My style is classic hard rock, I try to maintain a thumping rhythm that keeps the song well grounded. It might not be flashy stuff, but for me bass is about creating a strong rhythm to hold the rest of the group together; I grew up listening to a lot of blues musicians, so I think that’s where it comes from. My favourite bass to date is my black 1979 Fender P-Bass. I’ve owned a few bass guitars in my time, but this one is in a league of its own. The flame maple neck is perfect and it plays so well, with what feels like no effort at all. Although I’m not a huge fan of signature models, I have been eyeing up the Dusty Hill signature P-Bass, and if money were no object I’d probably invest in one.

The secret of playing bass well is practice, patience, self-confidence and a good ear. I find most bassists have the ability to listen to everyone else around them, which really comes in handy when songwriting. My bass heroes are Andy Fraser, Phil Lynott, the little known Fran Sheehan of Boston fame… and Cliff Williams, just for being rock solid. If I could get the tone of any album ever released, I would choose Boston by Boston. The bass tone on that record is mind-blowing. It’s so warm but never gets lost in the mix; it’s the perfect sound as far as I’m concerned.

1. Sly & The Family Stone - Stand!

An album doesn’t sell in excess of three million units and spawn several classic hits that still get airplay more than 40 years on without being something special. The breakout album for the iconic funk- soul band is dripping with Larry’s bass chops. The mega-hit ‘Everyday People’ featured Graham’s first recorded use of slap, with its punchy riff powering the song along. It’s simply a must-have al- bum for anyone seriously into real funk, rather than flashy slap and pop riffs.

2. Sly & The Family Stone - There’s A Riot Going On

Have you ever had a dream where you’re in a moment of great pressure, and you freeze up? You blow that one big moment when you needed to rise to the occasion and kill it. While I am not going to opine on what these dreams mean to your psyche or mental health, I will however talk about the mental aspect of playing that really affects players more then you think.

Credit Scott Uchida

I have not been immune to the occasional psych-out, and one song that has always been a culprit for me is called ‘Detonation’. The verse has a tail end that outlines some dissonant chords with a 16th note triplet feel, sliding back and forth from the last note of one chord into the next of the next all in one bar. It happens so fast live that a bum note might not even be heard with all the sonic chaos that a live metal band brings. The problem I was having was being able to tell if I was sliding into the right chords. During practice and at home you can second-guess yourself, slow parts down, consult with a band mate about a part, or even check your tabs online (hey, sometimes you forget parts after a few years). In a live setting you can’t redo it, or I should say it’s not very professional to stop a song if a mistake happens, the show must go on as they say. So add together a fairly difficult part that I was once able to play with ease, throw in the pressure of playing it live night after night, and then you start to see and hear a problem brewing. Once you’ve missed a part a few times you start to dread that part of the set, and once you’re thinking about a part that far in advance, you’re bound to miss it.

The first thing you have to do is not stress about the part or the fact that you are human and bound to make mistakes. This won’t fix the problem per se, but there is no need to be as critical on yourself when a mistake happens. Music is fun, don’t stress about it. Practice and patience is where the real solution to the problem is at. I have found that nine times out of 10 when things are getting sloppy, it’s usually a tempo issue. The last thing I can suggest is not change up many variables in your playing style and instrument settings. I feel confident knowing that what I have set up rig-wise is going to be the same every night and it helps my playing immensely. I can tell if something is out of whack without even plugging it in and that is how you need to be with your instrument. Be one with the bass.

We now take a break from your regularly scheduled sight-reading chat, to bring you a report from the London Bass Guitar Show.

When I was awarded this scholarship in April, I received a lot more than I ever expected. Getting a brand new Music Man bass was incredible, as was this column, but then to be told that I’d be demonstrating at the London Bass Show, it just blew me away (and made me wee my pants a little).

