Continue reading »]]> I wasn’t a fan at first, but now I have to admit being able to stay in contact with people on Twitter (feel free to follow me at @monjoody) is kind of slick. You can also learn a lot of new things, like on Tuesday. A good friend of mine just started work at a company called TechSmith, a software company that deals with screen capturing, notation, videos, etc.. geared towards education/instruction (and I’m using these in broad terms). One of his tweets was sharing a picture that he manipulated using one of TSC’s flagship products, Snagit. Very simply put, it’s a screen capture program that allows you to notate over the top of it. Our conversation loosely followed this:

Me: Is the picture of where you’re having lunch? (note: the picture was a Google map showing the local Applebee’s and an arrow to his office)
Him: Nope, lunch tomorrow with sister. Today is company wide BBQ.
Me: I have a sandwich.
Him: Sucks to be you.

In fairness, he probably didn’t say that last part, but knowing him for over half my life, I knew he was at least thinking it…mainly because if the roles were reversed, I would not only have thought it, but called to rub it in. The pictures that follow are what happened when I decided to download the free 30-day trial version of Snagit, give it a go, and then post them to his Twitter feed with the comment, “Is this how you use Snagit?”

From the ensuing tweets afterwards, not only did I figure out how to use Snagit (and to be honest, it’s extremely user-friendly), but also entertain myself and my buddy to the point that he shared the pics with some other TechSmith folk.

I’m sure that this is exactly what those people meant when they coined that phrase, “Technology brings people closer together.” Or, something close to it.

If you want more info, or to follow some new people on Twitter, here’s the crib sheet.

Yours truly: @monjoody
My buddy: @Jay2thaVee
TechSmith: @TechSmith
Snagit: @snagit

Continue reading »]]> No one ever likes to hear that an inspiration of theirs has died. That was the case this morning on Facebook (you can find me here) as I read post after post mourning the loss of legendary Stax session musician and bassist to Booker T. and the MGs and the Tonight Show Band, Donald “Duck” Dunn.

He was probably my first major influence on the electric bass that I spent hours and hours transcribing his bass lines. In terms of technical ability, they weren’t that hard to glean from the recordings (I think I destroyed a couple of Blues Brothers CDs from the transcription process). Dunn had that smooth feel, that deep pocket that just grooved the song along, even when he was only playing straight eighth notes. I have spent years trying to get close to that feel and groove that Dunn commanded. The other bonus is that I got into the music of Stax records and Booker T. and the MGs. And it’s times like this that I need to pull those albums out and reflect.

Rest in peace, Duck.

Continue reading »]]> Originally published in the March, 2012 issue of Bass Musician Magazine

In my first installment, I talked about being dependable and consistent, allowing whoever hires you to make one call and not worry about anything else. This second subject is directly related to the first one, because it’s a vital part about being dependable. Today, we’re discussing reliability. According to dictionary.com, reliability is the act of being “able to be trusted, predictable or dependable.” How that relates to you as a freelance musician is two-fold. Your reliability as a person and with the gear you work with is going to say volumes before you have a chance to.

Simply put, as a musician you are the most important piece of equipment that you have. It is imperative that you are at your best, in mind and body, at all times. In his policy on bassology.net, Anthony Wellington explains:

“Since I am a professional musician, my livelihood depends on my good health. Illness for me is a major problem, because it means cancelled concerts, lessons and lost income.”

It’s ironic that I’m writing this while nursing a cold (that put me in bed one night at 6pm after downing a liberal dose of NyQuil). Many of us don’t consider our own health and well being as part of the equation, but we need to. Take care of yourself! I have a lot of stories from my days as a naive youngster in college playing gigs extremely drunk, hungover or “should I go to the ER?” sick. I also remember those gigs when I had a sprained hand from some hijinks earlier in the day and I battled through the pain.

And looking back, while I can say I still played the gigs, did I do my best and present myself in a professional manner that resulted in more gigs? I don’t think I did. How is that being a reliable musician (or person, for that matter) that the people that hire you can depend on? It’s not. It’s showing that you don’t care enough about your health, let alone the gig you’re doing.

Today, I’m a lot more cognizant of my health, especially with a daughter (read: germ magnet) around. Any inkling of sickness I will reach for medicine to take care of it. Especially in the cold and flu season, I keep a container of Airborne in my bag in case I’m playing next to a sick musician (which seem to more often be college students). I’ll stretch my arms and hands before shows, especially during those days when you’re pulling double – or triple – duty. In the event of a sprain, I wrap it up and try to keep it as immobile as possible. The last thing you need is to be at the first gig and sprain your hand to the point where you’re working through the pain during gig 2.

