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Jack Bruce

Grande inspiração. Tocando agora em instâncias superiores. RIP.

10/25/14

Jack Bruce, Bassist for Rock’s Cream, Dies at 71

Versatile and influential player had jazz and blues background

By Jeff Tamarkin

Jack Bruce, best known as the bassist and primary vocalist of one of rock’s most influential trios, Cream, died today (Oct. 25) at age 71 at his home in Suffolk, England. The cause was liver disease—Bruce had received a liver transplant in 2003.

Although he was heralded primarily for his work with Cream—along with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker—and other blues-oriented bands, Bruce began as a jazz musician in his teens and dabbled in the music both before and after Cream, which reigned only from 1966-68.

Born John Symon Asher Bruce on May 14, 1943, in Lankashire, Scotland, Bruce moved often in his youth but found his footing after being awarded a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He left the school after joining Jim McHarg's Scotsville Jazzband. He next played acoustic bass with the Murray Campbell Big Band but by 1962 the blues had won him over. Bruce joined Blues Incorporated, a British band led by Alexis Korner—Baker was also a member during this period. When that group split, Bruce, along with Baker and guitarist John McLaughlin, joined the Graham Bond Quartet, in which he still played upright bass.

Bruce’s switch to electric bass—the instrument with which he would ultimately build his reputation—came when the quartet became the Graham Bond Organisation. Bruce left that group in 1965 to join John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, which also included Clapton, who had just left the Yardbirds. Following that Bruce spent a brief period with the Manfred Mann group before Cream came together in July 1966. The trio’s popularity was instantaneous, and peaked with its second album, 1967’s Disraeli Gears. Known as a ferocious live act, their lengthy improvisations onstage drew heavily from jazz although the music was undeniably squarely in the blues-rock vein. Bruce, who co-wrote the group’s signature hit “Sunshine of Your Love,” as well as songs such as “White Room” and “I Feel Free,” also provided most of the lead vocals for Cream.

After the group’s breakup in 1968—Bruce and Baker have never made a secret of their long-standing disdain for each other—Bruce released his debut solo album, Songs for a Tailor, in 1969.Things We Like, which followed in 1970, utilized McLaughlin on guitar and was Bruce’s most jazz-oriented release (it was actually recorded beforeSongs for a Tailor). While Bruce never veered fully into jazz, he often aligned with jazz musicians for various projects, including Larry Coryell, Tony Williams (Bruce was an original member of the drummer’s group Lifetime), Billy Cobham, Carla Bley, Kip Hanrahan and others.

Bruce also worked with rock guitar heavyweights such as Robin Tower and Leslie West during his career. Bruce played on Frank Zappa'sApostrophe album in 1974.

Cream was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and reunited for some shows in London and New York in 2005.

In 2012, Bruce, guitarist Vernon Reid, keyboardist John Medeski and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana recorded a self-titled tribute album to Tony Williams Lifetime under the name Spectrum Road.

Bruce released Silver Rails, his final album as a leader—there were more than a dozen in all—this year.

What are modes and how do they work?

A Practical Guide to Modes and Scales

by Damian ErskineWednesday, October 26th, 2011

Q: What are modes and how do they work?

A: I get this question a lot, but have only touched on it in past columns, as it relates to other questions. Here’s a straightforward guide to modes and scales to follow.

Modes are a very simple concept but can take some time to really understand and get under your fingers in a way that gets you playing around with them with any authority.

Basically, all a mode is is a scale. When someone mentioned the major scale modes, they are talking about all of the scales contained within the major scale.

For example, you probably already know the C Major scale, which is:

C D E F G A B

If you choose a different starting note (other than the C), and progress through the scale normally from there, you’ll be playing a different “mode”. For example, if you start on D (the 2nd note of the scale), you’d play:

D E F G A B C

That’s known as the Dorian Mode.

The real key is learning the names of the associated modes and then internalizing the patterns and sounds of those modes. Even though they may have the same notes as their Major parent scale, they will have different sounds and feels to them.

The Major Modes:

1. I – Ionian (Major scale)
2. ii – Dorian (Major scale starting on the 2nd degree)
3. iii – Phrygian (Major scale starting on the 3rd degree)
4. IV – Lydian (Major scale starting on the 4th degree)
5. V – Mixolydian (Major scale starting on the 5th degree)
6. vi – Aeolian (Minor Scale – Major scale starting on the 6th degree)
7. vii – Locrian (Major scale starting on the 7th degree)

Notice that the 6th mode (Aeolian) is also a regular minor scale.

