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We're supposed to practice? No wonder I'm shyte.

To me, there's a fundamental difference in learning, or writing, songs, and learning Music. To me, rudiments, scales, chord tones, time signatures are the basics, the bread and butter, the meat and veg, the Lego blocks. The more different Lego bricks one has, the more varied structures one can create. The more different produce is in the larder, the more interesting recipes one can cook. If one only ever wants bacon sandwiches, it's not necessary to have tons of herbs and spices. If one is only going to build fire engines, red bricks would be what to have lots of. I'm quite pleased to have spent all those years studying and playing rudiments, it has made me a better drummer, which is what I wanted. I'm equally pleased to have worked out for myself, then extended that meagre knowledge of scales, chords, harmony and solfège, as it enables me (I was going to type 'empowers me'; both are true...) in playing guitar, keys, bass and many other virtual instruments. Is what I 'create' Good Stuff..? A moot point, but rather irrelevant. It's what I create, and that suffices in itself. My recipes are varied, too; although I have the staples covered, I can improvise a meal in many different flavours, all very tasty (well, mostly...). I'm currently concentrating on ornery 6x2 Lego bricks, as I use 'em when building my balsa 'planes, but Our Littl'un uses any and all the various bricks to make all sorts of Stuff. Scales are useful to those wishing to do more than just 'songs'. It's a different approach to Music, Life and Everything. Your Method May Vary; we're all Winners (well, I am, at least...). Peace.

The piquant irony surrounding Mr Fingers' choice of stage wear during his employment in The Boomtown Rats is that he'd play a gig in his pyjamas, come offstage, get changed into normal clothes, go home, take off his normal clothes, put on a different pair of pyjamas and go to beddy-bos. His mother Mrs Dymphna Fingers commented at the time: 'He's got three pairs of sleeping jim-jams and seven pairs of stage jim-jams. Holy Mary, Mother of God,, that's ten pairs a week in the wash. I can't keep up. 'He should have gone for the 'big game hunter' look like his Da suggested. All I'd have to do is blanco his solar topee once a month and I could have a normal life. That Bob Geldof comes on like a nice lad but he's got shifty eyes, the little feck'.

Unused line from "Stuck in the middle" apparently.

Geldof Caves In: Payday for Fingers Johnny Fingers and Bob Gobshïte in happier days The world reeled on Friday as the longstanding cash-driven feud between Britain's Favourite IrishmanTM Bob Geldof and formerly pyjama-clad pianist Johnny Fingers (real name John Moylett) came to an end in a welter of grudging agreement. Fingers has long claimed that elements of the Boomtown Rats' hit record 'I Don't Like Mondays' were of his composition, unsurprising since the song is more or less an extended piano solo with occasional instrumental stabs. By contrast, the world's whiffiest pop star has resisted requests to share in the deriving financial bounty, having insisted that the excessively pessimistic ballad formed entirely within his own head. The mordant yet ultimately meaningless lyrics certainly carry the authentic Sir Bob Geldof stamp of saying nothing very much in a loud, hectoring voice. Mr Fingers - long since accustomed to wearing normal daywear - has lived in Japan for some time and it was from the land of the rising sun that the spurned ivory tinkler launched his High Court bid to wrest sole composing credit from Mr Geldof. Eventually the matter was settled out of court and Mr Finger's name will be added to the copyright. Some might assert that authorship of the drab, overblown ditty which did as much as anything else to drive a stake through Punk's heart is nothing to be proud of; they would miss the point. It's all about the money.

Practising scales helps you to find your way around the neck and to hear the interrelationships between notes and chords. If you are a root note player, you can probably get away without learning them. It depends how far you want to take your music. I haven't really practiced the bass for about 5 years, at least not in a systematic way. My practice time is currently spent on learning to read guitar music.

Mint on white 🤤

It sounds like you have a pretty good practice routine. You will always be learning, at least you should be, and that's a good thing. I started playing when I was 14 and was gigging at 16 and I'll be 73 this year and I try to play every day and I'm having fun! I gig and rehearse with two bands and I learn something every time I play.I have several hundred songs from the two jazz bands to work on, lots of method books and a big collection of music including some classical stuff and I work on something new every time I play.Most of the musicians I play with are very skilled and experienced and I have to work hard to get close to their level. That's one of the great things about music-there is always something new and different to work on.If you're bored with your practice routine you can always find something challenging to learn. I played a gig yesterday and now I'm going to go over a few of the bits where I wasn't happy with my playing, I will try a few new bass lines and see if I can figure out better fingering, always a challenge on DB. Like everyone else I have had my share of difficulties in life but music has certainly helped me cope and given me great pleasure.As I have said before on here, we are so lucky that we have music in our lives and get to make music with others or perhaps just for ourselves. Didn't mean to go on so long, time to play some bass.😄

