Name: Rik Barba
Age: 29
Location: Los Angeles, CA. US
Gig: Bass instructor, solo and session bassist
Website: www.myspace.com/rikbarba  
Contact: sonicmass_records@yahoo.com  
Videos: Visit myspace profile

What things do you need when you sit down to write?
Privacy, a big cold non-alcoholic drink and a melody or chord progression idea. Major modes are my favorite songwriting tool.

How did you discover the bass guitar and what age were you?
I was 15 years old and had been playing keyboard & classical piano since the age of 5. I was influenced by Bach, Vivaldi & Mozart but I was spinning Kiss (Gene), The Cure (Simon), Slayer (Tom) & old Metallica (Cliff). What these all had in common was a strong bass foundation which I couldn't match with the keyboard. This is when I realized I was playing the wrong instrument and my passion for bass guitar was born.

Do you play any other instruments? If so does this help you to write bass lines?

Yes piano, keyboard and guitar. Guitar has especially helped with soloing technique.

Tell us your favourite exercise used to warm up….

I usually warm up by going through the two octave major modes on my 5 string, up and down in triads and arpegios. Also chromatic exercises and cross chromatic (the spider), always with a metronome.

What other instruments do you like to work with?
Upright bass, cello and banjo.

Tell us your top 5 bass players…
Jaco Pastorius, Michael Manring, John Patitucci, Tom Kennedy and Adam Nitti

Are you coming over to the UK to play any time soon? 
Nothing planned as of yet but get me the plane ticket, a place to stay and I'm there.

What basses and gear do you use?
1990-95 Fender P-Bass and BC Rich warlock and ironbird 4 strings
1995-00 Ibanez soundgear and ergodyne 4 and 5
2000-06 Ovation acoustic 4, Ceptor fretless 5, BC Rich eagle 80's and my old Ibanez 5 which is my favorite because I added so many things to it, 2 soapbar EMG DC40's, a Schaller bridge with rollers, Schaller sealed tuners and a preamp with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .45/.65/.80/100/130 strings.
Amps: GK 800RB, BBE maximizer, ART Nightbass and a SWR 4x10 Goliath II the classic cab.

What was your first bass?
A $35USD no brand short scale beatup Fender jazz sunburst imitation.

Who would you most like to play on stage with and why?
The Dave Matthews Band, Dave Weckl band and Dream Theather. They are so musical and brutally technical, it would be a pleasure to spread my wings with any of them.

Describe to us how you get your main bass sound?
Output gain and equalizer knobs on max so pickups send 100% to the amp. Amp gets a balanced equalization, boost and high filters on or the BBE if I have my rack with me. I love the standard studio bass sound like Tom Kennedy or John Patitucci.

What is the most important thing to have with you at gigs?
Fresh set of strings, stack and cables in good condition, towell and chilled bottle of soda water.

What bands/musicians are on your MP3 player at the moment?
GHS trilogy, Dave Weckl band (It's brilliant!), Bob Marley, U2, Dream Theather and Led Zeppelin (How can anyone pass on them?)

Take us through the complex process of how you record?
As Rik Barba the solo bassist I use a digital 4 track with flat channels. I get my amp sound and effects from an old 92 ART nightbass hybrid preamp. All my solo stuff is allways recorded on single takes because I like to keep it artistic. I'm not into non-musical studio magic software.
In a session situation I ask the engineer to put me on flat on the console and I use my preamp unless it's a rock or heavy situation, I prefer a mic through an 8x10 Ampeg and a Mesa or Hiwatt guitar head with analog effects, if needed.

 

"Make the best out of what you have"

"Formal music education will set you free"