Adam Neely Am I able to submit my question to this comment? If so, here's my question: What is your opinion on 6-string basses? Have you ever considered buying one?
For a while, he actually had a seven string bass (His first video was him playing Maple Leaf Tag on it). I can't speak for him personally now of course, but I seem to remember he personally stopped using it because he was becoming known as "the seven string bass guy."
Hey Adam, I'm really interested on what your approach to music analysis might say about Jaco Pastorius time feel, verbosity and phrase construction (e.g. question and answer like in teen town), would you consider make a Jaco Special?
Actually, the implication of my comment is that the author of the question at 1:15 is lacking. If you're stuck by a person that says "you think too much", you're either putting too much credence in what that person is saying, or you're not very adept at thinking. It's not a witty comeback, because when someone says "you are thinking too much", they are at the same time saying the opposite about themselves. What they ought to say is that someone is thinking incorrectly, and to be prepared to explain how.
+Timothy Brown That's why you don't defend yourself against the argument. You attack the very premise of it, that there's any such thing as "thinking too much." I reject the very notion that thinking is a negative.
Your explanation about the different planes of listening is very similar to Aaron Copland's theory! I forget the name of the actual paper he wrote, but he discusses the emotional plane, a practical plane (using music as background music, etc), and also the strictly musical plane (pertaining to music theory). thought that was an interesting comparison.
Adam, never dumb it down. I come here for your fluency in the language of music AND music theory. In fact, I come here over other places exactly for the music theory. I suspect many of your regular viewers feel this way. Thx and keep it up. ( there are plenty of channels that quote tab at you)
I discovered you recently and i really like what you're doing. I center my channel's work on tab notation but i also know the flaws of it and try to encourage my people to enrich their language outside of them. Keep on with the great content!
I was also confused that there were so many hate comments accusing Adam of being full of himself - I get absolutely zero arrogant/patronizing/pompous vibe from Adam. In fact, for me, it's exactly the opposite - I find his videos to be very clear, interesting, and informative, and his demeanor is friendly and casual enough to make me feel much more comfortable trying to follow some fairly complex (for me) concepts. I've noticed this reaction in other contexts, though, and I think that for some people, when they're presented with new information that's complex or hard to understand, they feel intimidated by it (even maybe a bit inferior), and they end up lashing out at the source of that information as arrogant or obnoxious as a way of protecting themselves from those feelings of inferiority. I don't really understand that kind of reaction on a personal level, but from all the times I've seen it happen, that's my best guess as to why.
I'd imagine some people don't pick up on his humor either, he is pretty dry and sometimes his sarcasm isn't obvious when you only take a small sample size.
Herfinnur Árnafjall Don't listen to people like that. Who is he to judge his life in a single video? Pay no attention to it. Let it pass like the thoughts in your mind! :)
I am almost 60 and find this to be one of the most refreshing channels on utube for music. It is well balanced and intelligent. Concerning reading music and theory , they are extremely valuable. It opens up the world of music exponentially. Imagine this job interview situation: an interviewer ask an interviewee, " how is your written communication." Interviewee answer, "I don't know how to write or read. I gets in the way of true expression." Interviewer, "next?"
Look man, anyone giving you any kind of criticism on the information you provide on this channel is a try hard…as far as i can tell you are well-spoken, well-learned and you bring a sense of humor to some challenging topics. I'm glad to see you have a jammin' band in NYC that is dope as hell!!
I dunno, I think his editing could be better, also on some videos you can hear a small echo, which is probably because his mic isn't close enough to him.
As someone who learned music in the classroom and in the garage, I find your vids refreshing, informative, and very much in-line with the way I think about music. Thanks for the great vids.
Great point on the fact that jazz musicians know much more about classical than vice-versa. I have a friend that listens almost exclusively classical organ music and can be very condesending to jazz/fusion music. We disavow eachother on monthly bas(s)es, but I still enjoy talking to someone with a really differrent view-point on music.
I love your channel, Adam! I feel like people don't take the intellectual side of music nearly as seriously as it deserves and they just blow it off. Great to see someone being public and forward with their love of the study as well as the performance of music.
I don't read music but I do appreciate musicians who take an extra effort to master their skill in music! It's actually inspiring to see the great musicians who are so skilled in theory and in practice! Great video 👍
I really appreciate you pointing out sometimes you gotta do what you don't wanna do in order to do the things you wanna do...I've struggled with social anxiety all my life and just working at Starbucks is scaring the ever-loving crap outta me, but at the end of the day it's nice to come back to my guitar, your vids, and some sheet music (which I've recently been training with again thanks to you, man). Words of wisdom that I'm gonna be repeating all throughout today's shift. Cheers!
Man... Your job is awesome, i'm a brazilian young musician and this channel is one of my favorites! Good luck with it, i'm always learning something new from your videos.
I couldn't agree more with the "did the author reach its goal?" statement. I always try to appreciate that over anything else. Thx for expressing so clearly, I couldn't say it better
Adam, I think you have some of the BEST music related videos! Your theory stuff is fantastic. I've shown your "Why not to use TAB" video to several people and they've all gotten a lot out of it. Your presentation is always clear and concise, and you're very well spoken. Keep it up!
Hello Adam, You're so right about the "sometime you must do gigs that you don't like really" subject. It's part if the musician life, and the real challenge is to learn how to like them gigs anyhow. Keep doing the way you do, you are great. Thanks for the videos. (Sorry for my poor english)
That essay at 12:23 is a work of art. Because of the internet I don't even know if it's ironic humour or if the person's views are genuine, either way it's quality content.
Your gig vlogs rock! and are monumentally inspiring. I'm a gigging musician in a music town and am always looking to expand my stylistic repertoire. Your gig vlogs always leave me with ideas on what else is possible. Keep up all your great posts. Don't stop.
