dadofsix

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1431333114' post='2769971'] I'm surprised at how many people "keep a bit in reserve"! I always assumed (rightly or wrongly) that reducing the volume would affect the tone and that basses work best with volumes up full. Better for signal to noise ratio too... but maybe this is not true? Easier on a P bass (or something with only one volume control) but trying to do that on a J could be fiddly as having the two volumes set differently would change the tone (balance of the pickups) a bit I would guess. [/quote] I changed the middle volume control on my Jazz to a blend control. Now the one volume control controls both pick-ups. I know some of the purists may be aghast, but it serves my needs and can be undone if I ever stop using the Jazz live. Haven't figured out how to do that with the Rickenbacker, yet. lol

The volume on my bass is at 75% to 80% for most songs but it's wide open on loud and powerful songs. Those songs invigorate me! :-)

The wrist is getting better. I've learned how to accomodate the soft-cast on the arm making my playing a lot less clumsy. I played a show last Saturday and have another show scheduled for this Saturday. The big problem for me now is that I can't mute strings like I need to with the soft-cast on while playing. It sounds so very sloppy to me. The one thing that terrifies me is someone coming up to me after a show, while I'm still playing with the soft-cast, and telling me how great the bass sounds and wanting to know what I'm doing differently! lol

Here and I thought that my laptop was the only one being difficult. A LOT of lag in this video to be sure.

Ditto!

Thanks for all your well wishes. This one below, however, got me to laugh. I needed that. Thanks. [quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1430374485' post='2760679'] You have a Piano, a left hand. Rachmaninov piano studies are your best friend. Plenty of stuff by him for the left hand. Mind you, when you have finished, your left hand will be of no use as well...lol.... I hope you are back in action soon. [/quote]

I can play with the Soft-cast on -- but clumsily. I can even play with the Soft-cast off -- but I will definitely pay for it in the morning (picture a Flintston's cartoon with a throbbing foot). That's what it feels like after I've been "unkind" to the wrist. Unfortunately, my focus when I play seems to be more "do no harm" than exploring new musical adventures. I'm seriously bummed.

I feel like I'm going crazy . . . not being able to play anything musical in a meaningful way -- no bass, no guitar, no piano, nothing! You see, I broke the right wrist a couple of weeks ago while refereeing as soccer (football) match. It seems that my avenues to musical expresssion have been cut-off and I am NOT happy about it. Music has been a major part of my life since I was a child. What about you? Has anyone else been prevented from playing because of an accidental injury? If so, how in the world did you cope?? How long did you have to endure the inability to express yourself musically? Help!!!!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1430203895' post='2758782'] Clothing wise I usually go with the Batman costume... [/quote] You too?? Well, great minds DO think alike!! lol

Wish that had been around when I was still married. On special occasions like her birthday and Christmas, I would always get "she who must be obeyed" empty bass cases for gifts. She just never seemed surprised or happy with my choice of gifts. Women!!! lol

Help a poor fellow out who lives on the other side of the pond . . . Hand, Foot and Mouth disease???? Whassat????

Save for a few "Stones" songs (I so dislike his voice but it fits what they're doing), I really can't think of any song where a vocalist has ruined a song for me. Any specifics? In truth, most of my favorite songs were sung by folks with quite "imperfect voices." But, it is the imperfections in their voices that make the listening experience so special. Since my voice is so "imperfect" it gives me hope. It's only when I hear someone with a voice like Josh Groban that I want to retire my own microphone. lol

When I would take one of the pups with me to a music store in days long past, they'd always want to hear me play the bass to a number of songs. Sweet Emotion was one that I remember doing. So was Ramble On by Zep. My middle child liked to hear me play the bass part to Something by The Beatles. Now that they're living elsewhere, when I'm found in a music store I'm usually where the high ticket acoustic guitars are kept, playing something in an alternate tuning. Somehow The Rain Song, by Zep, is SOOOooo much more fun to play on a $5,000.00 Gibson acoustic. And GAS never seems to be an issue when the price tags are that high! lol <><Peace

Not bad! A lot of energy and the song wasn't half bad.

