thepurpleblob

There's lots of good stuff here - [url="http://thelibster.com/bass/"]http://thelibster.com/bass/[/url]

I'm not often completely stuck but..... does anybody play this song and have any idea what is going on? I think I broadly speaking have the notes but rhythm has me stumped. I can't hear what is being played in the verse - it seems to be just C and F but what not 'when' I mostly can't tell. The 'middle bit' of the solo where he starts doing the open G thing and then running up and down the G string on (I suppose) a C minor scale is just mental - I can't get the timing at all for the first couple of bars. I know I'm going to have to explain this to the rest of the band so I need to be "right" in some sense. Any inspiration much appreciated.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='586313' date='Sep 1 2009, 10:31 AM']I just googled it and even many of the tabs are wrong[/quote] You can always tell when a tab is going to be wrong. It says, "this tab is definitely 100% correct" at the top

There are some bands and recordings where you just can't hear what the bass is doing all or some of the time so it's going to open to interpretation. Most of the Who recordings are so awful there's an element of guesswork plus nobody can quite match The Ox's mad technique. I was learning "Club Foot" by Kasabian last night and the bass line is so distorted and muddy that I'm well down the "wild stab in the dark" path. Also, with covers, unless you have a lot of time on your hands there's an element of "get one verse and one chorus down and you've got it". It's rare all the variations in other parts of the song matter much/enough.

I only just noticed the gay UPS picture in the advert. Genius. Reproduced here for everybody's amusement:

I can't help thinking that you'd be better off with a second hand example of a better know make. For example check out [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-FRETLESS-BASS_W0QQitemZ280389041987"]Yamaha Fretless[/url] currently sitting at 46 quid.

[quote name='Brave Sir Robin' post='573156' date='Aug 18 2009, 04:44 PM']Aye, totally forgot the G&L. [/quote] Just a +1 for the G&L :-)

[quote name='jamiejames' post='574103' date='Aug 19 2009, 01:17 PM']Hi all I am opening a bass shop in Glasgow, yup, no guitars no drums no keys, just bass stuff, everything from beginer to pro level and i would appreciate a bit of help with a few questions to help with the marketing, you can reply here or to [email protected] i guarantee you will not be contacted via your reply unless you specifically ask to be, i would be grateful for your input and suggestions 1) Do you welcome a bass specific shop in Scotland 2) What would you like to see in stock 3) Are you more likely to visit the shop or use our online service 4) Roughly how much do you spend on bass goods in a year 5) Is this likely to increase if you had a bass shop you could visit? The shop will be for bass players and by bassplayers so please take a minute and help us to provide the best possible service and to stock the things you want to see. cheers jamie[/quote] Cool.... do you have a location yet? Anyway... 1. Why not! 2. You should go to Guitar Guitar - who I would say have the best bass selection at the moment - and see how you can improve/differentiate from that. Everybody wants a bargain of course. If you have a shop full of Fenders and MusicMan's at full retail price you might struggle. Unless you can come up with a good finance contract which I know can be tricky for a start-up. Used and plenty accessories would be nice. Many of the existing shops don't even carry a good selection of strings which is really stupid. 3. Visit... BTW have you got someone to do your eCommerce site yes - ahem - that kind of thing is what I do (advert over) 4. It's probably running at around £1K per year at the moment (it could be more but I don't want to think about it) 5. It could well do if the stock is good. Will you be doing repairs and/or providing lessons in the shop - the marketing people call that sort of thing 'creating footfall'

Got one on my four string StingRay. Better than not having one. A bit fiddly and I find the tendency for the E to go sharp a lot more irritating than the instructions suggest. You need to leave a bit extra time to get it set up and check it but once it is it does what it says on the tin.

Interesting read and good advice. Doesn't really just apply to the music business either. If you want to succeed you have to put the hours in....

Any of these slowing down and looping things (actually, mostly the bit that just lets you keep starting at a particular point) help enormously. You can get the reasonably expensive Tascam thing or software to do it on your computer. I find out / work out / guess the chord progressions and write them down ( e.g. Verse | A | A | Cm | Cm | repeat x2) plus any other vital notes (e.g. bass comes in 2nd time through verse 1). Just stuff to help me remember. It doesn't even need to be spot on accurate. The act of doing this forces you to listen properly and 'get' the form of the song. Also, don't underestimate the power of actually listening to the song. If you are not familiar with the songs, put them on your iPod and just listen to them everywhere you go until you are sick of hearing them.

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='566951' date='Aug 12 2009, 04:36 PM']There's a band called [url="http://www.myspace.com/52pickuphateyou"]52 Pick-Up[/url] in Newcastle who do just that. Well, they're apparently "psychobilly", but the ethos and image seems to be fairly punk: [/quote] Is it just my imagination.... or were they on the go 20-odd years ago when I lived there? Surely not.. but sounds very familiar.

