mcgraham

[quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1340380749' post='1703825'] Looked at your site and I foresee one fatal flaw for me Trouble is the innate tone of my voice is sh1te Joking aside I shall be up for this. Things like:[list] [*]ideas to hit pitch first time. Always think I hit the note but listening back I often feel I may be slightly out or waver [*]getting a better tone, if that's possible. [/list] I have got to the point where I realise that I need to sing out strong, because standing off and not having the courage to push it out (as it were) just sounds worse, but compared to my main bands vocalist my own b/vox always tend to not have the depth. [/quote] Thanks for the honesty/self-deprecation A common misconception is that some people will just never have good tone. That's an utter crock. Our bodies are all different so we all have our own unique tone, and yes some people achieve good tone the first time they try to sing. BUT! with the right exercises, great tone is no great secret... get the voice working properly, and great tone follows. Have a read of the following to see what I mean: [url="http://www.markjwgraham.co.uk/the-engine-of-the-voice-part-1"]The ‘Engine’ of the Voice: Part 1[/url] [url="http://www.markjwgraham.co.uk/the-engine-of-the-voice-part-2"]The ‘Engine’ of the Voice: Part 2[/url] [url="http://www.markjwgraham.co.uk/the-engine-of-the-voice-part-3"]The ‘Engine’ of the Voice: Part 3[/url] <-- this one has clips, but makes most sense if you've at least perused the earlier ones.

FYI, if anyone is interested in getting some idea of what I can offer for a workshop you can visit [url="http://www.markjwgraham.co.uk"]www.markjwgraham.co.uk[/url] I've also got a growing blog at [url="http://www.markjwgraham.co.uk/blog"]www.markjwgraham.co.uk/blog[/url] that also has clips of issues you might recognise in yourself and how we can address them. [/schpiel]

Welcome to the club bud! They're monstrous

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1340274716' post='1702005'] He wants to be a girl. [/quote] *shudder* Which of course reminds me of this... [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgAveqH5jTc&t=0m44s[/url]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1340182673' post='1700380']On the vocals issue, the thing I suspect most people will want to ask about is singing and playing a bassline at the same time ...[/quote] Sure. We can look at that, though a lot of being able to do that comes down to proficiency and confidence with both instruments in their own right (voice + guitar/bass), as well as knowing both parts you're trying to do really well by themselves. [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1340184966' post='1700461']Id like a Billie Holliday sort of quality if thats ok?[/quote] I'm really not sure how to respond to this.

Great! Re vocal workshop, can people let me know things that they find difficult, or what sort of help they'd be looking for, e.g. i sing lead but am unhappy with my tone i sing backing vocals but don't feel confident i find my voice jams up at a particular place and I can't go higher... i find i struggle with consistency across my range i find i lose my voice very quickly and/or regularly etc If people chip in then I know what I need to cover in detail, or which bits to skip over entirely. The more honest you are the more I can give you what I can.

Left field idea, I do vocal workshops. Would any of you guys who do backing vocals, lead vocals, or otherwise! be interested in a workshop on vocals? The technique I teach (SLS) gets voices in shape incredibly quickly and with others to hear you'd be surprised at how quickly results can be gained even in a short period of time. I'd be able to work with individuals and fix trouble areas in the workshop as well as do a Q&A on various things. I can also do one-on-one lessons whilst there if anyone is interested. Do post here to express interest and/or PM where relevant. Alternatively, on a more bass-related front, I'd be happy to introduce some players to the wonders of bass synth!

I'd recommend Ableton. I'm doing something similar live and it works perfectly, albeit with a bass synth and more to be the 'electronic half of the band'. If you buy the Novation Launchpad it comes with a budget version of Ableton that would allow you to make all sorts of drum loops, fills, pads, etc. That would require a free finger from time to time to trigger stuff, but to reduce the need for this you can also create arrangements of the loops in the 'arrangement' view, not entirely dissimilar to the layout in garageband or other recording programs. The arrangement view can play like a normal backing track, but it can also be like an interactive backing track (i.e. you could deviate from it, change it on the fly, etc, etc). You can also connect a midi foot controller if you don't want to have to use your fingers to trigger. The learning curve can seem a bit steep if you're not computer savvy, but the triggering options are very flexible.

Great news! So glad to hear this is on the move again!

It does sound [i]quite[/i] good

Yea I believe black machine are still producing.

That's what we've been waiting for! It seems not!