If you’ve ever heard anyone mention the “relative minor” or “relative Major” scale, this is what they’re talking about. The appropriate minor or Major scale relative to the current mode.

If we are in G Major, for example, the relative minor scale would be E minor (E is the 6th note of the G Major scale. When you play the notes to a G Major scale but start on E, you get an E minor scale).

If we are in A minor, the relative major is? C Major!

So, if we want to take this stuff a step further, we would really learn all of the Major modes as well as all modes relating to melodic minor and harmonic minor as well.

Melodic minor is just like Major, but with a flatted 3rd. So, C melodic minor is:

C D Eb F G A B

It’s a slight difference, but it makes a big impact on the sound of all of the modes.

Harmonic minor is just like regular minor, but with a natural 7th. So, C harmonic minor is:

C D E♭ F G A♭ B

If we take each of those scales and learn all of the different modes associated with each, we get 21 different modes, all with very different sounds (each scale has 7 notes, so there are 7 modes per parent scale. Parent scales being Major, Melodic Minor and Harmonic Minor).

I would suggest tackling these one at a time. First, learn all of your Major modes. Then Melodic minor and finally, Harmonic minor.

That way, when someone says this is a Lydian sound, you will immediately know what that means (Major with a sharp 4! It’s also the 4th mode of Major. C Major and F Lydian have the same notes, but very different sounds when you really emphasize that raised 4th).

I’m big on the shapes of things on my fretboard when learning new harmonic concepts. I would recommend that you write out the name and notes of each Major scale mode and then draw the shape on a fretboard diagram for yourself. I used to simply drill the shapes of each mode until I knew it like the back of my hand.

Modes Fretboard Diagram:

Quiz yourself or go through them with a friend. You can simply call out a note and the name of a mode and then try and play it: C Phrygian! D Lydian! G Melodic minor! and so on.

Have fun, but do the work. This is highly rewarding and comes in very handy when dialoguing with other musicians about music and approaches to a tune.

Modes in the Key of C:

In addition to the examples above, I also suggest that you create your own charts and diagrams as it helps to reinforce the information and how you are internalizing it.

Traveling abroad with your BASS

Q: Always a great read and insightful subjects, many thanks to you & the No Treble team. I’ve been playing locally so far, but now I’m prepping for my first international trip for music. Travel insurance and gear insurance is my responsibility. I have have a ’74 Precision and a 2012 RW Jazz Bass, and I have a high-end SKB case with TSA locks, and the regular Fender hardcase, also with TSA locks. Also there is an NS NXT with a custom made flight case twin butterfly closures with gig bag that fits inside the case. Backline amps are provided but for obvious reasons I don’t want to take the P bass, because it’s vintage. So I’m wondering if I should get a road case the SKB can fit into, and locks – which I’m guessing will be costly due to the weight factor. Or should I get a Mono single bass case that I can bring on board? What do you recommend?

by Damian ErskineWednesday, October 8th, 2014From notreble.com

A: While I have answered questions similar to this and covered traveling with gear in a past column, I did have a few thoughts while reading your question.

In short: keep it simple, bring only what you need and don’t worry too much about things not in your control.

As I’ve stated in previous columns, I bring my bass with me on the plane and always use a high quality gig bag with some padding (but one that also has as small a footprint as possible). I typically use my leather Reunion Blues gig bag or the “Aero” bag if I really want to keep the bag as small as possible.

I’ve never had an issue gate checking an instrument and successfully get it on-board about 95% of the time.

I do also have the same iSeries SKB flight case (which is a tank) and feel secure checking my bass in that, but I have had mixed outcomes with my bass actually arriving with me at the same time. Some airlines are worse than others. I have about a 50/50 chance of getting my bass with Air Canada, if I check it below the plane. Not cool.)

Because I don’t want to ever have to scramble to find any bass I can get my hands on for a gig, I will always try to bring it on board, especially if I have multiple connections. On occasion – and with a direct flight – I will use the SKB. If you’re bouncing around different countries on all sizes of airplanes and on any number of small second or third world planes, I would would recommend keeping your bass with you.

