Skol303

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1220652' date='May 5 2011, 09:32 AM']Jazz' main failing, in terms of audience, is its immediacy or lack of. Takes a little time to get past first base. But that applies to most stuff that is not on the mainstream radio/tv channels... ...Its not great because its hard, its great because its beautiful. But making something that beautiful is hard."[/quote] ^ Good points well put. I suggested myself that jazz is "music for musicians", but on reflection I suppose the same could be said of many other forms of music that aren't in the mainstream ear. For example: turntablist DJs in hip hop; the "intelligent" drum 'n' bass genre; technical death metal; opera and classical, etc. All of these music forms require a different skillset to that of their more mainstream counterparts. In most cases the skills involved are more difficult and do take longer to master. And perhaps for these reasons, many of these genres also suffer from the same "chin-stroking" stereotype as jazz... Jazz certainly isn't mainstream and neither is it immediately accessible to most listeners or even musicians themselves. But that doesn't make it elitist by default. I think what's fueling the fire of this argument is: on one side, people saying "you jazz guys think you're so great, but try filling my dancefloor on a Saturday night!" vs people on the other side saying "well you're on the wrong dancefloor, pal, but while we're at it I believe my chops are in fact better than yours!" Both sides are perhaps correct to some degree: jazz really isn't the music of choice for mainstream audiences; and jazz really does require a certain level of technical proficiency to play it well - arguably more so than rock/pop. So in short: both sides of this debate could be accused of elitism to some extent, as both sides are arguing in favour of their genre on the grounds of it being 'better' than the other (albeit for different reasons). The net result? Country & Western beats all! I win :-)

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1220121' date='May 4 2011, 06:28 PM']You don't have to be a musician to love Jazz. You just have to want to like it. And hip hop in Jazz is cool if it comes off. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfnR0v0AxDY&feature=related"]Kenny Garrett - Happy People[/url][/quote] Nice vid; like it. ... though when I mentioned hip hop and jazz in the same breath, I was thinking more along the lines of people such as Guru and Digable Planets. Probably a bit dated now - and perhaps not strictly jazz? - but here are a few examples: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eh16a7n_44"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eh16a7n_44[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nLknje5E9E&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nLknje5E9E...feature=related[/url] [headphones recommended, otherwise you'll miss the low bassline! ;-) ]

[quote name='PeteinKent' post='1219393' date='May 4 2011, 12:42 AM']Aware that I am going to be accused of gross generalisation it is still my experience that jazzers....... A. Want to be elitist but are resentful if not jealous of the popular acclaim enjoyed by rock/pop musicians and .... B. Are more concerned with impressing each other than with entertaining an audience.[/quote] ... must say that I'm not a huge fan of 'traditional' jazz, although I'm starting to get my head around it and enjoy it. But I certainly am a huge fan of the jazz influence in others genres such as hip hop, so to some extent this all depends on what you define as being "jazz"! ;-) [purists no doubt cursing me right now for mentioning hip hop in the same breath...]. That said, I do think traditional jazz is a "musician's music" to some degree. For example: I was going along to a local jazz gig recently and I invited a mate of mine who replied along the lines of "nah, no offence, but you have to be a musician to like jazz". Not a general rule, of course, but I think there's an element of truth in that - as there is with all 'technical' disciplines. If you don't have a keen eye or ear to notice the subtleties, then perhaps some of it gets lost in translation and the net result is - dare I say - a bit boring for some listeners.

Hi Wooks, This sounds great! Looking forward to hearing the track and watching the vid... I have a mate who plays in a brass band over in Rhyl (who helps me with learning notation); they compete in various competitions nationally, as I guess most brass bands do. It's one helluva big sound when they're in full swing! Totally understand why you're buzzing about it ;-)

