ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
BIOGRAPHY

A musician since the age of 10, Rod Goelz has been teaching the electric bass and guitar in (and around) York, Pennsylvania since 1989. As a clinician, Rod has conducted workshops in improvisation, songwriting, bass/drum “rhythm sectioning,” and “groove” improvisation. As a freelance bassist, Rod has played many different styles of music---Rock, R&B, Funk, Jazz, Country, Reggae, Blues, Bluegrass, and Folk---on the concert stage and in the recording studio.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A DEEPER LOOK

My earliest musical memories are singing along with Beatle ("Day Tripper") and Beach Boy ("I Get Around") 45's. When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to play what was happening in rock in 1978. KISS, Aerosmith, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Styx... these were the first records I owned. "Stairway To Heaven" was the first cool song I learned. Ace Frehley was the first guitarist I idolized. His "tapping" on the live version of the song "Shock Me" (from KISS ALIVE II) was the coolest thing I ever heard (at the time, I didn't know it was "tapping," I DID know it was cool). It should be known that KISS ALIVE II (1977) predates the first Van Halen record (1978), which featured the tapping extravaganza "Eruption". Ace did it first! I wanted to learn the music that excited me, music that I listened to. But you couldn't do that then... it was a different time. Responsible teachers stuck to the program that got them through college... basic chords, reading, reasonable pursuits. This was good in some ways, I LEARNED TO READ MUSIC... a skill use everyday. Responsible parents (or at least my parents) didn't buy their kids electric guitars, fearing the instrument would lead to juvenile delinquency, glue sniffing, and possibly jail time (none of which ended up being the case). So I played acoustic guitar for years before my parents relented.

Because that my musical upbringing was so reasonable (and devoid of "the spark" that inspired me to take up the instrument in the first place), I was forced to learn what I wanted (needed) to learn on my own for the most part, by ear. These were the days before magazines published monthly tablature. Out of necessity, I used my ear. In the process, I found out that that I actually learn BEST by imitating others... the players, play along with their recordings, and somehow figure out HOW it all worked (not just mimic with no understanding), so I could us it other situations (soloing, songwriting, etc.). My earliest music theory lessons were examples of what I refer to as "learning by example," by which you figure a thousand or more songs in the key of E Minor (or whatever key, E Minor was my favorite)... and make note of the similarities of the harmonic approaches, as well as the detours. This was a good way to learn for me, I learned "the theory" long before I learn what the names were called--Berklee helped me with that.

BERKLEE

Fresh out of high school, I attended "Berklee College Of Music." I learned many things at Berklee (some of which I'm still working on). It turned out to be the right school for me in many ways. One of the big changes for me was the exposure to so many different styles of music, and the realization that music and guitar playing could be great AND NOT BE ROCKIN'. The best "rock" players at Berklee could play ANYTHING. In fact, the REASON they were such good rock players was their exposure to all these different styles of music, and the disciplines each style endorses. The players who didn't open up to other styles weren't nearing as good. I was a changed man.

From Berklee, my pool influences grew. I was seeking out sounds of R&B, Jazz, Country, all this great music. The were formative years, and "the players" I was gravitating toward were players like like Cornell Dupree, Jimmy Nolan, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Danny Gatton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and many, many more.

WHAT ABOUT THE BASS GUITAR?

Honestly, it happened by circumstance. I was literally forced to teach the electric at the first store I taught at (Stephen Nicholas Music). From Berklee, I knew good bass players, and I felt I was qualified to teach anyone that kind of greatness. As is often the case, I was the best qualified for the job (though I certainly no master of the instrument). This was due to my knowledge of theory, and my understand of an instrument tuned in fourths (which both electric bass and the six string guitar share). Learning the electric came easy for me, because I went about learn it the "RIGHT" way. I certainly didn't hurt that I was enthusiastic about learning, seeing it possibly as a deep extension of my personality. I didn't detach myself from this enthusiasm for the instrument when it came to learning the instrument (like I was forced to as a guitar player early on). I learned to read bass clef right away, listened, absorbed, transcribed and mimicked my favorite players (without guilt)... and I ALWAYS HAD A GIG. This is important, learn as go... but don't be so cautious. Most people learn best by trial of fire. My earliest musical influences on bass early on are still with me... these were the players, and good mentors to have (they showed me, through their recordings, how to play). They include James Jamerson, Rocco Prestia, Larry Graham, Duck Dunn, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, & Jerry Jemmott. In addition, I went back and rediscovered many of the rock guys. whose playing I overlooked because I had been too busy listening to the guitar parts. This list includes Paul McCartney (whose voice I tried to imitate when I was three), John Paul Jones (who I liked because he sounded like James Jamerson in a rock band), Geezer Butler (the best metal bass player ever, IMO), and many, many others (including upright players).

HOW DID BASSES LOADED COME TO BE

Basses Loaded is the culmination of my musical experiences as a bass player. It is the series I wish I had when I was first getting started. I'm proud of what I accomplished in writing it. But in truth, I wrote Basses Loaded because no one else did before me. Had there been a book like this in the Fall of 2001, I would be using it now... and I wouldn't have written the series. Up until now, most of my teaching has been outside of bass methods. These systems all seemed to be counter-intuitive and overly... "white" (devoid of "the spark"). There's a gap between the way instructional books are written and the way student naturally learn (in the ideal setting). Basses Loaded answers that call, include "the spark" in the learning process. For me, teaching music theory was always easy. First teach the basics. Then show how these basics are used in the lines of their favorite players. This is the most direct line to understanding music... take something they (the student) like, and show them how it works. The books I have found don't approach it this way.

© 2007: BASSES LOADED ONLINE