The Practice Room

Latest Episodes:

Let's go back to 2007. Kind of... Nov 29, 2020

Show notes

I talk about a bunch of different stuff. But make sure you follow Roni Kaspi who is fast becoming my new favorite drummer. I jammed along to some of her playing on instagram in the episosde, so the least I can do is link you to her here: https://www.instagram.com/roniponi100/ One of the best young voices in music I've heard in over a decade.

The Practice Room | Episode 87 Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Study with Janek ► https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/

Our latest book is - Bass Player's Guide To Pentatonics: https://tinyurl.com/yclukay2

All our other books are here: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube Channel for FREE videos ► https://www.youtube.com/user/janekgwizdala/

The Practice Room | Episode 86 May 17, 2020

Show notes

I am so exited, super proud, and a little exhausted still from the process, to present my brand new book Bass Player's Guide To Pentatonics. It's been some months in the process, and today's episode of The Practice Room takes an in-depth look at my practice routine, and how I use pentatonics for bass lines, melodies, composition, soloing, and technique building.

The book comes with over 100 video examples, and over 50 play alongs, all available for streaming or download with your purchase. Don't forget to leave some pentatonic related questions in the comments below, and enjoy the episode!

Pentatonic book digital: https://tinyurl.com/yclukay2

Pentatonic Book Physical: https://tinyurl.com/y8oq5o36

JG Bass Solo preset for the Line6 HX Stomp: https://tinyurl.com/y7yps2bj

Take your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

The Practice Room | Episode 85 May 10, 2020

Show notes

Thank you for all your questions via Instagram for today's epic Q&A. We got questions ranging from "what bass strings do you use?" to "How do you transcribe fast Joshua Redman lines?".

It was super fun to answer all your questions, and always great to talk about music, and relive some old experiences in the hopes of helping you on your quest to becoming a better bass player.

We're right in the middle of the launch of our new book on on pentatonics which you can find here: https://tinyurl.com/yclukay2

I referenced two videos in the Q&A:

How to learn material you've transcribed: https://youtu.be/gUsa8WMILK0

Transcribing using the old pencil and paper method: https://youtu.be/CjlFrNBOFvQ

And with so many questions about transcription today, you might want to consider taking your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

George Whitty Interview May 03, 2020

Show notes

George Whitty is one of the reasons I moved to America, due to his involvement in the live recording of the Return of the Brecker Brothers world tour in 1992, a VHS that I wore out on a daily basis and swore I would try and play with everyone in the band.

My dream of doing that has come true over the past 25 years, and not only that, but it has led to one of my most cherished musical friendships, both professionally and personally. George and I have been playing in a somewhat co-led trio Third Rail (we both contribute songs to the band, although it was George's idea to put the band together) since 2012, and have played in the US, Europe and Japan, releasing one live album in 2014 "Live Across Europe", with the great Tom Brechtlein on drums.

George is one of my favorite cats to be on the road with, and whenever we get a chance to play together, the music is always going to be big fun, and then the hang (something all musicians spend more time doing than playing music) even more so.

George's credits are so deep and far reaching, it's hard to list them all in one place. Aside from the four Grammy Awards and one Emmy, he's produced music, played with, and arragned for Michael Brecker, The Brecker Brothers, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews, Celine Dion, Richard Bona, and many more.

It was, as it always is, a real treat to sit down and pick his brain for an hour, and I'm psyched to be able to share this with you all.

Check out George's Lessons: https://www.jazzlessonsonskype.com/

Take your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

The Practice Room | Episode 83 Apr 26, 2020

Show notes

Victor Wooten is arguably one of the most important voices not just in bass guitar, but in modern music. From his incredibly early beginnings, surrounded by a family of musical brothers who mentored and taught him, to worldwide success in bands like Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and the all-star bass trio SMV with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller, the journey has been action packed.

Add to that, a stellar career as a composer and band leader, with 11 solo albums to his name, and you can start to build a picture of someone who lives and breathes music day in, and day out. But you would still only have half the picture. Now in its 21st year, Vix Camps host bass players and musicians from around the world, in one of the most successful music camps in history. With legendary guest teachers, live performances, and a hugely popular nature awareness component, Victor has cemented himself in history as a pioneer of music education, not only with his camps, but with best selling books, instructional videos, and a demand for him the world over as a clinician, and guest lecturer at the worlds most prestigious teaching venues.

