Music discussion

Pepe heard Hugo's words without panic. On the contrary, he ran with a magical air towards the empty space behind the bar counter, and Hugo followed curiously, holding his beer.

This was the venue for the Rock Night, and Hugo had just taken a look. He knew that it was currently occupied by a jukebox, a pinball machine, and a pool table. But as he approached, he realized that there was still a large empty space with scattered musical instruments. This made Hugo's eyes sparkle with excitement. This was truly a hidden gem.

Hugo turned back and looked at the bar counter. Glen and the beautiful woman were still engaged in a heated conversation. Glen had the woman smiling from ear to ear, indicating that things were going very well. Sensing Hugo's gaze, Glen looked over and realized that Hugo was expressing admiration for this corner. Glen raised an eyebrow slightly to show his pride and then shifted his attention back to the woman.

Pepe was browsing through several bass guitars, and Hugo noticed. Pepe chose a six-string electric bass, which surprised Hugo, but upon careful consideration, it was within his expectations.

Generally speaking, bass guitars are divided into acoustic bass and electric bass. The former is more suitable for traditional jazz, while the latter has a stronger modern feel. Pepe chose an electric bass, which perfectly matched his age. It was evident that he had a deeper exposure to modern music as a bass player.

Overall, the most common bass guitar is the four-string bass, which is also the most commonly used instrument in rock bands. In addition to that, there are five-string electric bass and six-string electric bass. The five-string bass adds a low B string and is widely used in pop music. The six-string bass adds a high C string on top of the five-string bass, and this type of guitar is often used for solo performances and can also be seen in jazz music. There are also seven-string, eleven-string, and even guitars with additional strings, but their usage frequency is much lower.

Pepe chose a six-string electric bass, clearly aiming to show off his skills and fully showcase the charm of the bass guitar. On the one hand, it was a demonstration to Hugo, and on the other hand, it revealed his strong confidence.

After noticing Hugo's presence, Pepe didn't bother with pleasantries. He immediately started playing the strings with his fingers. It was indeed the most common way to start playing an electric bass, using the root note accompaniment on the third string. The third string was the least distinctive string but the most commonly used one, often used to play the root note by striking it.

Pepe started with the most basic but also the most skillful technique in bass playing, which was fingerstyle. It was a method of playing with fingers, not with fingertips for ordinary playing, but by striking and plucking the strings with the thumb and other fingers. The sound produced by this method was the brightest.

Hugo noticed that Pepe's fundamentals were very solid. The young Pepe in front of him should be younger than him, so he must have spent more time immersed in the study of bass techniques to reach his current level. Whether playing with his fingers or using fingerstyle, the two most widely used foundational techniques were mastered by him to perfection. Furthermore, in order to show off his skills, he demonstrated advanced techniques such as tapping and harmonics. However, Hugo's understanding of these advanced techniques was very limited. It was useless to merely discuss them on paper.

So, Hugo simply closed his eyes and enjoyed Pepe's performance. Pepe chose to perform a classic song by the band Pink Floyd called "Money". Pink Floyd was one of the greatest bands in history. This British rock band emerged in the 1960s and played an irreplaceable role in the creative and technical aspects of rock music. The bassist of the band, Roger Waters, was a great musician. One of Pink Floyd's greatest charms is their live performances, and Pepe's choice could definitely be considered a challenging one.

The song "Money" is from Pink Floyd's 1973 album "The Dark Side of the Moon", which is one of the most successful rock albums in history. It stayed on the Billboard album chart in the United States for 741 weeks, which is nearly 14 years. This record remained unbroken until 2014. It can be said to be a classic representation of the band, and the song "Money" heavily relies on the bass as the main melody, combined with the intricate framework created by psychedelic electronic synthesizers and sound effects, making it a masterpiece.

In fact, Pepe only used the bass to play this song without the assistance of other instruments or vocals, which put him at a disadvantage. Hugo originally thought Pepe would choose a jazz piece to showcase his superior skills, so it was unexpected that he chose a Pink Floyd song. However, Pepe's performance was brilliant.

Pepe had control over the rhythm, playing with both speed and slowness. He not only mastered the deep bass sound of the instrument but also demonstrated the essential sense of rhythm that distinguishes an excellent bass player. What's even more commendable is that Pedro interpreted the elegant and smooth jazz flavor of the bass instrument, allowing Hugo to effortlessly imagine the beautiful scene of elegantly dressed upper-class people dancing in a banquet hall in the 1930s.