[quote name='jonny-lad' post='567262' date='Aug 12 2009, 08:09 PM']I'd much rather play weddings than work a boring day-job though, even if they aren't the most exciting gigs in the world![/quote] That just makes me want to get back into a wedding band

Anything where there's a disco in my experience. They'll dance for the disco and completely ignore the band - or at best politely listen. As usual, you just have to do your thang and take the money with a nice smile.

They're really good... I'd like to hear some more. I actually quite like the bass playing on the recordings, it fits very well IMHO.

If your technique is reasonably good it shouldn't be a big deal to 'transfer'. Your damping needs to be up to scratch - do I hear "floating thumb technique"?

The thing that nobody has mentioned that might make a big difference to you is string spacing. A four string bass is quite a well understood thing. They're nearly always 19mm (0.75inch) spaced at the bridge and taper off to the nut (some more than others but not that much difference). With a five string all bets are off. Some cram the strings onto not much more than a four string neck some have huge wide necks that wouldn't look out of place on a 6 string. The spacing can be anywhere between 16.5mm and 20mm. It makes a hell of a difference to the feel of the instrument. I personally favour 19mm spacing - same as four string. The trouble is that wider spacing roughly equates to more money. Just something else to think about EDIT: Oh and hello to Beverley. My mother was a Beverlonian - haven't been there in years. Do you still get Burgess's ice cream?

[quote name='cd_david' post='564005' date='Aug 9 2009, 09:36 AM']Shave it all off mate, seriously you will never look back. I used to be as thin as a pin but "spread" a few years ago and Jesus its hard to shift but its going, I've lost 1.5 stones this last couple of months just not eating Chinese or chocolate and cycling about 5 times a week. Also returned to kayaking which does wonders for flattening your gut ATB Dave[/quote] Yep... as a 45 year old baldy, I couldn't agree more. DIY clippers - shortest setting, no guard. Job done I just need to work on not being a fat b*st*rd now though. Empire biscuits (ok - and most other buns and cake) are my addiction !

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='562477' date='Aug 7 2009, 03:03 AM']For the record I'm 6'2" and currently about 12 stone, which is the most I've ever weighed.[/quote] Have you thought about eating something?

sunglasses indoors?

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='562572' date='Aug 7 2009, 09:29 AM']I left Bloc Party before they got big.[/quote] "we'll sign you but you need to get rid of that guy on bass first" Sorry

[quote name='4000' post='562318' date='Aug 6 2009, 10:07 PM']Hmm. I think I've been here before, and at great length. Haven't I, OldGit? Like I said last time, the problem we have is getting people to take a chance on us (although these days it's becoming more about getting the entire band on stage without injury; it's like everyone in the band suffers from Spinal Tap Drummer syndrome. That's what you get in your 40s folks!). I must admit, I think I'm getting closer to giving up playing live (I'll play covers when Killer BOB finally takes possession of me, and not before!), but I just don't want to go out on several lows. Of course if I do get my "final" gig high, then doubtless I'll get the bug again....I'm not holding my breath though. If I'm honest I've been far happier this week staying in watching my Twin Peaks dvds than I have been playing the last few gigs (one or two a year for the past few years!). I guess those slippers are starting to feel ever so comfy......[/quote] Defeatist talk If you don't want to play then don't play. Playing gigs is to a certain extent a job. For most people, another job at that. It takes effort, commitment, professionalism and the ability (hopefully) to reflect on your work and modify accordingly. You have to work at it. It isn't sitting in front of the TV watching football. Like most jobs you can't be precious about it either - you'll have to do a certain percentage of sh*t you don't like to get to do the stuff you do like. I entirely understand why that might be more than you want to do. Just a matter of being honest with yourself I think. If you WANT to play live to a reasonable audience and you are willing to put the effort in then it will happen.

[quote name='toneknob' post='561131' date='Aug 5 2009, 01:41 PM']...or is plectra?[/quote] Only if you're Roman.

[quote name='thodrik' post='561106' date='Aug 5 2009, 01:07 PM']Ummm, I don't use them anymore! I probably should, but I have never dropped a bass at a rehearsal or a gig in the 5 years since I stopped using them and just got a decent strap. Now I've said that, the next time I pick up a bass it will inevitably crash onto the floor, so I now have to go out and buy straplocks. Great.[/quote] I did say that I don't use them either... it's only fair to declare that I have cultivated a persona involving the absolute minimum of movement and looking as miserable as sin. That might have a bearing on it.