I think so long as the tune was something the punters knew, and wasn't being completely mangled, they wouldn't notice who was playing it! However, if it's world class musicians playing something unknown your average punter would just leave! In December I saw a notice at my local pub saying a Dutch band were playing there. So I went, and this band were playing, just in the tiny bar; they were most certainly world class musicians, but they were playing proggy originals: I was awe struck for the 1.5 hours they played. Sound was perfect, at a reasonable level - most certainly not too loud and most definitely a head-and-shoulders above what you'd normally hear in Knighton. Especially as it was free! However, a steady stream of locals walked in, ordered drinks, didn't even glance at the band, didn't even pause in their loud shouty conversations, and just left to go and have more shouty conversations just like they did every single other Friday and Saturday night. One even asked me what the band were like - I said they were excellent musicians and well worth listening too; he said "don't know the song" and promptly went outside. It just makes me think that the majority of folks don't actually like music as a thing, especially if there's any complexity. Don't know why - laziness perhaps? But judging by how music is treated in schools, and by our broadcasters - where music will only appear at prime time as X Factor, or in that weird stuff they do for Strictly where a tango has to be done to something by Madonna just in case folks feel a bit challenged - it's not surprising. However, it appals me that a majority of the population are missing out on so much creative endeavour cos they don't realise that the effort you put into properly listening is repaid in spades!

What a stinker!....

I think some English folks are rather too hung up on things being rubbish if they're not in English, cos foreigners are obviously stupid and need to be spoken to more loudly, and obviously patronised heavily...😉 However, there's a whole world out there that's not English - it'd be daft to just confine yourself to one bit of what's available! After all, it's the music that counts - singers have been conning us all for years that they're the most important!

Because they'd re-recorded the drum and bass. stinky poos trick if there ever was one. Ozzy was never more than the people behind him. Whether it's Geezer Butlers lyrics or Randy Rhodes relaunching his career. If it wasn't for them, he'd just be sitting in a Wetherspoons.

Imagine the familiar scenario of a pub which puts on live music, but whose clientele are largely uninterested. Now imagine either an established, internationally successful and well known band, who would likely be unrecognised by the general public, or a group of similarly qualified, but anonymous musicians, were to perform there, playing a standard covers set of Sex On Fire, Summer Of '69 etc. An example band might be Journey. Example musicians could be Pino on bass, Tom Scholz on guitar, Darrin Mooney on drums and Danny Vaughn on vocals. Would the audience perceive something different to an average pub band? Would they react differently? Would they enjoy it? Would they carry on staring at their beer and wishing there was no band, so they could have a chat? Interesting proposal for a reality tv show.

Neigh chance

In the event that no MP3 is forthcoming, simply insert an electrical probe well up your guitarist's chuff and intermittently actuate it with a Boss FS-5U Unlatched Footswitch, about £26 from GAK, Andertons, etc.

Afternoon all.. Im Matt from southen on Sea. just stumbled upon this site whilst looking for info on my Bass Amp on line. figured i would sign up and say hi! I currently play in frequantly in a 'southen' metal/ hard rock band just for a bit of fun. A kids and family life come before dreams of being famous... I have a Trace Elliot Amp and use a 15" celestion 250W in a hertke box.. had to replace it from the pervious owners use. did have a 4x10 but sold that on as I dont use it and the local studio has a couple knocking about so when we do get together i use that. My Bass is a Lefty Dean Edge5 black. love it best one ive played. and for what i do its way over qulified for the job but hey i like the sound and the way it plays. Well that me

Dad is wise.

63 jazz fiesta red matching headstock-all original

There’s no end to the man’s talents

Also tell everyone where you're based! Sounds like whichever decision you make there will be two good drummers still available and we all know that good drummers are like rocking horse poo!

U2's system of simply splitting it four ways has a lot to be said for it.

I wouldn't say I'm an aficionado by any means, but I own a B7K (which I understand is very similar tonally to the B3K?) and an AO, and got to have an extended noodle with an X recently: I think they serve slightly different purposes (for me at least). The B7K/3Ks are very much an "always on" pedal - they just do something buttery with the mids that gives my bass a lot of presence and makes me cut through a mix with two guitarists. It's fantastic. I feel the AO and X serve to add a bit of grind on top of that when needed. I find the difference between the AO and X is that the X is a much more trebly and abrasive sounding pedal, whereas the AO seems to have more focus in the midrange. As a result I think the AO feels more part of a mix whereas the X comes above it at the expense of mids. To my ears the AO sounds like a smoother grind if that makes any sense? I think the AO is more versatile whereas the X is more a one trick pony, however it does its one thing amazingly well. The caveat to this would definitely be that I didn't find the X user interface particularly accessible, so there's a fair chance my lack of understanding stopped me from exploring its abilities completely. I honestly think it's very much a horses for courses thing between the two. The X doesn't do it for me but I can see how for someone who wanted that particular tone it is perfect.

Bloody Freemasons!

How about a bit of 'Out of the Box' thinking..? Innovate with a three-drummer band..!

