ambient

Nobody has to do anything. A couple of the guys that I teach will never gig, they just love playing,it's their hobby. If you can afford to buy nice instruments, then why not ?

Richard Barbieri in Birmingham next month.

Where are you applying to ? When I auditioned I had to play something of my choosing, and everything else was their choice, with them supplying the backing track. I guess this was so everyone was on a level playing field. We were given the chart and had ten minutes to prepare it, then had the audition. There were sections of sight-reading and sections with just chords for me to play my own lines.

[quote name='zbd1960' timestamp='1475958138' post='3150139'] I also play cello and tenor sax. The music world isn't very large and I've had a few calls over the last couple of years to dep in various concerts for several orchestras (I should be doing one tonight in Kidderminster, but I decided I needed a rest). Now, I don't want to imply I'm a genius, I'm not - I'm around grade 6 or 7 on cello, but my sight-reading is pretty good (because I'm an experienced choral singer and used to reading lots of stuff). I've done a lot of theory (because I like doing it). The end result is I can go to one of these gigs and do a decent job - I'm not being held back by my reading and the theory means I'm not thrown by weird things happening (e.g. odd time signatures or performance direction e.g. bowing spiccato or col legno as happened with a piece of Piazolla recently ([url="https://youtu.be/dMXoyJ8P1oE"]Tangazo[/url])). But, that's me. [/quote] Exactly, it all opens doors for you. I came to bass playing via playing violin at school, then classical guitar. I had weekly lessons for both instruments, learning to read etc. When it came to playing bass, I expected to be given charts to read from, it never occurred to me that you could play any other way.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1475955852' post='3150117'] That's great, and I'm sure no one begrudges you that. All that the theorists are saying is that for those of us who are [i]not[/i] content to rest on our laurels, learning theory is the way to progress. Personally, while I enjoy playing and gigging, I always want to be just that little better than I presently am. I'd hate to be so happy with it, that I had no goals to strive for. I'd be bored out of my tree in no time. YMMV. [/quote] That's pretty much something that I said in another thread the other day. This was the reply: [i][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Yea, its the new obsession . You have to be better,bigger, stronger, faster, fitter, blah. blah.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]No you dont. You only have to be happy and healthy. If you are happy with how and who you are, no matter how average, then you have cracked the meaning of life.. If you are not happy cos you are constantly striving to be perceived as "better" at something, so much so you cant accept or enjoy what you already have, then I am truly sorry for you.[/font][/color][/i]

Spirit of eden is one of my very favourite albums.

I've never liked steel strings, I prefer nickel. Steels do vary too, I found Dunlops very rough feeling, whereas D'Addario were much smoother and more nicer.

In my opinion at least, a reasonable knowledge of harmony, rhythm, interpretation of each with regard to styles/genre, is something every musician should know. However, it's up to each person to make their own mind up how much they want to learn, and feel that they need to learn. In fact it quite baffles me as to why people belittle knowledge, and those who have it, or strive to have it.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1475935942' post='3149917'] ooh ooh dont forget theory is also rythm . Ok everything in any song ever written has to do with theory.ill shut up now. [/quote] I see where you're coming from. I'd have included rhythm in with styles though, at least that's where it came at uni. We covered rhythm when we'd look at latin, jazz etc. Different genres where rhythms each have their own individual feel. Reggae for instance has it's own 'feel'. I can't play reggae to save my life. Jazz, latin etc are no problem, but I've never gotten reggae.

I think people are confusing things. To me at least, theory is the harmony side of things, scales, arpeggios etc. How you use them, what you play and when is more a styles kind of thing. You use each of them to to be able to play to a good and versatile standard. Reading is just that, reading. At least that's how things were broken down and taught on my degree course. My knowledge of harmony/theory teaches me what notes can be played over a given chord sequence or in a part. My experience and teaching of styles tells me how those notes should be played given the genre or song that I'm playing. My sight-reading skills get me paid gigs and opportunities like playing for a summer on a cruise ship around the med 6 years ago. And playing at shows at Birmingham Rep theatre. Getting called for last minute paid gigs because the guys know I can turn up, and just play, and not have to faff around learning each song. [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Being a good sight-reader goes with the other things. I can sight-read something, and use the information given to me in the chart, it's not just dots don't forget, to play in a way that will sound right for that song or piece of music.[/font][/color] Whether anyone needs to have, or to bother and learn anything, is entirely down to that particular individual. However neither being able to sight-read pretty much anything put in front of me, or having a really good harmonic knowledge has ever held me back creatively, in fact it has helped me enormously.