As the song gradually progressed, Pepe's performance became more intricate, utilizing various techniques that transformed a mere bass into a multitude of tones, leaving people in awe.

Unknowingly, a small group of people had gathered around, enjoying Pepe's fantastic performance. This was one of the characteristics of Al's Bar, where people would often step forward to perform, including amateur bands or individuals engaging in friendly musical exchanges. Such performances would always attract the attention of many people in the bar.

As more and more people gathered, Pepe couldn't help but feel excited. His techniques became even more intricate, seemingly showcasing everything he had in store. This made Hugo smile because Pepe, in his excessive excitement, began to rush the rhythm, especially without the support of a drum set. The rhythm was entirely controlled by Pepe himself, resulting in a chaotic tempo. It seemed that Pepe was still too young.

"Planning to have a bass showdown this time?" a voice sounded next to Hugo. He turned his head and was surprised to see Neil Anderson. Hugo's face lit up with delight as he hadn't expected to see Neil again today.

"No, I don't play bass," Hugo chuckled and replied, "I'm just here to appreciate, pure appreciation." Hugo pointed at Pepe in front of him.

"Originally, he was challenging you." Neil immediately showed a look of sudden realization, holding a beer in his hand. "His basic skills are quite good, but he lacks performance experience." Last time, when Hugo and Neil had a guitar duel, Hugo knew that Neil was not only a highly skilled guitarist but also had extensive live performance experience. He could be considered a seasoned performer. However, in the underground rock scene, there were numerous talented individuals, so it was not surprising.

"Skills can be practiced, experience can be accumulated, but it mainly depends on one's own willingness," Hugo said with a smile, taking a sip of beer. On the path of rock bands, there were no shortcuts. It was all accumulated through one performance after another. The globally renowned rock bands had all honed their skills through countless tours.

As they spoke, applause rang out around them. Hugo and Neil turned their gaze to Pepe, who was bowing in the center and expressing his gratitude. Both of them raised their glasses as a gesture of respect to Pepe.

"Hey, Neil." Pepe walked over, greeted them happily, and then looked confidently at Hugo. "How was it?"

"Fantastic," Hugo raised his thumb, offering a simple comment, which made Pepe smile proudly. "However, you don't seem to practice with a band very often."

Pepe was taken aback and looked puzzled. "What do you mean?" Neil also seemed to sense something and looked interestedly at Hugo.

Hugo shrugged. "I didn't mean anything else. I just feel that your grasp of melody is not quite there."

"Well, it's true that I made a few mistakes just now, and a couple of chords were off," Pepe admitted without denying his mistakes. As they walked towards the bar, he seriously pondered, "But why do you think we lack practice as a band?"

Hugo looked at Neil and chuckled. "Looks like I misspoke." Neil shrugged, indicating he couldn't help. "Actually, it's not just about playing the melody wrong. You know, any performance can have mistakes. Nobody can be perfect."

Although Pepe's skills were indeed impressive, and his sense of rhythm was quite seasoned, Hugo could sensitively perceive that Pedro's grasp of melody was still somewhat immature. It wasn't just a matter of a few wrong notes or chords; it was more about the inexperienced connection between rhythm and melody.

In simple terms, if Pepe played alone, he would be an outstanding bassist, and those flaws wouldn't be a problem. But when placed in a band, he could blend well with the drums, yet lacked support for the keyboard and guitar. This would cause a sense of detachment in the performance. This issue might be resolved in the recording studio, but it easily became apparent during live performances. And for a band, live performances were crucial.

"Are you saying that my rhythm and melody are out of sync?" Pepe's expression had now lost the earlier pride, and he began to think seriously.

Hugo nodded. "Especially in the last part." When Pepe lost control of the rhythm towards the end, it made the melody sound somewhat fragmented. When played solely on the bass, it didn't have a particularly noticeable feeling, but once integrated with other instruments, the problem became evident. Although Hugo was not very familiar with other instruments' techniques, his natural musical sense allowed him to have sensitive ears.

Neil looked at Hugo with even more admiration. Although he also noticed something was amiss, he wasn't as perceptive as Hugo. But upon reflecting on Hugo's talent in previous creative endeavors, Neil understood. As a creator, exceptional musical intuition was vital, and clearly, Hugo possessed such talent.