BigBeefChief

Batteries in a bass guitar?? This Chief is not for turning.

Trouble is, you study music for too long, you end up playing rubbish. Simple, melodic basslines start to bore you, you start analysing everything you play, next thing you know, you're churning out suff like Jeff Berlin. I always try and listen to the soundclips from various BC members, 'fraid to say (and I know you all really care what I think), the majority of you readers are playing music that only other readers and jazz perverts appreciate. Listen to WoT on the other hand, sounds great. Now I'm sure some of you readers could keep in simple, but it seems that you lack a bit of discipline. If any of you are either near Tonbridge or London, I charge £50 an hour. Just because you can play it, doesn't mean you have to. And before you all come back and say "I know exactly when to keep it simple thank you very much Mr Chief". No you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be playing all this "interesting" music which should really place you on the sex offenders register. Well, I hope this all makes sense. I've just downed a bottle of TixyLix that I found in my cupboard. It went off in 1994 and tasted like chlorine.

Came all the way from somewhere else to drop off a bass to me in London. Lovely fella, great price, great bass, an impish grin and boyish charm. What more could you want? Deal with absolute confidence. And you can take that to the bank.

[quote name='Beefy' post='477159' date='May 1 2009, 04:53 PM']Dookie pretty much got me into all the good 90's punk bands[/quote] There were punk bands in the 90's???!!

Just out of interest Bilbo, what type of music do you think you'd be listening to/playing if you had never bothered learning to read? Would you still be playing? I know it's a difficult question to answer, but be interested to hear your thoughts.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='476996' date='May 1 2009, 01:35 PM']Whereas I know that I've spent most of my musical life playing original material to music fans who pay good money to listen[/quote] Ah, well then they're not music fans. True music fans don't like anything that's popular enough for people to want to see. A true muso is at home searching for obscure jazz out-takes from Archie Stilton's "difficult" second album. It's pretty simple WoT: Enjoyable music = Worthless Obscure Jazz noodling used during water-boarding = Worthwhile

[quote name='stevie' post='476976' date='May 1 2009, 01:18 PM']I wonder how many of you non-readers realize how much music is available for free on the web. There are literally thousands of midi and Guitar Pro arrangements all over the place with a full bass line. For example, following the recent thread here on Blues tunes, I downloaded the following midi files earlier today for a practice session tonight – me and my trusty laptop orchestra. Crossroads Born under a Bad Sign Thrill is Gone Into the Night Cocaine I Shot the Sheriff Lay Down Sally Tears in Heaven Wonderful Tonight Need Your Love So Bad Pride and Joy Texas Flood And while I was at it, I picked up a few others that I fancy playing. Jessica Walking in Memphis Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight Birdland And some some others including a few jazz standards and Air on a G String for string quartet. I’ve only played two or three of these before but I will probably get most of them 90 percent down this evening. I certainly couldn't it without the dots. It takes longer to actually memorize them, of course. I’ve only been playing for two years but I decided right from the start that I was going to learn to read. It’s made all the difference. I suspect that reading from the very outset is the way to do it, rather than learning to read once you can already play. As this thread makes only too clear, it is easy to find a perfectly reasonable excuse why you need not bother.[/quote] But again, its the Skegness Theatre argument. Good for you, but I have no desire to play those songs. The musicians I play will will never have heard of them. If I were to play them, I wouldn't play the bass line as recorded.

[quote name='Eight' post='476898' date='May 1 2009, 12:14 PM']It really isn't. I promise you - learning to read notation seems scarier than it is. Learning the notes on the F clef (bass clef) would take you ten minutes - with a few short practice sessions over a few days to be able to pick them out quickly. A MUCH harder part is knowing where the notes are on the fretboard, something which you've probably already mastered. Say, fifteen minutes a day practicing reading rhythms (a structured approach would help) would see you at a functional sight reading level before you know it. And just because you can read, doesn't mean you have to. Turns out I can still memorise bass lines even if I have them in notation - weird eh! Edit: Don't do it if you don't want to... but don't kid yourself that its too hard or time consuming for you.[/quote] Unfortunately (for those listening to me), I don't get 15 mins a day to regularly practice. I doubt picking up the basics is difficult, especially for a genius like me, but to actually site read, I'd assume it takes some real graft? And no, I don't know where the notes are on the fretboard either!

[quote name='maxrossell' post='476769' date='May 1 2009, 10:23 AM']Similarly, I reckon if I went through your record collecton I'd discover that more than half your favourite musos are more or less competent at reading classical notation.[/quote] I'm not so sure - I tend to lean towards pub rock! Don't get me wrong, being able to read is hugely impressive as a skill, but it doesn't make you a great musician. The argument that makes me laugh is when "pros" use the "I site read for a local production of "Rent", and I would never have got the gig if I couldn't read". As if we're all insanely jealous of you playing the Embassy Theatre in Skegness! Lot's off us I'm sure have no desire to play the gigs that you site-readers have access to. I rather stick pins in my eyes than dep for the local jazz quartet. I should add that there is nothing wrong with playing provincial theatres, it's just not for everyone.

