Newsgroups: alt.guitar.bass
Subject: Re: Small amps/music theory
From: plopper@husc8.harvard.edu (George Plopper)
Date: 22 Aug 92 12:24:37 EDT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <BtDEvB.30J@world.std.com> mlaurenc@world.std.com (Matt Laurence) writes:
>
>1) I am looking for a small practice amp. When I say small, I mean less than
>18 inches all around (plus or minus) and less than about 35 pounds. I used
>a Gorilla briefly, and if I had turned my volume up above 3 it would have
>blown... not a good bass practice/small gig amp, let me assure you. After all
>the trouble I've heard about GK lately, I'm shying away from those... anything
>else that would function as a portable practice and small show amp?

I used to use a polytone minibrute, which is a solidstate cube-shaped amp
used a lot for jazz. If had a rating of 80 watts into 4 ohms and an external
speaker jack (the 12" speaker was OK, but not great). It was pretty damn small,
but fairly powerful: about 18"x18"x20" (W/D/H). I don't think polytone exists
anymore, but I still see the "brute" series amps in the "used gear" section of
music stores. I have definitely seen them at EU Wurlitzer in Boston.

>2) What do people recommend as the best way to learn music theory, especially
>as it pertains to bass? I have been playing for about 3 years now, and I
>have some theory in me from a few years of piano and a few classes at school,
>but nothing that really got me going, and nothing that would really teach
>me the basics in relation to my fret board. Does anyone have any particularly
>successful things they've done, books they've used, classes taken, anything
>to learn theory better?

I took basic lessons at a local music store when I started, and the majority
of what I needed to learn to play rock  was spelled out to me in about 4
lessons... let's just say that I could understand rock bass lines well enough
to "predict" chord changes and bass lines so that I could jam with my friends.
I think the important thing to do is spell out exactly what is that you want
to be able to do with your theory knowledge, and a good teacher should be able
to keep you interested. It helps to learn the theory on a fretboard- you
keep getting reminders everytime you play!
Then I went to college and took a full year of music theory as part of my minor
and got some "classical" theory which didn't help much for my "rock and roll"
spirit- nowadays it comes in handy, but back then it was an exercise in
fullfilling graduation requirements. Again, that recurring theme: "It depends
on the kind of music you want to play." Some, if not most, folks who read this
may be offended if I say that less theory is needed to play rock than, say,
classical or jazz if you just want to get it out of your system. No debate
need ensue about that- it's just my own personal experience.
"Phase three" was to go to the local library and check out text books on
harmony and counterpoint and to sit down at a keyboard and listen to what's
going on. Phase four is to talk to people who know more than you and have
them explain things. I've found coming up with a great, simple question to
be an educational experience unto itself. 
Then, of course, I pick up little tiny tidbits from the Guitar/Bass Player
theory columns, which usually creep at a snail's pace.

-- 
George Plopper 
Email: plopper@husc8.harvard.edu
"I wish somebody'd tell me what diddy-wah-diddy means."
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