Donald Russell Bass

studying, playing, performing and recording bassist based In glasgow. BA honors in performance industries

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Thanks to jodiebremaneson for all the sweet music, cant wait to get my Teath properly into them when I'm back from my holiday

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This year so far... well

So far this year has more sorrow than joy, with the death of my Granny at the very start of the year and more recently the passing of my aunt Roberta, the best thing I can do is keep my head held high because as unfortunate as it is, these things happen. this year has not all been doom and gloom I have recently passed my BA Hons degree in performance industries (music)  and I am going to Florida with my Mrs and her family which I’m super excited for because I have never been abroad or on a plane... anyway, all I can say is that it can only get better from here. 

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Practise makes perfect

Keeping myself busy and I am off to another rehearsal with a guitarist from the Uni and the black tie trio drummer, I am expecting groove

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I am going to run from the voice of reason until it turns to laughter

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Rock & Roll

today I am practising with a rockabilly band again, I am super excited about this because last time it was a lot of fun, even though I had to shoot off early.

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So tonight I spent time with one of my oldest mates, we sat in my house and I was explaining music theory to him all based around inversions and sus chords, me being a bassist and him a guitarist it made it slightly more tricky. After explaining basic tri tone inversions (root, third, fifth /third, fifth, root. Etc) I realised I had never really used the within my own writing so I spent the rest of the evening twisting my hands into different positions trying to find interesting voicing for chords the result was a a head ache and sore hands, but back to the shed in the morning.

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chart prep

so its Friday night and instead of going out and blowing off some steam after handing in my last piece of written work ( providing I don’t have to resit anything) I am instead polishing up on songs for tomorrows practise with Madison Blue, this for me is an achievement in discipline, because when i started doing this sort thing for college a few years ago, I would have just went out and would give songs a quick run over in the morning before practise and everything i played would be rusty and awful, which really didn't do me any favours, especially as a musician wanting to make a living out of playing. But if I'm honest i would rather just sit here and practise because its the only way i will ever get better and as Janke Gwizdala would say “ no off season” 

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Another gig down, only one more gig and one more hand in and UNI is complete, last nights gig was great fun rum shack Glasgow is quite possibly my new favourite place. also after consuming silly amounts of rum i feel fresh... although i seam to have some kind of Bruno Mars esque hair going on but I don’t care 

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sleep when your dead

over the past two days I have racked up an impressive 6 hours sleep due to study, learning songs and band practise. I keep telling myself I am okay, not sure how true that is but on the plus side I only have one hand in left and then hopefully degree

Boom !!

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The last four and a half hours have been spent trying to nail these pieces for my solo performance, a quick food break then back to the shed

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AESOP AND ESSAY WRITING

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Study time

[misterand]

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two amazing artists 

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Janek Gwizdala

My amazing girlfriend bought me Janek Gwizdala's newest book for Christmas, obviously i got it early, so far its Amazing very well written easy to understand and loads and loads of examples. I look forward to practising all his technique and examples he's given. With the practise schedule my bass tutor helped me create coupled with ideas and examples from this new book I hope my playing will improve at a much quicker rate. 

Al

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Practise routine

So without even realising this practise routine has really benefited me, I set myself a goal of getting though a certain amount of the two pieces I have to learn and so far I have surpassed it by almost double. I have also managed to improve on improvisation using motifs from modes rather than just running up and down them. now to just become competent at sight reading !

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somewhat similar to how my brain feels 

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After a brief pub jaunt last night, I'm not feeling so fresh today, I am managing to counter it with some slightly strange music. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKJeGoZIqhc