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Willis Takes on Your Questions
Hey Willis,
In the lessons portion of your website you have a cool random note generator. Love it! However I play a five string bass and have not yet found a generated note lower than the F. It’s set up so we can choose sharps, flats or none. Can it be re-written to allow the user to set the range for a 4,5 or 6 string bass?
JP
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Hey JP, You asked for it, you got it! Buckle your seatbelt, it’s time for Red Bull Extreme Sight Reading!  *not affiliated with Red Bull GmbH or Red Bull Company Limited |
Hey Mr Willis,
What would your right hand fingering be if you were to play a Am7b5 arpeggio that looks something like this
Closed Position
————————-12—–14——-12———————————
——————13——————————13———————–
—-12—–15——————————————-15——12———-
——————————————————————————
1 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 2
if I were to use the closed position, i’ll be using the ring finger to play Eb note but after that, its a leap to the G note. so i’m not sure if there’s a better right hand fingering for it.
Open Position
————————-12—–14—-12———————–
——————13————————–13—————-
—-12—–15—————————————15——12—
——————————————————————
1 2 1 3 2 1 1 1 2
i’m pretty confused as in when am i suppose to switch positions. both the open and close position seems to work well or arpeggios except for m7b5 chords.
please help me out on this one! thanks
rgds,
Mike
Hey Mike,
I’ve always been baffled by Tab notation. It’s usually sitting on top of a staff of music that I already have enough trouble reading. And I have to learn that, too? ‘Don’t think any amount of Xtreme Tab Notation Reading (insert sound effect here) would help me with that.
So here’s how I’d do it:
It’s not really open position but it feels like the most natural way that I’d play this sequence. Since I play it twice, you can see that you end up starting out the 2nd rep with the 2nd finger. This allows you to get to open position briefly by placing your 3rd finger on the G string as you reach for the D string with the 2nd finger to play the Eb.
Here’s how I’d do it in closed position.
Notice how it’s possible to dampen all the notes using this position. Something not possible using open. Try it and you’ll see the difference. Either way is correct, but one lets you play it fast without dampening a note or two while closed gives you the control over the duration and works better for learning preparation. I’d say work on closed first.
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Hey Willis,
can you help me i am looking the song summer time a tab mr graydenver
Mr. graydenver,
Check the above answer for my opinion about Tab. Now, although I think Will Smith is a fine actor, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend his early 90’s version as a way to get better on the bass. And, I think we all can all just agree to stay away from the New Kids on the Block’s latest single. (except for Donnie’s younger brother Mark, who I think is a better actor). Mungo Jerry – now there’s a trivia answer just begging for a question. I kinda like his In The Summertime in a weird kinda way.
Anyway, I always try to stress learning by ear. Even though I create Extreme Sight Reading Xercises, you’ll reinforce a much better connection with the fingerboard if you learn how to play Summertime by listening to the melody in your head and finding where it is on the fingerboard. Next thing you know, you’ll be imagining things and playing them automatically.
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Hey Willis,
What’s What are your preferred headphones for recording sessions, mixing, etc.?
Neal
Hey Neal,
I’m really happy with my Sennheiser HD 650’s. And, BTW, I don’t have any relationship with Sennheiser. . . Although, I believe I would be a superb representative for their complete line of fine audio products . . . hello? . . . Sennheiser . . . anybody listening . . .?
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Hey Willis,
I really appreciate the time you spend answering our questions. The Ibanez GWB1 is perfectly fine except that the “willis” ramp can’t be adjusted but it isn’t a big problem cause i’m playing my fingers directly above the pickups. but it would be good if there’s a way to adjust the ramp to the same level as the pickups though. I’ve been wanting to ask you about your opinions regarding your struggles between guitar or bass when you were in college. What made you choose bass? Even now do you still play the guitar? Would it be wise to work on both instruments together or to simply to transcribe the guitar parts on bass? thanks again,
Sincerely,
Mike
Hey Mike,
Actually, the ramp on the original GWB1 is adjustable. It’s just not obvious from looking at it. The idea is to remove the ramp and apply different-length layers of tape to get to ramp to sit at the angle you want. Here’s a more detailed explanation.