Keep in mind that every country is different. There have been times I was forced to check my bass at the gate and retrieve it at the luggage carousal because a random airline doesn’t allow you to gate check anything. I recently had a mad dash through Schiphol Airport to get my bass at the baggage claim and go back through customs in time to catch my connection because the Latvian airline absolutely refused to let me bring it on or gate check it. All was well though, and my bass sat in the overhead bin for every other leg of the trip. You very well may have to check it here and there and hope for the best but, most every time, you’ll be fine.

You mentioned TSA locks a number of times. These are only good for travel in the US! You will have your locks cut off your bag in any other country, if they want to get inside. This goes for locks built into the latches of those SKB cases. If they want in, they will break the latch to get in and there’s nothing you can do about it. When traveling abroad, don’t use the TSA locks!

Again, my advice is to bring the minimum. If you need an electric and an EUB (electric upright bass), go ahead and check the EUB in it’s flight case and carry your gig bag with you to the gate. Pack your pedals, cords, tools, etc. in your suitcase. I usually pack gear in the middle so it’s well protected from any side. I don’t even use the flight case for my pedal-board anymore. I’d rather pack all that in the suitcase. However, if there is a pedal, my in-ear monitors or some gizmo that I absolutely must have for the gig, I’ll put it in my carry-on to protect myself in case of a misplaced suitcase.

Speaking of carry-ons, try and keep yours as small as possible if you’re bringing your gig bag. That, or ask if they would mind gate checking that piece of luggage so you don’t take up too much space on the plane. I ask if they would “prefer I gate check my small suitcase, so long as it can meet me at the gate at the next airport, and so I don’t take up the overhead space”. They appreciate the offer, and I’ve found that gate agents are more lenient with my gig bag afterwards.

Many musicians will speak of carrying a print out of the F.A.A ruling on traveling with instruments. I’ve yet to have this work (and is irrelevant outside of the US. Actually, it works against you at times because they perceive you as a typical American who thinks the world revolves around our rules). I find it more helpful to print out the rules regarding instruments from the airline’s website. Granted, on an extended trip around the world, this could be quite a stack of paper, but if you have your itinerary and know the airlines that you will be traveling, it might be worth checking out each airline’s website and searching for that information. If it states clearly that you can bring it on board as long as it fits in the over-head on the airline website, it’s pretty hard for them to argue with you about it. If nothing else, I always ask if I can at least leave it up to the host(ess) on the plane. For what it is worth, my problems have always been with the gate agent and not the people actually working on the plane.

The earlier you board the plane, the more room there will be as well. It pays to have mileage status just for this “privilege” alone, when trying to find an empty over-head bin. Many airlines will allow you to pay to get an earlier boarding group number (it’s often pretty cheap too). If you have a full flight, it could be worth it to you.

This is a lot of stuff to consider and to worry about and, like I said, 95% of the time, I can stroll right on the plane with zero problems. I’ll often put my instrument in the first class closet if there’s room (not all planes have a closet). Big international flights are usually a no brainer. There’s plenty of room. It’s the smaller airlines zipping you from Warsaw to L’Viv for example that are more likely to be an issue. Again, almost every time, a gate check is the worst case scenario and it’s pretty safe… last thing on, first thing off.

Small plane? Unless there’s an empty seat and a very cool crew, you’re going to gate check it. It just won’t fit up there. Although I have had my bass given a free seat three or four times!

You also mentioned insurance. I’ve never paid for travel insurance. If I’m forced to change a flight because I want to, it’s my cost. If the band is forced to change the flights, that should be their cost.

I will implore you to get instrument insurance, though. I’ve covered this topic as well. Check out this column. Instrument insurance is very cheap and can save you a lot of money if something goes wrong.

I hope that helps. Safe travels!

Modos gregos

Origem: Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre.

Na Grécia antiga, as diversas organizações sonoras (ou formas de organizar os sons) diferiam de região para região, consoante as tradições culturais e estéticas de cada uma delas. Assim, cada uma das regiões da antiga Grécia deu origem a um modo (organização dos sons naturais) muito próprio, e que adaptou a denominação de cada região respectiva. Desta forma, aparece-nos o modo dórico (Dória), o modo frígio (da região da Frígia), o modo lídio (da Lídia), o modo jónio (da região da Jónia) e o modo eólio (da Eólia). Também aparece um outro — que é uma mistura dos modos lídio e dórico — denominado modo mixolídio.

História

Historicamente, os modos eram usados especialmente na música litúrgica da Idade Média, sendo que poderíamos também classificá-los como modos "litúrgicos" ou "eclesiásticos".

