skej21

[quote name='flyfisher' post='1005715' date='Oct 29 2010, 08:27 PM']Yep, 'locking on' is not a problem. Perhaps I'm being a bit over-sensitive. I used to play drums (still have a kit set-up at home for the occasional thrash) but I never considered myself good enough to play in a band. I could maintain a good rhythm but my fills were not 100% reliable and I was paranoid about not getting back spot-on the beat. Obviously I was worrying far too much. Again, it might just be me, but even when I drum along to CDs I find it takes a fair bit of concentration to keep really tight, whereas our drummer seems far too relaxed to me and I get the impression he's just following everyone else, which means things drift. There surely has to be a single point of rhythm reference and I've always thought of that as being the kick drum. That's the drummer's key responsibility isn't it? Not that I'd ever claim to have a lot of live experience, but 4 bands spread over 6 playing years (excluding the schooldays) with a reasonable number of gigs ought to have taught me something I reckon. I recall an old joke or anecdote about a British wartime bomber aircraft (a Wellington?) being described as 5,000 rivets flying in a loose formation and I reckon that's a good simile for the band in question. Not so much one band as five individuals playing the same songs.[/quote] Most of the really good drummers I play with have some form of metronome ticking over in their ear... even at live gigs which means they're always tight and things don't drift. The good drummers I play with also don't change their drum bass rhythms. Fair enough, someof them make it complex/interesting, but it's consistent which is the important thing. As for drummer jokes... How do you know when the stage is level? The drummer drools from both sides of his mouth

[quote name='Spoombung' post='1005649' date='Oct 29 2010, 07:22 PM']Oh c'mon guys. You absolutely [i]do not[/i] need a kick drum in a drum kit! Latin music's done without it for decades. It's a monumentally useless, unnecessary drum.[/quote] And if he isn't playing the bass drum, you won't have the classic problem of trying to tie-in with a continually changing bass drum rhythm! Hurray! Tell him never to play it and provide that THUD with your fingers

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1004957' date='Oct 29 2010, 11:43 AM']Depends how badly you want the bass. Everything else is pretty much irrelevant.[/quote] Depends how skint is TRULY is!

[url="http://www.marshallheadphones.com/"]http://www.marshallheadphones.com/[/url] Just wondering what you guys think? Personally, the idea of another area of my musical life being invaded by the Marshall/Guitard "TURN IT UP TO 11!" ethos makes my skin crawl. However, if Trace/Markbass/Aguilar/EA (you get the idea) made some branded, bass heavy headphones I'd be all over it - like a tramp on chips!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1004964' date='Oct 29 2010, 11:48 AM']Musical chav? Perish the thought.[/quote] One thinks that this forum is like the Chatsworth Estate (Shameless) for musical chavs... Bloody commoners! My corgi can sightread better than thee, even on a full size bass! *Whispers to guards - "orf with their heads"*

These guys will help; But be warned... you may feel a LITTLE bit robbed

[quote name='silddx' post='1004615' date='Oct 29 2010, 12:35 AM'] Then go back to bed.[/quote] Or stay up a bit later, expand your skills by researching polysomnography and become a more "complete" sleeper

I'm going to turn this whole thing on it's head and say; As a bassist, they probably wouldn't even notice if you weren't at the gig...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1004510' date='Oct 28 2010, 10:44 PM']+1 All of what silddx said other than the Christ bit, Im not a christian! lol. But thats what Im trying to say get out there and play, You will not need to read music ever if you dont want to.[/quote] I agree with you guys on this. The thing that troubles me is, how do you know that playing pit gigs/reading jobs is something you want to do, if you've never done it? I learned to read from the beginning with my first tutor and I can't imagine having to acquire that skill in isolation in order to test-run an area of gigging potential. The thought of the workload would put me off!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1004460' date='Oct 28 2010, 10:13 PM']That's no better an argument than saying JTUK can't have a valid opinion because he doesn't know what it's like to not be able to read music. I can appreciate that for musicians involved in some styles of music or musicians for whom music is a full-time job, it's essential to be able to read, but 99% of gigging guitar and bass players cannot read a note and have never been required to. So for them - unless they just had a personal desire to learn for their own satisfaction - it would be a complete waste of their time.[/quote] What's the difference between reading tablature to learn a set of covers for your band, and playing covers by reading dots in a function band? I'll tell you... When you learn songs from tab, you still have to spend HOURS rehearsing. With dots, everyone is literally reading from the same sheet. If you ask me, rehearsing is a much bigger waste of time and you only have to learn to read music once, and then you can take that skill from band to band. If you learn by ear, you have to start from scratch again with structures and dynamics yadda yadda yadda. A much bigger waste of time doing it that way if you ask me (not to mention the fact that if you can't read, you've instantly cut out a sizeable chunk of possible gigs!)

