solo4652

I used to play this. I've just looked up my old notes and this is what I found. My bass playing has come along significantly since, so this tab may well be incomplete and/or wrong., but it might just help you. Intro |------7-----------| |------------------| |--5---------------| X 4 |-----------7--5--| Verse |------7-----------|------7----------|------7----------|------------------| |------------------|------------------|------------------|---------5-6-7--| |--5---------------| --5-------------|---5-------------|-5-5-------------| X 2 |-----------7--5--|------------7-5--|-----------7-5--|------------------| Chorus |------7-----------| |------------------| |--5------5-------| X ? |-------------5-7-|

I play in a 5-piece pop/soft-rock pub covers band. The keys player has just bought a Bose line array PA, claiming that we could put the speakers at the back of the stage and do without monitors and bass bins. We've done a few gigs with poor results. No problem with overall volume out front in the audience, but lots of feedback from the singer's mic, no matter which way the speakers were facing. Using the low-pass filter on the desk seemed to solve that problem, but drastically affected my bass tone and volume. On stage, I couldn't hear my playing at all. Moving the speakers to the stage front solved the feedback issue but, without monitors, all I could hear on stage was the drummer. So, next time, the plan is to use the PA for vocals (and possibly keys), with guitar and myself using our own backline. Sort of negates the promised advantages of the line array system, really.

Latest email from guitarist: "The Killers record is played In D but they tune half a step down - so the D sounds like a C#." My response: "A song (or indeed a single note) that’s played in D, but tuned down a semi-tone is no longer in D – it’s in C#. It sounds like it’s in C# because it is." Initially, I thought this was another example of the naming and communication confusion caused by guitarists' use of capos and detuning, as summarised by Steve Woodcock above. I'm sure many of us have experienced this. However, the more I talk to the guitarist, the more uncomfortable I get because he insists that the [i]shape[/i] of the chord he's playing dictates what the chord actually is. That instantly causes problems when he, keys player and myself are trying to sort out problems in songs. We've decided to drop Mr Brightside from the setlist for now.

Myself and the guitarist are having some problems playing this song. I'm well aware that guitarists often tune down a semi-tone to make the fingering easier. This is what our guitarist does. This confuses the hell out of me because he says the song is written in the key of D. I play it in C# and it sounds just fine against the original and what the band has played in the past, up until last night's rehearsal, when the guitarist insisted that I played the song in D. This comment from his emails to me today left me very confused: "The Killers use a well known trick of tuning down half a step. Literally all instruments are tuned down one half step so D sounds like C#. This not what key the song is played in, that doesn't change...only the pitch." So, if guitarist plays it in D on a guitar that's tuned down one semi-tone, what key is he actually playing the song in?

[quote name='Tonteee' timestamp='1493035860' post='3284994'] Well, I'm sorry to read it didn't go well Steve. Did you only play the songs you had practiced, or were other curveballs thrown in? Space from the recording might be key to your being able to listen to them. I always find it difficult to listen to anything other than the fluffs in any recording I do, but putting it away and coming aback to it later does help. Have you listened to isolated bass tracks on YouTube? They're quite the eye-opener, especially for their less than pristine lines. At the end of the day, you've been obsessing about these songs for 6 hours in the studio and however long at home practicing. I think it quite expected that you can't listen to them yet. Give it time. By the way, did the band say 'not good enough' or was it the engineer? This is an important distinction. How did they lay down the different tracks? Separately, I'm intrigued as to why you think they want to be more of a recording band, when they only play covers. That doesn't seem to add up. [/quote] We played 5 of the 6 songs I'd practised. For each song, we all played "together" at first, by which I mean drummer, myself and keys player were in main studio, singer and guitarist in another room. We were all di'd into the desk and able to hear everybody else through cans. Once we'd had an initial go at a song, we would all meet up in the control room for a listen, and to decide what needed to be re-recorded. Sometimes the engineer would ask for something to be re-done, sometimes somebody from the band would suggest that somebody could re-record all, or part, of a song. The singer is an accomplished recording artist and songwriter. She has a full rehearsal room and recording studio at her house. The guitarist is a very good (prog) rock guitarist who enjoys playing fairly complex songs with odd time signatures. I think he enjoys the technical challenge. Keys player is also very good and seems a bit bored with pub gigging. Those three are old friends. They don't do lists or plans or structured rehearsals. For them, it's more about trying new things, seeing what happens. I don't have that bohemian, play-on-the-fly, change-things-as-you-go approach. Drummer and I are structured, organised and audience-focussed. Already, the band is talking about recording another 5 songs to add to those from Saturday. It's only the drummer and me who are talking about our first gig together in 3 weeks time.

