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I'm 67 years of age and have been playing bass since I was 14. I've played in numerous bands, weddings, family reunions, bars summer festivals etc. I have never used any pedals. I play an old beat up 4 string bass, bass amp, cords, tuner and my hands. Watchung this video made me feel like I was in a time warp. Everything is so advanced these days. I think I'll just stick to the BASSics lol!!
I agree. I’m a gigging drummer and a lot of the videos I watch, to me, are focused on practicing rather than getting out playing. Nothing wrong with practice but you’ll learn way more jamming with other humans. Just my take.
yup, I'm 66 been playing since I was 14: old fender 4 bass w/ a good amp and the other needed gig stuff in a gym bag...1000's of gigs live and studio both good and bad ;-) oh yea and I bring a stool now in case my back hurts ;-)
I got a chuckle out of these old-school guys like me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had and utilized every wacky pedal or rack effect you can imagine. A thousand shows, rehearsals or gigs, a million stories. But always liked that I could show up with just a bass and a wire, plug in and watch everyone twiddle knobs, bonk on drums and tighten hardware while I was good to go. I conveniently left out that part about carrying the fridge amp all over creation, it didn’t get there by itself.
Thanks for talking about the poly sustain in the Helix! I have an HX effects and was still thinking about getting a ehx freeze from one of your previous videos :)
One more usage of a smartphone for me is to record melodies with my voice at the moment that I got them. Then you can go back and try to play them and evolve them. I do it at work, at the toilet, on my bike, even in the street even if I look a little bit crazy mumbling and whistling in my phone, but it looks like you are singing to someone that you call... Nice video great advice and for the "freeze" pedal there are two more options for sure. The Tc electronic - infinite sample sustainer and the Gamechanger Audio - Plus pedal.
Hey Janek, you already inspired me to use a looper pedal many years ago. I think from listening to your podcasts back in 2010 - 2011 maybe? Anyway, it's been really useful to me over the years.
A HX stomp is completely worth the money. It has all the pedals I dreamed of having and let’s you experiment with almost every pedal. The possibilities are endless. Another killer video from one of my favorite bass players
yeah I got mine at the start of the pandemic like many. culled the herd, stepped into modeling, and now I'm building out based on what I've learned within the Helix ecosystem with individual stomp boxes with the goal being to take the Stomp off the main board and have a second "modeling board" that's basically just the Stomp and controllers for it, and then have my "proper rig"
I would also say that the HX effects would be a great option, more FX blocks, parallel chains and you can always load in IRs if you want cab sim. plus it has more footswitches.
I'm an amateur bass player at best. I've never played with other musicians (yet) and with little to no theory knowledge (i'm trying to change that with an SBL membership). I have a ditto+ pedal which i got to record bassline ideas. I never thought about using it as a practice tool. Definitely something i''ll be trying going forwards.
Damn, try and link up with some musician friends and jam! It's one of the best ways to understanding live tone, where to sit in a mix etc, not to mention keeping up with your technique of course.
This was great, these are all useful items not just for bass players but for any musicians. These days I look at certain bass podcast and everything is a must have or a secret to playing better or they are trying to get you to upgrade to expensive instruments or they have huge giveaways. Your podcast was level headed without all the superficial crap.
Glad you're enjoying! I'm always happy to get to the point as fast as possible and give people more time to use the information rather than spend all their time consuming it. That's definitely the goal with this channel moving forwards, and I appreciate you leaving some positive feedback.
"Just try one" great advice in many areas. We're overwhelmed with advice, products and behaviors in so many areas of interest. An experience of benefit from reducing all the information and suggestions out there, motivates taking another step and applied more often, is a way to quiet the din and develope the basics. 😏
On that dictaphone: Back in 1990 I was "recording" an ever growing number of my own songs. Inputting the notes in my music software (MIDI only) by mouse, playing the songs back and recording them onto hi-fi VHS tape, then often copying the recordings to compact cassettes for more versatile listening. I would arrange the songs into a playlist of sets. I observed that I would sometimes like to skip a certain song while listening. "Asking myself why" has proven to be maybe the most valuable lesson from that time. The issue was often related to matters of attack (in MIDI: velocity) and phrasing. (Note that I'm not a "real" bass player, although Bass would be one of two favorite instruments if I should play in a band once again.)
Hey Janet, Thanks for all these videos! I'm returning to my first love of bass after a 30 year hiatus in advertising. I've gotten picked up by a 70's/80's R&B R&B/Funk band. Would the HX stomp cover the synth sounds I would need? Thx!
I use my looper as a recording/playback device, since it's so instantaneous. However, mine *really* hates me -- it keeps showing me the mistakes I didn't hear! :-) Cheers for a great video.
Being a long time guitar player, I gravitated to a Line 6 Helix 7 years ago. So last year I started playing bass in a new band, and discoverd it is an amazing tool for that too. Saved me a ton of money, I run direct out to the house and the same small monitor I use for guitar, at my feet. A used $400 MiM Fender J Bass so far is my only cost. Btw, converting to bass (or becoming a bassist) is more difficult than I thought it would be, but huge fun, lol!
