jakenewmanbass

[quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1362595446' post='2001926'] I didn't mean to suggest above that it's all numbers or that you can simply slot scale notes into your playing. Endless noodling is certainly possible, but studying and using modal scales (or any scales) helps you find not just the right notes, or the notes that work, but the notes that will help develop your style of playing, or your approach to a tune--what I would call the emotional aspect. I can find what works emotionally in a tune, but that is quite often related to the scale and chord tones, and combinations of these. Without a framework, the emotional side of my playing can be just that: emotive. [/quote] I was also not suggesting that you were an advocate of noodling It's just one of the things I've struggled with myself and been witness to with colleagues and students of mine alike, for my own part I don't start to feel like I really know a sound until I can come up with (and sing) melodic ideas that use a harmonic device or structure. So I hope it didn't seem like I was criticising the other comments, I simply meant that real internal knowledge of a sound, seems to me to produce the nicest playing. When you come across players that are steeped in a sound and have a vivid musical imagination then it really can be lovely. edit It occurs to me that I should add that experimentation and becoming familiar with a chord or scale is a crucial part of the process.

My feeling about any harmonic devices is to learn what notes really make the sound of the related chord or scale, it's too easy to noodle just knowing notes work because you've worked out the theory. To get really musical with harmonic devices you really need to know the quality of the tones at your disposal so you can think about imparting real ideas even, dare I say it, emotions. without proper use of what a sound means it all just sounds like noodling to me.

superb tome... a few tiny inaccuracies as far as I can tell but overall superb.

My hands are covered in scars... I'm way too gung ho when doing physical stuff and have an almost curious lack of sensitivity to pain. I've had 9 stitches across the heel of my left hand, I have 3 parallel scars on my right hand/wrist from a nick with a chainsaw, which had to be super glued. I have saw blade scars all up my fingers and I've put my hand through glass twice. I also once fell and opened up my left hand second finger/knuckle on a half beer barrel, I was not really in control of my faculties at the time. I stared at the gaping wound which was all white and sinew like (was looking at tendons and bone) so I ran upstairs to my girlfriend to get an opinion which turned said wound into a fountain of blood as the running upped my heart rate... I really should be more careful as it's my living, I've done gigs all bandaged up several times... dope!

I would be more than happy to be put in direct contact with the lady Colin, I would not mind having a phone conversation as there are 'in the moment' things that need to be considered, eg, don't take all the strings off at once whilst changing them... If she wants to do that feel free to give her my number (I think you have it) Jake

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1360455049' post='1970856'] Not sure I get your point. I was referring to the chords in a song collectively implying an overall harmony that includes a b7 with respect to the key of the song (which may or may not include an actual I7). [/quote] I may have read what you were trying to say wrong but I was trying to outline the importance of seeing a chord in relation to it's function: When a chord has a major third and a minor seventh it's function is dominant. I felt that that info was missing from the discourse and regard it as fundamentally important. I was hoping it would be a useful addition to the info the OP sought

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1360429669' post='1970309'] [i]Very short answer:[/i] You have to look at the notes in all the chords of the song. [i]Short answer:[/i] For example if its a I IV V progression (C major / F major / G major chords) then the notes are C E G, F A C and G B D and you can therefore see that the notes making up the whole progression are C D E F G A B which is indeed the major scale in the key of C. [b]However [/b]if you look the chords in a lot of "major key" rock / blues / country etc songs then you will see that quite often the chords contain notes outside the strict major scale. [b]This the most common example of such non-major-key notes is using the b7 note of the key i.e.in C major key that would be Bb.[/b] [/quote] Some decent info here but the bit I've highlighted is quite misleading, once you add a b7 the chord nature changes to dominant and while it has a major third, to describe it as major is not quite right it's really quite a distinct sound, because it has a very specific function in the group of chords relating to the major key, that being one of setting up a resolution or cadence situation, it is a chord that has motion in it... Also many I IV V sequences use all dominant chords. So the major 7th can sound out of place.

Kev it's really hard to describe in words, but basically you can have the back of the lower right bout against your left knee which prevents the bass from pivoting out of position, if you place the bass slightly forward then the natural tendency is for it to pivot forward on it's left axis which you prevent with your knee.

