I play classical pieces on bass as well, but have never attempted this song. I think you have just given me the inspiration, thanks and good work ! That probably took some time to learn I bet.
Jeff, you are perfectly up front about this being a work in progress. As a professional musician and college music teacher, I am duly impressed with your technique and interpretation of one of my favorite pieces for cello or classical guitar (I studied it decades ago). I look forward to hearing a second version when you feel it has ripened. I wonder whether a slightly slower tempo might lend itself to greater clarity--the bass give a dense sound. Again, it is wonderful and inspiring. Bravo.
@TheDragonOfMetal Fretless has less sustain in the high end. When you pluck any stringed instrument there is an apparent increase in the high end because the bass dies off after the initial pluck faster than the higher end. In a fretted instrument this results in a sort of twang low to high. On a fretless the high end dies off shortly after the bass resulting in that distinctive "muah" fretless sound, low, high, low. The sustain at the low end is pretty equal.
Technique is the bridge between the mind and the instrument. It allows your fingers to do what your mind hears. In my opinion, soul is how well the final product (the music) reflects what the creative mind produces, assuming the musician has creativity.
Not a bad job mate. I did this for an audition to get into college this year (I got an offer) and I found that if you pull off the B - A also the C - B in the opening section it helps add fluidity to the piece. In fact pulling off any of the notes to the next really helps take that stacatto feel away from the piece. Just allow the sustain of your bass (and I know that beauty you're playing has plenty) to do some of the work your right hand is doing. I did it on a 4 string fretless by the way.
people who say technique is not soul need to open their mind, first of all to each his own, secondly to have the willpower to practice and escape the boundaries set by others requires a big amount of "soul" precision is everything and a punk bassist, funk, metal, jazz, whatever bassist, for example, is just as good as a technical bassist and as good as any other musician who feels music as an artistic escape
Dear Jeff... I have been watching your videos for so long now. You have been more than an inspiration, like a indirect motivator for me. Thanks. Btw, how do you go about recording your playing? and, can I have one of your amazing basses?
I used to play without the middle finger but then someone showed me this tip: place an elastic band over your three knuckles, twist the elastic band and place over the other side of the joint. This causes you to bend your fingers in the right way to align your finger tips, after a while you will be able to remove the rubber band and play three fingers easy.
usually a special order, Schecter Guitars and Rogue Guitars make specialized 7-string basses. the most famous 7-string player is a man named Big Bil "Buddha" Dickens. look him up :)
i' m trying to play this piece on my four strings fretless bass... if You need 50 years, I'll need 200 at least... You' re my fretless hero :D sorry for my english :)
the whole point of any fretless instrument is that you work by your ear, and you have played the instrument enough to know it back to front simply by feel.
Attempting this on a fretless bass is like trying to knife the president with a shank, but damn you did good, I can barely play this on my classical, you rock.
it is most likely because of the differences in pitch and range of the two instruments in question.That is the cello and the 7 string fretlesss bass.also because one is played with a bow possibly while one is plucked.either this is some awesome musicianship.
Quite the challenge on a 7 string with no frets - well done! I play this on a standard tuning fretted 4 string, but I play it in C Major so that all the notes can be reached in standard tuning. My video is not as fast as tempo as this version.
Good grief, man! It's hard enough to intonate properly on a four-string fretless. You have some serious ambition to play a seven, and this piece to boot. Nice job!
Dude, did you have to have that frickin' bass custom made? A fretless seven-string is completely unheard of! Awesome cover, I wish I was you! I've been playing for about eight months, and I'm already really good, but I don't think I'll ever be that. Any helpful tips?
This piece is originally composed for chello. I have the sheet adaptation of this piece for bow-played double bass. Every student in conservatory should to play it on chello or double bass.
@TheDragonOfMetal I play fretless. All I can say is it takes a lot of practice and a good ear while paying close attention to what you are playing. Playing fretless made me a better fretted player because accuracy in fingering gives you a better tone on a fretted instrument.
they make custom 7 stings. you have to special order them. you have to pay with an arm and a leg, but they DO make them. so do rogues, but they are special order as well. rogue makes all instruments. their purpose is to have a verson of everything. they are one of the only brands i know of who makes a 7 string bass, 7 string acoustic guitar, and the electric sitar. i previously owned a 7 string hellraiser, custom EMG's, and special gauge strings. i know what i am talking about here.
@Marilola75 I agree. And the bottom line is that while this type of music may not exude "soul" this crap is centuries old and is still being studied and played by people today. Nobody will playing "black and yellow" , Justin Bieber, or heck even AC/DC 100 years from now.
If you have a seven string fretless, you'll get the same range as the cello on top of the bass range, not to mention that you won't have to get used to strings tuned to fifths. Chances are that he didn't get this bass solely for playing cello pieces.
@Marilola75 If you ask me, the people who tend to get upset with some involved, technical bass playing are uptight guitar players that don't want a bass player to steal their thunder. I've never understood what "soulful playing" really meant. When I play I'm very soulful and my hands are all over the place. To each their own, indeed.
