bennythebassman

Another week off - for me

Hello wonderful patrons,

no video again today, unfortunately. Toronto has been hit with a large increase in COVID-19 cases and there are now several people whom I’ve personally known who have succumbed to this awful disease. It’s quite a difficult time for me and my friends and family and my mental health has taken quite a hit.

I’m so privileged to have this channel and absolutely adore creating content for you all - but these last two weeks I’ve really needed to buckle down and take care of myself first.

I’m doing what I can to get back. Hopefully I can get out from under all this and be back next week. Trying!!

Thanks again, everyone, for all the Support!! See you soon.

Ben

Backstage Pass livestream - 2021-03-28 - Yellow Ochre

Let's try to dissect this crazy tune together! I'll break down the polyrhythms, how I feel them, and go through some of the theory, etc. Join me! 10am EST this Sunday.

Yellow Ochre Pt. 2 - Vels Trio

Crazy tune this week! This one out of the UK jazz group Vels Trio. Thanks to Patron Andrew for the crazy request.   

This one is a clinic on "groove illusions". Basically there's no section of the tune where only one time signature is clearly defined - there's pretty much always some form of polyrhythm going on, and the beat is somewhat masked. Jazz folks will dig it.    

I have absolutely no idea how the guys in Vels Trio felt this, but I took a stab at transcribing it as a constant tempo with just a lot of groove and time signature adjustments, as you'll see. The first section in 5 is the most challenging to feel that way - definitely a good exercise for those of you jazz heads looking to warp your brains a bit. I do like how it all comes together at the end though, and dare I say even "rocks" a bit!! That's as much as you'll ever get from me in terms of asking you to "watch till the end" ;)   

Enjoy, all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-03-14 - The Analog Kid

Basically just talk about how good Getty Lee is. :)

The Analog Kid - Rush

RUSH!!!!!!! LET'S GOOOOO  

Thank you to Patron Alex for requesting this tune. Got to try to emulate some of the purest rock and roll out there in Getty's playing. Loved every second of it. The main riff will challenge your technique but feels great to play once you get it under your fingers. And the guitar solo has some fantastic bass work underneath it too. Awesome melodic lines.   

Decided to break out the Aguilar Agro to punch up the rock an extra degree here too - definitely not exactly Getty's sound, but in the ballpark at least!  

Enjoy all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-03-07 - Speed Demon

I step through this tune and provide thoughts and observations! Also the reasons behind my approaches to my arrangement of it, and of course I slow down and analyze the parts. 

Speed Demon - MJ

Oooook. A nice and easy Michael Jackson synth bass lift from patron FCBarrett. What could possibly go wrong?  

*hits the chorus*   

...  

I did my best here, friends! The chorus is not meant for human hands, but I got close enough I think to at least approximate what it should be like. Had to slow it down to 90% to get in the ballpark, so apologies for that. Also the tune is right in between A and Bb so I down-tuned it to A.   

One of MJ's slightly less popular tunes and I don't think I've seen that much live footage of it (wonder why), but it's a damn cool one and 100% deserves its spot on the "Bad" album.   

Enjoy, all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-02-28 - Love Is The Message

I step through the tune and give my thoughts and observations on the genre, the structure, and some of the techniques on display...

Love Is The Message - Yussef Dayes x Alfa Mist

A bit of a saga this week! Thank you to patron Isaac for hipping me to this really cool modern jazz/funk/soul outfit out of the UK. This one was originally recorded in Abbey Road studios, and features Pino Palladino's son, Rocco (yep - ROCCO) Palladino on bass!   A bit out of my comfort zone on this one for sure and it's also 10 minutes long so please forgive a few mistakes here and there - it was really hard to get this all done in a week for all of you. Took a week off last week.   There's a lot of really cool behind-the-beat bass playing by Rocco, as well as super imaginative/original little fills that are a bit more awkward than they first might sound. Also Rocco uses a few effects including an octave pedal - I opted to go pedal-less as I do on most of my videos, so transcribed it in the lowest octave, etc etc.  Enjoy, all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-02-14 - I See You

We step through this tune! All my thoughts and observations.

I See You - Weeed

Some majestic folky hi-bass for your weekend! Big thanks to patron John for hipping me to this band. Their music is really cool! Just when you think they're a loose jam band they throw in some effortless time signature changes...in case you thought it wasn't all planned. 

