I set up a personal practice schedule for the week that I might tweak as I start to do it.

Hawkins, Dan. “7 Bass Guitar Metronome Exercises [Your Timing WILL Improve].” Www.youtube.com, 2016, youtu.be/RXMUECdyMxI?si=1EnRR1N6znTM4wSR. Accessed 18 Dec. 2023.

Audio of scales: A major, G major, C minor, D minor, B diminished

audio of scales going forwards and backwards

audio of C major in 6ths and 3rds

This week we looked at intervals in the major scale. Intervals are a good technique to know as
it would help with deciphering notes in songs. With my prior knowledge I was already sort of
okay with finding intervals in a major scale on bass. We looked at the C major scale in 3rds and
6ths which I initially found hard to wrap my head around but managed to get confidently do 6ths.
However I struggled going backwards with the 3rd scales. To improve, I am going to add this to my
personal timetable to ensure I understand it as it would help with improvisation and writing bass
lines.

Benefit: Would help me record straight from the bass amp or DI into the DAW and how to avoid any mistakes.

Aim: I would use it in the future to help my goth/indie rock song and summative song

Strengths: I know the basics of recording a vocal and guitar in Logic

Weakness: If there was no signal I wouldn't know what to do as it has happened in our session and we were delayed with recording. We got taught how to overcome it but it confused me so I would have to go over it again with assistance.

• The possibility of working with unreliable people

• Being reluctant to ask for help means that I start my project late and end up being behind

  
  

Benefits: Very commonly used in songs across many genres including some of my favourites artists such as Paramore, The Strokes, Foster the people, and more. Would help me create cohesive bass lines.

Strengths: I am very confident with the first shape of a pentatonic scale both forwards and backwards.

Weakness: I am not confident with the other three shapes.

What to do next: Add it to my personal practice schedule

Song: Call Me by Blondie

Theme: Triplet and Shuffle Week

Strengths: I can confidently play the song with minor difficulties by watching canvas videos.

Weaknesses: I had some trouble figuring out the timing of the key change but it was sorted out with some more listens to the song.

Feeling: I was confident in what I was playing and how my band was sounded and this week was my strongest both in rehearsal and in the performance

This week I went off my normal timetable and tried to incorporate splints into my practice. I went over what I was confident (C major scales in 6th, old songs I've learned).

I also learned and rehearsed Fool's Gold with my group at Small Pond which went well.

The benefits of this is that it helps me to understand sight reading better and how it can make a rhythm/bass line sound more funky and interesting

This can help me as I now know how room mics can be beneficial to capture the acoustics of the room which can add depth to the recording. For example, David Bowie used multiple mics; one up close, one far away and one in the middle. Some artists also like to place a mic in the centre of the room.

For my recording, I wouldn’t use the room mic but I would use it for future projects when the sound is heavier.

The strengths I had with mixing this is that I was able to balance most of the vocal mics to ensure that it was equally balanced and it sounded like you were in a room. I’d make the lead vocal central and pan the backing vocals left or right.

The weaknesses I had with mixing this was that I wouldn’t know what would be the right level for mixing room mics. I would have to reference songs with the same genre to see how it would fit.

Benefits: Helps me feel comfortable with the whole fretboard and makes it easier to find the minor pentatonic scale at any point. If I am improvising I don't need to stay in one shape/octave.

Strengths: I am confident with improvising in some shapes but I can confuse myself easily by trying to remember the pattern.

Weaknesses: I am not confident that I would be able to improvise while utilising all the shapes.

What to do next: I am going to add improving with the minor pentatonic to my personal schedule.

Theme: Counting and Communication Week)

Strengths: I was confident with my parts in the song as it was mostly the G major scale. Weaknesses: This was also my first time using my plectrum with my splints on so I was just getting used to them. The song requires you to constantly be looking and listening at each other especially the drummer and singer as there are many pauses and queues in the song. I had to make sure I was confident with what I was playing to be able to look up from my fretboard.