Hey Adam!!! Thank you for all the good content and mostly for showing what is like to make a living with music. I'm gonna start a music degree next year and all the gig videos and others (as the one where you showed all the work you do in one week) make a proof that is not impossible (as many people say) to live playing, teaching and making music. I know I won't be millionaire, but I love what I do and I think it worth being stress with something that you like than other stuff you're not into. Greetings from Chile!!! PS: I hope I spelled everything well. Spanish is my first language.
I first saw AAL in July and cannot wait to see them play the Madness of Many setlist next year... You should definitely see them when you can Adam, best gig I've ever been to
I often follow your suggestions and links. They've led me to smiles and knowledge in the past. I liked the laser bat. I feel part of my life was missing before that moment. Thanks.
Holy Shit over 100k subs. I remember finding out about him from /r/bass regarding 4:3 polyrhythms and he had less than 10k then. Congrats on your rapid growth Adam!
Bass solos. . . sooo many of them these days, and so few worth recalling. I can, however, think of two: Jaco playing the melody along with Wayne Shorter on Weather Report's "A Remark You Made," and Tal Wilkenfeld's solo in "Cause We Ended As Lovers" with the Jeff Beck Group at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival. I played bass in a bar band back in the seventies that had TWO French horns, a flugelhorn and a sax. We'd open our first set with some Debussy, which really got the early arrivals wondering what was up. They understood much better when we played our very loud version of Procol Harum's "Simple Sister" to wrap up the evening.
Your videos are just awesome, so thanks for that! I’ve been playing electric guitar with no formal schooling for 16 years now (although I know the theory fairly well), and what you’re talking about and trying to get at is really helpful at my level of progress. I guess many struggling beginners just want the tabs and a couple of riffs and licks, and those people are complaining. I really liked your musical notation video, and I’ve started to notate every new song for my cover band without the guitar in hand, in the manner you suggested *thumbs up*
Thanks for posting all the videos you do, I find them very interesting and mind opening. Keep it up :) I love how you read peoples comments in articulated fashion. thanks for sharing
i'm struggling to lock back my jaw now, outstanding band, you definitely should make a segment called "shit that is awesome, but probably flies under your radar".
Amateur bass player here. I used to study music when younger, and I was really into musical theory until my artistic needs overpowered my will to learn and, well, I just formed a band. After that I substituted music theory with "feels" and although I'm ashamed, I pretty much forgot everything. I like your videos because I can get back into the groove (no pun intended) of musical theory. Good job!
I really think the acceptance of not quite knowing enough about Japanese to comment on it is a brilliant thing. Too often people aren't willing to admit that they don't know about the subject, and end up making some incorrect or inconsiderate comment about it. Props to you, man.
@2:10 Miles Davis certainly was well-versed in music theory. And that speaks to why he was so inventive throughout his timeline across a variety of music genres including his own.
Never understood why you don't run your mic through your octave pedal or run it through a software octave pedal so you can say bass 1 octave lower. think of the potential bass man
I really enjoy your videos. I find you intelligent and insightful. I teach Science at a secondary school after doing a Chemistry degree. I wish I had done a music degree. I believe that that's why I find you interesting but I wish I was a professional musician. I love your tone and approach to music and I love how professional you come across. Keep it up.
Why on earth are there so many... Well, dumb, comments on your videos? Everything you say is said clearly and you back yourself up with context and with facts etc. You provide amazing free content that (as you once pointed out yourself)- while it doesn't necessarily turn people into great musicians overnight it definitely provides some great food for thought and inspiration to go and put the work in oneself. Thanks and keep doing what you do, I just became a patreon suporter :)
“Charlie and Dizzy just blew?” As you point out, it’s been well documented that Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie talked music and musical influences and music theory with each other (and with other musicians) ENDLESSLY, and drew wild charts, and plotted out what they were doing in pretty intricate detail! And Miles Davis heralded from a well-off family and graduated from Juilliard!! How much more LITERALLY academic can you get than graduating from Juilliard?? What the hell!? People are 🤬 morons.
I also thoroughly enjoyed that extremely pretentious comment calling you out for being, in their opinion, pretentious. Amazing! To give an opposing viewpoint, I think your tone on the channel is great. You get into deep subjects and give them excellent coverage in a relatively short amount of time which means you have to talk quickly and get to the point. Some people may take this tone as pretentious but he amount of work you put into these videos and the passion that you put into them tells me that you actually enjoy sharing your projects and interests with us. Your respectful responses to questions in these q+a videos shows your open-mindedness as well. Thanks for your work and please keep sharing! I really enjoy this channel. Bass ✌🏻
Someone played french horn at a jam session at the Rochester jazz fest this past summer and totally killer it! She was a classical player but definitely had a good knowledge of soloing over jazz chord progressions and repertoire of jazz licks.
Hey Adam. I can't remember how I found your channel but I'm glad to be a new subscriber. I love how you have an opinion supported by logic and experience.
An addition for the first question: Adam has a great clip of him playing "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit. I also play this song with the cover band I am in, covering the bass parts, but occasionally I fill in some chordal stuff on the bass if I want the band to have a really beefy rock sound, especially on the interludes without bass. In church music you might call these "holds" or "whole notes" in the older, European stuffs, but I think the main benefits to these kinds of orchestrations are to subliminally add to the tune without making your presence known. Does that make sense? It's kind of like when guitar players use a volume pedal while comping: the rhythmic element of the instrument is intentionally muddied only to create what might be called "pads" on a synthesizer. But the key is to not take away from the bass part. Also, a big issue with bass players and chords usually boils down to voicing. I hear sometimes at music festivals the younger/less experienced bass players trying to do everything. Guys like Matthew Garrison and Jaco also studied piano. So they know if they play some kind of three or four note chord on the bass, they are playing something similar to what a pianist (or guitar player for that manner) might play. Hadrien Feraud is another great example of this too, but the context of what he is doing is important. Talking to your bandmates I think would be the best way to do this without getting chewed out. Communication is essential, even if it is something as simple as, "Hey, would you guys mind if I played the melody here?" David Bowie's album Blackstar features Tim Lefebrve playing what sounds like a guitar part at the beginning of "Lazarus." Tim's pocket is also a mile wide, so this is something to consider too.
