Ask HaVIC5

[HaVIC5]

Hey, HaVIC5 here, and I'm itching to write some new lessons about theory...or bass...or whatever. Trouble is, I can't think of anything good, and the theory thread never has any good questions anymore, so I figure I'd act upon my hubris and make a thread to get some questions. So fire away. :thumb:

[Wintermute]

Oh, theory guru... I'm painfully aware my theory knowledge is probably my weakest point at the moment. I've not really learned much new since CK's lesson on Modes, which I found hugely useful once I'd got it down.

What would you recommend as the next practical area of theory to study after modes?

[BenJammin]

How can I make my fingerstyle cleaner? I can play fast enough for my own satisfaction, but I find that when I start to speed it up, my playing gets pretty choppy, especially when hopping strings. Is this just an issue of start slow and work up the speed?

[Left Shoe]

adam if this takes off and you need some back up let me know, i can lend some help in the theory area and most playing areas except tapping and walking

How can I make my fingerstyle cleaner? I can play fast enough for my own satisfaction, but I find that when I start to speed it up, my playing gets pretty choppy, especially when hopping strings. Is this just an issue of start slow and work up the speed?


if you want a song to help with this check river people by weather report. and practice with a metronome and do some scales and string skipping, or still in the vein of jaco do your scales in 6ths, which should make you jump some strings

[pukeboy66]

How can I make my fingerstyle cleaner? I can play fast enough for my own satisfaction, but I find that when I start to speed it up, my playing gets pretty choppy, especially when hopping strings. Is this just an issue of start slow and work up the speed?

i have the same problem, i end up using mutes though to skip strings sometimes or to skip modes/scales.

[HaVIC5]

What would you recommend as the next practical area of theory to study after modes?

Well, it really depends. Theory, while a science, isn't very regimented in the order you learn certain concepts. How familiar are you with chord structure and tone function? I could write a pretty lengthy lesson on that if you want.

How can I make my fingerstyle cleaner? I can play fast enough for my own satisfaction, but I find that when I start to speed it up, my playing gets pretty choppy, especially when hopping strings. Is this just an issue of start slow and work up the speed?

Pretty much with any technical problem, in my experience, it's just a matter of taking a passage as slow as possible, and working up to speed with a metronome. It can take days of practice, even weeks, and it can be the most infuriating thing in the world, but there is absolutely no substitute. As far as muting goes, I always recommend developing left handed muting technique. With only two fingers being used on the right hand, it can be hard to mute all the vibrations, so keeping the left hand relatively flat against the fingerboard while fingering will help eliminate unwanted noise/sympathetic vibration.

[pukeboy66]

Well, it really depends. Theory, while a science, isn't very regimented in the order you learn certain concepts. How familiar are you with chord structure and tone function? I could write a pretty lengthy lesson on that if you want.



Pretty much with any technical problem, in my experience, it's just a matter of taking a passage as slow as possible, and working up to speed with a metronome. It can take days of practice, even weeks, and it can be the most infuriating thing in the world, but there is absolutely no substitute. As far as muting goes, I always recommend developing left handed muting technique. With only two fingers being used on the right hand, it can be hard to mute all the vibrations, so keeping the left hand relatively flat against the fingerboard while fingering will help eliminate unwanted noise/sympathetic vibration.

ive gotten so used to muting that it kind of muddys up my plaing, and i sound like im playing choppy funk while switching strings/chords/modes/whatever

[thelowsoundofbass]

Do another advanced tapping lesson, I have both down and I am looking for something else. Maybe about how to write while using tapping. Maybe do a tapping lesson using something other than a four string bass, such as a six string bass because a lot of the tappers on here have six string basses.

Lowsound

[HaVIC5]

I've been thinking about doing that, that's another possibility. I'm pretty tired now, but I'll start one in the morning.

[ebe9]

How about chording and tapping as a combined lesson?

[Akira]

You should do a general reading lesson. The trill thread showed that some people on here don't know a lot about the tempo and style markings and the like.

[SixnStones]

I've sort of accumulated bits and bobs of theory, but none of it is really that concise. If we assume I know no theory whatsoever (but know the major scale, and really simple stuff like that), what should I start with?

[Raiven]

Something regarding chord progressions.

Not walking per se, just how to tackle a chord progression in various genres.

[irishslappop]

teach me how to play scott joplin. now.

[7thdaybass]

yeah man i would like to see one on chord structure, not like the structure of a single chord, but how to put a series of chords together to achieve certain feelings and that

there are other things but not much point in knowing them until i know the basics of what i have already said

[British Kid]

i have a question for the theory guru....


why do you rock so hard? :D

[Misanthropic]

What effects/etc. are you using on 'Fantasia in D Minor' found on your soundclick?

[HaVIC5]

i have a question for the theory guru....


why do you rock so hard? :D
Because it is my job to do so.

What effects/etc. are you using on 'Fantasia in D Minor' found on your soundclick?

Compression, and that's about it.

I've sort of accumulated bits and bobs of theory, but none of it is really that concise. If we assume I know no theory whatsoever (but know the major scale, and really simple stuff like that), what should I start with?

Go through both www.teoria.net and www.musictheory.net, is my recommendation for the theory newbs. Both are great websites, and will give you a good grasp on basic classical theory, which is needed to understand any jazz theory.

