bassjamm Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Hello everyone, I've been in contact with Mike Pope this week. For those of you who don't know who he is, he's one of the top players over the US, based in NY i think. He's well known within the Double Bass circles, but he's also an awesome electric bass player...he's pretty hot at this game to say the lease. He's also the guy he designs and manufactures the pre-amps found in the Fodera basses. Google him... Sorry for that if you already knew of him. Anyway, i've been in touch about pre-amps, but I though i'd take the chance to ask him some questions about harmony and technique. To briefly explain...it seems to me that most top players who i've asked, or heard other people ask about harmony, getting better etc...they all seem to say stuff like get to a college, practice 6 hours a day, do loads of technique exercises, stuff that i personally find tedious and hard! But i want to get better, to improve. So i but that to him...here's my original message and Mike's reply (i asked him if i can post it, he's cool with it) - Bassjamm: [i]A slight side point, more with regards to playing. I respect your playing a lot, and from the material i have of yours, or with you playing, i really find it interesting. I was wondering what tips you may have for young players looking to master the bass? At the moment i feel my chops are slightly slow, but more so, that my knowledge of harmony is limiting me. I'm in no position to go to college to learn, but i practice at home as often as possible. Do you have any thoughts or excercises that you think would help someone to broaden their knowledge?[/i] And here's what Mike replied with - Mike Pope: [i]As for your harmonic knowledge...use Oteil Burbridge for example. All that complicated harmonic stuff he plays... He doesn't know the first thing about harmony in an academic sense. That certainly doesn't keep him from playing it. So don't get hung up because you don't know what something is. If you can hear it, recognize it, play it, and use it musically, you know what it is. Period. If you need to communicate it to someone else who doesn't get it (naturally anyway), then you need to know what it is. But that's easy once you're actually playing it. So focus on what you want to play and understand it in a way that let's you make music with it. As for agility on your instrument, there are a million books out there with exercises you can use...but the best way to learn your way around your instrument is in an effort to make music. Not, "I wanna sound like Joe Shmoe", but like you're playing a piece of music. Trying to make music in the HERE AND NOW is the best way to get better. Not playing exercises in the interest of making music later.[/i] I just found that really encouraging and felt like it's advice that, if i put it into action (that's the catch), then i'll definately benefit from it. It's already helped me to change the way i view my practice routine, how i view transcription and things. I hope that this will help some of you as much as it has me! I think i'll post this in the Technique and harmony forum too... Thanks Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 [quote name='bassjamm' post='217309' date='Jun 12 2008, 12:33 AM']Trying to make music in the HERE AND NOW is the best way to get better. Not playing exercises in the interest of making music later.[/quote] Excellent quotes throughout that exchange and he sounds like a great guy BUT that last quote could cause a fair bit of mischief! I only started playing bass at Xmas 2005. If I'd taken Mike's advice literally, then I would now be a seriously crap bass player. Having spent over two years learning and practising at every opportunity, I MAY now at last be in a position to adopt the philosophy he suggests. The idea that anyone can just pick up a musical instrument and start playing it, without any serious learning going on, is a very dangerous one. Who knows where it might lead? [attachment=9541:Vicious.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Very solid advice from an obviously very good and pleasingly generous guy. I wonder could you send a collective vote of thanks from BassChatters, might encourage him to pop in from time to time. Great to have input from that calibre of musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hit&Run Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 [quote name='jakesbass' post='217397' date='Jun 12 2008, 09:27 AM']I wonder could you send a collective vote of thanks from BassChatters, might encourage him to pop in from time to time. Great to have input from that calibre of musician.[/quote] Good call jakesbass; let's get some big hitters on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 Happy Jack - Notice what i said about the stage i'm at, i was asking for novice advice, but rather advice that would help and experienced player to overcome the next hurdle! I'll certainly send him a collective thanks...i sent him many kind words of thanks initially as well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 He is a really nice guy, I sent him a few emails asking about preamps when I was ordering my Sei bass, he couldn't have been more helpful. Slightly off topic, one of the best books that I've read regarding improving as a player, is the Vic Wooten book 'The music lesson'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 That's why i was in touch with him...about a pre-amp, trying to get the Fodera tone. I guess i should just save up and get the real thing like a certain fellow basschatter lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokl Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Very interesting, great post bassjamm! I didn't realise that the Pope pre-amps were available to buy without being attached to a Fodera bass. Is there a web site? I'll have to google it and see what comes up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 [quote name='Mokl' post='218255' date='Jun 13 2008, 12:41 PM']Very interesting, great post bassjamm! I didn't realise that the Pope pre-amps were available to buy without being attached to a Fodera bass. Is there a web site? I'll have to google it and see what comes up.[/quote] They're not readily available, you have to get the custom built for you by the man himself...so going direct is the only way. Just google his name and e-mail him about them mate!!! Not the cheapest pre-amps about i don't think, but quality assured and the fact that you can tailor it to your exact requirements is pretty cool i think. Don't/didn't you have a Fodera? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokl Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 [quote name='bassjamm' post='218598' date='Jun 13 2008, 10:09 PM']They're not readily available, you have to get the custom built for you by the man himself...so going direct is the only way. Just google his name and e-mail him about them mate!!! Not the cheapest pre-amps about i don't think, but quality assured and the fact that you can tailor it to your exact requirements is pretty cool i think. Don't/didn't you have a Fodera?[/quote] Yes I do, but I was still interested to learn that the preamps were available directly from Mike Pope. I've got a passive Jazz here that I've been toying with the idea of "activating". I must say that I thought the playing advice he gave you was very interesting, it's given me plenty of food for thought (I'm somewhat theory-allergic!) and I'm going to try and practise a little differentlyand see where it takes me. I also thought it was generous of him to take the time to write to you as he did, seems like a decent bloke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassjamm Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 [quote name='Mokl' post='218691' date='Jun 14 2008, 07:58 AM']Yes I do, but I was still interested to learn that the preamps were available directly from Mike Pope. I've got a passive Jazz here that I've been toying with the idea of "activating". I must say that I thought the playing advice he gave you was very interesting, it's given me plenty of food for thought (I'm somewhat theory-allergic!) and I'm going to try and practise a little differentlyand see where it takes me. I also thought it was generous of him to take the time to write to you as he did, seems like a decent bloke![/quote] Yeah he's very much a gent, which i find comforting...some of the top guys seem very arrogant or brash. But he certainly comes across as being very humble. One thing that struck me from his reply is that he's come across as thinking about it from my point of view. It would be easy for someone tho understands something to just dismiss the issue as trivial, but Mike seemed to put it in a way that connected with me. It's had an extremely positive effect!!! Yeah...he does the pre-amps on their own though. A Jazz would be pretty interesting when it's been 'Pope-d' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Great to hear Mike's answer to your question. "[i]Trying to make music in the HERE AND NOW is the best way to get better. Not playing exercises in the interest of making music later[/i]". Great quote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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