Bernard Edwards technique?

[Pbassred]

Any anyone found a breakdown of Bernard Edward technique? I know that it had something to do his hand shape - As if he was using an imaginary pick. I don't know how he actually applied it. I can't get much help from youtube. It looks like slapping and picking at the sametime.

[Alun]

As far as I can make out, he was holding his thumb and finger together as if he had a pick and strumming near the end of the neck. The bassline in "Everybody Dance" is a pretty good example of how this technique can sound.

Cheers,
Alun

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Alun' post='28362' date='Jul 7 2007, 06:29 PM']As far as I can make out, he was holding his thumb and finger together as if he had a pick and strumming near the end of the neck[/quote]
and bleeding a bit, if the rumours are true.

[Pbassred]

I'm trying to learn "Thinking of You".

There is actually so little detail about the guy on the net. Lots of gushing about how great he was but very little analysis about why. One interview with Rogers and a bassist thing from last year. I supose that's what happend to guys who had their fame before the web!

[Stuart Clayton]

[quote name='Pbassred' post='28641' date='Jul 8 2007, 03:57 PM']I'm trying to learn "Thinking of You".

There is actually so little detail about the guy on the net. Lots of gushing about how great he was but very little analysis about why. One interview with Rogers and a bassist thing from last year. I supose that's what happend to guys who had their fame before the web![/quote]

I'm writing a book on him and Nile Rodgers - it will have 20 transcriptions (bass and guitar) and hopefullly lots of detail - tricky, as you say, there's not a lot of info out there on him.

STu

[The Funk]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='28368' date='Jul 7 2007, 06:45 PM']and bleeding a bit, if the rumours are true.[/quote]

I play guitar like that (I don't use a pick) - I do end up with a fair amount of bleeding.

[ped]

My best mate Dan lives with his uncle Simon Lebon from Duran Duran and he told me an interesting Bernard Edwards story recently. John Taylor, from Duran, was using Bernards stingray to do some recording recently. the bass is all origional, the same strings and everything that Bernard used. They sound really dead and pretty nasty if the truth be known, but there is a vibe about them which John liked. He went out of the studio for a min and came back - the engineer had put some new strings on the bass because he was finding them dead and so on. John went mental and said 'Where are the origionals' - the engineer had CUT THEM OFF and discarded them. John went mental again.

[The Funk]

I hope he cut off the engineer's hands. Why are people SO F*CKING PRESUMPTUOUS!?!

[crez5150]

[quote name='ped' post='29148' date='Jul 9 2007, 03:56 PM']My best mate Dan lives with his uncle Simon Lebon from Duran Duran and he told me an interesting Bernard Edwards story recently. John Taylor, from Duran, was using Bernards stingray to do some recording recently. the bass is all origional, the same strings and everything that Bernard used. They sound really dead and pretty nasty if the truth be known, but there is a vibe about them which John liked. He went out of the studio for a min and came back - the engineer had put some new strings on the bass because he was finding them dead and so on. John went mental and said 'Where are the origionals' - the engineer had CUT THEM OFF and discarded them. John went mental again.[/quote]

It was also said that Bernie never changed strings...... I remember reading somewhere that when he was interviewed about his set-up.... the interviewer asked him what strings he used..... and Bernie replied ' whatever came fitted on the bass'......

Bernie is one of my all time bass hero's

[ped]

Indeed. That makes the deed ten times worse! I beleive the engineer is now pumping petrol in the desert.

[nottswarwick]

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='29128' date='Jul 9 2007, 03:15 PM']I'm writing a book on him and Nile Rodgers - it will have 20 transcriptions (bass and guitar) and hopefullly lots of detail - tricky, as you say, there's not a lot of info out there on him.

STu[/quote]

good move, put me down for a copy. Bernard is the MAN. and pmd too.

[lonestar]

[quote name='nottswarwick' post='29284' date='Jul 9 2007, 07:46 PM']good move, put me down for a copy. Bernard is the MAN. and pmd too.[/quote]

Me too!

[jamiepyrite]

Just me who read that as Bernard Matthews?

