Scott Mulvahill Begin Againers Bass Tab

It's the Sunday night of the render of Game of Thrones, and the weather condition is on and off pelting, but inside Rockwood Music Hall in New York City'southward East Village an enthusiastic crowd is hanging on Scott Mulvahill'south every note. That'due south the impact the Nashville-based Mulvahill has been having on listeners both through his youtube videos—incuding his NPR Tiny Desk Concert—and on this his first national tour, in support of his dazzling, dozen-track debut, Himalayas. Certain, a vocalist-songwriter who accompanies himself on acoustic bass is novel. But the credit for said devotion goes to his evocative, from-the-middle songs, attain-for-information technology vocals, and crafty, fill-in-the-ring bass lines (Nashville guitarist/vocaliser Zach Torres is providing additional support on this run).

Like all great artists, Mulvahill makes what he does look easy and natural. In truth, in that location'southward a litany of endlessly-adept, precision moves to coordinate the plucks, string and body slaps, counterlines, and vocals that go into songs like the poignant "Fighting for the Incorrect Side" and "The Lord Is Coming," the playful "Top of the Stairs," the uplighting "Begin Againers" [see complete transcription on page xx], and the sweeping, bowed title track. Add together to that the conflict and confusion of loving intricate instrumental music and singer-songwriters equally in his developing years, and having to parlay that into his own artistic vision in the current, crazy musical climate, and indeed, in that location's more to Mulvahill than meets the eye and ear.

Born on July 7, 1988 in Friendswood, Texas, Mulvahill recalls he and his brother dancing with his parents in the family living room to oldies on the radio as a favorite early musical memory. When the boys striking their teens, they were asked if they wanted to play guitar. Remembering a friend who had a bass at summertime camp, a 14-year-onetime Mulvahill replied, "How about a bass?" His folks got him an Ibanez Soundgear and he "devoured information technology," ownership method books and writing tabs for songs he learned. Seeing his interest, his parents sent him to nearby Houston guitar/bass teacher Charlie Lair. He recalls, "Charlie was great, he pushed all of his students to take it to the limit. We would play together and take competitions, and he'd rotate us in the church band. Charlie took me through rock and metallic to jazz, where he'd have me acquire Miles Davis' trumpet solos from Kind of Blue [Columbia, 1959] on bass. He introduced me to my to two main influences, Jaco and Victor Wooten." Lair also encouraged Mulvahill to learn upright bass, which he began at fifteen, adding the influences of Scott LaFaro, Eddie Gomez, Stanley Clarke, John Patitucci, and Brian Bromberg.

The other key role of Mulvahill's musical development occurred on a warm summer day. "Information technology was my turn to go on the riding mover and mow the backyard, and I'd found my folks' copy of Paul Simon'due south Graceland [Warner Bros., 1986]. I put information technology on my Sony Walkman and I freaked out and almost crashed! The lyrics were so impactful, not to mention Bakithi Kumalo'due south genius bass lines." Mulvahill had discovered his second dearest, and it had goose egg to do with the bass: singer-songwriters, like Simon, James Taylor, and Bob Dylan. He joined the choir in his senior twelvemonth of loftier schoolhouse, to get his singing together, and he started writing songs on guitar. "Artists similar Civil Wars, the White Stripes, and Glenn Hansard, who scored the Broadway testify One time, were large, and then that'due south the style of songs I wrote."

With college upon him, Mulvahill considered the tiptop music schools and realized he had the prestigious University of Northward Texas in his home land. He successfully auditioned on bass, stayed four years, and along the way he met Snarky Puppy's Michael League, who got him a church building gig with keyboard legend Bernard Wright. The stint no only worked wonders for his groove, it enabled him to relieve money for his adjacent stop, after graduation.

What led yous to move to Nashville?

After higher, I was contemplating Nashville, New York, or L.A. I visited a friend of a friend in Nashville and stayed with him for a week, and information technology felt right in my gut. I knew the boondocks had great songwriters on top of neat musicians, then that tilted the scales a bit. I moved there shortly after, in 2010, and I lucked into a slap-up living state of affairs through a drummer from North Texas; I eventually bought the house and I however alive in information technology. At outset I did local jams and gigs, just trying to meet as many people as possilbe, and that led to tours with Chris August and Ben Rector. The fact that I played upright, which fewer bassists there did, too helped. I introduced myself to [Nashville upright studio ace] Byron House and sent him a video I made of me playing Charlie Daniel's "Billy the Kid" on guitar, electrical bass, and arco upright, and we became friends. I'd go over to his identify to jam with him and his son, Truman, a drummer. One 24-hour interval I went over and he said, "I don't know if youre interested, but would y'all like to play with Ricky Skaggs?" He had sent Ricky my video and that got me an audience. I knew nothing almost bluegrass, only I got a list of tunes to learn, was hired, and spent five years in Ricky's ring, which actually developed my voice on upright.

