ask me anything
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT BASS SETUP?
I own two basses: one is a Juzek made in Germany in 1950 and it is set up with hybrid strings – you can hear it on most of my solo album “Autoportrait.” The other one is a Thibouville-Lamy made in France circa 1840 and it was originally a 3 strings bass converted into a standard 4 strings. It has a flat back and a beautiful dark finish.
As far as sonorisation, I like to use the David Gage Realist or Lifeline pickup for my monitor, combined with a DPA 4099 condenser microphone for the house, to get a more acoustic sound. In the studio I really love the AKG C12, combined with Schoepps for the stereo image.
DO YOU TEACH? WHAT IS THE BASS WORKSHOP?
For the moment, I teach private students, either in New York where I live or online with streaming. I like to focus on continuity and regularity rather than a “once in a lifetime” lesson with a hefty homework load. I believe that this approach is more beneficial for the student as we can monitor the progress regularly and adjust accordingly. In teaching, feedback is essential!
Over the years, my bass students have included musicians like Sylvain Romano, Viktor Nyberg, Adam Gay, Geraud Portal, Alex Gilson, Nicolas Corso…
I have also started a Patreon page called the Bass Workshop. Here I share informations through videos and PDFs about many aspects of playing the bass and music in general. It is updated bi-weekly, I see it like a forum of ideas, tips, advices, concepts, practice exercises which can leave a lasting impression on someone’s music path. A little bit like that awesome lesson you had with a musician in New York who showed you something that you’re still using three years later 🙂
For more info: https://www.patreon.com/bassworkshop
HOW WAS IT TO STUDY WITH RON CARTER?
We’ve worked on sound, bass lines, voice leading, posture, left hand/ right hand coordination, awareness, ears, creativity, and so much more. He helped me open my mind and find my voice, to build a strong musical concept regardless of the style I want to perform.
WHERE CAN I BUY SHEET MUSIC?
You can find all of my compositions (and transcriptions) either as individual charts or as an album bundle. They are in PDF format with Sibelius scores and transposed parts to be played with a band when needed. My solo bass album charts include specific fingerings for the bass when a passage is technically challenging.
You can purchase all of them in my Chart Shop
