Alun

The short answer is, in my opinion, that the only good technique is the one that allows you to produce the results you want in the most effective manner. One finger per fret has its advantages but doesn't always work for people with smaller hands, or in the lower frets. A lot of players use a 3 fret stretch eg first, second and little fingers, which is similar to double bass technique and works well. Keeping your fretting hand thumb behind the neck and pivotting on your thumb will aid in reaching the maximum number of frets in one area without shifting position. As for slapping, as long as it's clean and you're able to only hit the string you want, then that technique us fine. You may find you need to spend more time on accuracy with this method as it's easy to clip the adjacent strings but as long as you're accurate then I don't see a problem. To work on this, try some string crossing exercises like EEAADDGG GGDDAAEE, then start skipping strings - EEDDAAGG GGAADDEE or for real testing - EEGGEEDDEEAA GGDDGGAAGGEE and so on. Cheers, Alun

Thanks Ped. I was thinking of redoing the conversion, but by the time I get round to it it'll probably be May Thanks for listening Alun

Lovely tone on that fretless, very nice indeed. Cheers, Alun

Hello. I've just uploaded a couple of Christmas tunes to Myspace - www.myspace.com/alunvaughan- a solo bass version of Winter Wonderland. All subscribers to my mailing list ( www.alunvaughan.com/contact.shtml) will get a transcription shortly. Apologies for the clicks which seem to have turned up while converting to MP3 www.myspace.com/merlinsgavel - a silly prog rendition of Jingle Bells All bass parts were my Cort Curbow 6 - clean and direct on the solo tune, through Ampeg SVX software on the Gavel tune ( the "guitar" on the track is also the Curbow through my Micro Pog pedal) set to an octave up and Amplitube Live software. Cheers and Merry Christmas, Alun

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='108110' date='Dec 22 2007, 01:06 PM']Why hasn't mine come yet. [/quote] Mine hasn't either - anyone would think it was Christmas! Saying that, magazines have a habit of going missing between the publisher and my house at this time of year

[quote name='thumbo' post='108139' date='Dec 22 2007, 02:07 PM']I personally don't find this forum half as friendly as it was back in the bassworld days.[/quote] I must admit I agree. There seem to be a lot more opinionated blinkered posts here these days. I guess it's the nature of growth though - look at the sheer number of idiots who comment on Youtube and post on more established forums.

Hi Gloria. What sort of music are you playing? You may find that the amount of theory you "need" to know will depend on what you use it for, if that makes sense. Eg The theory requirements for playing in an AC/DC tribute band would be very different to playing jazz ( which is not a slur on AC/DC, just a reflection of the differing bass requirements) The short answer to me is that learning any new information will make you a better, more informed player. It's all down to vocabulary to me - you can get through life, and express emotions, with limited vocabulary but the more words you know, the more detailed you can be in describing those emotions. Knowing theory is the same to me. Regarding your second post, theory such as learning modes will help in expanding the possibilities but there are other things you can try to. -Take one of your stock licks and learn it starting on every finger. Eg if the lick was ACDE, play it starting on your first finger ( E string 5th and 8th frets, 5th and 7th on A), third finger ( E string 5th fret, 3rd, 5th and 7th on A) and fourth finger ( 5th fret on E string, 3rd and 5th on A, 2nd on D). This will help expand your knowledge of the fingerboard and allow you to see new patterns as well as preventing cumbersome position shifts is you want to play the lick and the first note isn't under the finger you'd normally start on. - Take the same lick and play it in every available place on the neck. So if we're still using ACDE, start on the 5th and 17th frets of the E string, open A string and 12th fret, 7th and 19th frets on the D string, 2nd and 14th on the G ( on the G you'll need to play the whole lick on the one string which is another good exercise to free yourself from box patterns) -Combine the above two and play each position strating on each finger. Make sure you know where every single note on the bass is, otherwise no amount of theory will help. You can know every scale known to man but if you don't know where "C" is, then it's not going to help. With theory, it's important to relate it to the music you like. That way you can see WHY you're learning it. Again, it's like language - you can learn every noun and tense on paper but it only makes sense when you use it in a sentence. Hope that helps. Cheers, Alun

It's usually used for visual purposes ( I used to do it quite a bit in a function band, playing the D9 arpeggio bits in I Feel Good with me and the guitarist playing over the top of the neck, and playing Peter Gunn by alternating above and below) but it does have some technical advantages. As SJA says, it can make harmonics a little easier in some cases as your fingers are straighter and flatter. It's also used quite a bit by acoustic guitarists like Michael Hedges, Jon Gomm, etc where they have the upper strings ringing out while playing something on the lower strings - it prevents the underside of your fingers dampening the strings in these situations. Ultimately though, it shouldn't, in my opinion, be too high up a player's list of priorities when learning technique. Cheers, Alun

Adam Nitti and Scott Hubbell both use sweeping a fair amount. This technique is discussed quite often on Talkbass so you might want to pop over and have a rummage. Cheers, Alun

A very similar stort as several above - used to drink quite a bit before going on ( was in a soul band where we played the same set for years and I was on autopilot ). Now I don't touch anything before playing ( in fact I haven't had a drink at all for 6 1/2 months). Have never smoked and, having had to try and play in a trio with a speed taling drummer and doped guitarist, have no interest in drugs*. Boring really Cheers, Alun * Unless we're counting caffeine as a drug, in which case I have a problem

