Bilbo

Joe's point is a valid one. In order to teach, you need to establish what it is the student wants to learn. If they are happy to thump away in a metal band, do you really need to discuss advanced harmonic concepts like quartal harmony? I guess there is a fundamental difference with bass playing over (most) other musical disciplines. Most conventional musical instruments are initially taught to children who are 'forced' (or at least coerced) to go for lessons by their parents. Most bass players start because they, as independent thinkers, [b]choose[/b] to, probably as teenagers. More to the point, many teenagers would actually be discouraged from spending time with the bass as it would take them away from the 'important' things like GCSEs. Most classical students don't start out with the ambition of being a 'popstar' and the acceptability of the genre supports the investment in tuition. Most parents would probably assume that their bass player children are just fantasists and shouldn't be encouraged ('last year he wanted to be an astronaut'). This difference in motivation changes the whole dynamic of the teacher pupil relationship. Those who realise the value of proper training are often the children of musicians who either did or did not get that education.

[quote name='TGEvans' post='942533' date='Sep 1 2010, 07:39 PM']I need to send a Strat to my sister in Dublin.[/quote] Buy it a seat for £1 on Ryanair.

We have all said things on here we later regret. I reserve the right to be an arse at least once in a while. Perfection is merely aspirational!

I ohly have one electric bass (my Wal) and haven't really gigged with any other bass in over 24 years (I have had other basses just never used them more than once or twice each). I play jazz, funk, blues/rock, shows, Latin..... it does for all of them. I really do think a lot of the 'differences' between bass sounds are subtleties that escape me and probably 99% of the audience. There may be 1% of the people I play in front of thinking 'that would sound better on a Jazz/Precision/Sadowsky, Fodera, Alembic......' but I can't say it sways me from thinking that one good professional quality bass and a good professional amp with a flexible eq and a lot of headroom is all you need (you may [i]want[/i] more but that is all you [i]need[/i])

I don't think there is as much poor grammer as there is bad typing and worserer proof reading. I find that I often type the wrong word because my finger/muscle memory overides my conscious thought processes. However hard I try, I always type would as woudl and the as teh. I am sure there are many others but, in a nutshell, secretarial skills are no longer a specialism for which a small group of individuals are trained but an expectation of everyone. We all learn to type 'on the hoof' now and not in a systematic way and, whaddaya know, we are all found wanting.

To be fair, it can be frustrating finding teachers. I want a local arco teacher and can't find one that isn't an hour and an half's drive away minimum. Not a problem in itself but add £15+ in petrol to a £30 lesson and you really have to start thinking about affordability!!

My advice is to remember that you are starting out on a new journey not continuing the old one. THe first bass you have will probably be transitional. When I was looking (earlier this year) the more information I got, the more confused I was because everyone tells you that your technique/string choice/set up/bridge height/end pin all have a MASSIVE effect on your sound. That meant, in my simple world, that any bass I tried wouldn't sound like it could until I had been playing and fiddling with it for years. So, whatever bass I woudl try, I lacked the knowledge and skills to make it sound like it would in 3/6/9/12/24/36 months time. Every make of bass has someone out there saying 'great' and someone else saying 'crap'. Only 1 db player in a 1,000 has the bass they want. Everyone else is compromised by the amount of money they have or don't have. My advice? Just climb on board and enjoy the ride.... But, yes, do get a lesson first. Jakesbass is in Aldershot and he is a great teacher and totally approachable guy. I owe him a million for getting me started and can only emphasise that he will save you a lot of hassle (and potential pain) in the long run if you go to him [b]before[/b] you buy/start playing.

Noone seems to understand the concept of deferred gratification and the benefits of long term study any more. Its all 'want it, have it'. That and the fact that most kids never see a live musician until they think its too late to learn (i.e. after their 16th birthday). I have watched a couple of Glastonbury/Leeds/Reading acts over the last few days and the playing of most of them is pretty poor. No lessons needed to achieve the dizzy heights achieved by the Libertines' bass player .

Can't you have an adult conversation with your bandmates? They could audition the singer and have an adult conversation at the audition about direction/image/influences and, if there is mutual ground, make progress. It sounds as if some people here are throwing rocks in the way before they have all of the information (it may actually be that the best singer on the market could come to an audition, be offered the job and turn it down. The minute one musician meets another and plays, compromise is necessary. If there are three or four or more, the compromise is greater. These guys are shooting themselves in the foot by not spending time with these singers and need to be told that. If they still can't see the value is hearing them and meeting them, then you may need to think about other options. It all a big experiement but what is there to lose other than a few hours auditioning duff singers? Little to lose and much to gain.

IME, you can have the best tone in the world and one dodgy ride cymbal can completely wipe it out. Personally, I have no idea what anyone is talking about. I go to a shop, try an amp and, if I can get a good sound/volume I need out of it, I'm away. I have no idea what's 'under the bonnet'. Could be a squirrel on a running wheel for all I know. I think there are a lot of red herrings out there posing as facts.

Just learn the dots. Its much more effective and it gets you work. Tab is a child's toy, a shorthand that, because of its familiarity, initially makes more sense to the uninitiated but which is ultimately inadequate for the purpose it was invented. Put the toy away and get to work. It will reward you in the long run.