*Adam, it would really, really mean a great deal to me if you could read this comment.* Hey Adam, in one of your Q&As, someone whined about you using the same background music in all your vids, and you jokingly responded with something like, *"oh, thank you so much for volunteering to record music for my channel!"* before moving on to the next comment. Well, I'm a musician/composer who has done a couple award-winning film scores, and I love your channel, and would be more than happy to write and record some free music for you to use for your videos, or even just a single video (if you were to say yes, and also liked my music enough to use it, of course.) I'm not looking for any money at all, or fame, or anything slimy like that; just a meaningful creative outlet. because, unfortunately, **this is the sad part** i've become disabled and bedridden over the past several years, due to a pain disorder, and haven't had any real opportunities to work on any musical projects I care about because of that disability, and how debilitating it is. But I care about your channel quite a lot, and it would make me feel useful, and like a real musician again if i could contribute some new background music to your channel; even if i'm still just composing from my bed. If your answer is "sure, why not give it a shot?" then just let me know what sort of music you might want, and the best place to post the music so it gets to you without any hassle. (facebook, email, youtube, whatever is easiest for you.) If your answer is "no", I still really appreciate you taking the time to read my comment. I really hope to hear from you, regardless of your answer, but I really hope that I can give you something that you can use, and also enjoy musically, despite my current situation of being bedridden because of my disability. That would really make my year, and mean so, so much to me. Thank you so much for reading this, and (hopefully) considering it. - Calvin Lee P.S. Congrats on passing the 100,000 subscriber mark! Best. Channel. Ever. P.P.S. *BASS* :)
20:14 James, if you don't want to show your face, like Adam, you can record your voice first (from a script that you've written yourself) and then find and add photos and/or video to fit. One pro is that you can then upload the script (into youtube) as a Close Caption, which, in turn, I think will help boost your channel even further.
In your discussion of the lack of jobs out of music school, I started thinking about my own situation in the motion picture industry. I've been retired from the industry for 11 years, after 30 years in Hollywood as a set lighting technician aka juicer. During that time that I worked in the industry, whenever I ran into someone who had gone to film school, I would ask them the question "Did film school have anything to do with the price of tea in China", meaning did film school really prepare you for the industry as it really is. In that 30 years, I only asked one person who said "yes", and they had gone to NYU. That was Frank Byers, who was cinematographer on Twin Peaks. It was always a sad thing to find someone who had gone to and accrued a massive debt going to USC Film School, and was just doing the same thing that I was doing, namely being a juicer... There was a time in the 90s that I wanted to direct. So I didn't go to film school per se, but I went to UCLA Extension, taking a class in Episodic Television Directing. I took that instead of Film Directing classes, since I believed that would equip me more for low budget filmmaking, since feature filmmaking has production schedules that have the tendency to expand beyond the original time allotted, and television requires that you bring in a project within a specific period of time within a limited budget. The difference between UCLA Film School and UCLA Extension is that the Extension has instructors who are actually working directors. Nancy Malone, my instructor, would teach us from her actual dailies from whatever show she was currently working on. The old saying "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach" didn't apply to UCLA Extension, since the instructor was a working director. She taught us tricks that didn't really have anything thing to do with actual directing, things like always ask for a camera crane, even if you have no planned shot in which to use it. The price of the crane becomes a bargaining chip to give up for something you might find you really need. She taught about mental attitude of not showing that you are nervous when you are scared out of your skull... I don't know if the music industry has something like UCLA Extension, that has the advantage of having instructors who work in the real world, and also the classes are not something that take up all your time, often held on a Saturday during the day...
Hey, I am a 19 year old dude from Brasil and I am going to be moving to NYC for college in august (not going to study music). From a very young age I have always had a good connection to music in the sense that all 'musicians' near me said i had a good grip to music and all i had to do is to put some time into it. But i kind of neglected this part of me by playing video games and bieng lazy. But i always played a bit, have always had a guitar, played a bit of piano, and most of what I do with friends revolve around music. I recently said to myself that i wanted to dedicate more time do music and spontaneously bought a CLARINET! I have been playing it for 1.5 months, have had 1 class a week (but honestly most of my progress comes from playing alone or with friends), and have really improved. To a point in which i can go to jam sessions with friends and improv very well (according to my friends and other strangers) and I can also play most songs with a bit of listening (sometimes i can't get the scale instantly, but it eventually come to me). I would like to know what are my next steps? (I really like playing klezmer, do you? Its amazing music!)
Gillespie and Parker played together in the Billy Eckstine band. For sight-reading practis(c)e after the gig (obviously!), they would turn their band parts upside down.
I actually did play with a french horn player at a musical gig. Quite a cool experience as her and my parts(no pun intended) were the same for a lot of passages due to the arrangement(obviously) - from my perspective it was like having a fuller, synth-like sound. French horns are awesome!
Also, can you suggest some inspiring progressive bands? I'm into Animals as Leaders, Exivious, Snarky Puppy, i guess you have a taste of the genre. Cheers!
Recently discovered your channel, loving the content! About the christmas music question, maybe it's a swedish thing but subdominant minor is kind of a christmasy sound, at least a lot of music theory teachers over here describe subdominant minor as the christmas chord (in the swedish christmas song "Jul jul, strålande jul" for example). Keep being awesome and making great and educational videos!
Adam, the amazing thing about mash-up's ala DJ Earworm is how they manage to create a completely different song both lyrically and thematically via a pastiche of otherwise unrelated songs. His "United State of Pop 2009" was a masterpiece in that respect.
I've played (piano) with a French hornist (?) It's a lot of fun! She's a great player. It really fills out the low mids. The band is Drumkit, Bass, French Horn, Piano, clarinet, squeeze box. It's nice mix, really!
