Intro to the Creative Industries

As this is just a quick intro to the creative industries, there are some organisations I would like you to look into, namely the PRS, MCPS, MU, PPL and BASCA.

Performing Right Society (PRS):

The PSR is a non profit organisation that works on behalf of songwriters, publishers and composers who are members. It collects fees from those who use the music or perform it, and then return these royalties to the writers, composers and publishers. The fees are collected from a PRS for Music License that provides the holder with permission to use the music it covers in various forms like radio, public performances, on TV or even online

Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)

The MCPS is an organisation that pays royalties to composers/songwriters/publishers from music which is manufactured into any format that allows it to be sold. This includes the likes of CD’s, soundtracks and nowadays, downloadable music. MCPS is now included under the larger organisation of Performing Right Society (PRS) for Music.

The Musicians Union (MU)

The MU is an organisation Musicians working within the UK. It provides it’s members with courses and seminars to help with their development within the industry, free legal advice with the help of NMD solicitors and the best insurance deals on any instrument. They also provide assistance and courses to those looking for careers in tutoring music.

Phonographic Performance Society (PPL)

The Phonographic Performance Society, also known as Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) aims to uphold the rights of both performers and record companies. PPL allows fractions like radio, TV or internet radio stations to legally use recordings of music or videos throughout the country. These licenses are paid for by the users and the royalties are paid to the original performer and record companies. This leads to greater exposure for the artist as well as royalties through the use of their music in clubs, restaurants and shops.

British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA)

The BACSA was founded with the aim to support and protect all songwriters, lyricists and composers, no matter what domain of music they work in, be it artistic or commercial. Their aim is to provide service to its members by providing a sense of community within British talent. They provide seminars, publications and communicate through websites with their members to keep everyone up to date.

One thing I would suggest to you is that you join the MU as soon as possible. It’s £6.75 a month for students, and then it’s bumped up to £13.25 a months for professionals.

BASS LESSON THREE

Bass Lesson 3

Seeing as how you’ve made it to your third lesson, I thought I would introduce you to some triads. Your two triads are the Major and Minor.

A Major Triad

G------------------------------------|

D------------------------------------|

A------4-7-4-------------------------|

E----5-------5-----------------------|

A Minor Pentatonic

G------------------------------------|

D------------------------------------|

A--------7---------------------------|

E----5-8---8-5-----------------------|

These are your Major and minor triads. They use the first, third and fifth notes of both the Major and Minor scales and the shape can be used anywhere on the fret board.

Next, we have the Major and Minor Pentatonic;

A Major Pentatonic

G----------------------------------------------|

D-----------6-7-6------------------------------|

A-------4-7-------7-4--------------------------|

E----5-----------------5-----------------------|

A Minor Pentatonic

G----------------------------------------------|

D----------5-7-5-------------------------------|

A--------7-------7-----------------------------|

E----5-8-----------8-5-------------------------|

These are you Pentatonic Scales. Note how they both use their respective triads, but also add on the 7th and 8th notes of their scales. Once again, these shapes can be used anywhere on the fret board.

Final thing I would like you to look at is the Minor Blues Scale.

A Minor Blues Scale

G----------------------------------------------|

D-------------5-7-5----------------------------|

A-------5-6-7-------5-6-7----------------------|

E---5-8-------------------8-5------------------|

T

This scale is almost the same as the minor pentatonic, with the exception that there's an added 4th and 4#th. I usually find that this scale is fantastic for implementing over minor chords, as it adds a slight blues twist to the sound.

Now, for your final lesson, you won’t be receiving any hand out, but you will instead get the opportunity to make a final recording if you feel comfortable enough.

BASS LESSON TWO

For your second bass lesson, you will be learning the magic of scales.

A Major

G----------------------------------------------------------|

D--------------4-6-7-6-4-----------------------------------|

A--------4-5-7------------7-5-4----------------------------|

E----5-7-------------------------7-5-----------------------|

A Minor

G----------------------------------------------------------|

D----------------5-7-5-------------------------------------|

A----------5-7-8-------8-7-5-------------------------------|

E----5-7-8-------------------8-7-5-------------------------|

These are you Major and Minor scales. Keep in mind that the shape for both of these does not change, no matter where you are on the fret board, unless of course you run out of strings.

Now the second thing in this lesson is the 1, 4, 5 chord progression. This certain chord progression is used in most modern and most basic music. Essentially, what it is, is taking the first, fourth and fifth chords from a scale and playing them. For instance, if we take the A Major scale, the chord progression would go A, D, E. Most types of music use this progression as it’s a fairly simple and great sounding progression.