Over the weekend I played six 15-minute demos, which I know some of you came and watched. Thanks for coming up and saying hello. Hanging out at the Ernie Ball stand I met some great bassists and played some wonderful new Music Man items – I have my eye on a Reflex bass. The show itself was fantastic, with so many great new basses and toys to play with. Where else can you meet hundreds of bass players talented enough to make full-time music their career? I got to meet some lovely people including David Ellefson, Dave Swift, Dave Marks (apparently being called Dave gives you a leg-up in bass playing), Nate Watts, Steve Lawson, Sheldon Dingwall, Andy Irvine, Yolanda Charles… I could go on.

The masterclasses were the biggest highlight for me. I saw David Ellefson on Saturday morning – there’s nothing like some metal with your morning coffee to help wake you up. I wouldn’t class myself as a metalhead but I really enjoyed David’s class. He started with some incredible pick playing, spoke with experience and humility about his career, and offered essential tips such as making sure you play the bass-line for the song and not the other way round. I missed a lot of Guy Pratt’s class because I was playing, but the Q&A I saw was hilarious. That man is witty.

I sneaked into the Nate Watts concert. He invited his sister to sing, which made it less like a gig and more like a group sing-along – I could have sat there all night. Nate got the crowd to sing, invited three young guys up on stage to play with him and even took requests. I yelled out ‘Master Blaster’. I adore Nate’s lines and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see him play. The party didn’t stop after the show closed; I went to see Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes. Wayne Lee, Albert’s son, also worked on the Ernie Ball stand. Albert is an icon in the country music scene, a 70-year-old legend who still tours like he’s 30. I want to be that cool when I’m his age. It was such a privilege to be at that gig and meet him afterwards.

The whole weekend was some of the best fun I’ve had in this cold country. I know I’m biased, but the BGM team did an absolutely incredible job, and I can’t wait for next year’s show.

‘Til next time, guys. Life’s waaaaay better at the bottom.

This month I would like to carry on where we left off last month with 16th-note rhythms and grooves. These next examples are all similar to the bass parts on a track called ‘The Chicken’ by Weather Report, featuring Jaco Pastorius.

Example 1

All of these examples are in the key of Bb major. I have written these with accidentals (flats), but the key signature would be two flats, Bb and Eb. The purpose of any key signature is to let the musician know what particular key to play the song in and whether the notes within the song are sharpened or flattened. The trick is to remember whenever you see these particular notes, in this instance Bb and Eb, you adjust the notes B and E accordingly within the piece of music.

Always start out with a slow tempo: for this one I would recommend 80BPM. The first note is a dotted eighth leading to a 16th: try to check the actual audio of the song and that should help with working out the rhythm of the line. Midway through the bar we have a tied 16th-note Eb, this is the same value as an eighth note. You should be able to work out a nice pattern for this one that sits well under the fingers. Try using your second finger on your fretting hand to start the line on Bb, followed by your first finger playing the major third, which will be the note D.

Overwater is renowned as one of the UK’s premier manufacturers of hand-built bass guitars. From a workshop in Cumbria, the company has launched some truly magnificent designs in its 30-plus years in business, and have now teamed up with specialist dealer Manchester Bass Lounge in the production of two unique instruments. One is a custom fretless edition of Overwater’s Inspiration, one of the finest contemporary production models around. However, MBL’s more significant challenge to Overwater was to create a ‘carte blanche’ contemporary update of the classic Original Series bass, using the old templates, but with all- new hardware and build materials. The Original was first launched as a production model over 30 years ago, but has for many years only been available on request as a custom build. Overwater is considering reintroducing it, so this one-off has been designed to test the waters. Let’s dip a toe in, shall we?

Build Quality

As cost was not a factor for the manufacturer, every aspect of the custom Original’s build quality is through the roof. The main body material is mahogany, and a quick look at the back of the bass reveals the rich, almost orangey-brown hue of this wood, selected for its lightweight characteristics. Beautiful as it is, Overwater fancied going one better, and added a secondary, bookmatched claro walnut top. The graining and colouration of this wood is stunning, with rich, chocolate browns blending into paler tones. Even the distinctively hooked headstock matches the overall look.