Feeling: By the end of the session, I was both confident with the accuracy of what we were playing as a band. If I ever felt out of time, I would look at the drummer and know when my queue is.

Benefits: By using compression, I am able to condense the range of the dynamics and ensure levels aren't too loud. By using noise gates, I am able to cancel out/turn down any background noise made while recording. By using EQ, I am able to balance the bass, mids and highs of a song.

I would use this to help my song sound balanced and all the instruments are heard and fit the genre of the song I'm equalising.

Strengths: I am okay at equalising but I just need to get a hand of the controls. I also knew a little bit about compressor ratios from sixth form.

Weaknesses: I am not comfortable with knowing what to look for and press in logic. I wouldn't know what to do without a tutorial sheet.

In the future I will refer to canvas until I am comfortable with what I am doing.

I have asked:

Jamie - Vocals

Ameera - Vocals

Lara - Guitar

Owen - Guitar

Joe - Drums

According to (Hawkins, 2021), some songs that use this scale include that I already knew include:

• Peg by Steely Dan

• Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder

• My Girl by the Temptations

Nikolai Fraiture: From what I have seen, the bassist of the strokes likes to keep movement at a minimal and 'not forced'. He will move back and forth and bop on the spot at times. Even still, his onstage communication and eye contact with others. I think this could benefit me because I can get shy on stage and it could be a way for me to move on stage and warm up to moving around and maintaining onstage communication.

Joey Howard: The current touring bassist for Paramore is who I aspire to be like onstage. He is full of personality and bubbly onstage and is so visually confident with what he's playing. I think if I let loose onstage I could gradually get to that stage.

Lollapalooza. “The Strokes - Live at Chicago 2019 (Full Set).” Www.youtube.com, 6 Aug. 2021, youtu.be/6qxH5iQ3CYI?si=1c_3lF2HjraEYc7r. Accessed 18 Dec. 2023.

Benefit: The benefit of using this is adding room and imperfections to the song

I would use it with the vocals in my summative song as it doesn't make the vocal sound dry.

Strengths: I already knew how to use reverb effectively and the differences between room/chamber etc. I am confident in making sure that there is enough reverb for a track and knowing when it's too dry or wet.

Weakness: When working with Logic, I would be slightly confused because I still can't figure out the mechanics of the DAW.

Cubbie Fink/Mark Foster: Cubbie and Mark are the main bass composers for Foster The People. I've listened to their whole discography and they tend to have more melodic basslines with songs like Sit Next to Me, Ask Yourself and Orange Dream being some of my favourites.

Victoria De Angelis: The bassist of Maneskin is known for her driving, distorted melodic basslines in songs such as Zitti e Buoni, I wanna be your slave and La Fine. In my opinion, I would say her bass is one of the focal points of their songs.

What I've gathered from delving more into my favourite artists is that I love melodic basslines and I would love to build up my theory knowledge to make basslines like this

A2: Learn the song for next week

B1: Recordings

B2: Personal Practice

C1: Navigating music industry work

Benefit: This makes the instruments sound more human and immersive to the listener

Strengths: I have used panning in the past and was comfortable with the idea of panning and how to use it in logic

This was the first rehearsal with the band. We unfortunately didn't have all the band there for both rehearsals but managed to get it to a good level.

In my feedback, Abi says that I excelled in my knowledge of my parts and used my plectrum well but I need to think about how I will present myself on stage.

In my performance, I hope to have my parts more sharp and add little licks that aren't in the original song

I booked more rehearsal time on Sunday to absolutely perfect the song so we were able to feel comfortable on stage.

I used Audacity to equalise and make sure everything was heard to the right standard of how I liked it. I took the lead vocals separately and added distortion and reverb as that is one of The Strokes' trademarks. I also made a separate track where I added bongos which is in the original track.

In the future I am going to screenshot my DAW whenever I use it to help me to back up and further explain my points