Percussive Bassist -WorldRecord

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jayenvarma

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Many people ask me what is Percussive bass Playin and how I play it!!
I play Bass Guitar like I play Indian Classical Percussion Instrument Tabla or Mridangam. I have learned the Percussion instrument Mridangam and been experimenting the "thalas" on Bass Gtr for last the 22 years. This can get similar and may be same sounds of Slap Bass, if this style is played on Guitars like WARWICK.. If we play this style, we can play Bass like a percussion instrument with higher pace... I have experimented this in Indian Classical Music Concerts also. The solo I ve played is in timing 23/8 with notes of a Raga. Its easy to play any odd timings, if we play this percussive style. . I WISH TO REITERATE THAT IN THE VIDEO IMPORTANCE IS GIVEN TO PERCUSSIVE PLAYING THAN MELODIOUS PLAYING.. Pl see comments of Jeff Berlin , Marcus Miller etc etc..in myspace.com about this video. Currently I ve been featured as 'One of the the Fastest Bassists in the World' for World Records, and Fastest Percussive Bassist by the Registry of Records....AND MY JOURNEY CONTINUES...HOPIN TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT....
regards
JAYEN VARMA, INDIA
for Videos:-
[ame]https://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=30670049[/ame]

[ame]https://youtube.com/watch?v=9u-GrHy6rLI[/ame]

8) :!:
 
thanks for sharing jay...

i really like your clips... you should re-record another one played on a warwick bass!
 
INDIAN EPICS

:roll: :!: :?: I love being criticized.... That makes a man do things better........Love and Regards
 
Fast bass playing isn't my thing but I like odd time signatures. You are welcome to discuss all aspects of bass playing here but you may have a rough time if it's all about self promotion and titles. Please continue to post and good luck with your innovations. :)
 
you re absolutely right... I am not ryin to promote myself... but a new trend....I am tryin to use bass guitrar replacing certain percussion instruments in Indian Classical Music..despite discouragements from here also.... In myspace.com, there are my explanations of 6 Ragas in 6 timings(thalas)(5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 11/8, 13/8 and 23/8).
Its not me who matters... But its a new trend that matters, which is receiving much criticism and ofcourse encouragements from everywhere.....
I love this forum.........
 
No worries here mate....many members here do self promote, so its no big deal as far as I'm concerned. I think its good that members share their innovations (and ripoffs) with each other for encouragement and criticism. And if you aren't self promoting, whatever, the fact that you are experimenting with a 'new' style does much to encourage other bassists to step out of the traditional '1-2-3-4' 'cock and bore' (I mean rock-and-roll) rhythmic progressions and help modern music to evolve and mature. :D

Oh, and by the way, nice playing! :shock: I like it fast myself. 8)
 
Your videos are nice, but man isn't it a bit pretentious to call yourself THE FASTEST?
 
Re: Fastest Percussive Bassist,, Jayen Varma

jayenvarma said:
Currently I ve been featured as 'One of the the Fastest Bassists in the World' for World Records....
Click to expand...

He NEVER said he was the fastest..... :roll:
 
Re: INDIAN EPICS

jayenvarma said:
:roll: :!: :?: I love being criticized.... That makes a man do things better........Love and Regards
Click to expand...
`

Count me as another who does not aspire to the same ends as yourself, but you are you, and I am me. Nevertheless, many of us wish to know something about playing in quicker time for our own purposes.

Frinstintz, do you find you prefer very high string tension to enhance speed ? I happen to like a low tension for the deep sound that results, but I suspect that it slows me down when, at times, I do wish to put on some speed. What say you ??

Also, for your own style, have you experimented with both fretted and fretless ? Any comment on that ?

`
 
Re: Fastest Percussive Bassist,, Jayen Varma

Avram said:
jayenvarma said:
Currently I ve been featured as 'One of the the Fastest Bassists in the World' for World Records....
Click to expand...

He NEVER said he was the fastest..... :roll:
Click to expand...
I know, it's more the fact of repeating it over and over again. You know, modesty doesn't hurt anyone.
 
Dear Friend,
The question began when someone asked me, which is the best bass guitar and what is "Percussive playin". But that discussion ended in my speed , my title..etc etc.etc... Like most of them say, I also believe that speed is not music. Still you ask me how I paly it?...since I learned the Indian Classical percussion Instrument Mridangam, I only tried to apply that on Bass. I have not played anything big in it. Its only at 230 BPM in the timing 23/8. Pluck playing i do is by using 3 fingers. AND PERCUSSIVE PLAYIN IS LIKE TABLA OR MRIDANGAM, WHICH CAN BE PLAYED ON BASS AT higher bpm. I NEVER PLAY SPEED Bass lines DURING SONGS. I LOVE TO GROOVE WITH GOOD MELODIOUS NOTE COMBINATIONS. Those who want to practice this kind o percussive bass, pl practice paradille, double paradile etc with 1st finger and (2 and 3rd fingers holding together). When it is slapped. You ve to mute the strings with left hand fingers if it is 5 string. Its easy if its 4 string coz of the big gap between strings.
With Thump and pull style there is speed limit. But Victor wooten plays a diffrent style with thump at higher pace. However, Tabla style playin can get more pace in Percussive Bass Playin than doing it with thump and pull....(U might have seen Sakir Hussain etc.)
Thats why I was given a title Fastest percussive bassist and ONE OF THE Fastest Bassist. I wanted to bring out the fact that a Good bass guitar can bring out better Music. In this context , I am forced to tell that the Guitar I used is a local one from India which costs just US$ 150. And i didnt use any gadgets or Bass Processor. It was recorded in a small studio in India. THEREFORE, WITH GUITARS LIKE WARWICK ANYONE CAN CREATE MIRACLE AND BRING OUT A NEW TREND IN BASS GUITAR.
Jayen varma
 
