This Just dropped In!

A piece of notepad paper just fell from by book this afternoon.  It was dated  7/21/08.  Almost three years ago to date (today is 7/16/11), I must have been facing something and asked my inner self a question.  On the paper was the question and the answer/insight which came to me.  I’m not recalling what life circumstance I was facing at that time, but today it certainly serves a purpose in directing my thoughts as I sit reflecting on my next steps on this musical journey I’m on.  Here it is:

Are you letting go and letting God?

Letting God to me is an ego statement, for we don’t have a choice but to let God, for God is always and the only thing doing anything…now, letting go is our choice and then we get to experience the “letting” of God by our ability to choose to let go with ease or sometimes by experiencing pain.

Today, 7/16/11, I am choosing ease!

sueh

JAM SESSION BREAKTHROUGH

I must begin this blog by giving props to good friend and guitarist Jason Buck for hosting Sunday Skool at the Sea Palace Studios, a weekly jam session where musicians drop in and express freely.  For the record, this is where for weeks, I would trance dance and intentionally hold the space for cosmic elevation along with the musicians in the sound room with music blaring from the the live amplifiers and cabinets.  Where I know my cellular memory was activated and I awoke from the dream and claimed my right to learn and play music with an instrument.

This past Sunday a breakthrough occurred for me musically. SUEHPRO appeared in the form of (BIG props)Chris Hannah, a Facebook friend, fellow musician and the guitarist in the band Jeremy Buck and the Bang.  It went down like this…I jumped into my turn to play, opening a set with my main man and vocalist A Gees Life, with Chris on guitar.  As the flow progressed, the door opened for a Primo lesson to come thru.  Chris began to call out intervals at me, the chord progression I-IV-V, and BAM, it hit me….I actually understood what he was saying and could follow along.  I knew the intervals and the corresponding notes on the fret board.  I felt my way into a groove and wouldn’t you know it, a song came thru.  In fact, structurally it created a context for AG to write and perform a song in the moment.  For some, this may not be a big deal.  For me, this was huge.   The madness/beauty of music theory clicked for me in a way it had not before.  In fact the impact just hit me again during my practice session this evening (Tuesday) as I experimented playing  I-IV-V progressions up and down the neck in all 12 keys including octaves and inversions. (shit…talking like this is blowing my mind) Sunday, Chris presented an opportunity to put into play the exercises I go over countless times at home alone in the studio and the lessons I receive from this online jazz course I’m taking, which at times is hard as hell and I don’t feel like I’m progressing fast enough.  Just Feel me on this one ’cause I’m at a lose of words to go any further talking about it right now, I trust you get the point, plus I’m too pumped to get back to my practice session…so I’m out.  Simply, it feels damn good when things come together!

sueh!

Groove-Theory: How opposites attract.

I’m sitting here thinking …oh boy! I need to write a blog entry.  Life is never filled with a dull moment for me.  Raising to young children as a full time stay-at-home dad has it’s way of consuming time..LOL  Also, my choice to learn music theory along with the “fun” practical application of bass playing is something of challenge too.  I realize I could easily play my favorite songs and jam with jam tracks all day long by studying the myriad of finger positions on the fret board and thus becoming  a Bass Tablature junkie and addict and somewhat of a one-trick pony.  Thus leading myself into a playing hole of monotony when it’s time to build harmonically interesting bass lines.  Since, I’m starting this journey at 40 years young, I figured, whose got time to dig themselves out of bad playing habits.  Sure in the hell not me.  I must say theory is boring, boring stuff.  Yet, from time to time inspiration comes forward.  An article in Bass Player Magazine, recently motivated me to dig deeper into this on-line course I’m taking on Contemporary Jazz Bass line Construction with Chris Engel and the International Institute of Bassists.  In the last two monthly issues there were lessons on using Triads to construct walking bass lines.  It mentioned, that most young players don’t perceive triads as flashy or “sexy” enough to practice and use in their playing but in fact they are the essential building blocks for an articulate and fully developed command of bass line construction.  It suggested the reader learn all the triads and their inversions in all positions on the neck and in all 12 keys.  Serving as an invaluable tool for improvisation, soloing and creating distinctive grooves that drive the rhythm section and propel songs forward with tension and release.  Right now my development mostly consists of triad, chord and scale practice along with adding the tones of the chromatic scale.  As a painter the hint of color excites me baby!  I trust that as I move into learning songs the discipline of the fundamentals will express themselves.  Admittedly, I do love the moments when I simply play freely. I already see myself breaking out of the early habit of going for the basic root approach of major/minor scale fingerings when I approach the bass to play a groove.  I guess it’s working it’s way into muscle memory.   When I began this journey, I told myself I wanted to be a versatile and well rounded player, who could get gigs in various settings.  My goal remains the same.  So far now it’s on with the “boring” stuff.  I recall a definition of character I once heard: “Character is following through with a decision long after the emotion of making the decision wears off.”

