Bass Emporium Newsletter - September 2008
Ed Friedland's
Bass Emporium Lesson #2: Major Scale in Intervals
by Ed Friedland
Welcome to my second lesson installment for the Bass Emporium—
Lesson 1 was well received, so it looks like I'll continue along this track for a while. I will be drawing from a variety of topics, being careful not to duplicate any of the material from my {{shameless plug alert}} Hal Leonard instructional books (available for purchase at ... Bass Emporium!). This time, let's take a closer look at the Queen Mother of music theory, the Major Scale.
The major scale is the primary reference point for understanding "western" music, meaning music that is rooted in European classical traditions, not necessarily Willy Nelson (although he uses it too). Music from Indian, Asian, African and Arabic cultures use different scales as their basis, though over the years western influences have crept in, creating a whole range of bad pop music that can be heard in your favorite ethnic restaurants. The major scale is the framework of the numerical shorthand system that all musicians use to communicate. With each note in the scale being numbered 1 through 8, it forms a handy generic template that anyone can follow. On almost any gig here in Austin, TX, you can see players flashing fingers across the stage to cue the other musicians regarding the first chord of the bridge (and you thought they were just saying "howdy").
But within confines of the major scale, many secrets are to be found, and by breaking it open and playing the various intervallic cross-sections, many of these inner lessons can be discovered—plus, it's great for your chops.
Listen to: Major Scale played in a pattern of Thirds.
Example 1 is the major scale played in a pattern of thirds. Numerically, it would be 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5-7-6-8-7-9-8-10, and then played in reverse order to descend. The numbers 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are simply scale degrees 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 up an octave. This example sounds the most familiar because the thirds pattern is well used in many songs. It also teaches you something about the quality of the chord structures built from the major scale. The "I chord" in a major key has a major quality, reflected in the major third interval (4 half-steps) between degrees 1 and 3 in the scale. The "ii chord" in a major key is always minor, illustrated by the minor third interval (3 half-steps) between scale degrees 2 and 4, and so on. The thirds pattern falls nicely into one position—make the most of it by using a one-finger-per-fret (OFPF) fingering.
Listen to: Major Scale played in a pattern of Fourths.
Example 2 breaks the scale into a fourths pattern, numerically represented as 1-4-2-5-3-6-4-7-5-8-6-9-7-10-8-11. This one is tricky for the fretting hand due to the string crossing within the same fret. Use the "finger-roll" technique to keep your fingering economical—play the first note of this pattern (1) with the 2nd finger, and roll to the second note (4) with the same finger, repeat this technique as needed. Notice that between the 4th and 7th scale degrees, the pattern changes and we have an augmented fourth (#4) interval, AKA the dreaded tri-tone. During the Middle Ages this interval was considered "Diablo en musica", and composers were boiled in oil for using it—a practice that in some cases may still be warranted today.
Listen to: Major Scale played in a pattern of Fifths.
Example 3 is the scale broken into a fifths pattern, numerically: 1-5-2-6-3-7-4-8-5-9-6-10-7-11-8-12. The fifth pattern shows us how the chords in the key all have a perfect fifth within them, all except the "vii chord" which has a flatted or diminished fifth—illustrated by the tri-tone (#4 = b5) between scale degrees 7 and 11. Using OFPF fingering, check out the cool pattern that happens when playing 3-7-4-8 within the example.
Listen to: Major Scale played in a pattern of Sixths.
Example 4 is a pattern of sixths, (1-6-2-7-3-8-4-9-5-10-6-11-7-12-8-13) and makes for some tricky fingering indeed. Sixths sound very melodic, and they have lots of applications for solos and fills. If you were to look at the modal scales that correspond to each scale degree, you would see the relationship between the major sixth interval (9 half-steps) between 1 and 6 and the fact that the Ionian scale has a major sixth. A major sixth between 2 and 7 is reflected in the fact that the Dorian mode also has a major sixth. The Phrygian mode has a minor sixth, and so the interval between 3 and 8 is also a minor sixth. This pattern holds true for all the modes. If you don't know the major modes, may I suggest you pick up a copy of my books
Bass Improvisation, or
Building Walking Bass Lines.
Listen to: Major Scale played in a pattern of Sevenths.
Example 5 is a sevenths pattern, (1-7-2-8-3-9-4-10-5-11-6-12-7-13-8-14) and it shows you how the chord structures from a major key have different sevenths. The "I chord" has a major seventh (11 half-steps), and so the distance between 1 and 7 is a major seventh as well. The "ii chord" has a minor seventh (10 half-steps), and so the interval between 2 and 8 is also a minor seventh. This holds true for the rest of the pattern-the seventh interval you play from any given scale degree is also the seventh that is contained in the chord built from that same degree—Capische? This example is pretty bitchy to play; minor sevenths require you to roll across two strings within the same fret—excellent practice for developing left hand technique.
Listen to: Major Scale played in a pattern of Octaves.
