ML94

Yeah, it's rhythms that I am terrible at and still approaching them with caution as I know once you learn something wrong, it takes longer to make it right again. Other than that Logic pro's midi is my best friend when it comes to rhythms haha

Thanks guys, at least i'm doing something right ! Now back to the shedding !

So one of my conditions to get into Uni is that I achieve atleast a pass on my grade 8 performance. When I had looked at the entries etc. the only time I can be entered is march and if I wanted something later it be November which is not applicable.

So the syllabus is the trinity pop and rock for bass. I'm having a good time learning the material and have chosen my own peice 'what is hip' for the second option and third is YYZ as it's their 'special focus' track. Now I'm not a fan of this type of music and it's quite complex and I'm ready for a challenge.

I just wanted to know how you guys go about learning complex peices of music. For me I kind of sit there and learn them in passages E.G, learn the whole of section A and get it perfect before moving onto B, C and so forth. Are there any other ways of approaching music in an efficient fashion or what I'm doing is enough ?

Also how do you go about working out difficult rhythms ? For me I kind of end up playing sixteenths and then working out where how long the notes/rests are.
It might not be the best way but how do you guys go about it ?

[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1391208786' post='2354707']
I really like this book for helping you learn the bass inside out, and understand how to relate those fretboard shapes to theory:

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Serious-Electric-Bass-Complete-Contemporary/dp/1576238830"]http://www.amazon.co...y/dp/1576238830[/url]

Stick with it, and it will do wonders. Scales and arpeggios are your bread and butter regardless of style, and this in an invaluable resource.

If you'd like to learnt to read music with the bass, this will get you up and running: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simplified-Sight-Reading-Bass-Josquin-Pres/dp/0793565189"]http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/0793565189[/url]



EDIT - Since you mentioned slap bass, I loved working through this back in the days of VHS, but it's still out on DVD: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexis-Sklarevski-Slap-Bass-Programme/dp/B000FKOZPG"]http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B000FKOZPG[/url]
[/quote]

+1 on this book

I started on this book a couple of months ago and my playing has become much more fluent as I know what harmony lies under my hands in certain position. Now I feel more confident with the fretboard and not jumping up or down to the sections where I feel comfortable.

Try googling the name of the song and then Midi. You may have to do some hard work to get the sounds right as we all know MIDI is sh*te. Hope it helps.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1391044010' post='2352748']
They have them in shops sometimes, I've been to see Marcus Miller at a shop in London about 5 years ago, and I saw Victor Wooten at DV247 a couple of years ago.

They have them at colleges too, but they're usually just for the students, I've gotten to see Matthew Garrison and Reggie Washington together and Anthony Jackson with Mike Stern at mine. Janek Gwizdala and Laurence Cottle are both pretty regular clinicians there too.
[/quote]

Rub it in my face, why don't you

Hey guys,

I wanted to know if there was a website somewhere or something someone has compiled with people/dates of bass clinics. I would love to go to one but don';t know where to start in looking for them.

So does anyone know where I can get my hands on this stuff ?

I don't even have an excuse

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1390855345' post='2350547']
Cheers Gents, I've been thinking that they'd want groove, feel and timing than the slap and crap. Luckily I'm not a slapper or crapper aha, the first piece I thought of going with was Bach's Invention 4 in the key of D minor, it's crazy but more technical exercise than audition piece I think.

I'm applying for Solent Uni having already done(Well just about done) 2 years at my local college on a HND course, so only have to do a top up year, which I'm applying/applied to do.

Current batch of songs up for consideration are:

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Turn To Stone - ELO
Evil Woman - ELO
Commentators - City and Colour
Who Do You Think I Was - John Mayer
[/quote]

What about Vultures by John Mayer. Pino really sets the groove on that. Groove on it, add a couple tasty licks and jobs done !

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1390851863' post='2350446']
I did Butterfly by Herbie Hancock, just grooved the 1st time through and solo'd the 2nd. I downloaded a without bass version from somewhere.
[/quote]

How did you play it ? Theres a version where Marcus is grooving away ..

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1390851640' post='2350439']
I play for LCM big band at the moment mate

hope to see you there next year

feel free to give me a shout if you have any questions
[/quote]

Let the questions begin, I've been waiting for 'someone like you' LOL
You have a PM ...

Thought i'd just say - I guess I lucked out on my mex P bass because it is amazing. The pickups are hot ! Strung it first with some D'Addario EXL's and the slap sound is niiice ! Then strung it with Thomastik flats and wow oh wow oh wow. Ontop of the sound, it plays like butter!

