Bass Guitarist

What artists did you idolize as a child?

Asked by somanyroads1 almost 13 years ago

Some of my biggest influences when I started playing music more seriously in high school were not rock stars on the radio, but rather local musicians in my hometown of Harrisburg, PA. I would go out to clubs with my friends and see these bands up close who were playing shows to packed houses and having the time of their lives. I eventually got to know a lot of these musicians (who were 10+ years older than me) and they became like mentors to me. It was so much more tangible than idolizing a rock star that one might see in a big stadium, though I did have one of those moments when seeing the band, Phish, in 1996. They were playing a small arena in Lake Placid, NY, and when I entered the venue and found my seats, I was annoyed to realize that my seats were behind the stage. My annoyance quickly turned to awe once the show started, because although my viewpoint was of the back of all the musicians that I had paid to see, it was a direct front view of the entire audience. I watched the show and imagined myself being on that stage playing for those people, and that was the point when I decided I wanted to do that for a living.

What instruments did you learn how to play growing up, and how did you settle on bass guitar?

Asked by booyah almost 13 years ago

I started on classical piano at age 6 at the “suggestion” of my parents and stuck with it for about 9 years. Toward the end of my piano studies, I started dabbling in other instruments, taking brief stints of lessons for viola and harp, the latter of which was an embarrassment insisted upon by my mother that I kept a secret from all my friends. When I got into high school and started discovering new musical tastes, which gravitated toward old classic rock and bands like Phish and The Grateful Dead, I found guitar to be the most relevant instrument and stopped taking piano lessons entirely. I took some formal guitar lessons, but mostly learned by playing along with tapes or with my friends, finally discovering music as a creative outlet rather than rote exercises like my piano lessons. After a few years of playing guitar, and getting quite good at it, a friend lent me a bass guitar and I was instantly intrigued. I loved playing music, but I was shy and never sought out the spotlight. I quickly discovered that bass guitar was a completely essential and directive instrument within a band, but had none of the pressure and spotlight that comes with being a lead guitar player. Not to mention, bass players are far rarer than guitar players, so after just a few months of getting the bass guitar under my fingers, I was immediately recruited for several bands and gave up the guitar entirely. I had found my calling!

As an artist, what's your take on peer-to-peer music sharing?

Asked by tiona12 almost 13 years ago

As an artist at my level, I’m all about the sharing. That’s the best way to spread your music around if you don’t have a record company doing it for you. Of course I would ideally prefer if everyone who had an album of mine actually paid for it, since the album cost a lot of time, effort and money to make, but more important is that they have it, listen to it, like it, and introduce it to a friend.

Has a significant other of one of your bandmates ever created any drama within the band? (insert Yoko Ono joke here.)

Asked by ringo almost 13 years ago

Ha, it would certainly be more interesting if we had some juicy stories about significant-other drama, but things are pretty tame in my band. No Yoko moments here.

Have you ever faced a decision about selling out by compromising artistic integrity for more money / exposure?

Asked by dahnyel almost 13 years ago

Sure, and we’ll usually opt to “sell out” because principles don’t pay the bills! I’m not talking about doing an endorsement for adult diapers or something shameful like that, but we have been known to take a “corporate” gig here or there whose paycheck grossly outweighs its artistic value (or lack thereof).

Do you ever tune to 441 just to mess with Adam?

Asked by BigRiverMusic almost 13 years ago

Ha, I haven't, but thanks for the great idea!

What's been the biggest rift among your bandmates, or have things always been harmonious?

Asked by coneorange almost 13 years ago

We have little tiffs all the time, and after 10 years of playing together, we’ve learned the ropes of how to compromise and pick battles. The times we’ve typically argued the most is when working on a studio album. The stakes are high because the end product is permanent and so much time and effort goes into it. We’ll argue over things like how a song will be arranged, how a guitar solo will sound, what order the songs will be in on the album, etc.

Do you map out a show's setlist prior to going on stage, or will you change things around on the fly?

Asked by kind240 almost 13 years ago

We’ll always map out a setlist, taking into consideration things like songs fans have requested for that show, what we played the last time we were in that town/venue, and having a nice ebb and flow to the set. Nothing is completely set in stone, however, so it’s not uncommon to change things up in the middle of the set.

As the creator of one the fattest tones in funk, I think many of us gearheads would be interested in a run down of your signal chain. Follow up question: Does Gatorade play a part in said signal chain?

Asked by BigRiverMusic almost 13 years ago

I'm pretty sure my tone is all luck. My signal chain couldn't be more minimalist. I plug my Musicman bass directly into an Ampeg SVT4-Pro head and BSE-HLF 4x10 cabinet. No pedals, no fuss, and I keep the EQ pretty flat. Lemon-lime Gatorade adds an extra boost!

It seems like most guitar players are men -- why do you think that is?

Asked by DaBEARS almost 13 years ago

This is very true, and I come across this all the time when performing at shows or festivals where there are other bands on the bill. With few exceptions, I find that I am the only woman amongst the musicians. I am sometimes assumed to be just a band member’s girlfriend who happens to be tagging along! I think guitars and rock-and-roll is generally perceived as a more masculine area of expertise so less women venture into it out of convention. I actually don’t mind the male-dominated aspect at all, because I feel that it gives me a little edge and a way to stand out.

What's been the highlight of your musical career to date?

Asked by SQUIRREL almost 13 years ago

It’s hard to pick just one! Some of my most memorable musical moments have been when I’ve had the privilege of performing with famous musicians that I’ve grown up listening to and admiring, then years later surreally finding myself on stage collaborating with them!