As far as bass and guitar. I wasn’t struggling between guitar or bass – I was fairly mediocre on both. I was forced to make a choice because I had to get together enough money for my 3rd year in college. (the bank turned down my loan application). I had a Les Paul Deluxe and a P-Bass. I noticed that when I played guitar in a band that it didn’t matter how well I played, the music just didn’t feel right. But when I played bass in the same band, the music felt like it should. So I figured my instincts we better suited to bass. (that, and I got $450 for the Les Paul instead of $200 for the P-Bass;-)
I have a guitar, a 7-string with low B. So it doesn’t confuse me too much when I try to transfer fingerboard geometry. But I mostly just use it for writing. If you have a 5 string bass, then it could create some problems switching but otherwise, feel free to continue to study both. Eventually, you’ll end up focusing on what allows you to express yourself best.
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Hey Willis,
I recently found some YouTube videos of a seminar you did, and you were describing working an exercise over A7 and D7 in one position – across and back, really learning the shapes and getting them under your fingers (and by extension, learning the notes and the note functions in the chords). And I have a question I’d like to ask you.
Now, especially with the D7, if you stretch down to get that root on the 3rd fret B string, there’s a position choice – you can finger the C at the 3rd fret of the A string (e.g., 2 frets below the root, same string) or on the 8th fret of the E string (one string over, 3 frets above the root).
I know that from one perspective, it doesn’t matter – either will work. But from another perspective, if you’re trying to really get a shape under your fingers, and develop muscle memory and make it automatic/unconscious, then it matters to choose one and really work it.
I’ve (kind of arbitrarily) chosen the second choice (7th on the prior string) to work on, because I already really have the “7th 2 fretsdown” strongly under my fingers.
But I’m wondering which you prefer, and why. Thanks for your input, and for the input you’ve already had on my playing.
Oh, while looking for an email for you, I found you on MySpace, so I took the liberty of adding a “Friend’s Request there.
Be well,
JK
Hey JK,
Someone recently pointed out to me that the last time I logged in to my MySpace page was back in October. I’ve found that procrastination is really the best way to handle the pressure associate with pending MySpace friend requests. That way, everyone gets ignored equally 😉
As far as the fingerboard harmony goes. I don’t remember that exact example but the basic concept of my fingerboard harmony approach wouldn’t have you starting that arpeggio with the first finger on the D. I was probably trying avoid giving a long-winded answer about the ins-and-outs of my specific fingerboard harmony approach and just stressing the note-by-note choices necessary to create good sounding bass lines. Anyway, yes, the idea is that you want to get the shape under you hand but that shape should be associated with a particular key center. Since no one is telling you where to place your hands you can put your hands where the most information is available with the least amount of shifting or stretching. In this case, D7 is technically a 5 chord of G so your hand needs to be “looking” at the key of G for this chord. If your 1st finger is going to play the3rd fret D on the B string, then go ahead an move 1 more fret and play it with your 2nd finger. This lets your hand look at the key of G based on the 4th finger G key position on the E string. (the abbreviation is G4E, key-finger-string), But you hold that position for the arpeggio without shifting – keeping the finger-per-fret position established with G4E. The next higher hand position for the key of G would be G2D but that doesn’t take care of the notes below. Those would connect to a G4F#. Of course, we don’t have an F# string but that’s the position that you’d base the lower notes on. The transition between a 4th finger position connecting to a 2nd finger position involves a half step shift. So for the purposes of learning the geometry it’s better to isolate the 2 positions and become comfortable playing lines through different chord changes before you tackle the transition stuff. (see what I was trying to avoid, now). Anyway, it’s all in the book.
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Hey Willis,
I’ve seen clips from your “Progressive Bassics” instructional along with clips from various clinics as well as reading interviews from various magazines. I’m fully aware that you are of the belief that a lighter touch is beneficial. From this I assumed you would be “anti-slap”. I recently bought the album “Bent” and I notice that on the title track you are slapping. I was wondering if you had calculated any specific slapping techniques as you have done with your fingerstyle. Do you favour a lighter touch with slapping too? And if so how light can one go without generating the authentic slap sound? This is merely an enquiry based on interest rather than an accusation of hypocrisy or otherwise.