A good example to practice this with would be something like this;

G---------------7----------9------------------------|

D----7------------4-5-7------6-7-9------------------|

A------4-5-7--5----------7--------------------------|

E--5------------------------------------------------|

1^st 2^nd 3^rd

Progression Progression Progression

As you can see, the progressions use the 1^st, 4^th and 5^th chords of the A Major scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zeMJeeD7Uk

Now, for your piece that I would like you to learn for your final recording is the song “Hilikus” by Incubus, provided is the tab and a youtube link for the song and pointers on how to play it.

Hilikus - Incubus

Bass Tab

Intro

|------5-----------------------12h14p12h14p12h14p12h14----------------------|

|--5h7---7-5-7-------------------------------------------/7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7---|

|--------------5p0----------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------------5/-----------------------------------------------------|

The intro is fairly straight forward here. One thing to look out for, however are the hammer ons and pull-offs in the middle. These need to be quite fast. One other thing that may make playing easier, playing the 7th fret in the D-string (the A note), you can play the 12th fret on the A string. It saves having to move about the fret board as much, but it does make getting back down to the 5th fret on the E string (A) a bit more difficult.

Verse

|--------4------------------12-------12-----------4----------7-8-7-8--------|

|----5h7---7-5-7------11h12----12-11----11----5h7---7-5-7----7-8-7-8--------|

|------------------------------------------------------------5-6-5-6--------|

|--5---------------5------------------------5-------------------------------|

For the verse, there are 2 things I would like to add. For a start, keep the A note on the E-string muted. This helps to give a much punchier feeling to the track and really emphasises the funky nature of the song. The other thing I would like to point out is that, whilst this tab plays the first note (the A) on the E-string, I find it a lot easier to just play and mute the open A-string. It leaves you hand open for you next movement and makes moving from the 11/12^th fret on the D-string a whole lot easier.

Pre chorus

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|------------0h4-5-------------0h4-5-----------0h4-5-6---------0h4-5--------|

|-------3-3----------------3-3-------------3-3-------------3-3--------------|

|--5\------------------5\---------------5\--------------5\------------------|

The pre-chorus is also quite straight forward. Just make sure you keep all the notes here muted.

Chorus

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-----3-3--x-x-x-x-----3-3--x-x-x-x-----3-3--x-x-x-x-----3-3--x-x-x-x-------|

|--5\---------------5\---------------5\---------------5\--------------------|

The chorus here does not require any muting at all, as it's played with a much more rock feel to it.

Bridge

|------5--------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--5h7---7-5-7--------------------------------------------------------------|

|--------------5p0----------------------------------------------------------|

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

The bridge is simply just the first part of the intro repeated again. Simple enough.

Guitar Solo pt. 1

|--------4----------------12-------12-----------4----------------11----11----|

|----5h7---7-5-7----11h12----12-11----11----5h7---7-5-7----11h12----12-------|

|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|--5--------------5-----------------------5--------------5-------------------|

|12-14-12-11--|

|-------------|

|-------------|

|-------------|

Now, for the guitar solo, the bass line essentially just follows the verse bass line, however, it adds in a little lick at the end. This can be slightly difficult to pull off, but if you manage to get the timing right then well done you.

Guitar Solo pt. 2

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|------------0h4-5-------------0h4-5-----------0h4-5-6---------0h4-5--------|

|-------3-3----------------3-3-------------3-3-------------3-3--------------|

|--5\------------------5\---------------5\--------------5\------------------|

The second part of the guitar solo follows the pre-chorus exactly. No need to worry about extra little licks or anything here. Just keep those notes muted.

After the Guitar Solo, the song breaks back into the chorus one more time and finishes on the bridge part.

Now, these are just the certain parts of the song, you will have to go and listen to the song yourself to get the order of all these parts.

Good luck, and Godspeed.

BASS LESSON ONE

This being your first bass lesson, we’ll start by getting you more acquainted with the bass itself. Now, first of all, I must insist that you use your index and middle fingers instead of a plectrum. The reason for this as that whilst in the short run, you might find it easier to use a plectrum, it tends to make the bass sound very tinny, whereas playing with your fingers gives it a much punchier and better sound.

The best way to practice this is just to play open strings using your fingers and move up and down the strings, alternating each finger. Over time, you will become faster with these fingers and you won’t even remember why you used a plectrum.

The next thing you should pick up is the 4-finger fret technique. It’s quite simply having 4 fingers on 4 frets on the fret board, preferably 4 frets that are next to each other, for example, on the A-string your fingers should be on the C, C#, D and D#. This really helps with moving about the fret board and getting your hand into the proper positions.

Finally, the last thing you will learn in this lesson is muting. Muting is mainly a funk based technique, but it’s also used within other types of music. The way muting works is as soon as you pluck a string, you instantly put your alternate finger on it, for example, if you pluck the string with you index finger, you instantly stop the sound with your middle finger. To continue alternating, you simply used the finger that’s muting you pluck the string.

So that is your first lesson. Practice these techniques as much as you can and be ready for lesson 2.