The other part of reliability is related to your gear. It should be a no-brainer that you want your gear to work, and to work correctly each and every time you plug it in, tune it up and go. I strongly recommend that you take some time to learn how to do simple repairs and set ups on every instrument you plan on gigging with. For those of us that use amps, we may not be able to learn the electronics necessary for amp repairs, so familiarize yourself with the folks in town that are, for that one time that you may need to call. Some simple knowledge of your instrument can save you money down the road (if you choose to do set ups yourself), but more importantly it will save you some headache and hassle if you’re minutes before a gig with a finicky instrument.

Case in point; a week ago a reed player had something go wrong on his bass clarinet ten minutes before a gig; I’m not sure what, but he was frantic. He pulled out a set of small screwdrivers, fiddled with it, and fixed the issue before the curtain speech. I have to admit, it was impressive! Without knowledge of the instrument, he would’ve been stuck and it would’ve been an interesting show without that instrument. But more importantly, how would he have looked to the director?

This also shows the value of having supplies on hand to be able to handle any major issues that could happen. Carry extra strings, picks, instrument cords, etc.. anything that, if something simple goes wrong, it can easily be fixed with a minimum of hassle. My auxiliary bag is full of a lot of these things, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been happy to have that extra cord, even if it’s to help out a friend who’s having issues.

And while we’re talking about gear, let me quickly touch on two arguments that seem to always show up on forums:

DIY Set Ups vs Taking it to a Luthier: When it comes down to it, what is your time worth? I take my basses into a luthier often because I’m so busy, paying someone to work on it is worth more to me because it allows me have bass #1 in the shop while I’m gigging with bass #2. Only you can answer this question for your situation.

The Price Tag of your Instrument is Related to its Reliability: I’ve gigged with $300 instruments and I’ve gigged with $5,000 instruments. Your gear needs to be something you will stand behind because the people that hired you won’t usually care about the brand or the price tag, but they WILL care if it’s always in the shop or not working consistently. Again, only you can answer this as to how it fits your situation and needs.

Reliability is all-encompassing. Simply put, you need your gear to be rock solid and reliable, each and every time you use it. You need to be healthy and well in order to give every performance your best. You also need to be knowledgeable to know if something is wrong with any part of the equation and fix it quickly. Keeping everything in working order will show everyone you work with how seriously you take your job, and the pride you put behind it.

Continue reading »]]> I hear this all the time on forums (which if you care to find me, my handle is One Bad Monkey); how can I make my electric sound like an upright? All the answers focus on gear and rarely on the techniques used on an upright. So, I made this little YouTube video showing how I fake an upright sound in a theatre pit setting, where the real estate just doesn’t allow for the real deal.

And to prove how useful this technique is, I’m using my Streamer LX Broadneck from Warwick Basses, strung with GHS Strings Progressives. The combination yields a very bright and lively bass tone when used regularly, but easily transitions into the upright sound and vibe. Enjoy.

Continue reading »]]> Originally published in the February, 2012 issue of Bass Musician Magazine

I’ve been referring to it as my “perfect storm” of gigs; eight in three days. It was probably the only time when I had a legitimate argument for having three amps. Getting through this was going to require a lot of careful planning; I had different gear to use in three different settings, as outlined below:

Friday:
1 – Gig at High School Cabaret (Warwick Streamer LX, PJB Briefcase amp, dress black attire)
2 – Gig at Late Night Cabaret (Warwick Streamer LX, PJB Suitcase amp, effects, dress casual attire)

Saturday:
3 – Rehearsal at Civic Theatre (NS Design CR-5M, PJB Bass Cub amp, no dress code)
4 – Gig at High School Cabaret (Warwick Streamer LX, PJB Briefcase amp, dress black attire)
5 – Gig at Late Night Cabaret (Warwick Streamer LX, PJB Suitcase amp, effects, dress casual attire)

Sunday:
6 – Rehearsal / Service at local Church (Warwick Streamer LX, direct box, dress attire)
7 – Gig at High School Cabaret (Warwick Streamer LX, PJB Briefcase amp, dress black attire)
8 – Rehearsal at Civic Theatre (NS Design CR-5M, PJB Bass Cub amp, no dress code)

As you can see, shoving everything I could into the pockets of a gig bag would not work in this situation. Plus, I’m just not that guy. The bag ends up getting heavy (and with a 6 string bass, it’s already heavy enough), and in my situation, won’t work from gig to gig. So, I carry an “accessory” bag with all of the miscellaneous items, allowing me to take that bag to whatever gig or rehearsal and still have everything I need. For a long time, my bag of choice was the Access PFX-1, which is a great bag for the gigging musician. I don’t know of any other bag that has as much functionality and customization options as it does. However, I quickly realized two things that the PFX-1 didn’t have for my needs; some sizable pockets (the bulk of the pockets are quite small, despite their convenience), and space to hold a theatre score. While you could easily walk into a theatre with the score in your hand (and I’ve done it), the days of inclement weather (I do live in Michigan, after all) have proven a need for a better solution.

