Upright Citizens

You’ve got 15 minutes. Maybe it’s a borrowed bass in a new hall before soundcheck. Maybe it’s your own bass at home, with life about to catch up with you. Either way: what do you actually practice?

Bob DeBoo and Reuben Rogers open with a live Ray Brown Trio recording of "St. Louis Blues," proof that a great bassist sounds like himself on any instrument, then share Ray Brown stories from a UNT master class and the festival circuit. Reuben walks through how he gets to know an unfamiliar upright fast: finding his reference notes, singing intervals before he plays them, and targeting notes without cheating on intonation. Bob breaks down the melodic triads warm-up he uses to learn a new fingerboard, and how hearing ahead works on electric bass too. Plus: why the bow is its own instrument (after a tour of 25 cities, 25 basses, and 25 bows), and three rules for making any 15-minute practice session count.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

(00:00) What Do You Practice in 15 Minutes?
(00:51) The 15-Minute Challenge
(01:26) Listen to This: Ray Brown Trio
(02:52) Why Ray Brown Sounds Like Ray Brown
(03:57) Ray Brown's UNT Master Class
(05:14) Ray Brown Practiced Every Day
(06:28) New Bass? Find Your Reference Note
(08:54) Ear Training: Sing Your Intervals
(09:53) Target Notes: Don't Cheat Intonation
(11:20) Hearing Ahead on Electric Bass
(11:58) Melodic Triads Warm-Up Exercise
(16:32) Be Intentional With 15 Minutes
(17:24) One Tour: 25 Basses, 25 Bows
(18:37) Short Sessions, Long-Term Reps
(19:19) Takeaways: Focus, Sound, Be Realistic

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
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Bob and Reuben both have their own in-depth bass courses on OpenStudioJazz.com, alongside Masters like Christian McBride and Ron Carter - dig deeper into everything you hear on this show.

As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

Try OS Membership today! → https://osjazz.link/about

Click here to view the episode transcript.

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You got the call. The music is deep, the deadline is short - you've got maybe a day, maybe a car ride, before you're expected to play it like you've known it for years.
In Episode 2 of Upright Citizens, Bob and Reuben break down how professional musicians actually learn new music fast: not through some trick, but through a specific way of listening. They react to Ulysses Owens Jr.'s "Better Days," Bob tells the story of learning an entire live set on a six-hour drive to Fayetteville with zero charts, Reuben tells his own story of jumping into Gerald Clayton's trio on a day's notice, and they break down the exact order of what to listen for - form, feel, key, and the lines that actually matter - plus why it's okay to mess it up along the way.
Click here to watch a video of this episode.

(00:00) Cold open
(00:22) Welcome to Upright Citizens
(00:38) Today's topic: learning fast
(01:02) Listen to This: Ulysses Owens
(02:46) A word from Open Studio
(03:09) Bob's story: the Fayetteville gig
(06:24) How to listen: intent and repetition
(07:27) Order of importance: form, feel, key
(08:27) Know just enough to let go
(09:07) Reuben's story: the Gerald Clayton gig
(12:33) Deep listening in the moment
(16:09) The non-negotiable takeaway
(16:41) Learning from a person vs. the page
(18:10) The 3 keys to learning fast
(19:18) Close
ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob and Reuben both have their own in-depth bass courses on OpenStudioJazz.com, alongside Masters like Christian McBride and Ron Carter - dig deeper into everything you hear on this show.
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.
Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you're a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor. 
Try OS Membership today! → https://osjazz.link/about
Click here to view the episode transcript.

★ Support this podcast ★

You're playing all the right notes - the changes, the time, everything. So why does your bass line still feel like it's just not dancing?
Bob and Reuben break down the 'one thing' that separates a bass line that swings from one that just sits there: note length. They react to an unreleased Ron Carter duo track, Reuben tells the story of the studio session that changed how he thinks about note length forever, and they connect it all back to the physical mechanics of your right and left hand - on both upright and electric.
Click here to watch a video of this episode.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob and Reuben both have their own in-depth bass courses on OpenStudioJazz.com, alongside Masters like Christian McBride and Ron Carter - dig deeper into everything you hear on this show.
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.
Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you're a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor. 
Try OS Membership today! → https://osjazz.link/about

★ Support this podcast ★

‘Practice in all  12 keys’…It’s advice we often hear, but do we really need to???

★ Support this podcast ★

"Any musician always dreams of getting to play with their heroes, and we also have our own unsung personal heroes in our lives as well. Join Reuben and Bob for a candid discussion about what it's like playing with their heroes, and how their personal mentors have changed their lives forever for the better." 
We hope you enjoy this conversation and we'd love to hear your thoughts. Reach out to the Upright Citizens anytime at uprightcitizenspodcast@gmail.com and let us know what's up. Peace! 

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