Thanks a lot,
Henry Durham
Hey Henry,
Thanks for taking it easy on me, although I’m sure I’ve been called worse things than a hypocrite.
Anyway, it’s true I’m only what you’d call a recreational slapper nowadays. Actually, on Bent I was playing the Bass Lite and its small string gauges would get a slap sound if you played normally (fingers) with just a little aggression. But that was for a particular effect. As far as how light you can go, you’d have to determine that based on how soft you wanted to play with your right hand vs. how much control you could maintain over your slap technique. A long time ago, I designed a bass specifically for this problem. You could switch between a single J-Bass pickup for fingerstyle and a 2-pickup configuration for slap. And the volume could be adjusted independently so it was really the best solution. Eventually fretless took complete control and I had to say goodbye to the slap. Only coming out of the closet for special occasions.
Gear News
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass…
Esopus Guitars is proud to announce the new “Tailwater” bass guitar, from legendary bass luthier Stuart Spector. This 32” scale bass is handcrafted by Stuart using the only finest woods and components at the Esopus Guitar workshop located near Woodstock NY in the Catskill Mountains.
From its fully carved spruce top (the top is carved on both its exterior and interior surfaces) with a thumb rest that is elegantly carved into the top, to its custom-made Fishman piezo pickup and super hard Carnauba wax finish, every detail of the Tailwater is part of creating the ultimate playing experience.
The Tailwater bass features a fully chambered spruce over alder body (15.5″ lower body bout width, 2.25″ body thickness measuring from the peak of the carved top) that delivers a super comfortable tonal tool for all your low-end needs.
Each Tailwater bass is hand-signed and numbered on the back of the peghead by Stuart Spector. A very limited number of Tailwater basses are handcrafted each year at the Esopus workshop.
“I am proud to present the Tailwater bass, a bass that I have spent the last three years perfecting. The Tailwater is a culmination of all of my 45 years of experience, knowledge, and passion for bass guitar crafting. I am so eager to hear what fellow musicians create with this exciting new instrument.” -Stuart Spector
Direct Pricing : $4995.00 plus options.
For more information about Esopus Guitars and Stuart Spector’s handcrafted instruments, visit www.EsopusGuitars.com.
Bass Videos
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Features
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
Checking in with Bergantino Artist James Tobias
James Tobias, Bassist for psychedelic, Reggae-Rock titans Audic Empire shares his history as a musician and how he came to find Bergantino…
Interview by Holly Bergantino
James Tobias, a multi-talented musician and jack-of-all-trades shares his story of coming up as a musician in Texas, his journey with his band Audic Empire, and his approach to life and music. With a busy tour schedule each year, we were fortunate to catch up with him while he was out and about touring the US.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Dallas, Texas and lived in the Dallas area most of my life with the exception of 1 year in Colorado. I moved to the Austin area at age 18.
What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate to it?
I honestly started playing bass because we needed a bass player and I was the one with access to a bass amp and bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang up until I met Ronnie, who I would later start “Audic Empire” with. He also played rhythm guitar and sang and we didn’t know any bass players, so we had to figure something out. I still write most of my songs on guitar, but I’ve grown to love playing the bass.
How did you learn to play, James?
I took guitar lessons growing up and spent a lot of time just learning tabs or playing by ear and kicked around as a frontman in a handful of bands playing at the local coffee shops or rec centers. Once I transitioned to bass, I really just tried to apply what I knew about guitar and stumbled through it till it sounded right. I’m still learning every time I pick it up, honestly.
You are also a songwriter, recording engineer, and a fantastic singer, did you get formal training for this?
Thank you, that means a lot! I had a couple of voice lessons when I was in my early teens, but didn’t really like the instructor. I did however take a few lessons recently through ACC that I enjoyed and think really helped my technique (Shout out to Adam Roberts!) I was not a naturally gifted singer, which is a nice way of saying I was pretty awful, but I just kept at it.