In defence of shortscale basses: I have the Ibanez mikro basses with both 4 and 5 strings, and I love them. My fingers are short, and I just can't handle a full-scale bass. As far as I know there are no mass-produced fretless shortscale basses available. I have a fretless 4-string that was modified by a friend of mine, and to my ears it sounds awesome.
Geoff Bosco would you rather put out 50 videos that get 10 views each (which may be people who genuinely love your content and come back for more) or 1 video that gets 500 views (from more people who may only watch here and there)? I think the answer to that question will tell you whether you should just pump out videos or really focus on a few you really love. There is nothing wrong with either approach at all.
Sure am glad you are smart enough and take it to the time to research all of this information brother... I sit and watch and watch and watch and now I'm not near as dumb as I used to be😁😂😂🤣😃
Tabs are great. I love them. I am currently struggling with learning to learn standard notation. If I know the song though (not how to play it, but I have a simple understanding of the rhythm and such) tabs are really good. Also, soon I may be getting an eight string guitar, which means I will have notes that are all the way down to the F# just above the basses E string. A nine string would get me to the C# just above the B of a five or six string bass.
Just found your channel. Animals as Leaders? Kesha? Just need Reign of Kindo, BTBAM, and Scale the Summit to round out my daily playlist. Great content!
Hey I started playing bass this year not really knowing anything about it, I always wanted to play an instrument and make music but never committed to actually learning it because it all seemed way too complicated, plus the older I got the more I convinced myself it was too late - I'm 24 now. Turns out it's pretty damn hard but after 6 months I feel like I've at least made progress. I didn't use the internet to my advantage though like I should have, I just plugged it in and played around to see what sounded nice to me while also looking up bass covers of my favorite songs since I was never able to really recognize the bass even in songs I had heard hundreds of times, it was either too rhythmic for my soulless body or I would confuse it for the kick drum or guitar. Point is, stumbling on your videos forced me to recognize that there was so much already established knowledge I could be drawing from and it sort of renewed my passion to continue learning. Also have you ever listened to much Mudvayne? I always really liked their first two albums and after focusing my attention to bass I realized how much of that was because of their bassist Ryan Martinie. I'd like to know your thoughts on his work in Mudvayne and maybe suggest some things to look into that would help me understand his style a bit more.
Good day Adam, I have been enjoying your videos because of quality content and amazing point of view on different aspects of theory and musical phenomenon. I would like to ask some questions for your next Q&A (or for your next video): 1. Is there any theory or guideline on how many instruments makes a good song, or at least have a bigger chance of making good band? do you have any view on recommended instruments combination? 2. Is percussion a mandatory part of a band? although it is always about the type of song we play, but i want to hear your view, especially from your experience. Thanks a lot for your videos man!
What do you think of Geddy Lee's approach to bass? His style and tone that (back then) deviated from the norm and his flamenco style fingering, I'm just curious on your take on it
Yay ! I've experienced something you haven't ! Have played with a local brass band which played in Paris and there was a French horn player amongst'em :p
I'm a french horn player who goes to school in upstate new york (Eastman School of Music) but I love jazz and would be down to jam if I ever make it out to NYC
Sir, would you please consider doing a segment analysing the jingle for your "Question + Answer Time, with Adam Neely" videos? I've had it in my head all day and would love some insight into it. I enjoy your channel very much.
Forgot the Bobby McFerrin, my bad!
th-cam.com/video/Hodp2esSV9E/w-d-xo.html
Adam Neely Am I able to submit my question to this comment? If so, here's my question:
What is your opinion on 6-string basses? Have you ever considered buying one?
For a while, he actually had a seven string bass (His first video was him playing Maple Leaf Tag on it). I can't speak for him personally now of course, but I seem to remember he personally stopped using it because he was becoming known as "the seven string bass guy."
I really really want to see someone try this for the whole tone scale.
I've loved that video for a long time. Has something mystical about it when so many people unite in a creative act of some sort. Beautiful
Hey Adam, I'm really interested on what your approach to music analysis might say about Jaco Pastorius time feel, verbosity and phrase construction (e.g. question and answer like in teen town), would you consider make a Jaco Special?
1:15 I love when people say "You think too much", and don't stop to wonder what they are saying about themselves.
Actually, the implication of my comment is that the author of the question at 1:15 is lacking. If you're stuck by a person that says "you think too much", you're either putting too much credence in what that person is saying, or you're not very adept at thinking. It's not a witty comeback, because when someone says "you are thinking too much", they are at the same time saying the opposite about themselves. What they ought to say is that someone is thinking incorrectly, and to be prepared to explain how.
+Timothy Brown That's why you don't defend yourself against the argument. You attack the very premise of it, that there's any such thing as "thinking too much." I reject the very notion that thinking is a negative.
Your explanation about the different planes of listening is very similar to Aaron Copland's theory! I forget the name of the actual paper he wrote, but he discusses the emotional plane, a practical plane (using music as background music, etc), and also the strictly musical plane (pertaining to music theory). thought that was an interesting comparison.
Adam, never dumb it down. I come here for your fluency in the language of music AND music theory. In fact, I come here over other places exactly for the music theory. I suspect many of your regular viewers feel this way. Thx and keep it up. ( there are plenty of channels that quote tab at you)
Thanks for the shoutout Adam, I'm the drummer for stimpy. Glad you like the stuff, say hi to kev for me.
+Zachary Marks fucking badass music man!
Zachary Marks yeah keep it up man! it's been awhile since I've heard such tasteful metal
I discovered you recently and i really like what you're doing. I center my channel's work on tab notation but i also know the flaws of it and try to encourage my people to enrich their language outside of them. Keep on with the great content!
I don't get why some people find Adam narcissistic or pompous. Is he supposed to apologize for thinking, or is putting it into words the problem?
I was also confused that there were so many hate comments accusing Adam of being full of himself - I get absolutely zero arrogant/patronizing/pompous vibe from Adam. In fact, for me, it's exactly the opposite - I find his videos to be very clear, interesting, and informative, and his demeanor is friendly and casual enough to make me feel much more comfortable trying to follow some fairly complex (for me) concepts.