Example 6 is the scale in octaves. While most of it follows the standard fingering for octaves, between 1 and 8 and 2 and 9, use the fingering that is shown in the tab (with apologies to Jeff Berlin).
While the tablature makes this information fairly simple to learn using only half your mental capacity, go the extra mile and say the note names out loud while you practice. Then, learn this material in different positions, and in all keys too. That should keep you busy for a month or so!
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
Bass Emporium Newsletter - September 2008
The Bass Whisperer Reports:
Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling HS, Three Tone Sunburst/Maple Fingerboard 5-String Electric Bass Guitar
by Ed Friedland
Now that Bass Emporium is an official Ernie Ball Music Man dealer, it struck me as a great idea to focus on one of their instruments for this month's review. EBMM fanatics worldwide have anxiously anticipated the arrival of the Sterling 5, so let's take a look at the new kid in the Music Man family.
STERLING ACHIEVEMENTS
The 4-string Sterling bass was first introduced in 1993 as an alternative to the ever-popular Stingray bass. It had a slimmer, Jazz-like neck profile, 22 frets instead of 21, a slightly smaller body size, steel pole-pieces w/ ceramic bar magnets instead of Alnico pole-pieces, a new preamp, and a unique 3-coil pickup that allowed hum-free use of the humbucker's individual coils via a hidden "phantom coil". [Note: Because it is an open circuit, a single coil pickup on its own will produce 60-cycle hum. Matching it with another coil without magnets will close the circuit—eliminating hum without changing the sonic aperture, though the additional coil wire will make it sound different than a true single coil pickup.] The Sterling was a welcome addition to the Music Man line, earning the distinction of "Most Innovative Bass" from Musician magazine (remember that one?) in 1993. The Sterling bass has been a huge success for Music Man.
Considering the popularity of the 4-string version, one has to wonder—what took them so long to bring out a 5ver? No matter, the Sterling 5 is here, and it's an excellent addition to the Music Man lineup.
FEATURES
The review instrument is an HS (humbucker-single coil) model in tobacco sunburst with a black pickguard. The HS configuration was introduced in 2005 along with the HH (double humbucker) model. Both versions have become popular with the EBMM faithful, as well as bringing in a whole new crowd of players interested in the increased versatility of these instruments.
The ash body's well-pronounced grain pops out from under the two-tone sunburst, and at just under 10lbs falls right into the weight category that Music Man specs for this instrument. The maple neck has a beefy, rounded "C" profile that fits the hand nicely, and feels silky smooth from the Gunstock oil/wax finish. Like all Music Man basses, the Sterling 5 is 34" scale—good news for those looking for a solid B string on a traditional length instrument.
The compensated nut design was first introduced on the Bongo, but has since become a standard feature on many Music Man basses. Like the Buzz Feiten tuning system, the compensated nut's goal is to improve the overall intonation of the instrument by slightly altering the distances between the nut and the first fret. I don't have the scientific background to describe how or why it works, but droning against the open D string while playing up a D major triad on the G string, I can clearly hear improved intonation, particularly around the major third (F#) on the 11th fret.
The nut width is 1 & 7/8", which combined with .685" (or 17.5mm) spacing at the bridge, creates what would be considered narrow spacing for a 5-string. While everyone has their preference, I found it simple enough to adapt to this setup—it certainly makes string crossing and chordal playing easier, and within a few minutes, my slap technique adjusted. The 5-bolt neck joint is tight and slop-free, and the lower cutaway allows for clear access to the 11" radius maple fingerboard's high F.
The Schaller BM tuners have a tapered post and operate without a hitch, the bridge is the standard Music Man chrome-plated hardened steel model with stainless steel saddles. The wheel-type truss rod nut makes neck relief adjustments simple and painless—I wish everyone used these.
The pickups use steel pole pieces activated by ceramic magnets, and while physics geeks argue endlessly over the properties of ceramic magnets vs. Alnico, the common perception is ceramic is more aggressive and Alnico is "sweeter" or "more vintage" sounding. The magnets themselves are just one part of the picture, but the Sterling certainly has an aggressive bite—this is not a bass that will fade into the background. The HS configuration has a 5-position toggle switch that accesses the coils individually and in several different combinations.
Position 1—which is all the way back toward the bridge, dials up the classic Music Man setup with both coils of the bridge humbucker. Position 2 gives you coil 1, or the coil closest to the bridge on the humbucker. Position 3 brings in all three coils, while position 4 activates coils 2 & 3. The neck single coil pickup is accessed by position 5. Calling the neck pickup a single coil is somewhat inaccurate because it is actually stacked above the phantom coil that is the key to the Sterling's quiet operation in positions 2 and 5.
The 3-band eq is bass, mid and treble, boost and cut. The exact frequency centers are not readily available, but the range is able to tailor the Sterling's tone from velvety smooth to tough-as-nails. A single volume control is used, so blending between the various pickup setting is not an option.
