Gospelbasslines: Tell us about your Discography, and gigs you have played on.

 Derrick Hearne: I have played for a lot of artists. Some you may have heard of and others you may not. My recordings are a lot in number but the most notables would have to be Ricky Dillard’s (no Limit, Unplugged, The 7th Episode). As far as gigs…wow. I have played (or had the opportunity to play) with a lot of the “well known” artists from Jay Moss to Kurt Carr, etc. My list of gigs may not be as long as others but understand, that is clearly by choice and I am very content with it. I remember the days when the “Tommies” were really hot. They would have the same band that totally defined their sound. You never hardly saw those musicians, in that era, playing all the time with everybody. I wanted to do that with the ministry I am with.

 Gospelbasslines: How long have you been playing bass guitar?

 Derrick Hearne: I have been playing bass for 19 years now (14 years professionally)

 Gospelbasslines: Did you musical journey start with the bass guitar, or did you start out on another instrument?

 Derrick Hearne: I actually, like most musicians, started on the drums. Unfortunately for me, our church at the time had a slew of drummers already and my PT [playing time] was very limited. My cousin Jayson, who is my right arm to this day, was the first in our age range to take the step to another instrument which was the organ. This lead me to think, “If I played bass, we’d have a full band over here”. In high school I did play a little of trumpet but for some reason I liked the bass so much more. I will never forget when our marching band entered the city jamboree and the people saw we had a bass player on the field with real drums and keyboard doing radio songs! It was amazing!

 Gospelbasslines: Who has influenced your playing style the most? Why?

 Derrick Hearne: I actually have 3 people who influenced me the most Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Jaco Pastorius. I am a prodigy of all three! Each of their styles can be incorporated in gospel in so many ways. I am sure that people who have really heard me would agree. Marcus’ style is for the more funkier stuff and so is Jaco’s in a different way but Victor, I usually bring that out for soloing. I really didn’t get into these guys until late 2002. I had a style but I felt like my threshold had reached. All I listened to was gospel and no offense to no one but I was doing at 15 years old what some of the “top” bass players in the gospel industry are doing now. I wasn’t growing. I wanted to start a whole new thing. My friend Kevin Randolph (No Limit), who along with a couple of others has to be the most gifted keyboard players I have ever met, turned me on to jazz and since then, it was new and fresh. No one I knew at the time was doing it this way, some couldn’t.

 Gospelbasslines: What aspect of listening to Jazz, caused your playing to move to the next level?

 Derrick Hearne: Well understand that I grew up on gospel. That’s all I was ever allowed to listen to as a child. I didn’t even know who Earth Wind and Fire was until I was 18. Ain’t that a mess? I guess you can say I was “closed in a box”. A friend of mine, Kevin Randolph (New G, Mary Mary, Ramsey Lewis) actually turned me on to Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, etc. It opened my mind up to a whole new world of bass playing. I mean the scales, the approaches, and the overall execution was something I wanted to be able to do. I mean I listened to my fair share of “smooth” jazz but FUSION, it’s a totally different beast.

 Gospelbasslines: Can you remember any particular concept or element of playing that gave you problems in your maturation process?

 Derrick Hearne: Fingering believe it or not. Though I was learning Jaco’s technique, I was never as fluid as I wanted to be. I had slapping down to the point where I was getting comfortable but fingering, it was hard for me because I never really got into it. I grew up listening to Andrew Gouche’, Steve Huff, Joel Smith and on the albums I had they were slapping even on ballads! (LA Mass “Love Lifted Me”) Needless to say, the whole element of walking, let alone the tone Jaco has, was a beast to conquer.

 Gospelbasslines: How did you overcome the issue with fingering?

 Derrick Hearne: Actually I practiced a lot of scales over and over. First slowly and then I noticed my dexterity and speed increased over some time. I still practice on getting faster because doing 16th notes in “shout” music is a killer!

 Gospelbasslines: Share with our readers, how you approach playing in a gospel/worship environment, from a spiritual standpoint.

