Ryan Martinie
Encyclopedia
Ryan Martinie is an American
bassist
, best known for being the bass player of heavy metal
band Mudvayne
. He is well known for his complex basslines and unique playing style. He has been with the band since 1998.
, and won several high school awards for classical vocals. Some of his early influences include Jimi Hendrix
, The Beatles
, The Beach Boys
and several big band jazz groups. He was in a Dream Theater
styled progressive rock band called Broken Altar.
, because, as he said, he is the servant of music, and he felt that the things he does in Mudvayne
fits the band. It is rumored that Matt McDonough will be involved in his new project.
. Ryan is known as a very spirited person, always in a good and talking mood. He is also a passionate reader. Some of his favorite musical artists include The Beatles
, John Patitucci
, Chick Corea
, King Crimson
, Porcupine Tree
, Death
, Meshuggah
, and Mastodon
.
, which he played with a fretless bass. He does not use any effect pedals, preferring a clean, natural sound from his bass. He stated on this matter that: "I like the natural approach to playing, and I'm not exactly…I'm not a purist, I mean, go for it. If you like synth bass, octave pedals and stuff, then utilize it. I'm not against any of that stuff, but I do like to find those things with my hands."
" and the chorus of "Out To Pasture" in some way. On the chorus of "Out To Pasture", he does a "fast flamenco guitar-picking pattern that's as fast as my hand can possibly play. It's just this retarded-fast pattern, and it's a sleeper, because it sounds like I'm playing single-notes almost, or chords, like I'm strumming chords, but really what's going on there is something completely different..It's the only thing you didn't mention, which makes me really proud, because it's supposed to be transparent, which is maybe one of the most important things that has come to me – in playing and in relating to the other instruments and in particular my band." He has a unique heavy fingering technique from which he gets the percussive tone and the sharper, more extreme attack from his bass. He also uses slapping and popping techniques on the song Dig.
Ryan has developed his own tapping technique on the neck where he uses his index and middle fingers to tap an octave chord, usually high on the neck, while his left hand moves notes, doublestops or chords. This is very similar to a technique used by John Entwistle
. On the album Mudvayne
, he also plays complex bass parts in the intros of "Beautiful And Strange" and "I Can't Wait".
" and "Not Falling
"). He uses harmonics that add a bright sound to his variety of styles, such as the intro to "Death Blooms
" and "Out To Pasture". On his unique tapping technique, he stated: "I’m not a pedal guy, but I like the sound that people get from octave pedals. So, to organically create that effect, I used my right-hand middle and index fingers to tap two strings at once: I come down on the strings fairly hard so they actually bounce off of the neck. That way I create some top-end click, but I retain the tonality. At the same time, I use my left hand to hold and/or move the octave. I can do it in walking form, single-note form, or whatever. The whole chorus of “Happy?” uses that technique."
endorser. He owns a wide variety of Warwick Thumb Neck-Through
basses, which he exclusively plays. On several occasions he has been seen playing a Warwick Streamer Stage II and a Warwick Corvette Standard.
Ryan uses Hi-Beams Black Beauty DR strings
(.045-.105/.135).
was released, at which time he switched to Warwick
amplification. He currently uses the Warwick Xtreme 10.1 Amp Head and four Warwick WCA 411 Pro cabinets. He is also known for slaving Greg Tribbett's guitar cabinets during live shows. He uses Avalon DI's for live shows and in studio.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, best known for being the bass player of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
. He is well known for his complex basslines and unique playing style. He has been with the band since 1998.
Early life
Ryan was raised in a Christian non-denominational church where his grandfather was one of the choir leaders, so he was exposed to a great deal of hymns, orchestral music, and other forms of non secular music. His father also played guitar, piano and "has a nice voice that he has good control over". When asked why did he decided to play bass, he said "Why I requested the purchase of a bass is really still a mystery to me. I can only articulate that I remember being drawn by the sense of connection it shared with all of the other instruments". He grew up in Normal, IL. He studied jazz bassJazz bass
Jazz bass is the use of the double bass, or in some genres bass guitar, to improvise accompaniment and solos in a jazz or jazz fusion style. The double bass began being used in jazz in the 1890s, to supply the low-pitched walking basslines which outlined the harmony of the music...
, and won several high school awards for classical vocals. Some of his early influences include Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
and several big band jazz groups. He was in a Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
styled progressive rock band called Broken Altar.
