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I was taught to pick out the tonic by ear, so as you listen imagine one note that represents the whole song & hum it. If you get it right the note you're humming will fit right through the song & will feel spot on when the "one chord" is played. So for example if you're humming an E & the "one chord" roles around & happens to be a major then bingo, you're in E. It's easy to practice & worthwhile in my opinion, you can practice picking out the tonic while listening to the radio or whatever. Try it!

I bought one from Ernie Ball just before Christmas, had to wait about seven weeks for it because it came direct from the US apparently, think it was about nine quid.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1490566982' post='3266087'] Still looks very interesting, wonder what sort of finish you could get DIY in a sink? [/quote] There are DIY video's on YouTube, I paid to have mine done though because I didn't want the hassle of applying the top coat.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1490546599' post='3265863'] Interesting but unsure how I'd get the sunburst effect around the edges as the graphic would be above the base colour. [/quote] Hmmmmmmmm, of course! :-/

Have a look at Hydro-graphics, I know you could get Paisley then just lacquer it yourself. I think you'd get a better finish than wallpaper :-)

Hmmmmmmmmm, doubt I'll be rushing out to buy one. They look like cheap copies of the current Bb's.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1490393438' post='3264919'] I was taking the piss. [/quote] Maybe you should emphasise that with a smiley face or something, then maybe I'd know you're joking & not just a dick :-)

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1490352604' post='3264488'] Ambition is over-rated. Every frozen corpse on Everest was an extremely ambitious person. [/quote] Different strokes for different folks I guess, aren't the scientists looking to cure cancer ambitious? Or the service men & women who learn to walk again after losing limbs? Ambition is there to serve you surely & the climbers who are still on Hillary's step? are they victims of ambition or the task?

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1490352321' post='3264481'] I'm 68 yrs old. Starting late in life I did the weekend warrior covers band in pub's and clubs. We improved and did weddings, functions and local music festivals. This spanned about 15 years, (aged 50 - 65), armed with just the rudiments of musical knowledge, that is to say, which key is which fret down the lower end of the fret-board and remembering patterns of notes that fit together. Now it's helping run a fortnightly music club and a weekly practice with 3 accomplished musicians/friends making up a Jazz quartet. We can pick and choose where and when to perform, money being not the object. It is a just perfect for me now. The ambitions or rather the things I'd like to achieve musically are to make up for the lost time of the first 50 years of my life before I picked up a musical instrument in earnest. 1. To continue my slow progress improving my music knowledge and skills, particularly reading scores, (this is hard late in life). 2. To play certain favourite tunes of mine with the quartet which I think will sound great as instrumentals. They are: THIS GUY'S IN LOVE, I SAY A LITTLE FOR YOU, HERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE, PENNY LANE, BEGIN THE BEGUINE, MOONLIGHT SERENADE. There's bound to be more in the future. Not big ambitions on the scale of things but for me I'm loving every minute and desperately trying to retain what I learn, (a feature of old age I guess). I practice daily and read endlessly but the musical world seems to get bigger the more you do learn. So, my advice is, it ain't a competition. Set yourself a goal and practice towards it. Then set another one. I am truly grateful to be involved in making music. I've made great friendships, met lots of lovely people and a few nutters. I've played in front of a handful of people and few hundred people and given pleasure I hope to most. Last year my quartet were joined by 3 other fellow musicians to play at the Guild House festival in Henley in Arden. The venue was the walled garden with food stalls around the outside and families seated on the grass. I don't think I'll better that as a sunny afternoon gig. So no ambition here to do Wembly. I do encourage my grandchildren to play an instrument which they all do. So my retirement ambitions seem to be music, taking the dogs for a walk, mowing the lawn, sorting the caravan out and more music. And of course spending hours on BC waffling away. Retirement, I love it. [/quote] Hats off to you Grandad, more proof that old dogs can learn new tricks :-)

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1489853869' post='3260363'] Talent and ability, potential or realised, are different things. If you have innate talent, which you are born with, you will make much quicker progress and be able to take things to a higher level than someone who is not so fortunate. It isn't easy to accept, especially in these days of "I can achieve anything I want", but some do have greater talent than others. A pal of mine is tone deaf. He just can't pitch accurately. He really wants to play and sing and works at it, but is always back to square one. Various friends have tried to help him, but it's like explaining the concept of colour to a blind man. He just doesn't hear pitch accurately. It's an extreme case, I know, but the principle applies to a lesser extent, too. Some just have greater aptitude for sport, music, painting, etc, etc than others. [/quote] So in the case of the fellow who is tone deaf there's an issue/disability that prevents him from reaching his goal? I don't buy into "the born with it" ethos at all. When I was a youngster at primary school the music teacher told me I couldn't have a violin because I couldn't sing the major scale, now I can hold my own musically & learn everything by ear. I also couldn't walk, swim or ride a bike when I was born but in my twenties & early thirties I was a pretty decent triathlete. Natural talent? Hell no! Discipline & hard work? Tons of it! It's easy to dismiss one way or the other & I think threads like this one are great for gauging opinions, I'd love to hear people talk of their natural born ability, but most talk of toil & determination. :-)

I think there's a convincing argument for both sides for sure & it is widely known that humans do most of their learning early in life but that's not to say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. You certainly can, in fact it has been proven by science that the brains plasticity does slow but doesn't stop! Inspiration for us all. I think talent is learned and I agree that it's also influenced by the environment, age is also a huge factor. There are lots of good books on the subject if anyone's interested. For me personally just the belief that I can still learn anything (at almost forty) with a bit of effort has forced a shift in my mindset that has in my opinion made learning easier, if that makes sense!

