20% Off All Books This Week And Ray Likes Melodic Minor

Yup, another coupon code celebrating the magical time of year that is Halloween, or Pedophile Christmas, as the Onion called it today. Ouch. It's a joke, people, relax.

Anyway, if you type in "BURIED" when you check out at Lulu.com, you can save 20% off your order, so that means you could get both the Major and Melodic Minor versions of the Book of Triads for like $16.00-ish. Which is a total deal, and as all the other coupon codes, it is good for anything on the site.

Oh yea, and check out what bassist Ray Riendeau says about the Melodic Minor version of The Book of Triads:

This book is an awesome resource for any musician looking to expand their knowledge and ears to triads of the Melodic Minor scale. It will have you melodically minoring all over your bass!!!!!

Ray Riendeau

James LaBrie, Halford, Star Monarchy

If you are a bass player and are not hip to Ray and his scary chops and funky grooves, you should be.

The first single, "MONARCHY" from Ray's new project Star Monarchy just went live on Itunes.

Ray is the leader of this new project and it features many top players/singers in the world of metal/rock.

On the first track he plays with:

• Daniel Tompkins - vocals
• Francesco Artusato - guitar
• Bassist Ray Riendeau - bass, guitar
• Danny Handler - drums

So some pretty familiar names that obviously are going to throw down. Check it out on Ray's Facebook band page, or any of his other web places.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Star-Monarchy/242527722445276
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/starmonarchy
www.twitter.com/zon5
http://www.youtube.com/user/phatgroovz

Here is Ray in action doing some demonstration of his monster slap chops and playing at a little gig down in South America where a couple of people showed up, something called "Rock in Rio" or something like that. Oh and by a couple, it turns out that means about 150,000.

Three Volumes of The Book of Chord Tones - Major, Dominant & Minor

Next week, all three books of The Book of Chord Tone series will be ready for all your grubby little bass playing fingers. These books cover all the 24 possible variations for the four notes in each of the chord types (major, minor, dominant), over two octaves and with brain damaging tab included.

Also, piasan de Basso, and molto ridiculoso bassist Damian Erskine has decided (very likely against the advice of his agent, his attorney and his doctor) to allow his thoughts to be recorded about this series after he viewed the books himself. And I quote

"The Book of Chord Tones has assembled what I believe to be a terrific resource and a wonderful way in which to explore chord tones. Working through these exercises opens up your mind and ears to what you can do "inside" of a chord while soloing (or just expanding your vocabulary with regard to bass lines). If we take these basic exercises and begin to expand the harmony to include tensions and alternate chord types, one truly has opened a Pandora's box with regard to playing inside any changes. It's this kind of practice which leads to fretboard mastery"

Damian Erskine

http://www.damianerskine.com

Peter Erskine Trio, Teri-Lynn Carrington, Gino Vannelli, Jeff Lorber, Tony Furtado, Solo Artist, adjunct professor Portland State & Marylhurst University, Columnist, Author 

You know that is going to come back and haunt him at some point, but for now, get a copy before he wises up and sends me a cease and desist letter on scary legal looking letterhead. Eh, like I haven't ever got one of those before.....

In the meantime, if you want to get your head wrapped all the various chord tones, from fret zero all the way up to fret 22, check out the link below where you can see the first few pages of each book. They all follow a similar format except the kind of chords they outline changes.

And if you do pick up a copy, please let me know what you think via email or leave a comment here.




http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/BassoRidiculoso

Announcing: The Book of Chord Tones, Book 1, Major Chords

Well, "someone" got the bright idea to collect a bunch of patterns, (well, all the patterns actually) that are possible for arranging the notes of major 7 chords and to put them all on paper and in a book.

For bass, no less. Clearly, "someone" has way too much time on their hands.

And so, for your perusal and harmonic edification I give you the first installment in The Book Of Chord Tones - Book 1, Major Seven Chords.