Overall just a really cool original sound and extremely creative, pretty basslines. 

I love the way the bass weaves in and out of doubling the melody on this one.   Enjoy, all!

Backstage Pass - 2021 - 02 - 07 - Levitating

My thoughts and observations on the very cool production of this tune. Also some brush-ups on ghost notes.

Levitating - Dua Lipa

This bassline is so damn funky!! I know it's a bit more rare for me to do a straight up pop song but there's a lot to this one and I thought it was worth doing. Check all the cool ghost note stuff, as well as a few pretty heavy bass fills! 

The Disco parts in the later choruses also get pretty challenging if you decide to incorporate the "I'm levitating" hook in there as well... :D  

Enjoy all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-01-31 - Fat Boys In The Gym Of Love

Fat Boys In The Gym Of Love - Woody And Jeremy

Some sweet 2020 funk right out of the P-funk era!!    

Woody from Vulfpeck and Jeremy teamed up to make this random/awesome funk pop band and they already have a few smashes. This is one! It's not Joe Dart on bass here (it's Packy Lundholm), although it could just as well be - the super fun and vibey bass is front and centre, as it should be (!!!) for this kind of track.   

Jeremy also wrote this when he was quite overweight and trying to work it off at the gym, so the tune is definitely a bit autobiographical, as well as just..super fun. Thanks to Patron Anthony for the request!  

Enjoy, all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-01-24 - Smash

Used Crowdcast for this one! Think it's the best iteration yet. One thing I notice I need to to better is stop sharing screen when I want to demonstrate bass stuff, so that my webcam gets larger. Don't need to be staring at the music the whole time. 

Thanks Patron Ty for hanging out! A reminder that these are open to all of you who have this post unlocked. Bring your questions! Observations! Etc.

Ty asked some good questions that I wouldn't have thought to talk about - it's for the benefit of all!

I'll post the link to next week's stream shortly. 

Smash - Avishai Cohen

This tune!! I've been a fan of Avishai for a long time - really love his rhythmic, modern, middle-eastern take on jazz tunes and this one embodies all of that. Super funky driving acoustic bassline off the top with lots of rhythmic tricks and syncopations to make you believe you're not just in 4/4 time when 95% of the time, you are! Combine that with a sick backbeat in sections, and an electric bass solo that comes out of nowhere at the end, and you've got a real winner I think.   

Thank you so much to Patron Kees for this request - the tune kicked my ass this week but I think we're all better for it now :)   

Enjoy all!!  

P.S. dig the new t-shirt? :D

Backstage Pass reboot #2!

Thanks for Patron Ty for stopping by to talk some Jean-Luc Ponty with me!

Still dealing with some audio issues where I was getting my voice from two sources.

I've got a new program to try next week. It'll allow you the patrons to schedule the event right from Patreon yourselves - no need for me to keep reminding you. Also no need to download or use any 3rd party apps - this one will be web-based, but you'll still be able to join me via video and audio as well as chat. I'll keep iterating on this until it works best for everyone! Stand by for the post about next week's one.

1st ever Patron discord hang - tomorrow!

Hey wonderful Patrons! Hope you're all keeping well. Just wanted to remind everyone that the first ever Discord hang (open to all Patron tiers) is happening tomorrow (Saturday) morning, at 10AM EST.

No real agenda - just really wanted to start these monthlies up and get a chance for us to meet eachother and say hi, talk some bass, etc.

Here's what you need to know to join the Discord hang tomorrow:

Discord is free and is a great voice/text communication app. Once you've downloaded it and created an account, you can link it to Patreon under the Apps tab of your Patreon profile settings page (accessed from top right corner of the discord site - your little profile picture). Click the option to "Connect" next to the Discord app. You'll then automatically be assigned your appropriate role/access to exclusive voice channels on the Discord server. Then, to join my server, in Discord, click the green "+" on the left of the discord window, and then select "Join a Server". Here's the link: discord.gg/uj2pHWDtRQ Link up those discord profiles! Message me with any concerns! And yes all you Backstage Pass ($4+) patrons, we're still doing our Sunday versions of this every week as well.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning, 10AM est! In the "Patrons" voice channel. You don't need a webcam if you don't want! A mic and no cam is more than good enough!

See ya tomorrow!
Ben

Between You And Me - Jean-Luc Ponty

TIME FOR SOME ELECTRIC JAZZ VIOLIN! 

