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[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1348521744' post='1814841'] How do you play ghost notes when you play fingerstyle? I don't want to make it sound too simple or condescending,but it's really just a matter of lifting off the note slightly with your left hand and hitting the string. Try fretting a note,(say A on the E string) and play steady crotchets.Then gradually start to lighten the pressure on the note,but still keep in contact with the string.You should find that the note becomes muted. Then it just becomes a matter of being able to do it readily and easily. [/quote] But he's slapping isn't he? Not playing finger style.

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1348521370' post='1814827'] Yes and no. Using your ears to identify intervals and chords is vital,but you will also gain a hell of a lot more if you combine it with the theory. It's not an either/or thing. If someone hands you a basic chord chart,or even just tells you the chords,then knowing what notes spell out a C7 chord is going to make life a lot easier. Lojo mentioned playing a jazz gig and trying out lots of notes and then not playing the ones that didn't work next time. This kind of trial and error approach,for me,is why you practice and study.It's fine to experiment with different things at times,as long as you know that you can fall back on the chord tones. Of course you need to be able to hear what notes are clashing and adjust, but often by the time you hear that what you played was wrong,it's too late-do this enough times and you don't get rehired. A good solid grounding in chord tones can and will make a big difference to your playing,and not in the negative way that some people seem to imply. [/quote] You are approaching it from a chart reading sessionista's point of view though mate. To really do this properly, you have to be expressing yourself at the speed of thought. To do that you have to use you ears and experience. Your fingers need to have eyes, to quote Steve Vai. This comes with practice and experience. Knowing what intervals sound like is critical, having an imagination to use them is even more so. You don't need to give these intervals names if you don't want to, but you DO need to know what they sound like. You also need a vocabulary of phrases that you like (liking what you play is also critical if you want to play with any expression). You should be able to sing these in your head and play them without thinking as you adapt them to musical situations. I am also of the mind that deciding what notes you LEAVE OUT is a better approach to what notes you PUT IN It really is all about educating your ears and playing what you LIKE hearing. You have to develop your musical imagination. Of course a session player needs to be able to play almost anything, but I don't think that's where the OP is coming from.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1348515132' post='1814681'] Tssccch! No-one uses a half-Windsor tie knot these days! [/quote] I do. And shall be tomorrow

To the OP, sling on a track you're writing a bass line for, and sing along, in your head preferably, melodic dynamic bass lines will come with practice.

The Sandbergers will be along soon and you'll get LOADS of advice I was after one last year and I got loads of help here. I found the ones I tried were a bit of a handful, but the necks were nice and slim, like a Jazz. I ended up with my first love, a Warwick Streamer.

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1348517347' post='1814740'] Secret, special, notes that are only known to the few... You have to join 'the club' before you're told where they are. [/quote]

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1348516671' post='1814724'] I agree with this 99%, but sometimes theory can give you hints and ideas that you might not have found for a *long* time - a classic example is the 'blue note' in a blues scale which you probably wouldn't find through experimenting for a long time, but the theory guides you what to experiment with. A *little* theory is a good thing I think. [/quote] That's where the 'educating' of your ears comes in to play. You need to HEAR that note, not just play it because you are aware it fits in a certain place. You have to learn how to hear tension and resolution in small and longer passages and how it contributes to the whole. The use of melodic and harmonic devices and embellishments MUST be musical, not theoretical. But I agree that exploring theory can most certainly open ones ears.

The only way to do this is to educate, and use, your ears. No amount of theory will help you.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1348510918' post='1814603'] I too had a powerbrake (flogged it here on BC a couple of years ago). Chunky item. Thing I found was that it was good at the top two or three notches for shaving a [i]bit[/i] of volume off. But the quieter one went after that, the tizzier it seemed to get. In the end, I went out and bought a 15 watter and put the Marshall at the back of the cupboard. [/quote] I think all guitarists with 50w valve amps and above should think about that

Lowdown's link is not working for me.

I don't think that's the original finish mate, and it's the active version so it's probably 1990s

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348486106' post='1814086'] September's compositions are up. And a big selection of styles too. Cast you votes [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/187585-september-composition-competition-voting-time/"]here[/url] [/quote] 'ang on a minute, mine's not done yet, and there are 6 days of September left!

