I’m now offering guitar and bass lessons to the few, the proud. As I’ve begun playing out locally again, I’ve become aware of gaps in music instruction with most of the people I work with— regardless of experience. I’m setting aside a few hours a week to work with players who want to bone up on their theory and basic musicianship. And by ‘basic’ I don’t mean ‘beginner’. Basic musicianship is a lot like ‘bodybuilding’—even advanced players often need the occasional refresher when it comes to skills like transposition, ear training, chord substitutions and so on. A lesson or two with the right teacher can shake out the cobwebs and re-invigorate everything from improvisation to learning new tunes to writing to…

I wrote that line back in 1994 as a response to the then current downsizing of GM. Ten years later, that ended up on What A Wonderful World, one of the most popular songs from Superpower.

The guy who screams:

“I’m fifty one years old… Are you gonna pay these bills?”

Is my best family friend of that era. He worked at Clark Street (Cadillac) in Detroit and although he himself did not lose his job (well… at least not until he got leukemia) he was fifty one years old and it was easy to channel the proper emotions from his experience (and those of many Detroiters; the air literally reaked with the smell of a dying era.)

As the auto industry continues to die in America, I’m struck by how even more poignant the lyric is today. Sorry if that sounds conceited, but that was the right song at the wrong time. The thing I’ve noticed about that song is that it was never as popular with Detroit crowds as, say, an […]

Since movies are a big deal to me. And scores an even bigger deal, here are some recommendations.

Now before we begin, let me tell you what I think is the measure of a great film score. A great score is one that, if you took it away, the movie would fail. Or, put another way, the movie only works with that particular score.

Patton – Jerry Goldsmith
From the opening echoed trumpets to the end Hindemith-like reverie, this one has it all: memorable themes, great orchestration and the ability to enhance the mood of every scene.

Fantastic Voyage – Leonard Rosenman
The best example of twelve tone (atonal) music ever used in a major Hollywood movie. It’s pretty good popcorn sci-fi too—you get to go inside a human body along with Raquel Welch. (Admittedly not as good as going inside Raquel Welch, but hey it’s a family show, pal.) Most people reflexively cringe when they think ‘twentieth century concert music’ but Leonard showed that you could use contemporary techniques that were beautiful, […]

When you’re young and working on yer ‘chops’ there is a tendency to roll one’s eyes when you hear a musician of a certain age start talking saying things like ‘less is more’ or ‘now I play with more taste.’ There is an unspoken feeling that all that sort of talk is a cop out and that what the guy is really saying is either:

a) My technique is hosed.

b) I could never play as well as you young whippersnappers.

Young guys often refuse to accept the idea that it really is a choice; that as one ages, one’s ideas about what constitutes good playing change. Note count no longer seems quite as important as it once was.

In my case, I admit to being guilty of a little of both a) and b). I don’t play as well as I used to–largely due to arthritis. And then there are techniques that came into common practice after got into ‘the biz’ and never concentrated on–an example would be sweep picking; I use it, […]

Stuff for people who play. Or want to play. These are the questions I get most often.

You Do A Lot Of Thumb Playing With The Bass. Any Tips?

Pretty much everyone and their mother plays this stuff nowadays–and way better than I do. But here goes…

Listen to Marcus Miller. He’s got the pre-eminent tone. And tone is what it’s all about, baby. Most other guys sound wimpy and overplay.
Learn to do both up and down strokes really evenly with your thumb. You should be able to use your thumb as fluently as a pick. I use this technique on SAFE (Compartments) andI’m Telling (Home)
If you have an amp with a volume meter, use it to gauge the evenness of your playing. I used to notice how great players could play so cleanly that the needle barely moved from note to note, regardless of tempo.

You Use A Fretless Bass On A Lot Of Songs. Any Tips On Playing In Tune?

Same way one gets to Carnegie Hall. On a […]