Your youtube says your "the fastest"... Hate to say it... but far from it.

Check this kid out with his "percussive playing" about mid way through.

[ame]https://youtube.com/watch?v=YbmenfmcsAs[/ame]
 
Dear Friend.. in youtube it doesn t say Im the "FASTEST BASSIST". In that video its played only at 180 BPM. I ve been featured as Fastest PERCUSSIVE Bassist by another record forum....and Im never the Fastest Bassist. I ve said earlier that i played the other video at 230 BPM. And for my Record title attempt, I played at higher pace. It was converted into wave form to view the notes and was counted and recorded at 36 notes per second(it was not me who did it, but the World Record Forum). I still say its simply possible for anyone to play higher Percussive speed if played like Tabla(with just six months practice). With Thump and pull there re limitations. However Victor Wooten still does it in a diffrent way. It is not me who matteres, It is a different technique and a new trend that matters........
Let me try......
 
Casey said:
Your youtube says your "the fastest"... Hate to say it... but far from it.

Check this kid out with his "percussive playing" about mid way through.

[ame]https://youtube.com/watch?v=YbmenfmcsAs[/ame]
Click to expand...

I don't trust the Asians they don't show the age like in my country, he could be 55 years old, LOL.

I do find interesting Jayen's approach.
 
Jayen I find your stuff very interesting. Not really my cup of tea but it's a cool approach. Even though my grandfather is from India I know nothing of the instruments which you speak of (Mridangam etc.) - Could you perhaps send a link to something you've listened to?
Cheers - Keep up the good work.

And just have to say this. I couldn't care less who's the fastest bassplayer in the world. Wanna be fast - play guitar. Wanna groove - play bass. :wink: My 2 cent. Cheers
 
I have thought some more on this. I think that when the person in question refers to himself with a thought-up title as some sort of quality stamp, and believes in the title, even puts a title on the subject line on this post and all over his webpage, that's when I get a negative reaction. It seems like a very immature, or misunderstood thing to do.

Now you may be mature or have a plan with what you do and why you do it. I just can't help you hype up the illusion that you earned an semi-official title or that it has in any way anything to do with quality bass playing.

Other than that, I wish you luck.

:)
 
Jayen I find your stuff very interesting. Not really my cup of tea but it's a cool approach. Even though my grandfather is from India I know nothing of the instruments which you speak of (Mridangam etc.) - Could you perhaps send a link to something you've listened to?
Cheers - Keep up the good work.

And just have to say this. I couldn't care less who's the fastest bassplayer in the world. Wanna be fast - play guitar. Wanna groove - play bass. My 2 cent. Cheers
...........................................................................................................
Bro..
You can browse for mridangam or Tabla in the net and you can see many people playin it. Or in my page you can see Sakir hussains page .. and you can listern to him playin tabla. . But you don t have to learn these instruments to apply that techniqe on Bass. U need only have to play like tabla on Bass strings.. I mean, few excecises.. From right to left and left to right and paradiles with fingers.... Thats all..
regards
......................................................................................................
 
I can play a bunch of songs but I'm still trying to find MY voice on the instrument. If your voice is at 36 bps then so be it. Again, much luck to you.
 
I started with a write up..."THE BEST BASS GUITAR I Ever PLAYED'........Now its a big question of my playin.... Hope we will meet somewhere,someday....
I earlier said that, in the video I played an ordinery Guitar costing just US $ 150. and I played it dry. I managed to play that really tough. U can notice that the notes are not sustaining. There is touching sound of string and frets near the pick up. The notes are not accurate in every fret. Slap tone is not coming out well. I had to hold the Guitar with my left hand VERY TIGHTLY to mute strings, which caused strings to come down together. Left hand fingers always swell after playin coz of the rough frets.
But I was lucky to play a Warwick five string once. That was a great moment and my fingers were so happy than my heart.
The tone was amazing and notes were clearer and speed was faster. And I didn t feel like playin fast. I Grooved with that Warwick for hours.
Now I feel that I shouldn t have entered this forum without a Warwick bass VIDEO. That would have made much diffrence in sounding...............
Love and regards to all the members.....
 
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