Bilbo

Buying and fitting a new speaker is easy. I did it and I can't find my ars* with both hands.....

Some of you may remember that I kicked a lurative gig into touch last year because the QC was so poor and getting poorer and I couldn't face the embarrassment of standing in front of an audience playing music I knew to be dreadful (especially when it starts appearing on Youtube ). Even at £150 a gig and 8 or 10 gigs a month in the summer, I couldn't do it anymore. I would finish the gigs and be driving home (usually clutching the moolah) feeling like s*** because this wasn't what I signed up for when I took up the bass in 1980. Anyway, as a result of that decision, I have subsequently realised that, particularly in jazz, there are a LOT of very bad musicians out there; pianists, guitarists, drummers, horn players etc who are taking up gigs that should be available to creditable players and that I, by agreeing to play with them, am giving them undue credibility and feeding their delusions. More to the point, whenever a 'new' audience member was there looking to hear jazz for the first time, their experiences were wholly negative and, to my mind, this was doing harm to me, the music and the better players I come across. So, since the new season started, I decided not to take gigs that I knew were going to be crap jazz, to turn down gigs where one or more the players lacked basic competences (time etc) and to refuse to associate myself with any of this third rate drivel. Now, I now what you are thinking; arrogant t*sser. I would specify that some of these people are dreadful. Its not that they are not 'brilliant'/of top professional standard, it is that they lack the skills to play the music they are attempting. They lack basic technique, they have poor time, nothing swings, poor gear/bad sounds, no idiomatic knowledge, they are lazy and don't concentrate when playing etc etc. In short, if I walk away from a gig thinking 'that was total sh*te', why go back for more just for the money (I don't 'need' it. I like it, but I don't need it )? I have a drummer friend who has taken a similar route with some of the same people as I. Some of the gigs I do, I feel that I am floating on a cloud, everything works, it grooves, its musical etc etc. Other gigs suck big time. So why do them? I have done gigs with developing players to encourage but, when they don't learn and don't develop past 'good enough to get paid/fool some people', I withdraw. If they start getting 'attitude', they get honesty - both barrels . What am I saying? I don't know. Don't play bad music, I guess. I am known here as a staunch advocate of jazz. I love it. But bad jazz is just that; bad jazz, And I won't be party to it any more. I am playing one gig in August (I had 7 in 2009, 12 in 2008) but I feel emotionally better for it. Less is more. Quality over quantity. I am hoping to fill the gaps with db gigs as time goes on but, even if I don't, I will stand by this decision and use the time for study and composing. Bad gigs are no better than working in Macdonald's........

[quote name='endorka' post='919414' date='Aug 9 2010, 11:16 AM']Ah, so you've also noticed, it isn't always just the end of the tunes this pertains to as well?[/quote] Its funny you should say that but I have started 'filtering out' some of teh bad gigs/players I have been cursed to play alongside - life's too short for bad jazz..... It has cut my gigging in half but I feel emotionally better for it. I am off to start a new thread on this subject.

[quote name='endorka' post='919407' date='Aug 9 2010, 11:13 AM']How do you find the Sevcik one? Jennifer[/quote] I like it although it is early days and, as it is the first book dedicated to bowing I have bought, I have no comparisons. I like the way it is laid out and the way it explains all of the little subtleties that you may otherwise miss such as the imprtance of being able to utilise the different areas of the bow. It is working for me and I am seeing a distinct improvement (may just be because I am practicing anyway but I do feel that the book is helping).

There is some interesting perspective taking in the double bass world on this issue. The question is, is a £15K bass ten times better than a £1.5K bass. Answer is probably not. Law of diminishing returns. But, for me, the only question is, when you hear the bass in the context of the music, can you tell the difference and, if you can, does it matter? There are some great sounding songs recorded on cheap basses and some terrible sounding recordings made by expensive basses (I have always struggled to enjoy Jimmy Haslip and Bunny Brunel, for instance). And its all subjective anyway. I have never really bought the idea that a battery of expensive basses is necessary to do this job.

Song endings (and often beginnings) are often left to chance and, consequently, end up being something of a dog's breakfast. In truth, that lack of clarity over endings is usually the first victim of limited rehearsals, poor writing, overall laziness and that destructive inner voice telling you that 'now is your chance to shine' or 'Bored? I'll show them..... Either way, it makes for shoddy performances. A bit of thought, a decent chart/arrangement, a bit of clarity and a weak ending cn be turned into a showstopper. [i]I hear a lot of noodling at the end of tunes on jazz gigs, with every musician in their own little sonic place playing their own cadenza, with nobody listening to anyone else. 99.999% of the time, the result is a chaotic racket that goes on far too long. [/i] Careful, Jennifer! That's my career you are talking about.

I guess the question is what is the purpose of a bass solo. Regrettably, it is seldom a musical decision and usually come from a bad space (showboating, routine space filling etc). A lot of Jazz is based on soloing but, in truth, I can count the really musically valid bass solos I have come across on the fingers of one hand. Mind you, the same could be said of every other instrument. Best trombone solo ever? 'Spiritual Awakening' off Marcus Roberts' Deep In The Shed (on Spotify) - now THAT's musical...