I know people who've gone through Leeds, Birmingham and the Welsh College and all have come out knowing plenty. The only experience I've had of LCCM was an open day last year ( when Gary Willis played there) and, to be honest, thought the masterclasses by the college's tutors were appalling. Some great playing but several seemed unable to answer even basic queries from people attending. I would not have been happy if I'd paid to be in London and study there only to be met with less bass knowledge than you'd find on the average forum. Cheers, Alun

Zoom B2.1u Great effects and an easy to use and accurate tuner. You could go for the B2 but I find the expression pedal really useful. Cheers, Alun

[quote name='ped' post='101648' date='Dec 9 2007, 11:53 AM']*Basschat headlines* 'ALUN FANCIES JOHN PAUL JONES - 'He gives me the urge'[/quote] I'm still not paying £750 to see him!

[quote name='queenofthedepths' post='101143' date='Dec 7 2007, 09:53 PM']I was tempted to get one a while ago, but I tried one out and the strings didn't appear to be very sensitive to it - is there some sort of technique I missed? I had thought it was just not appropriate for thick bass strings...[/quote] Bass strings are harder to get going and it takes a while to get used to how close you need to get to them. with practice though you can get low E and even B strings going. You can also gently hammer on with your fretting hand to get the vibration going then swell the volume with the Ebow. There's an Ebow and bass thing on my website which hops between the E and C strings on my six string... [url="http://www.alunvaughan.com/hopesandfears.mp3"]http://www.alunvaughan.com/hopesandfears.mp3[/url] Cheers, Alun

It varies a bit depending on the gig but generally.. Main bass in gigbag ( usually the Cort Curbow or Squier VM Jazz) 2nd bass in gigbag ( could be the Squier, Ashbory, Washburn fretless or NS Wav depending on the gig) LMII head in an aluminium camera case 2x10 cab Knackered sports bag containing leads, stands, loose pedals,DI, etc Occasionally a small pedalbaord too, and if there's a van involved then the bass guitars go in Hiscox cases. Very rare that I'll take more than two basses, unless the gig requires fretless, upright and fretted in which case I will. even rarer that I'll take only one as I live in fear of not having a backup ( even if its only the Ashbory, it'll get me through the gig) Cheers, Alun

It's certainly do-able and will sound great, but just be aware that the position of the pickup makes a difference as well as the type. so an MM at the bridge may not sound like an MM bass as the pickuup is further towards the neck. On a slight tangent, I always liked the look of the J/P/J ( not John Paul Jones!) on the Fender Urge. Cheers, Alun

I love mine to be honest. Steve Lawson also uses one a fair bit ( and Michael Manring). According to the Ebow site, [url="http://www.ebow.com/"]http://www.ebow.com/[/url] , the UK distributors are.. * Dixie's Music 0148 442 5920 Huddersfield * Sounds Great 0161 436-4799 Cheshire There are a few Uk sites selling them here... [url="http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=ebow&btnG=Google+Search&meta="]http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q...earch&meta=[/url] Cheers, Alun

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='99959' date='Dec 6 2007, 02:17 AM']I'd be in. But how about this..... Just post what would be your CD track listing (as if you'd burnt it - consider it a virtual CD). Then....if someone chooses to go off and find those tracks either legally or illegally....then Basschat seriously can't be held responsible can they?[/quote] That sounds like a pretty fair compromise to me.

Saw them in abertillery and was blown away. The whole band were mind bogglingly good. Still no idea why they were playing in Abertillery of all places but extremely happy that they were! Cheers, Alun

I chose 6 string through chance really. I had been playing 4 string for about 6-7 years and found myself increasingly needing notes below E on the gigs I was doing. I was considering a 5 when I came across a second hand Washburn MB6 which happened to cost exactly the amount of money I had to spend Working on the (naive) theory that if I was going to learn one extra string I might as well learn two, I took the plunge. These days I use the 6 for maybe 90% of gigs. It makes sight reading a lot easier as there are less position shifts and I'm unlikely to come across parts that are outside my range. I do still use 4 strings, usually a Squier VM Jazz, for some gigs purely based on tone, but I'm most at home on 6 string. Cheers, Alun

Depends on the style of music. If it's funk or soul then James Jamerson, Jaco and Francis Rocco Prestia won't be far from my mind For pop and proggy stuff then Tony Levin will get a look in For my occasional metal ventures it'll be Cliff Burton and Geezer Butler For jazz, it's every man for themselves! Cheers, Alun

[quote name='OldGit' post='96663' date='Nov 30 2007, 01:38 PM']Deja Vu anyone?[/quote] Yup What would Freud make of this thread I wonder ?

"Extra wide nutters" maybe?

Must have missed that post, who was it? And I'm not sure "nutters" is the collective term.

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='95034' date='Nov 27 2007, 01:03 PM']BTW drummers do suffer from the "what do you need all those drums for?" syndrome. Drummer in my mates rock band insisted on taking his 9 drum kit to the smallest of pubs. Close inspection of the drum heads revealed that most of them never got hit and he was sacked soon after.[/quote] I used to work with a Simon Phillips obessive who would use his double bass drum, six toms, rack, many cymbals kit everywhere. Not fun!