Posture is critical, get it right and all your other functions should operate without hinderance, get it wrong and you can strain yourself out of the ability to play at all. Basic principal as far as I'm concerned is, sitting or standing, your arms should be able to move freely and not have any responsibility for the positioning or holding of the instrument. It's the beginning of the first lesson with every student for me. It's amazing how many people hold the bass with their left hand, which seriously hinders facility. You should be able to sit/stand with your hands above your head and the bass stay in place as though you were playing it.

Most important thing is to realise that there are no stupid questions... if you don't know how else do you change that than asking or reading about it. It's great to ask questions as most people, especially here, like to help :0)

I actually think that most pop/rock instruments are easy to play a bit, but to play them in a killer way is a serious undertaking.

A lesson in everything.

I love this guys playing... a craftsman of the highest calibre.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1357580420' post='1924819'] I am rapidly becoming a ' my book is out' bore. [/quote] Love it!! Well done Rob...

[quote name='Chambo' timestamp='1357247261' post='1919931'] I'm just looking over a lot of this stuff again I think there's something I'm not getting So is it the case that with a major chord, C for example, that all of the notes in the Ionian (C major) will sit against that chord OK? [b]Wouldn't the 2nd 4th and 7th sound out?[/b] [/quote] It all depends on context and how the user employs them.... it is the case that players with good harmonic hearing skills can make notes that are in other contexts 'out' sound in.

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1357403821' post='1922208'] I've started paying recently since I'm now in a better position to afford to, but I remember hearing someone point out once in a debate that if you download something, it's still there after you've stolen it, as opposed to walking into HMV and lifting a CD which will have cost money to replicate and buy in as stock. 9/10 times you wouldn't have gone and bought it instead, so they aren't loosing money anywhere. 'They' being the big evil record companies,[b] pretty sure the artists don't actually loose out as much as some of the ad campaigns would have you believe.[/b] From a 'should I buy it' perspective, you'll pay 99p tops for the song, and will easily get the money back straight away from a paid gig... plus you get the moral high ground [/quote] Established artists may not lose IP (intellectual property) revenues, but I can tell you from first hand experience that the development money has all but gone from the business so in many ways it's even worse because the losers are the service suppliers... New Artists, Musicians, Producers, Copyists, Writers etc etc... they... we... Have been demolished in recent years.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1357401803' post='1922153'] Which is a shame, because your post could have ended any discussion or debate, now it's open again I still stick to my first post , the answer is BOTH [/quote] I would say both too... I just like defining statements...

if you think about the word 'Mus-ic-ian it is 'for the muse' amuse... entertain.... looking at it that way, simply by doing it you are it! In other pursuits it tends to suggest professionality to some degree or another

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1357401377' post='1922140'] The especially instrumental music is a bit odd ? [/quote] I thought so too... perhaps it intimates that a singer/songwriter is categorised slightly differently or even dually...

If you decide that someone owns something and you want it from them, in this society we generally use money in a mutually agreeable transaction buy it. (some just steal of course) I believe that in an environment where you can barely breathe without it costing you money that it's legitimate for a musician/writer to say "this song what I wrote is mine, so if you want it you have to buy it" obtaining it by any other means whether we like it or not is theft... something which I would be surprised if any one person here has never done. I know I have.

By this dictionary definition you are a musician, all other points whilst interesting do nothing to undermine this basic premise... [indent=1]One who composes, conducts, or performs music, especially instrumental music.[/indent]

'Play to the room' is a skill that is being lost.

I've always maintained that if it sounds good it [i]is [/i]good (all of my students will have heard me say that at some point). Therefore technique can be a personal thing, as long as you can play what you want to without the [i]way [/i]you play it getting in the way somehow. If you can't play what you want to, then work on improving that is a no brainer, studying technical facility possibilities also then speak for themselves in becoming attractive. My only exception is on DB where there are certain things that will be so much easier to achieve with a good technique, that the schools of thought that have existed for centuries about the 'best' way to play a Double bass are really worth paying attention to...!