 Derrick Hearne: I pray before EVERY service, concert, session, gig, rehearsal, etc. Even if it’s a simple, “Thank you Lord for another opportunity to minister.” I can’t understand how some musicians walk out on prayer, praise and worship, spoken word. I have actually been in musicals where there were a host of musicians and no one wanted to play in praise and worship. It was just me on the bass. No drummer. No organist. No pianist. The praise leader started singing anyway and FINALLY they made there way up there to play. I sometimes hate to play at musicals because when somebody does a “riff” you hear hollering, screaming, and yelling. Yet these same people are quiet as church mice when someone says,”Let’s worship the Lord with the fruit of our lips.” {perplexed} I take my walk seriously and I give my all every time I play whether it’s at a packed house or not, a big church or a store front, paid or unpaid. God was generous enough to bless us with this gift! We should NOT take it for granted. I honestly couldn’t care less if I’m everyone’s favorite bass player, as long as God is pleased! (End of message) The doors of the church are now open..lol!

 Gospelbasslines: What would you tell a musician wanting to get into the industry?

 Derrick Hearne: If you want to do it because you love gospel and ministering then great! If you are in it to make money…ummm..no. I am not saying you couldn’t make a decent living doing it but it is a “hustle”. I didn’t want to have to be gone all the time so I have other things I do and I am in school to get a degree in software engineering. If this is what you want to do then….but for me it was not feasible. As far as getting into the industry, I have found in my life that God indeed honors faithfulness. I tell everyone to be faithful to your church first and and whatever ministry you are a part of secondly. I didn’t get my opportunity by playing with everybody under the sun. It was by playing with a group that was faithful to from the beginning. Understand that everything works in God’s time and if He feels that you are not ready, then you are NOT. Sometimes it could be that the group you are with was predestined by God was meant to be the next “Tye Tribbett and GA”. Having said that let me add that on top of these you should make a press package for yourself (Videos, Audio, resume, etc.) This way when you blessed to be in company of some artists you can then at least have a shot. Also it is always good to network with other musicians because sometimes they can help you get where you are trying to go.

 Gospelbasslines: If you were stranded on a dessert island, and could have 1 song, what would that song be and why?

 Derrick Hearne: I would have to say “Latter Rain” by Myron Butler. It just ministers to me in so many ways both lyrically and musically. It’s almost like they were talking directly to me!

 Gospelbasslines: Who is in heavy rotation in you CD player right now?

 Derrick Hearne: Because I produce and engineer my ears are usually fried a lot..lol But when do I listen to music the gospel albums I reach for first are… Myron Butler and Levi Tye Tribbet “Life” Kevin Vasser “So Glad”

 Gospelbasslines: What Basses do you play, Strings you use, Amps, Cabs, and if you use any effects or pre-amps, etc.

 Derrick Hearne: I have 8 basses. I could never get around to getting an endorsement. Maybe I should one day….

 Fender Deluxe Jazz Basses (4&5 string)
4 string Music Man
6 string Ibanez (EMG electronics)
5 string Warrick Corvette
5 string fret less (Peavey)
5 string Peavey Millenium. (I like the sound of Peavey basses, the active ones anyway.)
8 string (No name Company) I’m decking it out with Bartolini electronics and pickups, a new bridge, etc.
I use DR strings with D’Addario as a backup

 Gospelbasslines: Are there any technical aspect, or exercises you can give to those starting out, that are tangible enough to help them grow as a musician?

 Derrick Hearne: I can honestly say what has helped me the most is developing my ear. I never ever had a real lesson. My teachers were ALL what I like to call INDIRECT PROFESSORS. They were teaching me and didn’t even know it. I would say as advice is to find a bass player that you admire and BUY the cd’s that they play on. This way you shouldn’t get bored listening to it repeatedly. Eventually you should be able to at least hum the bass line..believe it or not you are have way there because from here with time you will be able to translate what you hum to your instrument. Once I was able to hear something and then play it exactly like I heard it, everything came quickly from there. Learning notes are valuable but if you have a good ear as well, you will constantly get called for gigs.

