Doddy

A few guys who I'm digging lately who don't get mentioned on here..... Mike Gordon-Phish.I love this band...the interplay between all the members during the jams is great,and Mike's bass is a big part of this. Leonard 'Hub' Hubbard-The Roots...Sits back with some sparse grooving lines and then slips in some hip fill when you don't expect it. Raphael Saadiq-Tony,Toni,Tone...He's got that laid back vibe that sounds like it influenced Pino's work with D'angelo. Miroslav Vitous-Weather Report,Chick Corea and more...Great Upright player. Melvin Davis-Lee Ritenour,Chaka Kahn and more...Tons of groove and chops too. Gerald Veasley-Joe Zawinul,Grover Washington and more...Tasty soloist and grooving bass player.

Check out the Ashdown MiBass,either the separate head and cabs,or the combos. They're great-plenty of power,really good sound and small. You could easily gig with the miBass 550 head and the 10" cab.

I really like Robert Sledge's distorted sound with Ben Folds Five. Rhonda Smith had a cool distortion sound with Prince that she used sparingly. Bryan Beller has a nice two stage overdrive/distortion tone.

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1348604784' post='1815967'] My local Smiths don't stock it anymore. The latest issue has a Marcus interview, but I'm not too bothered. Far too many adverts has messed it up. [/quote] There's no Marcus interview in the latest issue of Bass Player . He's not been featured for a while. In fairness,the October issue is the best for a ages (I think)...except for the glaring spelling error on the cover . Bryan Beller,Juan Alderete,Rob Wasserman,Keith Roscoe-good stuff.

As far as I'm aware it's not for sale [i]yet[/i],despite being advertised...I think Ashdown are still waiting on delivery from wherever they are made. It sounds like it's going to be a cool pedal...I'm going to try to get hold of one when they are finally released (along with the Pino Octave pedal).

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1348594922' post='1815762'] Sorry, poorly phrased, I meant the advice is pretty much bollocks, its an overused used stock answer to those seeking some improvement in their playing and writing. A good tutor needs to identify the student's issues and remedy them with intelligently targeted exercises, not a very large theoretical undertaking. [/quote] Ok. I feel the same way about all the 'just play what you feel' type answers. Your right about a good tutor...but as we're not actually in a proper lesson situation,my advise to study chord tones isn't(in the grand scheme of things) a massive theoretical undertaking,and will actually help the OP to understand how they can use notes other than the root and fifth.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1348588513' post='1815616'] The problem is, a relative beginner posts a question like this, and are often told, learn scales, learn intervals, learn the modes, learn theory, learn to read .. It's bollocks really, because it's idealistic and completely unrealistic. This sort of advice takes a lifetime and it usually makes people feel very inadequate, and may put them off learning much at all. Easy steps. Sure, if he wants to be Jimmy Haslip, by all means go to school, but for most of us that's not the way it is. No amount of theory will help someone be musical if they are not constantly LISTENING and educating their ears. That's pretty much my angle anyway. [/quote] No one's arguing about listening and educating your ears...But why is the rest bollocks and unrealistic? It's certainly not unrealistic due to the amount of people over the years who have learnt and are still learning all of this stuff.Of course it takes years to study,but what is the problem with that? Again,there are tons of musicians who are still studying even though they have had long careers in music. No one said that you can or should learn this overnight,it's a long steady process. If people feel inadequate or put off by suggestions of what to learn,then that's down to the individual.The way that I've always approached it,is that it's all just part of the learning process.