The 26” through-neck is constructed from five-piece maple, forming a pale streak that runs down through the mahogany,
with dark walnut stringers for effect. Yet another wood has been chosen for the fingerboard and binding, and this time Overwater has opted for a beautiful, deep ebony – quite a departure from the white plastic binding on the Original series basses of old. Silver diamond inlays have been tastefully set at the usual intervals, adding yet another layer of understated elegance.

The Original Series’ body shape resembles the love child of a Thunderbird and a P-bass, but even a reference to those two rock behemoths doesn’t really do justice to the craftsmanship here. The depth is spot on, with sumptuous chamfering allowing for comfortable right-arm positioning. The hardware is black, simple and classic-looking, including Overwater’s own bridge, set fairly high into the body work. So far, this bass is impressive in every department, and the price tag is paling into insignificance. For the sake of our budget, I hope we snap out of it.

The fretless Inspiration has a hard act to follow, but by no means looks ordinary compared with the Original. Indeed, it’s a very different bass, with a striking and unique design of its own. Long, slender and pointed horns give the bodywork a distinct and modern look, but it’s not garish or distractingly angular as some contemporary designs can be. The top horn in particular has a pleasing curvature, while the tobacco sunburst finish is dark, luxurious and inviting. Overwater has opted for white ash in the body, with a flame maple top and a rosewood fingerboard. There is plenty of nice graining visible through the transparent finish on the body and fingerboard, which features maple fret-lines to aid with finger positioning.

I aim to put big, hairy balls onto the sound of our guitar players – just kidding. I nail a solid rock groove using a pick. Sometimes I throw in some pentatonic lines if the situation needs it, but mostly I tend to find less is more. I do not play five- or six- string bass. I’m a born four-string, die four-string kind of player. I like to put some solid grooves together with Chris Weiß on the drums, because nobody needs another lead guitarist.

To be a good player you just have to be in time, and be a nice guy. My first bass was a Fender Squier Jazz, the early, rare Japan model. My favourite bass is the new one being made for me as we speak. The great guys from Sandberg are currently building a custom shop model: a very nice – and very black – California VS with block inlays, I can’t wait to get it. My bass heroes are my good friend Jürgen Steinmetz of Rock Ignition, David Ellefson of course, Cliff Burton, Geezer Butler, Larry Graham and TM Stevens.

I first came across Charlie Haden’s double bass playing when listening to Ornette Coleman’s music. Ornette is arguably the guy that founded the beginnings of what we now call free jazz. His compositions would involve themes (melodies) and would have short forms, often without specific chords. The tunes themselves would often have a heavy groove to them: this was a big part of Ornette’s music. While all the mad solos from Ornette and Don Cherry were going on, underneath it all were Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins (or Ed Blackwell) giving the music its unbelievable feel. This is what first drew me to Charlie Haden. I soon realised that there weren’t any bass parts written for these tunes: Charlie would make up his own parts to fit the melodies, and this approach would carry on in the solos. Ornette would improvise freely, without a chord sequence, and Charlie would follow him harmonically – using only his ears. I thought it was amazing to be able to follow another improviser without the safety net of a chord sequence, and for it to still sound together and coherent.

Soon I became aware of Charlie’s playing with other greats, such as Keith Jarrett, in Keith’s American Quartet, and before that, with his trio. This is where I first heard Charlie play with the late Paul Motian, another great jazz drummer who had played with Bill Evans and many others. The hook-up that Charlie had playing with Paul was so heavy that it became a precedent for this kind of music, and a huge influence on anyone that came after. I highly recommend checking out Charlie’s own music, he recorded a great duo CD with the late pianist Hank Jones.

Recently I heard that Charlie is not well, but hopefully he will be up and playing again soon. I highly advise making the trip to see him – he is unique. His sound is instantly recognisable and his time, space and note choice are so strong that it is hard not to be influenced by him, on any instrument.