@jnsbuggy Jeff plays guitar in addition to bass. He also plays a 7 string fretted which has better high end than the fretless. One thing to remember, this is Bach. To be played properly Bach is played with great precision. After listening to far more than 3 videos by Jeff I believe your assessment of his playing is incorrect. Your criticism only makes you sound pretentious. The only criticism I have is he plays it a little too fast.
@Bassics85 I agree with jackzon, listen to the version of sinophysker he plays it with so mutch more feel to it, then you know what he meant with play music not only notes
7 string fretless? Wow, that's a beast, excellent job, that's one of my favorite pieces of music.
Excellent!
Super-technique avec le doigts.
Jouer le basse sans frettes doît être un sacrè travail.
Ce type de basse est phenomenal!
Bravo encore!
I play classical pieces on bass as well, but have never attempted this song. I think you have just given me the inspiration, thanks and good work ! That probably took some time to learn I bet.
Beautiful intonation, impressive! (And what a nice bass!)
that was b-e-a-utiful!! great job!!
Beautiful!
WOW......gorgeous!
Beautiful! Very musical. Good tone.
Nice vid
awsome love your work just seen this and the bumble bee video
Jeff, you are perfectly up front about this being a work in progress. As a professional musician and college music teacher, I am duly impressed with your technique and interpretation of one of my favorite pieces for cello or classical guitar (I studied it decades ago). I look forward to hearing a second version when you feel it has ripened. I wonder whether a slightly slower tempo might lend itself to greater clarity--the bass give a dense sound. Again, it is wonderful and inspiring. Bravo.
That's a monster bass my man! Nice playing techniques too!
Your videos are great.
Sounds lovely.
Congratulations you are a genious. :)
@TheDragonOfMetal Fretless has less sustain in the high end. When you pluck any stringed instrument there is an apparent increase in the high end because the bass dies off after the initial pluck faster than the higher end. In a fretted instrument this results in a sort of twang low to high. On a fretless the high end dies off shortly after the bass resulting in that distinctive "muah" fretless sound, low, high, low. The sustain at the low end is pretty equal.
I appreciate Bass/Guitar players that are Clearly excellent on their instrument. Bravo
Beatifull chord in the end. Sounded round!
lovely tone.extremely hard piece to master, well done
Excellent! I can't even imagine trying to play that on a fretless.
that is incredible.. i hope i kan play as well as you in the future..
Fantástico,parabéns.
I wouldn't be caught dead near a 7-string fretless bass. Good job.
@buniqueco fretless instruments generally have marks where the frets should be, this one has the tipical white dots too
Technique is the bridge between the mind and the instrument. It allows your fingers to do what your mind hears.
In my opinion, soul is how well the final product (the music) reflects what the creative mind produces, assuming the musician has creativity.
Not a bad job mate. I did this for an audition to get into college this year (I got an offer) and I found that if you pull off the B - A also the C - B in the opening section it helps add fluidity to the piece. In fact pulling off any of the notes to the next really helps take that stacatto feel away from the piece. Just allow the sustain of your bass (and I know that beauty you're playing has plenty) to do some of the work your right hand is doing. I did it on a 4 string fretless by the way.
You know how to do it! Nice job!
nice rendition ! and intonation
Added to my 'guitar gods' playlist.
people who say technique is not soul need to open their mind, first of all to each his own, secondly to have the willpower to practice and escape the boundaries set by others requires a big amount of "soul" precision is everything and a punk bassist, funk, metal, jazz, whatever bassist, for example, is just as good as a technical bassist and as good as any other musician who feels music as an artistic escape
Excellent job pal
sublime...
Dear Jeff...
I have been watching your videos for so long now. You have been more than an inspiration, like a indirect motivator for me. Thanks.
Btw, how do you go about recording your playing?
and, can I have one of your amazing basses?
what the basss!!!...it sounds reallye good!!!..
Really nice!!!
Very well done
Awesome all around!
AWESOME !!!!
what a great technique!
your damn dedicated to your bass long live to you :D
I used to play without the middle finger but then someone showed me this tip: place an elastic band over your three knuckles, twist the elastic band and place over the other side of the joint. This causes you to bend your fingers in the right way to align your finger tips, after a while you will be able to remove the rubber band and play three fingers easy.
BRAVO!!!
great! just great!
Great job pal...keep it up!
You really love your bass realy?
You are a master.
Awesome!
usually a special order, Schecter Guitars and Rogue Guitars make specialized 7-string basses. the most famous 7-string player is a man named Big Bil "Buddha" Dickens. look him up :)
Awesomme !
excellent playing dude.
bach and baroque music i all about phrasing. One phrase ends, the other begins.
nice work!
He is actually on 12 right now, with a 13 in the pipeline. Amazing bassist, Jean Baudin's Solace album is some of the best music I have ever heard.
great
and very nice gear :)
at 1:52 it starts to have the timbre of steel drums! Super cool!
@Lyons194 it doesn't "help" but it makes it sound different. they just create different sounds.
that bass is so fucking beautiful
Bravo!
yeah, jeff!
as you said jeff
it's not perfect
but the piece is hard to play
more on a fretless
but you make it sound good !!
congratultion !!!
