Doddy

Another Pro here. *waves* Some of the things that I have found to be important for my career are......... -Good reading skills........for theatre work,sessions,big bands or bands with a large pad. -A quick ear..............to be able to learn songs on the fly,either in a studio or on a gig. -Decent knowledge of theory.........don't want to play a major 7 over a dominant chord. -Stylistic Diversity.........Rock,Pop,Jazz,Country,Funk,Big band etc - Versatility..........MD-"Can you play more/less notes?" Me-"No Problem". Transposing a tune,changing the groove etc. -Good technique.......No point being able to read a hard chart if my hands can't play it. -Doubling on Electric and Upright........doubled my work load. These are just some of the skills that have really helped me with being a Professional musician. Of course there are other, non musical things,like Personality,Image,Attitude,Having a Reliable car -I could go on.

I bought a 2005 MIM Precision for under £200 a couple of months ago.

Spectaflex are the best cables I've used. Great quality,really durable,and look cool too.

You're better off learning theory from a pianist-they usually have more understanding than the majority of bass and guitar players. There is really nothing bass specific to look out for-the theory will be the same,the difference is more about how you will apply it on you instrument.

I play both-my work is currently split about 50/50 between the two. I've also started to get into playing synth bass. I'd class the Ashbory more as a bass guitar than an upright-and yes I do own one.

Carol Kaye Joe Osbourne Mike Gordon from Phish Carles Benevante Anthony Jackson

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='507961' date='Jun 8 2009, 09:14 AM']There's another really good DVD out there, called The Slap Bass Program by Alex somebody.[/quote] .........Alexis Sklarevski. It sounds to me like you are striking the string over a harmonic 'node' point similar to a tapped harmonic. It's hard to explain with out demonstrating,but you need to hit the string hard enough so that it hits the upper fret. I find that hitting the string too lightly results in a harmonic-this is especially noticeable on the higher strings. I disagree with the notion that it is about the speed of the thumb and not the force,as it is possible to hit the string fast and light and result in a flurry of tapped harmonics-there has to be enough force to to prevent this,although not too hard. Your thumb should naturally rebound of the string. I also wouldn't advise practising by slapping your left hand finger- every 10 minutes you spend doing this,is 10 minutes you could have spent on the bass. I don't mean to disagree with 51m0n,but these are a few things which I find work better for me. No offence meant

I would suggest that you first need to become comfortable with playing arpeggios. For example,loop the changes to a tune like 'Autumn Leaves',and then over the top play the arpeggios( I,III,V,VII ) in quarter notes.If you need to work out the notes to play, stop the loop and practice out of time. When you feel happy with this,do the same but invert the arpeggios (III,V,VII,I -V,VII,I,III- VII,I,III,V). By doing this you will begin to sound more melodic as you are not highlighting the root note on every chord. As other posters have said,being able to play what sing is great practice and vital for coming up with melodic ideas,but it will become a whole lot easier to do this if you become familiar with the notes that are 'inside' the chords. Also,don't be afraid of practising soloing in a more analytical way. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to deconstruct a chord chart,or learn a melody, when you are are in the practise room,and you will retain the more information which you will be able to use on a gig or jam session. This is only a starting point for improving soloing,but I find that it is a good place to start.

I think you'd be better off fitting a new socket to be honest

I really like the EMMA ReezaFRATzitz. It can do everything from smooth overdrive to total filth and doesn't lose low end. The Bass Big Muff is nice too.

Bass guitar was my first instrument,with double bass following a couple of years later. I have no idea why I chose it,but it was a good choice. I have done a few gigs on guitar but in general I don't feel any connection with the instrument-the tone and the feel just doesn't do it for me. I've also played a couple of sessions on 5 string Banjo,and have a massive love for the drums(although I rarely play anymore),but for me playing the Bass is where I'm comfortable.

If you have trouble with using one finger per fret in the lower positions,I'd suggest using a more double bass-like fingering of 1,2,4 over 3 frets. Sure you can practice stretching exercises,but you can also risk damaging your hand. I generally use one finger per fret from about the 5th fret upwards-I can do it,no problem,on the lower frets but find it more comfortable to use 1,2,4. Back to the opening post-I can name every note on the board easily due to years of practice and doing reading gigs,but it is now at the point where I don't have to think about it. Therefor,I can play scales and patterns in two or three different positions,depending on my position on the neck. Once you learn the neck completely it opens up a whole new world for your playing

Must...........not.................bid..................!!!!!!! I love Roscoe basses,and would by this in a second-if I could afford