What are the main challenges of bluegrass bass?

Where to begin?! The showtime is the time experience; the music is very on top of the beat, in general. From there information technology'southward subtleties that are never spoken about, like the chorus is at 1 tempo, and so for the mandolin solo it will jump ten clicks! Fortunately, Ricky—a world-grade actor and historic role of the genre with 15 Grammys—lays it down so difficult you don't have a option but to go with him. Second, there are no count-offs on songs, instead they accept what they call kicks [an instrumental lick from the song]. Then you take to know the banjo kick on beat 3 of the fourth bar of the phrase in order to know when to come up in. And you better know the tempo because you'll be lucky to catch a foot tap. Usually bluegrass players count in cut time, but if you were going by quarter-notes, a lot of the songs are in the 350bpm range. Fortunately, it's mostly a two feel on bass. Lastly, there's very rarely a drummer in bluegrass, then the time falls on you lot. You lot're continuing just backside the front line, all in a row, merely you lot meliorate non autumn behind the tempo. Ricky was very gracious through my commencement yr of blunders, until I felt I had a good grasp on the gig.

Eventually, you got a feature with Ricky.

What happened was we were on bout with Bruce Hornsby equally our guest artist, and he did a version of Jimmy Martin'south traditional bluegrass melody, "20/20 Vision," that he had recorded with Charlie Haden on Charlie's album Rambling Boy [Decca, 2008]. Bruce would feature my playing in a long intro and audiences liked it because it was a dainty divergence from the all the fast tunes. Later on the tour, ane of our featured musicians left the band, which meant a slot had opened, and I got the nerve to ask Ricky if we could do the tune with me every bit the featured vocalizer. I don't think he even knew I sang but he said yes. That was a pivotal point for me because information technology showed me that the concept of bass and voice worked, it made me pace up as a vocalist effectually other great singers, and it gave me the confidence to be a frontman. And then I felt had to include a version of it on my record.

Bruce Hornsby too played a role in your songwriting.

That's right. I had been writing songs and Ricky got hired to play an Americana music prowl, again with Bruce as our guest. I asked him if I could selection his encephalon about songwriting and he had me come to his cabin. I'll never forget, I got there and he was practicing Schoenberg on his keyboard. So I played him some of my songs and he said, "Your voice sounds skilful, your playing is good, and the songs are fine. There'southward just nothing interesting almost them." It was difficult in the moment, merely it was exactly what I wanted to hear, his honest assessment. He was very encouraging, explaining, "Y'all're very talented, you have all of these skills, but yous're but emulating stuff. Don't settle, notice the real you—what only yous can offering." Not long after, I wrote "Fighting for the Wrong Side," my showtime song for the album, and I sent it to Bruce, and he was so excited, replying, "You fucking did it, man!"

What led you to make the album and what was your was concept?

It was the want and need to do my own affair, which is why I left Ricky'southward band after 5 years. What tin I do with this instrument? What can I offering to the earth that no one else tin? Every artist has to ask themselves that. My answer was combining my bass playing, singing, and songwriting, while embracing all of my musical influences. I purposely kept the concept simple—mainly my bass and vocals, with some background vocals and a few contributions by other musicians—and then I would accept room to evolve. Also, the chord progressions I use are fairly basic, but I effort to sneak in little harmony nuggets such as passing chords, melodic lines in counterpoint to my vocal, and non-root tones.

You said "Fighting for the Wrong Side" was the get-go song you wrote for the anthology, and information technology indeed establishes your music and lyric approach.

I wrote the main riff on a cello I have at the house to mess around on. Afterwards I adapted information technology for bass and I fleshed out the song and lyric. To me, the acoustic bass is a very impressionistic instrument; you're never actually in melody, and unlike the piano, you're giving the impression of something rather than laying it all out. Hither, I'm hinting at the chord progession, but well-nigh of the time information technology'south single notes. Y'all can guess at the harmony but it's not really there. There's a power in that arroyo. When I played the vocal for Bruce he said liked the sprase style of the song—the writing of the bass role, the tune, and the lyric, and how they don't give you lot the whole picture at any point. That suits me on the lyric side, too, equally I'm more of a discreet meaning blazon author. I'd become comments almost the song, interpreting it in different means, some accusing me of being anti-military. Just the song is actually about a relationship. I like having that sense of mystery about the lyric, and leaving space for the listener to translate information technology. I've found what I connect with in my songs is rarely what someone else connects with. So I only endeavour to brand it equally truthful and compelling as I can.

"The Lord Is Coming" has had a far reach.

What happened was, I wrote the song with two friends, Alanna Boudreau and Gabi Wilson, at a songwriting retreat in Vermont in 2016. We each released versions on our albums. In the meantime, Gabi, who is known equally H.E.R., won two Grammy's final year, including Best R&B Album. Gabi'south version is on her latest EP, I Used to Know Her: Function ii, and I'm playing bass on the rail. I also play on Alanna'southward version. So the vocal has opened a lot of doors for me. Lauren Daigle, who has emerged from the Christian music scene to get a mainstream star, heard me play the tune at a Nashville issue and invited me to perform information technology on tour with her last yr.

