mcgraham

I have indeed. Garrison helped get my fingers to match up and show me that it's possible. Mark

No I'm using standard two finger technique. You can use the Garrison technique but efficient muting at higher speeds becomes an issue. Mark

[quote]Just listening to the bass parts to work them out is the hands down, most effective, sure fire way of improving you ears.[/quote] +1. I can't recommend this enough. To make things stick, once I've figured something out, I rack my brains to think if there are any other songs I know of that have a similar sounding effect/progression/lick/riff etc. Then I figure out if it uses the same idea or a slight variation. That way I've learned how a certain idea evokes a certain response when played. I can then pull that out whenever I want to create that response, and I will know when others are using that idea. Mark

Well shucks Si, I do my best There's no bruising to speak of yet. But feeling a bit 'ugh'. Mark

I too had a great time Even including the bump on the noggin. What a way to introduce myself to fellow BC'ers! Great job BB! Nice venue, nice chilled atmosphere, not too loud, got to try some nice gear, but mostly just chatting to like-minded bassists was a real joy. It was nice to meet you all! tauzero, it was nice to meet you and mrs. tauzero again. I'm semi-pleased my bass has caused some GAS I apologise for causing it though. Mark

I've secured a lift so I'll be there with my W&T and Berg. The Geddy has been lent out to a friend. Mark

Deleted my previous comment, the analysis sets forth the concept more clearly. I think Bilbo has a valid point, but at least the concept is clear to me now. I can see at least three uses that this 'concept' has, although I see it more as a series of rules than anything else: 1) Purely technical/theoretical - being able to play all the inversions of a given chord across the whole chromatic scale, shifting between them chromatically at speed is difficult both technically and would demand you understand your theory. This is good if only for a practice regime. 2) Improvisational/creativity exercise/playground - He has effectively allowed you to do anything you want within the confines of the rules, i.e. any key, but only triads and their inversions, never the same twice, and no repeated inversions. I often find that my creativity blossoms most when I am working from inside a difficult frame work, I then have to learn how to use the rules to my advantage, to create feel where there naturally is none. So I like that approach, maybe not so much for a performance, but definitely for practice. I often set myself challenges like this. 3) Enhance your ear and understanding - this would sound odd, but by doing the above two steps you would develop your ear, and your understanding to make such alien and bizarre concepts work for you. Good blog/website! I'm always looking for new and interesting ideas like that. Please post more stuff like that if you have it. Mark

[quote]I went to see a blues band last night - the bassist was using a USA Jazz (looked new) straight into an Ashdown Mag 300 head and an Ashdown 4x10 cab. He had the sound I want and at about a quarter of the price of my gear. Really pissed me off.[/quote] Did you manage to get a look at his settings? What are you presently using? I often love those instances, as it gives you a clear example of what you 'hear in your head' together with a quantifiable way of achieving it. Mark

I take my iPod with me all the time. I sometimes take a notebook too. That way, wherever I am, I can transcribe things in my head, often using singing to pitch things. I use singing/thinking about the notes to get the pitches, I can then translate them to fingering from there. I started by transcribing vocal arrangements from gospel songs I liked during my lunch hour. I literally just sat down at lunch with my iPod and some manuscript. It was hard work to start, as I didn't have my bass, but it improved my head-voice-instrument connection greatly. Often I'd sing just the starting note of a phrase, then work my way up or down a scale vocally to figure out where I was relative to the root. After a while that became second nature, so I started to do partial phrases, then whole phrases, then working out the notes as I went without stopping the song, and then also working out harmonies without stopping the song. It sounds daunting but you have to start somewhere. Just do it and don't give up! Mark

That's a shame CK. Pickups are difficult things, you just can't tell what they're going to be like until they're in the bass. And with a custom job that makes things a tad irritating. Perhaps speak to Delano about what you're looking for and see if they have any suggestions? Do you have series/parallel/single coil possibilities for these? My apologies if you've already mentioned this. I just find that the parallel setting on my Kent Armstrongs when both set to centre have a really Ken Smith-esque scoop to the sound, which is nice, but the series setting sits soooo much better in the mix without any eqing. Maybe look at that? Rewinding sounds like a good plan though. Let us know what you decide. Mark

But fools...