[quote name='winterfire666' timestamp='1348500004' post='1814385'] i put in an order late feb/early march i think. hes due to start the build in nov so still a wait but getting closer. Iv not limited myself for the spec so theres gonna be piezos, inlays and a lovely black walnut top (unique unusual figuring)etc . There are still some bits to finalize before the build starts though im still considering different neck sizing options but it will be a 33" scale 24 frets. Ill post a full review with pics and video when it arrives. its gonna be EPIC! [/quote] Oh man! You lucky, lucky barstard

[quote name='bengovier182' timestamp='1348497390' post='1814333'] Just noticed my bass chat time is an hour behind. Eg. Just sent a message at 3:34 but it says sent at 2:34. Anyone else? [/quote] It says 3.36 on your post.

[quote name='winterfire666' timestamp='1348496727' post='1814316'] i dont consider myself a fancy player, but i like my basses to look the business as well as sound awesome, although playability does come 1st +1 on xylem, im very picky about my finishes but they are awesome, hopefully mine wont be too long now!! [/quote] Oh man, you're getting one! I think we need a full review when you get a chance mate Is it being built as we speak? I really want one but it's a little while yet, I'll want a higher spec one so that's a lot of cash. have you seen the ebony top fretless 5 in the thread? Just completely lickable

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348495783' post='1814302'] I have the Marshall Power Brake, which seems to do the job perfectly although it is very heavy over twice what the Hot Plate weighs and the fan has an alarming tendency to go mad on sounds with a lot of high-resonance phase and flange effects. If I was in the market for one now, I'd probably be looking at one of the Weber designs with the speaker motor. [/quote] I read a lot of things that put me off the Power Brake, the THD seemed the best after my research.

There is a difference for me between Fancy and Stylish. I play simple stuff on a stylish chrome Warwick I don't like wood finishes at all, but the huge exception to this is the Xylem basses in the Basschat affiliates thread, they are utterly delicious!

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' timestamp='1348477128' post='1813921'] Marco Minniemann is more or less my favourite ever drummer, so tight but so groovy and loose at the same time. Dennis Chambers is another drummer I love, his accenting is is unmatched and fits melodies and bass parts so well. Brann Dailor and Ray Luzier as well are worth a mention! Brann really can control the feel of a song no matter what is around him and his usage of the whole kit with great taste is very pleasing to hear, even more so in full band context [/quote] Oh yeah, Brann Dailor, he is fabulous, I love his playing.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348482538' post='1814014'] The Marshall Power Brake seems to be discontinued, but you can still get the [url="http://www.thdelectronics.com/product_page_hotplate.html"]THD Hot Plate[/url] or the [url="http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm"]Weber MASS[/url]. [/quote] The Hot Plate is wonderful. I used to run one with my Fender twin, they work brilliantly.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348054740' post='1808522'] I'd beware of anything more than 15 years old, because IME the patch switching technology simply wasn't very good, with noticeable delays between pressing the button/footswitch to change patches and the change actually happening and in the worst cases with the output being muted while the patch change occurs. [/quote] I used to get that problem with my SPX-50D DSP. Rendered it useless except for recording.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348489177' post='1814178'] All my rigs include a Pod in them in one form or another. I have a Pod XT which I take with me when I'm going to be using someone else's amp and speakers. Normally I just plug this into the input and set the tone controls to flat unless the amp and/or speakers are very biased to a particular sound. The other two rigs are based around my amp rack which is a Pod XT Pro in the effects loop of a Tech Sounsystems Black Cat hybrid amp - valve pre and 1k Watt digital power. This feeds either two small Dr Bass cabs or 2 large EBS ones. My main sound is built around the Subdub preset with the drive rolled back just a tad and little extra high-mid boost. The great thing about gear sharing with my rig is that I can let the other bassists fiddle to their heart's content with the controls and then when I come on I hit the footswitch for the patch for our first song and I know it's going to sound right. [/quote] Excellent! I love the SubDub patch, I do the same as you actually, I add high mids to add some bite. The POD and its volume pedal are such a part of my style now I think I'd be lost without it.

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1348488562' post='1814161'] Never knew he played Status.... very surprising! [/quote] He loves Status! He's got a few, and some BCers have bought from him I believe. In fact, one prominent BCer actually showed Das how to play bass when he used to be a percussionist and in a band with the BCer very long ago. I won't say who it is though sorry

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1348488269' post='1814150'] It was a fun night. What I forgot to mention is that we divided up who brought what, which mean Meansteed brought guitar cabs, Trioxin Cherry provided the drums and I brought my smaller bass rig. Both the bass players from the other two bands said afterwards how much they liked the bass sound through my rig - as well as the singer/guitarist with Meansteed who was mightily impressed with the tone their bassist got! [/quote] Was that your POD rig mate?

[quote name='NickH' timestamp='1348487495' post='1814120'] If you rely on the map in the iPhone 5, you'll still be lost [/quote]

That sounds wickid! Nice story BRX.