Doddy

I'm not really up on the whole NVQ/NQF level thing, but I do teach Rockschool exams. Anyway this is taken from their website..... Level 3:qualifications in Level 3 include all A Level grades (A-F) and specially designated Level 3 qualifications such as Rockschool's Awards, Certificate and Diploma for Music Practitioners, and MusicEducators and grades 6, 7 and 8 for Guitar, Bass, Drums, Popular Piano and Vocals.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='804416' date='Apr 12 2010, 11:41 PM']It bothered me so much I got my upright de-fretted.[/quote] Yeah ok. That's the only thing that bothers me about Stanley Clarke's Upright playing. His action is so low that he gets quite a bit of noise from the string hitting the fingerboard- especially when he's in thumb position.

I love the sound of my Shuker,because it's very hi-fi sounding with a lot of flexability, whereas my Roscoe has a smoother sound and is less aggressive while still being very clear and 'modern'. My Jazz Basses sound like Jazzes-which is good. The Bergantino HS410 is the only cab I've heard that I just had to have,and the Genz Benz Neo-Pak was just the perfect match for the Roscoe and Bergantino. I'm really happy with my sound at the moment-It's clear and punchy over the whole range of the instrument,with a very slight mid boost to cut through a band. I always mic it up too. Having said that,lately I've been doing quite alot of recording by DI'ing my Flatwound strung Precision.

I don't mind a bit a fret buzz. Like you said,as long as it's not being amplified it's not a big problem-especially on a rock gig.It gives the note a bit of character when you dig in. However it really pisses me off when I'm playing Upright.

Throwing a slight spanner into the works.... I think that rather than looking for a fingering chart,it would be much more beneficial to you if you learn some chord theory. It will do you much more good if you know that,for example, a C major chord contains the notes C,E,G (or I,III,V if you want to look at it numerically),than just what the 'shape' is. If you know the notes you can arpeggiate them all over the fingerboard rather than being stuck in only one position.

I've got to agree with Bilbo. 'The Jazz Theory Book' is possibly the best book that I own-and I have a lot. It's just so full of information,and backs it all up with actual musical examples. Even though it is based in jazz,the information in the book is relevant to any style.

I've got a couple of EMO Systems DI's that I regularly use. They are really good-a lot of theatre's use them. They're also about £70.

I've been using a Cube 100 for a few years now,for both my electric and upright and it's been great. I really like the Roland combo's.

I generally have couple of cases. The main one has 3 instrument cables,2 XLR Cables, 3 patch cables,a Four-way,a long 2 way extension,Microphone,DI Box,Tuner,Volume pedal,pen,9 volt batteries,old strings,assorted picks,and occasionally manuscript paper. The other case has some more strings,another four-way,2 instrument cables,batteries, screwdrivers,allen keys,pen,small torch,pliers,spare strap,Mic,for amp,music stand light,in ear monitors. I always have 'old' strings as spare.I don't like it when you end up with 3 dead strings and one that's bright and new. On small local gigs,I can get away with just taking my main case,anything bigger I take both. I also generally carry an Auralex Great Gramma, Instrument stand,2 Mic Stand(one for vox,one for cab), music stand,and most importantly a big fan.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='802926' date='Apr 11 2010, 07:16 PM']I think my soundcheck is the shortest in the whole band. Is that good or bad? [/quote] I bet it's not. Mine basically consists of a two bar,two octave country-esque lick in G,and some quick walking down in the lowest register. If the sound guy has his act together,it literally takes seconds.

I'm not sure what that particular guy is using,but check this out...... [url="http://www.slapring.com/en/productinfo/slapring/index.php"]http://www.slapring.com/en/productinfo/slapring/index.php[/url]

I'm more interested in what constitutes a 'supergroup' these days. I've not heard of any of the guys or their other bands

I seem to remember reading a few years ago,that Fender had bought the design of Miller's strap. If it's true I'm surprised that they haven't released it as a Marcus signature strap. Edit I found this in the FAQ on Miller's website....... Where did you get that funky guitar strap? It's a rock and roll strap I picked up at one of the LA music shops because I was on the way to a gig and realized I didn't have one. Now I think Fender has a deal with the guy who makes them.

They are dead good. I had to read 'September' on a gig the other week.

