ambient

You’ll probably need work permits/visas now.

It’s certainly rare in my house, in fact I’m pretty certain there’s not even one in my road.

Will do. It’s probably best to get a used one if you can. I had it set up and new strings fitted. It’s a really lovely instrument.

I believe Wilton Felder played bass on I want you back, though Jamerson was credited with it too. There’s a couple of different takes featuring different players. I don’t know who actually composed the line.

This is actually quite interesting. At university we had to learn the bass part to a well known song each week, we’d then have to play it as part of an ensemble. I often used to wonder what had prompted whoever originally composed the line to use a particular note or phrase. I think a lot of the more interesting or unusual lines that you hear, were probably originally composed by a pianist/keyboard player. If the recording features a known bassist, then I’d guess he’s been chosen to add his particular flavour of line to the song - Pino springs to mind, especially in the 1980s, he’d have been booked to provide his trademark fretless lines to a song. I suppose most of us would have done something different if it had been us writing the line, rather than just recording it. We have our own particular style of playing, and make our own choices regarding notes etc. I tend to play quite melodically for instance.

A friend of mine has an Alien. He gets a lovely sound from it. The bodies do tend to be rather large, I believe that’s part and parcel of achieving a reasonable bass response though.

What instrument does Alexa play?

I don’t have perfect pitch, but I’m pretty good at identifying notes and my relative pitch is very good. It was just the physical action of standing there and singing. I could hear the note I wanted in my head, but what came out resembled the sound produced by standing on a cat's tail. I found it quite intimidating too, which didn’t help. I have the utmost respect and admiration for people who can sing, particularly if they can play an instrument at the same time. I think people like Mark King are incredibly talented to be able to do what they do.

I had to do a weekly singing class as part of my music degree. In the very first class the tutor confidently expressed the opinion that everyone can sing, then she met me.

I’ve encountered drummers, guitarists and singers who count in on one tempo, then actually start playing at a completely different one. I met a drummer once who had absolutely no understanding of the fundamentals of drumming, ie beat subdivision or anything. Yet he had a ridiculously expensive drum kit. He didn’t understand that a fill is meant to be in time, he’d just hit the drums a number of times. I recorded for a singer songwriter who’d learned to play guitar by watching Noel Gallagher on YouTube. Consequently he had no idea what the chords were to his songs. I had a student once who absolutely refused to engage with anything that was even vaguely connected with musical theory/harmony. He’d come for a weekly lesson to learn to play a Stranglers songs, a different one each week. That was all he wanted to do. The one week he phoned and complained that I’d taught him to play a song wrongly. It turned out that he’d gone along to an open mic night with some friends, and after a few drinks had been encouraged to get up and play. Unfortunately for him the house band did the song in a different key to what he’d learned it in.

A shed? With a TV, and a heater for the cold evenings of course, you wouldn’t want your wife to catch cold while you’re playing your bass.

Yep. For the old lady it was jazz she loved, but you’re right, it would be rock n roll. They’re my grandparent’s generation.

Yes definitely this. When I was very little we used to go on holiday to Devon and stay in my dad’s friend’s caravan. The caravan had a shed where they kept deckchairs and tables. I remember it had a very strong smell of creosote, I only need the slightest whiff and I’m transported back in time. Music though I can remember where I was when I first heard a particular song. I associate songs with events too.

I’m not a fan of the Miller stuff either to be honest, I’m not sure the audience particularly likes it either. The band’s sax/clarinetist likes it though, he’s in his 80s and played in big bands in his youth. From what I’ve been told since yesterday, the old lady that caught my attention used to love visiting jazz clubs with her husband.

I played a gig yesterday afternoon at an old people’s home. We mostly played jazz standards along with few Glenn Miller songs. There are some fantastic songs with really beautiful melodies in the standard repertoire. I never get tired of playing them. The best bit of the event for me was the one little old lady’s reaction after we played autumn leaves - a song I absolutely love playing anyway, it really lends itself to playing how I like to play bass, melodically as well as playing walking lines. You could tell it took her back to another time, bringing back memories. She was smiling and laughing, I heard her saying to someone how she had always loved that particular song. It made all the hassle of the two Covid tests prior to going in worth it.

Sadly even tor a band to tour in Europe now requires financial backing. Gone are the days of loading the guitarist’s mate’s van up, and heading off on a self-arranged tour.

It’s just one of those things isn’t it? Ten people will use a particular shop or courier and not have a problem, then another person’s experience will be a nightmare.

I ordered a set of double bass strings from Thomman - £60 cheaper than anywhere in the UK - they were shipped with UPS and arrived in three days.

It’s rare that you escape Mark’s clutches with your bank balance intact.

Whatever applies to the bass player surely applies to any musician? The three Ts: Timing Tone Taste