Staggering on

I still think I'm 33.Unforunately I just turned 71.Weird how that works.How did I get here already?

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1495808084' post='3306791']
Sounds like a good choice.

It always kills me when people here on BC complain about songs that people in an everyday audience actually like enough to sing along to and get up and dance.

Maybe we should all play really obscure jazz that people hate so we can go off and smirk at how much cleverer and musically hip we are.

Of course, our audience would end up being just us playing to/with ourselves . . . 😂
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As above-give 'em what they want, they're paying for the band.Some people want to hear originals or something obscure but most want/like to hear things they know and can hum/dance/sing along with.
My band is basically a "jazz standards" band but depending on the situation we will play anything from jazz to old rock and blues to waltzes and latin dance music and sometimes "wallpaper music" at banquets and receptions.We play lots of the stuff WE want to play and and fill out sets with "crowd pleasers".When playing some small venues we sometimes hand out copies of our playlist(over 140 songs on the list and that doesn't include our "dance" stuff) and let the audience choose part of the last set-fun for them and it keeps us on our toes.The jazz gigs are fun but so are the others, you've got to be flexible.If you're not enjoying what you play get into a band that suits you and find or build a new audience for your music.

If you have ever played double bass you know the answer to the question.

"Something proper about it" is the perfect description of the feeling I get when I'm on upright.I guess that's what I was trying to say in my earlier post when I said I feel like a "real" bass player when I'm playing an upright.Thanks for that,I'll use it.

Ah,the seductive power of the upright!
Like you, almost 60 years of guitar and EB and for the last three years EUB(Stagg at first and now Yamaha SLB200) and now I feel like a "real" bass player, oooh that might offend someone.
I still play a few old rock and blues tunes on EB but the upright is my go to instrument-it is so much FUN to play.It is a lot of work at first and physically tougher but I am a convert and it sounds great in my jazz standards quartet and gets a lot of interest from other musicians.If I had a bigger house and didn't have to worry about the crazy climate here in Canada I would go for a double bass but for now the EUB is the answer for me.
Glad it worked out for you, have you tried it with the bow-another whole world there.

Here's a Canadian response.
In the late '70's I played a strolling gig in February at the Toronto zoo.I was playing tenor banjo as a dep in a Dixieland band that wore clown costumes so it was a pretty strange gig.It was made worse by the fact that it was -20C (really)so we decided to play a few songs outside then hustle inside to warm up before our next foray into the cold.Fingerless gloves and several layers including long johns made it a bit better but it was very cold.
We tuned up inside,went outside and the leader called a song and key and wanted 4 bars on the banjo as an intro so away I went.Ithought the horn players,all very good musicians, seemed to be having a hard time getting the song rolling but it eventually worked out by the end of the song.At that point the trumpet player asked why I played the intro and the song in C# instead of C.Turns out the couple of minutes of cold air raised the tuning of the banjo a half tone,which made for a very interesting gig.As each song was played the horn players had valves freeze,pads on the sax freeze shut and the trombone froze solid in first position between songs.They had a tough time playing songs with more notes missing as the song progressed.Not a fun day but we got paid,but it was COLD.Haven't played below freezing since then and don't plan to.

Yes,I played my old Yamaha RBX750A with flats for almost 25 years in a big swing band and several smaller bands before I went over to the dark side and started playing upright.A double bass would have been my first choice but in this climate(very cold and very hot) and my small house the EUB made more sense.By the way,I use a Laney RB5(rare on this side of the Atlantic) for home practice but for gigs go direct into the band's PA,makes for a good sound through our Bose L1 system.
A few of the resources I used -
-Geoff Chalmers discoverdoublebass website-good beginner and more advanced lessons-not intimidating and each lesson is short and easy to follow

-Jim Stinnett's lessons on line-he also has books-he does EB and Double Bass stuff and some things(walking bass lines etc.) are useful for both instruments and you can download some of his written stuff-I found a lot of his ideas easy to understand and use-very relaxed and not too stressful

-The Jazz Bass Book by John Goldsby-good history and all kinds of stuff to work on in the instruction part of the book,some advanced stuff too which will take me a lot of time to work through

