Doddy

I don't think you can put a time limit on it. How much you practice? What you practice? What you define as 'really good'? What you want out of the instrument? Like I said, I'm always aiming higher and practising to trying to get to the next level.

I've been playing for just over 13 years-started when I was 15-and Pro for 10. I haven't got any videos online...I don't think anyway. I haven't put any up.

I don't know why I picked the bass,but I very quickly knew that it was what I wanted to do with my life. I used to practice seriously all the time-upto 8 hours a day,sometimes more. It's paying off now-I'm a Professional player. Even though I'm a busy working player doing some decent gigs,I still practise regularly and try to improve.

I believe that he's popping the upper octaves. Pete?

To Ou7shined....So when you bought a new 'better' instrument,you became more inspired to improve your technique,so you have to practice to improve. The instrument gave you the inspiration to improve,which i said can happen in an earlier post. To Gremlin Andy...... You say that you SPECIFICALLY ruled out my argument,but then go on to say that "given the *SAME* player, that player is UNDESPUTEDLY served better by a better instrument". This is where my argument lies.I don't think it is undisputed. The player may not necessarily be better served on a better instrument. Would Jaco have been a better player on a 'boutique' bass than on a stock Fender? No..He'd still play like Jaco. Once again,I like and own 'Boutique' basses,but I will maintain that ultimately the player is more important than the instrument.

I don't find the floating thumb technique comfortable,and tend to use a 'movable anchor' where my thumb is anchored on either the pickup or strings,depending on where i'm playing. The only time I'm not anchored is if I'm using my thumb and fingers to pluck,which I usually do for fast triplet runs and occasionally for octaves.

[quote name='GremlinAndy' post='598748' date='Sep 14 2009, 09:50 PM']You seem to be saying that a person of *any* ability will sound *exactly* the same regardless of the bass they use. No-one is trying to claim that a bad player will suddenly sound better than a good player if they have the right bass. (That's just a daft misrepresentation of the discussion) But it is most certainly true that a better bass will make the same player better able to use the techniques and expression you mention. Unless you're suggesting that Stradivarius Violins are just a bad case of one-up-manship? Don't worry, I'm not really suggesting you're saying that, I'm just showing that misrepresenting a discussion isn't altogether constructive.[/quote] A Better Bass won't make the player 'better able to use the techniques and expression'. A better Instrument can give you the inspiration to play and practice,but it won't make you more able to express yourself.That comes from the person, not an inanimate piece of wood. To continue the Violin analogy, if you gave an average player a Stradavarius,the player would play it in the same way as they would on their own instrument,they may be more inspired,but that will be all. Give a Virtuoso an average instrument and they will still play better than an average player on a great instrument. I wasn't misrepresenting the discussion, I was refering to this quote.... "As your technique improves you reach a point where your playing allows you to go to the next level of instrument - because that instrument allows you to be more expressive. So again you gravitate to your desired point along the curve, this time governed by skill level rather than the thickness of your wallet. Although there is the school of thought that says that if you play instruments that are beyond your ability then it forces you to get better so as not to sound like a twat." Your Instrument has no bearing on your skill level whatsoever,and buying a nice instrument will not force you to improve your abilities. As I have said before, I own about 20 Basses,some cheap,some expensive, but I can play all of them comfortably. While the 'boutique' basses are undoubtedly better quality and more 'fun' to play ,if I wanted to I could do anything on the less expensive basses.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='598582' date='Sep 14 2009, 07:35 PM']Jam nights are a bit like swinging parties..... I've never been, I don't *really* know what goes on, but I'm slightly intrigued. I personally can't think of anything worse than going up on stage and playing something I don't know and haven't practiced. Is that what you are supposed to do? Sounds terrifying!! Please explain [/quote] It appears to me that lately, 'Jam Nights' are becoming a place for acoustic guitar playing singers to get up and sing their 'original' songs,solo. Very little Jamming actually goes on. As far as getting on stage and playing something you don't know...I've done it many times,only on actual gigs

I've not tried the GBE series but I use a Neo Pak and Love it. If I was after a heavy,powerful head,the GBE would be the first one I'd try.

There's an EMMA DiscumBOBulator in the for sale section. I'd buy that. It's my favourite Envelope filter.

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='596271' date='Sep 12 2009, 02:44 AM']Lastly, I think we'd all love to have a perfect sounding bass but something I've noticed is (and this excludes vintage priced basses) as the value increases the craftsmanship and sound quality of a bass increases too but as the clarity of sound is achieved the less you can get away with regarding sloppy technique. As your technique improves you reach a point where your playing allows you to go to the next level of instrument - because that instrument allows you to be more expressive. So again you gravitate to your desired point along the curve, this time governed by skill level rather than the thickness of your wallet. Although there is the school of thought that says that if you play instruments that are beyond your ability then it forces you to get better so as not to sound like a twat. Isn't there some sort of business idiom that states that when people get promoted they are always promoted to one position above their ability but one day you stop getting promoted - at which point everything is run by incompetents.[/quote] I have to disagree with you here. The instrument that you play has nothing to do with your ability or expression as a player. You can be playing blues badly in a grotty pub on a Fodera,does it mean you are a good player? No,it means you can afford a Fodera. If you are looking at the instrument to improve your playing,I'm sorry,but you have a warped view towards music. The technique,the expression,and most of all the music, comes firstly from the player.

