Tom McMahon's thoughts. Deep and otherwise.

2011-10-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have recently dragged myself into a time that resembles now and purchased a Macbook and Abelton Live.Learning curve? Oh yes but, there have been some interesting moments.I have posted a two of my earliest experiments here and I look forward to any comments you might have on them.A cool feature of the setup is that I can process both sides of my Baliset with delays and amp modelling etc and, trigger synths in real time all within the laptop.More on this as I plough through the manual and try out new ideas.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

2011-05-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

Getting underway for another Orpheus production starting June 3 - 12.

The music is fun and the cast is strong. No bass solos though...........pity.

New Release

2011-05-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

At last I have some new music out on Bandcamp.

There are four songs for $4. "Smoke", "Free Play", "Enclosed" and "No Clue". This is only available as a digital download.

Playing on the recording are Mike Tremblay - Tenor Sax, Mark Rehder - Drums and Myself on Baliset.

Almost There.

2011-04-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well the pieces are recorded, mixed and mastered. All done with great help from Mike Mullin.

Now for the hard (for me) part. One tune still needs a title and I have to put together a graphic. I thought this might look nice.

They are Snowdrops from my back garden.

Into The Studio

2011-03-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

I will be recording new tunes on Thursday March 31.

This will be a trio with Mark Rehder on drums and Mike Tremblay on sax.

There will be four tunes available soon for $4.00.

Watch this space for more details.

Into the Woods

2011-01-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

Into the woodshed for the next Orpheus musical. The music is by Stephen Sondheim and there are many time signature changes and more arco work. This will be my first time as part of a 'string section', should be fun.

A new axe.

2010-12-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

I have made the first step into having a new instrument made for me.

A new Baliset is what is required and I have contacted the 12thFret in Toronto about this. Many moons ago they (Grant MacNeill) built a six string fretless bass for me and before that had done numerous repair and setup work on my instruments. Needless to say they have my confidence and I look forward to working with them again.

These images are what my current axe looks like. It was made by Peter Tamas and has served me well for many years.

Annie

2010-11-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Started rehearsals for the Orpheus production of Annie this weekend.

Looks to be a good show. The singers are strong and the band is tight.

The run is from November 12 to 21 with Monday November 15 being an off night.

Show starts at 7:30 PM on weeknights and 2 PM on Sundays.

Work In Progress pt.3

2010-04-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Wow time flies. It has been a while since I last posted but not for a lack of activity.

I recorded a bunch of tunes with my group (Mike Tremblay - sax, Mark Rehder - drums) and just posted a tune from that session on MySpace. It is called "30202008". Don't ask me where the titles come from just trust me that the music is better.

More soon.

Work in Progress Pt. 2

2010-02-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Here is tune number 2.

It has a title.

Smoke.

A little explanation about the title. My children were making their first attempts at playing something coherent at the piano a few years ago and they had both picked up the riff from 'Smoke On The Water'. Now this a fine tune but, after the nth time hearing it thrashed out by an over enthusiastic child something had to be done.

I sat at the piano one afternoon and came up with a raft of alternate changes and after a while a melody presented itself to me and I was off to the races. Through in some bars of 3/4 and hey presto a new tune. Easy, no?

Work In Progress

2010-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

And so begins the road to another CD release.

The first order of business is to demo tunes. This allows me to sit back and, with a critical ear, hear what I have written away from my instrument.

The first tune up has no title yet (you'll see that phrase a few times) so it is numbered 11112007.

This could go a few ways. It could be a solo piece, with drums (percussion?), or include a horn (sax? trumpet?).

There are artistic and financial considerations at play.

I'm projecting either a fall release or next spring.

Happy Australia Day

2010-01-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

The title says it all.

I put up a version of Waltzing Matilda on Myspace.

What is this thing called Konokol.

2010-01-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

The way in I first introduce the concept of Konokol to students is by means of an exercise designed to ease the transition from quarter notes, to eighth notes, and sixteenth notes.