As far as recording and producing, I just watched a lot of YouTube videos and asked people who know more than me when I had a question. Whenever I feel like I’m not progressing, I just pull up tracks from a couple of years ago, cringe, and feel better about where I’m at but I’ve got a long way to go. Fortunately, we’ve got some amazing producers I can pass everything over to once I get the songs as close to finalized as I can.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.
I honestly don’t know what my style would be considered. We’ve got so many styles that we play and fuse together that I just try to do what works song by song. I don’t have too many tricks in the bag and just keep it simple and focus on what’s going to sound good in the overall mix. I think my strength lies in thinking about the song as a whole and what each instrument is doing, so I can compliment everything else that’s going on. What could be improved is absolutely everything, but that’s the great thing about music (and kind of anything really).
Who were your influencers in terms of other musicians earlier on or now that have made a difference and inspired you?
My dad exposed me to a lot of music early. I was playing a toy guitar while watching a VHS of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble live at SXSW on repeat at 4 years old saying I wanted to “do that” when I grew up. I was the only kid in daycare that had his own CDs that weren’t kid’s songs. I was listening to Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, and The Doors when I could barely talk. I would make up songs and sing them into my Panasonic slimline tape recorder and take it to my preschool to show my friends. As I got older went through a bunch of music phases. Metal, grunge, rock, punk, hip hop, reggae, ska, etc. Whatever I heard that I connected to I’d dive in and learn as much as I could about it. I was always in bands and I think I kept picking up different styles along the way and kept combining my different elements and I think that’s evident in Audic’s diverse sound.
Tell me about Audic Empire and your new release Take Over! Can you share some of the highlights you and the band are most proud of?
Takeover was an interesting one. I basically built that song on keyboard and drum loops and wrote and tracked all my vocals in one long session in my bedroom studio kind of in a stream-of-consciousness type of approach. I kind of thought nothing would come of it and I’d toss it out, but we slowly went back and tracked over everything with instruments and made it our own sound. I got it as far as I could with production and handed it off to Chad Wrong to work his magic and really bring it to life. Once I got Snow Owl Media involved and we started brainstorming about a music video, it quickly turned into a considerably larger production than anything we’ve done before and it was such a cool experience. I’m really excited about the final product, especially considering I initially thought it was a throwaway track.
Describe the music style of Audic Empire for us.
It’s all over the place… we advertise it as “blues, rock, reggae.” Blues because of our lead guitarist, Travis Brown’s playing style, rock because I think at the heart we’re a rock band, and reggae because we flavor everything with a little (or a lot) of reggae or ska.
How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?
Well, my Ampeg SVT7 caught fire at a show… We were playing Stubbs in Austin and everyone kept saying they smelled something burning, and I looked back in time to see my head, perched on top of its 8×10 cab, begin billowing smoke. We had a tour coming up, so I started researching and pricing everything to try and find a new amp. I was also fronting a metal band at the time, and my bass player’s dad was a big-time country bass player and said he had this really high-end bass amp just sitting in a closet he’d sell me. I was apprehensive since I really didn’t know much about it and “just a little 4×10” probably wasn’t going to cut it compared to my previous setup. He said I could come over and give it a test drive, but he said he knew I was going to buy it. He was right. I immediately fell in love. I couldn’t believe the power it put out compared to this heavy head and cumbersome cab I had been breaking my back hauling all over the country and up countless staircases.
Tell us about your experience with the forte D amp and the AE 410 Speaker cabinet.
It’s been a game-changer in every sense. It’s lightweight and compact. Amazing tone. And LOUD. It’s just a fantastic amp. Not to mention the customer service being top-notch! You’ll be hard-pressed to find another product that, if you have an issue, you can get in touch with the owner, himself. How cool is that?
Tell us about some of your favorite basses.
