Jam

So I've been trying to play this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hlhi8AZf6k for ages and ages, but I've never found tab that sounds right for the last chorus. I bought Standing in the Shadows of Motown about a year ago, looked at it and shelved it for "later". I just dusted it off, spent a couple of hours going through what amounts to about 18 bars, and I think I've finally got it! With a little determination I've started to crack the bass clef and reading, etc, it's nowhere near as daunting as I thought it was going to be. I found writing out the score on paper and telling myself what notes they were really helped. Does anyone have any tips or good resources for starting to read which will make things easier? I have a cool app on my iphone called "Bass" with a couple of quavers behind it, and if you press the line on the stave it tells you what the note is and where to find it. That's put me in a really good mood!

Very cool video, thanks Deb!

Wow, that drumming video was obnoxious.

Whenever I've been looking for a teacher I've always looked online first, googling my hometown and "bass teacher". Usually throws up musicteachers.co.uk... You could try gumtree too!

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' timestamp='1345635071' post='1779716'] Hey Jam, Looks like you've had plenty of help from some of the other theory bods on the forum, but feel free to drop me a PM here, or email me at [email protected] if you want to ask more questions. It sounds to me as though you've probably gone a couple of chapters too far into the book and maybe need to refresh on a couple of the earlier ones. One of the main ideas in the book is to try to avoid patterns when learning scales. This is how I was taught, and I honestly believe it's the best way to do things if you want to be able to freely play all over the instrument in any key. A lot of work is involved, and it can take a while for some of the theory to go in, but it's worth it in the end believe me! Like I say, feel free to email me if you need help. Cheers Stu [/quote] Hi Stuart, Thanks for the offer of help. Please don't take my struggles as a slight on your book, i am enjoying working through it despite my stupidity! I'll go back to the beginning again and I'm sure I'll be in touch with questions!

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1345587920' post='1779304'] Yep, that makes sense alright. The only disadvantage with learning on your own through books, the net etc is that there is a LOT of information out there. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start, and how to proceed. Theory has to be learned from the basics up. If you jump in at the middle, then you may not understand certain things, because you have not learned what went before. Hope this makes sense. That "Study Bass" site is excellent IMO. [/quote] Yeah it seems like a good resource, I'll have a trawl through that later. I've also been watching some Scott Devine videos and he makes a lot of sense too

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1345586778' post='1779273'] I hope I dont seem harsh when I suggest that you should forget about modes for the time being, if you dont know your intervals. I think you need to take a few steps back, in order to get the basics down. Intervals are explained well here : [url="http://www.studybass.com/lessons/intervals/"]http://www.studybass...sons/intervals/[/url] [/quote] No man, not harsh at all. It's something I need to know (and I appreciate the guidance!), I've had bits and bobs explained to me and learned from books but that's never something I've had spelled out. I understand what a minor third is (in relation to the root), and I can tell you what it is/show you when I have a bass to hand, but not without, if that makes sense?

Oh god I'm such a mong, I've just realised my mistake with the A Major example! I think perhaps it IS good to use the major "shape" to work things out sometimes. Thank you guys, I love this forum! Dood, can I assume then that no matter where on the neck I play the major scale box, the following still applies?: i - Major Chord ii - Minor Chord iii - Minor Chord iv - Major Chord v - Major Chord vi - Minor Chord vii - Dom Chord

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1345585322' post='1779238'] If you stack your thirds, it should make things clearer. C maj = CDEFGAB If we build in thirds from the bottom up we will get all the diatonic chords in the C maj scale. So, from the bottom up this gives us : BCDEFGA GABCDEF EFGABCD CDEFGAB So, reading from the bottom up, from left to right we have the seven diatonic chords of the C Maj scale. The intervals between each note of a given chord determines whether it is Maj, minor diminished etc. For example : the second chord ( second line from the left, from the bottom up is DFAC. This is minor because from D to F is an interval of a minor third. [/quote] Cheers man, that helps a little, but how is it that D to F is an interval of a minor third? Say, if you fretted D on the 5th fret of the A, F is the 3rd fret on the D, that's how you know it's a minor 3rd? Is there no other way of working that out than fretting it? I was trying to see if there was a logic behind it that I could work out if I didn't have a bass to hand...

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1345584181' post='1779222'] Ive been watching this on YTube. He's very good at explaining things.. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad8R7n5k_ac&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/media] [/quote] That was good. I think I learn better from videos than just from books..

Working through Stuart Clayton's Scales and Modes book, but I'm really struggling with it today. I sat down after having a bit of a play around with major/minor scales over jam tracks on youtube, and thought I'd do some more practice, try and unravel some more theory. I've been through all [i]7 chapters[/i] on major/minor scales (though I was tempted to skip some of the exercises...) and stumbled through the section on the circle of fifths but the deeper I get into the book the less I understand. I just spent 10 minutes trying to understand a couple of sentences, and I feel like I'm reading a different language. I'm sure I'll get it eventually but I feel so stupid at the moment! :/ For example, in the C Major scale, the chord progression is: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim, C I ii iii IV V vi vii I So, in any keymajor scale, will ii, iii, and vi always be minor? Will I, IV and V be major? Is vii always diminished? For example, A major scale: A, Bm, Cm, D, E, Fm, Gdim, A Is that correct? How on earth am I going to remember that when I'm playing?!