Awesome.
GREAT!!
i' m trying to play this piece on my four strings fretless bass...
if You need 50 years, I'll need 200 at least...
You' re my fretless hero :D
sorry for my english :)
the hands are hypnotizing
the whole point of any fretless instrument is that you work by your ear, and you have played the instrument enough to know it back to front simply by feel.
I love the sound of a fretless bass! I'm sure this piece will sound much better the more you get used to it.
Attempting this on a fretless bass is like trying to knife the president with a shank, but damn you did good, I can barely play this on my classical, you rock.
Inspiring.
it is most likely because of the differences in pitch and range of the two instruments in question.That is the cello and the 7 string fretlesss bass.also because one is played with a bow possibly while one is plucked.either this is some awesome musicianship.
Impressive musicianship
:P damn this is beautiful
why everyone so negative this sounds great, AND AT LEAST HES NOT TAPPING IT!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!! GOOD JOB MAN KEEP IT UP!!
Awesomeee
your tone is great. many of the "bass virtuosos" on youtube have problems with having too much finger noise etc.
Quite the challenge on a 7 string with no frets - well done! I play this on a standard tuning fretted 4 string, but I play it in C Major so that all the notes can be reached in standard tuning. My video is not as fast as tempo as this version.
NICE keep going mannnnnnnnnnn.....
Good grief, man! It's hard enough to intonate properly on a four-string fretless. You have some serious ambition to play a seven, and this piece to boot. Nice job!
Dude, did you have to have that frickin' bass custom made? A fretless seven-string is completely unheard of! Awesome cover, I wish I was you! I've been playing for about eight months, and I'm already really good, but I don't think I'll ever be that. Any helpful tips?
This piece is originally composed for chello. I have the sheet adaptation of this piece for bow-played double bass.
Every student in conservatory should to play it on chello or double bass.
He just took a shit on any bassline I have ever played or make up in my life.
@TheDragonOfMetal I play fretless. All I can say is it takes a lot of practice and a good ear while paying close attention to what you are playing. Playing fretless made me a better fretted player because accuracy in fingering gives you a better tone on a fretted instrument.
The C# around 0:56 sound be held for a split second longer. It adds much more feeling to the piece.
great
BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO! I DON'T KNOW GUITAR CAN PLAY prelude in G ! WOW KEEP THIS^^
he's playing Prelude in G by J.S.Bach
@jackzon80 I'm not saying this is the best version I ever heard, but he did a nice job and your comment was misleading.
they make custom 7 stings. you have to special order them. you have to pay with an arm and a leg, but they DO make them.
so do rogues, but they are special order as well.
rogue makes all instruments. their purpose is to have a verson of everything. they are one of the only brands i know of who makes a 7 string bass, 7 string acoustic guitar, and the electric sitar.
i previously owned a 7 string hellraiser, custom EMG's, and special gauge strings.
i know what i am talking about here.
nice dude ;) very nice :D
now thats nice
you donk kick ass, you destroy its existance from this space-time, really dude you rock lol! cheers!
Impressive
@Marilola75 I agree. And the bottom line is that while this type of music may not exude "soul" this crap is centuries old and is still being studied and played by people today. Nobody will playing "black and yellow" , Justin Bieber, or heck even AC/DC 100 years from now.
If you have a seven string fretless, you'll get the same range as the cello on top of the bass range, not to mention that you won't have to get used to strings tuned to fifths.
Chances are that he didn't get this bass solely for playing cello pieces.
That was hardcore!
@Marilola75 If you ask me, the people who tend to get upset with some involved, technical bass playing are uptight guitar players that don't want a bass player to steal their thunder. I've never understood what "soulful playing" really meant. When I play I'm very soulful and my hands are all over the place. To each their own, indeed.
most people dont like the weird tone that fretless basses give off, but it sounds kool if youre playing it lol
@jnsbuggy Jeff plays guitar in addition to bass. He also plays a 7 string fretted which has better high end than the fretless. One thing to remember, this is Bach. To be played properly Bach is played with great precision. After listening to far more than 3 videos by Jeff I believe your assessment of his playing is incorrect. Your criticism only makes you sound pretentious. The only criticism I have is he plays it a little too fast.
ah man let me say you... that was awesome =D
@SuperClara47 Oui je viens du Quebec, plus precisement du coin de Montreal. Alors bonjour! Et oui toi aussi a ce que je vois!
i could never play on a fretless... i can barely handle a regular bass... you're fucking god, man
@Bassics85 I agree with jackzon, listen to the version of sinophysker he plays it with so mutch more feel to it, then you know what he meant with play music not only notes
@KEVOm107G thats why playing fretless takes so much skill to learn to place your fingers where the fret would be instead of in between
Excellent!
Not perfect, you say.
As Segovia once commented on one of his efforts, "It will do"
@jackzon80 Um, that's a piece from the unaccompanied cello suites. Notes ARE music -- unless of course you know something Bach didn't.
very nice ;)