[quote name='mikeswals' timestamp='1472075173' post='3118379'] I dig shedua, especially with fairly heavy ribboning: And if you like pink, then can't see why you wouldn't like violet either! [/quote] I love the top 2, I don't like coloured one though, why hide that beautiful wood ? I've never played a Way, always been intrigued by them though. I've only ever seen one in real life too, and that was an amazing 6 string one owned by the guy that had my Roscoe 6 string fretless. They seem to encapsulate what a real instrument should be, same as Ken Smiths and Fodera etc. I

[quote name='danonearth' timestamp='1475873971' post='3149497'] Thanks again, everyone... [color=#141414]I was just wondering if people prefer to re-position their hand so it is placed on the new root of the chord (as if you were starting a new scale), or keep their hand in the original scale position and always play from there? So, in a sense do you play within a scale, or move as in chords on a guitar?[/color] [/quote] It would depend on what was coming up afterwards whether I'd shift position. If I'm given a chord chart/lead sheet to play that's new to me, I can usually get through anyway, but I like to quickly scan through it first of all, given the time. Most notes can be reached from pretty much one position.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1475869874' post='3149460'] Knowing what note or chord you are playing is hardly theory. I know the notes on the fretboard and guitar chords but I dont read music. [/quote] Reading music isn't theory, it's reading music. There's only one of my current students that is learning to read, but they're all learning some theory/harmony. Knowing what notes you're playing, and knowing how they work against a given chord or scale is theory, or harmony. If you can construct an arpeggio then that again is demonstrating a knowledge harmony.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1475851752' post='3149254'] Well, surely they did learn what fits, and in real time. They learned the notes on the neck at the same time, and while learning a song. Also, lots of new stuff can come from a happy accident. As for playing a minor blues scale run instead of a major? perhaps thats exactly what the player intended, it fits but its not what the music theorist would have played. [/quote] Well no, they didn't learn, that's my point. Whenever their band started a new song, it'd be trial and error writing a bass line. Minor over a major isn't anything to do with a theorist.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1475844921' post='3149175'] Its Rock and Roll, there are no rules. [/quote] It's music, no matter what you call it, or how you dress it up, and there are rules. You can learn or study them, or discover them accidentally, but they're there. I remember seeing a similar thread a while ago. Someone posted that they didn't know what they were playing, and used to just play all the notes randomly until they found something that would fit over a chord, then they'd do the same over the next chord. So trial and error. Wouldn't it be easier and quicker to know what you could play over a chord, and how what you choose to play would sound like ?

Silly question maybe, but have you tried phoning them ?

One thing I would add to my previous post, is don't get caught in the trap of relying on shapes and patterns, play notes not bass lines. Also, neither knowing what you're playing, or being able to read music will ever impede your creativity in any way, shape or form.

It's always been an interest of ,mine, I have loads of books collected over the years, and it was one of my best subjects on my degree. In my opinion I think the average person just really needs to know the notes on the fretboard, and basic chord theory, major, minor, dominant etc. So they know what notes they can play over a given chord. That's how I set about teaching anyway.

[quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1475751355' post='3148417'] Further fussing and simplifying gives this, which I'm fairly happy with: Verse: We were rolling through the Rockies... [font=courier new,courier,monospace]|-------------|--------------|-------------|-------------| |-------------|--------------|-------------|-----------3-| |-----1-----3-|-----1------3-|-----1-----3-|-------------| X 1 |-1-3-----3---|-1-3------3---|-1-3-----3---|--1-1----1---| [/font] [font=courier new,courier,monospace]And there was a god in heaven... |-------------|------------|-------------|--------------| |-------------|----------3-|--1-3-----3--|-----------3--| |----1-----1--|---1--------|--------3----|--1-----------| X 1 |--1-----1----|-1------1---|-------------|----1----1----|[/font] [font=courier new,courier,monospace]We were headed straight for Eden |-------------|----3--------|---5-3---------|------------| |-------------|--3-----1-3--|-3-----5-3-----|----------3-| |----1-----1--|-------------|-----------1-3-|------------| X 1 |--1-----1----|-------------|---------------|---------1--|[/font] [font=courier new,courier,monospace]BRIDGE: I guess something... |-------------|-3---------7-|-------------|-5----------5-|----------| |----------1--|---3------7--|--3--5-----5-|---5----------|----------| |----1---3----|-----5-------|---------5---|-----3----3---|------1-3-| |--1----------|-------------|-------------|--------------|----------|[/font] [/quote] As per my previous post, and as others have said. It's mostly whole notes using the root, with the occasional half note/quarter note maybe 8th note fill.

It looks fine to me, though odd that the guy doesn't know what it is. The little metal cups the strings fit into will fall out when you take the strings off. The neck pocket will be cut too big, and will be lop-sided. I had one, it was awful.

Have they got a Facebook page ?

I wouldn't worry about it too much, maybe easiily said though I guess. Zon are an established company with a good reputation.

I tried 2 sets a few years ago. I play fingersyle very gently, the black came off in a couple of hours.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1475754501' post='3148460'] I must be missing something here... why are you writing a line for a song that already has one? [/quote] That's what I wondered too. The one on the track is nice and a lot simpler than the one above too.