Bill Evans' 'Very Early' - fretless bass version

[urb]

Hey peeps

I did this a while back and thought I'd have another crack at it - it's beeatch of a chord sequence so apologies for a few clangers - I hope you dig the vibe overall.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sove848ZPzc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sove848ZPzc[/url]

Mike

[mcgraham]

Hi Mike

Read the comments already posted, just to encourage you I don't think your vibrato was overused or too wide at all. I do enjoy hearing the different approach to vibrato too, your approach is very different to mine.

There were numerous phrases I quite liked in there, and a fair few that really jumped out at me as being really expressive and unique. Genuinely, some of them really made me sit up and listen, well done bud!

One suggestion I'd make is to make the backing tracks in your videos a little louder. I for one find it quite difficult to get into a feel with your soloes (sp?) as I can't consistently pick out a progression or a particular feel or mood to the overall piece. Perhaps it's the compressed quality on youtube that does it, if so, I'd love to have a listen through headphones to any mix you may have available. I wouldn't want to make any more comments until I'd heard it more clearly.

Good work my friend, keep on posting them vids!

Mark

[urb]

Hey Mark

Very kind of you man - I appreciate your comments - I agree about the backing track - it is loud in the room, I even thought the bass sounded almost quiet when I was playing - but I do need to figure out a way to nicely sync up clearer audio with the video - I'll be working on that soon! It's always good to film/record yourself playing as I find it really good at hearing all the good and bad stuff - so if I'm totally honest I can hear loads of bad stuff in this but some OK stuff too - really glad you like my phrases - I need to work on them more for sure. It's kind of frustrating as IMO I was playing some great stuff in the morning and when I got round to taping this I think I'd already peaked! Improvising well requires a strange (and wonderful) combination of having lots of energy and being totally relaxed - and the less you think about it the better - so I'm working on all of that as well - I think I was thinking a bit too much here... just my thoughts - thanks for the feedback.

Mike

[mcgraham]

Hi Mike

I know what you mean about hitting your peak in a day, and also getting frustrated when you can't do something you were doing earlier, even if it is as qualitative as 'playing nice phrases'. We can all work on our phrasing more.

I agree about the being relaxed and not thinking too much. Although I enjoy thinking about where to go next, creating some bizarre move from chord to chord, place to place; that's where the most amazing original ideas come from, the uncharted 'wrong note' territory. I reckon the problem is when we believe we [i]need[/i] to be thinking more, we suddenly think 'oh...' and that what we're doing isn't complex, or fast, or crazy enough for what you're playing.

I presume this vid was posted with a view to constructive views and criticism, so I hope it's ok to say this; after the phrases I did like, and also the stock widdling that we're all guilty of, I do find that a number of your ideas seem to lack introduction and lack resolution. What I mean is that sometimes they come from nowhere and sometimes they don't go somewhere. Specifically, I sometimes 'feel' that quite a few could be promising, I open myself up to them, and then you stop! prompting me to grimace... A possible suggestion would be to try looking for some interesting resolutions or connecting phrases for the licks and phrases you already have stored in your mind or under your fingers. My opinion is that slowing down and listening to what sort of movement you're producing with your notes would be quite useful.

Oh, and one other thing (sorry!) about your technique. I notice that when you use your middle finger to pluck, your entire forearm and hand 'structure' shifts over to your right, and then when you use your index, it ultimately shifts back again. Reducing or eliminating that motion altogether such that that structure always keep the same shape would significantly help in keeping the energy you expend to a minimum, improve the efficiency of your technique and also produce less strain on your wrist. These are just my thoughts so feel free to leave it.

Hope I didn't come across [i]too[/i] opinionated or preachy I'll have to post a clip at some point to open myself up to some opinions.

Mark

[urb]

Hi Mark

That's all fine - you open your self up to all manner of flaming on the web as soon as you post anything - so it's all fair comment - I never know whether to post stuff and get a kicking or just let people enjoy what they like about it - the guys on youtube dig my stuff so it seems. I hear what you are saying about my phrasing - I'm working on it believe me - but I was thinking about what you said about my hand position when picking and I think it's just the camera angle because my hand is completely relaxed and from my point of view when looking down at it, is completely steady - it may look different but it seems fine to me. And yes it would be good to see some of your stuff too - share and share alike as they say...

M

[mcgraham]

Hi Mike

It takes a great deal of humility to be able to listen to people's criticism and even more so to open yourself up to that, it's a necessary way to improvement in all aspects of life, so well done for that. I know I'm hesitant to place things up online in case people dislike it.

That's cool about your hand, perhaps it was the camera angle. It seems you also like to think a lot about your technique, always good to see another bassist/musician who takes their development seriously.

I don't have a camera, so I will only be able to post clips. I will get round to doing some once I have some stuff to post. I don't have set pieces as I tend to practice to be able to improv over whatever I'm playing with other people. I'll think of something though

Mark