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wishface

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Everything posted by wishface

  1. I love 'arry as a player and have always had a soft spot for Maiden, but Martin Birch's skills hid a multitude of sins I guess it didn't matter back then. Maiden were about the performance and their career speaks for itself Nowadays you can hear it all stripped back and exposed, warts and all, on youtube. Not sure that was a good thing, but I doubt Steve ever really listened to himself in that way. He played with a band EDIT: I started using Audacity to get into transcribing. I'm sure it's useful and I had a good go with Opeth's Sventh Sojourn. But I found messing around with the priogram, trying to set up filters and settings to up the bass part was a massive chore. Maybe I should keep it simple and just use the mp3 like the old days with record/tape
  2. I agree, but I lack gear and living out in the sticks makes it tough when you don't drive. Still, I keep my eyes open.
  3. I've no idea if they do or don't, but putting up clips can be a full time gig given the quality involved
  4. I think there's also the problem that it takes people away rom fundamentals. I just, quit eby accident, found this clip of someone doing a solo version of Black or White. It's very impressive. But not once during my 'career' did I ever consider learning something like this. I can't imagine, beyond YT or busking perhaps, this sort of skill going to get you anywhere. Of course you should play the music and the way you like, that's how art works after all. But that's not for me what I do on the bass. I've never been turned on by solo bass playing as anything more than spectacle. It's impressive and the guy is talemnted and has learned this style of bass. But it's not the sort of music I'd listen to. I like the bass int he context of other instruments, i like counter point and clever and interesting lines and parts - fast slow tap slap or wahtever. That's why I like people like Chris Squire or Jonas Reingold or the guy from Spocks Beard who is an absolute monster. But I don't see myself ever learning songs solo on the instrument like this. Again, not hating.
  5. I'm nothing if not humile WEll, to be fair, I haven't posted a video of me nailing a Jaco tune either Pray I never do! What keeps me playing is the love of playing and the instrument. I get a physiological (?) kick out of playing, even if i'mjust noodling away. In fact I could do with focussing my efforts. That's one of the problems of there being so much material at one's fingertips. But that's another topic.
  6. Sometimes I think there are things some players can do that others can't. Victor Wootten seems to be able to master every technique (as well as being a decent guy with it! The nerve!) I don't think I can physically do all that stuff. I can't do doublle thumping no matter how hard I try, my thumb just don't bend that way. Well that's my excuse. TBH i'm not terribly into slapping. Unless you're Larry Graham, what's the point? There's a bit in Portrait of Tracy where Jaco bars the 2nd fret o fthe A string to produce a harmonic on the 6th fret as if it were an open string. Unless you've got Jaco Hands good luck doing that!
  7. Ah Davie504 Can't really fault the guy. He seems to have flawless technique - in every technique - but it's not music? It's performance. He doesn't (AFAIK) record music/play with a band. Yet his channel was succesful enough to get an endorsement deal! Not bad going. It's not music though, is it. I'm not sure what he's doing is a net positive for bass playing. There are educational channels out there (as well as SBL broadcasting endless Hadrien Firaud solos - only joking SBL seems like a cool guy) which are great, but these showboat channels leave me cold. I've been working on learning Chromatic Fantsay (the Jaco version). I don't have it up to speed yet and no way I'm going to give up of course. But you go on YT and every bass player and their dog has already filmed themselves tearing it up. Madness!
  8. It does amaze me how some of these people appear (UI'm sure they practiced hard) to be able to play all these techniques. Seems par for the course. I didn't even know what double thumping was until a year ago! Geddy never did it!
  9. Perhaps that's what they're doing. I'm not sure how you can tell. I don't suppose it matters. To quote that wise master, Howard Jones, "always appear there's someone better, always appear to be someone worse". But then he also said "woah woah woah woah woah", so what does he know?
  10. I'll just ask: does anyone else find all these Youtube superstars demotivating? Perhaps just a little bit? Click on a channel and it's a well polished presentation that wouldn't look out of place as a professional MTV clip (i haven't watched MTV in 30 years). Kids who look like they have been playing five minutes have already mastered all the techniques imaginable. Have all the best equipment. Some even seem to have fully developed studios and release ENTIRE covers of songs all parts learned and performed by themselves! You couldn't tell the difference from the genuine article! I've been playing bass, as an amatuer, since 1989. First attempting to jam along with Geddy Lee on Hemispheres (aim high, right?). Most of that time hasn't been spent efficiently: i learned bits and pieces, some licks by ear. I never transcribed, learned to read (I am now). That's all cool, I did what I enjoyed, but always seriously and I never quit. I've never owned more than one bass, and never anything that cost more than a couple of hundred £. Now, that's enough showing off. The point I'm making isn't "poor me pour me another drink" but it is somewhat disconcerting to be so out of touch. Youtube didn't exist in 1989, the word didn't exist. I had a record player and I played along with my lp's and cassettes and that was that. Now that I'm trying to practice more serioiusly I look at these kids and there's always someone out there who's learned the piece and can play it backwards with one hand while making a ton of cash from showing it on Youtube. I find it very hard to reconcile my experience with that. Not hating on anyone (well, maybe a little), it's just is this the reality of what it means to be a player these days? Maybe one day I'll join a band (i did years ago it was fun, never went anywhere though) but I doubt I'll be double thumping or tapping. I'm not even sure I want to. I'm sure this just sounds like sour grapes. Ah well, as you were
  11. Has she tried a regular shaped plectrum?
  12. Thanks I think, more these days, that some techniques are njust not possible for some people, based purely on physical traits. That means everyone's expression is unique. But we aren't all technical clones
  13. It's all the rage! Personally i've noticed those that can do it seem to have a natural upward curve at the tip of their thumb. This makes the upstroke much easier. My thumb just likes flat so no matter how much I try I can't strum the up stroke. Victor Wooten is a product of advanced genetics! Lucky bugger (great player/nice guy too)
  14. This being the socket where you plug your lead in. Don't know the technical or latin name. Are there any cool tricks to keep it in place? I'll try and post some pics when its not late at night and I'm not tired. I've unplugged it to try and get a grip on the internal socket (so as not to pull on the wires) while I tighten the socket, but the way it's designed makes that difficult because the internal portion seems to be inside a frame of some kind and I can only pull the lead out so far. It's a Sire M7 bass, if that's any help Cheers
  15. Thank you. Am I correct in assuming you favour raking over strict alternation in all situations? If so I have a follow up: what is your approach when raking meets string crossing? It seems, froim my experience, that, when skipping strings, one's fingers tend to favour leading with a specific finger, even if that means using that finger to pick a note and not alternate (if you follow me). Thanks for your time
  16. Ive been studying from a MI book entitled Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms. It says you should count along while you play, is that a common technique for learning? I find it harder to play the parts while i'm trying to count. Especially at speed. Is this a good way of learning? I can't imagine that in a professional situation (ha!) you'd be welcome to count out loud!
  17. Thanks, but I'm really not looking to pay. I'm sure there's something free oot there
  18. Couldn't think of a more accurate title. I've been working with Soloing Concepts for Bass a musicians institute book. Its got a cd with a few backing tracks to practice ideas along with. BUt constantly replaying the mp3s i ripped is a bit tedious. Are there any free software/apps/websites that allow you to program a chord sequence to practice soloing and stuff over? Thanks
  19. Thanks for the responses. It's a bit of a pain in the donkey when you don't drive either
  20. Don't think I can manage time travel. Too busy learning to read music. Perhaps the two are connected
  21. None of that where i live But i'm talking specifically about setting up a band
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