Thumb Picking

Using your thumb as a pick while holding the tremolo...here's an example :

http://www.slyonbass.com/thumbpicking/

or here :

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sly-on-Bass/174058765952906

hey Sly, that's the most opposite type of music I enjoy.

HOWEVER, your band is very good and I tip my hat to you, and if I was into that kind of "let the bass play melodylines" type of stuff, I would certainly be trying your tricks and techniques -- for sure !!!!

amimbari wrote:

hey Sly, that's the most opposite type of music I enjoy.

HOWEVER, your band is very good and I tip my hat to you, and if I was into that kind of "let the bass play melodylines" type of stuff, I would certainly be trying your tricks and techniques -- for sure !!!!

Thanks, it's still a work in progress, but ever since I've put the trem on my bass I've been working on ways to adapt it's use to lots of different styles- this was the first time I got to try it live...

work in progress..... I have adapted that philosophy for 20 years

just when I think it is over, something new comes along.
for me this year it will be to play as much as I can with the "E-on-top" and no more inverted strings, and just like any task if I keep it fun, I'll keep doing it.

amimbari wrote:

work in progress..... I have adapted that philosophy for 20 years

just when I think it is over, something new comes along.
for me this year it will be to play as much as I can with the "E-on-top" and no more inverted strings, and just like any task if I keep it fun, I'll keep doing it.

Fun is definitly the key...when it becomes work - it's over...at least for me...

haha I wished my day job was fun so when I get my check I could say --
" Oh wow look at that ", instead of saying " Is that all for all the bull***t I go thru in 2 weeks "

we played a show on Sat night, used my Kramer 710 for the first time as the main bass, found out I cant use a pick on it without hitting the pickup switch, ( there are covers we do that sound better with a pick ) and it had MED strings on it 50-105 instead of 45-100 and I woke up Sunday and realized my fingertips were a little numb. The sound guy was very impressed that our band can have a "low" stage volume and let the PA do the work, since he is used to retards hauling in doublestack guitar cabs and a 8x10 and 3000watts for a room that is 50x80 and said he would do sound for us ANYTIME....lol

Fortunately no blisters or blood blisters and today all is back to normal but that was the first time in a long time I actually "hurt" my fingers jamming. ( pain for pleasure? ) -- oh wait this is a G-rated forum

Great bass & love the way you incorporated the tremolo & effects. Has kind of a Maggot Brain vibe. Cool stuff.

Great bass to put a Kahler on by the way. Versatile basses work best in my opinion for them - more possibilities to explore.

Barklessdog wrote:

Great bass & love the way you incorporated the tremolo & effects. Has kind of a Maggot Brain vibe. Cool stuff.

Great bass to put a Kahler on by the way. Versatile basses work best in my opinion for them - more possibilities to explore.

Thanks. When I started thumbing the bass I was using a five string and having a hard time muting the low B. So I started shopping a mid-priced 4 string (I didn't want to 'cut up' an expensive bass not knowing if I was going to like the trem ) and I tried a lot of models, but kept going back to the store to play the Jag bass - it was just comfortable...

I'm going to have check out Maggot Brain...

amimbari wrote:

we played a show on Sat night, used my Kramer 710 for the first time as the main bass, found out I cant use a pick on it without hitting the pickup switch, ( there are covers we do that sound better with a pick ) and it had MED strings on it 50-105 instead of 45-100 and I woke up Sunday and realized my fingertips were a little numb. The sound guy was very impressed that our band can have a "low" stage volume and let the PA do the work, since he is used to retards hauling in doublestack guitar cabs and a 8x10 and 3000watts for a room that is 50x80 and said he would do sound for us ANYTIME....lol

Fortunately no blisters or blood blisters and today all is back to normal but that was the first time in a long time I actually "hurt" my fingers jamming. ( pain for pleasure? ) -- oh wait this is a G-rated forum

Pain is tough on pleasure...when I started using the trem intensively there were a few muscles in my arm and hand that I didn't know I had until they started aching.

Make sure to stretch your hand & arm muscles to avoid Carpel Tunnel (I had it for a year). It seems to affect bass players more


Maggot Brain-

Sly, I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE that video. I am into all forms of jazz, and I really dig the sound and vibe you Guys are laying down. In fact, I would go out and buy your music in a heartbeat. And your playing technique, style, and tone are all top-notch IMHO. I love seeing a player take the instrument out of it's normal "comfort zone", and doing something unique, and you NAILED it. Bravo!

Speaking of your tone, what effects are you running? Specifically, are you running some sort of pitch-shifter? If so, what is it? And how are you getting your overdrive? I also believe I detected some sort of either sustain or controlled feedback. True?

