Here we go again on a Big Band Monday adventure.
I'm grateful to have a place to excise my reading skills. I wish the drummers were better, but I guess we are all students. I'll do my best to keep this polite. Drama, focus, letting go, connect, wait, hurry up, limbo, and growth... this post was about all those illusions. Now, this post is edited for mass consumption (a little).
I drive to rehearsal. I'm hungry. I'm tired. Bass for big band is fun, but the drummers are acting dumb and the director needs help with them. I can only say so much.
❤️🔥
Last rehearsal I told someone they can't fake big band drums. I told them to use a metronome. This person didn't like it and left early. Today, I was hoping to catch them in private to talk about rhythm techniques and concepts. Yes, unsolicited, after I apologize for speaking harshly. Unfortunately they walked past me without me knowing it. I missed the chance to tell them how to play samba easily. I wanted to tell them in private. All you gotta do is maintain the pulse. Focus on beats one and three. Just play half notes. That's it. (In the future I will realize it wouldn't have mattered.)
🚘 👹 Traffic & Parking
I paid the $2. That's cheap for an education. My ticket got smashed in my hands for a multitude of other frustrating reasons.
😬 Receipt got ouchies.
As rehearsal moves along, I notice all of the samba tunes have been removed. All "latin" tunes have been removed also. I'm glad. I don't want to play that type of music without Phil or Max or Gabe. The irony is we are playing swinging funk tunes instead. That's probably a confusing rhythm for an inexperienced musician/drummer. It's common for musicians to confuse swinging and straight rhythms already. I'm here complaining and also not afraing to admit that I still confuse the feel sometimes... suuuuuhm-times... but I'll figure it out or get a felling like, "hmm... i better ask a friend." Second opinions are nice.
💿 Speaking of second opinions, checkout theses trippy samba tunes: https://steelparade.bandcamp.com/album/bossa-samba-and-other-fun-stuff
People have been doing what it takes to be up to par. It makes the band sound good. Then, someone shows up thinking they have privileges without substance. It makes the band sound bad. That's lame. People practice for the rehearsal. People take the time to rest or preserve their head, back, and feet in preparation for something fun and healthy. Drums can't be faked. People take the time to do what it takes to own the instrument they play in the big band. Oh, i forgot to mention that. A drummer should probably own a drum set.
🐢💨
"Be light, be soft, and be simple to be fast."
🍩 Snacks
Today I brought mineral water and coffee. It "makes me" feel like I’m not being screwed over by my par... feel nice.
My new plan is to have drinks and snacks available when I meet up with people I care about. I have a use a small cooler in my car. I'm solo, but sounds cool, right?
💣
💣 Spontaneous Rant
These drummers f💣cking suck. F💣cking fakers don’t use metronomes. Poser ass little fucking bitches don’t practice anything near due diligence, they don’t care enough about their plane to record it or practice with Metronome’s? What the f💣ck?
I’m not interested in taking a COVID test for this band. Not letting someone stick a f💣cking swab up my nose for this band and it's current drummers.
IMHO, if they don’t sound correct at the rehearsal, they should not allowed to perform for the concerts. No home work? No good sound? Piss and moan, verbalize excuses, and project blame? No reward. It's was that simple.
We are all students. We wish there could be a second band for the different levels of proficiency. Like school sports, junior varsity band and varsity band... B-band for beginners and A-band for advanced. One band that almost anyone can join and another band that requires auditions.
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📣 Instruments:
Take a look at these groovy sound makers. A big band is usually comprised of a brass section, a woodwind section, and a rhythm section. Brass includes the Trumpets and Trombones. The Saxophones are considered the woodwinds. The easiest way to tell the difference is to notice the mouth pieces. Woodwinds use a reed mouth piece. Brass instruments use a brass mouth piece and vibrate their lips indie of it.
🎺 Trumpet
This is a used trumpet because they had their lips on it. Don't lick it or side-swipe it with your backpack. Sometimes I think it sucks to bust my hands playing a bass... these guy need to be careful with their lips and mouth. Cautious of spit, lip skin, lip fatigue, and light headedness, food particles from a gig break... lot more.
BRASS Bitch!!! LOUD and HIGH AS FuÇK.
Never touch it. Never accidentally kick it over as it rests close to your feet on a cramped stage. Don't sit down on it Also, low and out of site. . UNLIKE the trumpet's case. The trumpets case should always be placed in a location that disrupts a walk way or stage appearance. Just kidding a little. This is my buddy's trumpet. He's actually a very empathic person and it's been a pleasure performing with him.
☯ Fender Jazz Bass.
Did you read the part above about busting my hands playing bass? Well, have a laugh with me, because I've strung my bass with the lightest flatwound stings I could find. (Many years ago.)
Like I said, stings are old, but that's kinda a thing fer bass and flat wound stings. Sometimes I want to change the strings so. It's time. These stings have been through lots of gigs and abuse in and out of the gig bage/case.
It's great, but I need to balance it out and change the tuning pegs. My bass dives. I've probably mentioned it before.
I'll fix it soon. For now, i've started using the GoPro you see in the image above to create weight the back of the bass. The GoPro and its attachments act as a counter balance. I don't need to hold the bass in position when the GoPro attached. Imagine driving your car, but you need to hold the steering wheel in a specific position at the same time as you drive to work... it's almost like that.
📜 MUSIC
Meh, I've gots nothin' from the rehearsal. I don't record like I did before. Not yet.
Wanna see a bass chart? I read music. Band members would hate me if I didn't read. I couldn't fake most of this stuff without a chart. Some of it, no need to fake, no need for most of the chart. Maybe someday all, for now, one at a time. Here is a picture of a bass chart for "I Love Lucy." I know a few people that would be very happy to hear it. I would invite people if the drums were good.
I spent personal time working on that chart. I discovered during today's rehearsal we are not going to be performing that song. Maybe later... not soon... not sure. I wish we knew what songs we were performing on the 29th. We know most of the songs, but I would be nice to eliminate distractions. Am I being a wuss? I guess the practice is still good even if we are not performing the song. Timing is everything, right?
I do know that will play Count Basy's "Cute." This song is a challenge for drummers that don't know how to play soft and layback. It's gotta be smooth, but not arid or spacious like smooth jazz. Tight and beautiful like the original here: 
I also know we are performing a song called "Black Jack" by Donald Byrd. Really cool melody and fun song to play. The bass part is almost always the same and not a busy as most jazz bass parts, but there is a good reason. Each instrument has it's own rhythm patterns. It's sound cool when all the different parts art put together. I don't need to play lots of notes all the time. It's a groove study. This songs helps a player stay hypnotic and solid. This song helps players practice dynamic without being distracted by notes. That's how is serves our big band. This song is groovy af: 
📼 Video Coming Soon
BASS VIEW, soon!
Do you like to see wiggly fingers on strings?
It's almost like a finger dance.
I already got the GoPro revved-up for our concert on the 29th. I plan to have a special bass view presentation of "Just The Two Of Us."
Look for that and everyone remind @grapthar to check that out when I'm done with it. We are both big fans of Pantera and we both love their version of Grover Washington's "Just The Two Of Us".
Thanks for reading.
I hope you learned a little and giggled more.
Have a nice day.