Dad3353

Mmm... Fish fingers, garden beans, courgettes and tomatoes... That's better. Now, where was I..? Ah yes, the Building Site... Here's the wall that needs removing... (Our Eldest can be seen, preparing the top of his future workbench, using the ubiquitous WorkMate...) Here's the footings being prepared to receive future masonry, calculated to be plumb to the roof (unlike the present wall...).... We can't just remove the wall, or the roof would come down. We'll do it in stages, from left to right. Here's the timid start... ... which quickly becomes ... Our Friendly Neighbour helps out with spreading the rubble over the forecourt... The masonry gets started, and the double-door frame set in... Meanwhile, Our Eldest prepares crosspieces for the timber framing... I've bought some wood from a local sawmill; it's Douglas Fir. How appropriate..! Getting serious... What came down must go up. The roof is now shored up on the left... Cutting in to receive the transoms and stuff... ... and planing... Now a bit more can be demolished... ... and its masonry laid ... A good friend has some old beams we can use, so we go to collect them... Another upright in place... ... so more demolition ... ... and masonry... So far, so good... Windows, flooring, whatever... ... and we start filling in the gaps, using a double thickness of expanded cement blocks, leaving an air-gap... Here's me, contributing to the effort by taking the photos... Getting there... ... precariously... Nearly finished ... All is fitted and mostly cleaned up ... A good coat of protective paint on the woodwork; this is a year later... ... and a more recent photo... The whole job took two months, basically. It's survived three winters since, and has proved to be maybe even better than anticipated. Well worth the effort; it took me nearly three decades to firstly work out how to do the job, then gather the monies required, and finally have the courage to bite the bullet and do it. No regrets.

Let me finish my dinner, then, and I'll post a couple of pics. Back soon...

Some, yes, but the major pieces were hacked about on the ground, or supported on other pieces. Basically three of us, Our Eldest, a friend (seen through the window...) and myself as Foreman & Overseer. I've a whole series of pics showing the wall coming down, and the finished product, if anyone wants to see the 'Before' and 'After'.

I made a house (well, a wall of a house...). Does that count..?

Here is my contribution to the July 2020 Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by a picture chosen by the previous winner: NickD..! Just my luck, to fumble for my glasses and not find 'em when I need to see clearly. In desperation and eternal optimism, I sit here, day after day, hoping to catch another glimpse. Yes, I know; it's sad, but that's old age for you. 😞 A Kontakt saxophone plays the melody line, supported by the fine Ruby bass and Superior 3 drums. There's a BIAB vibraphone towards the end. The text is related by my old friend, Harry, sounding, today, rather too like David Mitchell for comfort at times. Little in the way of Fx (well, none, in fact...), just a general rolling in glitter with a coat of Ozone mastering. Thanks for listening, if you already have; if you're about to, enjoy.

I suppose it depends somewhat on one's own personality. Some folks are flash beggars, wanting to be noticed, others are more discreet, not wishing to draw attention to themselves. For my part, I've no wish to be forward, and the bass players I appreciate the most I recognise more for their musical abilities than anything else. Many I've never seen, in picture or live, so wouldn't know how they project themselves. To me, it's an irrelevance. Good playing is good playing, whether out front or backing another. Simple, really.

I'm not. I gave up after four very long minutes. Disclaimer: I'm about as far removed from the Target audience for this stuff as is possible to be, and I'm old.

Is it the black one..?

The back of my Hofner Comittee; it's maple.

That's cheating already..! I recognise the satellite photo of the North Japanese islands..! ...

Tab is the 'Fairy Wheels' one puts on kiddies bikes to get 'em started. It's possible to do a lot of biking with them on, and they're a Good Thing for what they're for, but there's so much more scope when they get taken off. Advice..? Get started on Tab, but get stuck into the 'standard' notation when it comes up, as it will. As a beginner, the 'standard' notation starts off at beginner level, so it's easy. As one progresses, it gets assimilated naturally. Don't be frightened by it; it's just like the way you learned to read, or do arithmetic (you did learn to read and do arithmetic, I trust..? ).

Yes, that'll be the Hal Leonard/Ed Friedland one. All method books should have 'lay-flat' spiral bindings. It's The Law..!

My recommendation would be... Hal Leonard Bass Method: Complete Edition Spiral-bound – 1 May 1996 ... Inexpensive (£16.15 for three spiral-bound volumes...), taking one from absolute beginner to proficient bass player in credible steps and a variety of styles. It's all there.

Fixed.

On listening back through time, I think I prefer the mix on the older version..! Maybe I just don't like real basses..? That being said, it's still a cracking piece, so 'Well done, that man..!'.

That's an HH Radial speaker, for PA systems... Top stuff, back then.

There's a chorus..? ...

For the most part, I take this to be a fast 6/8, not too far removed from a java dance rhythm popular in French 'musette' bands. Counted (rapidly...) as 1 2 3 2 2 3 .

That's thirty times more than I paid for either, but I paid £500 for my main bass..!

Good afternoon, 99ster, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. (But you knew that already, didn't you..? )

That's par for the course for many lefty players, and there are more than a few virtuoso players that play that way round. A little unusual nowadays, with lefty guitars and basses being made a bit more than in the past, but not as surprising as all that. Many lefties play piano, or saxophone, too, or even drums.

You're not wrong at all; they're straight 4/4. There's plenty of choice in the preceding posts, though, without resorting to those pieces, Shirley..?

I think I'll keep off the streets, in that case. That clip should be in the 'Bad Jokes' section.