 

The Beginning

SOMEWHERE around the age of 3 or 4 years old, I fell for the muppet “Animal” from Sesame Street.  I asked for a drum set and got one.  I had a blast beating it to pieces.  A couple years later, my parents signed me up for drum lessons.  I was happy.  My teacher sent me home with a rubber pad to practice…I QUIT.  I remember that moment vividly today, because for the rest of my life I would want to learn how to play a musical instrument.

Many unsuccessful attempts later, at the ripe and tender age of 39 years old, I decided to make a go at it again.  I will admit there have been many years of transformational work, personal growth and development/training, spiritual studies/awakening, meditation,sweat lodges, retreats…you get the picture…leading to this moment in my life.   I trust it all supported the emergence and embracing of my true creative nature. (read my bio on my artist websitehttp://www.ayizeart.com or my service page at http://theaskfactor.com)

So here I AM peoples, having celebrated my 40th birthday on January 29, 2010, one year after fanning my inner flame for music, falling in love with the electric bass guitar and embarking on the 2nd ACT of my life with a dear old friend, MUSIC.  On these blog pages, I will share with you my journey, beginning right where I’m at.   I’ll take you back & forth and forth & back, inside my heart, soul, mind, dreams, goals, triumphs, challenges, highs and lows.  You will get all of it and perhaps it will move you,  inspire you, encourage you, make you laugh, make you cry or just say what is this cat talking about!

I’ll keep it practical from time to time, sharing my resources on teachers, courses, gear, equipment and support for your musical/creative endeavors.

Oh yeah…I figuered while I’m at it, I’ll get to squash another old negative hidden belief  that I am not a writer.  So I guess I get two for one this time around.

Peace & Sueh!

crow

The Care of My Hands

There have been days when I would wake up in the morning and the middle fingers on each of my hands (fretting & plucking) would be severely swollen and immobile. (making it difficult to do my day job with my 2 young children)…Honestly, this has caused moments of depression and anxiety because I perceived this as a very real obstacle in the pursuit of my goals of becoming a working musician/bassist.  The pain was so intense, I thought I can’t go on like this, what am I going to do.  This was not the first experience of my body rejecting or suffering from the hours of practice it was not accustomed to. (I’ll share my pinched nerve story later)  My 39-40 yr old fingers were not having it.  They have never been asked to perform with such concentrated, repetitive and isolated movements before.  I was being reminded of the mental, emotional and physical discipline it takes to gain mastery of a musical instrument. For me, this time , I chose to move forward in the direction of my dreams.  One day while in “Dream Space” an idea popped in. Why not create a product that would support the health and durability of my fingers.  The use of traditional ice packs were cumbersome and ineffective to ice down the circumference of my fingers.  If I could create a glove-like ice pack for my hand to fit into this would serve me well.  Very shortly thereafter I saw an an add in BassPlayer Magazine for the product you see below on my fingers. They are from the company HandHealth and can be frozen for cold and heated for hot therapy on my fingers. In short, these products have breathed new life into my passion for this journey and physically give me the support I need to continue on this path. I am grateful.anive me the support I need to continue on this path.  I am grateful.

Teachers come when we are ready.

Heard his Bass lines for years..always felt a resonance to the tone even before I knew what tone “technically” was in relation to playing bass. Watched “Standing In The Shadows of Motown” documentary many times and moved to tears everytime. Found out we (Baba Jamerson) were born on the same day of January 29th. Unconsciously purchased a Fender P-Bass identical in look to his. Currently studying the bass lines of Jerry Jermott – who subsequently comes from the Jamerson lineage of playing. Jermott influenced Jaco whom I connect with too, just in the upper register if ya’ dig.  Suehpro is guiding me!  Peace

more about “What’s Going On – Isolated Bass Track…“, posted with vodpod

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