wal4string

[b] [size=4]"Bass Lines move pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around for a while, you could miss it." [/size][/b]

On first hearing The Lemon Song I decided to take up the bass not even knowing what the bass was. It still makes me smile and I hope I have done it justice. As my playing has progressed over the years my transcription has gradually been tweaked as I have have become more understanding of JPJ's style. To that end end I am pretty sure if an isolated track became available you would hear string slaps on the down beats similar to The Ramble On isolated track.

The band I play with have begun playing a medley of Superstition and The Lemon Song. Here is my transcription of the 2nd slow section of The Lemon Song, in my opinion the best bit. Finding hard to remember the whole piece so still having to read it live. Determined to learn it though. Before anyone pulls me up, I know it's in E but I have written in A. The fact is there are more D naturals in the piece than there are D#, so it is easier to transcribe in A as adding naturals kinda squash the bars. I have seen several transcriptions but never 100% accurate. If anyone feels they can hear what my ears don't please, please let me know. As always be sure to change the file extension to pdf.

Just fell upon a Transcription/Tab of this Stevie Wonder classic synth bass line. Was going to post but have used up my 30MB allowance. If anyone is interested email me your address I will be happy to pass on, file is 3MB. Here is a utube link to the track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6B7HjiLD0E

Only my opinion but, TAB is so old hat, like 300 years. Transcription is far quicker and easier, feel the heat from that fire and it also enables you to play tunes you have never even heard before. Having said that when TAB is written logically it can make sense, unfortunately the vast majority (99.99%) of TAB is written for folks who know the tune already as no syncopation is ever considered. However, I have found one site which has moved on a few hundred years in this matter [url="http://www.guitar.ch/en/info/frames/tabs/set.html"]http://www.guitar.ch...s/tabs/set.html[/url] if all TAB was written like this I would have no problem. Now cough. Just kidding mate.

Tab is the devils work. Was invented in the [color=#252525][font=sans-serif]Renaissance and Baroque eras, and in my opinion thats where it belongs. Next you will be asking if rubbing two sticks together is better than matches. Cough. [/font][/color]

Transcription of the Rod Stewart 70's hit. A bit of cheese for everyone. And a fun tune to play. [attachment=166499:Do Ya Think I m Sexy.pdf] Not note for note but simple enough to make so. Enjoy BCer's Don't forget to change the file name to .pdf

Well control knob arrived. Unfortunately, as I feared too small for my Stingray, however all not lost as it does fit my Status Classic which has a plastic sleeve which I removed for a perfect fit on the mid control.

Method works really well. Gig was pain free.

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1399583006' post='2445700'] You can push the poles in so they are flush with the pup cover. Ideally with the strings off or loosened so you can gain access. You can't push too hard as they will stop when your fingers reach the pup cover. I did this to even them out as I was experiencing quieter D & G strings. But of course there is no such problem over at the EBM forum, as you have found out! [/quote] Hi, yes, have read about this, but, ruled this out as I am more than happy with my sound so decided to look for a solution that wouldn't affect my sound. All sounds good at the moment but the real test will be at the gig tomorrow night when I will find out if I have set the pickup to the right height.

Cheers guys for your thoughts and suggestions. The brain storming has given me the answer. Took off the strings, removed the pickup cover and packed the inside with some strips of rubber cut to fit in the corners, whole job took less than half an hour. Gig tomorrow night will prove if 100% effective. You maybe interested to know that I posted the same question on the Ernie Ball Musicman Forum. An idiot tried to tell me to change my technique, and that he had never heard the problem before. I explained that I had been playing both semi-pro and pro for over 40 years and that even if my technique was bad it's a bit late to change. He even suggested I tried a pick. All this kind advice without a word about if my proposed idea could work.

Cheers for the correction, I did know but at least you knew what I meant. Need to think what I can use to achieve this.

Does anyone know of any reason why I can't make the top of a MM Stingray pick up deeper (THICKER). The exposed pots are catching my fingers when I dig in. Pick up is at the correct height and sound great but my plucking fingers tend to take a battering each time I play. Was thinking maybe a piece of black plastic the thickness of the highest pole would do the trick with 8 holes drilled to leave the pots themselves exposed. Any ideas or suggestions?

I bit the bullet and ordered one. I will post how I get on. Estimated delivery aprox. 2 weeks.

Cheers guys.