"ehh? Doesn't he make turkey?!"

[aido43]

The recent Guy Pratt book covers a meeting with Mr Edwards around the time of recording Power Station with Robert Palmer and indeed he was asked to use said Musicman bass--its a great read.

[Sean]

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='29128' date='Jul 9 2007, 03:15 PM']I'm writing a book on him and Nile Rodgers - it will have 20 transcriptions (bass and guitar) and hopefullly lots of detail - tricky, as you say, there's not a lot of info out there on him.

STu[/quote]

When's the book out, Stu? The song list is certainly impressive. Are you taking advance orders?

[Stuart Clayton]

[quote name='Sean' post='39837' date='Aug 1 2007, 07:51 AM']When's the book out, Stu? The song list is certainly impressive. Are you taking advance orders?[/quote]

I'm working on it at the moment. I don't know when it'll be out as I have a lot of transcribing to do (guitar as well as bass), and a lot of research to do. But it's looking good, and will be similar in apprach to the James Brown Rhythm sections book - a master guitar/bass/vocal score, followed by an analysis of the individual parts and any cool variations. You can see the cover art on the coming soon page at www.basslinepublishing.com

Not taking advance orders, and there's no need, there'll be plenty of copies. I would like to get the book out by the end of the year, just depends how long the work takes. And it is a nice day. I may go out on my bike instead...

Cheers
Stu

[Pbassred]

[quote]My best mate Dan lives with his uncle Simon Lebon from Duran Duran and he told me an interesting Bernard Edwards story recently. John Taylor, from Duran, was using Bernards stingray to do some recording recently. the bass is all origional, the same strings and everything that Bernard used. They sound really dead and pretty nasty if the truth be known, but there is a vibe about them which John liked. He went out of the studio for a min and came back - the engineer had put some new strings on the bass because he was finding them dead and so on. John went mental and said 'Where are the origionals' - the engineer had CUT THEM OFF and discarded them. John went mental again.[/quote]

Presumptous on many levels:
How dare he mess with ANY instrument without permission?
How would he know what strings put on?
What engineer doesn't know that many bassists leave their strings on?
That's a famous bass. Who doesn't know that?

I've recieved the Chic Budokan gig on DVD ( a month from Austrailia!). I ripped it straight the my PC so I can watch it in detail. He slaps, and plays fingerstyle as well as the "imaginary pick" thing. I didn't realise that he played down strokes AND upstrokes like that. I guess that the attack comes from the fingernail. All effortlessly played.

[P-T-P]

In defense of the engineer (sort of)...

Assuming he wasn't just some studio lacky and was actually there at the band's request (possibly because he forms a team with the producer) with a general brief of helping the band get their album made/write something new/get a particular sound etc. it's possible that he may have needed to do the deed in order to get progress (or been instructed to by a higher power.

It could be that the vibe JT was feeling was all in his head and the reality was actually a crap performance that just wasn't getting the job done, studio clock ticking, JT refusing to try something different and sessions getting nowhere fast. JT pops out for a cuppa and while he's gone producer instructs engineer to change the strings and force a new approach for the greater good of the record.

There's a story that when U2 were recording the Joshua Tree half of the sessions were spent trying to polish up what the band felt was the nucleus of a great recording of Where the Streets Have No Name. They recorded, re-recorded, overdubbed, mixed, re-mixed, recorded more and on and on to the point where Brian Eno got so fed up he instructed Danny Lanois to erase the tape to force the band to start the whole recording of the song from scratch. As it turned out he got caught in the act and they eventually found what they were looking for ('scuse the pun), but the point is that in the case of JT's strings getting changed, it might not have been simply a case of ignorance on the part of the engineer.

[carlosfandango]

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='29128' date='Jul 9 2007, 03:15 PM']I'm writing a book on him and Nile Rodgers - it will have 20 transcriptions (bass and guitar) and hopefullly lots of detail - tricky, as you say, there's not a lot of info out there on him.

STu[/quote]

I'd buy that! Can I pre-order one and get the charts now?