gypsymoth

I'd be playing something and find the note I wanted wasn't there.

I'd be playing something and find the note I wanted wasn't there.

hate to break it to some of you guys, but music existed long before they invented the radio. even today there are people who listen to music without relying on the radio. however, if radio airplay is your definition of music - that explains a lot of what has been said here.

there is a whole lot of intricate and/or complicated music, from classical to jazz to traditional Asian music that does not rely on a throbbing 1-2-3-4 (or whatever you may think the proper element is) to reach the non-musician audience. hardly snobbery, but perhaps inferring that the non-musician public (or reasonable segments of it) is incapable of appreciating anything beyond whatever arbitrary musical limits you have set, is snobbery. if anything, Joe Q Public could give a ratsass how many strings you've got or what instruments you use, as long as the result is pleasing to their ears.

"what is proper music" "music that is accessible to people who are not musicians" as opposed to music that is playable by people who are not musicians?

"can't see why he would say that about velvet revolver" same reason the other fellow is saying similiar stuff about him. people seem to have little tolerance, and be quite judgemental about music they don't like. everybody decides what they want to play (or listen to), then has to figure out how to best accomplish it, and will make certain choices (limitations & freedoms are the opposite side of the same stick) about how to go about it. I don't much care for ambient music, and don't want to do anything that is tepid or room temperature... but a lot of people do enjoy what I don't like. a lot more than those that enjoy what I do ... I started doing solo as a single instrument single track, pretty much without effects. it would be pretty silly to say an orchestra sucks because it layers the music, and uses different instruments for different effect - just because I chose not to. the limits of a 4 & 5 prompted me to get a "traditional" 8 string as opposed to an aircraft carrier neck ERB - I don't need an octave changer to do guitarish stuff, but I have to be pretty picky about my picking. still, there's only so much layering you can pull off without looping - or multitracking. my choice, add a single track of guitar & drums, still not relying on effects. could I do more with some more tracks and gizmos? you bet. can I play out being a one person three piece? not a chance. could I do them live with just one acoustic instrument? yup. which approach is more "valid"? stupid question. is either approach better than a band? depends, both situations have their good and bad. from my perspective I'm using as little technology as possible to do my music - and at the same time the individual "over relying on" effects and technology ALSO uses as little as possible, given his goals and constraints. did piano players get bent out of shape over multi-keyboarded draws and stops and foot pedal bass equipped pipe organs?

if you're gonna fix it, fix it right. "like a hammer"

nothing beats a good accordion and a hammer dulcimer. any version of a dulcimer is rather great on it's own too.

I don't see the tag "bass player" as limiting - or ironic. I'm a bass player. sometimes I play a 4, sometimes an 8, sometimes slide, sometimes improv solo, sometimes pretty straight ahead tunes, sometimes noodling back up to my guitar/drum tunes (looping without the repetition?). still a bass player, and no qualms about it.

"turning art into religion" I'm still having trouble with the conceptual leap of turning music into art. what the heck is wrong with being a bass player anyway - I sure don't need the artiste panache. in any event, that is quite an eloquent description of noodling with a looper.

the ultimate girly bass is the hofner beatle - or a cheaper knock off. light weight, shorter scale, and if she's in a certain age bracket she may even enjoy the association.

there may not be much consensus in solo stuff, but there is a great deal of compromise - starting with the initial decision (see all the my bandmates a flake threads). whether you are playing a single instrument solo, or looping and layering it with effects, or doing multiple instruments, the whole concept and process is a struggle of limitations and compromise.

nah, people mentioned slide bass - tune 5 on my link below ends with a lengthy slide bit on the 8 string, tune 1 starts with slide on the 5. I like slide bass. heck, I could have fun with a slide on my four string I even like it for guitar.

search "clark brothers stones" on youtube. cheesy American tv show, absolutely killer version of give me shelter.

four pages of this, Ok. I almost get five, but seven, I mean, what's the point? next thing you know, they will be 8 or 9 no one should have to justify what they play - or how they choose to play it.

"trying to be regular, on the beat, consistent .... all qualities that can stifle a tune." yeah, what he said.

I haven't sampled the uber pricey stuff - but for my bucks the old RFT and Ei's are it.

just added a new tune to my myspace (link below, cultural revolution) that needed more than 4 strings. six woulda been nice. sometimes one would be fine.

on the link below, "cultural revolution" let me know if when the first big low notes hit if it just swamps everything on your player. it should be oppresive, but not to the point of turning into a rumbling blob. thanks

my four basses and three of four guitars are neck through. because I like a well built and visually pleasing paddle, and don't like protrusions which irritate my soggy palms. as I don't tend to smash em against rocks, replacement pieces aren't an issue.

perhaps you don't see ERB's in bands because their typical members are as close minded as, well, the typical bass player. it is quite easy not to fit into a typical band situation using a 4 string - there are plenty of bands who won't even consider you if you have a 5. I really doubt it is the ERB players that are unwilling to step up to the plate - it's the other guys worried that their sensitive toes will be stepped on. finding the willing cohorts is the challenge - and in reality it shouldn't be as there are plenty of two guitar bands, but ... that is my take on why these are mostly confined to solo pieces.

"dumb ''''''' that have never had to gig to feed themselves blah blah" uh, what does that have to do with the number of strings, or what type of music played on said strings, or, well, anything musical? other than maybe dumb ''''' that are bitter about having to gig to feed themselves blah blah. or something. sorry, I can't quite figure where that is coming from in this discussion about multi (is that more than one?) string basses.

I kinda understand it when guitar players with sensitive toes try to put limits on what is a bass or bass player, and their role - but I really don't get it when someone who plays a bass puts similiar limitations on other bass players. it's a bit like, ohh, charlie watts saying ginger baker isn't a real drummer. right.

you can optimize the performance of a speaker with a "designed for" box, but if it is a crappy speaker you are optimizing crap. a good speaker will perform quite well in most anything - maybe not to it's optimum, but better than a crap speaker in a perfect box.

eminence delta pro. 400 watts, a range wide enough for guitar and bass.