Not bad at all for a first attempt! Your bass sounds best out of the various elements in the mix - I'd expect nothing less from a bassist! ;-) - and generally needs the least work doing to it. The rest of the instrumentation could certainly be improved. The guitar isn't great and needs to be separated in the mix and given more space (if that makes sense?); a very simple way to do this would be to pan the guitar track slightly left or right to help separate it from the drums 'n' bass, which are currently grouped in the centre of the mix. The guitar also sounds very 'muddy' and perhaps needs re-recording or brightening up with FX. Try choosing a different bank of drums, as those currently selected are a bit too 'analogue-sounding' and don't fit the track. I'm not sure what's available in Garage Band, but I'd recommend a heavier kick and a much brighter, sharper snare. Again, some FX might help here (maybe some reverb and/or a compressor, perhaps). The drum pattern itself also needs some work to give it a more 'human' feel. There are plenty of online guides for help with arranging drum patterns and creating natural-sounding rhythms - or try copying some of your own favourites! There's no shame in that and it's a great way of learning about drums, IMO. Lastly, try adding some FX (in moderation...). Reverb, distortion, a compressor, etc. It's easy to overdo it with FX, but a few tweaks here and there can make all the difference and make a track sound much bigger. Anyway... like I said, it's a good effort for a first recording! I'm still very much learning myself, but I find that copying the style and sound of your own favourite artists - and using their material as a reference point against which to tweak and test your own sounds - is a great way to begin with.

Superb playing, and I'm not usually someone who gets excited by slapping 'n' tapping. But I do like this! "TURRICAN" is my favourite. Fantastic groove and those slides you put in are great, as others have mentioned. Puts my chops to shame, for sure! ;-)

^ Glad you like it! I think it's a brilliant idea... :-) Other than the links on the right of the page, I think these are unfortunately the only tracks/videos he's produced. As far as I know, it was a one-off project, but that doesn't mean there will never be more of them, of course... There are probably a few imitators already on YouTube - I'll have a look later on and post back here if I find anything similar. If you're interested, the last link on the Thru You website contains a narrative from the producer, explaining how and why he did it. Worth a look if you're interested.

The device you need is called a 'USB audio interface' (i.e. an interface that connects to your 'puter via a USB cable). There are a bunch of different products on the market, and people will always recommend what they use themselves! ;-) I myself use a Tascam USB-144mkII, which retails for around £130-£150. Price-wise, anything in the region of £100 and up is where you want to be looking, but there are some cheaper products available. Your best option is to spend some time Googling and post back here with a short list of products you're considering, as there are plenty of folk here who'll be happy to give you feedback. PS: see also this current thread on the same topic... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=133489"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=133489[/url]

Jeez, that is some HEAVY sheeet you guys are peddling there! Sounds as though it was recorded on a mobile phone (?), so not exactly the best quality as I'm sure you are aware! But generally I get the feeling it would do the business with a mosh pit full of deathcore fans. Nice bassline at around 1.46, btw... after which my ears and loudspeakers kinda gave up! ;-)

This is probably a 'been there, done that' suggestion... but firstly make sure your drivers are up to date for the US-122! I use a Tascam US-144mkII - it's a great interface (might be worth checking out as a replacement?), but I had some problems when the driver became outdated and I hadn't upgraded it in a while. Works perfectly now. Otherwise, the Focusrite Saffire is a worthy purchase as already mentioned. Good luck with it!

This might be old news to some of y'all, but if not then you might like to check out this guy, Kutiman (aka Thru You)... [url="http://thru-you.com"]http://thru-you.com[/url] ... who makes music by carefully editing together YouTube clips. It's better than it sounds, trust me! I recommend the track "I'm New" in the links on the right of the page for some double-bass action. Pure genius in my opinion. One of those brilliantly simple ideas you wish you'd done first; but maybe I'm just easily amused! ;-) Anyway, grab a brew and check it out...

Nice, really like it. Catching tune that reminds me a little bit of early Norman Cook / Fatboy Slim (in a good way!), as remixed by Quentin Tarantino. Funky bass playing too. I've been meaning to play with iMovie myself and I think you night have inspired me here...! All round great job :-)

I agree with what's been said already, so I'll try not to repeat previous comments made. I don't play in a band myself (I'm a studio geek!), but thought I'd thrown in my tuppence-worth as I used to work as music journalist many moons ago... The main thing I'd recommend in addition to what's already been said is to maybe re-think your set list... there's obviously nothing wrong with being 'eclectic', but I feel you're trying to mix it up too much. Sure, most cover bands have to be "all things to all punters" to some extent, but your currently track list doesn't work for me personally - at least from what I've heard of it. It might be better to narrow down the genres of music you're playing - just a little bit - which will help to give you a more 'coherent' overall sound; but more importantly it'll help your vocalist to concentrate on a smaller range of vocal styles. At the moment, she seems to be struggling with the variety of styles you're playing, the end result being a bit of a "karaoke effort" - no offence! - but hopefully you understand what I mean. Best of luck with it - and more importantly, have fun :-)

