Coilte

34 minutes ago, sprocketflup said:

So im looking for a P body, thin J style neck, Pj pickup configuration. Preferably reasonably lightweight as we do 2+ hour shows. 

 

Any ideas? 

http://glguitars.com/product/sb-2-2/

Very under rated basses.

The late great Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull paid more than the odd visit to the upper register, as can be heard from his work on "Living in the Past" and "Serenade to a Cuckoo". 

8 hours ago, stevie said:

There's an astonishingly good tribute band here. From Ukraine of all places. Great sound quality and excellent musicianship.

 

 

A great tribute band indeed. 

A piece of trivia that some people might not know...

Ever wondered where the title of this song came from ?  Seemingly, as Robert Lamm put the finishing touches to writing the song, he looked at his watch and noticed it was 25 or (2)6 minutes to four....in the morning !!!! 

3 hours ago, Grangur said:

Have you asked your son what he wants?

Different strokes for different folks. If he's the analytical type and wants to know theory, then www.studybass.com is good. Also a 14day trial on www.Scottsbasslessons.com would be good.

If hes not into theory, encourage him to get into a band with mates, or help him to search for Tabs online, or maybe leave him to find his own way.

Right now he's developing his ear for music which is great.

Plus one to all the above. The only thing I would add is to encourage him to practice safe... (note I did not say... "correct"...   😉.) technique. Might as well start him on good habits before the bad ones have a chance to get a hold. A safe technique will help him to play to the best of his ability, at the same time avoiding potential injury problems later on, due to bent wrists, gripping the neck too tight, fretting too hard etc. IMO safe technique is the very first thing a new player should be taught...regardless of where he wants to go with his playing.

Walking bass lines are indeed a great way to start playing jazz. Ed Friesland's book has been mentioned, and while it is a great book, personally I think it's best to delve into it as a follow up to the book below.

For a complete beginner to walking bass I much prefer "Walking Jazz Lines for Bass" by Jay Hungerford.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Jazz-Lines-Bass-Hungerford/dp/0786659963

Also here is a complete set of lessons on WB by Dave Marks.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dave+marks+walking+bass+lesson

5 hours ago, Grassie said:

Netflix has a Chicago documentary in their library right now. I watched it the other day, not really knowing much about the band other than the Cetera-sung ballads from the early 80s. 

A good read for anyone interested in the story of Chicago ( from  drummer Danny Seraphine's point of view) :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Street-Player-My-Chicago-Story/dp/0470416831

1 hour ago, NickD said:

Like Cato, and coming of age in the 80s I remembered Chicago for soppy, overblown, over produced AOR dreck... which to be fair was no worse than their peers at the time.

So I had to get on Spotify to find out what these BC lunatics were going on about. It's pretty tidy, totally not what I expected. More like Tower of Power than 80s hair rock. I'm liking this a lot... thanks!

IMO they went a bit down hill after their first five or six albums. Music became too radio friendly.

2 hours ago, skidder652003 said:

Chicago V is my fave..

This is my second favourite of their albums  after CTA.

"Listen"....with it's great riff is a favourite of mine. 

https://gruvgear.com/products/duostrap-signature

22 minutes ago, pbasspecial said:

Update: 

I have gone with my gut and the majority here and sent out a message on our whattsapp to say that I am not happy with our current situation and we need to meet up to talk rather than say nothing and walk away.  

I have had some responses from the singer who seems worried but nothing yet from the drummer yet.

 

 A prudent move IMO. You have given them a chance to put things right. If they have even a grain of professionalism between them, they will listen to your side of the situation and try to resolve the issue. If they don't....move on...and put it down to experience. 

1 minute ago, Frank Blank said:

It is a generalisation but it isn’t harsh. Obviously your drummer was an exception, and, given those circumstances, I would have happily shared transport duties too. I would also favour a non-driving drummer with a pro attitude over a driving drummer with a bad and lazy attitude, thing is in my experience, including fifteen years being a drum tech for touring bands, I have never met the former but have encountered a plethora of the latter.

