BassTractor

+1 on the expanding foam. Note that you can buy foam after specified expansion ratios and pressure rates (while expanding). Technical data sheets, and sellers who know what they talk about, can help here.
As a beginner, always do the foam thing in stages, and pack the object with a daily paper or similar so you make some extra space - amongst others for being able to dress the foam with some velvety stuff afterwards. Velvety stuff is good for avoiding wear on the foam.

Maybe not the indecisive part, though I'm known for my indecisive prowess, but:

Went to buy some LPs. Came home with a synthesizer.
Went to buy a Vox miniplugampthingie. Came home an Ashdown 4*10" combo.

You don't want the whole list ...

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1339495236' post='1689166'] do you like the new style?[/quote]

Like? This hair makes me doubt my heteroness. I think I may have fallen in luv.

Hi Rory,

Welcome to the surface then. Share some wisdom when you feel like it, or just relax and enjoy.
BTW, I too have a Woeful amp. Great brand! ;^)

Dangerous got bought only so I could try and get it.
I didn't.
So yes, I think I understand what you mean.

But as to Bad, it has Smooth Criminal. That's enough for me.

Hey plunkbouquet,


Welcome to BC! I'm sure you'll be an asset to the gang.

Yes, it's my impression too that the Jazz is very popular around these parts, and the Squiers are held in high regard. These people here got me gassing for a Classic Vibe Jazz (or just maybe a Fender '62 RI).

Interesting to read about your fuzz quest.

Anyway, enjoy!

Today:
Jethro Tull: Living in the Past

Yesterday:
Paul Simon: You Can Call Me Al

Hi Harry,


Welcome then to BC and to the light side (we don't have cookies, but we have other stuff) from another converted one.
I hope you have a great time here.

Hi Lee,


Welcome to BC.

Depends on your budget, as the Affinity series seems to be not quite as good as the cheap Yamahas. At least I dropped it after a play and looking at the construction, but others can chime in.
The Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe series though seem bloody fantastic, and are highly regarded here. I'm almost 100% sure my next bass will be a Classic Vibe. Mind ya, in that price range there are loads of good basses.

From Liverpool, I'd drive down to Leamington to visit Bass Direct, but then again, I'm used to Norwegian distances, and could be found driving for three hours just to get me a hot dog and a coke.

Enjoy!


Edit: Just found out Bass Direct may be a trifle too Upper Shelves for your needs. Phone them first.

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to BC.
I know where you're coming from. I see that question often, both on BC and elsewhere: "Why in the world didn't I do this earlier". One of my best friends has it likewise, and so do I (she converting from flute, and I from pipe organ and electronic things).

Anyway, enjoy your time with us here!

Idols are many known names, like Chris Squire, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, JJ Burnell and whatshisname.


But the guys who really started me were:

- a buddy I lived with during my music studies. He bought a bass. I used it more than he did.

- another buddy and my best man, whom I taught how to play "Games Without Frontiers" on above mentioned bass, so as to start him on an instrument. He'd always been sorry that he never learned to play an instrument - starting being sorry when he was eleven years old.
I finally got fed up with this, invited him for a beer or two, and just forced that bass into his arms, telling him he wouldn't leave the room before he could play that song.

Long story short, he became a bass player, whilst in my case, life took over until last autumn.

Now I've done some thinking, and sadly I have a hard time really understanding where you're coming from. Already being a guitarist and being able to play some rather demanding stuff, whilst being fairly lost at making bass parts (if I understood you correctly) to me seems like a possible case of demanding too much of yourself and of the formal correctness of your bass parts.

But I'll give it a go, at the risk of condescendence, and of hitting

If I'm correct though, I think a theoretical approach is counterproductive here. In that case, I think you rather need experience in hearing that things can work without a load of formal demands being answered.

As to a pedagogical approach in this, here's what I propose:
As others have said, start with listening to songs in the same style and how bass parts are done.
When playing yourself, go through a quick process if needed (as per your question):
- Use root tones to begin with.
- Make rhythmic patterns with the root, and then also with its octave.
- Exchange tones for other tones, trying to avoid the fifth (a fifth is no statement - a sixth is)
- Soon you should have nice snippets that you can just use as they are.
- Echo small elements from other parts: a rhytmic element, some intervals (also diminish or augment them - play with this), a melody snippet, etc.
- You have ears. So if it sounds good, it is good, at least for the time being.

