Doddy

[quote name='silddx' post='1233257' date='May 16 2011, 04:39 PM']What music teachers try do is give students the tools to express themselves musically and artistically and encourage the students to attempt to master those.[/quote] And that is one of the problems,that I've seen. A lot of people don't want the tools to express themselves,they want the fancy music shop lick that will impress their friends and bandmates. It's easy and it's instant.Learning the tools and the language takes time and study,but you can have a Flea(or whoever) lick nailed in a couple if hours. [quote name='silddx' post='1233278' date='May 16 2011, 05:01 PM']Mmm, you've got me wondering now if he will take on anyone who can pay him and therefore most of his students are sh*t [/quote] I'm sure,like any other teacher,he gets some guys who want to learn and lots who don't and just want to cop his licks that he played with Sting and not learn anything. Something that hasn't been mentioned,is what happens once the lesson is over.The student might be able to get through the exercises by the time the lesson is over,but then it's up to them to keep working on it and improve-but that won't happen if they only practice for 30-60 minutes a week. You can be the best,most encouraging teacher in the world,but if the student won't practise outside of their lesson they won't improve.

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1232373' date='May 15 2011, 07:46 PM']What happened to all the 70's ones where you could get a coin between the neck and the body ?[/quote] I think they all ended up in a shop in Hollywood. When I was there the other year,there were a bunch of '70s Jazz Basses with rather large neck pockets-and in some pretty horrible colours as well. They weren't stupidly expensive either.

[quote name='casapete' post='1232951' date='May 16 2011, 12:43 PM']. . IMO he wrote some of the best songs of the last century, and judging by the studio audience's reaction on Later the songs still stand.[/quote] I think the audience reaction was more about 'Oh look,Brian Wilson is singing Good Vibrations' rather than 'Wow,Brian Wilson is good'. He's got to be playing on his reputation,because he was awful on 'Later....'. I think he needed a drummer too. With the exception of Alison Krauss and Union Station(who I love anyway),I thought the whole thing was dreadful as usual-the Arctic Monkeys are perpetually rubbish and I don't know what to say about that immensely bad girl band. Randy Newman seems to have lost it aswell. I did laugh though,when that reggae bloke started and Jools played his obligatory boogie-woogie lick over the intro.

[quote name='wal4string' post='1232200' date='May 15 2011, 05:19 PM']It's a big learning curve but very enjoyable, couple of things which I feel is a must and will pay dividends later on, a finger per fret, also, practise with a metronome.[/quote] I'm going to offer a couple of alternatives to this. While the finger per fret method is great,depending on your hands it may be impractical in the lower range.You might be better off using a 1,2,4 fingering over 3 frets in the first few positions before moving to one finger per fret at around the 5th-7th fret area, or where ever is comfortable. Metronomes can be useful,but I never recommend them initially. Say you are learning an arpeggio exercise,it is more important at this stage to play the exercise correctly and accurately rather than in time. Later on you can use a metronome if you want (although I very rarely do),but I think it's much better to focus on actually playing and understanding what you are doing rather than trying to play everything in time. Check out the book,'The Complete Electric Bass Method'(I think) by Ed Friedland. It's a good book,as it takes you from the very basics to some more difficult stuff. However,if you can,find a good teacher. You'll learn more and progress a lot faster than you would on your own.

I just bought a Bottom Feeder of Pete,and everything was great. Nice one. Cheers mate.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1232056' date='May 15 2011, 02:59 PM']None of this actually matters that much when we're talking about music though, career success in music doesn't come from degree qualifications. If people learn something when studying you hear it in their playing, not on a piece of paper.[/quote] But,if you have chosen to study music and gained a degree from it,I think it's fair to say that there are some things you should be expected to know and/or do.If you can't,then I think there is something wrong.

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1232034' date='May 15 2011, 02:47 PM']And does knowing your treble clef help with ledger lines in bass clef?[/quote] I'm sure it can,but for me it's more the other way around. Knowing the upper ledger lines in bass clef makes treble clef a little easier.

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1232030' date='May 15 2011, 02:44 PM']Sounds like you need to change your sig... LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ LEARNING TO READ well you get the idea with that one.[/quote] Or more accurately..... Learning to apply.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1232019' date='May 15 2011, 02:39 PM']That actually brings me to a question I always forget to ask, How many Bass clef readers can read Treble clef too? Im not fussed for it right now and obviously the note lengths are the same but I dont want to confuse myself trying to read another stave right now either.[/quote] I can,but it's not quite as fluid as reading bass clef,yet. I read the melodies in the Real Books,which helps,but it still takes me a second to get away from thinking 'second space=C'.

[quote name='ZMech' post='1231790' date='May 15 2011, 11:26 AM']as icastle said, surely it's any good teachers job to compliment their students successes, as well as point out the weaknesses. So long as you don't give them a false sense of grandeur then it's perfectly fine.[/quote] But,so many people want you to give them a false sense of grandeur. I've had loads of people come to me for lessons who,as soon as you point out something that they can improve on or give them something that they struggle with,you never hear from again. They want you to tell them that they are great so they can tell their friends that they went for a lesson and the teacher couldnt show them anything-you can tell this within about 5 minutes. It's usually most evident amongst guys who are usually late teens/early 20's and have played in a band or two,but have never actually learned anything. [quote name='Bilbo' post='1231897' date='May 15 2011, 01:07 PM']I have seen 'music' students that can't actually play a note, can't sing in tune and have no idea. What they do have is the fees. Whats [i]that[/i] about if its not getting the whole thing wrong?[/quote] I've seen this too.I've spoken to guys who've graduated from certain music schools and can't even read a note.If you are spending a lot of time and money to study music,I would expect you to have learned the language. Having said that,a bass teacher at a well known music school was booked to dep for me for a couple of gigs at the end of last year-he did one gig and then the MD got someone else in.Apparently,he was pretty bad-wasn't grooving and couldn't read the charts.

