Skol303

From another thread... but I thought this summed up the whole 'career in music' question very well:

"For the [Uni music course] interview, the killer question for auditionees was, and I paraphrase: "You do of course realise that it is incredibly unlikely you will be able to make a living playing music, even if you get into this course and get the degree. What do you think of that?" "

Props to 'endorka' for this pearl of wisdom.

[quote name='dbass' post='1065698' date='Dec 21 2010, 02:27 PM']How the hell did I miss them..

Roads - what a bloody song, got to be one of the saddest/beautiful songs ever.[/quote]

^ Glad you agree! I used to love Portishead - well, still do in fact.

Saw them one year in the acoustic tent at Glastonbury: by far one of the best live performances I've ever seen. Beth Gibbons' voice is a true spine-tingler.

I can't speak as a practiced musician because I ain't - I'm still very much a beginner. But I can speak as someone with first-hand experience of the music industry, having worked as a music journalist in the mid-late 90s.

Here are my top tips:

1) Music theory doesn't make girls (or boys) throw their knickers at you on stage: charisma does.

Music theory is a very useful knowledge to have, but it's not what makes truly great bassists (or musicians in general) stand out from the crowd. Of course, some musicians achieve fame because of their technical merit - people like John Myung spring to mind here - but they are a rarity (and often a bit geeky/boring, to be honest!). What makes musicians get noticed above all else is personality and charisma, and you don't get that from studying books - you get that through 'life experiences'. Luck also plays a huge factor in music industry success: the old adage of being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, music is one of those industries where hard-working, studious types tend to get ignored and self-promoting, charismatic dickheads tend to rise to the top. So you ideally need to be a bit of both and become a hard-working, charismatic dickhead ;-)

2) Don't give up the day job: you're going to need it.

Very few people actually make a healthy living from playing music. Yeah, I know, you're probably thinking that you're going to be one of them - but chances are you won't, and that's a cold hard fact to keep in mind (but don't let it ruin your confidence either!). The majority of gigging musicians play in bands at weekends for the fun of it, obviously with hopes and dreams in mind, but they don't often rely on gigs to pay the bills - i.e. the majority of musicians hold down day jobs. So be realistic, manage your expectation and always, always have a 'Plan B' up your sleeve in case it turns out that a career in music isn't for you. I've met plenty of aging, rockstar wannabees who still dream of getting their 'big break' in the music industry - or worse, those who have become bitter and resentful of music they once loved, because they failed to make a career out of it. Don't become one of them.

3) If you want to earn big money, pick a genre of music that attracts big crowds and sells records (ok, mp3's!)

Jazz is a hugely respected genre of music, but it's not a big seller and so competition for the top earning jobs is fierce. Be flexible, especially in the early days of your career: experiment with different genres of music, adapt to popular trends and fashions and don't fall into the trap of being "snobbish". You might become a superb jazz musician, but chances are you'll be earning a fraction of what your contemporaries in other genres are earning, especially those "doing it for the kids" (who are, let's face it, the core market for gig and record sales). So think carefully before starting that "folk-thrash" band or "country'n'bass" outfit, because you might find that your fanbase is too niche and limited to earn a living from.

4) Understand the difference between patience and stubbornness...

Chances are, your career in music will be a long, hard road without overnight success. You'll need to be very patient and motivated, but you also need to be prepared to change things if the path you're on is leading nowhere. This can be very difficult to notice at the time, as more often than not musicians get very precious of their material and aren't able to pull their heads of their backsides and see the big picture - which in most cases is an empty dancefloor, with a few of their mates shuffling around at the back. Dedication is a good thing, but stubbornness is a sure-fire recipe for going nowhere. Be honest with yourself and if the road you're on feels tired, then change direction and try something new.

5) Lastly... enjoy it!

Everyone will tell you this, but that's because it's so important. Music is a career in which you really DO need to love your job, otherwise it'll show in your performance and that's your career over and done with. Manage your expectations, set realistic goals and be cautious whenever playing music start to feel more like "work" than "play" - because that's when you're in danger of turning your great passion into a chore.

Hope that helps and good luck with it!

Anything by Portishead for me...

+1 from me regarding old Ibanez basses.

I've just recently got back into playing and picked up an old Ibanez EDB600 to get me going again. And I'm loving it! Low action, super-fast neck and a very nice sound, even using the knackered old strings I bought it with.

Q: When is it time to turn your back on playing music and go fishing instead?

A: When you've spent all your money buying gear on Basschat, and have none left to buy food...

"My old band used to support them loads in Brighton a fair few years ago and they more often than not kipped around our flat after the shows. Always remember one occasion where both the brothers slept in our singers bed, they had a bottle of whiskey and were trying to contact aliens with a laptop! Good times."

^ Wow! You lucky b....assist! ;-) Must have been great gigging with them, and good to hear they're suitably bonkers in 'real life'.

"0+2=1 is one of my favourite albums."

^ Yep, mine too. That particular album switched me on to NoMeansNo in the first place.

