Bilbo

I think that everything is playable, it's just a question of how long you are prepared to spend on it. Jaco took 9 years to nail Donna Lee. I gave up on HMWYRS because I decided the time would be better spent on other things. There is a tasty Al Di Meola guitar part on Suite: Golden Dawn from his first solo album. Impossible. It took me 30 years but I got there!! It's a question of how much you are willing to invest to get the thing nailed.

Bummer. I have played with Brendan several times and recorded an album with him a couple of years ago. It's a hateful thing to steal musical instruments. They are such a personal thing.

Things are going to get a lot quieter for a while, guys. I have a book project that needs my attention for the time being and that has to take priority. I will still post stuff when I can, though.

A really easy read but a love song - another from the Solstice album, 'Light Up', this one is called 'Home'. Five notes (maybe six) and all roots mostly on the one. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/home-solstice/

Another one from the same album, this is 'Wongle No.9' - Classic British Neo-Prog. Interweaving lines, odd bar lengths and a completely inscrutable title. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/wongle-no-9-solstice/

Another Solstice track, this is the Robin Phillips bass part for the tune 'Mount Ephraim' from the band's most recent album, 'Light Up'. Mostly 5:4 with some 6:4 and some 3:4. Bloody Proggers! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/mount-ephraim-solstice/

Link should be working now!

I will have a look at the link later on, Dave. It's a simple enough thing to address but I am not at home so cannot access the admin side of the website until this evening.

Proper one this time; 'The Enemy Within' from the 1984 Rush album, 'Grace under Pressure'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-enemy-within-rush/

Complete bass part for 'Red Sector A' from the 1984 Rush album, 'Grace under Pressure'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/red-sector-a-rush/

A renowned guitarist once said to me, there are three reasons to gig. 1. The qualities of the music. 2. The quality of the 'hang', or 3. Good money. One of the above is enough, two is great, three is heaven. I think we get out of it what we put in and it will vary for all of us.

Something less well known from Jeff Berlin. This is the first and final heads and two choruses of walking bass lines from a session Jeff Berlin did with Italian pianist Massimo Columbo with Billy Cobham on drums in 2005. The album is called 'Caravaggio'. The reason it is not complete is because JB's part is impossible to translate into dots, even with Moises and Transcribe! software. It is just too dense (not fast, just all over the place with octaves and pedal notes and sliding etc). The tune is called 'Blues For 3'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/blues-for-3-massimo-columbo-trio/

I heard this much later than I should have, thinking Billy Joel was a boring balladeer but I have since come to appreciate how strong a songwriter he is. This was the song that woke me up to his talent. From the 1976 album, 'Turnstiles' this is the complete Doug Stegmeyer bass part to the tune(s) 'Prelude/Anger Young Man'. It's almost Prog. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/prelude-angry-young-man-billy-joel/

A 'complete album' version of 'Caress Of Steel' is up there now.

Just to tidy things up, Geddy's part to 'I Think I'm Going Bald' from the same 'Caress Of Steel album. A bit of fun lyrically but, reading-wise, a bloody roast! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/i-think-im-going-bald-rush/

Another lovely tune, this is the complete Geddy Lee bass part for 'Lakeside Park' from the 17975 Rush album, 'Caress Of Steel'. Not too difficult to play but some of the reading gets lairy due to the tempo. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/lakeside-park-rush/

Dirty Looks

A beautiful tune, this is the Nick Beggs bass part to the tune 'The Raven That Refused To Sing' from the 2013 Steven Wilson album 'The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)'. It is not hard to play but there are some challenges with shifting bar lengths and a couple of fills. Otherwise, a stunning tune. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-raven-that-refused-to-sing-steve-wilson/

PS a '10 finger' piano reader friend of mine said he took 15 years to get that good at it. Bass is relatively easy as it is mostly monophonic. Couple of years would see you better than most of your peers. The important thing is to keep going and don't neglect it. 30 minutes a day is enough.

Note recognition first, then rhythm. First reading, then sight reading. Reading is not just about gigs and performances, it is also about learning and communicating ideas etc. I am working on my guitar reading at the moment (as well as bass). I recently bought four books of classical studies and read through them all in about 4 weeks. That's in excess of 600 pages of dots. I couldn't read them well enough to perform them, no way, but to be able to find my way through that much material in such a short space of time? I am kicking myself and asking why I didn't do the decades ago. Sight reading is the ultimate goal but it's so much more than that.

Actually, we can all read. It's just a case of how FAST we can read. If you are reading at 10bpm today, head for 20bpm this time next week. Then 30 the week after. Before you know it, you will be reading at 330bpm and holding down the Zappa gig.

There is some decent practice material here... https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/ https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/transcriptions/ 20/30 minutes a day is enough. You'll be reading in no time. Don't read things twice - you will be playing by rote/ear and not reading. Don't just read tunes you like. You are practicing reading dots, not practicing tunes.

He may not be on here, Ped. We have a mutual acquaintance in 'civvy street' (i.e. not a musician) and I was interested to see if he was anyone I knew on here as I don't know many people's real names.

Preferably not... 'Mr. Crowley' - I feel a song coming on!

Bands called Point Taken and Footloose! Plays a Status through a Glockenlang, I believe.