EricHaven wrote:

Sly, I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE that video. I am into all forms of jazz, and I really dig the sound and vibe you Guys are laying down. In fact, I would go out and buy your music in a heartbeat. And your playing technique, style, and tone are all top-notch IMHO. I love seeing a player take the instrument out of it's normal "comfort zone", and doing something unique, and you NAILED it. Bravo!

Speaking of your tone, what effects are you running? Specifically, are you running some sort of pitch-shifter? If so, what is it? And how are you getting your overdrive? I also believe I detected some sort of either sustain or controlled feedback. True?

Thanks so much.

Tonewise, the beginning of the solo starts with moderate overdrive on a Fulltone BassDrive Mosfet unit. I turned on the boost after a while making the distortion a little heavier. Then I used an Eventide Pitchfactor for the pitch shift and stomped in some reverb and mild delay on a Lexicon MPX1. The secret ingredient is a T1M mini-blender to create an effects loop for the pitch shift and the fuzz - I don't know the exact ratio of wet-dry I had on the unit but it was probably around 70-30.

you are so inspirational SLY.

time for some random jams in the garage with my pitch-shifter and octave doubler

amimbari wrote:

you are so inspirational SLY.

time for some random jams in the garage with my pitch-shifter and octave doubler

Have fun!! It kinda feels good to play in that guitar range once in a while ;-).

Next week I'll try to post something in a different style...

Sly wrote:

Have fun!! It kinda feels good to play in that guitar range once in a while ;-).
Next week I'll try to post something in a different style...

guitar range?

aaaaaaaaaah!



mike has a guitar!



aaaaaahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

how many guitar players does it take to .............???????????????

http://www.jtblues.com/jokes.html#guitar

amimbari wrote:

guitar range?

Nothing better than the real thing right??

# What does a bassplayer ask when showing up for a gig?
1. Who's gonna help me haul in my 8x10?
2. Who's gonna help me haul out my 8x10?
3. Can I run a tab?

and ya to me a guitar = 6 string bass with a skinny neck

amimbari wrote:

# What does a bassplayer ask when showing up for a gig?
1. Who's gonna help me haul in my 8x10?
2. Who's gonna help me haul out my 8x10?
3. Can I run a tab?

and ya to me a guitar = 6 string bass with a skinny neck

I used to be real uptight about my skinny neck - so I got inplants...

I pick up a guitar and play a black sabbath song or two about once every 3 or 4 years. The short neck and skinny strings feel like im gonna break it.

thumb picking

hahaha he has "the 5 note" syndrome. I dont remember me EVER playing with my thumb or being that terrible.

That just kinda hurts a bit.

You Guys are total goofballs!

Reminds me of this shirt I had with the....oh, what the heck was it called? Something like, the 100 favorite sayings of those in a band, or something like that.

I may have to post a new thread.

EricHaven wrote:

You Guys are total goofballs!

Reminds me of this shirt I had with the....oh, what the heck was it called? Something like, the 100 favorite sayings of those in a band, or something like that.

I may have to post a new thread.

Yeah, I do tend to get a little goofy when I'm sleep deprived...our youngest daughter's cold has been keeping us up at night...

At the age of thirteen, Sylvain’s friends noticed something different about him. When secretly listening to his sister’s Kiss Alive II 8 track tape, unlike them, he wouldn’t sing the lyrics or do air guitar solos. Instead, he would hum along with Gene Simmons’ bass lines.

should say:

"WHILE secretly listening to the Kiss Alive2 8 track and getting busted by my very religious mother and grounded for a month for even thinking about listening to the "devil's music" especially the one time she caught me going out to the garage to try on my sisters makeup trying to look like Gene.

amimbari wrote:

At the age of thirteen, Sylvain’s friends noticed something different about him. When secretly listening to his sister’s Kiss Alive II 8 track tape, unlike them, he wouldn’t sing the lyrics or do air guitar solos. Instead, he would hum along with Gene Simmons’ bass lines.

should say:

"WHILE secretly listening to the Kiss Alive2 8 track and getting busted by my very religious mother and grounded for a month for even thinking about listening to the "devil's music" especially the one time she caught me going out to the garage to try on my sisters makeup trying to look like Gene.

Yeah, I have a very religous uncle that once told me and my mom that I was destined to burn in hell because of my love of Kiss. I'm lucky my mom was laid back and just laughed it off...

Thanks for taking the time to read my bio...

always happy to find out a little about the man behind the machine.

If loving KISS means going to Hell, you're in good company. Myself included!

Here's a solo bass piece featuring thumbpicking and subtle tremolo.

http://www.slyonbass.com/thumbpicking/?p=46

I'll try to post something a little more upbeat next time ;-)...