Marc featured in bass guitar magazine

[Katie]

From the July issue of Guitar World's Bass Guitar Magazine (on stands right now.) It's the bass mag with Geddy Lee on the cover... Marc gets a shout-out in the editor's letter too for the reference to his pedals.

Who would've thought that dropping out of Berklee in 1996 would've been the best move that Marc Friedman ever made? It's a near-certainty that if he hadn't cut classes to gig with drummer Andrew Barr and guitarist brother Brad, Friedman wouldn't be the bassist he is today.

"There were only so many theory and composition classes I could take before becoming totally disconnected with why I was making music," says Friedman, who's still playing with the Barrs 11 years later as one-third of the Slip. "I learn most when I just sit and play my bass for an entire day. Many bass players only pick up their instrument when they walk out onstage, but if you're not practicing, you're not progressing."

By the late '90s, the Slip were known as a great all-instrumental jam-band, but these days they've embraced a more indie-rock feel. The transition has served them well; songs on the Grey's Anatomy TV show and the Guitar Hero soundtrack, and the critical success of their latest album, 2006's Eisenhower (Bar/None), have propelled the Slip to a new level of popularity. As if marrying groove and melody wasn't enough work, Friedman also dances on a Roland PK-5 MIDI foot controller.

"I originally got it because I liked how Geddy Lee got a huge sound out of [his Taurus pedals] in a power trio. I love playing root notes with my feet while I play high-register leads with my hands. I usually double up thirds or fifths for louder parts, but in a song like "Paper Birds" I got a beautiful xylophone/marimba sound that really stands out. This pedal has become a major element of my playing and has pushed my creativity with sampling, writing, and harmonizing.

After ten years of playing in this band, I'm starting to feel the full wealth that music can offer, and I don't mean that in a monetary way," Friedman says. "When I began playing at 14, I could have never pictured that my life would pan out like this. I just wanted to play bass."

I enjoyed the mix of focus on this one... a bit about The Slip with more detail from Marc on his playing than we normally get to read in their media coverage. It'd be cool to see more of this. Maybe Guitar World will do a focus on Brad next?