The first step is to say the rhythms. Da - da - da - da for quarter notes. Taka - taka - taka - taka for eighth notes. takadimi - takadimi - takadimi - takadimi for sixteenth notes. This is best done out of time so that the student can get used to the sounds.

Next comes the 'say and play' portion. This can be done out of time a few times but the metronome should be used fairly soon. I recommend 60 bpm.

Work on an even transition into each section neither speeding up or slowing down.

Once the student feels confident at 60 bpm two tempo changes need to be followed. Slowly increase and decrease the tempo.

My approach to teaching.

2010-01-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

Having spent over two decades playing music professionally I have many thoughts on how to best put forward my ideas on how to become a better musician.

The best players in most fields are musically literate. I am aware of, and have worked with, a handful that are brilliant intuitive players but they are the exception. Being musically literate means one is able to clearly interpret and communicate the music at hand, as no matter what the style there is always a framework within which the musicians work. If each player in a group has a good level of understanding of the form being played then, they are able to perform at a higher level as a group.

Two important components of being musically literate are rhythm and harmony.

After spending many years counting the traditional way (say it with me 1 e & a, 2 e & a) I was introduced to a system called Konokol that facilitates a quicker and deeper understanding of rhythm. Konokol is the South Indian classical method of counting. It is a phonetic approach and allows the rhythms to be internalized quickly and communicated easily. A good approach is to say the rhythm, say and play it and then play it. With this oral/aural approach even challenging rhythms are easy to master at a slow tempos, then speeding them up is merely a matter of mechanics. The next step, reading the rhythms, is a relatively simple process made easier by the ability to say the phrases.

Harmony is the other building block. Again it is important to focus on an oral/aural methodology. Hearing the various notes within the chord, being able to identify and sing them (not like Pavarotti more like Tom Waits ;)) is vital to deciding what to play. There are a few harmonic progressions that form the basis for allot of music, so being able to hear them clearly aids greatly in ones playing.

Reading and writing music is important as it is a good way of archiving what has been learned. Just as we learned to speak before we could read I believe that this is the best way to approach music. Take away some of the mystique surrounding the notes and see them merely as a system of communication.

After the basics rhythm and harmony have been dealt with there are many avenues that can be pursued with greater ease.

Music Geek

2009-12-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

Here I am on my first night off in a while and what am I doing? Exploring the world of Hexatonics and Melodic Minor Scales.

I was reading Peter Hum's Blog where he mentioned the death of Charlie Banacos who taught about Hexatonics and I remembered a previous post about a web site by Peter Martin who had posted recently about the aforementioned Melodic Minor Scales.

After some thought I have scratched out some exercises that will get me started off for PRACTICE MONTH aka January.

More to come on this and other geekiness soon.

Can there be too much of a good thing?

2009-12-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

It is the middle of the Christmas season and I am neck deep in Christmas music. There are times at gigs where it is hard remember whether I played a certain tune or one with similar melody, chords, groove and subject matter. An effort is made try to change things up a bit but, to be honest, it can get a bit tiring. The same tunes day after day.

I resolve to have more tunes in the book for next year and to search out the true gems that exist within the Christmas repetoire. Current examples of enjoyable tunes are: 'Cool Yule', 'Emmanuel God With Us', 'The Man With The Bag', 'Trois Anges Sont Venues Ce Soir', and 'Twas In The Moon Of Wintertime'. I found some of the music from 'The Nutcracker' that will be in the book next year.

Still smiling but looking forward to perhaps playing in a minor key.

Merry Christmas.

Acquiring the abstract.

2009-09-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

There has been some discussion amongst my fellow musos as to the state of music. Much has been made of the downturn in the economy and there is some degree of nervousness in the air. I see what is happening now as a time of opportunity and I put forward a point of view that has been under the radar for some time now.