^ Good to see I'm not alone on this!

I've never seen them play live, but from clips they appear just as tight on stage as they do in the studio. I guess that comes from them playing together for nearly 30 years, or whatever...

Old they may be, but they still gives the young guns a good run for their money ;-)

The intro to "Day Everything Became Nothing" was a favourite of mine back in the day. I play fingerstyle, which doesn't give it the same 'crunchy' sound, but it still gives me a good workout whenever I jam along to it.

Hi folks,

Just wondering if anyone here has any love for Rob Wright of the (now ageing!) Canadian punk band NoMeansNo?

I've just dusted off some of their old albums and had forgotten how solid this guy is as a bassist-cum-vocalist. I mean he's not brilliant, but in my opinion a possible 'unsung hero' of the bass world.

If you have no idea who/what I'm blathering on about, then have a look at this YouTube clip:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJi0_WcJHkg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJi0_WcJHkg[/url]

The answer to this question seems fairly straightforward to me. The key issue being: who is the book going to be marketed at?

- If it's professional, semi-pro and 'hardened' hobbyists' then you probably don't need to include Tab.
- If it's garage amateurs and pub band members then Tab will be essential.

Personally, I'm in the latter category: I don't read music and so the book would be useless to me without Tabs.

Given the subject of the book, it sounds as though it's aimed at a more professional market - but again, this is really a decision for the author and publisher.

Cheers folks! There seems to be a good community around this website, so I'll no doubt be picking your various brains for tips and advice along the way.

"Mmmmm, brains!!"

[quote name='wotnwhy' post='1044129' date='Dec 1 2010, 06:29 PM']...be prepared to say goodbye to any money you had in your bank account, as your room starts to fill with more and more toys [/quote]

^ You're not wrong there!! I've already made my first purchase via the Marketplace on this site (Morley wah pedal), so that's me on the slippery slope to bankruptcy...

Greetings fellow basschatters...

Just saying "hello" and introducing myself, as seems to be customary for us newbies!

I played bass throughout my teenage years in a band that could only be described as "Slayer meets Half Man Half Biscuit". Yeah, we sounded as bad as you're imagining right now... After selling my gear and moving north to Manchester, I spent over 10 years in a bass-less wilderness (working as a music journalist for some of it) before finally deciding to pick up a 4-string again very recently: an old Ibanez EDB600, which I bought second hand.

I've certainly caught the bug again and am finding this website damn useful for getting back up to speed with all things bass-related.

Musically, I'm a home studio 'tinkerer' - no hardware, just running Reason & Record (software) to make dub, drum'n'bass, dubstep - generally anything with a sizeable bottom end (ooh matron!). If my wife hates it, then I know I'm generally on the right track... though I did produce a Lady Gaga remix for her, just to prove that my music doesn't always have to sound like someone shaking a bag of spanners while revving a chainsaw.

My bass heroes? Those would have to be:
- Cliff Burton of (Metallica); yeah, predictable but heh, he's the reason I first picked up a bass!
- Horace Panter (The Specials)
- Aston Barrett (The Wailers)
- Si John (Reprazent)

... I'm also being increasingly blown-away by Billy Sheehan (Mr Big). Not my choice of hairstyle or music per se, but he can sure play that bass.

Favourite toy of the moment is my Vox Amplug: a brilliant (albeit crappily made) little device that plugs straight into your bass jack socket and replicates the sound of a Vox amp through headphones. The neighbours will thank me for it in time...

Right. That'll do I reckon... looking forward to talking sh1t with you all!

Paul (aka Skol303)

Another 'big up' here for Dan Owens!

Very recently bought a pedal from him (Morley Wah): found him to be a friendly and helpful bloke, quick to reply to messages and arranged for a super-speedy delivery (and well packaged too).

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to others.

Just a quick 'big up' for Dan Owens.

A very friendly and helpful bloke; quick to reply to messages and arranged a very speedy delivery of a pedal I recently bought off him (Morley Power Wah).

Definitely a thumbs up from this 'ere buyer!

This pedal has now been SOLD to yours truly... :-)

Many thanks to Dan for his friendly and super-quick service! I'd happily recommend him in future.

[quote name='OldG' post='1043649' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:13 PM']Reaper is a DAW that can produce pro quality recordings, is as stable and versatile as you described - unlimited tracks, unlimited VST/i's, PC and Mac compatible, MIDI capable etc,etc,etc.... It comes as an unexpiring,uncrippled demo that lets you register for $40 ( it's on offer atm) when you want - all in a 4.9mb download.
I like it so much I paid for it![/quote]

^ Yup, Reaper is a good piece of software too! Practically unbeatable if you're on a budget. I think it won "DAW of the Year" in 2009, or something like that.

The only problem I've had is that it can be quite easily overloaded with VSTs, which can cause serious lag if you're not careful. I mean sure, you can plug an "unlimited" number of VSTs into it in theory, but good luck getting it to run on a standard desktop PC if you do! ;-)

Definitely a good place to cut your teeth before perhaps investing in other software (though I know a few folks who run Reaper alone and swear by it).