I've noticed this reaction in other contexts, though, and I think that for some people, when they're presented with new information that's complex or hard to understand, they feel intimidated by it (even maybe a bit inferior), and they end up lashing out at the source of that information as arrogant or obnoxious as a way of protecting themselves from those feelings of inferiority. I don't really understand that kind of reaction on a personal level, but from all the times I've seen it happen, that's my best guess as to why.
I'd imagine some people don't pick up on his humor either, he is pretty dry and sometimes his sarcasm isn't obvious when you only take a small sample size.
fistinair That might also explain why I find him so friendly and comfortable - my sense of humor is also very dry. :-)
I can't understand this either, never got any "bad" vibes from his videos, one of the few interesting music channels in youtube.
Herfinnur Árnafjall Don't listen to people like that. Who is he to judge his life in a single video? Pay no attention to it. Let it pass like the thoughts in your mind! :)
I am almost 60 and find this to be one of the most refreshing channels on utube for music. It is well balanced and intelligent. Concerning reading music and theory , they are extremely valuable. It opens up the world of music exponentially. Imagine this job interview situation: an interviewer ask an interviewee, " how is your written communication." Interviewee answer, "I don't know how to write or read. I gets in the way of true expression." Interviewer, "next?"
please make a longer version of your bass lessons intro song, i fukin love it
" I'm a little ambivalent to that "
--Adam Neely 2016
+John Thompson truth
Adam Neely
Indeed. Much. Lol
Love your content, Adam. Please keep it coming. Proud Patreon supporter here.
Look man, anyone giving you any kind of criticism on the information you provide on this channel is a try hard…as far as i can tell you are well-spoken, well-learned and you bring a sense of humor to some challenging topics. I'm glad to see you have a jammin' band in NYC that is dope as hell!!
I dunno, I think his editing could be better, also on some videos you can hear a small echo, which is probably because his mic isn't close enough to him.
As someone who learned music in the classroom and in the garage, I find your vids refreshing, informative, and very much in-line with the way I think about music. Thanks for the great vids.
Great point on the fact that jazz musicians know much more about classical than vice-versa. I have a friend that listens almost exclusively classical organ music and can be very condesending to jazz/fusion music. We disavow eachother on monthly bas(s)es, but I still enjoy talking to someone with a really differrent view-point on music.
I love your channel, Adam! I feel like people don't take the intellectual side of music nearly as seriously as it deserves and they just blow it off. Great to see someone being public and forward with their love of the study as well as the performance of music.
5:17-5:32 really hits the nail on the head for me. Thanks for stating this so eloquently!
Thanks for bringing back the whole reading comments as they're typed in all their mistake-ridden-glory.
I don't read music but I do appreciate musicians who take an extra effort to master their skill in music! It's actually inspiring to see the great musicians who are so skilled in theory and in practice! Great video 👍
"I want to dispel the notion that Charlie Parker didn't know what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing"
nice
I really appreciate you pointing out sometimes you gotta do what you don't wanna do in order to do the things you wanna do...I've struggled with social anxiety all my life and just working at Starbucks is scaring the ever-loving crap outta me, but at the end of the day it's nice to come back to my guitar, your vids, and some sheet music (which I've recently been training with again thanks to you, man). Words of wisdom that I'm gonna be repeating all throughout today's shift. Cheers!
Hearing that being in the music industry although very hard is rewarding is so relieving to hear as someone in school for music now
Congrats on getting a hundred-thousand subscribers, Adam. You deserve 'em.
Thanks for making my favorite youtube channel!
Lots of wise words here dude... great job!
The lighting and sound quality in this video are spot on. Great work! The effort really goes a long way.
Short time subscriber, first time comment, no gimmicks, just great incisive content, drummer from Aus.
I love your gig vlogs. I'm a metalhead personally, but I really enjoy watching stuff related to a realistic music-driven lifestyle. Keep it up!
Man... Your job is awesome, i'm a brazilian young musician and this channel is one of my favorites! Good luck with it, i'm always learning something new from your videos.
BRAVO to you sir for correctly defending your positions ... a find your insights helpful & 95% correct ... ain't nobody perfect
I couldn't agree more with the "did the author reach its goal?" statement. I always try to appreciate that over anything else. Thx for expressing so clearly, I couldn't say it better
"That's just disc-c-c-c-ustinc" HAHAHAH. I almost died with that one! Another great video, Adam! I really enjoy your insights. Cheers.
Adam, I think you have some of the BEST music related videos! Your theory stuff is fantastic. I've shown your "Why not to use TAB" video to several people and they've all gotten a lot out of it. Your presentation is always clear and concise, and you're very well spoken. Keep it up!
your videos are incredibly thorough, very addictive to music theory junkies like myself. You rock!
Hello Adam,
You're so right about the "sometime you must do gigs that you don't like really" subject. It's part if the musician life, and the real challenge is to learn how to like them gigs anyhow. Keep doing the way you do, you are great. Thanks for the videos. (Sorry for my poor english)
As much as I love everything you do, I have to say I enjoy when you answer hate mail the best.
I don't get why people get so offended over this shit, your channel is about the theory side of things in the end.
Wait people get offended by these kinds of videos?... What?
Fucking kill me
That essay at 12:23 is a work of art. Because of the internet I don't even know if it's ironic humour or if the person's views are genuine, either way it's quality content.
I love how so many of the people who write comments insulting you feel the need to elaborate so much. The Internet is a crazy place
Your gig vlogs rock! and are monumentally inspiring. I'm a gigging musician in a music town and am always looking to expand my stylistic repertoire. Your gig vlogs always leave me with ideas on what else is possible. Keep up all your great posts. Don't stop.
That speck of dust at 5:26 strongly agreed with you.
Thanks for another great video Adam. I really appreciate your honest, informed and thoughtful answers to some really interesting questions.