I think that learning chord tones will help more than noodling around with scales. Learn the intervals that make up the chord and what the notes are.That will then give you a solid grounding that will allow you to experiment further,by adding scale and passing tones,but while still being able to retain the basic harmony.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1348522663' post='1814862'] You are approaching it from a chart reading sessionista's point of view though mate. (edit) It really is all about educating your ears and playing what you LIKE hearing. You have to develop your musical imagination. Of course a session player needs to be able to play almost anything, but I don't think that's where the OP is coming from. [/quote] ...and the problem of approaching it from that angle is? I actually do more gigs where I don't read charts and it still all helps. You're right about educating your ears(that's never been an argument),but it's not always about playing what [i]you[/i] like. The OP may or may not have been coming from that angle,but it's a perspective that no one else had suggested until that point... and to be honest,saying that "No amount of theory will help you",is doing people a disservice,especially when you later reference Steve Vai,who knows a ridiculous amount. [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1348566487' post='1815168'] Who honestly, when they are playing, thinks "I'm going to play an 11th or 6th now". It just flows on what you know sounds right falling off that fretboard. It should be intuitive because music is an expression of yourself, an art, not numbers, dots and squiggles. [/quote] That is why you study and practice...so that when you play you don't think "I'm going to play this note or that note".You do all that in the practice room. But the idea is that it becomes ingrained and it comes out subconsciously. The notion that music is an "expression of yourself" isn't always the case.There are a lot of gig situations where you may not be required to 'express yourself' and it is your job to simply highlight the changes or read the charts or whatever. In these cases you better know what notes make up what chords.That doesn't mean that you don't use your ears,but it does mean that you sometimes need more. [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1348566688' post='1815173'] OK, but even if I did learn all the scales and modes I doubt I would be in the position to busk jazz tunes by guessing the changes. Would I? [/quote] I'd say this is more about learning changes and harmony and keeping your ears open than scales and modes. There are a lot of jazz tunes that follow similar changes to each other,in the same way as pop music does.If you know most of the common changes and can hear when they are being played it makes life a lot easier to busk on a jazz gig.Then it's just a matter of keeping your ears open for anything that may be unfamiliar. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348567381' post='1815186'] But to extend the language metaphor further, it's only useful if everyone you work with speaks the same language. [/quote] I disagree. I've done countless gigs with people who don't know theory and just play/write,but it doesn't mean that my knowledge hasn't been useful to either myself or others.

How do you play ghost notes when you play fingerstyle? I don't want to make it sound too simple or condescending,but it's really just a matter of lifting off the note slightly with your left hand and hitting the string. Try fretting a note,(say A on the E string) and play steady crotchets.Then gradually start to lighten the pressure on the note,but still keep in contact with the string.You should find that the note becomes muted. Then it just becomes a matter of being able to do it readily and easily.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1348516369' post='1814718'] The only way to do this is to educate, and use, your ears. No amount of theory will help you. [/quote] Yes and no. Using your ears to identify intervals and chords is vital,but you will also gain a hell of a lot more if you combine it with the theory. It's not an either/or thing. If someone hands you a basic chord chart,or even just tells you the chords,then knowing what notes spell out a C7 chord is going to make life a lot easier. Lojo mentioned playing a jazz gig and trying out lots of notes and then not playing the ones that didn't work next time. This kind of trial and error approach,for me,is why you practice and study.It's fine to experiment with different things at times,as long as you know that you can fall back on the chord tones. Of course you need to be able to hear what notes are clashing and adjust, but often by the time you hear that what you played was wrong,it's too late-do this enough times and you don't get rehired. A good solid grounding in chord tones can and will make a big difference to your playing,and not in the negative way that some people seem to imply.

[quote name='2elliot' timestamp='1348430213' post='1813581'] Thank you. Is it a CT? it looks fantastic. [/quote] No...it's his custom Pachyderm bass made by Dan Maloney,that he recently sold on eBay for over $50k.

[quote name='tonyf' timestamp='1348428638' post='1813550'] Trust me, no ball ache at all. It takes a couple of seconds, I simply reach behind, grab the buckle and slide down or up to shorten or lengthen it. Job done. As stated though, it's probably only the design and construction of the Comfort Strapp that allows me to do that. [url="http://comfortstrapp.com/"]http://comfortstrapp.com/[/url] T [/quote] I use Comfort Strapp too,but I still think it'll be a ball ache on most gigs.Also,to be honest,I don't see the point. I can see the point of having a lower strung bass on a rock gig or whatever,but changing strap length multiple times in a set seems rather excessive to me.

[quote name='pobrien_ie' timestamp='1343054999' post='1744394'] I've read before that the reason Jamerson did it was to keep his sound consistent, but it's can be difficult for rock songs. I'm just struggling to see how it's a practice thing if I just can't get the sound [/quote] Jamerson used one finger,mainly because he came from an Upright background,where using one finger is more of a tradition. I'd say it's a practice issue...it may mean that one finger isn't quite as strong as the other,which is very common,or it could be because you favour a certain finger and thus it develops a harder callous,which is also common. If you spend time concentrating on alternating you can even this out to a certain degree. [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1343166592' post='1746585'] I have a really wrong picking technique. I alternate between my index and ring fingers. Then sometimes I use my middle finger....... .......I doubt anyone else does it (although I've been told Percy Jones does) [/quote] Bryan Beller does it for the most part too.

