Practice Update

So rehearsals with the new band are going very good.  I am not going to make an announcement until after a photo shoot coming up in a few weeks…but they are on Nightmare Records and are working on their second album.  It is heavy power/prog and a good match for me.

Rehearsals on Mondays have been going well and I am now working a song for the new record called “Killing Fields.”  This is actually kind of a bitch…I love it.  Don calls me and says “I was thinking the bass could double the guitar on this part” and of course the part is just sick.  In fact it was so sick that I could not pick it up in ten minutes at the practice.  I had to write the shit down and come home and do homework…now thats what I’m talking about.  I did tell them I want to be pushed…haha.

Speaking of pushing me….now that I’m in the band they want to cover “Sea of Lies” by Symphony X.  Good thing I like to practice…I’m gonna need it.

I could not be more pleased.  I have been working up new material and neglecting my three finger exercise but I plan to bust that out this week some more so I hope to have an update for that soon.

Somebody give me the @#$*& Peace Prize

Hmmm…. If all I have to do is promise to do something and not really have to wait and see if I deliver it to get a “Nobel Peace Prize”…well sign me up.   I promise to cure cancer…soon.  Pass me my fucking trophy.

Or what if I promised on sack full of babies that I would grow a 14 foot boner and bitchslap a midget stripper in the face with it in front of a busload of nuns.  Even if I don’t do this…should’nt I be eligible for some cash or something….

WTF?

Got That Glass Moon Feeling

I’m very pleased with the results of this weeks practice sessions on my bass.

I learned Under A Glass Moon by Dream Theater….now granted this is not Metropolis by any stretch but hey…it was not Back in Black either.  The past few days I have started to feel natural with the instrument again and I’m really glad I took ten months off.  Everyone needs a little break now and then. 

I feel like I am playing lighter and faster now.  This was a major concern for me (the lighter part at least) because of how low the action is on the NSSTICK.  I am confidant that I will be ready for the challenge.

Practice Update 9-23-09

Greetings Bass Fans  (That kinda sounds like Race Fans…cool),

I am still holding steady at 175 BPM on the three finger exercises though I have not pushed them hard in the last couple of days.  I have, however, made good progress on two Dream Theater covers.  The little bass solo in Metropolis pt. 1 had always given me a bit of a problem because I could never seem to pick it out by ear and all the tabs I’ve found were wrong.  But I saw a video on Youtube of John Myung explaining how to play it and I had it up and running within half an hour…wow….I had always thought it would be much harder than that.

I have also begun to learn Under A Glass Moon…there is one run right before the verse lick that is a pain in the balls…I’m tapping it right now to get through it but I hope to switch off to a regular pattern soon.   The other material I am working up is coming out fine as well.

Soda Tax…What the @#$!*&%

What in holy pubes of God’s Balls is going on here….

Practice Makes Less Sucky Bassist

Ahhh…got a nice update on my three finger exercise.

I can now do the four note grouping exercise at eighth notes at 175 BPM.  I am really starting to get comfortable with this exercise and I do not think that the goal of 200 BPM will be hard to obtain at all…perhaps a month or two tops.

To make it more useful in the real world I have adapted the exercise into two other hybrids.  One plays only three notes per string using the three finger fingering (3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 in four four).  This is actually a rather odd mental set of gymnastics (i have not tried it with the metronome yet but I plan on it this week).

The other is using only two notes per string.  This one is not quite as weird.

Between the three I think I should be comfortable maneuvering around in this new and speedy way on the bass (and the NSSTICK soon).

Song Update:

I added Cruise Control by Tower Of Power…which is awesome.  What a cool song to play on bass.

New Megadeth Does Not Suck…Hooray

Awesome….

I can not stress how pleased I am to report that I really enjoyed the new Megadeth album “Endgame.”  I have also liked the last two records as well and this one picks up where they leave off.  In addition, some songs reminded me of the feel you get when jamming to “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buyin” and other tracks were very reminiscent of “Countdown To Extinction.”  All in all a solid entry from one of my favorite bands.

It’s been a good year for bands so far no matter how you slice it… I also got the new Black Dahlia Murder “Deflorate” and Otep’s new one “Smash the Control Machine.”  Both of those records kicked ass as well.  In fact you should quit reading this and go buy all three of those albums right now.

Happy Listening!

Tune it or die…asshole

So last night I find myself at “The White Swan” in Houston and had my good sensibilities assaulted over and over again…ugh.

Happy Birthday Kaydance Millsap

Happy Birthday Kaydance Marie Millsap.

Wow…my daughter turns 10 years old today….holy crap.  In eight years she will be an adult….now that is a strange thought.

I’d give her a call but her psycho-bitchass mother (my ex-wife) would not let her talk to me.  At least I spoke to her a couple of days ago and wished her a happy birthday then.  I’m going to mail her gift to my parents so that I know she will actually receive it…. she is aware of this scenario and fine with it.

What a good little girl…she is very strong and I’m proud of her.

Well….here’s to you kiddo….hope it is everything you hoped it would be.  I love you…

Daddy

 

Scientest’s Levitate a Mouse…WTF.

Holy Ballz…

Some scientists’ have levitated a mouse…in many ways that is really amazing and yet it leaves me annoyed at the same time.