Luminlay have started to produce a control knob with numbered increments which I would like to fit on my Stingray. However, their site says will fit a 6mm shaft but unable to find or measure the size on my bass. Does anyone know the size of the shaft? [attachment=162027:Knob.jpg] I am sure they will help with me dialing in my tone.

Nice. Many Thanks

It's been so long that I started to read music, I can't honestly remember finding the notes on the bass or reading music particularly difficult. However I do remember seeing the riff to Whole Lotta Love written out and thinking how complicated it looked on the page. Rhythms do get repeated a fair bit in all genres, so it's a question of remembering where the rhythm falls in respect of the beat and play the notes required. Sub divide the time signature can help, i.e. if the piece is in 4/4, count it out as 8/8 to learn which notes fall on the down/up beat. Plus another useful exercise is to try writing any riff you all ready know to see how they appear on paper.

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1397247200' post='2422300'] That is much clearer for me. Thank you. I have printed it off,so going to have a crack at it tonight [/quote] Any problems, please ask.

No, you were correct they are sharps. A flat looks like this [i]b.(a small B.)[/i]

[quote name='linear' timestamp='1397219954' post='2421917'] Some people just have a hard time with it. When I was at primary school I learned to play the recorder. Despite my half-hearted approach to practice, after many years I could read the treble-clef, replicate melodies I'd heard by ear, and do a passable job of playing songs that I had never heard before from the sheet music (provided it didn't include the few notes I was too lazy to learn the fingering for). It was only many many years later that I realised that the note names go in alphabetical order [/quote] Tell me. That ridiculous method of teaching Every Good Boy Deserves Favors etc. Instead of teaching the bottom line is a G, next space is an A, next line is a B etc.Until I worked out the alphabetical order nothing made sense.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1397205584' post='2421698'] maybe so, but so are the rest of the band and most of the crowd fortunately, it's sad fact of life that most people hardly hear the bass except when it's not there, and certainly don't notice if the odd note is not quite right [/quote] Sorry if I offended you. It was meant as a joke.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1397126014' post='2420871'] I've been playing it a lot wrong for years, when I played it right for the rest of the band they couldn't tell any difference, nobody else notices when it's not quite right but we know [/quote] It could also be you are tone deaf.

I never had a problem with learning the notes infact the way they are is very logical and simple to learn an remember and never hap-hazard. It seems to me you can't see the wood from the trees. And I don't mean that in a condescending way. I will try and explain an easy way to learn. Start by learning the first 5 notes on the E string (bottom, thick string). 5 notes moving up the neck a fret at a time. Open E, next is F, next is F# (AKA Gb), next is G, next is G# (aka Ab), next is A, which is the exact same note as the open 3rd string on your bass. [b]Always remember that the notes E and F, and also B and C are only ever a semitone apart (AKA a fret).[/b] So logically, bearing in mind the last sentence. The next note moving up the neck is an A# (AKA Bb) if either on the six fret of the E string or the 1st fret of the A string. The next note up would be a B, on the seventh fret of the E string or the 2nd fret of the A string. The same note progression can be continued. [b]Always remember that the notes E and F, and also B and C are only ever a semitone apart (AKA a fret).[/b] [b]Also remember the difference between high and low., [/b]When it is in relation to notes, higher notes are closer to your plucking hand and the thinner the string the higher it is. Final tip to learning the notes on all strings. We have already named the first 5 notes on the E string. E to A. Learning octaves is easy. To play an octave above the bottom E string you have 3 options for the exact same note. Depending on what needs to be played musically before or after this note will depend which of the 3 notes you choose to play. The the options are 12th fret E string, 7th fret A string or the 2nd fret D string. That may seem confusing but I am sure in time it will be clear. It is when we start playing fretted octaves the learning begins. An octave above the note you play on the bottom two strings of your bass is exactly 2 frets and two strings higher. Play a fretted note on your 3rd fret ogf your bottom string (E), which is a G, then play a fretted note two strings higher and two frets higher.( an octave G), ((this is also the same note as your first string)) This is the same for all notes on the bottom two strings of your bass. Play a C, 3rd fret on your A string then play a note two strings and two frets higher, an octave C.. Just checked what I have typed, made it seem more confusing. It's a bit like trying to explain to a learner how to drive.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1397118629' post='2420743'] Best way to learn where the notes are is to learn to read music. Then you HAVE to know where the notes are to actually PLAY the f*****s [/quote] Exactly. Well said that man.