[quote name='2elliot' timestamp='1348409373' post='1813235'] What's the skinny on the 'Cool Bass' ? [/quote] It's Les Claypool's (well...it was). That's what makes it cool (but not as cool as his Carl Thompsons). I think that most Singlecut basses look really cool,but think that pointy basses,like a lot of BC Rich and ESP's,look terrible. I think that Stuart Zender's old airbrushed Warwick Streamer looked awesome,but TM Stevens looks awful. I like the look of a lot of Ibanez basses,but they ruin loads of them (mostly the signature models) by putting on stupid graphics and/or inlays (The K5 is ruined by that daft inlay,otherwise it's really nice). As far as Fenders go,generally I like them but the finish makes a huge difference with regards to their coolness.

[quote name='tonyf' timestamp='1348336624' post='1812563'] It's probably something I'll live to regret admitting but I tend to change my strap height several times during a set. I've got Comfort Strapps on my basses which allow me to easily and quickly alter the height. [/quote] Wow..that seems like too much of a ball ache to me.Also,often there isn't enough time to do stuff like that on most of my gigs.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1348420832' post='1813427'] And if a boy band were auditioning for a bass player... assuming similar "musical experience" and ability, who do you suppose would be more likely to get the gig? You, at 19 years... or me, at 57? That's showbiz [/quote] Very true, I was once talking to a player who has got a pretty high profile right now,and he was telling me about when he was MD for a tour and the management said that he couldn't audition anyone over 25,and referred to him as the 'old man' despite only being 30/31.

My first thought is 'so what?'. If you have the right attitude and your playing is up to scratch then you shouldn't have any problems. When I was younger I had people pull their faces at gigs at first,but they soon change their attitude when they find out that you can handle the gig.Likewise,in shops most guys will be cool with you if you talk to them and show that you know what yo are talking about and are friendly....and keep your ego in check. Just out of interest,who did you play with at the Albert Hall?

For playing bass,Powerballs,Gripmasters and the like are not going to help. You don't need strong hands or wrists to play bass. For every minute you spend playing with one of them is a minute that would be better spent playing your instrument,which would be more beneficial to your playing.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1348355200' post='1812774'] I don't know much about Ibanezes but BTBs are 35" five or six string aren't they? [/quote] They made 4 string versions too..I don't think they do anymore though. I've got a BTB 6 string and I've wound the E string both by trimming it down and the way you describe and I have never had a problem.It shouldn't break the machinehead. Maybe there was already a problem when it was bought?

[quote name='Leen2112' timestamp='1348336051' post='1812542'] he does a solo and has a whammy bar.......the only other guy i know of who has one is Les Claypool (primus) proper mental! [/quote] Victor Wooten uses one on his main Fodera Monarch and Dave LaRue used to use one on his Spector.

I'd agree with you if I had more inclination

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1348250099' post='1811505'] I also think that many bass players revel in being the down trodden forgotten man who stands at the back. They like to moan about their lot while blaming others for putting them down. I've no respect for that either. [/quote] Very true. I've never been the kind of player that does that.Even if you are playing simply it doesn't mean you can't/shouldn't be as much of a personality of the rest of the band.It's the same with the actual playing-you can still be a busy,upfront player while still fulfilling the 'traditional' role of the bass player. Like I said earlier the the thought of the bassist being an 'unsung hero' or whatever is all too often bought on by the players themselves.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1348274766' post='1811898'] The Billy Sheehan approach? [/quote] Kind of,but with slightly more variation depending on the bass. For me it's all about comfort and facility. If it's too low it puts my left wrist at an sharper,more uncomfortable angle and makes it more difficult to play in the higher register. Likewise,if it's too high I have to bend my right wrist at a sharper angle and I find the lower positions to be too much of a reach,which again puts my hand in an uncomfortable position. Keeping it at around sitting position means I have easy access to the entire range of the instrument and a comfortable right hand position.

I'm not going to post clips,because I'll be here all night,but........ I'm a big fan of Dave Weckl...after I saw him with Mike Stern,I can honestly say that he is possibly the best drummer I've heard. Of course I dig Steve Gadd too. But then there are guys like Jeff Hamilton,Gregg Bissonette,Jojo Mayer, Tommy Igoe,Vinnie Colaiute (of course),Billy Cobham,Akira Jimbo,Stanton Moore...I could go on and on. I also still love listening to guys like Buddy Rich,Gene Krupa,Joe Morello,Louis Bellson and 'Philly' Joe Jones.