thebigyin

[quote name='Mr Bassman' timestamp='1477070042' post='3159718'] I've just recently lowered Artisan's action without removing it the bridge. It can be done by slackening just 2 outer strings at a time, then the 2 centre strings if necessary keeping tension at all times. Just be careful with the chainsaw! [/quote] Lol....thanks

I think i will get it done by a proper Luthier Pete thanks for your reply Cheers Bob

Thanks for the reply i thought as much cheers Bob

Hi Folks the action on my Double Bass is way too high and makes the Bass difficult to play, the strings are awful. If i carefully loosened each string individually and filed carefully the string resting point filing it to lower the action and doing this to each string would this be advisable? Or does it require a professional set up. My friend is a cabinet maker and he reckons it could be done and he would do it, but i'd rather see what some folks views are on here first thanks in advance cheers

Amp and Bass and enough money to get pissed.

[quote name='invicta59' timestamp='1473939204' post='3134297'] What exactly is it that you are having problems with? Your profile indicates that you play Blues, RnB, Soul, Motown and Classic Rock, and there are plenty of walking bass lines played in all that lot, so I presume that bass runs and chord sequences aren't the problem. Is it fingering the notes that's the issue? There's no shame in putting markers on the side of the neck to help with intonation. If you can identify where the issue lays, then maybe you can get more specific advice. FWIW, I don't read music either, and I've never had a lesson in my life - lessons are not obligatory. If they were, then the first double bass ever invented would have just laid on a luthier's bench until it rotted away, unused. [/quote] Hi Invicta the purchasing of the Bass was just a mistake i think although I have wanted one for years....it arrived very badly set up and is almost impossible to play well but it's just not really my thing i had to try out of curiosity really i only know one person in my town who owns one and have no idea where he lives....should of given it a bit more thought really but there you go i think everyone must have purchased a instrument at some point and regretted it. If i can find someone who will take it off my hands then great....realistically i just can't see me ever progressing with it i don't drive and can't see anyone wanting to lug it about it's just not for me unfortunately. Someone would get a nice Bass just needs a set up cheers for your reply Bob

[quote name='sarah thomas' timestamp='1473884285' post='3133919'] Bob! Is it so bad that £200 or so can't fix it? Have you taken it to a luthier? And to be honest, if you want to sell it on this forum, people will want to know what the issues are. Please don't give up! [/quote] Hi Sarah thanks for your reply i have no transport and the nearest Luthier is in Louth but very expensive....i will see what happens over the next few weeks....personally i think the wanting a Double Bass overshadowed the fact that there's a lot of hard work involved in learning it, i don't read music and don't fancy taking lessons ect, i should of done a bit of research really. But thanks again cheers Bob

Can't seem to put a post up on EUB and Double Basses for sale for some reason won't except post....my virtually brand new Gear4music 3/4 Double Bass is up for Sale £450 collection from Grimsby. Solid carved Spruce top and Maple back and sides if anyone knows anyone who wants a cheap bargain Bass

Eh up Davie you got it then....hope you enjoy it mate i must admit i'm not sure i'm going to make the transition from Electric to Upright i like my new Bass but still in doubt whether it was the right move

We used to have a kind of rule no more than an hours drive from Grimsby depending on the fee....we would very rarely travel for less than £250 otherwise not worth it....i remember travelling to The Rock Haven Lincoln we left Grimsby at 6pm was a new venue so gave ourselves time to find it.... got there round about 7.15pm....awkward venue 2 flights of concrete steps to get to the venue entrance we got gear loaded in and set up sound checked by 8.45 for a 9.30 start to be told don't want you on till gone 11pm....cut a long story short went down well but 6pm set off and get home at 2.30am was a ball ache played their several times but a long night

Welcome aboard Jay it's a great forum

Would love to come to something like this but transport is an issue for me and i have only been playing Upright for 3 weeks i have played Electric Bass for many years but i would be well and truly out of my depth at this sort of event but would love to watch and hear folks play and maybe get some advice because i don't know anyone around my area who could show me some things ect...i'm trying to learn pizzicato as the bowing is another thing so trying to walk before i can run.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1473281217' post='3128737'] Personally I'd go for either a Gedo or a Thomann one, there are good G4M ones but they are rarer from what I've seen and tend to need work where the others are normally at least playable if not better out of the box. A good used is the best bet but they don't come up that often ime. [/quote] Hi Pete i must admit you are right about the G4M Upright mine arrived although arrived in perfect condition was well packed ect but it is set up terribly so i now have to find a luthier to set it up for me. It's very difficult to play and initially i thought why did I bother but hopefully I can persevere and get it sorted and take it from there cheers Bob