[quote name='JTUK' post='1004428' date='Oct 28 2010, 09:51 PM']What a ridiculous thing to say... we are talking about being able to converse in musical circles.[/quote] Totally agree. At least your argument (JTUK) makes sense, because you're encouraging a fellow bassist to try and broaden skills so that they can pick and choose the gigs they play. As for this "bass tech advert" nonsense. It seems to me that Sliddx cannot have a valid opinion, having never learnt to sight read himself. I think that knocking such a valuable skill, just because you haven't acquired it is more of a sin than trying to explain to a fellow bass player what a fantastic opportunity it is to broaden your musical horizons (and expand the musical circles you work within) It's funny how only the bassists who can't sightread try to discourage learning it...

[quote name='Doddy' post='1003961' date='Oct 28 2010, 04:09 PM']I'll always recommend learning to read to anyone-There are absolutely no downsides to learning it. You may never use it in your current band,but you never know what may happen down the line. Plus,it opens up a whole new world of information.You'll benefit from being able to buy and understand many books that are available,or even just the exercises that are printed in magazines.[/quote] + 1 The thing I like most about reading music is that you get to see what other musicians think that bass part should sound like. Sometimes it's bad, but when they have an idea that's great (and that you may never have thought to do) you get something out of that. Like Doddy says, there are no downsides and if worst comes to worst, just don't use it!

Basically, I've got a gig coming up and will be featured in the dreaded programme This means I have to keep the MD/Busy-bodies happy and write a brief musical biography for the nice people in the audience to read. However, as we bassists know, this is not a common occurance and I'm not really sure what to put in it. I would like to avoid rewriting my music CV (as this is how I got the job, but the audience don't care what's in that) and I would like to try and make it quite engaging/interesting to read. Any useful advice, websites, links, templates etc? Any help will be greatly appreciated

[quote name='goblin' post='1002270' date='Oct 27 2010, 12:08 PM']It depends, I use two lifelites and a good gig bag. Depends on where I'm going really, if it's a big gig where I'm carrying alsorts, I'll use the lifelites, if I'm going to a session or a lesson or something, I want something I can just drop in the backseat of my car, and an amp in the boot [/quote] This is my exact thought. I want a good gig bag that I can keep for years, without it falling to pieces. Plus, a lot of flightcases, including the hiscox that I used to have, aren't fitted and are awkward to carry. A gig bag, I can throw onto my back and it will fit my bass properly. That's it, I'm buying one lol

Great stuff mate! Sharing a page with Stuart Zender too... That's pretty much every bassist's dream!

In this current economic climate, I might have only be able to afford one of the council houses in Westfield Damn! That means i'll have to move Overwater into the poorer Aria of town!

[quote name='risingson' post='1001315' date='Oct 26 2010, 04:36 PM']I really hope Aguilar don't start offering multiple variations on the same thing like Markbass do so well. Aesthetically not up to Aguilar's usual standards either IMO![/quote] I agree. However, these cabs look to me like they will be an instant classic. In 30 years, people will be looking at these "vintage" cabs and drooling.

[quote name='Conan' post='1001321' date='Oct 26 2010, 04:41 PM']Looks like a 1950s radio.... Not keen. [/quote] I'm not sure I can value a comment on aesthetic value from a man who uses comic sans!

The new Aguilar SL112!! Apparently more lightweight and look pretty damn cool if you ask me. What do you guys think? P.s. Picture taken from Aguilar's public facebook page!

The name for this estate should be "The Eden Project"

Thanks for all the help guys! Got a couple of gigs this week and that should pay for the gig bag, but still thinking that I want to get it cheaper if I can!

I'm getting the weirdest form of G.A.S. I've ever experienced and suddenly have an urge to buy leather to tart up my basses. Does anyone know where I can get either 2nd hand OR a better deal on a Harvest gig bag and strap? Or offer an equally nice/reasonably priced alternative? These specifically would be great; [url="http://www.harvest-guitar.com/en/Cow-Marble-Antic-The-Classic-oxid.html"]http://www.harvest-guitar.com/en/Cow-Marbl...assic-oxid.html[/url] [url="http://www.harvest-guitar.com/en/Cow-Marble-Antic-The-Classic-oxid-1.html"]http://www.harvest-guitar.com/en/Cow-Marbl...sic-oxid-1.html[/url] Please help!