I am hugely proud to call him a friend, a colleague, and on some level a mentor through learning so much from his music over the years. I'm lucky enough to be able to present this interview for you, and give you a look into his world, his process, how he's dealing with being forced off the road like the rest of the world right now, and what his plans are for the future.

Vic's Website: https://www.victorwooten.com/

Take your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

The Practice Room | Episode 82 Apr 19, 2020

Show notes

Unless you've been living under a digital rock for the past 5 years, you probably already know who bassist and YouTuber Adam Neely is. But what you might not know, is how he came to hit 1 million subscribers this month, all from a very niche lane of music theory analysis and video essay production. From topics as diverse as microtonal lo-fi hip hop and Shakuhachi Music, Adam has maintained a consistent upload rate of one video per week for the past 5 years.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his process. From posting bass videos and not having much of a working concept for the channel, to literally transcribing the internet, finding his niche, and reaching the coveted million-subscriber milestone this month, we unpack the journey of the bass player, turned YouTuber, turned music theory guru that is Adam Neely.

Adams Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/havic5/

A limited number of private lessons are now available here: https://tinyurl.com/ycj6n7wo

Take your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

The Practice Room | Episode 81 Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

Working hard every day to add this new modular synth sounding element to my pedalboard with the eventide H9, and Iron Ethere's Dubterranea and Xerograph Deluxe. I'm getting more comfortable with the patch switching, but there's a long way to go with the signal chain, the routing of the pedalboard, and the overall control I have of it with the expression pedals. The pedals I used in today's video are linked below. A limited number of private lessons are now available here: https://tinyurl.com/ycj6n7wo

Take your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

Eventide H9: https://www.eventideaudio.com/products/stompboxes/multi-effect-processor/h9

Iron Ether Pedals: https://ironether.com/

Line6 HX Stomp: https://line6.com/hx-stomp/

The Practice Room | Episode 80 Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

I was up until 4am last night programming some voicings in the Eventide H9's "Quadravox" algorithm, and today's practice session is what was born out of that. I love the fact that I can program up to for voices over four octaves, but have yet to find a solution for programming parallel voicings, and not being tied down to a mode or tonal center.

There's a lot of Michael Brecker EWI influence here, and I've been a big fan of Robby Kilgore and George Whitty who I know both did programming for Mike's setup. But there there is an equal amount of influence from modern pop and electronica producers as diverse as Diplo and Trentemoller.

There will be an upcoming episode of The Pedal Studio that deals with exactly how I got these sounds programmed, but for now, this is what I'm doing with them to integrate them into my setup, and make them work in a live situation.

Use the discount code JANEKSENTME20 and get $20 off your purchase of the Teletronix DI: https://www.teletronix.co/

Take your transcription to the next level by checking out the Transcription Vault at Janek's Bass Studio: https://www.janeksbassstudio.com/courses/the-transcription-vault

Sign the mailing list and be the first to know: http://eepurl.com/dCdyHz

And check out all the books we have on jazz vocabulary, chordal harmony, and bass playing at the store: https://store.janekgwizdala.com/

The Practice Room | Episode 79 Apr 12, 2020

Show notes

When it comes to playing music with Benny Greb, I have come to expect the unexpected. He is a true improvisor behind the drums, and is a rare thing in today's fast past and internet driven music industry: He's a musician who just happens to be a drummer. More concerned with the collective live experience than he is with flashy licks, and clicks and views, he is a musical force with whom you can build something original every time you step onstage together. I've had the pleasure of traveling to far flung corners of the world with his trio "Moving Parts", and have learnt a lot from both my time on the road with Benny, and my time spent hanging out and simply talking about life, and about music. He is one of my favorite musicians period, as well as being a pioneer of sound and time when it comes to the drum set. We talk about tuning for sound and not for feel, ghost busters, how to practice, and tons more in this interview that could easily have been three times as long.

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