From ramudd@wgym.net Sat Jan 12 12:20:48 2002
Subject:Re: organbass

Hi Lon and group,

I am new here and have already learned that you guys are way above my
head with the technical things, the MIDI things and I have also
learned that you play a totally different style of music than I do.
So it is possible that my experiences and thoughts will not fit in.
If so, please disregard as I will not be offended.

I am a keyboard / bass pedal type player. My music is almost
completely Southern Gospel and church style music. Not exactly
Methodist or Presbyterian style but more like tent revival style
music which you may or may not know about.

Well, I have played for over 35 years and use the bass pedals as an
integral part of my music. The proper note on the bass is always an
important part of the chord or progression that I am playing. When
our church bass player is present and playing, it is more difficult
for me as his notes are often not the note or notes that I would have
selected and therefore don't properly fit the chord that I am
playing. We work together and practice together often to try and get
his chords in line with what I feel I need.

I can't use the left hand because of my personal style which often
drops the middle note from a triad chord and plays it an octave
lower. It is almost like playing the baritone part in the left
hand. It creates, for me, a different sound which has become
identifiable with me, in the music world I work in.

I would love to hear some of your work or gigs if only someone would
decide to live out here in the West of the USA. I am in Tucson, AZ.

Oh well. Just my $3.75 worth, that is $.02 when adjusted for
inflation.

Thanks for your time,

Richard

--- In CloneWheel@y..., "Lon R. Hultgren" wrote:
> Ben:
>
> Interesting comments on left hand bass. I think I understand. I
played
> electric bass all my life, and only took up the organ seriously
about 5
> years ago (but in that 5 years I've logged more practice hours on
the keys
> than the whole 30 years before on the bass -- much tougher
instrument IMHO).
>
> I find it more difficult to play as a strict keyboardist than a
bass and
> keyboardist ... well maybe not more difficult, but certainly not as
much
> fun! At a big outdoor Labor Day party last year where I was asked
to sit in
> on the organ for an existing blues band that had lost their harp
player for
> the weekend, I found myself being very critical of the bass --
first, I
> couldn't hear it well enough ... then when I could, I remember
saying to
> myself "what the f**k is he playing now, where did he go?"
Finally, late in
> the second set (we only did two), I just said to hell with it and
started
> playing left hand bass (in spots only -- I'm not into crowding
anyone out
> completely) and thinking that only now was the music was now
properly
> anchored.
>
> Now the one thing I did enjoy about not being tied to the bass for
the day
> was the ability to mess with the drawbars and switches with my left
hand.
> That I don't do alot of when holding both chairs.
>
> I recently saw Jimmy McGriff on the Hartford Jazz cruse last fall.
Now
> THERE is a left hand bass master!
>
> YMMV,
>
> Lon H.