Bass Videos
Siempre Latino Bass Transcription
Siempre Latino Bass Transcription
Siempre Latino Bass Transcription: “Siempre Latino” is the triumphant anthem of Gerardo Contino’s debut album Somos Latinos.
The record sports some heavy hitters in the New York scene and is a great example of a Timba rhythm section at work in its most up to date form.
The song is in 3-2 clave and features John Benitez on Ampeg Baby bass. As the title suggests, the song is a celebration of the wide variety and contrast that exists throughout Latin American culture. The song’s verses actually utilize a Columbian Cumbia groove, however after each verse a ferocious timba chorus kicks in, eventually engulfing the rest of the arrangement.
Benitez takes advantage of the baby bass’s tubby tone and quick decay to good use by incorporating a lot of space into his lines.
The first four bars set up the simple blueprint that John uses to form most of the basslines during the song’s timba sections. Notice his landing points, usually on beat four of the three side and the “and” of four on the 2 side of the clave. You may also notice the eerie resemblance to the first exercise in this chapter. Here we have the same idea at work in a real-time situation. As discussed earlier, this sets up the basic framework in which one can create whatever he/she wants in between.
Like many other transcriptions in this book, John rarely sticks to any kind of repeated ostinato but rather with this clave-aligned framework in mind he is able to create a whole slew of basslines with an almost infinite level of variation and creativity. It is this form of thinking that allows Benitez to groove so relentlessly while rarely playing the same idea twice. It’s almost taking the concept of theme and development to the next step where the theme is not as obvious and development is almost a starting point versus a point of departure.
While all of the examples on this book share this common trait, these two examples demonstrate this concept in a more exaggerated from.
Unlike in salsa, this style of playing is not uncommon in Timba. Players such as Franks Rubio, Feliciano Arrango and Alain Perez have utilized a similar concept since the 1990s. This style, in which the bassline is constantly changing within the context of the piano and percussion, is akin to what James Jamerson was doing on R&B hits such as “What’s goin’ on” and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. The concept is almost soloistic in nature giving the bassline a life of its own that is all the more unpredictable.
This Siempre Latino Bass Transcription and article are an excerpt from the first book John and I collaborated on in 2015 Freedom in the Clave. Stay tuned for many more transcription videos to come!
Bass Videos
Interview With K3 Sisters Band
K3 Sisters Band Interview…
It is very rare when I talk to a band where all the members play bass. The K3 Sisters Band is a perfect example of a group where Kaylen, Kelsey and Kristen Kassab are all multi-instrumentalists and take turns playing bass.
Hailing from Texas, these three sisters have been playing music since they were very young and have amassed an amazing amount of original music, music videos, streaming concerts, podcasts, and content that has taken numerous social media platforms by storm. On TikTok alone, they have over 2.5 million followers and more than a billion views.
Join me as we hear the story of their musical journey, how they get their sound, and the fundamental principles behind these prolific musicians.
Here is the K3 Sisters Band!
Photo, Bruce Ray Productions
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Bass Player Health
What is a Pinched Nerve? with Dr. Randy Kertz
What is a Pinched Nerve?
In this month’s video, we will cover how to tell if you have a pinched nerve and when to seek professional help.
Dr. Randall Kertz is the author of The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Click here to get your copy today!
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Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole
Bassist Danielle Nicole…
Blues music has universal appeal. We all have our ups and downs and this particular musical genre often fits our reality. Just hearing that we are not alone makes us feel a bit better.
Danielle Nicole writes and sings the Blues. She does an amazing job at delivering both exquisite smoky vocals but plays just the right bass line to drive the tune home. Danielle recently released “The Love You Bleed” last January and will be touring the album this upcoming year.
Join me as we learn about Danielle’s musical journey, how she gets her sound, her plans for the future and more.
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Photo, Missy Faulkner
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: The Struggles of Working-Class Musicians – Episode #1
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #1 – Gig Triangle, Day Gig, and It’s Awesome But Is It Necessary…
“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
Bass Edu
Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque
Premiere! Bass Playthrough With Foetal Juice’s Bassist Lewis Bridges – From the Album, Grotesque
Bassist Lewis Bridges Shares…
“Gruesome’s sparse intro marks a stark contrast from the intensity of the rest of the album. The original intention was to keep the bass simple but colourful, however as I worked on it, the lines grew more expressive and the more striking flourishes began to emerge. The intensity builds into a harmonic minor passage that takes us into the drop — a signature death grind cacophony. This is where Foetal Juice thrives. You’re getting a full-on right-hand barrage to in the face to take you into a groove-laden mulch-fest.
I owe my throbbing bass tone to the Darkglass Alpha Omega pedal borrowed from our sound engineer, Chris Fielding (ex-Conan), mixed with the clarity of the tried and true Ampeg SVT CL.
As mentioned earlier, colourful basslines are important, especially in a one-guitar band. Chucking some funny intervals and odd flourishes here and there brings life into the brutality. There’s no point sounding brutal if it’s not gonna be fucking evil too!
Recording this playthrough was hard work. This was not the fault of James Goodwin (Necronautical), who was kindly filming and is ace to work with, but because in true Foetal fashion, we had stinking hangovers — and that jam room was hot!”
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