Art, in general, but specifically music, is a part of the fabric of civilized society. You hear, see and touch things every day that are a result of the creative process whether it be music in a film, the design of an auto or, the feel of a shirt. These are concrete examples that were conceived and designed by many people, not a few of whom are artists. There is another level which art exists and affects us all.

Most people can recall an event where, after witnessing art (hearing a concert, viewing a painting/sculpture), there was an emotional response. If there happened to be more people in the room that response may have been magnified and manifested as a physical response (smiling, crying) as well. This is the benefit of art. On our own we can feel something within us that has been triggered by an abstract representation. When we are lucky enough to be with others who have been affected as well suddenly the group has a moment of shared experience which can be very powerful.

There is a realization that we have too many TVs, cars, kitchen gadgets (well maybe not that), clothes etc. The purchase of these material items felt great at the time and have provided some basic pleasure, but what is the long term outcome? As an example, you can drive their car to a store, buy the latest Blue Ray version of a movie, go home and make popcorn in their popcorn maker, or microwave and watch said feature on a wide screen high definition TV while wearing silk pyjamas. Some of the art that does exist in this scenario is the design of the car, writing the script and music, acting and various scene and costume sets in the movie and the design of the pyjamas. All good and worthy of a degree of attention but removed from your immediate experience.

Now I put forward another scenario. You agree to meet friends at a venue (bar, concert hall) that has live music, make a great dinner (I strongly suggest that here is where the kitchen gadgets really come to their own), go to the show/pub/whatever, listen and react to what you are hearing, talk about it with your friends (not during the performance please). What has happened? You set up a time to be with people (a community), had a nice dinner (creative experience) and talked about what you where hearing (community interaction). I suspect that in six months time you may still be talking about this experience as opposed to movie night in.

So there you have it. Go forth and experience art first hand and acquire something abstract.

It's all worth it.

2009-08-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with a fellow muso today about players that we know that have made an impression on us over the years. There was much agreement on who we found to be inspirational until he told me the following tale (shortened here).

A musician of note had been touring internationally with a group of high level players when one night he declared that he had enough of this stuff, packed up in the middle of the gig and left.

This to me demonstrates what I consider to be wrong with more than a few performers today. The player was known for being into experimental music and may not have been the best choice for the gig but, he knew what the gig was and took it on. I would not wish to cast aspersions upon anyone for expressing them selves in music but, if it gets in the way of the gig then the player needs to find another element, in what they are doing, to explore. Even parts that can appear simplistic can be raised to another level on the bandstand by changing ones approach.

I have been guilty of passing on some music during my time. Sometimes it is a specific tune or style. The justifications can be varied but ultimately they say more about me than the music.

All this to say we should all take a moment to consider why we are musicians. Is it to satisfy some idealized need within ourselves, to play with other musicians, to entertain an audience? Perhaps a combination of these.

Back to enjoying the heat of summer, at last.

Transportation

2009-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

One often overlooked factor in a musicians life is getting to the gig. Different instruments require different modes of transport. If you play a smaller axe such as trumpet, sax or violin you can walk, bike or use public transit depending on distance, times and availability. Larger instruments decrease your options. A vehicle is required and, depending on what you play, it tends to be larger than most.

Early on in my career I had a few different hatch-back cars that did the trick. As long as it was just me and my equipment I was good to go. Things changed when I got together with my wife as we would go to gigs together and needed a few more bits of gear. Enter the minivan.

The minivan certainly has lots of room for equipment and people which is good as before long we had two more passengers. The joke in our house was that we needed a vehicle that could hold an upright bass and a family of four, sometimes together. We went through two minivans, our second one stopped working in our driveway the other day. What to do?

The solution is the purchase of two hatchbacks. This offers the most flexibility as they are each large enough for two people and equipment, if more equipment is needed we take along the other car, if we are on different gigs (hey it happens) no worries and, if one is gigging the other can still operate the family taxi service and take the kids to activities as need be.