[quote]A monkey sniffing his fingers after picking his arse and then falling off a tree[/quote] A jazz piece then?

WoT, for the benefit of those whose workplaces block youtube, what is the video of? Mark

You've lost the email? I recommend you look it up, without some clear direction with using them, they could easily lead to just meandering and noodling in your practice time. I don't want to sound too strict, but I strongly suggest you use the advice in that email to maximise their benefit. And yes, I did recommend 1, 2 and 4. But those are just the ones I used. Mark

[quote]BUT the biggest things I have done recently too improve my tone are a) raise the action and concentrate on better technique.[/quote]Good call! Mark

[quote]Marcus Miller is a Gay-Hole[/quote] Sure, if you like

[quote]Yeah, I know exactly what you mean when you say MTD gospel sound. Marcus with more sizzle. I love sizzle.[/quote] I didn't say it [i]was [/i]objective, I said it was about as objective as you could get. If you take the time to listen to a clip of either an MTD or Marcus Miller, you will get in the ballpark. Mark

[quote]The trouble is, what you've described sounds different to everyone. Describing sound is so subjective[/quote] Which is exactly why I've listed some basses with very distinctive sounds so you can relate to the identifiable attributes, rather than totally subjective terms like 'warm', or 'thick'. I think that how I've described my sound is about as objective as you can get with sound. Mark

I've noticed that a number of BC regulars are moving on their entire setup of late, some of them seemingly without much of a settling in period (subjective I know...) But if it doesn't have 'your sound', the sound you are seeking from your instrument, then it makes sense to move onto something else... Which makes me wonder, what 'sound' is everyone after? We all have different tastes, and we all have different styles that we have different sounds for. But what is 'your sound', the ideal bass tone in your head. My 'sound' is almost wholly an MTD gospel sound. Round full bass, warm and defined, but not too thick (ala Thumb) or too open (ala traditional jazz single coils); ever so slightly scooped low to middle midrange to give that smooth sheen to the sound (ala Ken Smith basses); tight zing and sizzle on the top end (ala MTD) rather than clank (ala Musicman), but not overdoing it. Think Marcus Miller fingerstyle with higher voiced sizzle and deeper sounding bass. There are other tones I enjoy and use a lot, but when playing bass, that's the tone I love to hear. My W&T gets them all. My Berg rig has a very flat and even sound, with a slightly enhanced bottom end that is thicker than Neo cabs (which to me introduce a bit more 'air' into the sound). Essentially I'm getting the sound I want from my bass and my rig. What about you? What are you striving after? Mark

I had a ramp fitted to my Geddy about 4 years ago after starting on the Garrison 4 finger technique without one. Helped a lot. I had a matching one made this time last year after having a new neck made for my Geddy. I also have one on my brand spanking new Wood&tronics bass. Basically I won't do without one on my basses. It helps keep things more consistent, gets your technique straight and even, and even carries over the consistency they introduce onto basses without them. I have, on occasion, thought that it's 'cheating', or that I'm less capable of playing someone else's instrument than if I didn't have them. But then I remind myself of how infrequently I play other people's basses for any length of time, how I will almost always play my own, and how a setup makes more difference to the playability of other's basses than the ramp. Re: Gary Willis technique, I can see the order and logic, but I personally think that it's overly complicated that gets stupidly involved past a certain point. The concept is great, always having a finger ready to ascend. But there are a number of flaws I see in it, and if you put the same amount of time into standard fingerstyle as it would take to do his three finger, I believe your standard two finger technique would be formidable. Re: Garrison, great technique and fantastic for getting both left and right hands nimble and co-ordinated. I think that blending this technique together with two finger fingerstyle is wonderful, and makes things effortless. Mark

Sorry guys! All PMs replied to. My apologies for keeping you all waiting. As I said in my message, I was away on holly holidays for a few days. Now back and rocking and rolling. Let me know how you get on with them. I've now sent out at least 30 copies of these together with some tips. Any more feedback? Or is it too soon to ask for any? Mark EDIT: Resent the email, someone's email address returned the forwarded email and it doesn't say who's. I've resent it and hopefully it'll work for everyone, or at least tell me who's doesn't accept such large attachments. EDIT 2: Funkle, it's your email address. Do you have another one I could send it to?