Bass cover and tutorial videos – Online bass lessons
Dear Chris,
Thank you for the infinite amount of happiness that you have brought into my life. Be sure that you will remain brightly in our hearts. By leaving us today, you also gave me the consolation of knowing that when my day arrives, I will know who to look for.
As a great friend of mine told me – you lived productively and victoriously – you deserve paradise.
My deepest condolences to Chris’ family and friends.
I Love You
Miguel
Dear friends, Here is the video #playforChris, which is the result of the fantastic collaboration of 28 individuals. This is a message of Love from us, surely representing all Chris’ fans and friends around the world, who wanted to demonstrate their Love and affection. Thank you very much to each one of you who participated, or shown interest and support for this initiative. Hopefully it will send positive energies to the Chris Squire we love so much! Onward! Miguel
P.S.: There is a virtual candle room where you can light a candle for Chris and write a prayer. Each candle lasts for 48 hours. Please keep the “light burning brightly” for the Keeper of the Flame. You can find the link here, or looking on facebook/twitter for the hashtag #candlesforChris. I also set up another facebook/twitter hashtag where you can simply post your pictures of flowers as a thought-gift #flowersforChris. Please add the hashtag to your post as well.
N.P. If you would like to share this post or content please use hashtag #playforChris
I would like to invite you to collaborate with me in a video to show our Love and support to Chris Squire. The video below will show you how you join this initiative, hoping that in some days time we’ll be able to deliver some minutes of devotion to Our Hero, in the shape of our words and sounds.
Instructions (similar text as the video)
1-Record a video of yourself playing bass, to any Yes or Chris’ song that you like. If you play other instrument or you want to play something else it’s cool as well – The main thing is to send good vibes to Chris all together! Please keep the video length around 30 seconds
2-Send the clip to miguel@miguelbass.com by wetransfer or other method you prefer, just let me know.
3-Include a text message with best wishes for Chris, a prayer, stating your Love for Chris. The message will be displayed along with your clip. Include your name/city/country.
Note – even if you can’t play any instrument or sing, you can record yourself just speaking your best wishes for Chris!
The videos will be compiled by me and made available here, at my YouTube and Facebook pages.
Let’s make it happen?
Thank you from the heart!
Miguel
Dear friends, soon I’ll ask for your collaboration in a video for us to show our support to Chris. Stay tuned – Onward.
Miguel
Bass: Rickenbacker 4001 CS
Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass RS66LD (45-105, stainless steel)
Preamp: Sansamp Bass Driver DI (BDDI)
Effects: T-RackS
Signal path: Bass→BDDI→PC→T-RackS
Last weekend there was another edition of the Gouveia Art Rock Festival. This is a great chance to listen to progressive sounds from all over the world. One of those great moments was of course Rick Wakeman, two years ago.
I show you some of my favourite moments: Syndone, California Guitar Trio and Magma.
Enjoy!
Here’s a remaster of the Amazing Grace solo that I originally played in 2009.
Today is Chris’ 67th birthday – Happy Birthday, Chris!
Around six years ago I was experimenting with video effects and recorded this cover of Machine Messiah. Since then, YouTube’s audio and video compression capabilities improved a lot so I figured that this one could be sort of remastered both sonic and visually. As I had the green screen behind me, and although the lighting put a big shadow on it, I decided to make some different video effects, not as flashy as the first version. Most of all, I hope now the sound is better and you enjoy this cover of one of my favourite Yes compositions and basslines!
Bass: Rickenbacker 4001 CS
Strings: Warwick Red Strings (45-105, stainless steel)
Preamp: Sansamp Bass Driver DI (BDDI)
Effects: Amplitube 3 – T-RackS CS Vintage Compressor 670
Signal path: Bass→BDDI→PC→T-RackS
Here’s some more footage from last summer in Bulgaria last summer. This time we are in the Trakia region, city of Plovdiv, where the 20th International Folklore Festival took place. The afternoon was very hot and this was the last day of the festival. There were folk groups from Bulgaria and also from other countries. The second video is the evening show, in the Roman amphitheatre in the historical centre of Plovdiv.
The stars of both shows were the home formation, the Trakia Ensemble. Established in 1974 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, this is one of the most highly reputed Folk formations of the country in traditional music and choreography. Musically, its orchestra and choir have been directed by distinguished composers/conductors such as Stefan Mutafchiev, Lyuben Dosev and Dimitar Hristov, among many others.
If you do recognize the groups of artists or the songs here performed, please write me so I can add this information to the video annotations.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the images!
Throughout this Holiday season, I recorded this very special bass cover of “Rhythm Of Love”.
As you may know, the album Big Generator (1987) was yet another challenge for Chris Squire, as he used a 5-string bass for all of the songs. Yet Chris made several alterations regarding the tuning. On this track (and others, including “I’m Running“) the tuning was AEADG.
The bass tone, as Chris demonstrated on his Starlicks video interview, becomes really low and powerful. The album mix doesn’t put the bass at the forefront like in many of Yes’ previous albums. I did struggle to understand the notes played, especially in the aforementioned lower register. I like to think that this is a good example of Chris designing an apparently more conventional bassline, with elements of soul music that was one of his big early influences. Yet, one can spot many of those details, variations or simply the sheer bass playing expression which makes it sound unique, like only Chris Squire knows.
For the video illustration I was generally inspired by the original video clip, which is, for me, one of the best that Yes has made. Then I took a little help from my friend Milton Trajano, by borrowing his great artwork and adapted it, with lots of improvisation, to the several moments of the song. Thank you, Milton!
As a final fortunate coincidence, we recently celebrated both Tony Kaye and Trevor Rabin’s birthdays so this is for Tony and Trevor as well!
Bass: 1992 Warwick Thumb Bass 5-string
Strings: Rotosound Swing Bass RS66LD (45-105, stainless steel) and Warwick Red Strings (135, stainless steel) Tuned to low A. I especially boiled this string to regain some brightness.
Signal conditioning: Boss LM-2 (limiter)
Preamp: Sansamp Bass Driver DI (BDDI)
Signal path: Bass→LM-2→BDDI→PC
Miguel Falcão (miguelbass)