PERFORMANCE
Playing the Sterling 5, I was immediately struck with the integrity of the B string. This is not something I take for granted on a 34" scale bass—I bought two Stingray 5s the first year they came out (1987), and frankly was less than satisfied with the response on their B strings. Unfortunately, it left me uninterested in their 5-strings for many years. On the bright side—over the past 20 years, they've figured out a thing or two, and every new Music Man 5 I've played in recent memory has had an excellent B string. The Sterling 5's B is tight and articulate, especially fingerstyle. Slapping it produced a somewhat clunky tone on the lowest notes, but in my opinion, that is more of a string-specific issue than the fault of the instrument. I find in general that non-tapered B strings have this tendency, and the Ernie Ball Slinky 130 is no exception.
What I found interesting about the HS configuration is the way the pickups combine. Usually, switching pickups produces drastically different tonal characteristics, like changing from the bridge to the neck pickup on a Jazz bass. With the Sterling HS, each configuration whether single coil, or a pair retains the essential Music Man tone, which I would describe as a pronounced bottom with a bright, phase-like glassy finish. The various pickup settings have their own distinct properties, and the eq reacts with each one to offer a myriad of useful sounds.
You can hear the Sterling's familial bond to the Stingray, but the different magnets, and the fact that the pickups are wired in series as opposed to the 'Ray's parallel create a fundamental difference. The Sterling has more midrange presence, where the Stingray has more scoop. This frequency range presents opportunities and challenges. You WILL be heard playing a Sterling, and certainly that is a good thing, particularly if you lean towards high volume music dominated by guitarists that "shred", but the edge can easily be tempered by rolling off the treble. The front pickup has the hollow chunk that translates well for mellow, rootsier stuff, but retains a presence that will keep you from falling behind in the mix.
TONE TEST
I recorded the Sterling 5 HS direct in Pro Tools using a Radial Engineering ProDI and Evidence Audio Lyric cable. No additional eq was used, and just a touch of subtle compression was added. For the slap examples, I boosted the lows to approximately 8 (5 being flat on a scale of 1 to 10) and the highs around 7. Fingerstyle tracks were recorded with the bass at 8 and the mids at 6—the treble was left flat.
Track 1 - Position 1 dials up both coils of the bridge pickup-the classic MM configuration. Slapping in this setting produces the familiar edgy tone that cuts through the thickest guitar sludge. It's accentuated mid presence may be a little thicker than I would go for, but for testing purposes, I prefer to present instruments with the same eq settings for each pickup configuration, feeling that you'll get a better sense of how the bass sounds. I could have easily thinned the mids with a simple roll-off, or external eq, but... for the sake of true representation, there it is.
Track 2 - Slapping in position 2 (coil 1 solo) gives you a thinner texture, though certainly a useful sound for slap solos. You could beef it up with more lows and add some polish to the highs, but it's fine as it is.
Track 3 - Running all three coils together produced my favorite slap tone on the HS, it's the most complex of all the settings. Bottom and highs are right up front, and the natural mid-scoop stimulates my funk gland.
Track 4 - Slapping with coils 2 & 3 together was a surprise—I didn't think I'd like the tone based on the coil locations, but I found it to be a unique sound that I could use. Personally, I'd prefer to combine coils 1 & 3 to get more of a Jazz bass thing—I have to wonder if they deliberately avoided that option so people wouldn't compare it to the J. Regardless, this position gives you a throatier tone than the J bass, the lows and highs are all there, but coil 2's forward position gives it more chunk.
Track 5 - Funking out with the front pickup (coil 3) is like swinging a tree-trunk sized club embedded with razor blades—it has weight and edge. The obvious comparison to a P bass, or front coil of a J bass might apply, but the bloodlines of this beast are instantly recognizable as Music Man.
Track 6 - Back to position 1 for fingerstyle, you can hear the essential difference between the Sterling and Stingray in the midrange. This is a full, punchy tone that will carry a band but still poke it's way through the mix.
Track 7 - The bridge-most coil on the Sterling has a much fuller fingerstyle tone than you might expect. Thanks to the phantom coil under the neck pickup, you can use this setting without 60-cycle hum.
Track 8 - Position 3 in fingerstyle (coils 1,2 &3) really pumps out the lows, but the well-defined girth doesn't get mushy. In spite of the treble being left flat, you can still hear traces of the MM top end sparkling through.
Track 9 - Position 4 dishes up a very cool fingerstyle tone. Coils 2 & 3 are well placed for definition and bottom, but with more high-end sheen than the previous setting.
Track 10 - In the lower registers, coil 3 has Dub-worthy depth, but that Music Man edge is never far away. As the line creeps up to the mid register of the instrument, you can hear the tone open up.
Bottom Line
The Sterling 5 HS is a welcome addition to the Music Man line, an excellent representation of what a 34" scale 5-string can be, and a versatile tone tool that cover a lot of musical ground. While offered in the classic single H configuration, I can't see forgoing the tonal options the HS or HH models offer. But if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Music Man fanatic (you know who you are), you'll probably have to have one of each!
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
