Doddy

You should totally check out the great jazz soloist-not just bass players-but if you do not understand the basis of what they are doing then it really doesn't help too much in the initial learning phase. Granted, it will give you inspiration and ideas,but you need to understand the basics so that you can then execute your ideas. That's why I suggest getting a solid grounding in arpeggios first.When you are confident with this you can then move on to more scale based exercises. Learning and singing melodies will help too,but arpeggios,I think,are the basic building blocks of solo improvisation.

I don't think you can get it over here yet. I'm guessing that you will have to import it from the US. It looks like a great DVD,(Feraud,Erskine,Gouche,Gwizdala),but it's a bit too expensive to get a copy from the States. Shame,I so want it.

I'd start by learning the arpeggios and then playing them through the changes. When you are comfortable with this, try again starting on the 3rd,the 5th and the 7th. This isn't really a melodic way of soloing,but it will give you a good,solid place to start from.

[quote name='Hot Tub' post='589255' date='Sep 3 2009, 11:25 PM']*Feeling:- Alien concept to anyone who listens to (or plays) jazz, or anything written after 1976, [/quote] What????????

I've seen that Ritter before...it was in Bass Player a while back. It's a beautiful instrument...just a bit over the top.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='589057' date='Sep 3 2009, 08:13 PM']Behringer bass gear is crap.[/quote] + 3600

The Original post asked about if the BC Rich had that "Metallic,Metal Tone". While aesthetically the instruments might not be your Bag,tonally and playability any instrument can fit in any genre.Obviously the extreme pointy ones look better for metal but tonally they are as versatile as the player.

I had a bespeco for a bit but thought it sucked-it was nasty plastic and had no real sweep. I now use the Ernie Ball,which is great. The Visual volume is good too,as is the Boss one. The Morley 'Little Alligator' is nice but I didn't like the sweep of the pedal-it seemed to short for me. I'll always recommend the Ernie Ball though. It's sturdy,has a nice sweep,and has an independent tuner output. I've used it on every gig for the last 3 or 4 years.

If you are playing metal on it then yes,it's a metal bass. But, if you play country on one,it's a country bass. A Bass is not limited to any one style,it's the person who plays it that makes the difference. Bernard Edwards played a B.C. Rich.

That Flea DVD is sooooooo........bad. On Topic- My Favourite Bass is a between either my '91 Tobias 6, my Roscoe LG3500, or my newly bought Shuker Singlecut 5. Having said that,I keep coming back to my trusty Fender Jazz, which I find so easy and comfortable to play.

I really like the cover over the pick-up and have one on both of my Jazz Basses I anchor my thumb on it when playing fingerstyle,and my wrist when slapping.I find it helps me to play in a comfortable position. The only problem,for me,is that there are a couple of false harmonics which are awkward to hit with the cover on,but that's irrelavent 99% of the time anyway.

Mark's great to deal with-I bought my Genz Benz/Bergantino rig from him about 18 months ago. Top bloke selling top gear.

PM'd

I've never understood why some people have no desire to learn to read. If you want to become the best you can be on your instrument,then learning to read is the most effective way of improving. It improves your knowledge of the fingerboard and allows you to study a wealth of material that is unavailable to a non reader. From the moment I touched the Bass,I learned to associate the stave with the fingerboard-which to me seems like a logical approach. I now have students who can read to a basic level after only a few lessons by teaching this method of stave/board recognition.

Both mags have been a bit hit and miss lately,but I still think that Bass Player is a better Publication. I think that the stories and interviews are generally better and especially the lessons are better in BP...with the obvious exception of Janek's Column. I'll continue to buy both though.

Wasn't me I was playing a wedding in Cirencester

500 miles Rocking all over the world Sweet Caroline The One and Only Brown Eyed Girl Tiger Feet & more Take you pick....

I love Will Lee's sound. It's fat and punchy over the whole range and it sits in a track brilliantly. Oh.....Marcus has a killer sound too. .......and Ray Brown and Paul Chambers on Upright

[quote name='JTUK' post='577115' date='Aug 21 2009, 08:57 PM']Not arguing against reading gigs...done plenty of them, thanks. maybe you should read my post again if you think I am advocating reading as not required for a jobbing bassist/musician[/quote] I think it is required for a jobbing musician. I find that as a professional working player I would have lost a lot of work by not being able to read. If you have done plenty of reading gigs,you must realise that reading is required to be a working musician.......and I'm not talking about Pro Cover/Tribute band players,I'm refering to 'jobbing' musicians.

* Sits back and waits for the inevitable*

.......at least he's enjoying himself.

I read well enough to be given charts on a gig and play them......for money

A big part is who you work with,where and how often. It's really about how you can benefit the company,not the other way round. I've spoken to some companies who only want to know how many albums you have sold and the name of your tech,and others who are interested if you are a busy working player.It depends how large the company is.

[quote name='Musky' post='568859' date='Aug 14 2009, 11:52 AM']It's me, assuming Ken Dodd doesn't play bass! [/quote] No he doesn't...that's my job

[quote name='urb' post='559505' date='Aug 3 2009, 06:44 PM']I really dig their version of The Meters' Sissy Strut - fretless wobble a go go... [/quote] It was Tippy toes not Cissy strut.