Just tell me if I have been an idiot. I'm very open to the idea that I hit the wrong ball in the wrong court, and sent it the wrong way to boot.

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1339351292' post='1687294']
Thanks for your welcomes and Bert...... You'll never play for Iron Maiden then :-)
[/quote]

Oh. Then I probably wrote it wrongly, but I tried to express that my fretbuzz has been first class since day one. Don't even need to practise on it. I'm a natural. Maiden would be happy to have me.

PS, I'm a total noob.

Hi John,


Welcome to BC!
As to your question, I quickly checked Los Endos (can check more later this evening if needed). Do you mean "choral sound" as in the sound that really is like a choir?
In case, this is almost 100.00% Tony Banks' Mellotron keyboard. I think this sound is virtually impossible to emulate no matter how many effects you use. Among other technical causes, it's sooo dependant on being played i chords. The small irregularities in the recordings, and their playback, are structural to this sound.
But even if it's played one tone at a time, I have trouble seeing how you could emulate without the bass triggering MIDI devices. Other people's mileage my of course vary.

However, there is some light: there's a Mellotron app, for Apple devices at least, which does a wonderful job of sounding like a Mellotron.

Enjoy the site!

Hi Paul,

Welcome to BC!
Sorry to see you're not a talent. I've had the fretbuzz nailed since day 1. Sorry for boasting.

Anyway,
Enjoy the banter!

Hi dlindsay05,

Welcome to the light side!

Enjoy!

Yup, it has been posted a few times. Great that you care though!

Hi Anthony,

Welcome to BC! Great first post.
If I may ask, what's that thing in your avatar? Can't make out what it says on the headstock, and can't remember having seen one before.

Anyway,
Enjoy!

That's a great question on a very interesting topic, I think.

Since I know nothing about you, some of what follows may sounds condescending. Of course that's not my intention, but as said, I just don't know the first thing about you.

Anyway, I simply interpret what you wrote as expression of your feeling somewhat lost whilst at the same time knowing that you're a musical and able person. If that's correct, then I think you need some successes in order to overcome this. Theoretical training is not the way forward imho, as it can tend to overwhelm the student. IMHO, good theory is the theory you learn when you nod your head thinking: "Yup! That's correct."


From my outlook, the first rather impromptu questions would be:
Can you hear the music, or parts of it, in your head?
Can you just repeat bits, like one line, "eternally" and get a feel for a bass line's character?
Can you experiment in your head with different types of bass lines on those bits? I don't mean this as in litteral tones, but more like a conveyed atmosphere?
Can you translate that atmosphere into (some) specific tones?
In case of covers: have you tried to listen to different versions of the song, or other songs in the same style, in order to get some inspiration or ideas?


If you wish, you can answer these questions, and I'll do some more thinking on steps to take. In the mean time, I might find out my questions are bollocks, and then I'll get back to them.

I'll leave it at that for now. Others may come with far better approaches, and also, I'd like not to go too far right away.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1339113962' post='1684059']
Not sure what your rationale is for using an angle jack, could you explain why please? This is a genuine query as I've "been straight" for 40 years and never had a knackered barrell!
[/quote]

Not only that, but one can't play fast with angle jacks. There's a reason that T5 data lines never have a sharp angle, and always make slow turns with a radius of at least 1 meter.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1339104502' post='1683900']Don't agree that loud drummers necessarily have bad technique ![/quote]

I get the feeling we're maybe talking in different terms here.
I for one, don't mean that a loud drummer necessarily has bad technique, but I do mean that a drummer who can't play softly without getting his technique affected, does need more technique. Dynamics are an integral part of most instruments. If one can't handle that, I think technique is lacking. One can still be a wonderful musician though.

Hi Sam,


Welcome to BC! You're becoming a part of this awesome community right now, aren't you? Or did I misunderstand that sentence?

OK, where's the 5th string on your GSR205, and where are the frets now?

From the surface looks of it, the OP's drummer lacks technique, dazzall.

Don't know about his experience level, but I've heard wedding bands play both softly and authoritively, and we're talking very young lads here, and indeed an acoustic drum set.
Remember a great soft-playing band where the audience in fact asked them to turn up the volume.

The drummer I've worked most with, before he got a music college education, would just change sticks, use pads on the kettles and a pillow in the bass drum. I understand that these things change sound, but still.

This thread more than other threads makes me practise. Thanks everyone for being a great inspiration, [b]especially those who felt they're not there yet[/b].