"Indefensible" has a confessional quality to it.

Yeah, it's ane of the almost raw lyrics I've written. It's about the mistakes we make and about make, and how if you lot spend so much time at the border is in that location much difference between the two? In the last verse the protagonist doesn't do the human activity non because of moral character but because he was a coward. I wrote a fair amount of the song then realized information technology was almost me! So I guess the song is a confessional. I kept the runway to simply bass and vocals so there was nothing to hide behind, and you could feel the pain in the lyrics. A friend of mine pointed out that the whole anthology has a theme of facing fearfulness. That mirrors my life, which has been all about breaking out on my own equally a solo artist. I guess I'm heeding my ain message. This was too the only rail where I recorded the bass and song separately. I prefer to tape them live together. It results in a less perfect operation just information technology makes an emotional departure. You can her some of the bleed and a scrap of phasing at times, simply it sounds more 3-dimensional.

Which brings upwards singing and playing; any tips?

It'southward difficult, no doubt, but I encourage it considering it's fun. The just manner I could do it at starting time was to ho-hum everything to a crawl, even figuring out which words state on which notes. I had "Fighting for the Wrong Side" mapped and gridded in 16th-notes, measure past measure. Learning both parts separately is ever a good method. Recollect rhythmically—the rhythm of your words and the rhythm of the bass line; endeavor speaking the words to the bass line before singing them. And before you start, visualize what yous desire the end result to audio like.

A central office of your sound is hitting the bass percussively.

That came about from looking for new textures to add in my solo performances. I had worked up a cover of "Wake Me Up" [by the late Avicii, 2013] and it needed percussion for a sense of movement, so I tried hit the trunk of the bass. The challenge is I accept to orchestrate which paw I'g going to use, how and where I'g going to hit it, and how to get back to the strings for the bass line. I've developed different moves and I effort to be dynamic. I'll hit the body of the bass with my fist for a kick drum or Cajón sound, the shoulder or the fingerboard for a snare sound, the sides for a knocking sound, and for dynamics, I'll employ two fingers for a lighter touch.

The upright lends itself well to interpreting Ladysmith Black Mambazo vocal melodies on your cover of Paul Simon's "Homeless."

I moved the fundamental upwards from F# to A, to sit better on the bass. That was recorded in Vermont in a less sophisticated setting, with 2 mikes, and I dearest the audio I got. I also have twelve people doing groundwork vocals. I do a bear witness where I comprehend the entire Graceland anthology.

You break out the bow for "Himalayas."

I've got a long way to get with my bowing, merely I've gotten better at information technology from having a fiddle in the house. One of the challenges is you tin can get hamstrung if you're bowing in the incorrect direction, so y'all have to choice spots where y'all play double down or upstrokes to make a passage work. I wrote that vocal in the mountains of Colorado while on bout with Ricky, and the music flowed from the lyrics. My original intent was to arrange it for a ring because of the epic scope of the lyrics, merely then I realized information technology should exist a solo slice. I used a bow to give it an ascending feel, and I discovered I could play octaves using harmonics with the bow. There are iii overdubbed, bowed parts in the intro, the bridge, and the ending. Between the bowed passages and the percussive hits on the torso, I was discovering new techniques to brand it all piece of work. It's everything I can do on the bass, so I play information technology final in my sets.

How do yous encounter your art evolving?

Well, every bit I mentioned, I purposely kept the canvas adequately blank on this record then I would have room to abound and develop my vision. I have a lot of ideas going forward nearly how to keep the core of my sound while dressing it up in various ways, through different textures. I'd like to try adding some MIDI controllers to my upright. I feel like I've just begun exploring on my musical journey.

LISTEN

Himalayas [West Sterling Music, 2018]; H.E.R., I Used to Know Her: Part 2 [RCA, 2018]

GEAR

Basses: 1950 Kay acoustic bass with a French-style bow, "It was once a 5-string, but Nashville luthier Randy Hunt restored it with a new 4-cord neck that attaches with a bolt, so I can travel with it in two cases." 1973 Fender Precision with old, unknown flatwounds

Strings: Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Orchestral medium set

Live: Shure SM98A and Fishman Full Circumvolve Upright Bass Pickup into Avalon U5 DI, through venue monitors; Mesa-Boogie M-Pulse 600 Subway and Powerhouse 2x12 cabinet for electric bass

Recording Himalayas: "On my Kay bass, we used Sony C-800G and AEA R84 mikes up close, an AEA R88 Stereo Ribbon Mic farther away for room sound, my Fishman DI, and a Bluish Bottle mic for my vocals."

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Source: https://bassmagazine.com/artists/scott-mulvahill-vertical-voice

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