matthewtrinidad.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

I appreciate everyone’s messages of support, I’m trying to get through all my mentions but as you can imagine, it’s been a bit of a busy day :) Remember - peaceful civil disobedience, and no kings, no tyrants. Not ever.

submitted 12 days ago • 2871 comments

Julia Titus the Empress of the blues, performing The Bessie Smith story @crazycoqs #London #crazycoqs #bessiesmith #bass #clarinet #saxophone #singing #piano

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes are nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 → cons.lv/0TJAud

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

I'm worried that I'm starting to understand jazz

submitted 20 days ago • 142 comments

Steely Dan: a guilty or not so guilty pleasure of mine since 1992.

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Weekend vibes with the Dingwall bass 🎧 #bassplayer

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

Things to tell my younger bassist self 050: Stop trying to be something you’re not. Practice it all, but also pay attention to where your areas of strength lie and refine those. [You can't be] good at everything. Credit the esteemed Jonathan Herrerra. Posted with his permission. #bass #bassky

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 049: Your Sweetwater rep will negotiate on price, especially if you draw a lot of water from that well (i.e. it's probably not effective to try to nickel and dime them on every transaction). Your local shop will likely offer a cash discount. #bass #bassky

submitted 31 days ago • 1 comment

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 048: Access to sub-E notes is a reason to use a five-string bass, but the broader application (and possibly a crutch) is you get to play low notes further up the neck. The fundamental of low notes played above the 5th fret seems clearer. #bass #bassky

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 047: Floating thumb is the fast & dirty way to dampen low strings on a 5-string bass, but it changes your right hand angle & it limits 1st & 2nd finger dexterity. Using the ring finger/pinky is better, but it requires a lot more technique. #bass #bassky

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 046: You need a five string bass for a lot of reasons. A six string bass probably offers more problems than solutions to people not named Thundercat, John Pattitucci, and Anthony Jackson. #bass #bassky

submitted 31 days ago • 1 comment

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 045: "Don't worry about becoming a great musician. Just live a musical life." - MonoNeon (with a couple of edits). #bass #bassky

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

I listen to a lot of music podcasts and all of the Bass podcasts. In my opinion, the best bass-cast is the Lowdown Society by Victor Broden. Discontinued in 2021 for some reason. It's awesome. thelowdownsociety.podbean.com

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 044: When buying a bass, the following are dealbreakers (unless the mojo is exceedingly strong): 1. Weighs more than 10 pounds 2. Dead spots on the neck (esp @ G6 & E7) 3. Can't turn the truss rod Most other blems can be fixed. These can't. #bass #bassky

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 043: Play to the singer. #bass #bassky

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 042: Don't look down on lesser musicians. As a musico-spiritual practice, go to jams/open mics & get up there with a musician that other musicians avoid but who's trying. Hold down the tempo. Provide a sonic foundation. Make them sound good. #bass #bassky

submitted 33 days ago • 1 comment

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 041: If I could pick one non-music activity that helps with the music, it would be meditation. And to learn meditation to a level that will be of real help to you, you need a week or more of intensive training. This one's free: dhamma.org #bass #bassky

submitted 33 days ago • 1 comment

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 040: In recent months, while visiting my local music store, I got connected to the leader of my main gig (a jazz quartet) and made at least three other important music connections. My Sweetwater rep has never done that for me. #bass #bassky

submitted 34 days ago • 1 comment

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 039: you can probably set up a bass at least as well as an average music store guitar tech but only 90 as well as a high level bass tech. And that last ten percent matters. #bass #bassky

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 038: Learn to solder. And you should at least be able to wire a passive jazz bass. #bass #bassky

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 037: If you intend to follow the road less travelled and make a career of this (I didn’t), it seems to me that the place with the most favorable musician to opportunity ratio isn’t, LA, NYC, or Nashville. It’s Las Vegas. Go there. #bass #bassky

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Well done!

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Things I'd tell my younger bassist self 036: Easier & more efficient fingerings for a difficult passage exist. Find them. Open strings are (a) a crutch for the beginner, (b) ignored by the intermediate (shapes don't work with open strings), but (c) thoughtfully used by the advanced. #bass #bassky

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 035: Most people in music won't tell say that you're doing something wrong or that you need to improve something. They just won't call you back. So the person who says, "You're doing it wrong, you need to fix this," is doing you a service. #bass #bassky

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 034: if you need to stop and take a nap at 3 am to make it home in one piece, stop in a safe place and take the nap. #bass #bassky

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 033: take care of your own stuff first at tear down and only then help others. #bass #bassky

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 032: Throw a gig bag in the back of your car; toss a hard (or flight) case in the back of the van or tour bus. #bass #bassky

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 031: Buy some par lights (they can be had cheaply). Put them on the floor, stage front, when you're playing a gig in a room that doesn't have stage lighting or is otherwise lacking in personality. People listen with their eyes too. #bass #bassky

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

This is how far I have to scroll to see a post from one of my friends on Facebook

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 030: Right angle cables (instrument/9v) are usually better, except when you've got a recessed jack plate, like on a Stratocaster, or the dials get in the way at your pedalboard or amp. Lower profile. Less leverage if they get yanked. #bass #bassky

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 029: The best attitude for a musician isn't competition (with yourself/others), it's service. Be generous. #bass #bassky

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

Mood

submitted 39 days ago • 376 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 028: a bandmate is making an error. They are unaware. Unless you’re the MD, try to live with it. If you can’t, correct it with humility, as you would want to be treated, & be aware of this risk-mishandling this situation may poison the well #bass #bassky

submitted 41 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 027: The claim that sleep is needed download stuff into long term memory is right. You need to work on something over the course of several days or longer to really learn it. #bass #bassky

submitted 41 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 026: Don't keep practicing a mistake. If you identify a problem or an error, fix it right away or as soon as you can. #bass #bassky

submitted 41 days ago • 1 comment

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 025: Aside from a great compressor, a tuner, and a pre/DI, you're not going to use a lot of pedals in your career (I'm sure a lot of other bassists use lots pedals); probably just get an HX Stomp and be done collecting pedals. #bass #bassky

submitted 42 days ago • 0 comments

Things I would tell my younger bassist self 024: if you find yourself digging in or playing hard or if your hands/fingers afterward feel like you were playing too hard during rehearsal or a gig, chances are you couldn't hear yourself in the mix. #bass #bassky

submitted 42 days ago • 0 comments