All this type about cars should not diminish the fact that there are some who have very hip and cool ways of getting around sans emissions. An example for us all I think.

What Goes In

2009-07-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

My children get exposed to allot of music through my own playing, concerts we take them to and what is available to them via recordings.

There is a strong tendency to parade around the house singing what has recently been heard. We are currently being serenaded by songs from The Beatles, ABBA, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Beethoven.

Recently they have discovered a case of old cassettes. I predict an explosion of melodies to issue forth within the coming weeks.

Upcoming gigs.

2009-06-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

I have several gigs coming up with various artists.

Saturday June 20, Bianca Pittoors (7:30 - 10:30 PM) at Cafe Paradiso (199 Bank St., Ottawa).

Sunday June 21, Alicia Borisonik (3:30 - 6:30 PM) at the Shenkman Arts Centre (245 Centrum Blvd., Ottawa - Orleans).

Thursday June 25, Kim Kaskiw (Noon - 1 PM) at the Wolrd Exchange Plaza as part of the Ottawa Jazz Festival.

Tuesday June 30, Marc Nelson (8 - Midnight) at the Aylmer Legion.

Wednesday July 1, Johnny Vegas (10 PM - 1 AM) at Maxwells Bistro (340 Elgin Street).

Throughout the summer Thusdays (5 - 8 PM) and Sundays (11 AM - 2 PM) at Metropolitain Brasserie (700 Sussex Dr.) weather permitting.

The Full Monty

2009-06-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well it is pit time again. This show looks to be fun. The music is good, the band is clicking and the singers seem solid.

For the unenlightened the plot revolves around a group of unemployed workers and their revealing idea on how to raise some cash.

Not in the pit.

2009-03-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have been playing bass for a production of "Nunsense the Mega-Musical" put on by Orpheus at the Centrepointe Theatre here in Ottawa.

The music is light and fun to play and the band is good. We are; musical director Brother Patrick (Gabriel Leury), pianist Sister Mary Melody (Cheryl Jarvis Woods), synthesist Sister May Ruth (Ruth Kwan), drummer Brother Peter (Pierre Huneault), woodwindist (yeah it's a real word) Brother Michael (Mike Mullin) and me, bassist Brother Thomas.

The band is on stage for the enire perfomance. This means that we are in costume (Nuns habits for the women and Friars robes for the men) and there is a bit of interaction with the actors. As many stages as I have performed on in my career the jury is out on how I feel about being onstage during a theatrical production of this nature. There is a certain comfort level of the anonymity of the pit but, it is cool to see more of the action on stage.

Bonus points to Orpheus for the sense of community that is on display backstage and the bonza nosh that appears in the green room.

I will be playing for their upcoming production of "The Full Monty" (June 5 - 14 at Centrepointe). We shall once again be in the pit and our garb shall consist of a sock. Black, of course.

Onward

2009-02-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Now that 'practice month' has drawn to a close I go about my usual gig preparations.

I have a unique gig this Thursday (Feb. 19) at the Chelsea Pub (http://www.chelseapub.ca/).
I will be in a duo setting with drummer Mark Rehder (http://www.drumbent.com/) and we shall be performing 'New Standards' as well as my own tunes.

Usually we have a sax player but there's no cash for a third so Mark and I will be on the spot to keep things interesting for 3 sets. I will be playing the Baliset with full gear and doo-dads, as well as singing. Mark will have some electronics to compliment his drum kit as well, so we anticipate a fun evening.

For those who are curious as to what qualifies as a 'New Standard' it is entirely subjective. I have mentioned before that I mine fake books for tunes but, I also listen to a wide range of music. When I hear something that strikes me I transcribe it, modify it and put it in my personal gig book. This has led to having songs such as "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (Neil Young), "Ordinary Miracle" (Sarah McLaughlan) and "Local Hero" (Mark Knopfler) in my repertoire.

Practice Month. A bit further on.