[quote name='charic' post='1205478' date='Apr 20 2011, 08:19 AM']Whats a meme?[/quote] Cue Wikipedia... "A meme is a relatively newly coined term which identifies ideas, behaviors, or styles that spreads from person to person within a culture. The concept comes from an analogy: as genes transmit biological information, memes can be said to transmit idea and belief information." [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme[/url] And yep, I think this definitely is one. The "TIM" meme... spread the word, people! ;-)

... I'm just about to hit the hay, but before I do it's something along the lines of: F / G# / A# If you want tabs, it'd be something like: E string fret 1 (E1) for the first few notes; Then E3-E4/D6 (i.e. playing up from F to G and then G# on the E string, and the octave above (G#) on the D string) Then E6/D8 - E6/D6-D7-D8 ...which probably makes no sense at all, but you might be able to piece it together from that! Good luck - it's a nice little bassline; quite simple to play once you have the groove of it ;-)

Nice one, cheers for the heads-up about this! I'll be downloading it later on today...

[quote name='Rich' post='1203300' date='Apr 18 2011, 10:03 AM']...apart from a bit of noodling around on the obligatory pawn-shop acoustic. Everyone should have one. [/quote] Yep, got mine! Well, the missus bought it off eBay for £10, but the neck is slightly warped and the damn thing can't be tuned properly. Well, that's my excuse anyway...

[quote name='Earbrass' post='1200859' date='Apr 15 2011, 03:42 PM']I wonder if the people who buy those would also pay extra for a 'distressed' or 'reliced' car? [/quote] ^ If they do, I have one for sale! ;-) Gives me an idea in fact... 'distressed' amps and cabs to match those road-worn guitars... "Turn your bedroom-perfect bass rig into something any road-weary touring band would be proud of! Just make cheques payable to Skol Industries at the usual address, and leave the rest to our team of 'expert' distressors. We'll have your precious gear looking knackered and broken in no time, guaranteed. Just like Jaco would have wanted!"

Thanks for the link! Looks interesting. I've bookmarked this for browsing over the weekend... I'll let you know if I have any useful feedback for ya.

I read somewhere that the more money you spend on a bass guitar, the better it sounds. But I guess that's the oldest snake oil of all, right?? ;-) On a more serious note: 'distressed' guitars. I mean, WTF?! That's like buying ripped jeans in the '80s. You've got to be a complete mug to spend money on something that somebody else has messed up on your behalf.

Looks good to me! :-) Just downloaded it for playing with later... there's going to be tears if it's not Mac-compatible. EDIT: nope, it ain't Mac compatible (cue tears). But on the TSE forums I found a link to another, similar amp-sim that is - and it's free too! If anyone's interested, see below - works on PC too: [url="http://lepouplugins.blogspot.com/"]http://lepouplugins.blogspot.com/[/url]

Nice album! I'll admit this isn't the sort of music I'd normally pick up, but that's what I love about this forum! Superb bass playing and a very distinctive sound overall. My favourites are probably 'Whisbas' and 'Pas dans le trou'.

Yep, like others here I tend to do it in reverse: start with a bassline and work backwards through drums, lead and so on. I tend to make fairly bass-driven electronic stuff, which often starts out with a bassline and evolves from there. Not necessarily the "right" way by any means, but that's just how my head is wired! ;-)

Wow. That is a great arrangement and some superb playing...! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but it blew me away. Puts my chops to shame ;-)

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1191529' date='Apr 7 2011, 11:09 AM']I've never found the bass a good instrument for composition[/quote] ^ Fair point, but I'm the opposite! Depends on what kind of music you're making I suppose... I nearly always start with a bassline and then work backwards through rhythm and then lead; but maybe I'm just an oddball! And to be fair, I only play bass (and some keyboards). My other half bought an acoustic guitar off ebay a few years ago for a tenner, but the neck is warped and it's impossible to tune. When I do pick it up, I play it 'fingerstyle' like I would my bass, which just looks and sounds ridiculous! So yeah, that might have something to do with my lack of composition on guitar... ;-)