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In my recent foray into surf rock guitardom let me say...
the bass is so under-represented in this genre. If the bass ain't
happenin' it don't matter how good your JM tone is. If your band has
a good bass player, buy him a beer or something because no one
really focusses or understands what he is doin'(except maybe the
gogo dancers). If the bass guy/gal can play without a seemingly
unrelated string of letters on paper in front of their face, you've
got a keeper. BTW, if anyone wants to share some key surf bass
chops, I have an email of someone who really could use the 3rd party
help.
- Bill (it's just a I-VI-IV-V) M.
P.S. Maybe the woman from The Mermen will contact me. I like her
sound alot.
Aaaah, bass-player shmaseplayer, who needs 'em! The Bel-Airs didn't need one on
"Mr Moto".
But seriously folks, the bass player is the most important musician in the band.
-Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Moffat
To:
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 8:30 AM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] In Praise of Surf Bass Players
In my recent foray into surf rock guitardom let me say...
the bass is so under-represented in this genre. If the bass ain't
happenin' it don't matter how good your JM tone is. If your band has
a good bass player, buy him a beer or something because no one
really focusses or understands what he is doin'(except maybe the
gogo dancers). If the bass guy/gal can play without a seemingly
unrelated string of letters on paper in front of their face, you've
got a keeper. BTW, if anyone wants to share some key surf bass
chops, I have an email of someone who really could use the 3rd party
help.
- Bill (it's just a I-VI-IV-V) M.
P.S. Maybe the woman from The Mermen will contact me. I like her
sound alot.
.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sniff! Sniff! Some of you Jaguar/Jazzmaster/De Pinto wielders
actually care!!!
Just remember, if we (your rhythm section) didn't have it together,
we wouldn't be able to make you six-stringers look so good out front
while you're getting all the babes and free drinks. Yes, buy us all
a beer and say thank-you. *smile*
BTW, we play Mr. Moto and there's a fine bass line going on there now.
Dave
PS: If anyone's got a line on a pre-1973 Rickenbacker 4001 let me
know.
--- In , "Marty Tippens"
<mctippens@e...> wrote:
> Aaaah, bass-player shmaseplayer, who needs 'em! The Bel-Airs didn't
need one on "Mr Moto".
>
> But seriously folks, the bass player is the most important musician
in the band.
> -Marty
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bill Moffat
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 8:30 AM
> Subject: [SurfGuitar101] In Praise of Surf Bass Players
>
>
> In my recent foray into surf rock guitardom let me say...
> the bass is so under-represented in this genre. If the bass ain't
> happenin' it don't matter how good your JM tone is. If your band
has
> a good bass player, buy him a beer or something because no one
> really focusses or understands what he is doin'(except maybe the
> gogo dancers). If the bass guy/gal can play without a seemingly
> unrelated string of letters on paper in front of their face,
you've
> got a keeper. BTW, if anyone wants to share some key surf bass
> chops, I have an email of someone who really could use the 3rd
party
> help.
>
> - Bill (it's just a I-VI-IV-V) M.
>
> P.S. Maybe the woman from The Mermen will contact me. I like her
> sound alot.
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived
messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
>
>
> b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>
>
> c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
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>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
He Basseca,
Could you shed some more light on the "Mr Moto Bass line" Please....
Thanks a lot,
Jerry S.
Also into Bass....(Actually building one right now...)
-----Original Message-----
From: basseca [mailto:]
Sent: donderdag 25 maart 2004 19:56
To:
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: In Praise of Surf Bass Players
Sniff! Sniff! Some of you Jaguar/Jazzmaster/De Pinto wielders
actually care!!!
Just remember, if we (your rhythm section) didn't have it together,
we wouldn't be able to make you six-stringers look so good out front
while you're getting all the babes and free drinks. Yes, buy us all
a beer and say thank-you. *smile*
BTW, we play Mr. Moto and there's a fine bass line going on there now.