[quote name='Duckyincarnate' post='497929' date='May 26 2009, 12:45 PM']I think getting lessons is the quickest way to get to the 'most DB-like' sound. I am happy with how my Ergo sounds but when my teacher plays it it sounds a lot more like a double bass. I will profess my ignorance on Clifton EUBs but I seriously doubt that an instrument with a shorter scale length than your NS is going to take you any closer to the sound of an acoustic double bass.[/quote] Even with lessons on Electric Upright you won't get an upright sound on a more 'electric' sounding instrument-you will,at best,(i think) sound like a big fretless. The Clifton basses,for me,have a quality similar to an acoustic-especially the full size model,which I use. The mini doesn't sound exactly the same, but I still think that it is a lot more upright sounding than basses like the NS.

[quote name='iamapirate' post='493375' date='May 20 2009, 03:52 PM']teehehee, quote from my bass teacher (Mark Prentice) after a lesson on walking bass lines: 'so really it's just mucking around with the major pentatonic and throwing in a few notes that don't quite sound right to add to the groove' legend...[/quote] If your teacher is not joking,run and find someone else to teach you.......quickly. I think to start understanding walking lines you need to have a good solid knowledge of arpeggios first(major,minor,7,dim,aug etc). After that you should start to add notes from the relative scales,which will begin to allow you to walk more smoothly from one chord to another. A solid knowledge of the fingerboard is also essential. Obviously this barely scratches the surface on walking bass-but I find it's a good place to begin. Also,its worth checking out the books Building/Expanding walking bass lines by Ed Friedland,and listen to some of the great players such as Paul Chambers,Ray Brown,Oscar Pettiford and Ron Carter.

I use the full size model as its easier for me to switch between that and the acoustic. The mini is a great instrument too and is (I think) probably easier to play if you are not used to an acoustic. Paul

I know I always say it,but check out the Clifton EUB. I've been using mine for a a few years now and it can sound very similar to my actual upright. They also feel more like an acoustic than the NS so you may need to change your technique slightly to compensate. I love Mo Cliftons EUB's and wouldn't consider anything else.

Sad to hear that Wayman Tisdale died from cancer on Friday. Great Bass player and Basketball legend.

I don't understand the comments about Wooten lacking soul either. Unfortunately,too many people only see the fancy slap chops- which lets be honest,are awesome. If you look beyond that,you will hear a lot of musicality in his playing. OK,a couple of his solo albums are patchy but there are some great melodies there-just watch his performance on the Drummers Collective anniversary DVD. His work with the Flecktones is also full of melodic and rhythmic brilliance. Also check out his playing with guys like Mike Stern and Chick Corea,or even India Arie-no way is he a one trick pony.

Yeah it is more pronounced than static finger placement,but in a noisy gig situation the difference will be pretty unnoticable on a fretted instrument.

I don't have a problem with alternate picking,however I do sometimes prefer to play straight 8th notes with one finger. Having said that,I also like adding my thumb to my two fingers for some triplet passages or wide string crossing(especially on the 6 string). Get the alternate picking sorted for the exam,but do what you see fit-and sounds the best- when you're playing a gig.

I don't think that Guy Pratt explained how to apply vibrato very well in his column. I always think about using vibrato in three ways.......... 1...Classical style-where you pivot your finger from side to side similar to a violinist. It's pretty useless on a fretted bass, but adds nice texture to fretless. 2...Blues style-where you bend the string up and down laterally similar to a guitarist. I prefer this on a fretted bass as it would harm the 'board on a fretless. 3...Funk style-where you move your finger quickly between the target note and the next fret. I think this is the hardest to pull off,but it sounds great in context.

The LMll and the Shuttle are both seriously good amps,but personally I prefer the Genz Benz. I found it to be a little more hi-fi sounding than the Mark Bass.

Ray Brown is just beautiful to listen to. I think that Christian McBride is kind of a modern version of Brown-all the chops and with a funk influence aswell. You should all go and listen to Scott LaFaro too. His work with Bill Evans is awesome.

I think it's a matter of finding a good balance between taking lessons and self-teaching. You will learn more and progress faster with a teacher,but you then have to take what you are being taught and learn to apply and expand it -so you are learning something formally and then teaching yourself when and how to use it,and even take it further. Sometimes a few lessons are needed to give you a kick up the arse to start practising more again-which is the reason that I've taken a couple of lessons off Bryan Beller and Janek Gwizdala over the last few years. .......And no,you won't start to sound like your teacher. If you do it's usually because of a bad teacher who just teaches licks,and a lazy student who never goes beyond these licks.