Thanks for the feedback guys - *Edit* Just remembered I have Stuart Clayton's "Ultimate Slap Bass" and a cursory glance through tells me this is going to be so much more beneficial than the Sklarevski dvd! Explanations as to WHY as well as HOW.

I realise slap is a very polarising thing and if you don't like it, you don't have to stay in this thread. Now, I've been playing bass for about 8 years now, and figure myself to be a fairly competent player. My grasp of theory isn't so good (though I am working on it, with help from a teacher) and I can play most slap lines given enough time and notation if necessary. I've just sat down and gone through some of the Alex Sklarevski slap bass dvd and while I can keep up with the majority of the exercises without too much trouble, when he goes into his little 80s jams with his friends on the DVD, I can't keep up. The problem I think is that he does his own thing, and I just can't. It seems I can copy slap lines but I can't write my own. I just can't get my head around writing patterns like that, he keeps saying on the DVD "and here you can add some syncopation" and suddenly he's changed a note here or there, added some dead notes, or changed the rhythm. I can just about follow that but when it comes to jamming or playing on the fly, I just end up playing the same boring patterns/shapes over and over again. I'm really frustrated as I feel like I'm not progressing...any suggestions?

I'm going! I'm so excited about this gig, should be a special one! Heritage has really grown on me, I wasn't sure at first but the more I listen to it the more I appreciate it...

Our first singer had..."pitch issues". He was a great frontman, but always a few notes out. We went to a recording studio to record some tracks, got the bass, guitar and (eventually...) drums down. We were all sat with the guy who ran the studio, listening to him try to record the singer, who was across the way in a separate booth. The singer kept making mistakes here and there (though, amazingly, was able to harmonise with [i]himself[/i] perfectly in three different octaves), and the technician was tearing his hair out, even going so far as to say: "That bit there, can you sing it in tune?" "No, that wasn't in tune" "Can you stop pronouncing your r's like Johnathon Ross when you sing?" "Try singing like this" and then proceeding to sing in tune. The whole thing was very difficult, the singer is a great friend of mine, so it made the whole thing quite awkward as whenever it was called into question it was always "well that's your opinion, my singing tutor says different". He left the band eventually to sing for his "Christian Metal" band so he's happy enough now

Done!

Welcome to the forum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRYzo7uQugc This. I love this song. I think it's probably my favourite ever. I can't remember exactly where in the song it is, so you'll have to listen to the whole thing

Here's the blurb: We're a three piece hard rock/heavy metal band based in Oxford, with a full set of originals and also some classic covers. We're looking for a proper singer -clean, no growling or "core" screaming, cheers- . Confidence and a good sense of humour are a must! Inspirations include: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Faith no More, Opeth, Rammstein, Iced Earth etc. We're all aged between 25-30 though if you're younger or older than that, that's not a problem! We're not that concerned with image so you don't have to have a fringe or sleeve tattoos/skinny jeans. All we care about is making good music. We've just parted ways with our last singer (on good terms, mind), and we were almost ready to get gigging again, so we're really keen to get a new singer in and get back on the scene. We practice once a week, it would be good if you had your own transport but if you don't we can probably sort something out! Cheers

I couldn't believe it on the Sunday. The Fri/Sat weren't too bad but the Sunday was unbelievable, there was hardly any room to move, it definitely felt like there were too many people and it was a bit unsafe.

Not to mention the amount of guys who just got their nob out and had a slash in full view of everyone. And anyone who throws anything anywhere with piss in it should be set on fire. We were in the Snake Pit for Metallica and this guy just dropped his trousers and went to have a slash against the walkway that the band were going to be walking on. Security ran over, grabbed him and shouted "FOR GODS SAKE MAN THERE ARE KIDS IN HERE" and pretty much told him to put it away and walk to the toilets.

We stayed at a hotel 20 minutes from Download and it took us 5 hours to get there on Friday morning. Absolutely ridiculous. Pasty faced 15 year old scrotes in hi-vis jackets who had no idea what to do. Miles of cars filtered into one lane, back into 4 lanes, back into one lane. Absurd. Still, some of the bands were good!

I had a little go on an acoustic I found in the loft today. Action is ridiculously high and it needs properly setting up. My brother has a BC Rich hidden somewhere, perhaps that'll be a better option! I had a go at learning a little bit of Opeth but i'm really struggling with the two extra strings, chords too!

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1337467794' post='1660618'] The more experienced you are, the better your ability to recognise how far away you are from being an expert. [/quote] I like that. Glad it's not just me that feels this way!

Welcome to the forum dude, you'll find quite a few of us metalheads on here!