Save those ankle joints! One thing I didn't mention in the video, and I should probably do a whole video on it, is that although it's better than screwing up your ankles, it's still not ideal. You do end up getting your hips slightly out of alignment. A big part of my fitness regime is hip mobility exercises, so definitely do some research into what works for you in that department to avoid injury.
Fantastic video as always! I've been watching since the daily vlog days- first time comment in a long time. Any chance of a video on that gorgeous fbass?
Also asking questions and doing polls can be good way to get engagement and learn what you subbers are like. What time do you like to practise? Etc etc... Have a look at fitness faq's channel and his polls /questions. He is all over it.
Yep, I use my mobile to record practice sessions and ideas. What's the differen e between Freeze and Ditto? Can't you play numerous chords on the Freeze?
Dear Janek; thanks a lot for sharing this equipment. I first time realized that there is a ditto version which can be stopped with a single click. This is something that I realize very crucial. I have a question, probably far away from where you are now, but still your answer will be much appreciated: in a live improvisation situation, if you happened to play couple of really "wrong" notes/phrases, what should be the mental approach to continue? thanks a lot once again....
There are a couple of things that come to mind in terms of the approach to your daily process that will help mitigate the effects of "mistakes" on a live show. 1. When we practice hard, it makes gigging easy. That's obviously a bit of a vague statement, but the sentiment is that when you put in so many hours with the instrument, challenging yourself and pushing yourself as hard as you can in your practice sessions, things have the potential to flow way better on a gig because you have such a strong foundation of confidence in the connection of your ear to your instrument. 2. You should welcome the mistakes. "Mistakes" are very often incorrectly categorized. There is the example of you literally playing a D when a Db is required, and I mean really required. Being in a situation where you are perhaps reading music and there is a very specific arrangement or song form that you have been hired to follow. Then there are the "mistakes" that occur when you're in a flow-state of playing, perhaps improvising either bass lines or solos, and you stumble into something you weren't technically prepared for. Your curiosity led you to a place that you haven't been before, and you didn't have any kind of road map or framework to successfully execute the idea in that moment. Don't get hung up on #2, welcome that situation. It means you're making progress, and the "mistake" simply gives you a brief kick in the ass to remind you what your next practice session is going to look like. For #1, this is also good information. It might suck in the moment when you make a big boo boo and everyone hears you, and depending on the artist or band leader, it might even get you fired. But as much as you might hate the feeling in the moment, it tells you exactly what you need to work on to avoid doing it again. Don't forget that that is often not a technical element in your playing, but perhaps a mental one. There are so many more factors to be aware of when you're in a live situation compared to the luxury of solitude and calm when you practice. Only experience will help you build up the tool kit necessary to deal with the ever-changing list of scenarios you will find yourself in as a live performing musician. No one is perfect, there are just varying degrees of operational awareness depending on your experience level. After 30 years, you're going to to be better than after 3. There's no rush, only a necessity for increased awareness in your process.
@@janekgwizdala dear Janek, I deeply appreciate this very detailed and very encouraging answer; I now am further motivated to remember rather than trying to forget some instances of embarrassment. Thank you very much once again for being so friendly to spend time for such an elaborate reply....
Always love your videos and even as playing pro for 30 years, I pick up a concept or idea that I can fit in! The only downside, as being a bassist for 30 years, your voice ironically is in a register that just turns to mush and I can make out only a few words or less per sentence. 😮 Risk of the job!
Hello Janek, just bought your 4 bu'dle Books ( warm UP,, Pentatonic, 2/5/1 and practice to Performances) In your opinion with which of these i have to start? I'm between beginner and intermediate bass players Best regards
I highly recommend starting with the ii-V-I book as that has some great exercises for understanding chord tones, learning the neck, and being able to apply something to a very common set of chord changes right away. And the warm-up book is of course a good thing to pick an exercise each week and use it for 10+ minutes each day to get your muscles warm and ready for work. Good luck!
@@janekgwizdala hello there thanks for this answer. I have some.issues ton connect on your website with your link in your Books. Ils that normal? Does he Stille exist? Best regards
Tough call to make...! The ability to do up to 8 different things in one preset on the Stomp is really hard to beat. Yet I'm literally building a new board today that has both an H9 and a Stomp on it cos I love the Verbs in the H9 so much... I guess it all depends on the goal and how much space you have to accommodate all the things you love the sound of. A never ending saga of compromise unfortunately.
@@janekgwizdala Thank you Janek! I kinda figured, the H9 still has some stuff that the stomp doesn't huh? Space and weight is super important as it's for my live setup and I'm already traveling with 50+ kilos. Remind me why I'm playing the double bass again? 🧐
That's why I said exactly that at 0:51 in the video... but you can't really be a bass player without those basic things, so I had to make the assumption that any who was already a bass player already had the very basics.
It used to be one of the greatest TV shows of all time before Jeremy, Richard, and James left. it would be fun to have a show like that that was music or even bass related. Quite a niché, but fun none the less.
As am essential piece of gear for your daily practice routine? Absolutely not. I would definitely add a compressor and preamp to an essential list of gear for more general use, but this video definitely focuses more on the day-to-day of working on music.