On another note then, what are people's thoughts on innate talent? I'm firmly in the camp of talent is earned & learned rather than born.

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1489057689' post='3253995'] Now a 2. I'd love to have the infinite time requirement for 3 but really playing bass is my hobby that loses me money, and I rarely get time to practice having a baby in the house now. I am good enough for my band but want to be better as a bassist and musician, but I don't get the time to hone my bass chops so I focus on other areas such as being a better part of the band in helping songs flow and move. [/quote] I've been there too, our youngest is five and eldest is eighteen & for those first few years of their lives things definitely do take a backseat but I've found it soon comes round again. I think the trick is maintaining what you have so when more time becomes available you're not playing catch up. Great insights guys.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1488973908' post='3253348'] I have the Yamaha BB425 and it is very good indeed. Rock solid, passive P/J with a strong B string. Then you consider how much it costs and it is unbelievable. [/quote] I have to agree, can't comment on the Ibby's though.

Great replies thus far! I'm really intrigued by how we (humans) can apply ourselves to tasks or activities in many different ways and achieve similar outcomes and how we learn new thing's. I'm fascinated I guess with the psychological aspects being musical. I was very much in the 1 camp until about eight or nine years ago when I started looking in to how we learn. I'm still no virtuoso but I do take satisfaction knowing that every time I practice it's not ad-hoc and it is leading somewhere.

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1488930219' post='3253097'] 2 for me. I'm an ok player but am more concerned with the entertainment value of the band. Today's band work was to sort a dep out for Friday after the death of a band mates family member. [/quote] Deepest condolences :-/ As for entertainment value, how many bands have we all seen who are on it musically but boring to watch?! Definitely worth working on.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1488933592' post='3253112'] I think there's a #4. 4. Those that are too old for anything to make a difference one way or the other. [/quote] I'm not sure I agree on this one Blue, I certainly don't buy into the "can't teach an old dog new tricks" chestnut nor to I think talent is naturally occurring phenomenon, but that's for another thread :-)

I'm thinking that as musicians we generally fall into three categories, please humour me here. 1- those who (maybe) have lots of ambition but may not have the knowledge (guidance) to make steady progress. Frustration is never far away for them. 2- those who are competent (or not) & have reached a standard they're happy with & just plod on never really improving. Maybe they have "Mad Skillz" or are just comfortable in their arena. 3- those with heaps of ambition & the knowledge & skills to improve, they probably have goals & sub goals & are most likely very methodical in their approach to practice. Improvement happens for these guys/gals. Obviously very loose categories & certainly not fixed but not far off IMO, anyway, this got me thinking! In one short sentence how could those in category three help or inspire those in categories one & two respectively? I thought a brief description of your goals & what you have done today to work towards them might make for an interesting thread, being as we are all into different things & have different abilities! So I'll start I guess. Long term I want to improve upon my musicianship, I have highlighted that although I'm not a bad player my ear still needs to play catch up. Today in order to take another step towards musical awesomeness I have been singing intervals, trying to identify chord qualities & tapping out rhythms on the kitchen worktop while cooking tea. & I haven't picked up the bass at all :-/ So what's your plan & what have you done today to achieve it?

I'm not sure if it qualifies as Hip-Hop but I'm throwing "Heavy Rhyme Experience" by The Brand New Heavies in the mix. Absolutely fantastic album from start to finish & featuring some big hitters, oh & the bass won't disappoint either.

I wanted to like it, I honestly did but I think my brain just prefers much less complex rhythms & music that (to me) doesn't sound like the Chuckle Brothers moving Jools Holland (& all his associated instruments) out of a penthouse apartment where the lift is broken. I did like the bass tone though.

Thanks for your input so far fellas. Tonight I have stripped the loom down completely & built it back up using quite a bit less wire than Yamaha did & the Jazz wiring diagram. When I'd put it back together & plugged in the neck pickup & tone control worked perfectly but no bridge pickup. On inspection I noticed I'd managed to knock the hot wire from the bridge pickup off the pot so I soldered it back on & quest what? No tone control & half it's normal output! I've taken it off again so I can use it tomorrow & Wednesday with just the neck pickup but I'm guessing now the pot I used for the bridge is knackered. I shall find another & try again.

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1486405797' post='3231540'] A pic is worth a thousand words ... Assuming it's a BB P/J type with a three way switch, the pic below may help you to get it back to its original state. [URL=http://s1090.photobucket.com/user/iankay/media/Stuff/Yamaha%20BB%20wiring.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i370/iankay/Stuff/Yamaha%20BB%20wiring.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/quote] Exactly that but now minus the switch :-)

I'll get a picture as soon as I get five. It's basically the standard Yamaha Bb425 pickup's minus the three way selector switch, I replaced it because I'd prefer to be able to blend rather than the all or nothing of the switch. So I wired in Vol, Vol, Tone & both Vol pots work as they should but the tone is misbehaving. Each pots live is wired correctly & each is earthed to the next if you know what I mean. The bridge earth & additional earth's from the pickups are all terminated correctly too, for a passive bass there's a lot of wiring. I'll put a picture up when I get home. Cheers fellas.