Rhonda Smith
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ONDA H 032 February 2017 HELP US R HELP BASSISTS Rhonda Smith Prince, Jeff Beck, Sheila E: Rhonda Smith has played with a stellar cast of musicians. Ellen O’Reilly asks the questions here are bass players years of playing with pedals, I know they’re developed it. Later, Victor and a bunch of with feel, there are great. I have Dunlop bass distortion pedals other people came out with that, so it was those who exude groove, from the Larry Graham school because that’s really great to see that that style was coming those with insane chops, what Larry uses. MXR make the best octave out. I don’t play with a pick because I use my and then there are those divider: it’s fantastic, I use that as a staple. I finger like a pick.” who possess all the love the chorus, and the envelope is one of the She goes on to describe this range of T above and then some; best on the market. I use a Dunlop tap delay techniques at her upcoming masterclass. “I Rhonda Smith is one of this elite. It’s no pedal that’s really great and I have a whammy call it ‘Pulse Rhythms’. I made that style into wonder her CV brims with names such as pedal that I use from the Prince days. I started exercises, which are constant sixteenth notes Prince, Jeff Beck and Sheila E among other using pedals when I was playing with him. that go all the time. You’re making a constant renowned musicians. It was sort of a prerequisite as there were rhythm, and at the same time you’re playing I caught up with the bass queen herself at certain things that he wanted me to use licks and lines and you’re soloing. Try and go the Warwick Bass Camp back in September because he wanted a particular sound, and I on for as long as you can without breaking the last year. As Smith told me: “It’s a great gift for respected that.” rhythm, and without playing the same thing all of us bass players to have the opportunity Anyone who has ever seen Smith play over again. I’ve got 11 different right hand to be together in one place: we have so much will know how precise her technique is, techniques that I use in the pulse rhythms to fun. I’ve never been at a camp that’s been this particularly her slap technique, where she make different sounds and rhythms. Every six far away or for such a long period of time. effortlessly blasts out articulate, percussive months to a year I try to add one or two more.” Usually it’s a day or two, so you really get time drills and ghost notes, even using the body of Smith’s style is so individual that I wonder to get to know each other as professors.” the bass as a drum head. I was keen to know who her personal bass heroes were. She tells Let’s get straight to the point and talk gear. how she developed such clean technique, and me: “Definitely Jaco Pastorius, and a lot of rock “I’m proudly using PRS Gary Grainger Private she explains: “The funny thing is, I’ve a very players too. I didn’t start playing funk until Stock custom four-strings, five-string and straight thumb, and I thought it was never much later in life. Geddy Lee was somebody I fretless. It takes about two or three months to really a bass player’s thumb. There were other got into when I was young, and Chris Squire, get a Private Stock instrument. It’s an amazing guys out there with thumbs that had curves, and Stanley Clarke I really had a thing for. bass, I love it to death. It’s a long story with but it actually worked out a little bit better for Prince was also a big influence, as I had to my gear: I’m not learn his style from him. endorsing a bass amp Larry Graham also had company right now by a big influence on me choice. I’ve been with “IF YOU HIRE ME TO PLAY IN YOUR BAND AND GIVE ME later in life: to meet him Mesa Boogie for a long later and have him play time and I decided to THE MUSIc, I’m gONNA LEARN EVERY NOTE. YoU DOn’T right in front of me and make a change, so I go on tour with him was put my money where a great thing. Marcus my mouth is and built HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME NOT KNOWING MY PArts... Miller, Louis Johnson... my own amplifier and there’s a lot of people.” cabinets with Paul I TAKE CARE OF MY JOB 120 PER CENT” Has Smith’s extensive Reed Smith’s help. I experience given her any used it on tour for two months with ZZ Top me because I have a technique, which I call useful advice for us? You bet: “I always give and Jeff Beck, which was all pretty much ‘top barre’. It’s a bit like Victor Wooten’s, with musicians the same advice: do it because you outdoors or large venues, so it was a good a little variation.” love it! Don’t have any preconceived notions place to test the rig.” Smith then shows me a flamenco-like about what you’re going to get, or who you’re She goes on: “I have three cabinets and each technique in which her second through fourth going to play with, or how much money one has two 12’’ speakers in it. I have a preamp fingers strike the strings in quick succession, you’re going to make. What you put into it, made in California by JCF Audio, which is as though they have been released by an you get back, and everything else that comes amazing: it’s got everything I need to dial in invisible spring. She uses this technique to add with it is just the icing on the cake. My career my sound. At the moment I don’t wanna do extra percussive sounds while slapping. This progressed because I always had the same valves because we’re trying something new, gives the illusion of a faster slap, by adding principle that I have today, and that is respect so right now I’m using a very old Crest 8200 more notes through utilising all the picking for music. If you hire me to play in your band amp that was modified. It’s a very, very clean, fingers. Smith’s right hand remains perfectly and you give me the music, I’m gonna learn powerful sound. So that’s what I’m using right poised in place just below the neck, and every note of your music. You’re not going to now. It doesn’t have a name, it’s just mine, so the knucklebone of her thumb is in steady have to worry about me not knowing my parts we’ll see.” position for an incredibly clean, accurate slap. when I come in to your rehearsal, because I Smith is well known for using bass effects: “When I first started doing that technique take care of my job 120 per cent. Be on time, I was itching to find out exactly what she was it was when I was living in Montreal many be nice to people: those things count for a lot – using these days. “Ooh, I’m using tons of stuff!” years ago,” she explains. “A friend of mine because in the end you spent a lot of time with she exclaims. “First of all, I gotta give a little who was a drummer let me hear tapes of a these people!” shout out to MXR and Dunlop. I’m not trying bass player from back in the 70s. He explained to blow smoke up anybody’s ass, but from this technique to me and over the years I Info: www.rhondasmith.com February 2017 033.