Dave
PS: If anyone's got a line on a pre-1973 Rickenbacker 4001 let me
know.
but, those letter-string-papers do come in handy when
rehearsing a new bass line at practice:
Intro: Am G F E
Main Rhythm: Am F Em Am Em
DP
ps: surfrider by the lively ones
--- Bill Moffat <> wrote:
> In my recent foray into surf rock guitardom let me say...
> the bass is so under-represented in this genre. If the
> bass ain't
> happenin' it don't matter how good your JM tone is. If
> your band has
> a good bass player, buy him a beer or something because
> no one
> really focusses or understands what he is doin'(except
> maybe the
> gogo dancers). If the bass guy/gal can play without a
> seemingly
> unrelated string of letters on paper in front of their
> face, you've
> got a keeper. BTW, if anyone wants to share some key surf
> bass
> chops, I have an email of someone who really could use
> the 3rd party
> help.
>
> - Bill (it's just a I-VI-IV-V) M.
>
> P.S. Maybe the woman from The Mermen will contact me. I
> like her
> sound alot.
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for
> archived messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
__________________________________
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wow...thanks marty,
from a longtime bassist...
dp
ps: check out the file upload area of surfguitar101 for a
cool essay re: surf bass
--- Marty Tippens <> wrote:
> Aaaah, bass-player shmaseplayer, who needs 'em! The
> Bel-Airs didn't need one on "Mr Moto".
>
> But seriously folks, the bass player is the most
> important musician in the band.
> -Marty
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bill Moffat
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 8:30 AM
> Subject: [SurfGuitar101] In Praise of Surf Bass Players
>
>
> In my recent foray into surf rock guitardom let me
> say...
> the bass is so under-represented in this genre. If the
> bass ain't
> happenin' it don't matter how good your JM tone is. If
> your band has
> a good bass player, buy him a beer or something because
> no one
> really focusses or understands what he is doin'(except
> maybe the
> gogo dancers). If the bass guy/gal can play without a
> seemingly
> unrelated string of letters on paper in front of their
> face, you've
> got a keeper. BTW, if anyone wants to share some key
> surf bass
> chops, I have an email of someone who really could use
> the 3rd party
> help.
>
> - Bill (it's just a I-VI-IV-V) M.
>
> P.S. Maybe the woman from The Mermen will contact me. I
> like her
> sound alot.
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for
> archived messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>
>
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> a.. To visit your group on the web, go to:
>
>
> b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>
>
> c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
> Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for
> archived messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.
When first learning a song, a chart, sure, but after 6 months of the
same songs (er, same mistakes), you should be feelin' the song by
then. But then thats a universal for any musician.
I see attention to detail. When I played bass, I always made note of
the chord tonality in case I wanted to add harmonic color or a walk-
up or something. I took 6 months of drum lessons to really (Ted
Reed, Syncopation)so that I could join a rhythm section and lock it
in. I wish I could find a good way to communicate som basic bass
player stuff to our bass guy. Hmm, I sound frustrated, don't I.
Even though I'm playing guitar in a surf band now, the bass is still
the coolest istrument. Imagine having hot chicks gyrate to movement
of two or three of your fingers on you right hand, and not have to
buy them dinner. I'm talking about when the crowd starts dancing at
a gig and you see someone keying their rock wiggle/dance on your
bass line.
- Bill
--- In , DP <noetical1@y...> wrote:
> but, those letter-string-papers do come in handy when
> rehearsing a new bass line at practice:
>
> Intro: Am G F E
> Main Rhythm: Am F Em Am Em
>
> DP
> ps: surfrider by the lively ones
"Imagine having hot chicks gyrate to movement
of two or three of your fingers on you right hand, and not have to
buy them dinner." That is...genius.
I'm playing bass in my surf band right now. I had never really
concetrated on the art of surf rock bass, so it was a rather rude
awakening to have to make up lines that rock in a surf setting.
Anyway, I totally agree about the bassist not getting enough credit,
but I think that's true in every genre of music, not just surf.
As far as technique, I find walking rockin basslines go very far,
but there will be a rare occasion that I ride the root for a few
beats.