I have never laughed this hard haha from 12.24 onwards....esp when Adam changed the music for that comment.
Hey Adam!!! Thank you for all the good content and mostly for showing what is like to make a living with music. I'm gonna start a music degree next year and all the gig videos and others (as the one where you showed all the work you do in one week) make a proof that is not impossible (as many people say) to live playing, teaching and making music. I know I won't be millionaire, but I love what I do and I think it worth being stress with something that you like than other stuff you're not into.
Greetings from Chile!!!
PS: I hope I spelled everything well. Spanish is my first language.
I first saw AAL in July and cannot wait to see them play the Madness of Many setlist next year... You should definitely see them when you can Adam, best gig I've ever been to
I often follow your suggestions and links. They've led me to smiles and knowledge in the past. I liked the laser bat. I feel part of my life was missing before that moment. Thanks.
Holy Shit over 100k subs. I remember finding out about him from /r/bass regarding 4:3 polyrhythms and he had less than 10k then. Congrats on your rapid growth Adam!
Bass solos. . . sooo many of them these days, and so few worth recalling. I can, however, think of two: Jaco playing the melody along with Wayne Shorter on Weather Report's "A Remark You Made," and Tal Wilkenfeld's solo in "Cause We Ended As Lovers" with the Jeff Beck Group at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival. I played bass in a bar band back in the seventies that had TWO French horns, a flugelhorn and a sax. We'd open our first set with some Debussy, which really got the early arrivals wondering what was up. They understood much better when we played our very loud version of Procol Harum's "Simple Sister" to wrap up the evening.
Your videos are just awesome, so thanks for that! I’ve been playing electric guitar with no formal schooling for 16 years now (although I know the theory fairly well), and what you’re talking about and trying to get at is really helpful at my level of progress. I guess many struggling beginners just want the tabs and a couple of riffs and licks, and those people are complaining. I really liked your musical notation video, and I’ve started to notate every new song for my cover band without the guitar in hand, in the manner you suggested *thumbs up*
Do not be afraid of the negative comments Adam, your videos are awesome and informative. Keep up the good work! Cheers.
Thanks for posting all the videos you do, I find them very interesting and mind opening. Keep it up :) I love how you read peoples comments in articulated fashion. thanks for sharing
i'm struggling to lock back my jaw now, outstanding band, you definitely should make a segment called "shit that is awesome, but probably flies under your radar".
Tom Varner at Cornish College in Seattle French Horn Jazz extraordinaire!
Amateur bass player here. I used to study music when younger, and I was really into musical theory until my artistic needs overpowered my will to learn and, well, I just formed a band. After that I substituted music theory with "feels" and although I'm ashamed, I pretty much forgot everything. I like your videos because I can get back into the groove (no pun intended) of musical theory. Good job!
I really think the acceptance of not quite knowing enough about Japanese to comment on it is a brilliant thing. Too often people aren't willing to admit that they don't know about the subject, and end up making some incorrect or inconsiderate comment about it. Props to you, man.
@2:10 Miles Davis certainly was well-versed in music theory. And that speaks to why he was so inventive throughout his timeline across a variety of music genres including his own.
Never understood why you don't run your mic through your octave pedal or run it through a software octave pedal so you can say bass 1 octave lower.
think of the potential bass man
That's pretty much Davie504's trademark
@@MarcelVLafonde Keep in mind that comment was written 3 years ago, back when Davie didn't even talk in his videos
@@oleksiishekhovtsov1564 That's true!
I really enjoy your videos. I find you intelligent and insightful. I teach Science at a secondary school after doing a Chemistry degree. I wish I had done a music degree. I believe that that's why I find you interesting but I wish I was a professional musician. I love your tone and approach to music and I love how professional you come across. Keep it up.
hey adam, do you know about Andres Rotmistrovsky?
Random drummer here, your vlog inspired me to pursue better gigs in my life. Thank you.
Why on earth are there so many... Well, dumb, comments on your videos? Everything you say is said clearly and you back yourself up with context and with facts etc. You provide amazing free content that (as you once pointed out yourself)- while it doesn't necessarily turn people into great musicians overnight it definitely provides some great food for thought and inspiration to go and put the work in oneself. Thanks and keep doing what you do, I just became a patreon suporter :)
“Charlie and Dizzy just blew?” As you point out, it’s been well documented that Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie talked music and musical influences and music theory with each other (and with other musicians) ENDLESSLY, and drew wild charts, and plotted out what they were doing in pretty intricate detail! And Miles Davis heralded from a well-off family and graduated from Juilliard!! How much more LITERALLY academic can you get than graduating from Juilliard?? What the hell!? People are 🤬 morons.
"Bill Nighy the Science Guy"
Ha! Priceless xD
I also thoroughly enjoyed that extremely pretentious comment calling you out for being, in their opinion, pretentious. Amazing! To give an opposing viewpoint, I think your tone on the channel is great. You get into deep subjects and give them excellent coverage in a relatively short amount of time which means you have to talk quickly and get to the point. Some people may take this tone as pretentious but he amount of work you put into these videos and the passion that you put into them tells me that you actually enjoy sharing your projects and interests with us. Your respectful responses to questions in these q+a videos shows your open-mindedness as well.
Thanks for your work and please keep sharing! I really enjoy this channel.
Bass ✌🏻
Great stuff! Always look forward to watching your videos.
Someone played french horn at a jam session at the Rochester jazz fest this past summer and totally killer it! She was a classical player but definitely had a good knowledge of soloing over jazz chord progressions and repertoire of jazz licks.
Hey Adam. I can't remember how I found your channel but I'm glad to be a new subscriber. I love how you have an opinion supported by logic and experience.
keep plowing forward, adam. great job.
Thanks for the tip on Stimpy Lockjaw. Very cool.
Thank you, Adam.