Did my gig with 'Whither Then'? on Sunday. I posted about it in the 'last night's gig' thread but, in short, it was everything I hoped it would be (except it wasn't original music). It was one of those gigs where I was the weakest player but held my own enough to keep the standard up. Everyone was buzzing at the end (even the audience) and we have been asked back. Real strong blowing, great grooves.... and I am there again this Sunday with the Brazilliance, the Latin band I play in.

My God! Thinking this through, I have just realised that I haven't gigged anything but my Wal and a Status Energy 6 for over 20 years and the Staus only went out half a dozen times! I played a Roscoe 5 when I tried out a Markbass rig at the Bass Merchant about a year ago but that was only for 15 minutes (no great shakes) and I have tried a couple of Warwicks but that was over 10 years ago. I tried an Alembic Epic at the Bass Centre in Birmingham around 1991 and a Yamaha TRB6 a couple of years before that in the Bass Centre in Wapping. Early on there was an Ibanez Musician bass I tried and a mate had a Fender Jazz custom job but I didn't like that very much. Maybe I need to get out more (actually, I don't try basses unless I am buying and I am never buying so why try them out ). So, in answer to the OP, I don't dislike anything really; I just like what I have and have no need to look elsewhere.

I get how this happens (I am not a family man) and everything does get in the way as you get older but that is one of the things I always say about reading the dots. It cuts down the need for rehearsals to a minimum whcih means better gigs with less time spent preparing. Keep a bass and use the time off to develop your reading to the point where you are ready to gig again when your kids no longer need you around so much (because that day will come ).

Run through the threads here under the double bass section, ez... its full of advice of the kind you are looking for.

Did my first gig with my own band 'Whither Then'? at The Fox Inn in Eastgate St. in Bury St Edmunds last Sunday. Quartet with a singing pianist, sax, bass and drums playing a fusion of jazz and 'Blue Note' funk. Monster players all 'round and an astonishing evenings jazz. One of the best jazz gigs I have ever done and certainly one of the best in a long while. Probably the best drummer I have ever played with (having never met him before, I find out he lives less than half a mile away from me), the best pianist I ever played with (Chris Ingham) and one of the strongest saxophone players I have ever played behind (Hertfordshire's Colin Watling). I guess that's what happens when you get to call the gig: you get the best players. Monster gig, real treat - did one set on double bass and got all blistered up so reverted to electric for the remainder of the evening (two more sets). Feel invigorated by it.

Me too, other obligations permitting (that'll be gigs )

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='936198' date='Aug 25 2010, 05:55 PM']I loved that video. Thought it was awesome. The song changes were all just seamless how he did them,[/quote] That'll be because they are all at the same tempo and in the same key.... Harris was one of the reasons I was alble to put down the pick at age 17. 'If he can do it....'

Good choices, earlyman! Eubanks is so central to the success of Holland's ensembles. Have you listened to any Steve Turre? He's another great trombonist in that area. Steve Swallow is the god of electric bass in jazz - none of that athletic technique we all see so much of in fusion jazz, just hard core musicality. Swings like a donkey. And all with a pick. Chris Wood I know less of but I love his raw energy and swing. Me? I am revisiting a lot of old Reginald Veal stuff as I continue my new travels with the double bass. Edgar Meyer's Bach Cello Suites cd is another regular visitor lately and some Christian McBride (on Jeff Watts 'Watts' cd). Scott Colley, John Patitucci, Marc Johnson; there are a lot of great players to listen to

I like her two fingers per fret technique as well (last photo where she is holding the neck of the bass). That'll cut out all those extraneous notes.

No..

[quote name='purpleblob' post='934520' date='Aug 24 2010, 10:17 AM']Okay, so I admit I have a Wal fretless on order, so I would say that wouldn't I .[/quote] Plus its true!! I first got into Wal's through the Jones/Giblin/Brand X route also. Played several and found them consistently good. They are expensive but they are undoubtedly one of the best (subjectively and objectively). I got mine in 1986 and the only fretless I have considered since is a 5-string Wal (didn't bother as I am not that big a fan of low b's). Still sounds brilliant after 24 years - I paid £740 for it - that's £30 a year. I have earned thousands with it. The price is entirely defensible. It is also now worth 3 or 4 times what I paid for it. Can't say that about Warwicks!

My Wal Custom. Not any Wal, just [b]my[/b] Wal :wub:

I would ask them to lend you an amp if you need one in the meantime. Most shops would do that. If not, let it ride for a while longer. The trouble is that most shops have a guy they use who they rely on but, as they have indicated, things happen and delays can occur (it is credible for a repair guy to have gone on holiday in August, after all ). I had an American amp in for repair once (many years ago) and the delay was caused by the repair guy having trouble accessing a circuit diagram from the manufacturer (this was pre-email). It got done in the end and the amp caused me no more trouble. Three weeks is no time, really. Try ordering a sofa!

Make sure the volume control on Ch1 is turned to zero when Ch2 is in use and vice versa. I don't understand the circuitry etc but I found with mine that, is I use Ch2 when the volume is up on Ch1, even when it is switched to Ch2, there is distortion. I'm no expert but I woudl think the compressor would aggravate but might not cause the problem. Hope it helps.