Obviously my experience with drummers is different from yours. Guess I'm  just lucky.

FWIW...I still think the.....'any drummer who doesn’t drive isn’t a drummer..." statement IS harsh. They may have valid reasons (like my drummer) for not driving.

16 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

 

...any drummer who doesn’t drive isn’t a drummer, they are a royal pain in the a*** 

In fairness, that's a generalisation,  and also a bit harsh. I played for years in a band with a drummer who did not drive, due to his eye sight. He was a great drummer and a nice guy all round. The other band members and I,  shared the transport duties. I would prefer a non driving drummer with a pro attitude  over a driving one with a bad and lazy attitude.   

Life is too short to be putting up wth this kind of hassle. Have a friendly and diplomatic chat and put your points across. If people are not prepared to have a professional attitude...then walk away.

9 minutes ago, BrunoBass said:

Yes. Problem is he’s good friends with the frontman, and was long before I came along. Therein lies the problem 🙂

By this, you imply that because they are friends, the drummer and frontman will back each other up, regardless of what the others suggest. IMO  a working harmonious and professional relationship between all band members is a must, and it  trumps...or should do...any personal friendships. It's the band as a unit that should come first.  

28 minutes ago, BrunoBass said:

He dismissed it instantly because it’s ‘not his thing’. 

Does not sound like a team player to me. 

String life : The good.....flats can last up to seven years....or more.    

A band is supposed to work as a team, both on and off the stage. There should be some give and take. It's obvious and natural that no one will like EVERY song on the list. IMO the most diplomatic way would be to take turns choosing a song. 

55 minutes ago, drTStingray said:

Ah you mean this - this is my extremely worn original version - bought on the back of the chart hit single - I'm a Man.

And yes agreed - great album - some excellent bass playing amongst other things (always loved Terry Kath's guitar playing and sound also)

Yes...thats the album. I also have a worn vinyl original.  What strikes me most about the album today, is how fresh and new it still sounds. While I have always been a Chicago fan, my interest waned after their fifth album when they became more radio friendly. The rhythm section of Cetera and Seraphine was sublime, and IMO the band were never the same without Kath.

On this day in 1969 Chicago released their debut album "Chicago Transit Authority".  Bassist Peter Cetera was/is a major driving force on the album. Here is a bass cover of the first track..."Introduction".    

3 hours ago, mikel said:

one of my top three bassists of all time. 

Same here. Pity he was not with 'Tull for longer than three albums. 

1 hour ago, Bilbo said:

And then worked with George Martin who DID study music. The 'music theory stunts your creativity ' argument is a justification. Any knowledge empowers you. A lack of knowledge will not improve creativity,  it will be irrelevant to it.

Agree entirely. In my experience it is only the people who don't know or care to learn any theory who use the .."it stunts your creativity" concept. I have never come across anyone who abandoned theory because of the same argument.. ANY knowledge is never a waste of time. 

1 hour ago, Barking Spiders said:

 Too many people get hung up on honing technique rather than making good music

I think we need to differentiate between "safe" technique and that of simply finding a new and different way to sound notes. The former can be learned fairly quickly if a person learns it as a beginner, because he/she knows no better. It can be a lot harder to unlearn an unsafe technique.  General playing technique is an ongoing "journey" of discovery that some like to take. Nothing wrong with that. After all, it is our technique that gives us our signature sound.  The trick is to try and be sure it is not going to cause injuries over time. 

1 hour ago, upside downer said:

I do try to avoid bad habits that could cause harm. There's plenty of info out there worth checking up on. Plenty of it being on here. Bravo, everyone! 👍

I agree entirely. It's just that a lot of people don't realise that playing a certain way can cause injury problems. It's only when the harm has been done and they start seeking reasons for and solutions to their problem that the penny drops.