I'm a bedroom studio geek, and for me the best software for home audio recording, at least in terms of value for money, is Propellerhead's Record:

[url="http://www.propellerheads.se/products/record/"]http://www.propellerheads.se/products/record/[/url]

Costs about £160, but does absolutely everything you'd ever want and is 100% stable: seriously, come the apocalypse, there'll be a computer somewhere, still happily running Record (along with a TV playing re-runs of Friends on E4... but I digress).

If you're interested in writing your own songs, or producing 'saleable' quality recordings of a band, then I recommend checking it out. You can download a demo for free, which let's you play with the software without being able to save your work - frustrating, but you can have it running all day if you like and get a feel for it.

Thanks for your comments here folks, appreciated.

Having weighed up the different options on offer, I've ended up buying a Vox Amplug (Bass): so far I'm finding it very convenient and the sound is surprisingly good, though the build-quality is on the shoddy-side, to be honest (I wouldn't want to drop it, put it that way!).

What swayed me is that I can use it in conjunction with my pedals, by plugging the Amplug into the last pedal in the chain (where I'd normally output to an amp). I'm sure there's a danger of overloading it this way, but so far I've yet to break it...

Well worth the £30 in my opinion, especially if you need something for quiet practice at home.

Hey Dan,

You have yourself a buyer here! I'm very interesting in the Morley Wah pedal :-)

I'll PM you with my details, so get in touch whenever you're ready to part with it.

Cheers.

PS: I've used a Tascam us-144mk2 interface for years. You can't go wrong with these things: sturdy and good sound quality; a definite thumbs up from me.

Depends on your budget here, but I personally swear by Propellerhead software's Record:

[url="http://www.propellerheads.se/products/record/"]http://www.propellerheads.se/products/record/[/url]

Retails at around £200.

It's a dedicated DAW for home audio recording: very easy to use, incredibly stable (i.e. never crashes) and produces great-sounding results. This would be my pick of the crop.

A cheaper alternative (if you have a Mac) is Garageband, which comes installed free of charge: a good place to start delving into the world of home recording, but obviously limited in what it can do.

There's also plenty of freeware software on the market, which you can pick up for - free! Too many to detail here, but I'm something of a home recording geek and would be happy to comment on any that you're considering.

Best of luck.

Well, I'm back to being a beginner after a 10 year absence from playing bass... so I guess this is more a case of who I aspire to, rather than who I actually sound like!

But in general, I tend to tweak towards:

Aston 'Familyman' Barrett (Wailers), Horace Panter (Specials) and Doctor Pablo/Errol Holt (Dub Syndicate) when churning out the dubby stuff.

Cliff Burton (Metallica) whenever I plug in the distortion and wah pedals (yeah, my rendition of Anesthesia tends to get the dogs barking!).

I'm thinking of picking up either Amplitube or Ampkit for the purpose of 'quiet' practicing at home:

Amplitube:
[url="http://www.ikmultimedia.com/amplitube/features/"]http://www.ikmultimedia.com/amplitube/features/[/url]

Ampkit:
[url="http://www.agilepartners.com/apps/ampkit/"]http://www.agilepartners.com/apps/ampkit/[/url]

My question is: which one's best?

From Googling, it seems as though the Ampkit LiNK is a better product than Amplitube iRig connector, and works with both products.

Ampkit also seems like a more stable piece of software, but is more costly in terms of buying the necessary add ons. Whereas amplitube is more user-friendly, but suffers a bit in terms of sound quality (according to people's reviews).

If anyone here has experience of using both (or either), then I'd be interested to hear your opinion.

Cheers!

I'm a beginner myself...

Used to play a Washburn, like 10/12 years ago now - I loved that bass! (can't remember which model it was, but heh).

I've just bought a second-hand Ibanez (EDB600) and am very happy with it. I'd heard good things about Ibby bases on these forums and elsewhere, which helped to sway my decision - plus, it just sounded brilliant in the shop, which ultimately nailed it.

So for what it's worth, consider this a 'thumbs up' for Ibanez from one newbie to another! :-)

^ Thanks again for the feedback here folks; greatly appreciated.

Thought I'd let y'all know that I settled on the Ibanez EDB600 in the end. I played them all, as well as a few other bases around the same price range (including the P-bass). Decided on the Ibanez simply because I liked the sound of it, plus it has a nice low action and a fairly slim neck (which suits me well).

It's a damn heavy beast (made from luthite) and has a few dints and dents here and there, but that kind of thing doesn't bother me. I just wouldn't want to drop it on my foot.

Close second-place was the Warwick, which also sounded great but I found myself fumbling over the 5th string - sure I'd probably get used to that, but I thought it best to stick with what I know (i.e. 4 strings, no more, no less!).

Anyway, I'm sure your lives are better for knowing this information! ;-)

But seriously, cheers for your help here folks.