An addition for the first question:
Adam has a great clip of him playing "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit. I also play this song with the cover band I am in, covering the bass parts, but occasionally I fill in some chordal stuff on the bass if I want the band to have a really beefy rock sound, especially on the interludes without bass. In church music you might call these "holds" or "whole notes" in the older, European stuffs, but I think the main benefits to these kinds of orchestrations are to subliminally add to the tune without making your presence known. Does that make sense? It's kind of like when guitar players use a volume pedal while comping: the rhythmic element of the instrument is intentionally muddied only to create what might be called "pads" on a synthesizer. But the key is to not take away from the bass part.
Also, a big issue with bass players and chords usually boils down to voicing. I hear sometimes at music festivals the younger/less experienced bass players trying to do everything. Guys like Matthew Garrison and Jaco also studied piano. So they know if they play some kind of three or four note chord on the bass, they are playing something similar to what a pianist (or guitar player for that manner) might play. Hadrien Feraud is another great example of this too, but the context of what he is doing is important.
Talking to your bandmates I think would be the best way to do this without getting chewed out. Communication is essential, even if it is something as simple as, "Hey, would you guys mind if I played the melody here?"
David Bowie's album Blackstar features Tim Lefebrve playing what sounds like a guitar part at the beginning of "Lazarus." Tim's pocket is also a mile wide, so this is something to consider too.
*Adam, it would really, really mean a great deal to me if you could read this comment.*
Hey Adam, in one of your Q&As, someone whined about you using the same background music in all your vids, and you jokingly responded with something like, *"oh, thank you so much for volunteering to record music for my channel!"* before moving on to the next comment. Well, I'm a musician/composer who has done a couple award-winning film scores, and I love your channel, and would be more than happy to write and record some free music for you to use for your videos, or even just a single video (if you were to say yes, and also liked my music enough to use it, of course.) I'm not looking for any money at all, or fame, or anything slimy like that; just a meaningful creative outlet.
because, unfortunately, **this is the sad part** i've become disabled and bedridden over the past several years, due to a pain disorder, and haven't had any real opportunities to work on any musical projects I care about because of that disability, and how debilitating it is. But I care about your channel quite a lot, and it would make me feel useful, and like a real musician again if i could contribute some new background music to your channel; even if i'm still just composing from my bed. If your answer is "sure, why not give it a shot?" then just let me know what sort of music you might want, and the best place to post the music so it gets to you without any hassle. (facebook, email, youtube, whatever is easiest for you.) If your answer is "no", I still really appreciate you taking the time to read my comment. I really hope to hear from you, regardless of your answer, but I really hope that I can give you something that you can use, and also enjoy musically, despite my current situation of being bedridden because of my disability. That would really make my year, and mean so, so much to me. Thank you so much for reading this, and (hopefully) considering it.
- Calvin Lee
P.S. Congrats on passing the 100,000 subscriber mark! Best. Channel. Ever.
P.P.S. *BASS* :)
+Calvin Lee hey Calvin, shoot me an email adamneelybass@gmail.com
+Adam Neely - email sent! Thanks so much for replying.
20:14 James, if you don't want to show your face, like Adam, you can record your voice first (from a script that you've written yourself) and then find and add photos and/or video to fit. One pro is that you can then upload the script (into youtube) as a Close Caption, which, in turn, I think will help boost your channel even further.
I'm loving these videos Adam! Would consider making some content on how to make a living as a musician?
do a guitar for bass players, I wanna get into those sweet chords, but I don't know how to, using those 2 extra tiny strings
In your discussion of the lack of jobs out of music school, I started thinking about my own situation in the motion picture industry. I've been retired from the industry for 11 years, after 30 years in Hollywood as a set lighting technician aka juicer. During that time that I worked in the industry, whenever I ran into someone who had gone to film school, I would ask them the question "Did film school have anything to do with the price of tea in China", meaning did film school really prepare you for the industry as it really is. In that 30 years, I only asked one person who said "yes", and they had gone to NYU. That was Frank Byers, who was cinematographer on Twin Peaks. It was always a sad thing to find someone who had gone to and accrued a massive debt going to USC Film School, and was just doing the same thing that I was doing, namely being a juicer...
There was a time in the 90s that I wanted to direct. So I didn't go to film school per se, but I went to UCLA Extension, taking a class in Episodic Television Directing. I took that instead of Film Directing classes, since I believed that would equip me more for low budget filmmaking, since feature filmmaking has production schedules that have the tendency to expand beyond the original time allotted, and television requires that you bring in a project within a specific period of time within a limited budget. The difference between UCLA Film School and UCLA Extension is that the Extension has instructors who are actually working directors. Nancy Malone, my instructor, would teach us from her actual dailies from whatever show she was currently working on. The old saying "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach" didn't apply to UCLA Extension, since the instructor was a working director. She taught us tricks that didn't really have anything thing to do with actual directing, things like always ask for a camera crane, even if you have no planned shot in which to use it. The price of the crane becomes a bargaining chip to give up for something you might find you really need. She taught about mental attitude of not showing that you are nervous when you are scared out of your skull...
I don't know if the music industry has something like UCLA Extension, that has the advantage of having instructors who work in the real world, and also the classes are not something that take up all your time, often held on a Saturday during the day...
Almost 100K subs!
Congrats in advance.
Mr. Intellectual-radar at 13:08 mistook Bill Nighy for Bill Nye.
What makes a Chistmas song? The sleigh bells of course!
Hey, I am a 19 year old dude from Brasil and I am going to be moving to NYC for college in august (not going to study music).
From a very young age I have always had a good connection to music in the sense that all 'musicians' near me said i had a good grip to music and all i had to do is to put some time into it. But i kind of neglected this part of me by playing video games and bieng lazy. But i always played a bit, have always had a guitar, played a bit of piano, and most of what I do with friends revolve around music.
I recently said to myself that i wanted to dedicate more time do music and spontaneously bought a CLARINET! I have been playing it for 1.5 months, have had 1 class a week (but honestly most of my progress comes from playing alone or with friends), and have really improved. To a point in which i can go to jam sessions with friends and improv very well (according to my friends and other strangers) and I can also play most songs with a bit of listening (sometimes i can't get the scale instantly, but it eventually come to me).