2009-01-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

Onward

While I have not posted on this subject for a while I am still at it.

One of my occasional pursuits is "tune farming". This activity consists of me going through fake books and trying out new (to me) material. This latest harvest has yielded a good crop. "Little B's Poem" - Bobby Hutcherson, "Loose Change" - Hal Galper, "Luny Tune" - Larry Young, "Paris Eyes" - Larry Young, "Triple Play" - Hal Galper and "When Love Is New" - Cedar Walton.

These tunes are now subject to a good going over using ideas gleaned from several books including "Forward Motion" - Hal Galper and "Almanac of Guitar Voice-Leading" - Mick Goodrick.

Other practice pursuits have been working on legato bowing out of the Simandl book for upright bass as well as plugging away at John Patitucci's "60 Melodic Etudes".

Practice Month Continued

2009-01-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

Day two.

Situation controlled and focused...........

Today was fretless (no worries) day.

The focus today was on sight-reading using the first Bach Cello Suite, "Standing In the Shadows of Motown" transcriptions of James Jamerson basslines and "Bass Bible" by Paul Westwood.

As I play a six string bass a conscious effort was made to play across the strings, as opposed to the more linear approach that is a hold-over from the upright bass.

Practice Month

2009-01-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Well I have been somewhat lax in my posting but, I endeavour to improve.

So with that in mind I will unveil what I am working on this January (aka practice month).

Throughout the year I gather interesting looking method books and make notes of ideas from previous practice periods. Much of my time is spent preparing for gigs and maintaining my chops so new ideas are recorded for later study. As I balance my time between basses and Baliset I look to and develop ideas that have applications on either axe. Some of these ideas are for soloing others are more compositional in nature.

Today I focused on bowing on the upright bass. The three books I worked from were: "New Method For the Double Bass (F Simandl)", "60 Melodic Etudes (John Patitucci) and Cello Excerpts from Bach's Overture in D.

My goal is to improve my intonation which had been slipping as of late. The results will be revealled after much sweat has been poured forth.

More soon.........no really I mean it this time.

What I didn't know.

2008-06-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have recently been introduced to the Indian system of rhythm called Konokol. This method of counting has been a real eye and ear opener for for me and I have been working at it since January. Recently an opportunity presented itself to use it in a real world situation.

I had a rehearsal with a group of young violin players for their end of year concerts and had been given charts and a CD to look over before we got together. I have been busy as of late so I quickly glanced at the charts and skimmed over the CD to catch any tricky bits. One tune stood out as a potential problem, "le reel du fossé" by Mes Aïeux. I had heard it many times before as it is a favourite of my daughters so I thought "No worries" and drove off to the rehearsal.

Well, what I didn't know was that it had a section in 13/8 with shots and, a bar of 9/8 and leading back to 4/4. Now there are those for whom this would be a walk in the park, but I was having difficulty. I was humbled. So I think to myself, this looks like a job for Konokol. Within a short period of time, after determining that the shots where on beat 10, not 11, I had a grasp on it.

How do I verbalize it? Like thus, taka dimi taka taka dimi takita. Simple, no?

I highly recommend John McLaughlin & S. Vinayakram's "Gateway to Rhythm" DVD to musicians of all levels and experiences.

Thanks for reading,

Tom McMahon

Hello.

2008-06-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

My name is Tom McMahon and I am a musician.

You can visit me at http://www.tommcmahon.ca/

I play electric and acoustic bass as well as the Baliset.

Recently I had the good fortune to play bass behind four unique acts;
The Crystals
The Dixie Cups
Martha Reeves
Jimmie Knox

All where a pleasure to work with.

Some of the steady work I have in the Ottawa area is at the Metropolitain (700 Sussex Dr.) every Thursday with the Orbiters and every Sunday with the Steve Berndt Quartet.

I will post my observations about gigging and life as time goes on.

Thanks for reading,

Tom McMahon