Mudvayne
In 1996, Mudvayne was formed. They initially had a different bass player. In 1997, still with their old bass player, Mudvayne released their first CD: Kill, I Oughta. However, in 1998, after seeing Broken Altar live, Mudvayne asked Ryan to join their band. Although he was reluctant to leave Broken Altar at first, he joined Mudvayne upon realizing that they were serious about their band. Since then, Ryan became somewhat of a cult bass player, getting extremely positive critical acclaim for his unique style of playing, that "adds Mudvayne a whole new dimension".Side projects
For many years, although it was never official, it was rumored that Ryan has a side project. However, just recently, it was found out that he indeed has a side project that's "not yet defined", but he indeed intents to materialize that initial idea of his, saying "People are going to have to see my ugly mug again whether you want to or not. For me this is a great time for me to woodshed and to gather my ideas. To spend a lot of time reading and exposing myself to lots of different types of thought. Fiction and non-fiction..I’m definitely not sitting here idle. There is a lot going on it’s just whether these things end up being Mudvayne things or other things I’m not going to worry about what ends up being what or where it goes". He said that his playing style will differ from the one heard in MudvayneMudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
, because, as he said, he is the servant of music, and he felt that the things he does in Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
fits the band. It is rumored that Matt McDonough will be involved in his new project.
Personal life
Not much is known about Ryan's personal life, as he enjoys his privacy. He is married and resides in Mebane, North CarolinaMebane, North Carolina
Mebane is a city located mostly in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, with a part of it in Orange County, North Carolina. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current population estimate is 10,624. According to the , the town was named for...
. Ryan is known as a very spirited person, always in a good and talking mood. He is also a passionate reader. Some of his favorite musical artists include The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, John Patitucci
John Patitucci
John Patitucci is an American Grammy-winning jazz double bass and jazz fusion electric bass player.-Biography:Patitucci is of Italian descent and was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at...
, Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
, Death
Death (band)
Death was an American metal band founded in 1983. The band's founder, Chuck Schuldiner, is considered "a pioneering force in death metal and grindcore". The band ceased to exist after Schuldiner died of brain cancer in 2001, though remains an enduring heavy metal brand.Death is considered one of...
, Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, and Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
.
Style of playing
Ryan utilizes many techniques to make the instrumental edge of the band even more rich. His bass playing is a key part of Mudvayne's sound. This is particularly emphasized on the song "A Key to Nothing" from The End of All Things to ComeThe End of All Things to Come
The End of All Things to Come is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mudvayne, released on November 19, 2002.It was certified Gold by the RIAA.- Musical style :...
, which he played with a fretless bass. He does not use any effect pedals, preferring a clean, natural sound from his bass. He stated on this matter that: "I like the natural approach to playing, and I'm not exactly…I'm not a purist, I mean, go for it. If you like synth bass, octave pedals and stuff, then utilize it. I'm not against any of that stuff, but I do like to find those things with my hands."
Right hand
Ryan is known for pushing the envelope that most metal bassists limit themselves to. His right hand is one of the major reasons for this, as he pulls from many different techniques and genres. He is known for flicks (found throughout his music) and a flamenco style, notable on "Dull BoyDull Boy
"Dull Boy" is a single from Mudvayne's 2007 album By the People, For the People, later included on the band's 2008 studio album The New Game.-The Shining:...
" and the chorus of "Out To Pasture" in some way. On the chorus of "Out To Pasture", he does a "fast flamenco guitar-picking pattern that's as fast as my hand can possibly play. It's just this retarded-fast pattern, and it's a sleeper, because it sounds like I'm playing single-notes almost, or chords, like I'm strumming chords, but really what's going on there is something completely different..It's the only thing you didn't mention, which makes me really proud, because it's supposed to be transparent, which is maybe one of the most important things that has come to me – in playing and in relating to the other instruments and in particular my band." He has a unique heavy fingering technique from which he gets the percussive tone and the sharper, more extreme attack from his bass. He also uses slapping and popping techniques on the song Dig.
Ryan has developed his own tapping technique on the neck where he uses his index and middle fingers to tap an octave chord, usually high on the neck, while his left hand moves notes, doublestops or chords. This is very similar to a technique used by John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
. On the album Mudvayne
Mudvayne (album)
-Personnel:Mudvayne* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drumsProduction and art* Jeremy Parker − production* Paul Booth − art direction and design...
, he also plays complex bass parts in the intros of "Beautiful And Strange" and "I Can't Wait".