Do you ever feel a little *too* out of the spotlight as the bass player? Seems like all the glory goes to the leader singers and guitarists.

Asked by Redbeezy almost 13 years ago

Actually, one of the reasons I was particularly drawn to the bass was because it was slightly out of the spotlight. I had previously played guitar and would always get nervous when I had to take a solo. When I discovered the bass, I remember thinking to myself, "It's like one big solo, but no one's looking at me!" Despite it being out of the spotlight, the bass actually has some of the strongest control musically in the band. As a control freak who's shy, I kinda like that.

Have you ever just "blanked" during a performance and forgot how to play a particular song? What do you do in that scenario?

Asked by oops almost 13 years ago

Fortunately for me, I have a very good memory and pretty start focus while performing. That's not to say I don't ever slip up, though! If I do start to blank, my best resort is to just NOT think about it, and let my muscle memory take over. Usually my fingers know what to do.

How good are you at Guitar Hero?

Asked by fretfire almost 13 years ago

I’ve only played it once, actually, and I wasn’t very good! I didn’t find it to be much like a real guitar at all!

You guys do some amazing covers (the entire Big Lebowski soundtrack!!) Have you ever considered covering Ace of Spades by Motorhead? With Janis doing lead vocals of course!

Asked by Jay Toncray almost 13 years ago

We do a variety of styles of covers, as you know, so I wouldn't rule out a tune like Ace of Spades, even though it's a "slight" departure from normal FGC material. However, in the rare cases that I take lead vocals on a song, the song usually has some meaning to me, otherwise I don't feel as confident about pulling it off. I will start listening to the song on repeat and see what I can do! :)

How often do you get recognized "on the street" / outside of gigs?

Asked by dontforgetyourlifejacket almost 13 years ago

I don’t typically get recognized out in the “real world,” like at the grocery store or a bank or whatever, but if I attend a concert or music festival around town, it’s not uncommon to get flagged down and asked for a photo or autograph. It’s pretty cool!

Of your 800+ shows, does one stand above the rest for you and why?

Asked by Barler almost 13 years ago

It's hard to pick just one, but every year since 2004, we've played a festival in Illinois called Summer Camp Music Festival, and our sets here have always been the highlight of my year. Each year, we've moved up to bigger stages and played in front of bigger crowds, and we get to see our entire Midwest fanbase all in one spot.

How long had your band been performing before you were able to earn enough to quit your day jobs?

Asked by Jonah almost 13 years ago

The band has never been completely "full-time," so over the years, we've all kept busy with projects outside the band. I actually prefer the variety of it!

What's the craziest story you've got from life on the road?

Asked by documentarius almost 13 years ago

My band is sort of lame in the sense that we don’t do too much partying while we’re out on the road. It’s a lot of hard work to drive several hours, set up, play a show, tear down, then repeat, so usually we’ll opt for a good night’s sleep rather than trash a hotel room or drunkenly throw a TV out the window. Probably one of our most intense moments on the road was during a February 2004 tour through the Northeastern US, where our van and trailer did a 180 on the interstate in some freezing rain and ended up stuck in the snow in the grassy median (luckily, no people or gear were injured!).

Do you see yourself playing Bass in Family Groove Company 25 years from now?

Asked by Jay Toncray almost 13 years ago

That's a good question! I'd like to think that we can keep going for another 25 years. My bandmates are some of my best friends in the world, I love the music, and I adore the fans. Let's keep it going!

There’s a song I can’t find tabs for and I want to play it for my gfs birthday in a few months any help?

Asked by e_nelson56 over 4 years ago

Hi, the triplet run in the start of Same Old Song and Dance....is there a fast fingering for this....only been playing a year and want the best fingerings
Thanks
Jeff

Asked by Jeff Landrum over 5 years ago

How tall do you need to be to play bass?

Asked by Joanne over 4 years ago

What advise would you give a person who wants to learn to play the guitar?

Asked by candace about 8 years ago

My fiance wants to create his own band, but it seems like he isnt trying to hard. His goal is to go to a music school. Is there anything he can do to prepare himself or just help him along the way? He wants to be sort of like Avenged Sevenfold.

Asked by Alura about 11 years ago

I prefer my bass strings light tensioned while tuned e-a-d-g on my Jazz precision bass, what can I do, please?

Asked by JIM about 3 years ago

My problem is I own Yamaha TRBX305 its an ok active bass but I always seem to have a problem from battery dying to tuning.So I would like to get a Steinberger. Are they Active or Passive? Do they always stay in tune ? Is it better than the Yamaha?

Asked by Dreadly over 4 years ago

Can you give an idea of how much your band brings in each year, in both touring and sales?

Asked by Jonah almost 13 years ago

Where's Ronny Brummerstedt?

Asked by BigRiverMusic almost 13 years ago

I have been playing bass for 1.5 years and normally like to use the high register of the bass because i like the timbre you get from the higher bass notes and now my 4 string feels inadequate. Should I get a 6 string and what strings?Rounds of flats?

Asked by Raunaq Bedi over 6 years ago

I myself am a bassist. I’m apart of a metal band and I have a question about playing to bpm. The guitarist has a song at 185 bpm. That tires both his arms and mine. I was wondering if I have to play to every beat or could I play like every other beat

Asked by Ivan Jones over 4 years ago

How the hell are you 0 and already playing the guitar Not only are you able to also talk but anwser questions???

Asked by Cupcake over 4 years ago