-3 has, is the ability to set a tempo.  By holding the pedal down for about 2 seconds, you are able to tap the tempo into the pedal.  It, then, sets a flange perfect for the tempo you’re in.  I use that more than any other feature on the pedal.

This pedal sounds EXTREMELY good.  I couldn’t be happier with my Flanger pedal! Definitely worth looking into.

Standing Out

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In Downtown Nashville, there are about 50 bars.  They’re all right next to each other and they all have live music. This means that at any given time, 50 bands are playing and competing for the biggest crowds. So…how does one stand out? Especially since summer is almost in full swing and more and more people want to see great music.  Well, as always, I have some tips on how to “stand out.”

1. Music Selection

This is the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of playing live. Play the hits and I mean, The Hits. “Jessie’s Girl,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Jack and Diane,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “I Love Rock And Roll,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” and if you live in Nashville, “Folsom Prison Blues.” These are just a few of the songs that really get the crowd going.  These are the hits that everybody knows, no matter what age they are.  If you’re unsure of what songs to play, ask the owner of the club.  I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to tell you since he’s relying on you to draw a crowd.

2. Stage Presence

Have a good look. Unfortunately, a lot of people would rather go see someone who looks good and plays well, than someone who plays extraordinarily well and looks bored on stage.  When people go to see bands and bars or clubs, they’re looking for a good time.  Connect with your audience, smile a lot, rock out with other members of the band, and (most of hall) have fun.  If you’re playing a four-hour show, it can be rough.  So, make light of it and have a good time. The crowd will respond well, I promise.

3. Audience Connection

The audience just wants to have fun.  So, have them participate and participate back.  Have them sing along and have them participate  in “Holler and Swollers” (Which are exactly like they sound.  Everyone screams and then they drink). Have a good time and have good energy, because if you’re having a good time, the audience will have a good time.

How do you stand out? Tweet me, Facebook me, or let me know in the comments below!

Review: “Musical Ear” Ear Training Computer Program

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A little while ago I posted about three ear training apps  for iPhone/iPad (You may read it here if you are interested).  However, I then found this ear training app for computers called “Musical Ear.”  So, I downloaded the 15-day trial to try it out.  Here’s my review:

Overall, it’s a great program.  It’s available for Windows or for Mac, so anyone can use it.  The program is divided into three sections: Songs, Exercises, and Theory and Terms. With the “Songs” tab, you listen to a song and you have to write out the melodies you hear in the worksheets they provide.  The “Exercises” tab has worksheets for things like intervals, chord progressions, sight reading, etc.  And the “Theory and Terms” page is a great dictionary or glossary, if you will. So, overall, it’s very universal and each exercise has different levels (level 1, 2, 3) that you can graduate to as you become more advanced.

You can open the worksheets for each exercise in Finale, Sibelius, or in PDF form.  You also have the option to view the answers or not view the answers.  The answers are on individual worksheets located at the bottom of the page the describes each exercise. With this in mind, this program would be a great supplementary program for teachers or for individual students.  Teachers could have students work on the exercises and check their students’ answers with the answers PDFs.

Overall, this is a great program! Very helpful, indeed! If you want to further your education with ear training or are looking for a supplementary program to use in the classroom, give MusicalEar a try!

Their website is: https://musicalear.com/

And you can download a free 15-day trial… here!

Bass Cover: “Gangnam Style” by Psy

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I know, I know, I’ve posted a cover of Gangnam Style before.  However, I’ve found another one that I REALLY like.  Turns out, this song is very fun to bass riff over. :-) .  Anyway, here is “Senbassist” performing “Gangnam Style.”

The School Discussion

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One of the most discussed about topics in the music community is: “Should I go to music school or not?”  I believe that both sides of this debate have some very valid points.

I was going to write a whole post about this topic, but then I came across a post on No Treble about the same exact thing.  This post talks about the pros and cons of both sides of this debate.  On top of that, the post is written by Damian Erskine. Check it out…here.

Let me know what you think about college!

Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart: Seesaw

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Just this week, Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart came out with their second studio album, “Seesaw”, and it’s amazing.  Their last album had a strong focus on blues, but this album has a lot of motown influences.  ”Seesaw” is very different from their previous album, “Don’t Explain,” but it’s still wonderfully crafted.

Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa cover great artists like Buddy Miles, Melody Gardot, Gary Moore, Aretha Franklin, and the amazing Tina Turner.  Beth Hart absolutely kills on “Nutbush City Limits.” Overall, this album was a great representation of what Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa can accomplish in the studio.  Beth Hart’s vocal is stronger than ever and sounds great with the horns on this album.

However, if you’re looking for a face melting guitar solo, you won’t really get one.  Joe Bonamassa takes the backseat to the horns on this album and to Beth Hart’s vocals.  He, also, rarely brought out his vintage hollow body guitars that he had on the first album.  Some like that Joe took the backseat, some expected a little more.  However, I thought the album was great regardless.

Even though I do love the first album better, I thought this album was great.  It’s very different than the first, but it still delivers Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart greatness.  You should definitely check out this album on Spotify, iTunes, or pick up a copy at your local retail store.