Doddy

Like I said earlier,you can still use a free stroke while having your thumb anchored if you want. If you are set on not using rest strokes and not using the floating thumb method,you can easily mute with the right hand by using your thumb and any remaining fingers,similar to the way that John Patitucci does. Assuming that you are playing a four string,when playing on the upper strings you can use your thumb on the string below the one you are playing, and your ring and/or little fingers on the low E string.This works even better,I find,on 5 and 6 string basses-I do it all the time.You can then use whatever stroke you want,or are comfortable with,while still muting with your right hand.

[quote name='clarket2' timestamp='1346003889' post='1784009'] You still get the muting with that moveable thumb technique as your thumb rests on the string below. It's literally a rest stroke but with the anchor moving more often in order to relax the hand. [/quote] But what you are talking about is thumb/anchoring position,not the actual finger stroke. You can still anchor your thumb and play free strokes as opposed to rest strokes...Gerald Veasley does this a lot when he plays quickly.Likewise,you can do the whole floating thumb thing (Todd Johnson style) and play rest strokes.

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1345929562' post='1783357'] I've always been suspicious of "virtuosos", does anyone actually [i]enjoy [/i]solo virtuoso bass and drum music? It seems to me most people are just impressed with the ability and technicallity. Whenever I see or hear comments on the playing of people like Wooten it's always "wow he's amazing, that double thumbing is so fast!" not "wow, that melody is so beautiful". [/quote] There are certainly people who enjoy this kind of music,that's why there is a market for it. The thing with someone like Wooten,is that his chops are obvious and all over Youtube,so it's easy to comment on.Yet,if people dig deeper,they will hear some really nice melodies,both in his solo work and with the Flecktones (tunes like 'Reminiscence' or Ari's Eyes' spring to mind). Plus no one talks about his groove playing on albums by people like India Arie and Keller Williams. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1345980623' post='1783715'] The more important test is not whether they can fill in the for the musicians on a performance level, but whether they can do the same on a creative level. The thing that made all these bands great wasn't the instrumental skill of the musicians but the fact they wrote some fantastic songs. [/quote] You are talking about two very different things here though. There are many great musicians (both famous and not) who don't write music for whatever reasons,but it does not diminish what they do in any way.Likewise there are people who would struggle to play a simple C chord,but can write great lyrics. Someone who writes a good song isn't necessarily superior to a great performer.

[quote name='wishface' timestamp='1345927104' post='1783333'] do you play fast? [/quote] Yes

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1341779061' post='1724110'] Next question is I seem to be having trouble playing an octave above say an g ( like a power chord with first and third fingers) on the e string or any lower than 3rd fret unless I have my bass up around my nipples. Now as an aspiring rock bassist this is obviously not a good look, but I do struggle at times with my short lady like fingers. Any advice greatly appreciated cheers. [/quote] First of all try playing the octaves with your first and forth finger rather than first and third-especially in the lower positions.It will put less strain on your hand. Also,make sure that you are not gripping the neck.Your thumb should be used as a pivot and not as a grip.You should be able to lift your thumb off the neck and still play. (I've been given sh*t in the past for saying this,but I can happily and easily demonstrate it). Check your bass height.It doesn't matter if you're a rock bassist or not,find a height where your wrists are not at extreme angles because this will cause tension and pain. Besides,Billy Sheehan wears his bass high. If your shoulder is hurting,try a different strap- something like the wide Levys leather strap or a Comfort Strapp can make a big difference. The bottom line is that if you are hurting you are doing something wrong. Maybe go for a couple of lessons to sort out your technique and posture.

Just out of interest,I use rest strokes nearly all the time when playing fingerstyle and I've never had a problem with speed.

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1345814823' post='1781908'] hi guys i've decided to start giving bass lessons to earn a bit of extra money was just wondering if any of the other teachers out there would mind offering a bit of advice on how to pick up students? [/quote] I just want to pick up on the first line. You say you want to teach to 'earn a bit of extra money'. Is that the main or sole reason you want to teach or do you actually want to pass on information and knowledge? I only ask because I know many people who have started teaching for that reason and frankly,they aren't good enough. There is a lot more to consider when teaching than just your financial gain. I'm not saying anything against you personally,because obviously I don't know you-but I just felt the need to ask.