Earlier that week I had received my Gruv Gear Stadium Bag, and this weekend seemed the perfect way to see how it compared to the PFX. The Stadium Bag has three good sized areas (all of which have velcro floors which can be taken out to make even bigger spaces), a nice front compartment for a laptop (or theatre score!), a handful of smaller zippered or velcro pockets, and two decent exterior ones. It also has a row in the top compartment for SNAPS compatible items (which I’m told are forthcoming) for more versatility. It sports two “locker style” side openings to get to the bottom section of the bag. My initial complaint is that I’d like to see another row or two of velcro in the main compartment walls to move a shelf up or down just a little, and still retain two spaces. As it sits, if you want a bigger space, you have to take out a velcro shelf and thus lose one area.

It also comes with a rain/weather cover that you can easily put over the entire bag when dealing with that inclement weather I previously mentioned. It’s attached to the bottom of the bag, and easily stows away when not in use. While I had no use for it during the “perfect storm” of gigs, I can say that during the rainy/snowy month of December that it came in handy. You do lose the use of the top carrying handle when deploying the cover, but the other three carrying options are still usable, so it’s really no big deal.

While it doesn’t have the number of pockets as the PFX-1, I quickly found that I preferred the fewer, bigger areas that the Stadium Bag provides. I can throw a couple of bigger items into the different compartments and still have some room, instead of cramming pockets shut and hoping the zipper will close. For someone that carries three instrument cables and a power strip regularly, putting them in one compartment instead of three was nice.

In the field, the bigger compartments proved very useful. On Saturday, I was able to keep two changes of clothes in the bottom of the bag, cords and effects in the middle, and my headphones, power strip and adaptors in the top. The front pocket also held a binder of music, a theatre score and my iPad in addition to some smaller incidental items. Even the interior color of this bag proved useful. While it is Gruv Gear’s signature color of orange, it also serves a double purpose by making it easy to open up the bag and quickly see what is in the compartment. Black interiors are great, but I find myself rifling through everything to find that one cord.

Racing between my car and the venues, I was able to utilize a couple different carrying options that the Stadium Bag offers; backpack straps and the V-Cart option. It also has a carry handle and a shoulder strap, which I didn’t use but assume they function as expected. The nice thing about the V-Cart option is that it can attach to the underside of the cart handle, leaving the front area clear to carry more gear. With that, I was able to put the PJB Suitcase, Warwick bass and Stadium Bag on my V-Cart and walk in to the Late Night Cabaret easily without fighting with a door. This is a big plus because with a bag of this size, it gets heavy when you fill it…especially on gig 5 when load-in is at 11pm.

So all in all, the Stadium Bag by Gruv Gear proved to be a very worthwhile investment in helping keep me organized as I navigated the “perfect storm” of gigs that weekend. It has quickly become my “go to” bag; it’s currently sitting in the corner of my room, full of gear for my church gig and current theatre run. This bag was made with some real world applications in mind and it shows in its ease of use and functionality.

Continue reading »]]> This past weekend was the Fretboard Festival, held in downtown Kalamazoo. This year I accompanied Patricia Pettinga in one of her workshops, demonstrating different ways to arrange songs. One which we arranged differently was the old favorite, “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.” We did it in a more melancholy tone and feel, because if you listen to the lyrics, it’s a very sad song. Here I am bowing my NS Design CR-5M, using some FretWraps from Gruv Gear to help minimize any and all other string vibrations. Enjoy.

As I was posting the YouTube vid onto the NS Design Facebook page, I noticed this little article they wrote featuring a couple of guys (yours truly and Anthony Cooperwood) that are holding it down in the theatre pits. A very cool surprise on a Monday morning, to be sure.

Under the Stage: NS Basses in the Orchestra Pit

Continue reading »]]> Originally published in the January, 2012 issue of Bass Musician Magazine

It’s Thursday. I’m staring at a weekend (Friday-Sunday) that has five shows, two rehearsals and a church service. As I’m getting ready and organizing my gig bags, amp cables, and clothes, I’m reminded by a comment a friend made a couple of summers ago; ”Man, you gig more in one month than most of the students in town do in a year!” While I can’t confirm whether his comment is accurate or not, he does have a point.

The musician talent pool in a college town is much like their corresponding college sports teams; it varies widely from year to year. As graduates leave town for bigger cities and greater things, new students come in to begin their college journey. With this steady ebb and flow of talent, it can be very easy for the regulars in town to be looked over. It takes a different skill set than just playing your instrument well in order to remain on the top of the call list. The first one I’m going to go over is easy; be dependable.

