Global Bass Online January 2001
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Editor's Note: This is the last in a series of six articles written by Dann for Global Bass. In his always unforgettable style, Dann leaves us with thought provoking opinions, some basic home truths, his acerbic wit, and with our cages thoroughly 'rattled'.
Illuminating Disclosures
By Dann Glenn
2001~A
Bass Oddity
Well, here we are. Now we're in the
"real" new millennium. The piano just celebrated it's 300th
birthday. Our wonderful instrument of choice is little more
than 60 if you're an electric bassist.
Before you start to see it as a youngster in comparison to the
piano, please bare in mind that
our illustrious and beloved acoustic upright bass is even
older. We have serious roots.
In it's relatively short life, the electric bass guitar has come a considerably long way. It's suffered a minor identity crisis from time to time, but never anything that wasn't within the normal parameters of growth.
After the lava has cooled and solidified from a
new instrument erupting into the music realm,
the original bastion of heroes that helped shape and define
it's voice can never be repeated.
This is why there are periods of time when it seems the
instrument may be wandering or even in temporary decline, waiting for the next
messianic voice to carry it to a new plateau.
This is of course only a knee jerk reaction to the most
formidable efforts of those that forged the way in the formative decades after
it's genesis. My mentor was Monk Montgomery, the first cat to record on a jazz
record with the electric bass. He was an amazing study in what a person can do
if they put their mind to it. He told me he was inspired by the success of his
brothers Wes and Buddy, not to mention tired of working in the factories of
Indiana.
This man didn't even begin playing or practicing the bass until
he was 30. When he
took a "Fender" bass to a gig and people rolled their
eyes in disbelief, he didn't put it back in the case and break out his
upright...he stuck to his guns. Thank you Monk. On behalf of the bass
nation...we thank you.
Those that followed did what they had to do in terms of
exploring and giving the instrument credibility in the eyes of the world and
for our own peace of mind.
Once it hit the Stanley Clarke, Jeff Berlin, and of course the
Jaco Pastorius phase, the electric
bass guitar had been ordained, to preach it's subharmonic
message forever more.
In spite of the fact that there are and always will be players
that boggle the mind with their
technical prowess, the simple fact still remains that if we
players do not find a way to tell our stories with an original voice, we will
soon fade away into the abyss.
You won't see the Constitution being re-written, nor is the
launch and landing of the space shuttle carefully monitored by throngs of
astonished onlookers any more. Business as usual.
If the Constitution is violated or if a shuttle crashes then
the attention is brought sharply back into focus. But only until the smoke
clears. This is just human nature.
Our instrument has now turned that corner.
Reached that point of no return. Now we are in
a wonderful neo period where one finds the semblance of an
actual history to learn from,
cling to, and motivate ourselves with.
This is why I can only laugh every time I read about the hot
player du jour' being referred to
as the next "Jaco" or the next "Stanley."
Not only is this impossible, it's counter productive and I find it insulting.
Not just to Mr. Clarke and Mr. Pastorius, but to the player it's being hung
on.
There never again will be a need for the invaluable
contribution of the aforementioned.
That's why they did it in the first place. Test pilots are
always the cream of the crop.
Now players can feel good about venturing off into new and
exciting directions in playing the bass without feeling as if they must light
it on fire and pull it out of their ass to get people's
attention or approval. Point of reference is one thing, but
insisting on besting the founding fathers is to play Russian roulette with six
rounds in the chamber. Spin it all you want, no
matter where it stops...you're dead.
Sometimes I look in on bass chat rooms to see what the kids are
up to. It's a cool feeling to see young cats spreading their wings and
exploring their first years of bassmanship.
Having said this nothing makes me more nauseous than seeing
posts like "Need Tab for Teen Town" or other variations of diametric
insanity. Tablature is a false language. It doesn't exist.
Why bother learning how to grunt, torch your farts, and beat on
your chest, when you could simply learn how to read music? What a waste of
time.
My opinions on not using a pick to wank on a bass guitar have
caused a controversy in
the bass realm. I happen to believe that a players sound comes
from the marriage of their hands and their strings. That happens to be
"just my opinion." I have no problem with people
having an opposing opinion on this topic. None whatsoever.
Refer to it as "an artistic choice" or a religion if you so choose.
When it comes to Tab I must say that I cannot and will not be
as subjective. It's one of the most worthless and stupid things I have ever
seen. Were I to walk up to an 18 year old
with a face full of metal piercing smoking a cigarette and say
"you can always yank those
ornaments off of your face, but that smoke is blackening your
lungs and giving you cancer";
they really wouldn't be able to give me much of a serious
argument.
If I tell young players that Tab is giving them a permanent
brain wedgy, they will scoff at
me as if I'm out of step with the times and go along their
merry way. As far as I'm concerned
Tab is to music notation what smoking is to your lungs. Cancer.
I hate to say this but I would rather see players not learn to
read at all rather than involve themselves with the backwards world of
Tablature. Learn to read music. It's fun, and should
you find yourself actually playing bass for a living it's a
must.
Can you imagine showing up at a gig and the music stands are
all filled with page after page of Tab? It looks like a road map for people
with a two digit IQ. Don't insult your own intelligence trying to convince
yourself that this is "an option" to reading notation. I'm serious
about this.
Who ever came up with Tab must have also invented the "Pet
Rock." In this new century and millennium let's strive for raising
the standards so those that follow will have a good foot hold on the future
that we've left for them.
Happy New Year lowenders.
Dann Glenn
The "Mad Professor of Bass" can be reached at: all rights reserved After six thought provoking and oft times controversial articles for Global Bass, Dann Glenn is retiring his monthly Illuminating Disclosures article. We at Global Bass would like to thank him for his contribution to this venture. In no small way have the number of readers of this magazine grown due to the input he has given us so freely. buddy
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