Nation of Bass Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Anybody watch the Vic Firth Spotlight videos yet on the Vic Firth website? I just watched the SCV videos and they have a really tasty sounding bass tuning this year. They really do sound terrific imo. The percussion segments they played grooved pretty well. What does everyone else think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildabeast Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) Kent Cater is their bass guru. I've always liked the sound of Pearls. Edited July 31, 2009 by Wildabeast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08ThunderBass5 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I am a humongous fan of Scv bass and love all of the stuff they do. Usually, I hate low bass drum tuning but for some reason, I really like the way scv does it. However, the thing that drives me crazy is when people try to copy that bass tuning on other drumlines. 99% of the time imo, it doesn't work. So in conclusion, despite the fact that I love the way SCV bass lines play and sound, whenever I'm teaching a bass line I will take a more normal approach to not only tuning but writing and teaching as well. Basically, scv can pull that style off but most other people are not capable of copying it. Go scv bass! Those videos are awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kusankusho Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Does anyone know how they're tuning the intervals? Are they going minor 3rd, major 3rd, major 4th, perfect 5th, or something different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08ThunderBass5 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I just watched some videos on an un-named website and I heard from bottom up; D, A, D, F, Bb. However, I also know that these vary from show to show by a half step or so. i think the intervals stay the same, but the pitches change a little. So intervals would be from the bottom up; (Root), Perfect 5th, Perfect 4th, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpitch_83 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I just watched some videos on an un-named website and I heard from bottom up; D, A, D, F, Bb.However, I also know that these vary from show to show by a half step or so. i think the intervals stay the same, but the pitches change a little. So intervals would be from the bottom up; (Root), Perfect 5th, Perfect 4th, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th Maybe this should be a spin off thread but is there really any point to tuning basses (and quads/snares for that matter) to specific pitches/intervals? Personally (for basses) I start at the top, get the drum in tune with "itself" (i.e. fundamental pitch of the head/shell), and crank it to a pitch that works in my head and work my way down the line from there. I've had quite a few judges comment on how they've liked the tuning of my battery despite never trying to match certain pitches/intervals... Anyone else use a similar approach or care to weigh the pros & cons of each method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08ThunderBass5 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 In my very humble opinion, I actually do think that there is a big advantage to tuning to pitches. Well, actually I think it matters for the bottom three. Again, imho, if you can get that AWESOMELY in tune perfect fifth between bottom bass and bass four, the bass line just resonates and projects during unison hits and stuff!!! And it helps when you tune bass 3 an octave up (exactly) from bottom bass. For basses one and two, I personally put them a perfect fourth apart but really, I think most people just crank them high!! I love the sound of splits between top two basses and it helps when they are just way up there; sounds so awesome. Imho, I think there are three important aspects to awesome bass drum tuning; 1. Good Muffling (I should add, I don't really care for powermaxes/other pre-muffled drums..) 2. Clear Tuning (err i guess what I'm trying to say is all of your lugs are balanced and at the same pitch) 3. Good Intervals/pitces (I usually go with D A D F Bb (from bottom up)) HOWEVER! With all of that being said, I have heard some AWESOME bass lines before where I know the instructors just tune until "it sounds good" or "yeah i like that". basically, they don't use pitches and it still sounds sweet. I myself just prefer to use pitches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumno5 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Maybe this should be a spin off thread but is there really any point to tuning basses (and quads/snares for that matter) to specific pitches/intervals? Personally (for basses) I start at the top, get the drum in tune with "itself" (i.e. fundamental pitch of the head/shell), and crank it to a pitch that works in my head and work my way down the line from there. I've had quite a few judges comment on how they've liked the tuning of my battery despite never trying to match certain pitches/intervals...Anyone else use a similar approach or care to weigh the pros & cons of each method? We've been thru this before, in various other tuning related threads, but I'll state again that you can only get an approximate pitch on a bass/tenor/snare drum. There are just too many unfocused overtones coming out of a drum. Not to say that you shouldn't work to get the intervals you want, a satisfactory/pleasing separation between the different drums, and a pitch range (meaning a general "highness" or "lowness" within the group) that will complement and speak well within the battery and overall ensemble. But I think the folks who talk about tuning to specific notes - based on, or trying to avoid, or whatever, the keys the winds are playing, that kind of thing - are fooling themselves. Spend a couple of hours cranking, fiddling, watching the needle dance around on an electonic tuner (there's an exercise in futility!) - then come back half an hour later or bring the drums from behind the building out onto the practice field, and they sound different. "Oh, the heads stretched; geez, its hot out here, its making the pitch go up/down." Worse yet, ask your friend "how do these sound, does the 18" drum sound like an Ab?," and step back as he cranks/fiddles/needles for another 45 minutes. Yeah, you've gotta tune. But for the most part a drum/membranophone (other than a timpani) doesn't really produce a note, at least not a definable pitch in the same sense as a violin or trumpet. That's why all the orchestration textbooks refer to them as instruments of "indefinite pitch." Not callling anyone out, or trying to assasinate anyone's character or philosophy or anything. Just my $.02, fwiw. peace, Fred O. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpitch_83 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Right on... thanks for the input guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08ThunderBass5 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 We've been thru this before, in various other tuning related threads, but I'll state again that you can only get an approximate pitch on a bass/tenor/snare drum. There are just too many unfocused overtones coming out of a drum. Not to say that you shouldn't work to get the intervals you want, a satisfactory/pleasing separation between the different drums, and a pitch range (meaning a general "highness" or "lowness" within the group) that will complement and speak well within the battery and overall ensemble. But I think the folks who talk about tuning to specific notes - based on, or trying to avoid, or whatever, the keys the winds are playing, that kind of thing - are fooling themselves. Spend a couple of hours cranking, fiddling, watching the needle dance around on an electonic tuner (there's an exercise in futility!) - then come back half an hour later or bring the drums from behind the building out onto the practice field, and they sound different. "Oh, the heads stretched; geez, its hot out here, its making the pitch go up/down." Worse yet, ask your friend "how do these sound, does the 18" drum sound like an Ab?," and step back as he cranks/fiddles/needles for another 45 minutes. Yeah, you've gotta tune. But for the most part a drum/membranophone (other than a timpani) doesn't really produce a note, at least not a definable pitch in the same sense as a violin or trumpet. That's why all the orchestration textbooks refer to them as instruments of "indefinite pitch." Not callling anyone out, or trying to assasinate anyone's character or philosophy or anything. Just my $.02, fwiw. peace, Fred O. I actually think you are dead on despite the fact that it contradicts almost everything I said :) However I must add that I have a very fortunate advantage because I have perfect pitch. No tuners, no nothing. So in my unique situation the whole pitch thing usually does work but I understand in most cases it probably wouldn't. I should add that I'm not trying to sound like a show off or like I'm bragging; just explaining the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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