I'm happy to talk about it! The core concept is to have a 'total instrument' - one that has the range of a guitar AND a bass, that I can use for playing bass or playing guitar. This was originally going to be as a Charlie hunter fanned fret 8 string, with separate pickups for bass and guitar sides. Would've been tuned EAD/ADGBE, so bottom three strings are the strings of the bass, top 6 strings are guitar in drop D. However, this requires individual bridge saddles, three bass, five guitar. Problem? ABM suck serious ass at following through on delivery times. We're broaching the 5-6 month mark for waiting for just a few bridge units. I'm not in any rush, but it seems like this could go on indefinitely. So, had a rethink this week and started browsing Conklin's website. You can see they do quite a lot of 8 strings with just a single scale length, so it's clearly doable. I'd tune it EADGCFAD, so becomes more an extended range guitar than a hybrid. Hipshot make 8 string bridges. Alan is talking with them to do a custom toploading bridge (no string through - I love the toploading slot bridges for ease of restringing). It'd be 14mm spacing between the E A and D strings on the bass side, 13mm spacing between the middle D G and C strings, then 12mm between the highest C F A and D strings. Still discussing this with the Hipshot workshop guy. Scale length is TBC, but it's likely to be between 26" and 28". It's a question of whether I want this to be more of an extended range bass or extended range guitar concept. Probably going to opt for nearer the 26" mark for playability in the guitar register. That way I have the option to be able to tune it a fourth higher (i.e. ADGCFBbDG) if I wanted. Instead of split pickup system it'll be a normal pickup system, humbuckers, 3 way toggle switch, volume and tone. We're exploring the possibility of having separate windings for bass and guitar to allow separate outputs, but with that sort of spacing we're probably pushing it.

I'm having a guitar/bass hybrid built by Alan at AC Guitars. It [i]was [/i]going to be a 8 string fanned fret Charlie hunter style guitar, but difficulties with hardware (******* ABM) is prompting a possible change in direction to a single scale length 8 string. That will also prompt a change in electronics to a single pickup system rather than the split one we were envisaging.

urb, very creative! I think it shows you know what you're after. I'm keen to see what you create in the future. [quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1329154248' post='1538014'] Though I might just buy an old-skool synth to play on. Like an Oberheim Xpander...! [/quote] Having gone down this route I think that just opting for playing a keyboard synth is quickest way to a large array of sounds and (IMO) a more musical way to do it. The music created would only be limited by your own lack of technique/ability rather than lack of gear, whereas trying to do it all from bass can often be limited by not having the gear you want or the ability to play certain things all at the same time.

Just checking in again on this thread to see how people are getting on with their bass synth endeavours? I've been diving deeper into tweaking my 'go-to' sound (the Minitaur saw/square patch mentioned above) and it's working really well. Sticking some chorus on really helps to give the bass some character, but too much turns it to mush. I've also switched the monophony mode so that the attack is freshly triggered on every fingered note and to have no portamento at all. This is much better for upbeat songs as it gives each and every note a very defined attack. Despite this, a lower cutoff frequency allows you to make it sound smoother and more legato while still maintaining the groove of the bass part. How're you guys getting on?

On a Fodera? ... ... ... bwahahahahahhahaha, you crack me up you do...

Brilliant. I'll let the wife know that I [u]need [/u]to find an [i]old [/i]Fodera. She's been saying since day one 'Mark, your basses are nice but they are not anywhere near as well made as the [i]new [/i]Fodera that Matt Garrison plays on his Shapeshifter album - you should get one of them... definitely spring for the horse chestnut top' Clearly she has no idea what she's talking about. Vintage Fodera is where it's at. Women eh?

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1328830507' post='1533595'] My '86 Fodera Monarch has volume control for each pickup and master bass/treble controls. I use it in a soul / disco band set up to simply flick the switch forward for neck pickup only on the old solu/funk stuff for a P bass sound & then to both pickups, with the bridge pulled back a shade for the more 'modern' disco material. Works really well for me [/quote] Well [i]that[/i] has convinced me I need a Fodera, if only to be able to do that.

UPDATE: I've heard through the grapevine he's scheduled a gig despite him laying down the law that he refused to do so til the band and choir were ready. Fortunately he's not called me back. I'd still politely tell him... well, I'll let you fill in the blanks in your mind, makes for a much more entertaining story. My wife is involved with the running of the choir and has emailed them to point out we are seriously drifting from the aims/values of being a community choir, and that we need to reassess where we're at or we're going to have to make some tough decisions. The person in charge has agreed. Hopefully he'll get his trousers pulled up for him. [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1327620214' post='1514492'] Lots of the choir will turn up weekly because they enjoy each others company and get to sing a bit. A few of them will drift off when they realise they're never going to sing to an audience. A few others will leave because of his attitude. [/quote] Bingo! Already happening!