From the Vault

Not sure if anyone has stuff like this, I have a ton of it. This will be a place to post (if you have it) recordings from your past. In my examples, it’s crazy. I can tell how much I improved…tone, recording, timing, note selection, clean/smoothness. At the same time this was a time before my looper, drum machine, pedals. It was a time before concepts of theory really clicked and I knew my scales better. In some ways I miss the creativity and blind courage. I’ve kept that, don’t get me wrong, but the tech and loops put me more in a box, even a box I create myself. In any case, if you all want to share old musings, old recordings, times when you were a different, young and evolving bassist, feel free to here. It’s a walk down memory lane, but with others.

Here is one from 4-5 years ago. I called it Hillbilly Bass and just was plucking away sloppily and out of time but with a “pocket” to return to. Bout half way in I am actually a bit impressed with the “solo”. I finally got double thumb down and went a little crazy with it lol.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2vkhMFrFpG4ck5mVFE3ZUZyTEk/view?usp=drivesdk

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Also, come on @JoshFossgreen and @Gio ! I am sure you guys got something somewhere…maybe an awkward teen jam or something!? Could be fun!

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Playing in a small club in Korea around 1998 or 1999. I realize this was meant for way back when as bass players but since I’ve only been on the fat strings for about six months this is what you get. Which good bad or indifferent isn’t too far from where I am now…LOL

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Naw, all good. Good showing of SRV too. Had hell of a guitarist there. Which one was you?

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The guitarist…LOL.

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Well, I already paid you a compliment then…lol. You are a very talented guitarist and have some blues in the soul!

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Thank you, watching this I’m thinking, I really miss the club thing. Of course I miss being 20yrs younger too…LOL

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Nothing like a live audience cheering my man!

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This was five yrs ago and its got a ton of the things that I’m trying to do now…awesome!!!

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Thanks! I started playing at 13, but took a break from like 18-31 for a number of reasons. Somehow when I picked it back up I was better than when I left off…and then finally got the double thumb down. I did play light guitar on the acoustic during that gap, but it was weird falling back in even better than when I left off.

With what you were doing on guitar you will pick up the stuff you are trying quick!

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Here is some vintage Thump Whistle. Singer never could jive with it to do lyrics, so it went by the wayside. First bit is hard to get in time lol.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C_BOBOo5VbuyVASTG70znoEqKuCoIF2C/view?usp=drivesdk

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I certainly hope so. I’m with you on the breaks I have had periods where I have stopped playing for decades and pick it up again and see ways to improve and get back to where I was and can visualize things I didn’t even understand before but I don’t have that kinda time left to engage that methodology as a path to improvement anymore. I’m just gonna have to sit down and put in the work…LOL. You are right a lot of the basics crossed over, theory, string skipping, scales, sense of melody and phrasing, utilizing shapes, timing, knowledge of the fretboard. So there might have been a leg up on someone that had never played before at all. This forum has been a great sounding board and motivator I hope everyone that is starting out that is not on bassbuzz has found a resource and support system like this somewhere.

I loved that, a bit of that early 90s feel about it…had I walked into a club and this was shaking the walls I’d have stayed for a few beers. And that is the reason club owners hired bands or at least it used to be. Can you pull them off the street, can you make them stay and spend money. Nice work!

Yes, this is great! I don’t recommend not playing as a strategy, I’d probably be A LOT better had I played that whole time. Just found it weird that I had actually gotten better. I’m doing Josh’s course because I never did officially learn the full fundamentals, even ignored a lot of what my bass teacher had tried to show me. Mainly pointing out though, I had years and years of bass playing experience before playing/writing that stuff, and a started off trying to learn advanced techniques without basics. Had a weird path.

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You’re a hell of a guitarist @Tokyo_Rat
Bravo !

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Thanks Mac but you give me way too much credit, but I sure had a good time playing with those guys. Good drummer, solid bass player, the other guitarist in the band had the same tastes and approach that I did. Singer suffered from too much LSD (lead singer disease) but I never ran up on one that didn’t. He turned into a really good guitarist and a staple in Pittsburgh blues scene. Y’all got me missing that dive playing…shame on ya…LOL

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Here is some vintage Thump Whistle. This was just an improv Jam, and we wanted to come back to it, but never did. It’s really pretty. Recording isn’t great, just on a phone mic. Also this was our second lead guitarist (who was an amazing player) but isn’t with band anymore.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EePA5_rDm7Aa7DscwC5lMqAFqiFhQlnA/view?usp=drivesdk

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Haha, yes indeed, I have some very potentially embarassing recordings of me AND @Gio . (one is called “The Party Song” and it will not be posted publicly ever :stuck_out_tongue: )

Here’s one that’s only partially embarassing, circa 12 years ago:

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That’s pretty good! Vault doesn’t necessarily mean “bad” just old! But now I’ve gotta hear The Party Song! Maybe revisit it with good recording equipment and newfound wisdom!

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