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1472884221' post='3124979'] "Diatonic Harmony".... that's the term I was trying to recall. Yes, I can see getting into a band is a great education. I salute you for that and singing in particular. There must be a massive temptation though, to simply blag your way through and never go into depth until a need hits you between the eyes. At least the learning resources are so much easier and better now. It's good to have met you. [/quote] Not together i must add i have fronted many Bands no great shakes and played Bass in a few Bands and duos ect but unfortunately can't sing and play Bass always separately cheers Bob

Cheers Grangur i spent some time trying to learn some basic theory scales and finally fathomed out the modes only in the key of C both ascending and descending, some triads, arpeggios ect both on Electric Bass and Acoustic Guitar i now need to fathom out how to play scales ect on the Upright but it's suprising how you take the frets and dot markers on Electric for granted....but saying that Grangur i have wanted an Upright Bass for many years but maybe should of done some research first but I shall persevere and i have no real aspirations but if one day i could maybe get good enough to join a Blues or Jazz Trio that would be great....but for me now it's right back to basics and of course a bit of blagging on route lol....enjoy your holiday always good to chat with other Bassists cheers Bob

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1472880925' post='3124972'] Hey BigYin, I'm not a DB player. I don't normally venture to these lofty heights of BCland, but... I picked up bass at 50, following my divorce from a non-approving wife and marrying a pianist. At 57 I'm still learning and one day I hope to have the skills you have. On my journey I have met some really useful folk. One really great guy is Geoff Chalmers. He runs a site called www.discoverdoublebass.com on there are many lessons for DB. Aside of all that, isn't being able to do walking bass not a matter of being able to know the changes and being able to play a groove of changing/evolving notes from the chords/scales that go with each change? If the answer to this is "yes", then you need to know some theory to be able to know if it's a Major, Minor or Minor-b5 you need to play in order to fit in and play the right notes. Where i learned about this was Scotts Bass lessons accademy. In fact, writing this now is making me aware there's a term I want to use to describe this and I need to go back to the accademy to find it. Also, on my path I learned to read. Doing it on dry, boring stuff was painful. So I created my own stuff to read and get into it. I've already published it all here for free: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/215336-learning-to-read-the-dots-sheet-music-to-learn-with/page__fromsearch__1 I hope some of my ramblings will help a bit. Good luck and keep with it Bro! You'll get there. Life isn't over yet! I'm only beginning mine. Hey, I might even gig one day! [/quote] Hi Grangur thanks for your offer to help very much appreciated i'm 55 and first started out my journey into music about 79 quickly realising i wasn't going to make it professionally so opted to sing in cover Bands just locally took quite a long break about 86 because of shift work and family commitments then about 98 decided i wanted to learn Guitar originally but my impatience i wanted a quick fix and a mate suggested Bass i gave myself 6 month deadline to join a band and did just that joining a local RnR band playing a few gigs with them i then joined a local pop rock band and learnt quite quickly and a few others bands along the way.....took a break from Bass for a bit and went back on vocals ect....i only bought the Double Bass just over a fortnight ago but thought I'd transfer my knowledge of Electric to Upright but i can play a few 12 bar riffs ect but learning the Jazz progressions is a lot more challenging but i will plod on regardless i will take a look at your link and once again thankyou for your reply and help and best of luck with your journey unfortunately for me my lazyness with theory ect has hampered my progress which is a shame because feel wise i got really good i spent hours on working on a technique instead of learning basic reading ect i just found it so boring i blagged my way in bands asking the Guitarist for the chords would go home follow the chords and jam along with the song on root notes then when I was comfortable with the songs i would just embellish upon the root often my own lines and blagged it like that often gigging after only been in the band a fortnight learning the set somehow got away with it because what I played fitted and I never over did it just kept within the groove. But I can't blag it now lol.

