Another fine morning with THE David Tipton and this morning, we were talking about repertoire. What specifically? We'll tune in and see.
David shared some great ideas on, starting from the beginning, building a solid repertoire. He emphasized playing with authenticity - learning songs that you are passionate about and enjoy listening to as much as you enjoy playing.
David shared his approach on reading the room and honing in on that innate ability to play to it. He mentioned that one of the first tunes he learned on Stick was John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet plane", a simple 1-4-5 chord arrangement with an immediately recognizable melody. you should try this one.
Off the record, David and I talked about devoting a whole FHF on how to answer the age old question, "What is that thing?". Turns out, we think it will be a whole lot of fun and everyone is welcome to join the conversation! Mark your calendars for Friday, November 10th at 10am PST / 1pm EST - the more the merrier.
This was bloody excellent. I agree with everything the man says; this video should be mandatory for people just getting started who are a bit frustrated.
"Simplify..."
"It's okay to play just one bass note..."
"There is a lot going on, it can be overwhelming..."
Hi Gene: I've only viewed a third of the way through your DT interview but wanted to comment on key preference and bass string selection for key center root note.
I play ten strings too, but when selecting a key for a particular song arrangement, I give equal value to the key center root being on the 6th or the 7th string (sometimes even on the 8th string). Those are my "panel" of bass roots and inversions, from the "X" to about the 7th fret and across the three lowest pitched interior bass strings.
It's true that your key center bass root selection of the 7th (next lowest) string allows you to dip your bass support down to the lowest string at will, as well as upward to the higher pitched 8th string. Still, I like to keep the instrument keyless by changing key priorities, or song arrangement strategies, as to which bass string tonic suits which song.
The root is home, easy to hear and to understand, and I often want to come down to the lowest pitch for that root. There's a finality about growling that root on the lowest pitched bass string somewhere near the nut.
With your tuning, you're playing a D bass root at the 5th fret / 7th string. (For standard Stick type tunings that would be a C.) If you slide that root down to the "X-fret", you'll arrive at the 5th scale degree, then step down to the tonic at lowest string / lowest fret and you're there, home free.
As The Stick is keyless, the same C centered approach applies to the keys of C#, D, Eb, etc.
Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:21 pm
AnDroiD
Elite Contributor
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 12:42 pm Posts: 2536 Location: Jersey
Re: FHF 88: Repertoire with David Tipton
I haven't checked out the FHF yet, but...
BSharp wrote:
There's a finality about growling that root on the lowest pitched bass string somewhere near the nut.
No Shit!
_________________ Peace, Marty "The present day composer refuses to die" -Edgard Varese
Sun Oct 15, 2017 8:33 pm
earthgene
Site Donor
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 3:28 pm Posts: 4116
Re: FHF 88: Repertoire with David Tipton
Much appreciate the feedback Boaz, Scott and Android. David is such a quick read on so many songs, it's really great to hear his approach.
Also appreciated hearing Emmett's approach on tone center. Perhaps I can find a way to play more "keyless', by altering left hand position more readily? I have become a bit staunch about the left hand and have to remember to explore more readily with it. Perhaps on tunes I am more familiar with...
Lol I kind of spent this year using 10th position in the RH and 5th in the LH. I practice everything in all 12 keys, but I try to use those positions for the initial note location and a basic arrangement springboard...
I won’t lie, sightreading something with a lot of sharps or flats in it is a lot less appealing than reading a score with much less sharps or flats... doable, but I am not as comfortable in Gb as opposed to G major when I am doing a read-down!
This was a great FHF - I’d love to see an Emmett Chapman one on “getting started” y’know, his thoughts as he developed his playing along with the design...
Last edited by Jayesskerr on Mon Oct 16, 2017 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mon Oct 16, 2017 11:27 am
BSharp
Master Contributor
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2023 4:45 am Posts: 1183
Re: FHF 88: Repertoire with David Tipton
Yes Gene, take a familiar song and rearrange it. You rearrange by tearing it apart. In tearing it apart you could transpose chorus or bridge or just various segments to many other keys. The beauty is in the harmonic path that takes you into the transposition. You're keyless and you modulate at whim. I challenge myself in current practicing to do this, tearing apart my most torn apart songs. Themes and segments thereof become important again while shifting key centers cast a whole new sheen - melody made meaningful through harmonic variation.
Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:05 pm
earthgene
Site Donor
Joined: Wed May 25, 2011 3:28 pm Posts: 4116
Re: FHF 88: Repertoire with David Tipton
Thanks Scott. Yeah, I think a little more snipping and tearing is in order.
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