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Willis Takes on Your Questions
Hey Willis,
Pablo Picasso said, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” What’s your take on copping other peoples styles? I mean, we all have this desire to find our own voice. But if I want to sound like myself, why do I need to learn how to play other people’s stuff? How much copying do I have to do?
Thanks,
O.C.
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Hey O.C., Unless you’re born some kind of freak-prodigy-genius, you probably don’t sound like one of the “greats” on the instrument. My philosophy is that you have to travel “through” influences to arrive at your own voice. The concept of avoidance just won’t cut it. If you avoid playing thumb, avoid playing fretless, avoid using harmonics avoid using a 5-string, etc. Eventually, you’re not going to have many tools left to express yourself. Learning what great players have done on the instrument is part of learning the vocabulary of the instrument. |
Develop a big enough vocabulary and eventually you’ll have several choices for how you want to express yourself musically. How you uniquely combine those choices could eventually become your own “voice”. The other side of the aviodance issue is: how can you truly choose to not sound like someone unless you know their playing intimately? That’s what I mean by traveling “through” an influence. Once you know exactly how to imitatie someone, it becomes much, much easier to make the choice to NOT sound like that player. The more influences you go through, the more options you’ll have at your disposal for how to express yourself. As far as how much copying you have to do – I have to ask: How good do you want to be?
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Hey Willis,
You seem to be the perfect person to answer this…i recently found a lot of free time in my schedule outside of bass playing. most of this time has been spent on a mountain bike. Do you have any tips on stretches, or exercises to keep the wrists limber. If I do more than 10 miles, my wrists end up feeling tight and weak. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I would also like to say thanks for all the licks I’ve managed to steal over the years, I probably owe you some money somewhere…
Nick
Hey Nick,
Contratulations on your newly found free time. I was lucky to get to ride a lot this summer but haven’t had any time to ride since the beginning of Sept. If you’re having a problem with tight wrists, it could be a few things. First I would start with your suspension and brakes. If you don’t have really good fork with plenty of compliant travel up front, then your front end is going to be bouncing around all the time and you’ll be squeezing the bars hard for control and hanging on for dear life. That tension will get to your wrists right away. Unfortunately nice, plush front suspension doesn’t come cheap. The next thing to look at would be the brakes. Properly set up disc brakes will allow you to lock up either wheel with just one finger, thus alleviating more pressure and tension from your hands. A disc brake setup is cheaper than a top-of-the-line fork but the combination of a great fork and disc brakes can probably solve most of your problems. Finally, I’d look at your posture. Over the years, the generally accepted “normal” riding position has evolved from a really stretched out “racing”-type position to the current more upright setup. This can be accomplished by using riser handlebars up front, using a shorter stem and possibly a short stem that is also angled up. This will put less weight on your hands and allow them to relax more. You shouldn’t have to do any wrist or arm stretching before you ride. Feel free to check back in if these solutions don’t work.
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Hey Willis.
First, I must say i am a big fan, since i was 13 yars old…now i am pretty old, 29 ;let me tell you that because of you I’ve been playing fretless for 12 years almost!.
I saw you on TV when you were on tour here in Chile with Tribal Tech (what a great show!!). The most curious thing is that your gig was shown in open TV in prime hour. I’ll never forget that.
My question is why did you switch from a single coil (as you used in the Chilean show), and then to a humbucker since the Ibanez GWB1?Well, hope you are fine. Hope to see you again here in Chile. Big hugs from an old fan.
Rodrigo
Hey Rodrigo,
Thanks for the kind words – wow, imagine: “Ladies and gentlemen stay tuned – after the Tribal Tech concert we will join the season finale of Lost (already in progress)”.
Actually, the single coil you mentioned actually was a hum-canceller custom made for me by Bartolini. Once I had the opportunity to come up with a new pickup, we made it fit the shape of the ramp and Bartolini was able to magically make a 3-2 humbucker internally and still we were able to individually control the internal proximity of the magnets to control string-to-string balance. He’s a rocket scientest, ya know.
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Hey Willis,
On this video : http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=ixoNVlcw6zY
You have three knobs, I know there 1 volume and two in one bass/treble knobbs. What is the function of this knobb ? middle range like on aguilar obp3 or else ?
ps : I have a GWB 1005 (and in a few days a GWB 2 TKF that makes me so happy)
thanks for all…
Matthieu
Hey Matthieu,
That would be the GK volume control of the V-Bass. I’m using a V-Bass setup with Graphtech’s Ghost piezo-saddle pickups and the internals installed in my 1005. Congrats on the 1005 and GWB2 . . . enjoy.
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Hello Gary,
Just purchased a used (like new) GWB1005.? I have only played a fretted bass, but always wanted a fretless.? WOW, love the sound, even though I am still trying to find the notes.? But, it’s getting better every time I play it.?
My question: Will the round wound strings destroy the fretboard?? I love the bright, clear sound from them.? But, I worry about wearing deep grooves into the ebonol fingerboard.? Do the ground wound strings sound very good??
I heard some of your playing for the first time this week also, you are really one of the most enjoyable bassist ever to listen too.
Thanks,
Pete
Hey Pete,
It’s “Hey Willis”. The Gary moniker was retired a long time ago. Again, contrats on the 1005 and knock yourself out with the roundwounds. There’s two things that will help prevent wear and tear on the fingerboard. First is that you should never achieve vibrato by pushing and pulling the string across the fingerboard. I had to learn that one myself. Your vibrato should come from “rolling” your finger parallel to the string. The other thing is that you should use as little pressure as necessary to play a note without it buzzing. Any extra pressure will only result in fatigue, lack of mobility, tension and a greater chance that you’ll wear the strings down into the fingerboard. Another thing that helps is to turn up the amp and play softer. Playing softer will allow you to set up the action closer – so you’ll require less pressure to hold the string down on the neck and reduce the likelyhood of grinding.
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Hey Willis,
I was wondering if I can purchase the Ramp seperately? I could’ve sworn they were for sale on the website some time ago? Please let me know. Thank you for your time.
Best Wishes,
Jeremy
Hey Jeremy,
There’s an outside chance that you could order a replacement ramp from an Ibanez dealer but it would only fit the bass that it was designed for. I’ve personally made hundreds of ramps for students/friends over the years but each one has to be custom fitted to the particular pickup layout for the individual bass. If you’re pretty handy with a fixed belt sander or don’t mind a lot of hand-sanding, you can make one yourself. Of course, the ultimate solution is to buy one of my basses. (sorry, coudn’t resist)
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
Featured Videos
Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
Click to follow Bass Musician on Instagram @bassmusicianmag
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