I've never felt a connection to that many strings when I've tried them. I don't think my hands are big enough, and there are way more muting issues when you have 6 strings. I chose to play with a high C string, put a hip shot de-tuner on my low E, and have the best of both worlds.
@@janekgwizdala I can see that. Regarding your post about getting more followers/members etc... I have watched Adam Neely's videos. They are quite entertaining, he's kinda got this strange informative take on music that at first glance is kind of neat. But, there is no meat when it comes to being a better bass player/musician. A lot of carbohydrates.... CharlesBerthhound seems to be in the stratosphere when it comes to followers. It cirque bass soleil which I feel is completely useless. Nothing against them doing their thing. I like you and Rufus!!
@@brianallen5460 The last thing I want to do is pigeon hole myself into a lane that I can't get out of just to gain subscribers. I don't think that's what Neely did, but whenever I've seen some other RU-vidrs you mentioned, I see attention-only content with zero substance. Adam's thing is a very researched video essay on whichever topic he's talking about, and I think he's always done that. That in and of itself is very genuine to me, and deserves a lot of respect. If you go and see him live, I'm guessing you're going to get exactly who he is on RU-vid which is admirable in my opinion. He doesn't pretend to be something he's not. And that's what I've always done. I'm not going to suddenly start making two-handed tapping videos and dressing like a traffic cone just for the sake of a number in a box below my video. My only goal is to reach a bigger audience that is genuinely interested in what I do and the music I make, in order to be out in the world touring with my band and playing music for you.
@@janekgwizdala Exactly what I was trying to say, you are obviously much more articulate than me. I do think that's why you will have a loyal following. I'll keep clicking!!
Right after the bass and strap, the (portable) amp and cable: -load your phone with apps. Tuner, recorder, metronome, Discord acc for the band, RU-vid downloader, pitch shifter for backing tracks... You name it -good carry case/backpack for the bass -foldable bass stand -clip on lamp to read the music in low light conditions -music paper -looper pedal The stuff you mention is way down on the list. Stand up when you train and play; for consistency.
Actually, when you want to learn music, almost all of the things on your list (after the basics of bass, amp, cable) are only distractions. You don't need a discord account to be a better bass player. You're never going to leave the house for a gig that requires you read music if you don't learn to do that first. Unfortunately, reading is not one of the things that you can learn on the gig, so a clip on lamp is a very distant priority for someone who is already working. You also actually have 3 of the things in your list that are in my top 5. Some sort of music paper to start learning notation and making notes, a recording device to track your progress, and a loop pedal, but you prioritized them as though you're already a working musician. I clearly stated that these were valuable practice tools for all levels of player in the video. This video wasn't made solely for pros who have lots of gigs, who can already read, and who are already in a band. The first thing you have on your list concerns your phone, and that's actually the biggest distraction to any musician. I highly recommend, besides the recorder perhaps (although I think it's way more disciplined to use something analogue as I demonstrated in the video), your phone should be your absolute last priority.
@@janekgwizdala Well good luck for going to any music lesson/jam/rehearsal with your full suitcase of stuff... I learned to read music at public school. That was before music school. Multi effects pedals for beginners? We dont have the same views about good tools and distractions thats all!
IF you DO have the budget. All these YT videos seem like all those dudes/dudettes in college in the 90s, the ones that always had every tech, every toy, every transportation type, every bootleg of Phish, every DMB bootleg, and would always make sure to show you what they acquired.
That's a tough argument to make... I've been playing for 30 years and have literally never used a winder, fretboard cleaner, or string cleaner. Maybe that's just me? but I would say they probably aren't "essential". Just my take on it.
Because I grew up with a father who played classical guitar, a Wittner Taktell Piccolo metronome and a footstool with classical instrument positioning have always been part of my life. And if you've never tried a footstool, the first time you do, you'll immediately understand why classical players use them. I will add one more essential accessory for anyone who plays guitar or bass guitar, or really any stringed instrument: a small Swiss Army knife with scissors and nail file. Nail and fingertip care is critical for any musician who plucks or frets/stops strings with their fingers.
Super great point about the fingernail care!! I have quite the kit with me at all times, and I now wish I'd added that as a bonus item in the video. It was a sad day when I finally cut off all the fingernails on my right hand to transition from classical guitar to bass, and I still take care of them like I was shedding Villa Lobos every day.
There are of course many options to suit all budgets. Multi FX is something I recommend in this video several times and for several reasons, and I'm a firm believer that it can be a fantastic start to a journey in pedals for all players.
@@janekgwizdala I know bahahaha. Good video though it was really informative. I would love it if you turned your bass up a little bit compared to your voice. (I'm going to check out some of that gear right now)
If you’re “dicking around” you’re not practicing. You’re dicking around. Very important to make the distinction between the two if you don’t want to be disappointed with the results of spending time with your instrument.
That’s absolutely not true at all. No one “should” do anything. Granted, if you play nothing but chords, your local bar band might not hire you to play bass on Mustang Sally every Saturday night, but that doesn’t mean chords aren’t a major part of music vocabulary that be executed to great effect on the bass. The most important aspect of any kind of music is to simply have an open mind.
