Bilbo

This is a massive question and one that will not be best served by a short answer. The fact is that there is no such thing as a wrong note, just a poor choice. The 'rightness' of a note is determined by not only its theoretical relationship with the harmony, it is also determined by a note's place in the presentation of an idea, phrase etc. If it has a legitimate logic, it is a legitimate note.

Ravel's Bolero. Age 10 in a school music lesson. The teacher played a film of the piece being performed as a means of introducing us to the various instruments of the orchestra. I can still picture the room I was in whilst we were watching the film. I knew then I wanted to be a musician. The lovely thing was that I ran home to tell Mum what I had seen/heard and she rifled around in her (tiny) record collection and found a copy of Bolero. I was elated!!

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1436966404' post='2822396'] Haha, the thought did occur lol. I have done some sight reading in the past, and I don't enjoy it, I feel like the music comes off the page and out of the amp, with no input from me [/quote] There is a kind of pseudo- myth about reading that suggests that the reader has to be able to turn the ink into magic in an instant. Whilst there are some session ninjas who can do this to a greater or lesser extent, it is more often the case that charts are well rehearsed before there are any public performances or recordings. Good readers can make the rehearsal process quicker but a lot of the greatest performances are by people who use the dots to learn the tune but internalise the music for live performance/recording. My own experiences suggest that, for something like a show, about six run throughs are enough to go from 'reading it out' to performing it properly. Orchestras tend to have a relationship with most of their material that allows them to 'revisit' the charts in a daytime rehearsal before a performance rather than play it cold on the night. My point is that learning to read is not just about knocking out a laser accurate performance at the first run through, it is about accelerating the time it takes to get from arrival to professional performance, about communicating ideas to those who are unfamiliar and about capturing ideas for later recall (this last one is what I use it for most). The short cut you are looking for is essentially chord charts with a couple of bars of written parts to indicate a feel which is then followed by a 'simile' instruction i.e. carry on in this vein and then the odd bar of written stabs. These are certainly the most common form of chart used by Jazz musicians..

My wife bought an Orla Kiely handbag (£350) in a charity shop for £3.

Bought my Wal for £740 in 1986. Now worth about £3K? And I didn't do anything but grow older!!

I think I have enough change in the footwell of my car!!

I can't believe it but I am gassing for one of these. I play guitar as well as bass and have a credible pick technique. I can 'hear' this thing whereby I play a seven string bass tune BEADGBE (as opposed to BEADGBCF) effectively as a guitar/bass hybrid. A lot of seven string basses are used in heavy, driving musics but I can see a use for it in a kind of more laid-back, Steve Swallowesque way. Think Jim Hall but going lower. For the money they cost, it's got to be worth a punt!

Simple question: what's the answer?

Simple question:what's the answer?

It's about measuring up the pros and cons. If you have a sh*t job that is easily replaced, go (a lot of 'actors' in the US work sh*t jobs so they can 'resign' if an audition comes up and get another job the next day if they don't get the gig). If you have worked hard at developing a career, getting qualifications and all, maybe think more carefully. Also, if you have a mortgage vs. no financila obligations etc etc. Simple cost/benefit analysis.

Here we are...... [url="https://soundcloud.com/robert-palmer-1/flight"]https://soundcloud.c...palmer-1/flight[/url]

I had a two lessons with Dudley Phillips, one with Paul Westwood and about six or seven with a guy called Dan Quinton who was by far the best [i]teacher[/i] of the three.

I knocked something out last night. Not particularly exciting but it will have to do (wasn't really inspired by the image this time). I am not going to get to this again before the closing date. WIll post it when I can get to a computer with a USB port!!

Pat Metheny Group

I do love a happy ending!!

The tosser is always busy when I call.

If there is a Hell, it has a window and a pending delivery. And a banjo player. It's probably got a banjo player.

An interesting perspective: When I published my Paul Chambers biography, I had some minor criticism along the lines of 'who does hie think he is, commenting on Paul Chambers's playing'. It is entirely legitimate to question the qualifications of an individual in terms of the veracity of their arguments in any given subject but it is equally legitimate for a 'critic' to dismiss the argument that they cannot comment because they are not a player. They are, in fact, a listener and it is in the listening to music that it's worth is found and not in the playing of it. A player can be a listener at the same time but there are circumstances where this is irrelevant e.g. a trombonist in an orchestra cannot hear what the whole orchestra sounds like because he is surrounded by brass players and cannot hear the strings properly. More importantly, there are many, MANY musicians who, as players, are unable to recognise their shortcomings until their attention is drawn to them. In order for this to be the case, the poor player must also, by definition, be poor listeners. Ergo, a good listener who cannot play is a better critic than a player who does not listen.

I would agree with the adjustable bridge idea. I didn't go with one and have regreted it ever since. Have to go to a luthier everytime I want it adjusted. It's not expensive, just a hassle.

I can't get started. I have nothing yet although something came to mind whilst I was walking the dogs this morning but I need to see where it goes. I hate the fact that I cannot get my tunes PLAYED. It is not the writing that I find difficult, it is the recording of parts that I cannot play myself. YOu know what I mean? 'Oh, a monster Cuban piano part would be great in here - oh, I can't play that so I will put on some s*** guitar instead'.

[quote name='pjb13.bass' timestamp='1436179862' post='2815572'] Rather another PF tribute than another Jazz band. [/quote] Are you 'avin' a go?

You know how it works, now all you have to do is do it. Lots. The more you do it, the better your reading will get. Do some every day. Half hour or so of reading will do wonders. And you will learn the fretboard backwards whilst you do it.

I use E-music. It requires membership subscription arrangement but I get 50 tune a month for £18. Great for jazz back catalogue but not so good on current stuff.

You could, of course, play G twice followed by Gb twice. It doesn't have to be complicated