 Gospelbasslines: Are there any upcoming projects, or links you want to promote?

 Derrick Hearne: I actually produce as well and right now I have been in the studio working on some upcoming projects. I am trying to get them done before the TOUR RUSH. I will start posting them on my Myspace page real soon.

 Special Thanks to Derrick Hearne for taking time to speak with Gospelbasslines.com. It was indeed a pleasure to speak to such a gifted musician who is willing to share his lifes experience. To find out more about Derrick Hearne, be sure to visit him at His Myspace Page.

Gospel Bass Lines: Do you play yourself? If so, what has been the most influential aspect of developing your playing style?

Tim Cloonan: I do play, but not bass. I’m a guitar player (uh oh!) but ultimately decided to build basses because there is a huge number of extremely talented bass players in my area and no one around who could really help them out. Guitar techs generally do a very poor job of setting up and properly maintaining basses, so it seemed like a good gap to fill.

As a player, I started at a very early age and ended up getting a degree from Temple University in Jazz Performance for guitar. For me, the most influential aspect of developing my own style was listening to music. Plain and simple. After awhile I outgrew a need to categorize and judge players, I realized everyone had different strengths and weaknesses and I appreciate what the greats bring to the game.

Gospel Bass Lines: Do you have any advise you can offer bass players starting out?

Tim Cloonan: There are two things which stand out to me as being important. The first thing is something a professor in college explained to me: never forget that being a musician is physical. Your fingers will hurt, and your dexterity and coordination will be challenged. Playing music isnﾒt entirely a head game, you need to build a physical tolerance to what ever instrument you play and understand it takes time to build things up. The second thing (perhaps the most important) is that playing music is supposed to be fun!

Gospel Bass Lines: From the inception of CallowHill^TM you decided to design with the Bassist coming out of the Black gospel tradition. You stated on your site, that if this tradition were a town, then you arent even on the same planet. What are some characteristics that define the players coming out of the Black Gospel Tradition, for you?

Tim Cloonan: From my perspective, the principal characteristic (which isn’t exclusive to players coming out of this tradition but is often lacking in players coming from other backgrounds) is aural tradition. In other words, the musicians learn the way any musician should learn, by using their ears. Players who learn other forms, be it Rock, Jazz, Blues, whatever, often get lessons and practice but never really PLAY. Most of the players I know coming out of the Black Gospel bag learned in much the same way, but then had to get their chops busted and think on the fly in front of an audience a couple times a week at a very early age. If you’re in this situation and the organist decides to throw some curve balls, the bass player has to be on their game and adapt. Having played with more bass players form the aforementioned tradition, I’ve tried numerous times to derail them on gigs and sessions just to be a wiseguy and have had very limited success!

Gospel Bass Lines: You spent over ten years repairing basses for players coming out of the Black Gospel genre, what were some of the issues that the players would ask you for assistance in correcting?

Tim Cloonan: The main thing is WEIGHT. As a repair tech there really is never anything I can do about it, but most guys who have to perform for 4+ hours at a time don’t like it when they have a neck-heavy cinder block tied around their neck the whole time. The other issue is getting a full spectrum sound with the controls set flat. Many Gospel players go through a phase where they like to boost the lows and highs and cut all the mids. Eventually, they realize that particular eq curve has no definition to the audience’s ears and straighten the curve. When that happens, the question that comes up is, “What pickups and preamps will provide a great full sound with minimal tweaking, and without background noise?” The other thing is setting the basses up so they play easily without excessive fret buzz.

Gospel Bass Lines: You’ve worked with a very talented array of musicians, in developing your instruments. What’s the most common thing this all-star cast of musicians like about CallowHill^TM basses?

Tim Cloonan: The thing that most players of my instruments tend to like is light weight, no deadspots, versatility, ease of playability, a very thick, raw tonality, and super definition in the low B strings (or Bb in Maurice’s case) The other feature they like is reliability. If the battery dies you just pull up on the passive tone knob and the bass is still going strong, and all of the wiring is executed with solid silver Teflon coated audiophile grade wire so there’s never any risk of a bad solder joint. I guess overall they like that I confronted and solved every complaint they ever had, and improved everything they always loved to begin with.