First of all,what is your definition of a 'session player'? Personally I'd class it as a player who plays on recording sessions (think Will Lee or Nathan East,for example).I know some (quite a lot) of people who call themselves 'session players' because they play with 2 bands occasionally. As others have said,the recording scene is very tight-most of the guys who are doing the big sessions are the same who were doing it 10-15 years ago. Even on a more local level,the guys who own studios and produce their own material tend to use the same players time and again and any new players come via recommendations. If you do get asked,you have to be sure that you can handle the gig.If the artist gives you a chart can you play it down without any fuss? Maybe they will play you a rough demo and want you to play your own part? Can you do it quickly without wasting a lot of time and therefor money? A lot of times you won't know what you are going to be playing until you arrive at the studio,so you need to be confident that you can handle it. How is your tone?Maybe the tone you usually use isn't required or just doesn't sound good when recorded direct.Are you willing to change it or even pick up a totally different instrument and still be comfortable? What if your tone is good but there is a lot of unwanted fret noise? Are you willing to maybe raise your action slightly to get rid of it? Would you stick a set of flatwounds on your bass if it sounds better?Or detune? Is your technique clean enough that your notes aren't buzzing,and open strings aren't ringing? There may not be drums on the track yet,so are you comfortable playing to a click? Of course,you may not be thinking about studio sessions,and want to know more about being a freelance player,in which case there is a whole other set of things to know.

IGig every time for me. They're brilliant cases.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1333672997' post='1605250'] With some basses, open notes sound very different to fretted notes, and you have to be more careful with muting. i can't think of any more reasons at the mo [/quote] But ultimately,as long as you play the correct notes,no one gives a sh*t if you fret it or not. Muting shouldn't be a problem,and the tonal difference is secondary to the actual pitch in the vast majority of cases.

I find it interesting (but understandable)when comparisons are made with Hadrien Feraud. I will say that Hadrien has some of the finest technique anywhere,but I find his playing boring. I've never heard the 'fire' in his playing,just long streams of technique. This is why I'm a fan of Janeks-I like his music and he always gets into whatever he's playing-to me he's got an energy that players like Feraud seem to lack. It's no secret that I've had a bunch of lessons with Janek,and I wouldn't do that if I didn't dig what he did.To me,he is seriously one of the best players around right now.

Try to keep your thumb in the middle of the neck and opposite your middle finger and keep a nice even curl of you fingers and you should be ok. Personally though,I'd find that fingering a little uncomfortable in the lower positions(even though I can do it) and would prefer to either shift positions or just use the open string.

I was only checking these out on the website the other day...they look ace.

[quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1333635328' post='1604608'] I always say this when this topic comes up, but quite frankly, if I want to have a drink when I'm rehearsing or gigging, I will. I wouldn't take any crap off anyone telling I should do otherwise either (not that I ever have I hasten to add). [/quote] I suppose it depends on your situation....if you're in a hired situation and the MD asks you to not have a drink on the gig/rehearsal,then you do it-it's part of being professional. If you're playing in a band with your mates for a laugh then do what you want,but there are situations when it just wouldn't be appropriate.

The way I look at it is that rehearsals are for rehearsing and the pub/club afterwards is for drinking. Of course,I'm sure for many people the social aspect of being in a band is one of the most important things (maybe the most important?),but for me rehearsals are for working on new material and drinking doesn't help.Likewise at gigs-I'm assuming that most of the people here don't need a drink before going to work/school/whatever....same thing.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1333613499' post='1604113'] It's interesting to read comments about how boring it is to churn out Mustang Sally for the umpteenth time. Easy to understand, of course, but I wonder if this is the sort of thing that differentiates the true pro muso from the amateurs. [/quote] I'd rather smile and play Mustang Sally every night to a busy dance floor than over rehearse with an unoriginal, original band. I love playing in a good original project,but I find good ones that I like to be few and far between, so a good covers/function band will win every time. For me,boredom sets in if there is a lot of rehearsing involved- whether it's covers or originals...even more so if I have to pay for the rehearsal.

[quote name='dc2009' timestamp='1333589724' post='1604033'] So how does it work Doddy? I mean I was under the impression that what with understudies and all, an actor/actress won't necessarily do all of the ridiculous number of shows scheduled to be performed, is it the same case with the musos? [/quote] It depends how long the run is and what the production is. I know that West End guys can dep out around half of the performances (correct me if I'm wrong),whereas the musicians for shorter runs or tours generally do most or all of the run.Some MD's don't like having deps in,but most are cool with it as long as your dep can cut it.