Now, before we go any further, I’m not insinuating that college students are not dependable. However, college students have a lot of commitments that, when combined with classes, homework and practicing, can result in surprises. A student may have to rely on subs for gigs due to their conflicts. Many times, the directors don’t hear about these conflicts until a sub walks into a rehearsal or performance (I see this happen regularly). Having the same person for an entire run of gigs versus splitting the chair between a couple of players is preferable in any situation, and with college students this isn’t always a guarantee.

Since you don’t have the college schedule, you can more easily accept an entire run of gigs or shows, freeing the director to worry about someone else. If you do have to procure a sub for a show or two, be upfront and tell them right away. My personal motto is to never accept any gigs that I can’t do myself, but on the rare occasion that I do have a conflict, I make it a point to convey those to the director before I even accept the gig. If they are okay with the conflicts, we can move forward. Otherwise, I am happy to recommend someone else in town that is capable.

As the rehearsals and gigs come and go, your dependability is going to show up more as consistency. I am regularly early to any rehearsal or gig to set my rig up and get ready (I also can snag a cup of coffee from the theatre kitchen too, which is a bonus). When playing, I am consistent in my performance and also take notes on things that I need to look over and fix before the next rehearsal or show so that I can end a run of shows better than when I started. The last thing a director needs to worry about is “Where is ______ going to screw up tonight?” which, again, is something I see often. By being consistent, you become someone in the group that others can rely on. In the theatre setting, the music directors normally know they can lean on me to keep the tempo moving, but also help any subs that are in my immediate area to stay on top of the changes and cuts that are in the show.

In conclusion, when directors call me, there are no surprises or problems. They know exactly what I bring to each and every rehearsal or show. By being able to take entire runs of gigs, conveying any problems upfront and letting the director make the call, and consistent in how I approach a rehearsal and gig, my dependability speaks for me before the phone rings. The only worry that whoever hires you should have is wondering if they called you quickly enough to book you.

Continue reading »]]> Wanted to toss in a quick post to let everyone know that my artist bio on the Gruv Gear website is now up and live. As many know, I love using their products because they are not only well designed, but designed from the standpoint of a working musician which makes using any of the Gruv Gear stuff easy.

Gruv Gear Artist Bio – Jonathan Moody

Continue reading »]]> Originally published in the December 2011 issue of Bass Musician Magazine

For the longest time, volume pedals were one of those love it/hate it things with me. I loved having one and being able to pull back my volume at a moment’s notice or mute it to do a quick re-tune. I hated having a pedal that was little more than a volume pot on a string; volume pedals haven’t changed much since their inception. Especially in a theatre setting, the darkness of a pit makes any regular usage of a volume pedal limited, since you can’t really see your foot or where the pedal is at. It would be really useful to have something that would show me my volume.

Visual Sound’s Bob Weil thought the same thing (I’m thinking) when he created the Visual Volume. Adding a vertical row of 10 LEDs seems a simple fix, but it’s quite useful. Now you can see where you’re at, what you cut down to, where you’re muted, etc.. For my purposes, the LEDs alone were enough for me to sell my old volume pedal and buy one of these. But thankfully, there was a lot more for me to use; this is the “Swiss Army Knife” of volume pedals.

In addition to the shiny row of LEDs, the Visual Volume also boasts two inputs and outputs. You can run them in tandem with two instruments, or use the VV to split the signal of one input into two outputs (as in, stereo) or vice versa. For someone that regularly doubles on electric and upright basses, this removes the need of an A/B pedal in the chain.

It also bears mentioning that each of these inputs has internal controls to adjust the overall output of each input, as well as whether they’re active or passive. In the active mode, the VV can actually act as a boost pedal, allowing you to get a little extra (and given that LED 5 and 10 are different colors than the others makes it easy to keep track of the regular and boosted volumes). In passive mode, it acts exactly like a standard volume pedal.

Like other volume pedals, this one has a tuner out, although it only receives the signal from the first input. So when doubling with this pedal in your chain, you can only reap the benefits of tuning while muted with the first bass. An inconvenience nonetheless, and something I do hope they’ll consider fixing.

All of these bells and whistles are nice, but it really comes down to how durable this is. The VV is housed in a metal casing (which is heavy!), so no problems there. Unlike the strings that most other volume pedals employ (which I’ve been told are not easy to repair if it breaks) as the main part, the VV utilizes a lever system that if it breaks, you can buy a replacement and replace yourself. The durability and ease of repair are something that I can count on when running an eight week, seventy-plus show schedule. There just isn’t time for anything to be down and in the shop.

The Visual Sound Visual Volume pedal sports a lot more options than just a row of LEDs that separate it from the other volume pedals on the market. Because of that, it has easily gone from “just a volume pedal” to something that I rely on for a variety of applications. It’s one of the few pedals that I have in my chain almost all of the time.