You should do a general reading lesson. The trill thread showed that some people on here don't know a lot about the tempo and style markings and the like.

That's a good idea. Theres a lot of things I got out of taking piano for granted, and many people are in the dark. I might do that one after I finish here with this 6-string bass tapping lesson that I've been working on today. It should be up by this evening.

[Rasta Rocker]

what kind of alcohol do you use to 'renew' your strings?
how long do you leave them in the tube?

[Mr_Soup]

yeah man i would like to see one on chord structure, not like the structure of a single chord, but how to put a series of chords together to achieve certain feelings and that


This one could be interesting.

[British Kid]

what kind of alcohol do you use to 'renew' your strings?
how long do you leave them in the tube?
denatured alcohol.

vodka might work though.... :lol: or not.....

[HaVIC5]

Denatured alcohol in its pure form is hazerdous material. Use rubbing alcohol, like isopropyl alcohol. Vodka would actually work, but it's alcohol content is 20% less than rubbing alcohol, so it wouldn't work nearly as well. Overproof 151 rum is probably the best consumable alcohol you could use.

[EADG]

Denatured alcohol in its pure form is hazerdous material. Use rubbing alcohol, like isopropyl alcohol. Vodka would actually work, but it's alcohol content is 20% less than rubbing alcohol, so it wouldn't work nearly as well. Overproof 151 rum is probably the best consumable alcohol you could use.


You can clean your strings with Bacardi 151?

[Left Shoe]

thats a waste of bacardi 151 though

[HaVIC5]

You can clean your strings with Bacardi 151?
Yup. But, yeah, why would you want to? Rubbing alcohol has the same alcohol context, is a lot cheaper, and doesn't taste good (will kill you actually), as opposed to Bacardi.

I created a lesson based upon lowsound's request, found here (http://www.sputnikmusic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488882). I'll get started on some of the others tommorow.

[EADG]

Yup. But, yeah, why would you want to? Rubbing alcohol has the same alcohol context, is a lot cheaper, and doesn't taste good (will kill you actually), as opposed to Bacardi.





I don't know.. Bacardi 151 could kill you. I don't know a single person my age who didn't puke their guts out the first (and usually only) time they drank it.

[British Kid]

Denatured alcohol in its pure form is hazerdous material.

*gulp*

/is worried about getting cancer now

what do i face as problems?

[HaVIC5]

I don't know.. Bacardi 151 could kill you. I don't know a single person my age who didn't puke their guts out the first (and usually only) time they drank it.
Bacardi 151 and Isopropyl alcohol are two entirely different kinds of alcohol. Consumable alcohol contains ethanol - one of the most basic alcohol molecules. It's the one that the body can break down and process the easiest, whereas rubbing alcohols like isopropyl alcohol and methyl alcohol are very poorly processed and broken down by the body. Liver enzymes will break down ethanol over time, but methyl and isopropyl alcohols will remain in the bloodstream for a long, long time, which will kill you if ingested in any large amount. Granted, ethanol can kill you, but it will take a lot more of it.

*gulp*

/is worried about getting cancer now

what do i face as problems?

Actually, I get confused with denatured alcohol and 100% ethanol. Both are hazerdous, denatured alcohol less so. The problems you face basically are just burning of the skin, I doubt cancer can be caused by handling it. DONT ingest denatured alcohol, though. It's very poisonous, moreso than rubbing alcohol.

[British Kid]

Bacardi 151 and Isopropyl alcohol are two entirely different kinds of alcohol. Consumable alcohol contains ethanol - one of the most basic alcohol molecules. It's the one that the body can break down and process the easiest, whereas rubbing alcohols like isopropyl alcohol and methyl alcohol are very poorly processed and broken down by the body. Liver enzymes will break down ethanol over time, but methyl and isopropyl alcohols will remain in the bloodstream for a long, long time, which will kill you if ingested in any large amount. Granted, ethanol can kill you, but it will take a lot more of it.



Actually, I get confused with denatured alcohol and 100% ethanol. Both are hazerdous, denatured alcohol less so. The problems you face basically are just burning of the skin, I doubt cancer can be caused by handling it. DONT ingest denatured alcohol, though. It's very poisonous, moreso than rubbing alcohol.
well, duh. i'm not going to drink it. i only handle it occasionally, and even then, all i do is get my fingers slightly in it and i wash my hands right afterward.

thanks for the relief

[Akira]

Bacardi 151 and Isopropyl alcohol are two entirely different kinds of alcohol. Consumable alcohol contains ethanol - one of the most basic alcohol molecules. It's the one that the body can break down and process the easiest, whereas rubbing alcohols like isopropyl alcohol and methyl alcohol are very poorly processed and broken down by the body. Liver enzymes will break down ethanol over time, but methyl and isopropyl alcohols will remain in the bloodstream for a long, long time, which will kill you if ingested in any large amount. Granted, ethanol can kill you, but it will take a lot more of it.



Actually, I get confused with denatured alcohol and 100% ethanol. Both are hazerdous, denatured alcohol less so. The problems you face basically are just burning of the skin, I doubt cancer can be caused by handling it. DONT ingest denatured alcohol, though. It's very poisonous, moreso than rubbing alcohol.
Yeah, any alcohol besides ethanol is not good to work with. Don't worry about cancer. If you swallow it and don't die, you will probably go blind though.