Bilbo

Which part of Essex? North or South?

Your fingers were strong enough to play the bass when you were three. It is not about strength but the efficient use of existing muscles (I like to think of it not as strength but 'grace', like a dancer rather than a weightlifter). The 1234, 3142 exercises provide you with some elements of digital independence but, as you have obviously spotted, the best way to develop this is by playing musical things you haven't played before. But there's the rub. You have to work on things that require you to move your fingers in ways that are not necessarily 'pattern' oriented. If you lock yourself into patterns, you will default to them all of the time and hamper your potential for expression. Saxophonist Iain Ballamy told me to learn to read music because 'it makes you play things you wouldn't otherwise think of'. He is one of the UK's best improvisers so I consider his perspective to be worthy of consideration.

My personal value base is to say if you haven't got a saxophone, you can't produce a saxophone part. The art of music making, for me, is about the creative use of what you have and the use of a certain instrumental line-up to create something special (my most astonishing experience as an audience member was watching a trio of saxophones, polytonal tambourine and hurdy-gurdy (Brackell Jazz Festival late 1990s)). I also find the 'make it like the record' mentality anathema. If you want the record, play the damn record. Live, everything sounds different, even when the original artists are performing. That's where the magic is. I also don't like solos played live that are the same as the record. I demand more of the people I watch than simple reproductions of recorded material. Besides, if the venues are too cheap to pay for an extra musician, why should the musicians that are there invest in kit to make the missing voice available for free? I can see it now: Nigel Kennedy playing the Royal Albert Hall with a backing tape of the London Philharmonic. Marvellous.

Fmndhisud scchtn th mmmnnth....(he says, biting his tongue....)

Great one for phrasing is Alphonso Johnson on 'This Must Be Love' off Phil COllins' Face Value CD. Also 'Behind The Lines' off the same CD. Marvellous.

I loved Squire from Yes and Time and A Word right up to Drama but went elsewhere after that. I love his sound in all its guises but, more importantly, I love his pure creativity. He doesn't sound like anyone else at all and his playing is almost entirely unique. And all with e plectrum! Yes could not be Yes without him. He is one of the greatest British bass players in our history.

The GKMB150s are good and second hand one would come in well under £400. They have the advantage of being very small, self contained and, consequently, very portable. For practice purposes, one of these would be more than adequate.

We play loads of weddings and I find that the audience response depends very little on the performance of the band or the set list. We play the same set most times and the same tune at two different gigs can have completely opposite effects - full dance floor or empty one. This depends on a lot of things that are out of your control e.g. how late it is, how long the day has been, how light/dark it is, whether it is hot or cold, the size or shape of the room. What is of no relevance in determining how successful the evening is are your string guage, whether you nut is wood or graphite and whether you know theory or not !

[quote name='geilerbass' post='566202' date='Aug 11 2009, 08:30 PM']Is that typical Bossa?[/quote] It is a samba (bossa is actually thought of as a samba slowed down). The band's name on the video 'Gione Antony's Bossa Quartet' is erroneous. It just goes out as 'Gione Antony' but Gary, the drummer who posted it on the Tube, was a dep and just made up a name for the post. The track is called A Luz De Tieta by Caetano Veloso. The original is on YouTube somewhere. Try Gilberto Gil (great DVD called Acustico out there somewhere), Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Djavan, Marissa Monte, Maria Bethania (Veloso's sister), Flora Purim, Bebel Gilberto or any other Brazillian artists. Latin music is a broad church. As well as Bossa and Samba you have Pagode, Axe, Forros, Xotes e Bailao, Samba Duro/Pagode Baiano and the more jazz and pop influenced stuff. There is a lot of great stuff out there if you want to go looking for it.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='564000' date='Aug 9 2009, 09:03 AM']So I always used to say to the bands that if The Beatles could play to 50,000 people at Shea Stadium in 1965 without any monitors, then they should be able to play brilliantly to 50 people at The Barfly (or wherever) with or without being able to hear themselves on stage and without complaining![/quote] Fortunately, the Shea Stadium audience couldn't actually HEAR the Beatles so, whatever their on-stage monitoring, any detrimental effects on their playing woudl have been irrelevant.

You probably need to warm up more before you hit the hard stuff. Also, I agree that using the amp to create volume and power rather than your fingers can help.