Gospel Bass Lines: What is meant by “no deadspots”?

Tim Cloonan: Deadspots are areas on the neck (sometimes referred to as wolf-tones) which sound quieter in comparison to other notes . Also, you can have notes which are extremely lively and more sensitive to touch. Session players focus on this and most players prefer instruments with minimal deadspots because itﾒs easier to record.

Gospel Bass Lines: Back to the talented musicians. I have heard up and coming bassist ask, “what does it take to get endorsed, by a Bass company” Being a builder of quality instruments, can you offer any insight as to what you look for in Musicians to work with?

Tim Cloonan: Personally, I can’t stand endorsements. I work extremely long hours, and the components in my instruments are more expensive than many of my competitors so my “profit margin” is tiny. Many of us in the bass building trade joke that we make under $10.00 an hour – but for many of us this is true. My standpoint is that if a player wants an instrument they will endorse it by BUYING it. The musicians who helped me develop my line were picked by me, and they don’t function as endorsers in the traditional sense, but rather they are my R&D department. They request models, we design them together, I build them, and they take them out and test them in multiple environments in an effort to determine if they make the cut. If I’m given a green light, it becomes available to the public as an offering from the company.

In a nutshell, my take on endorsements is that large companies NEED endorsers to lend credibility to poorly constructed mass production instruments so that kids can go the local Guitar Center and purchase said instruments with their parent’s money! I’m not a large company, and have no wish to become one.

Gospel Bass Lines: What aspects led to the selection of your R&D players?

Tim Cloonan: For me, it was about stepping back and asking myself who has a unique voice and who has something to contribute to take things a step further. I looked at their style, touch, and taste in gear and then went from there.

Gospel Bass Lines: Many of the visitors to Gospelbasslines.com, are starting out and looking to identify their sound. I get questions about amps and basses, my response is usually don’t go broke, trying to get gear, you can’t afford. Do you have any advise to assist players who have budget instruments and equipment to help them find good tone with what they have, or in making the decision of what to purchase?

Tim Cloonan: I think most players put way too much emphasis on gear and image. A majority of the players I deal with who play high end basses (regardless of what kind of music they play) want people to “oooh” and “aaah” when they bust their instruments out of the case. Come play time, most of them simply can’t hang. It sounds brutal, but I see it all the time. When a heavy hitter like Derrick Hodge picks up something I do he’s tuned into what makes it good and appreciates all the detail work and care that goes into the construction, but if I were to hand him a $75.00 Walmart special bass he’d make it sound just as good. Players get “brandalized” all the time. They see a player they like using a particular brand, and they develop an odd allegiance to that brand. The players that sound the best will do so on anything because they took the time to develop a touch on their instrument. They understand that differences in pressure on each hand will yield different tonal results, they know how to shape lines dynamically, they know where in front of the bridge to play with their right hand, and they do all these things and more intuitively because they took the time to figure it out. My advice on buying gear is to try stuff out, buy what you like and understand that a $3000.00 bass isn’t necessarily 10x better than a $300.00 one. Develop a touch, learn the strong points and weak points of what you have, and make it work.

Gospel Bass Lines: That’s great insight.

Gospel Bass Lines: For those who want to get the process started of getting a CallowHill ^TMbass, how can they get more information about which style of Bass best fits the needs of the type of Gospel Music they primarily play?

Tim Cloonan: It’s pretty easy, they can email me through the website or just call. I’m not a custom shop in that the models I offer were painstakingly developed and are what they are for a reason. I make what I make, but I do offer a lot of options and I’m happy to discuss ideas with players. If I’m not willing to incorporate certain features or if my pricing isn’t quite right, I’m always happy to recommend other builders for players to check out as well.

You can find Callowhill Guitars online at http://www.callowhill.net.