Why do great musicians seek you for their projects?The main reasons are my tone and my style. I have certain signatures that I play, and I do them intentionally so that people know that it’s me. You want to be able to distinguish yourself; that’s what I teach all of my younger students.
How did you develop your style?The bass and the strings are important, but it all has to do with how you touch the strings. Growing up, I couldn’t afford an amp; it was all I could do just to get a bass. So I would put on a record, listen to the chord changes through the speakers, and just try and feel the notes through the bass and my body. That’s how I developed my style, and how I learned to play by ear. When I got out of high school, I had to make money, so I decided to go on the road instead of go to college. I pretty much learned how to play onstage by playing with different cats. I never went to school or was taught any theory—through the years I’ve learned chords and chord structures—but I did teach myself to read music. I think if I had learned traditionally and taken lessons, I wouldn’t be the Byron Miller I am today. I would have been influenced by someone else’s style.
I play slap style and with my fingers, and I work my thumb with my palm on the strings for a muted sound. I used to put foam under the strings back by the bridge to get that muted sound, like James Jamerson—I wanted to be like him when I was a kid. You get a lot of bottom from muting that way; the tone is incredible. I think that the bass should have enough top end to cut and a lot of bottom end—a lot of booty to move people and shake your spirit a little.
When you solo live, it usually encompasses the groove, instead of sitting on top of it.I always think bass first, then solo second. When I’m recording I normally lay the groove track, then come back and solo, but I’m able to incorporate the low notes of the chord while playing on top of it. A good groove has enough bass in it without too much stuff anyway, so you can play low, jump up and play stuff high, and then come back to the groove. It can be confusing sometimes, but it’s a lot of fun.
GEAR
Basses ’99 Fender Jazz Deluxe 5- and 4-strings, strung with D’Addario XLs
Rig Hartke LH1000, two Hartke HyDrive HX410 4x10s
Effects EBS black label pedals: OctaBass, BassIQ, MultiComp, UniChorus, and MultiDrive; DOD Envelope Filter
CAN BE HEARD ON
Byron Miller, forthcoming solo album [2009]; I’ll Come By [Big One Music, 2007]. George Duke, Dukey Treats [Heads Up, 2008]
CURRENTLY SPINNING
“I’ve been listening to a lot of old stuff lately: Luther Vandross, Stanley Clarke, a lot of Herbie Hancock, some older Miles Davis, and Frank Zappa. Listening to old stuff frees my spirit.”