I was always broke and usually working part-time delivering pizzas, so I just played what I could get my hands on. I went through a few pawn shop basses, swapped in new pickups, and fought with the action on them constantly. I played them through an Ampeg be115 combo amp. All the electronics in it had fried at some point, so I gutted it out and turned it into a cab that I powered with a rusted-up little head I bought off someone for a hundred bucks. My gear was often DIY’d and held together by electrical tape and usually had a few coats of spray paint to attempt to hide the wear and tear. I never really fell in love with any piece of gear I had till I had a supporter of our band give me an Ibanez Premium Series SDGR. I absolutely love that bass and still travel with it. I’ve since gotten another Ibanez Premium Series, but went with the 5-string BTB. It’s a fantastic-sounding bass, my only complaint is it’s pretty heavy.
Love your new video Take Over! Let us know what you’re currently working on (studio, tour, side projects, etc.)
Thank you!! We’ve got a LOT of stuff we’re working on right now actually. Having 2 writers in the band means we never have a shortage of material. It’s more about getting everything tracked and ready for release and all that goes into that. We just got through filming videos for 2 new unreleased tracks with Snow Owl Media, who did the videos for both Love Hate and Pain and Takeover. Both of these songs have surprise features which I’m really excited about since these will be the first singles since our last album we have other artists on. We’ve also got a lot of shows coming up and I’ve also just launched my solo project as well. The debut single, “Raisin’ Hell” is available now everywhere. You can go here to find all the links distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jamestobias/raisin-hell
What else do you do besides music?
For work, I own a handyman service here in Austin doing a lot of drywall, painting, etc. I have a lot of hobbies and side hustles as well. I make custom guitar straps and other leather work. I do a lot of artwork and have done most of our merch designs and a lot of our cover art. I’m really into (and borderline obsessed) with health, fitness, and sober living. I have a hard time sitting still, but fortunately, there’s always a lot to do when you’re self-employed and running a band!
Follow James Tobias:
jamestobiasmusic.com
Facebook.com/james.tobias1
Instagram.com/ru4badfish2
TikTok.com/@jamestobiasmusic
audicempire.com
Bass CDs
New Album: Avery Sharpe, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
Avery Sharpe and his Double Quartet to release, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
A new recording will be released on JKNM Records by internationally renowned bassist/composer Avery Sharpe, “I Am My Neighbors Keeper” is scheduled for release in June 2024.
Sharpe has composed a new work that highlights our commitment to one another. Avery initiated the project as a response to the political and racial division that has grown over the past seven years in the country. “The U.S political climate has drastically changed in the past 40-plus years, especially during the last seven of those years. In this age of greed, which Sharpe refers to as “IGM,” I Got Mine, basic human compassion has been eroded. Racial, economic and social strides are being turned back.
“We have food insecurity, the unhoused, pandemics, school shootings, domestic violence, and an opioid problem, just to name some. There is a need to remind people that each of us is here on this planet for a very short period of time. It doesn’t matter if one has a religious approach or a secular approach, it all comes down to concern and compassion for each other. Through these compositions and recordings, Avery’s mission as an artist is to remind us that we all are interconnected and that ‘We Are Our Neighbor’s Keeper.’ When we help to uplift one, we uplift everyone,” Sharpe said.
Each movement in the piece describes the values we should strive for to help one another for this multi-media (video slide show during performance) and multi-discipline performance.
Many of Sharpe’s projects and recordings have been about “standing on the shoulders of ancestors, heroes and sheroes.” Among his recordings and projects, include “Running Man” (celebrating the athlete Jesse Owens), “Ain’t I A Woman” (about Sojourner Truth), and his most recent project “400: An African American Musical Portrait” (marking the 400 years from 1619 to 2019).
Avery Sharpe has recorded and performed with many jazz greats from Dizzy Gillespie to Yusef Lateef. He had an illustrious run of 20 plus years with the legendary Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, of which he recorded more than 25 records with Mr. Tyner and performed countless worldwide concerts.
Visit online at averysharpe.com/
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Interview With Bassist Edmond Gilmore
Have Fret Sprout? Sharp Fret Management… a How-To Video
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