Quick update. It was awful, just awful. Six long hours of purgatory - I hated every minute I was there. I did my best, but it wasn't good enough, and I had to constantly go back into the studio to re-record various bass parts while everybody else peered through the window. I got the rough recordings today, and I can't bear to listen to my playing. My feeling is that I'll be OK with well-rehearsed songs down at the Dog and Duck where the odd error might not matter too much. However, the band seems more interested in studio work than live gigging. I may not be the right bassist for what the bands wants to achieve. I'll talk it through with them, but my gut feeling is that I'm a square peg in a round hole.

[quote name='Left Foot' timestamp='1492684835' post='3282256'] dude, whats that mean? If Im really looking forward to something, it'll be really bad... and visa versa? [/quote] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]"law of [size=5][b]S[/b][/size]ymmetrically [b][size=5]O[/size][/b]pposed [b][size=5]D[/size][/b]evelopments"[/size][/font][/color]

I'm lost.

Yes - as soon as our guitarist saw it, he asked about ZZ Top.

I have a bad back, with associated neck and arm problems. I've been looking for something that takes the weight of a bass off my neck. This is what I've come up with. It started off as a padded tool belt from Screwfix. I cut the end off an old strap I had and velcro-ed it to the waist strap. I then added an extra strap pin to the bass using one of the neck plate bolts. I still have a traditional strap on the bass, mainly as a back-up, but the waist belt takes most of the weight of the bass. Advantages: You can hardly see the belt from the front because the bass hides it. If you wear dark shirt, you'd be hard-pushed to see it at all. The original tool belt is very strong, with lots of velcro adjustment. Not only does it take weight off your neck, it virtually eliminates neck-dive. Requires no extra holes drilled in the bass, It does not impede access to dusty end of fretboard. It acts as a back support. It acts as a Christmas-belly/gut support... Cheap to make - £9 or so. Disadvantages: All your basses would need the extra strap pin fitted. I've had to add some padding to my gigbags so the extra strap pin on the bass doesn't damage the bag. if anybody would like some measurements taken from my strap, or some more photos, just let me know. [attachment=243253:100_0912.JPG] [attachment=243254:100_0913.JPG] [attachment=243255:100_0914.JPG]

OK, Taking into account the extra factors suggested above, here's a development of Dood's Inevitability Proposition. This is open source material, so anybody can make any alterations they think are appropriate... [center][color=#222222][font=sans-serif][size=4]Ψ[/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=4]{([/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=4][u]Tss X Tsl X 5C) + AoHG + (12 - MOT)}[/u][/size][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=4]2MB X Tng [/size][/font][/color][/center] [size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#282828]Where [/color][/font][/size] [size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#282828]Tss = Time spent saving[/color] [color=#282828]Tsl = Time spent looking[/color] [color=#282828]C = Cost of bass[/color] [color=#282828]MB = Money in bank[/color] [color=#282828]Tng = Time to next gig[/color][/font][/size] [font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]Ψ[/size][/font][color=#282828][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3] = Psychological constant = expectation of bad things + awareness of partner + [/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]h[/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3]ow much you've convinced yourself that you [/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][i][b]need[/b][/i][/size][/font][/color][color=#282828][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=3] the bass[/size][/font][/color] [size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#282828]Mot = Length of remaining MOT on car[/color] [color=#282828]Aohg = Average age of all household electrical goods[/color][/font][/size]

Yesterday, Dood asked: [color=#5A5A5A][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Is there a formula that calculates the likelihood of a huge bill arising after saving up cash for a new bass gear purchase?[/size][/font][/color] [color=#5A5A5A][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]A quick back-of-envelope calculation produces this crude starting point:[/size][/font][/color] [u]Tss X Tsl X C [/u] 2MB X Tng Where Tss = Time spent saving Tsl = Time spent looking C = Cost of bass MB = Money in bank Tng = Time to next gig Lots more factors to add, I think...