Left hand
Martinie is known as a precise player. Even when playing his Pedulla fretless he uses quick movements and jogs up and down the neck. Ryan tends to accentuate his work with thick low end, double stops, and chords that add warmth or awkward tension ("Pharmaecopia", "World So ColdWorld So Cold
"World So Cold" is the third and final single from The End of All Things to Come, the second studio album from Mudvayne. The song is very different from the rest of the band's work, being much more mellow while building intensity during the song's bridge and ending...
" and "Not Falling
Not Falling
"Not Falling" is the first single from American heavy metal band Mudvayne's second full length studio album, The End of All Things to Come. "Not Falling" was Mudvayne's most commercially successful single chart-wise until "Happy?" in 2005....
"). He uses harmonics that add a bright sound to his variety of styles, such as the intro to "Death Blooms
Death Blooms
"Death Blooms" is a song by American heavy metal band Mudvayne and the second single from their debut album, L.D. 50. The song was written by lead singer Chad Gray about his grandmother and how she was being neglected by her family because she was nearing death...
" and "Out To Pasture". On his unique tapping technique, he stated: "I’m not a pedal guy, but I like the sound that people get from octave pedals. So, to organically create that effect, I used my right-hand middle and index fingers to tap two strings at once: I come down on the strings fairly hard so they actually bounce off of the neck. That way I create some top-end click, but I retain the tonality. At the same time, I use my left hand to hold and/or move the octave. I can do it in walking form, single-note form, or whatever. The whole chorus of “Happy?” uses that technique."
Basses
Ryan is a WarwickWarwick (bass guitar)
-Overview:Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design...
endorser. He owns a wide variety of Warwick Thumb Neck-Through
Warwick Thumb
The Thumb bass is a bass guitar designed and manufactured by the Warwick company. The Thumb has been Warwick's most successful bass, and it is the bass that Warwick is best known for. The first Thumb bass was introduced in 1985.-Overview:...
basses, which he exclusively plays. On several occasions he has been seen playing a Warwick Streamer Stage II and a Warwick Corvette Standard.
- 1x Custom Warwick Thumb NT 4-stringer. He is seen with this bass in most of All Access to All ThingsAll Access to All ThingsAll Access to All Things is a DVD released in 2003 by the heavy metal band Mudvayne.-Track listing:#"Internal Primates Forever"#"-1"#"Silenced"#"Death Blooms"#"Mercy, Severity"#"Cradle"#"Nothing to Gein"#"World So Cold"#"Not Falling"#"Dig"...
DVD. - 1x Warwick Thumb NT 4-stringer (bubinga/black/black hardware).
- 2x Warwick Thumb NT 5-stringers (bubinga/one is standard bubinga color, and one is black)
- 1x Pedulla Buzz Fretless 4-string, which he used only while recording "A Key to Nothing" from MudvayneMudvayneMudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
's second album. - 1x Warwick Vampyre 4-string, which he was advertising back in 2003, but he always preferred his ThumbWarwick ThumbThe Thumb bass is a bass guitar designed and manufactured by the Warwick company. The Thumb has been Warwick's most successful bass, and it is the bass that Warwick is best known for. The first Thumb bass was introduced in 1985.-Overview:...
basses, so he was never actually seen with this bass.
Ryan uses Hi-Beams Black Beauty DR strings
DR Handmade Strings
DR Handmade Strings is an electric/acoustic guitar and bass string manufacturer. DR Handmade Strings was founded in 1989 by Mark Dronge, son of Guild Guitars founder Alfred Dronge, and Dr. Benzion Rapoport, DR strings are referred to in their advertisements as "the handmade string". The company...
(.045-.105/.135).
Amplification
Ryan primarily used Ampeg SVT Pro amplifiers until The New GameThe New Game
- Deluxe songs :- Personnel :* Chad Gray − vocals* Greg Tribbett − guitars, backing vocals* Ryan Martinie − bass* Matthew McDonough − drums* Dave Fortman − producer, mixing- Chart positions :AlbumSingles...
was released, at which time he switched to Warwick
Warwick (bass guitar)
-Overview:Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design...
amplification. He currently uses the Warwick Xtreme 10.1 Amp Head and four Warwick WCA 411 Pro cabinets. He is also known for slaving Greg Tribbett's guitar cabinets during live shows. He uses Avalon DI's for live shows and in studio.
External links
- http://www.bassplayer.com/article/mudvaynes-ryan-martinie/may-05/8498
- http://modernrocklyric.blogspot.com/2009/05/ryan-martinie-with-warwick.html