Maybe not what you were expecting for your Friday, but here you go! Thanks to Patreon Stephen for this request. I really like the melody on this one. A bit melancholy but catchy and interesting. The middle section gets a bit "out" for my taste but overall I think the tune is really cool. Great solos from Jean-Luc and the keyboard player. Good and challenging bass work by Tom Fowler.   

NOTE - Fowler is using a bit of bass distortion on this one to get a cool, crunchy tone. I opted not to use any effects just to keep it clean and about the notes - feel free to add your own effects of choice!  Enjoy, all!

Backstage Pass - 2021-01-10 - Maybe It'll Rub Off

The first Backstage Pass reboot! Thanks to patrons Hugo and Isaac for joining on discord :) We talk Rocco Left hand technique, and the guys ask some really cool questions.

As a reminder, every one of you who can see this video are welcome to join these, on discord. Sundays at 10AM est. Message me with questions.

I'll get better at these! A few things I'm seeing after recording this first one: 

  - The resolution of the shared screen (sibelius) is really bad

  - The screen recorder freezes when I switch to full screen sibelius view for myself. Unfreezes when I switch back to discord. 

Thanks for bearing with me while I figure out these technical glitches! This is taking all three of my computers to pull off the screen recording/discord/bass/voice thing and I can get things a lot better. You can look forward to weekly quality improvements here! And as always, thank you for your support, Patrons!

Maybe It'll Rub Off - TOP

Been just a bit too long since we had an entry from my favourite funk bass player of all time - may Rocco rest in peace!!!   

Broke out the old (rusty) left hand muting technique and tried to get it sounding proper for you all. I'm just such a damn fan of this band and Rocco's playing and did my best to replicate it here! The main line is especially hard to keep up the muting... hope it's good enough to give you an idea at least of how the master played it.   

Enjoy the funk and happy practicing everyone!! ;)

St. Paul - Cory Wong

Some funk from Cory Wong! Most of you will know him as the "no wrists" guitar player from Vulfpeck. For this tune he calls on some awesome special guests - Of course the incomparable Nate Smith on drums, and Jon Batiste and bassist Louis Cato from the Stephen Colbert house band. Really funky, solid stuff from Cato here. Kind of understated - fulfilling his role in a star-studded band, but he still gets the occasional stanky lick in there :)   

Thanks to Patron Jean-Pierre for the request. Enjoy all!! And Happy New Year :) :)

Jack Of Speed - Steely Dan

Hello Patrons! Uploading this one slightly early as I'm going to be on the road tomorrow! Enjoy your early access :)

More Steely Dan courtesy of Patron Hugo! Thanks man. This one features a really cool bassline out of Walter Becker - only the right notes, nothing fancy, understated, and perfect for the tune. I researched it and I couldn't find anything detailing how he achieved that tone on the album, so I took my best guess with a palm-muting approach. Not my strongest technique on the bass! So it was a good challenge for me, too. Enjoy the chilled funkiness!

Giorgio By Moroder - Daft Punk

Ooooooook, another nice and easy one for my 2nd week back :/ Seriously I think my Patrons are trying to kill me. This one (the 2nd half - you'll see what I mean) really kicked my ass. Thank you to Patron Nicholas for the crazy request.   

Apparently this one had two bass players on it, Nathan East and James Genus. They probably switch out in the string break. The tune takes us through a bunch of different styles as it strives to explain/pay homage to "Giorgio", an electronic music pioneer.   Really challenging and interesting bass stuff, especially in the 2nd half. Lots of cool rock licks making use of open strings - basically coming up with rock "riffs" on the spot throughout the song. The last few choruses are pretty unintelligible bass-wise, so I gave myself some freedom to just rock out with the track.   

Enjoy all! Have a great weekend. :)

POLL! Backstage Pass revamp times

Hi $4+ Patrons! I've sent you all a message outlining how I'd like to revamp the Backstage Pass tier. I feel that this will both make it more engaging for you and I, and will also help reduce some of the burnout that I was experiencing by making these videos in a static environment. I really want to have a discussion with you all about these tunes!! And now that discord is up and running I feel that this is the best way to do that. 

So, please let me know what time seems best for you! I know there are people all over the world who are interested in this, and I won't be able to please everyone, but I'll still post recordings of these after the fact, so that everyone has access.