Existem historiadores que preferem ainda nomeá-los como "modos gregorianos", por terem sido organizados, também, pelo papa Gregório I, quando este se preocupou em organizar a música na liturgia de sua época.

No final da Idade Média a maioria dos músicos foi dando notória preferência aos modos jónio e eólio que posteriormente ficaram populares como Escala maior e Escala menor.

Os demais modos ficaram restritos a poucos casos, mas ainda são observados em diversos gêneros musicais. O sétimo modo, o lócrio foi criado pelos teóricos da música para completar o ciclo, mas é de raríssima utilização e pouca aplicabilidade prática.

De fato, o modo lócrio existe como padrão intervalar, mas não como modo efetivamente, visto que a ausência da quinta justa impede que haja sensação de repouso na tríadesobre a nota fundamental. Por outro lado, tanto a música erudita quanto a música popular do século XX (marcadamente o jazz) acolheram o uso da quarta aumentada (ou quinta diminuta), pois a tensão proporcionada pela dissonância pode ser aproveitada com finalidades expressivas. (É importante observar que embora a quinta diminuta e a quarta aumentada sejam a mesma nota, desempenham função completamente distinta no acorde. A quinta diminuta faz parte da triade ou tétrade, ou seja, da estrutura básica do acorde, enquanto a quarta aumentada desempenha a função de tensão do acorde. A quarta aumentada vem da escala lídia, ou lídia com sétima menor, enquanto a quinta diminuta vem da escala lócria ou de uma escala alterada. Por não fazer parte da estrutura do acorde, os músicos preferem chamar a quarta aumentada de décima primeira aumentada, ou, simplesmente, #11, deixando bem claro se tratar de uma tensão. Já a quinta diminuta recebe esta denominação e costuma ser grafada como b5)

Fundamentação

Os modos baseiam-se atualmente na escala temperada ocidental, mas inicialmente eram as únicas possibilidades para a execução de determinados sons. Desde a antigaGrécia os modos já se utilizavam caracterizando a espécie de música que seria executada. Os modos, bem definidos então, eram aplicáveis de acordo com a situação, por exemplo: se a música remetia ao culto de um determinado deus deveria ser em determinado modo, e assim para cada evento que envolvesse música.

Com o temperamento da escala e a estipulação de uma afinação padrão, os modos perderam gradativamente a sua importância, visto que a escala cromática englobava a todos e harmonicamente foi possível classificá-los dentro dos conceitos "maior e menor".

O uso de frequências determinadas possibilitou o desenvolvimento das melodias na música juntamente com a harmonia e, com isto, na atualidade, os modos facilitam a compreensão do campo harmónico e sua caracterização, mas não possuem mais funções individuais. Devido ao uso do temperamento igual na música moderna não mais estabelecemos diferença entre bemol e sustenido na escala cromática, há, então, ainda mais restrição para o emprego de modos na música, senão como elemento teórico.

Os modos podem ser entendidos com extensão da escala natural de dó maior.

As notas dó ré mi fá sol lá si fazem parte de dó jônico. Se aplicarmos essas mesmas notas transformando a tónica em ré, teremos ré mi fá sol lá si dó, um ré menor dórico. Em mi menor temos mi fá sol lá si dó ré mi, um mi menor frígio, e assim por diante.

Os modos

Nada mais são que uma série de sons melódicos pré-definida. Ao todo são 7, mais 7 variações destes.

Compreendendo

Partimos da escala padrão diatónica (a que se forma pelas notas sem acidentes) dó - ré - mi - fá - sol - lá - si, e sobre cada uma destas notas criamos uma nova escala diatónica. Quando fazemos isto, a relação dos tons é alterada, consequentemente todo o campo harmónico também muda, visto que, ao estabelecer uma nota como a inicial, estabelece-se a tónica da nova escala.

Para ser mais claro, na escala musical temos funções que classificamos como graus para cada uma das notas, de acordo com sua posição acerca da primeira. Portanto, (nota por nota) sendo os graus: tónica, super-tónica, mediante, sub-dominante, dominante, super-dominante e sensível (para, por exemplo: dó - ré - mi - fá - sol - lá e si), o que mudamos no sistema modal é esta função de cada uma, criando uma nova relação entre os graus e notas. Tudo isso deve-se unicamente por estabelecermos uma nova tônica mantendo os intervalos.