[quote name='The Jaywalker' timestamp='1472846800' post='3124826'] PDF files of walking bass books that you can read on your computer ;-) Working tonight and all tomorrow. I'll inbox you some stuff on Sunday [/quote] Thanks for that Jaywalker appreciate your help cheers Bob

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1472832949' post='3124657'] Check out the music teachers uk website if you're having problems finding a teacher. [/quote] Thankyou Ambient for your above comments cheers Bob

[quote name='The Jaywalker' timestamp='1472826417' post='3124582'] Yes. You are having a go. I think it's rather well established that in order to function to any reasonable standard you need to put some work in on technique, theory, bass line construction etc. It's also rather well established that jazz double bass is not written in tab...and that there are a number of excellent resources out there for walking lines if one is willing to put a little effort into reading skills. Written musical notation has been the standard way of conveying musical ideas, concepts and pedagogy for a fair few centuries now...if you don't read, or don't want to learn, you're limiting the material which you are able to access. I don't think you'd hear any arguments on the above facts from any professional jazz musician - bassist or otherwise. That's not "rules": it's how it is. "...encourage new players and find a way to get them down their own path" As a teacher, some folk need guidance about their "own path" and whether that will lead to any kind of results. Listening to Ray Brown, Chuck Israels, Scott laFaro etc and hoping to "blag" this music without wanting to really learn technique or theory and with recourse to non-existent tab materials isn't going to help the OP. Implying that his own personal way of approaching an instrument, and style, he knows little about is as valid as anything else would be extremely unhelpful, if not unethical. A teacher who only tells students what they want to hear is no kind of teacher. At the end of the day, the OP asked a question about bass education. I answered. In my capacity as a pro musician and educator. Perhaps input from that level isn't welcome on forums.... Really, the message was simple - if you want to do this, you need to put the work in to at least some degree. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes to learning jazz double bass. BigYin, you might feel you've bitten off more than you can chew - certainly bigger mouthfuls than you were expecting. Don't give up straight away. Concentrate on the moment, on where you are now. Take things a little bit at a time and things will improve steadily. Honestly, it was like that for everybody when they started. Aaaand...if you feel like persevering with reading the dots, I've got a pile of PDF material which could find your inbox ;-) [/quote] Thankyou Jaywalker any help just to get me started will be greatly appreciated i am struggling to find a teacher i have tried but he is to busy i know this sounds a bit stupid but i don't know what pdf is apologies for my ignorance

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1472829383' post='3124604'] Actually Jaywalker, if you would have included your last paragraph in your previous post I probably wouldn't have said anything. It's just that your post drew a comment from the OP about quitting, where the encouragement maybe wouldn't have. And you should know that all levels of input are welcomed on this forum be it pros, semi-pro, amateur... we want everyone to contribute. But, I felt your tone in the post was a little coarse and may have had the wrong affect. I guess that's my personal problem but I would hope as a teacher, you could recoginise when a little compassion is required and when blunt straight talking is needed. I hope I'm not out of line saying that, just an observation. [/quote] Thankyou

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1472829756' post='3124609'] I totally agree with everything you've said there. I've owned a couple of double basses, and managed to play them to a reasonable standard, gigging with them etc. It was difficult, and took quiet a lot of practice beforehand. I did manage to carry over my electric bass knowledge, with a few adjustments, though my musical knowledge and playing level is pretty advanced. To the OP, stick at, it's extremely rewarding when you do get it together. My one student is 79, like I said to him this morning, learning to play an instrument is a journey, and as with any journey, it's made up of lots of little steps. Regarding transcriptions/resources, there are loads here [url="http://www.projazzlab.com/study-tools/"]http://www.projazzlab.com/study-tools/[/url] Just write the note name above the notes on the staff, and take your time, and have fun. [/quote] Thankyou i will try persevere

Thanks for the reply guyz i won't message anyone individually eh i really didn't want to cause a debate and I appreciate everyone's thoughts ect. I need to look at some very simple sight reading studies and see how i go...i've only had my bass just over 2 weeks in that time i have managed to blag some simple blues in the key of F and manage a Jazz/Blues progression in F using just root, fifth, octave ect....i am terribly impatient always have been....learnt myself Electric Bass and Acoustic Guitar and even a little Drums had just 3 initial Bass lessons many years ago sang in many Bands but learning to read as always appeared so daunting that I have switched off from the start thinking if i can work out the notes i will be ok....but i have tried doing that but i don't understand it....upper dominant and lower dominant and chromatic runs ect. All your help is greatly appreciated and the thought of giving up was a tad upsetting but i got to bite the bullet and persevere could i pester any of you guys with questions in the future cheers again Bob