Don't know what a 'sewer hero' is on the English version though....

I like the idea of the modular approach of the Barefaced Two10s at 4/12ohms. I have 2 of these, but could make it up to a 610, but I don't need that much fire power. The portability gives max versatility and they are so well designed that it's a breeze to carry each one. The colouration is very pronounced to a particular vintage sound and doesn't change massively between my two amps, Ampeg V4B and Mesa BB750 running flat imho. But its a sound I like a lot

I agree with this. It sounds like he is very experienced, and maybe set in his ways, which might clash with someone else’s ways. I record all our rehearsals, and they can sound good and tight, but there definitely don’t replicate what i hear in the room. If you have to dig in more this will effect your playing. Recordings will compress things and can make it all sound smoother, but if you are struggling to play with him, and he cant hit softer I’d say he might not be ideal. Its whats happening in the room at the time you need to worry about. So I’d go with No1, but I’d also agree with the others that maybe a longer one each will give a better indication of how the future may go. Getting on with others is a huge part of being in a band. We just got rid of our drummer because he kept winding us up and just wasnt on our level. There was always an atmosphere and it just wasn’t enjoyable anymore. We got out old drummer back and although he isnt any better, we all get on so much better that it’s completely trdanformed the band and atmosphere. Counts for a lot IME.

Only one way to settle it. Fight!

Another wonderful Sunday afternoon/early evening gig with my throw it together see what happens jam band. New venue and they loved it, landlord begged for another set so we busked out another half an hour. The whole place singing back at us. Lovely stuff.

Zoot Allures another one of my favs....

One doubts Sir Bob dipped into the till but there's some amusing stories about the recording of 'Do They Know It's Christmas' here on Rolling Stone.

I'll repeat as the origional reply was removed, I was only trying to be helpful, there's no need to be a large appendage

I dont fully agree with that. If you were going to talk about the history of the motor car, you would do a piece on the Model T Ford. You may not go into the technical aspects of the car but you would do a section on it. I feel the Fender Precision was at the forefront of playing and shaping the role of bass in music and how people added bass in music transitioning from double bass to electric bass. You wouldn't go into the technical details of the bass like woods, pickups etc. but certainly its birth, its impact and importance.

DOn't know, I don't have a B3n, just a B3. When I am sitting at home I think the helix sounds better. When I am in a pub playing covers at high volumes (and way too fast), it is certainly good enough

It just doesn’t work does it? I think it was Joe Strummer way back in 1980 or something, that translated their album so that they could break the British market. Personally, I preferred the original. The way the songs had been intended. My mate had spent a couple of summers in France and he brought it back for us to hear.

The hard hitter will be a pain,your ears will bleed in small pubs. the hang is half of it, you have to be relaxed in each others company. Audition the nervous younger dude. Maybe meet for a drink around the corner BEFORE the audition. See if he is better when relaxed. The older guy may indeed be rusty, but it doesn't take long to get back into it I'd audition him again too. You're the bassist,you need to be able to trust his playing and gel with him, your opinion carries more weight thatn the others imho ymmv

I dont practice as such. I learn new, to me, covers to play in the band, or compose my own songs and bass lines. Doing so makes me play lines and techniques I would not normally employ. I cant stand regimented routines or structured plans/lessons, I had enough of that at school. For me music is freedom from all that. If I don't enjoy something I don't do It. If I were a pro session musician I would have to "Practice", but the very thought of having to play what I am told too is my idea of hell. I love music so I wont do anything that spoils my enjoyment of it.

With Steve Simpson a friend of a friend and a great guitar player in Chuck Farley.

Saturday night was a small festival in Derbyshire, probably 250 people crammed into a hall, I got to use my own kit for once and it sounded awesome. I have my new hi-hats and it was the first gig for them. A new piece of gear can really inspire you sometimes. Everyone was singing along and dancing and it was a brilliant gig all round Sunday night was at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham as part of Beat The Streets festival. We played it last year and it was packed with loads of young people out for a fully day of music and drinking. This year was much the same so a great atmosphere, great venue, sound, beer etc, couldn't have been better!

Welcome to the forum Harry, seems to me you're on the ball with everything bass wise and some lovely bits of gear too. Hope you enjoy the forum 😁

The English National Opera company might take issue...

When I switched to 5 string basses I tried to swap back and forth, depending on the song. It didn't work as smoothly as I'd have wished. In the end I was making mistakes on both instruments. My solution wasn't to practice more (which I guess is really the best thing) but to put the 4 away and only play the 5. Problem solved. The penny dropped when I realised that the type of bass didn't make songs sound better, but the way I played them did. I stuck to the more flexible instrument and focussed on was the way I was playing it.

Outrageous isn't it? Japan's music would have been, I hesitate to say 'nothing' but you know what I mean, without Karn's extraordinary and imaginative bass work. Imagine 'Visions Of China' with just ploddy root notes. Exactly.