I applied for LCM for their jazz course that starts in september and got in.

I played Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa for the Jazz pathway. Pop pathway I played Quite Firm (Laurence Cottle) and Runaway (Jamiroquai).

What surprised me was the fact that after I had played my pieces on the pop pathway the bass player there had said 'you have a deep pocket, your in'. 'A lot of people play pieces stiffly and don't groove with the song. But when you play the part as well as groove with the band its a completely different dimension'. Obviously I was chuffed with myself but then I understood that they didn't want to hear me tapping my bass and slapping the tits off it. They wanted groove and to make the music feel good. Adding the odd lick here or there, changing your technique slightly e.g. popping the hammer on instead of normal finger style and so on.

I learned so much within that 40 minutes and understood that not all people are looking for flashy technique (which I thought was the deal breaker). I hope this helped ! If I had read this before I auditioned I would've became more relaxed and played like there was no tomorrow

Hi guys i have the original transcription that Laurence sent me. I hope he doesn't mind !

Thanks for the recommendations guys ! would've been lost what to get if I didn't ask on here. May just get the pod.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1390821953' post='2349806']
You should be demanding a replacement or refund, and let Vox know of the problem!
[/quote]

I will try that actually but I have the feeling I'll lose the dispute. Has anyone tried there Amphones ? Theres a video of Victor Wooten demonstrating them and wondered if they were better than the amplugs

I need something a lil cheaper guys. I don't want to revert back to the amplug !

[quote name='Jack Cahalane' timestamp='1390785559' post='2349577']
What happened to your Amplug? Mine's got a dodgy aux input after just three months, it won't work unless I keep the cable pinned between my bass and my thigh
[/quote]

I have to slowly dial in gain settings so it actually plays something. Sometimes i have to slowly adjust the tone control as there is no sound coming out most of the time. Also, now it starts to hum so much its become deafening !

Hi guys

After purchasing one of these a few months ago I recently found out why people got annoyed with them, they don't last long. I've been looking for some alternatives on the net and can't find anything that does the same job. The most 'wanted' thing for me is a 3.5 mm input to connect my macbook, iPhone into.

Does anyone else use sonething similar? I'm not looking to get a DI box or one of them to toneport things. Just sonething that plugs into the bass has the 3.5 input and headphone ports.

I love Jeff Berlin's work but this video I just watched didn't make any sense (to me)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wzl9mmDgsw&list=PL1CFAFDF04A579259

So the kid called out a couple of chords and Jeff played them in front of the camera. Great. But then he goes onto saying if I can hear these in my head (which I also do) this is the 'bread and butter' to start playing what you hear. Im not critiquing this but I'm just saying that I can play all arpeggios, extensions, alterations and what not but I still have to kind of take it back a step when Im trying to play that melody thats in my head.

Or can someone explain the message he's trying to convey rather me wondering what on earth is going on

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1390770155' post='2349362']
Because 'digging in' provides a different kind of attack as well as being louder.
[/quote]

But that's for when you want to use that certain attack or technique. Also doesn't everyone play dynamically rather than digging in all the time.

[quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1390769830' post='2349355']
I struggle with anything much more than a 'painted on' action I have my strings crazy low, which gives access to a nice range of techniques. It does mean I have to be aware to relax and not attack it too much. I can 'look' like I am but I try to stay relaxed with a light touch and let the compressor and amp do the work.
[/quote]

Why dig in when you can turn your amp up slightly, thats my motto

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1390768559' post='2349325']

I believe Anthony Jackson has a very high action too, and you can hear it in his playing, I was transcribing some of his lines from an album he did with Steve Khan the other day, you can really hear him digging in. Yet someone like Matthew Garrison has his action set ridiculously low.
[/quote]

If AJ has high action I'd be amazed ! On some of his work he has those incredibly fast runs that sound effortless. Or it may just be down to the number of years he's always played on high action basses .

I've always wondered about other bass players action and what they think about other people having low(very low) action. I have my action fairly low, it's low enough to slap and tap so that's really the lowest I'd go.

Someone also suggested to me when I first picked up the instrument that many players who have high action play with picks and are into rock, punk, metal and so on. What's the correlation with that then ?

I also remember just a few days ago I was watching an interview with Nath Watts (love his playing) and he says himself that his action is quite high and he detunes the bass half step so he can really dig in when he wants to. Funnily enough he dozen't play metal or punk.

I'll definatley try the bass and hope for that thick p bass sound. Already purchased some thomastik flats to go on there. Which pickups would be the best to achieve that thick sound ?