A funny Stickservation

A funny Stickservation:
I've been playing a lot of 'period' music lately meaning music that denotes a time and place in history and the Stick visually tends to stand (or Stick) out. Mind you it always sounds great but may 'look' odd to the period minded people who are involved in the particular project... case and comment: I'm silently tuning up (haven't even plugged into the amp yet) and the production manager looks over and says "Eight string bass? I haven't heard it yet and you've already played to many notes!" I loved it, very funny. Reminds me of times YEARS ago when I'd show up to a gig with a really large amp and someone would say, "You haven't turned it on yet... and you're already too loud!"

Speaking of.... Stickservations (ohhhh another invented word for me like MacRack... I always wanted to learn another language but was to lazy... so I guess I invent words to fill the void).

Anyway, I was doin' a session last week. This particular producer/percussionist wrote some of the music for the last "Matrix" (Mainly chase scenes) and so I knew I was in for some fun music. Anyway the call was for fretless bass mainly... but was asked to bring the NS as well. The session was very inventive in that I was asked to lay three bass tracks down (and not doubling them either)... and all were to be used at once Soooooo to leave room for myself to build and stack the parts. I loved the idea. So I break out the trusty Pedula fretless and started trackin' away... when the discovery hits me... I don't think in bass or Stick terms anymore but rather in techniques and sounds. Obviously they wanted the 'fretlessness' for sliding and 'bowang' vibrato sound but I found myself plucking the low string while while 'tapping' the octave above it at the same time. Then I'd tap and do pulloffs for that middle eastern flare of runs. Mind you it's a bit more effort to do on the bass, however it didn't matter, it's what I wanted to hear. I don't think in 'how a particular instrument is played' but more in terms of what I want it to say. That makes playin' such fun to me and brings back the joy I remember when I first played an instrument... It was ALL undiscovered territory... and I like to approach playing that way. When I ended up trackin' the NS... I ended up pluckin' the part because that's what that part 'had to say' AND it was Wonderful!

Now..... what would the Fretless NS sound like... Ohhhhh that's gooood, now that's REEEEALLLL Gooooood and I hope to get one like that one day.

Okay enough Stickservation for one night. Hey, I got a funny picture of me (at the 'ol www.donschiff.com/blog) "back in the day" with my Old pedal board and "Pete" the dog with a few funny tales of traveling with him on the road in my 1976 Amc Pacer. Yep, I was the guy that bought one of those.

Pete was a great dog, God bless his doggy little soul.

Take care,
Don