Como são

Da escala diatónica: dó, ré, mi, fá, sol, lá, si, extraímos a relação intervalar de tons (T) e semitons (st) seguinte: T - T - st - T - T - T - st. Sempre que existir esta relação intervalar, teremos o modo jónio ou escala maior (no caso, de dó).

Se firmarmos como tónica o ré, usando a mesma escala diatónica, teremos: ré, mi, fá, sol, lá, si, dó: T - st - T - T - T - st - T. Sempre que esta relação existir, teremos o modo dórico, e assim por diante:

Modos

Por tons e semitons:

T - T - st - T - T - T - st: Jónio(Port.Europeu)
T - st - T - T - T - st - T: Dórico
st - T - T - T - st - T -T: Frígio
T - T - T - st - T - T - st: Lídio
T - T - st - T - T - st - T: Mixolidio
T - st - T - T - st - T - T: Eólio
st - T - T - st - T - T - T: Lócrio

Por intervalos:

1J 2M 3M 4J 5J 6M 7M : Jônio(Port. Bras.)
1J 2M 3m 4J 5J 6M 7m : Dórico
1J 2m 3m 4J 5J 6m 7m : Frígio
1J 2M 3M 4+ 5J 6M 7M : Lídio
1J 2M 3M 4J 5J 6M 7m : Mixolídio
1J 2M 3m 4J 5J 6m 7m : Eólio
1J 2m 3m 4J 5° 6m 7m : Lócrio

Exemplos

dó - ré - mi - fá - sol - lá - si: Jónio
ré - mi - fá - sol - lá - si - dó: Dórico
mi - fá - sol - lá - si - dó - ré: Frígio
fá - sol - lá - si - dó - ré - mi: Lídio
sol - lá - si - dó - ré - mi - fá: Mixolídio
lá - si - dó - ré - mi - fá - sol: Eólio
si - dó - ré - mi - fá - sol - lá: Lócrio

Entendendo melhor

Para sabermos utilizar tais sistemas na prática, devemos ter em mente que a escala musical actual é cromática, portanto, podemos estabelecer uma tonalidade e sobre esta (sem mover a nota da tónica) estabelecer cada uma das funções de um modo.

Exemplo

Partindo sempre da nota dó:

Jônio: dó - ré - mi - fá - sol - lá - si
Dórico: dó - ré - mi♭ - fá - sol - lá - si♭
Frígio: dó - ré♭ - mi♭ - fá - sol - lá♭ - si♭
Lídio: dó - ré - mi - fá♯ - sol - lá - si
Mixolídio: dó - ré - mi - fá - sol - lá - si♭
Eólio: dó - ré - mi♭ - fá - sol - lá♭ - si♭
Lócrio: dó - ré♭ - mi♭ - fá - sol♭ - lá♭ - si♭

Isso cria, para cada modo, um novo campo harmónico, uma tónica em escalas diferentes.

Resumindo...

MODO	Terça	Intervalo Característico	Nota Diferencial	Referencial à Escala Diatônica Moderna
JÔNIO	maior	-----	-----	Idêntica à Dó Maior
DÓRICO	menor	6ª Maior	Si	Ré Menor
FRÍGIO	menor	2ª Menor	Fá	Mi Menor
LÍDIO	maior	4ª aumentada	Si	Fá Maior
MIXOLÍDIO	maior	7ª menor	Fá	Sol Maior
EÓLIO	menor	-----	-----	Idêntica à Lá Menor
LÓCRIO	menor	2ª menor e 5ª diminuta	Dó e Fá	Si Menor

Classificação atual

Atualmente, classificamos os modos como maiores e menores, de acordo com o primeiro acorde que formarão em seu campo harmônico.

Modos maiores

Jônio
Lídio
Mixolídio

Modos Menores

Dórico
Frígio
Eólio
Lócrio (este podendo ser também classificado como semi-diminuto)

Aplicabilidade

Para aplicarmos os modos praticamente, devemos ter conhecimento sobre harmonia para compreender os encadeamentos harmônicos que cada escala modal propõe. Na realidade, é muito simples: se, por exemplo, tocamos uma música na tonalidade de dó maior, cuja tônica (estabelecemos) é o sol, estamos trabalhando com o modo "solmixolídio" (muito usado em músicas nordestinas). Se, harmonicamente, em uma música cujo tom está em dó maior, surge um acorde de ré maior, estamos no modo "dó lídio". Conhecer os modos facilita a interpretação e composição musical, desde que tenhamos bem óbvia a questão da harmonia.