I really do think that people are often trying to 'buy' the things that only come with time and dedicated practice. Good technique comes from concerted investment, not from a 'fast neck'. An instrument will never 'play itself'. If you can't hear a flat five, your shiny new gear won't hear it for you My thoughts are, firstly, why would anyone want to buy a bass that sounds like the one X plays? Most people are disappointed with these types pf purchases as they lack the playing skills of X so will never actually SOUND like them, even if they have the required bass. IMO, they would be far better off sitting at home with a credible professional instrument and learning to play it rather than spending time and effort knobbing about trying to find the perfect bass. Whilst I have had other basses, I have pretty much played one electric bass for 24 years and one amp for nearly 10. I have issues with my playing (lazy intonation at times and a mismatch between my head and my hands) but the solution is more practice time and improved concentration, not new gear. I actually have more guitars than basses: Gibson ES175, Takamine nylon and Adamas steel string but I don't have GAS for gear anymore. I have MAS (musicality acquisition syndrome )

Write out the dots and do it without any rehearsals.

I couldn't commission a boutique bass as I would have no idea what factors influence the ultimate sound. My only 'must haves' are fretless and an ebony board. After that, I have no idea what works and what doesn't other than the aesthetics. Off the peg works for me. The day I find a bass lets me down, I will consider it but, after 30 years of playing, I'm not holding my breath.

Another couple of good starter books here. [url="http://www.neiltarlton.com/"]http://www.neiltarlton.com/[/url]

I agree re: Simandl and Reid but I am using a lovely couple of books by Neil Tarlton call Beginning Scales and The Essentials of Sevcik (tha latter is more bow orientated but still useful). The beginning scales book is only about 20 pages longbut it really gives you a sensible grounding in basic position playing and shifting which, for me, are the secret. My intonation has improved massively since I started with the books. They can be bought here. [url="http://www.neiltarlton.com/"]http://www.neiltarlton.com/[/url]

Don't forget his work with Brand X..... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfiylCkqMiE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfiylCkqMiE[/url]

They are a reputable dealer although I hear that their prices are a [i]little [/i]high (but not extortionately so). But you do have the advantage of trying things out before you choose and getting the instrument set up at point of purchase.

You gotta admire the kid Its the last 6 seconds that crack me up...... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XsYuHbXZUk&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XsYuHbXZUk...feature=related[/url]

[url="http://www.wyntonmarsalis.org/discography/jazz/here-now/"]http://www.wyntonmarsalis.org/discography/jazz/here-now/[/url] Its great stuff and its free. Why wouldn't you?

Yes, of course. PM on its way.

I have been having a clearout recently and have sold some stuff on here but I am now left with a hundred/two hundred or more pre-recorded cassettes of various (primarily) jazz albums that I no longer want to keep. It feels wrong to throw them out (I am my father's son) so I wanted to ask whether anyone wanted them? I am not going to list them (can't be arsed) but, off the top of my head, they include things like Art Blakey, Gary Burton, Montreux, Michael Manring, Cassandra Wilson (or did that one go already?), Jazz Warriors, Chick Corea - some big names, some more obscure - I am struggling to remember as these have all been in drawers for years and I have only recently selected them for disposal. So, in a nutshell, anyone interested? For emphasis, I am not selling these but giving them away.

I am working through Neil Tarlton's books at the moment and focussing on very small details liek position shifting. It is having a really positive effect on my playing. Its a real case of slow and steady/less is more and I am finding that, by spending less time ripping it up with Scott LaFaro transcriptions, I am making steadier progress in both arco and pizz.

You had me beat at Grade one

Is it a mono stereo thing. IIRC, most old tape recorders had single condensor mics? Its also important to note that you are probably not comparing like with like i.e. different rooms etc. BUt I agree that, sometimes, old school solutions are best. Like all the efforts of the electronic keyboard industry to replicate a real piano. There is now an electric piano out there that costs £6K and weighs as much as, you guessed it, a real piano. What was the point of that!!

Anyone who knows my thoughts on this will know that I am not that bothered by the set up - I knew that, whatever I had, I would have to adapt my technique. What I needed was to make sure my instrument was credible and that it wasn't a total piece of junk. After that, I woudl find my way over time. I had a bass before on loan for six months so knew what to expect but to suggest that I would have an informed opinion on set up woudl be disingenuous. I am in no position to decide what my ideal set up woudl be so go with the flow. As I develop and learn, I can form an opinion and get any modifications I need made as and when it makes sense to do so.

I'm no drummer but I can knock out a rhythm. Playing the drums and lkeaving out the bass drum makes its very easy. He's taking the easy route and fooling some of the people all of the time. To be blunt, he doesn't sound like a player at all (not suggesting he can't be but, without practice? No chance). As for the nice guy bit, my Dad was a lovely bloke but I would never have booked him as a drummer. WHat you have here is a simple dilemma regarding where you want the band to sit in terms of quality. If you are a bunch of mates having a knock, 'nice guy' may be good enough - your social life may be more important than the music. If you have any sort of performance standards, you will probably be frustrated with chummy at the back as he is not delivering on core skills. Its you call. Personally, I feel that one of the main issues in terms of standards in British musicians (of all genres) is their unwillingness to challange medicority in their peers. If a musician is not up to it, they should be told and asked to make a choice; practice/improve or get off the bandstand. No aggression, no bull, just a straight 'are you up to the job? Yes/No? Stay/Go. Competence is a requirement. If you haven't got it, give the gig to someone who has. Your drummer is undermining your ability to deliver the music. He needs to be told to improve on his shortcomings or you will need to find someone who has the ability to make the music the best it can be. You deserve that. And, to be blunt, so does he.

I can recommend Jon as a very approachable and capable teacher. I have known him for nearly 20 years and can vouch for his competence and approach to teaching. If you are in the Cardiff area and are considering lessons, you could do far worse than contact Jon.

Straight wrists are a must - take it from one who knows. I played upright incorrectly for a realatively short period and messed my wrist/arm up a lot for a long time. One lesson from Jakesbass and I was back on course. Deal with it now.