I've done a bunch of shows on both electric and/or upright. I find them really good fun.You get to work with some really good musicians and read charts too..it's great. It's a totally different gig from playing with a band because not only are you reading,but you have to follow the conductor/MD and make the music groove...sometimes you may be on click too. I find it a very satisfying situation to be in.

I've done a bunch of journeys while sleeping in the back of van on top of the gear....that's one reason why I have a sleeping bag and pillow in my car-you get to the meeting point and find that someone has to go in the back,at least you can be warm. I used to hire a van all the time with one band,where I had to do all the driving. I've run out of diesel at 4am within 5 miles of home-a big problem when every petrol station in town closes at 10pm and doesn't open until 8am. I've was bombing down middle lane of the A74(M) at about 10am after stopping over after a gig in Kirkcaldy and going to an afternoon gig in Burnley (I think),when the rear tyre blew up....not fun. I once did a gig in Bolton where we unloaded the van and as I was locking the back doors the key snapped clean in half.I had to call someone to go to the garage for the spare key and bring it up to us. One band I was in used to travel in one car with all the gear in a trailer-we had some fun there. We once blew two tyres on the trailer on one gig and ended up driving back from Kent at 40mph because we'd already used the spare earlier that day. We came back from a gig at the French Grand Prix and went to fill up with LPG at the garage in Dover when the nosel got stuck in the car.The AA came and couldn't get it out so they called the fire brigade and shut down the petrol station for an hour or so,while me and the drummer got a coffee and sat on the sea front,tired but pissing ourselves laughing.

I actually dig it. It's got a totally different vibe than his last album and I like that. I think there is a big influence of Jojo Mayer and John Davis with the more electronic aspects of the album and I think that's cool. I like how he's doing something different with each album,unlike guys like Marcus (who I love,as we know) who has been kind of stagnant on his last couple of albums.

The thing with the really fast slap stuff is that a lot of the time it is used as a showpiece the same way as fast double bass drums or sweep picking or circular breathing or whatever is. You get a short solo and you can play some great harmonic lines or whatever,but break out a few bars of stupidly fast slapped stuff and you'll get a great audience reaction. Of course,you can apply it musically but often you don't need to.

I think a big part depends on if you earn a living from playing music or not. If you've got a day job you can afford to be a bit more picky about what kind of music you want to play and who you play it with. When you earn a living from playing you may have to play something that you're not too keen on because you have to pay the bills. At the moment I'm quite lucky that if I don't want to do a particular gig I don't have to,but that hasn't always been the case and it might not be the case in a few years time. With regards to BigRedX's point about finding people to work with,I think it depends on what you want to do. For example,if I want to do a gig playing the kind of music that I really enjoy and transcribe/write, I can easily find the musicians...however I'm in Stoke and my preferred players live in Birmingham/ Manchester/ Chester/Leeds and it's difficult to get them to do a gig for little to no money,especially as most of the money would be spent on fuel.I have to call in favours and hope that they aren't already busy.

[quote name='BassMan94' timestamp='1333465549' post='1602092'] It's just that sometimes when i do practice i doubt myself about having the correct rhythm if you get me [/quote] In that case,find a teacher who will tell you if you are playing it right or not.

[quote name='throwoff' timestamp='1333461339' post='1602009'] Soundchecked a song in drop D, went on stage, hadn't retuned bass. First song on setlist has a huge open E with some overdrive and the guitar comes in underneith. Only it was a D. [/quote] The big question as to if it was a real schoolboy error is how did you recover? Panic and retune or simply go to the 2nd fret?

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1333458303' post='1601956'] Saw an interview with Marcus Miller, can't remember the exact details but something along the lines of him flying into Tokyo and going to the gig, his crew have sorted everything except sound checking his bass, why's that he asks? Because you took it back home after the last gig..... It's a small gig and he doesn't have a spare (seems hard to believe) and says at this point Marcus Miller on stage in Japan without a bass is totally worthless. He then breaks into an apologetic tap dancing routine to illustrate the point. So he has to do the gig on a borrowed bass an audience member brought in to be autographed. [/quote] He tells that story on the 'Master of All Trades' DVD.