Interesting. I had to watch a YouTube video to see what a ghost note was. I've been doing this (playing ghost notes) for nearly forty years, for feel and adding presence in the song, but I never knew that what I was doing was called "playing ghost notes" until today. lol

That's what I'm talking about: the force of the front man's personality controlling the show and the audience. I used my shyness as a tool. Showing vulnerability, playfulness, and wit, while nailing the vocals on some of the hardest songs on the radio at the time, proved irresistable to the young ladies.

The art of "fronting" seems largely to have passed the music scene by, sadly. I see no one in the clubs or larger venues that I would call an even adequate front man or woman. The ability to have total command of the crowd and the feel of the event is a priceless skill. Back in the mid 70s, the band I was in (all good friends and my brother was the drummer) "fired" me as their bass player . . . because they wanted me to front the band. We were doing Queen, The Who, Trapeze, Uriah Heep, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, you name it. While I was singing and playing the bass, my fronting abilities were limited by the length of my cord. I gotta tell you, fronting is hard work -- especially for someone who was quite shy around people back then. But I was good. We used to rent out armories and large convention centers and throw our own concerts because the club scene hadn't kicked in yet. I was recruited from all over Florida and even the west coast to fill the front man slot in various emerging and yet uknown bands. But I wasn't interested. I was having too much fun playing for the folks in South Florida. I have fond memories of looking out on the audience during a break and seeing all the local guitarists on Gary's side of the stage, who, during the show would be trying to figure out HOW he was doing WHAT he was doing; all the bass players in the area would be on Warren's side of the stage freaking out at his theatrics and playing ability; all the drummers near the sides of the stage watching my brother slay on the drums and them just freaking out at his ability to lay down such a powerful groove; and all the vocalists in the area . . . would be at the back of the hall telling people "aww, he sucks. What a no-talent waste up there. You should hear me sing that song!" lol Meanwhile, the front of the stage, where I was, would have literally hundreds of VERY attractive young ladies, many scantily dressed, dancing in front of me and trying to touch me. Aahh, life was good! But, life changes, and we change with it or whither and die. Peace

Was absolutely there when the kids were puppies. No money for anything but their care: food, clothes, medical bills, you name it, I was paying it. There is a difference. But it is still a glorious difference! :-)

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1429032965' post='2747244'] Aren't all strings fretless? They'd be quite painful on the fingers otherwise. [/quote] Haha! But attended to. I forgot to put an apostrophe after the second "fretless." :-)

I don't know what the defamation laws are in your neck of the woods but be carefull. You don't want the slimeball who took your stuff to have the slightest chance of successfully suing you for defamation of character. Right now, with no concrete evidence, it's his word agains yours if it comes to a court of law. <><Peace

Surprisingly enough, I do hear that quite often. A big smile, and a "thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it" goes a long way. <><Peace

Damn! I'm reading these little pearls and thinking to myself "man, I have been one lucky duck playing through the years!" Then I realized that I'm typing this out with my left middle finger having broken my right wrist in a soccer match the day before. lol

I'm with you, Dad. There's an untold story here. lol

There's random jamming where there's no real structure and no real definition of the music by anyone. While it can be fun initially, it can get frustrating after a while. BUT, there is also jamming where there is purpose and a pattern with skilled musicians at the helm. And, if you learn to LISTEN, and learn to groove effortlessly, you can grow exponentially as a musician. <><Peace

Nice bass work by Deacon -- though I've always been impressed by his contributions to Queen's collective works. Something curious happened as the second clip came to an end, though. It was unexpected but was, still, truly a delight. As I was moving the pointer to close down the site, a song began to play. It was haunting and mysterious. I had to listen to it to the end. I couldn't help myself. It was a song called Hush House (from "the Casual Vacancy") by a group called The Doppler Shift. I can honestly say I had never heard of them before. I'll be listening for them from now on. <><Peace