Let me know your preference!

Jaco Pastorius Big Band - The Chicken

Hey, we're back. =)  Did you miss me? I missed you. Hope this is a nice "I'm sorry" gift to all of you for my time away. See the previous video for a bit of an explanation on that.   

More Jaco! This is my personal favourite version of The Chicken, live from Japan, 1982. All the funky jaco lines and ideas, rolled into one. And fantastic solos from Bob Mintzer (t sax), Othello Molineaux (pan), and Randy Brecker (tp). Also really funky, musical drumming from Peter Erskine.

Coming back live stream

Hey patrons! Just in case you missed it, I did a little live stream last night explaining the absence and just generally what's been going on in my life. Here's the vid if you're interested!

I'm coming back! And...sorry.

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time.

First off I want to apologize. I stopped posting to and moderating this Patreon page, along with my youtube channel, earlier this year. The stop was abrupt and I didn't warn anyone or post about it at all. I've felt absolutely terrible about how I did this, but I did it for my own mental health. At the time Covid was really affecting me emotionally to the point where I felt physically sick when I even looked at my bass. This really sucked. It's an extremely complicated combination of emotions that I'm honestly still trying to sift through and completely understand, even now many months later, but suffice it to say I absolutely needed to cut myself off from all of this stuff in order to figure it out and get back on track.

Now, that's my deal, but I am SO aware of how annoying/unfair/sad that may have been for you, who have pledged to support me, and are also looking for PDFs, etc, from my page, as it promises. So again, while I know I did this for me and know that it's absolutely what I needed to do at the time, I'm really really sorry for the inconvenience and mystery that it must have caused for you, especially for new members who signed up during the time when I wasn't responding/granting access to any of the features of the page. Again I truly apologize to you all.

The good news is that I'm coming back now :D

Over the next week, I'm going to be working through all (there are literally hundreds) of messages that you've sent, and responding. I will also be adding all of you to my dropbox so that you can (finally) have your PDFs that some of you have been waiting months and months for (I'll probably remove everyone entirely and just mass add the current list of members (let me know if you find yourself removed and not added back. I know some of you use different email addresses for Patreon and for dropbox so this will happen to you - I'll sort you - just message me with your proper dropbox email).  AND, fair warning, I will hopefully be uploading my first YouTube video back, in a month or so. I say fair warning because this will mean, as I upload to youtube, you will begin to be charged your pledge amount when I post. So, if any of you are disenfranchised and want out, but have been hanging around, this is your warning! Thanks for giving me a shot and sorry I wasn't around when you did. For those of you who are here for the benefits but also to support me, I'm grateful more than I can explain, especially for sticking with me while I fixed myself and wasn't talking about it. It wasn't just me - it took family and friends too - but I think I'm finally in a place where I can do this again, and I'm really happy about that. Thank you so much for all the kind messages while I had disappeared - I did see some of them and they really mean so much. Kindness goes a really long way. Thank you.

I'll be making some changes around here too, in the near future.

The vast majority of you are $2 members, and for you nothing will change. But, for you $4 members, I'm going to be changing that tier's rewards. The $4 extra videos were never taking off - I got around 1-4 views on them, and they were taking me hours and hours and stressing me out quite a lot, especially when I got behind. Instead, I'm going to be starting a Discord server, the details of which I'll talk about in another post. Cole's notes are that ALL Patrons will have a special banner upon entry (and maybe some special privileges, TBD), and $4 patrons will have a special room that I'll frequent as well for more 1-on-1 time. I feel like this will be a great way for the community to come back together, and we can all hang and talk bass and life during Covid, and hopes for the future, etc.

I should end by saying that I really hope all of you are well. Covid has affected me a great deal, and I'm sure it has for many of you as well. I hope for your health and happiness and the same for your families.

All the best and please bear with me while I start this up again! Again, new bass cover, coming probably late November.

<3

BennyTheBassman

EDIT - 10 minutes later - ok - so dropbox has a limit of how many people can be added per day! It seems to be around 60. This'll take me around a week to add everyone back. Stand by, and thank you for your patience!! I'll send another message to everyone once I've been able to get through all the emails.

Isn't She Lovely - Backstage Pass

I talk about the looped sections - theory, rhythms and how to play them, and then go into a bit of detail about the vocabulary vic uses in the melody and solo sections.