If you want to break the scale practice up a bit, try learning some 12-bar be-bop heads. One a week at first, rising to one a day eventually. Or look for saxophone pattern books (try [url="http://www.jazz-o-matic.com/Default.aspx"]http://www.jazz-o-matic.com/Default.aspx[/url] as a source. You will need to transpose to bass clef but there is a mountain of stuff here>) But, as I said, there is no substitute for the grind.

No. There is no quick fix and it is a hard slog. And its boring and it takes a long time. It is taking shortcuts that messes people up. There aren't any and don't believe anyone that tells you differently. Get on with the work and be patient. It will bear fruit, I promise.

Swear by them. Never dropped a bass since I started using them several years ago. Also fit them to my guitars. They are easy to fit (5-10 mins at the outside - only need a small screwdriver and possibly a small spanner depending on the style of lock).

The Dave Grusin CD of 'West Side Story' is top drawer. I love it from the moment it starts to the moment it stops. Fantastic players across the band, great playing, great arrangements. Gloria Estafan's 'Tonight' is beautiful. Dave Valentin (and Grusin) on 'I Feel Pretty'. All stunning stuff. All for £5.69..... [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/West-Side-Story-Dave-Grusin/dp/B000001YO7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1249380878&sr=1-1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/West-Side-Story-Da...0878&sr=1-1[/url]

Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Junior. Try transcribing anything off any of the 300+ LPS he recorded with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Gil Evans.... the list keeps going.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='559341' date='Aug 3 2009, 04:08 PM']I do have one comment and I think you're man enough to take it, I would play less notes in the basic groove, less is more, make the simply played stuff [i]really[/i] count. I can say that with no shame as it's something I have to constantly tell myself. And as the great Mike Walker said to me: "chops can be the devil in disguise, whenever I get on a train to planet sh*t I always sing my ideas, that way it's music not finger movement" Other than that though mate, really nice [/quote] I have that one in the back of my mind all of the time, Jake, but sometimes the old 'its not happening, play some more notes' self talk rears its ugly head and, wham, here comes the diarrhoea. But, yes, you are right. Reticence is its own reward.

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='559304' date='Aug 3 2009, 03:42 PM']Can't you get that bass a bit higher up, like a violin? [/quote] I have to have it up that high because of my stomach. Otherwise its a pedal steel bass

All the best actson Later with Jools Holland are the older folk. Them pesky kids are all clearasil and testosterone (and that's just the girls!)

Jake raising some interesting points and the majorlabelartists response is collusive (don't worry, I'm not having a go but 'that's just the way it is' is a cop out). If you go and look at a lot of artists from around the world, i.e. non eurocentric performers, there are some great examples of young people working with older musicians to wonderful effect. This contemporary occidental obsession with youth culture is actually self defeating (particularly as most of the sessions guys on the cds released by these 'young' artists' are actually well established professionals, many of who are 40, 50 or even 60 +). Try YouTubing Marissa Monte or look form some flamenco cantaores. The old folks have got a lot to offer us kids PS didn't want the gig anyway

Someone put this onto YouTube (my first visit!). To be fair, this was Gary Leach, the drummer's, first gig after only one rehearsal and he had never played the tune before. The sax player, Myke Clifford, was only two gigs in as well but I think its getting there. And a (very short) bass solo to boot (don't get too excited)! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSwHtKCi0Kg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSwHtKCi0Kg[/url] ps bad intonation or an iffy note? Shall I start a poll?

Haven't read the whole thread but here's my fourpenneth I did the 'downsize' last year after feeling tired of humping the Eden Metro once too often. I got hold of two GK MB112 cabs and used an old SWR Electric Blue head to drive them. It was ok for small jazz gigs etc but about two months ago I just got to the point where I realised that I was compromising my sound and not enjoying the results. So I got the Eden back out and only use the GKs for rehearsals etc. I am happier for it. I think it may have something to do with the number of gigs you do. Humping heavy gear once a week is easier to cope with than 4 times etc.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='558974' date='Aug 3 2009, 08:54 AM']+1 I have a transcription of that somewhere, very melodic...[/quote] Wrote it out myself once. Don't know where it is now, though! Its not actually hard to play at all but its just a lovely solo. Like Jaco's melodic theme in 'A Remark You Made'; perfectly simple and simply perfect.

Jimmy Johnson on Allan Holdsworth's Panic Station from his Metal Fatigue album. Just a great melodic solo.

I have put a load of transcriptions on the forum under 'theory and technique': Dave Holland, Ron Carter, Milt Hinton, Steve Swallow, Gerry Mulligan (in bass clef) and some others. May be more challenging than some of the classical stuff that tends to be pattern based and repetitive (IME)