I'm surprised that they haven't got a higher profile drummer on the tour-no disrespect to Louis Cato.

[quote name='mcnach' post='1231051' date='May 14 2011, 03:52 PM']Nice!!! 2.5 seconds average to be classified as... bass clef apprentice Seriously, I expected worse. I have only just bought a book (Ed Friedland's Building Walking Basslines) and I decided to use it to start me into basic reading. So far my only "lesson" was on Thursday night, without my bass, simply listening to the CD while looking at the dots... I am far from being in a position to recommend tuition books... but there's something about this one that just makes you go "but of course!" and slap your head I find it very "baby steps" like, so it doesn't overwhelm and well... it just made me make the decision to do something about my lack of reading skills. This site (above) seems quite interesting too. I liked the game because I can see how it's a great tool to get you to recognise notes at first sight without thinking, since the staff disappears between notes.[/quote] Ed Friedland's 'Building' and 'Expanding Walking Basslines' are great books. I'd recommend them to anyone. The bass clef game is good,but once you know where the notes are,the most important bit is then playing them on the bass.

All you can really do is concentrate on alternating fingers and string crossing. Try playing scales and arpeggios in various intervals like 3rds,6ths 10ths etc. in various rhythmic combinations and both ascending and descending. Don't push it too much though-play them slowly and accurately and speed will develop naturally.

[quote name='ray57' post='1230821' date='May 14 2011, 11:29 AM']To save hijacking somebodys sale thread. Leo Fender designed and made his first singlecut in 1949. Gibson designed and built their first singlecut bass in 1969.[/quote] I'm fully aware of that,however there is a big difference between the Fodera style singlecut design and the Gibson Les Paul and Fender Telecaster

Right now,D'addario EXPs. I don't like flats on the fretless,and unlike Elixir,I've not had the coating peel off of the D'addario's

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1229797' date='May 13 2011, 11:29 AM']I love playing Superstition. There's loads of space to funkify it and add little trills and fills. You can play it fingerstyle, with a plectrum (quite hard to get the 'bounce' though) or slap it (thumb pointing up, of course!). Great groove, everybody knows it and it looks really hard so you impress everybody big style. Women will flock to see you get funky![/quote] That's another problem with it....it's very easy to want to do lots of little fills and stuff,but it really sits better when you lay down those Eb crotchets.

And,as proven by the fretless bass site..... ' The fretless bass guitar does not have the metal spacers that often slow the playing performance.' Obviously it's worth the extra money for a fretless

[quote name='icastle' post='1229720' date='May 13 2011, 10:14 AM']Why have I got the theme tune to The Six Million Dollar Man running around in my head? [/quote] I normally have Laurel and Hardy

[quote name='son of frog' post='1229549' date='May 13 2011, 01:49 AM']And thanks all for the replies, my tech skills aren't brilliant so if i can get something cheap pre-built it would be a better option. and i have got an LS-2 but i use it for other things, and its all a bit fiddly, I really want something passive that can just sit in the corner with the amp and 2nd Bass, and i can just stomp on as hard as humanly possible and not worry too much about damaging any of the knobs, sliders etc... I am a neanderthal like that... i buy simple instruments, simple amps and simple FX. [/quote] Try this then [url="http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?type=90&cat=13&id=78"]http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?ty...at=13&id=78[/url]

I'd seriously look at the Boss LS2-it's a great pedal. Behringer do a copy of it that you can get for about £20. Or you could try something like the ART Coolswitch which is about £35.

If you are that fond of the bass,I'd say go ahead and mod it. It's what I did with my main Jazz Bass.I've gigged it so much that it's so easy and comfortable to play,so I've put DiMarzio pickups in,series/parallel switch,chrome pickup cover,Hipshot Xtender key,Badass bridge, new neckplate,straplocks,new nut and then run it through a Sadowsky preamp. I love it.

[quote name='Hector' post='1229233' date='May 12 2011, 07:52 PM']On a related note - has anyone paid for any of the lessons on Janek's site? Was wondering what they were like, cause I'm thinking about taking the plunge on a month or so's subscription. Would be keen to know if it's possible to download lesson material/videos and revisit later.[/quote] If you go onto itunes there are 3 or 4 video podcast lessons that he put up before starting the video lessons site. It's worth checking them out....they're free aswell.

Good stuff

[quote name='Piggery Bandana' post='1228814' date='May 12 2011, 01:53 PM']@ Doddy .... So you say it as "To-mar-toe" ... Im more of a "To-may-toe" kinda guy .... Wasnt actually getting at anyone for using a 15 string - personally think it looks absurd and dont particularly like the sound of it. Certainly I would pick my jazz bass over it every minute of every day of the week, if i need a low D i flick the hipshot, if i need lower i have an octaver, if i wanna create a nice chorusy shimmer i kick on the chorus... Takes all sorts though i guess and Love Tom Peterssons playing so what do i know eh?[/quote] I didn't say you were getting at anyone. I was just making a general point about all those who had made comments. I only quoted your post about the technique. Although,you did call it a 'monstrous penis extension'

[quote name='RhysP' post='1228761' date='May 12 2011, 01:27 PM']It does sound lovely with the chordal stuff - really clear & defined. That's probably a much to do with his excellent playing technique as anything though. Are my ears deceiving me or is there some kind of reverb or delay effect being used in that clip?[/quote] Yeah,that'll be either the TC Electronic Nova Delay or Repeater-he uses both regularly.