[quote name='maxrossell' post='476754' date='May 1 2009, 10:13 AM']I don't think anyone (in their right mind) would somehow suggest that knowing how to read music is somehow a [i]hindrance[/i] - I really don't see how learning more about music theory could make you a less good player.[/quote] Whoops!

If you site readers actually churned out some decent music I'd be more convinced. As it stands, you churn out such tosh that I prefer those who just wing it. Learning to read is a big time investment. Maybe you're better off using that time just playing and developing your own groove? When you learn to read, you run the risk of turning into one of those pricks who describes a certain peice of music as "clever". If I want clever, I'll read a book (or take Vorders up t'other). Unpopular as this view may be, I believe that learning to read increases your propensity to listen to and play rubbish chin scratching music. You seem to start liking songs because they are technically clever, and not becuase they sound good. On the flip side, I'm immensely impressed by people who can read. It's quite a feat. As long as you don't inflict your "Berklee Grad" style music on me I won't cut your face off. Peace in the Middle-East.

[quote name='4000' post='476595' date='May 1 2009, 12:54 AM']Yup. Happens with every niche band who outgrows the niche. "Oh they sold out", yadda yadda yadda. Same with the Chilis and a billion others. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn. Threads like this are funny. I used to be like this when I was about 14. What do I hate now? Racism, bigotry, cruelty, war, etc etc. If you don't like a band don't listen to them. Simple as. Im sure they won't lose sleep over it, and neither should you.[/quote] But the Red Hot Halapeno Brothers are also rubbish, always have been. Nothing to do with selling out. Fortunately, racism, bigotry, cruelty and war don't effect me, but Green Day do. Occasionally I listen to the radio (only in the car - no CD player) and occassionally Green Day are played. This means I have to change radio station, which takes effort. Effort takes energy, gained through eating food. The way I see it, skateboarding tossers like Green Day owe me a small refund on my food bill each month. That's why I think they should probably be killed.

[quote name='Russ' post='476280' date='Apr 30 2009, 06:42 PM']They've got money, big houses and gold discs galore. What do they have to be pissed off about anymore?[/quote] Running out of mascara?

It's the "zany" faces that wind me up! At least the monkees had some good songs. In fact Michael Nesmith wrote one of my favourite songs, Different Drum. Quality.

[quote name='4000' post='476246' date='Apr 30 2009, 06:19 PM']Oh dear.... Why is it as soon as someone has real success they've sold out?[/quote] Nah, they've always been sh*t.

[quote name='YouMa' post='476244' date='Apr 30 2009, 06:18 PM']God awful plastic punk encouraging hoards of orrible kids to be "quirky" and "zany" f***in awful,i blame them for all that sh*te like busted.[/quote] I prefer Busted to Greenday. At least they know they're a joke.

'Course you do. They're rubbish. Grown men dressing like 14 year old skateboarders singing about "high-school". How very punk.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='475098' date='Apr 29 2009, 02:11 PM']Not sure I get what she is driving at. I struggle to see how you can explain chord [b]toens[/b] without understanding [b]teh[/b] scales they derive from and vice versa. Her [b]criticisma[/b] of [b]convetional[/b] classical training are credible as they really don't bother with chords but, if I am trying to explain chord tones, I relate it to a scale.[/quote] Looks like a bit of one-handed typing going on to me! I suspect a new Jazz CD and a box of Kleenex Mansize. You'll go blind Bilbo.

Now that's an interesting intro! A belated welcome to you.

[quote name='12stringbassist' post='476194' date='Apr 30 2009, 05:11 PM']I had a Wal Pro1e years ago and sold it. Never had anything that sounded like it since. Wonderful setup but I found it impossible to get a dirty sound with it. Far too 'nice'. It had to go. [/quote] Was that Maradona on guitar?

Nope. Not for me. Bass gets tuned monthly.

[quote name='liamcapleton' post='476049' date='Apr 30 2009, 02:40 PM']He actually strikes me as incredibly arrogant anyway in interviews.[/quote] I'd hide his doughnuts.

It depends. There's crap and there's crap. The OP admits he is "gear maniac" who spends hours listening to the nuances of sound. A below par sound will scream out to him much more than it will to a pissed punter on a saturday night. If his band truly sound that terrible (to him and the ears of the public), then yeah, sort it out. It's the constant knob twiddling that pisses me off! You're doing it to please yourself and no one else. I played a gig last saturday at the 12bar club on Denmark Street (a few guys on here have also played it). Showed up with just my bass as I always do, quick soundcheck (which is mostly pointless) and we're good to go. Those who know the venue will know how tiny the stage is. Regardless, we still fit all 5 of us on there. The band before us, also a 5 peice, fit 3 of their members on stage. The reason? Both the guitarist and bass player have about 15 footpedals each in huge flight cases. Someone suggested perhaps they could play without them, which they were dead against. Instead, you've got 3 people on stage, 2 people standing with the crowd. Was the bass tone any different to mine? Not once it had gone through the sh*tty house PA. Likewise, played the Bull and Gate last year, didn't get a sound check because the band before us took so long trying to get "their sound". Cheers lads. I hope the 8 people watching noticed the difference. God, I'm bitter.