[quote name='witterth' post='802084' date='Apr 10 2010, 08:14 PM']I thought you could pick the the tuning B,C orD?? or whatever Oh god.... tell me I'm right !!!??? I'm thinking,you tube, based on Micheal ...(fretless guy... oh whats his name again?) whole Gig based on "d" tuners.... btw,straplocks anyone? no? W[/quote] Michael Manring I assume. There is a screw at the back which you set so that as you flip the lever the peg tilts,adjusting the note. You can set the key to drop anywhere from an Eb down to a B comfortably.

Yeah you can drop them lower than D. Both Matt Garrison and Janek Gwizdala drop down to a low B

I just extend the fill slightly. It works because I do alot of jazz gigs so the rest of the band think I am doing some clever jazz sh*t and don't ask questions. The funny thing is,if I actually do know where I am,but try some rehamonising or chord invertions,that's usually when I get funny looks from guitar players.

I've occasionally used various coins,but very rarely. I find them a bit too 'scrathchy' sounding. I'd rather use my thumb in an up/down motion(not in a double thumb/slap way) to simulate a pick,if I don't have one. Although I always have some lying about just in case.

I got one years ago,and I think I ordered it from Mansons in Exeter. I fitted it myself,it's really easy to do. It must be easy if I could do it.

Primus did it kind of backwards by releasing 'Suck on This' as their debut and then doing studio versions later on-with the exception of 'Jellikit'. My favourite live recordings are probably anything by Phish. The whole jamming nature of the band makes every performance of a song really interesting and different,and it's great to hear songs that they never put on their studio albums.

Donny Hathaway's 'These Songs for You' is a great album,but check out the album 'Donny Hathaway Live'. It's a masterclass in groove from start to finish,culminating in one of the best Bass solos ever put on record,courtesy of Willie Weeks.

First of all,I think you can ignore the grade 6 thing. I do quite a few shows and don't have any grades at all. I'll be honest with you,if your reading isn't happening you are going to struggle with the gig. Let's say you did go and get a copy of the soundtrack and learnt it like you suggest. What will happen if the MD hands out a new copy of one of the tunes in a totally different key because it's too high for the singer? It's also not uncommon for a piece to have a couple of cuts in it. If you are basically playing it by memory alone,you will be lost if the band is asked to cut at bar 67,pick it up again at 114, play until 132,cut to 175, and vamp bars 184 to 188 until cue. Things like that happen all the time,so you need to know where you are and make notes accordingly. Sometimes they happen after a performance or two,when they need to cut some time, or make room for a dance or something.If that happens you need to mark it down and then play it straight away. You can't do it by remembering the CD version. Lessons to learn how to read are always a good idea,but don't expect to be able to sight read a complex pad in a few weeks.

[quote name='Jase' post='800474' date='Apr 9 2010, 02:53 AM']You don't get any artist page, posters or press with Artist/Trade deals, 40% off, that's your lot Which is great but don't get them confused...like me, I did it with Hartke..."Hartke Endorsed" "Endorsed by Hartke" It means absolutely nothing. Don't get me wrong I appreciated the discount prices and it was nice to be able to order something at a discount price, nice people too but that's as far as it goes.[/quote] Which is why I turned down the amp deal. If a company wants you to promote them,I don't think it's arrogant to ask for a mention and link on the artist page if their website. But as alot of these deals are actually with the distributors and not the actual company,this is unlikely to happen.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='800470' date='Apr 9 2010, 02:18 AM'][edit] you will find it a lot easier to play, saving energy in fast runs, which in the end it makes a hell of a lot of difference when you are playing a 12 songs set every night. So in conclusion whoever was the first person that invented the 5 strings bass didn't do it for the simple benefit of adding 4 lower notes but to make life easy for bass players who are having to deal with such a long neck facilitating a new approach to a wider range of notes within a shorter space. On a 4 string bass a 2 octave scale will have you chainging posision almost every 3 notes whereas you can do a whole 2 octave major scale on a 5 string bass with one position change only! Once I got that concept registered in my brain it has been difficult switching back to 4 strings and I know I am not alone as all other 5ers I know out there all share my same feelings.[/quote] 12 song sets???? Bloody Hell-you do short gigs. As far as the string being added to make life easier......You are half right. The first Fender 5 was made with the intention of playing across the 'board rather than along it,but it had a high C. The low B on an electric bass, was actually about reaching lower notes that were available on keyboards but not on a bass guitar. You can actually play a 2 octave scale on a 4 string with only one position shift-however you need a 5 fret stretch. It's still totally do-able though. Although I mostly using a 5 string lately,I still use a 4 for quite alot of things. I've never found it to be that big of a change, to be honest.