I would like to know what are my next steps? (I really like playing klezmer, do you? Its amazing music!)
Gillespie and Parker played together in the Billy Eckstine band. For sight-reading practis(c)e after the gig (obviously!), they would turn their band parts upside down.
I actually did play with a french horn player at a musical gig. Quite a cool experience as her and my parts(no pun intended) were the same for a lot of passages due to the arrangement(obviously) - from my perspective it was like having a fuller, synth-like sound. French horns are awesome!
So nice that you know Stimpy Lockjaw! I was thinking of bringing them up because they're so awesome, they definitely deserve some attention
Also, can you suggest some inspiring progressive bands? I'm into Animals as Leaders, Exivious, Snarky Puppy, i guess you have a taste of the genre. Cheers!
Recently discovered your channel, loving the content! About the christmas music question, maybe it's a swedish thing but subdominant minor is kind of a christmasy sound, at least a lot of music theory teachers over here describe subdominant minor as the christmas chord (in the swedish christmas song "Jul jul, strålande jul" for example). Keep being awesome and making great and educational videos!
Adam, the amazing thing about mash-up's ala DJ Earworm is how they manage to create a completely different song both lyrically and thematically via a pastiche of otherwise unrelated songs. His "United State of Pop 2009" was a masterpiece in that respect.
I've played (piano) with a French hornist (?) It's a lot of fun! She's a great player. It really fills out the low mids. The band is Drumkit, Bass, French Horn, Piano, clarinet, squeeze box. It's nice mix, really!
I will say that many of the 30s and 40s Christmas tunes are very big on woodwind runs; especially triplet runs.
In defence of shortscale basses: I have the Ibanez mikro basses with both 4 and 5 strings, and I love them. My fingers are short, and I just can't handle a full-scale bass. As far as I know there are no mass-produced fretless shortscale basses available. I have a fretless 4-string that was modified by a friend of mine, and to my ears it sounds awesome.
"keep posting content no matter what"
Ugh...that's my biggest problem. I obsess about what to make, instead of just making something.
Geoff Bosco samee
Geoff Bosco Don't let your dreams be dreams. JUST DO IT!
Geoff Bosco You nailed it. That's what my problem is too. I just hadn't put it into words
Geoff Bosco would you rather put out 50 videos that get 10 views each (which may be people who genuinely love your content and come back for more) or 1 video that gets 500 views (from more people who may only watch here and there)? I think the answer to that question will tell you whether you should just pump out videos or really focus on a few you really love. There is nothing wrong with either approach at all.
TheAnnie Canvas But what if it is currently 0 videos getting 0 views, because one obsesses over what to make instead of making something?
Sure am glad you are smart enough and take it to the time to research all of this information brother... I sit and watch and watch and watch and now I'm not near as dumb as I used to be😁😂😂🤣😃
Tabs are great. I love them. I am currently struggling with learning to learn standard notation. If I know the song though (not how to play it, but I have a simple understanding of the rhythm and such) tabs are really good. Also, soon I may be getting an eight string guitar, which means I will have notes that are all the way down to the F# just above the basses E string. A nine string would get me to the C# just above the B of a five or six string bass.
When I heard the Christmas thing, I thought that it’s basically just about happy scales and bells, and you mentioned that second thing. Lol.
Love it, dude you're great.
Just found your channel. Animals as Leaders? Kesha? Just need Reign of Kindo, BTBAM, and Scale the Summit to round out my daily playlist. Great content!
Hey I started playing bass this year not really knowing anything about it, I always wanted to play an instrument and make music but never committed to actually learning it because it all seemed way too complicated, plus the older I got the more I convinced myself it was too late - I'm 24 now. Turns out it's pretty damn hard but after 6 months I feel like I've at least made progress. I didn't use the internet to my advantage though like I should have, I just plugged it in and played around to see what sounded nice to me while also looking up bass covers of my favorite songs since I was never able to really recognize the bass even in songs I had heard hundreds of times, it was either too rhythmic for my soulless body or I would confuse it for the kick drum or guitar. Point is, stumbling on your videos forced me to recognize that there was so much already established knowledge I could be drawing from and it sort of renewed my passion to continue learning.
Also have you ever listened to much Mudvayne? I always really liked their first two albums and after focusing my attention to bass I realized how much of that was because of their bassist Ryan Martinie. I'd like to know your thoughts on his work in Mudvayne and maybe suggest some things to look into that would help me understand his style a bit more.
Good day Adam, I have been enjoying your videos because of quality content and amazing point of view on different aspects of theory and musical phenomenon. I would like to ask some questions for your next Q&A (or for your next video):
1. Is there any theory or guideline on how many instruments makes a good song, or at least have a bigger chance of making good band? do you have any view on recommended instruments combination?
2. Is percussion a mandatory part of a band? although it is always about the type of song we play, but i want to hear your view, especially from your experience.
Thanks a lot for your videos man!
What do you think of Geddy Lee's approach to bass? His style and tone that (back then) deviated from the norm and his flamenco style fingering, I'm just curious on your take on it
Daft Doggo - Awesome attack and tone, compelling bass lines, an absolute monster musician. Don't care for his singing, though.
Daft Doggo - Btw, "deviate from the norm", that sounds like Peart.
RogueReplicant yeah it's a cheeky reference to Vital Signs
Well then, elevate from the norm :-)
Yay ! I've experienced something you haven't ! Have played with a local brass band which played in Paris and there was a French horn player amongst'em :p
always fun to watch your stuff m8
I'm a french horn player who goes to school in upstate new york (Eastman School of Music) but I love jazz and would be down to jam if I ever make it out to NYC
Sir, would you please consider doing a segment analysing the jingle for your "Question + Answer Time, with Adam Neely" videos? I've had it in my head all day and would love some insight into it.
I enjoy your channel very much.