With a good teacher you will progress quicker as a player than going it alone. But,you have to want it. There is nothing worse for a teacher, than a student who obviously doesn't want to be there,and doesn't listen to a word you say,week after week. Everyone talks about bad teachers,but few mention bad students. It really is a two way street. Some people have a kind of reverse snobbery about lessons-they feel superior because they are self taught.These people often have some deficiencies in their playing that could be helped with a few lessons. The funny thing is that many of the best players have no ego and will still seek out a great teacher to continue to improve their playing. And contrary to popular belief,by taking lessons you will NOT sound like your teacher.

[quote name='iamapirate' post='596859' date='Sep 12 2009, 09:51 PM']Whenever I have to learn something i either get given a) a chord chart or a CD a few days before the gig. But i don't play with orchestras or anything like that and if I ever do functions and get given a list of songs to learn, I spotify them and learn from that (and usually make a chord chart). it just seems more natural to work out what they're playing, and then to go ahead and just plain copy it But obviously, there sometimes scenarios where you're given sheet music the evening before a matinee performance [/quote] There are also times where I have been given the music minutes before a performance. It's not always an option to listen to the songs ahead of times and learn them-of course if you do that there are other variables such as did everyone learn the same version?,In the same key? How are we ending? etc. If you have the dots,you know exactly how everything goes,because it tells you. That's why a player who can read and groove will always get work. As far as learning to read,whilst going it alone with a book is great for learning the basics,as with everything else it is better to get some instruction from someone who will be able to tell you if you are correct-especially when things become trickier.

I think it's about time I posted a pic of my pedal board The pedals are..... Aphex Punch Factory compressor , Aphex Bass Exciter Guyatone PS3 Phase shifter , DOD Ice Box Chorus Boss Flanger , Boss Line Selector Dunlop Cry Baby Bass , EBS Octabass EHX Bass Big Muff , EHX Micro Q Tron Emma DiscumBOBulator , Emma ReezaFRATzitz Boss RC20-XL , Ernie Ball Volume Pedal Korg DT-10 Tuner

I love my Genz Benz Neo-Pak head (predecessor to the shuttle). I found it to be more hi-fi sounding than the Mark Bass LMII. It's worth checking out the Genz Benz,it may be just what you are after

The Authorized Bootleg is good because it's a live album, Robben Ford and the Blue Line is good too. Eric Johnson's Venus Isle is worth checking out as well.

Anything by Robben Ford and the Blue Line,Dixie Chicks Live,Leonard Cohen Live,G3 with Eric Johnson. I believe he's got a solo album out too. Roscoe Beck is a Monster Player

[quote name='iamapirate' post='595956' date='Sep 11 2009, 07:03 PM']hah, well he is. He's playing at grade 8 level, practical and at least grade 5 theory, not sure. he just doesn't have perfect pitch.[/quote] To be honest if he's got grade 5 theory and grade 8 practical he should be able to hear roughly what key he's in. I haven't got any grades or perfect pitch but can hear the key quickly without searching for notes.

Peart could never swing-listen to his weak attempts on the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert...it's shockingly rigid. And I am a fan of Rush. Sorry to derail the thread Pete.

I'd seriously get a few lessons. Most guitar players who switch to bass play bass like a guitar player,with incorrect technique and most of all,with the wrong mind-set.They tend to not think as a support/groove instrument and more as a root/riff chugger. Don't look at it as a simpler version of the guitar, treat it as a unique instrument with it's own idiosyncracies. You will get more out of it that way. I know it's a generalisation,but I've seen it many times.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='595867' date='Sep 11 2009, 05:27 PM']Well, I'm a proper Rush anorak, but since he got lessons from Freddie Gruber, he's completely lost the ability to groove. IMO. Shame.[/quote] Peart's technique got slightly better after lessons with Gruber,but he was always a very stiff player anyway. For me, he was always much to analytical-every note perfect with nothing ever left to chance.

I've played with guys that have gotten bored and started playing broken triplet patterns over something like brown eyed girl-that really grinds my gears.

You won't get the tone or volume from an acoustic bass guitar that you will from an upright. You need a large body to project the low frequencies,hence the size of an upright. An acoustic bass guitar will struggle to be heard over an acoustic guitar. The only Acoustic Bass guitar I've heard that had any decent volume was the Taylor,and even then it was struggling against an acoustic guitar.

[quote name='3V17C' post='595734' date='Sep 11 2009, 02:59 PM']I also think that in certain professional situations you'll not be taken as seriously if you turn up with cheap and cheerful gear, regardless of what you can do with it.[/quote] Maybe in a snobby band situation,but I did a show fairly recently where I split the Bass chair with Paul Westwood,who is arguably one of the UK's most successful session players,and he was using a 5 string Hohner Steinberger copy-and played and sounded great.