I'm OK with gigging - I'm always as well-prepared as I can be. It's the recording session that spooks me. Really pleased that you've landed on your feet and that you're enjoying the new band. Good for you.

Blimey - full credit to you! 36 songs and an appendicectomy within the space of 2 weeks. Complete trooper. I like your final phrase; "...[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]it will all be alright in the end and if it's not alright it's not the end."[/font][/color]

Flurry of band emails this afternoon. Planned rehearsal for this week is cancelled, and next week's is looking highly unlikely. That means the next time we meet will be at the recording studio to play a list of 4 or 5 songs that has yet to be agreed but will probably include 1 song I haven't learned yet, 1 song that I've learned at home but haven't yet played with the band and 3 or 4 songs which, at most, we will have played together 3 times, because we've only played together 3 times in total. "Don't worry Steve - it'll be great fun", the band tells me. Depends on your idea of fun, I suppose. All I can do is tell them what I'm practising and then turn up at the recording studio and and play that. I'm not going to stress any more about this.

[size=4]Quick update.[/size] [size=4]Yes, yes, I know - I worry too much! Story of my life. I'm over-critical, over-cautious and under-confident. I use B/C to check my natural pessimism. I know I can come across as a bit of hand-wringer, but I value the external advice and support I get here.[/size] [size=4][color=black]Following on from all the excellent advice and support from you lot, I've decided to take a pragmatic approach. I'll concentrate on the recording songs for now, once the band has agreed which ones...I'll keep on practising the giglist but without adding any new ones until after the recording session. The recording songs haven’t been fully rehearsed, and the starts and endings are still largely undecided. I’ll just turn up and play what I’ve practised and let them cut, paste and edit my tracks to create what they want. That approach gives me 9 days to nail the recording songs and, after that, 2 weeks to focus on the gig songs including a couple of new ones. Onwards and upwards, then.[/color][/size] [size=4][color=black]Steve[/color][/size]

Thank you everybody for the support and encouragement. You've all made me much more confident about giving the recordings an honest shot.

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1491828819' post='3275660'] Steve, I do understand and agree to your points but as the new boy I think I'd just go along with it rather than make any waves. [/quote] Well Les, that's the pretty clear message here, isn't it! as Chris_b says, my confidence is sagging. I've just emailed the band to say that I'm feeling a bit maxed-out learning new songs, and under-confident about the recording. They've all been in the studio a few times before, they know each other and the songs well. I don't. I've said I'll concentrate on the recording songs for now, once they can agree on which 5 we're doing... Thereafter, it will be full-on gig focus. I'm crap at multi-tasking. In fact, to me, "multi-tasking" means the opportunity to mess a number of things up at the same time.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1491828091' post='3275638'] A CD? Isn't that a bit 2005? [/quote] Yes. I don't think the band needs a CD for marketing. Much more important in my view is some half-decent real-time videos of the band playing live to an appreciative audience. However, the band still wants to do the studio recording in 10 days time. What I'm struggling with is why can't it be postponed until after the gig? The studio will still be there, the band will be much better-rehearsed, pressure will be off etc.

Clarification: Recording will be 4 or 5 songs, all of which are on the gig setlist. Only one more rehearsal before the recording. I don't think the recording songs will be "well-rehearsed" before the studio. There is one on there I haven't learned yet and we've only played the other three as a full band three times. Apparently, the recording session will be instruments recorded seperately, with drummer first to a click track, then me, etc