BassTractor

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].

How about this as a combined signature / main text / button? It's compact, It makes for a really friendly community, It has many other great capacities that personal time constrictions disallow me to delve into.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1338987680' post='1681991'] Black, Lake Placid Blue???? [/quote] Sorry, forgot those. No taste [b]at all[/b] if your bass has any colour, including lake placid blue and black... ish. (BTW, my own lack of taste favours classy subdued hints of natural wood, with thick layers of candy red or tangerine pearl (orange) on top of that.) [quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1338987680' post='1681991'] If they hang or behead me at least I'll get a day off work [/quote] Hehehe. Actually, Anders asked if I would be content with [b]his[/b] public hanging or beheading.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1338985055' post='1681942'] [i]Coitum volaticum non dono[/i] [/quote] ROTFLOL! FINALLY they're paying off, those lessons I got in the language of the Latini people of Latium.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1338983296' post='1681895'] This is a tenor guitar: Although I'd agree that the 'normal' six-string might be called a tenor [/quote] I'm not saying it might or should be called a tenor. I'm just saying this AFAIK historically is a tenor guitar, and AFAIK, now it is inbetween the modern tenor and the modern alto. I really have no view or opinions on this matter. I don't care. Just wished for clarity in the exchange, plus for a historical approach as background info for others to use in forming their opinions.

You seemed alright until I read the Essex bit. Seriously though, welcome to the surface! The wife of a friend of mine is from Brazil as well ... and ... er ... what can I say ... er ... we need less photos of basschatters on here, and more of their wives! Keep enjoying, and please share some wisdom.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1338983101' post='1681892'] It's the no trial that really hacks me off, and his message to me didn't mention I'd been kicked out. That is gutless even by internet standard. [/quote] This is my last post there: "Thank you all for the reasonable replies. Since his name now has come out, here's my perspective: Karl has been an Attitude endorser with lots of knowledge and the ability to draw more people to the instrument and to this group. He posts an innocent link, as said above, and then not only gets the thread deleted but is also expelled without warning and without a chance to explain or defend himself. My choice of first comment was purely tactical. It had to be hard for Anders to pull the thread once others had seen it, and people had to become provoked enough to get into action and start discussing. Now I don't particularly like to work like this, but deemed it necessary given recent group history. I'm fully aware many people find this stupid or disagreeable or such, and would prefer polite discourse. I didn't believe in that line given the background. Anders' comments in this thread seem to confirm my analysis of how his brain works. Hanging? Beheading?" /end quote I feel I've been too little aware of how this might affect you, and I apologise for that. I think the best thing now would be if people like Andy and Clive distance themselves from my actions whilst keeping up the pressure for better group dynamics and better behaviour by Anders.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1338983101' post='1681892'] And Rick, I hope you aren't slagging off my new Mex FST Sea foam green dude, beauty, beholder etc. Especially hurtful as I adore ALL of yours . [/quote] Puh, nobody has any taste [b]at all[/b] if they like seafoam, antigua, green, sunburst, lacquer, natural, oiled or invisible.

[quote name='Johngh' timestamp='1338982348' post='1681882'] Mind you I once went on the Ernie Ball forum and asked why my Stingray had so many dead spots. Big Boppa/Poppa or whatever his user name is was straight down my throat within a millisecond of me posting the thread telling me to take it up via a dealer. It didn't help when I told him my local dealer was crap and that was why I was posting on the forum to seek help as his Stingray was unplayable. [/quote] Yup, I think I've seen that exact thread, and was flabbergasted. Why in the world didn't he just say sorry and give you a phone number and e-mail address? They do keep very strict forum rules there, on the basis of them owning the forum, but I think it actually does them harm as it drives people away. On the positive side, it [b][i]is[/i][/b] stated in the forum rules that one must take it up with customer service if the dealer can't help, and also they have not deleted these threads, and everybody can still read stuff that was written even between 5 and 10 years ago. Also, the don't expell people for this stuff.

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1338977338' post='1681792'] perhaps guitars could adopt a similar system - we have bass and baritone guitars, guitars could be known as alto or whatever is appropriate, and these full range instruments simply known as guitars. Controversial? [/quote] I like that idea. Who knows, maybe you've just made history. Right now, the "normal" range guitar is called "guitar", whilst historically being a tenor guitar. Alto guitars do exist as well. Don't remember if soprano guitars exist, but I expect so.