I have looked at a lot of sites in the last 2 1/2 years and have copied fingering charts and other things from some and just listened to others.The ones above were the ones that I thought of first,I'm sure I'll think of some others after I send this.(...slaps forehead..."oh yeah,I forgot that one...")
It helps if you read but a lot of the material is done as a demonstration and may or not show the notation.Be forewarned that there are some absolutely terrible videos out there,both in terms of information and production,some are embarrassing to watch.I started with Geoff and then moved on to other sites and it has worked for me,some other BC members may have other suggestions,particularly for specific types of music.
It's pretty frustrating at the start but as you pick up some technique it gets to be fun and very satisfying and of course because you are playing upright you start to feel like a "real" bass player,if you know what I mean.

I had the Stagg for about 8 months before I found the SLB200.I played pretty much every day for most of that time through a long Canadian winter and made a lot of progress but didn't use it on a gig until I felt confident,around six months.Since then I have continued to play the SLB almost daily and would consider myself fairly competent for the type of music I play in my band.Some days I will only have a few minutes to play and other times I'll play for a couple of hours,you need to put in some longish sessions if you plan to play at a gig all night,it's pretty physical. I used a lot of online material and several books and my reading(especially sight reading) has improved immensely and my intonation is getting better.I am struggling with the bow but having fun with it and it has improved my left hand work and intonation,although I suspect most of the dogs in the neighbourhood start howling when I start my arco practice!
As many people have found,going upright is addictive and always a challenge but it is so much FUN!

I may be the only other person who didn't know about it but thanks for passing on the info.This is really interesting listening.

Bob

I had a Stagg and now play a Yamaha SLB200.Among other things I have found the body extensions("arms")on the Yamaha are much more comfortable and solid than on the Stagg and you can really use them for supporting the instrument.The neck heel is better on the Yamaha and is easier to use.
I think the tuners work better and the tone and volume controls are very sensitive and can be used to define your sound very effectively,much better than the Stagg.
The overall quality of the build makes the SLB feel much more solid and stable than the Stagg,but I did have to do some work on the endpin screw after it stripped(seems to be fairly common).
I like the sound from the body of the Yamaha,the Stagg is solid with no chamber.The fingerboard is much better on the Yamaha also,better shape and finish.The case is also better which makes a big difference if you have to move the bass a lot,it's not perfect but is definitely more substantial than the Stagg cases,I had the Stagg gig bag and also their hard case and both were pretty flimsy.
I am still working on basic arco technique but it is easier with the Yamaha bridge shape than it was on the Stagg.
Playability,comfort and good controls make the SLB a lot easier to play and sound better than the Stagg.
I use it in a jazz standards quartet(keyboard,drums,sax/clarinet) and while it doesn't sound like an acoustic upright it is close and I can fine tune the sound to work in a variety of venues.
All that said,it is very expensive and there might be other more reasonably priced alternatives like the Far West or MK(Italian) EUB's that are as good or better than the Yamaha.At this point I'm very happy with the SLB200.

Some lessons are done via Skype which means it is a live two way interactive session.The student can see and hear the instructor and he can watch and listen to the student.I haven't done it but apparently it is very effective and about as close to face to face as you can get.Anybody on here tried it?
I'm in Canada and I don't know if this is a thing that only happens on this side of the Atlantic.

To answer your question,no it's not wrong.I find it interesting that "pay" is in your posting and I wonder if you meant "play"-a bit of a Feudian slip or just an accident?Does the type of gig(paid or free) make a difference?
To me I think you just do what you want and don't worry about what others may think.I happen to like a tight well-organized band that knows what they are doing.I also like to practice a lot(mostly EUB these days) and work on new ideas and music and like rehearsing with the band and I love playing gigs which I have been doing for 56 years and plan to keep going as long as I can(I'm 70).Others may like to be bedroom noodlers and that is fine but I like to play with and for people.I play music for fun and a bit of money and it works for me,no worries or concern about what I "should" be doing.
I have done everything from folk guitar work by myself to groups as big a 18(swing band) and am currently in a jazz standards quartet that gigs once or twice a month with no delusions,we just enjoy doing what we do and with 3 music teachers in the group it is always challenging but we have no ego problems and like to work hard on new music(over 140 songs in our regular book and about 50 more for special occasions).
Just have fun.

At first glance(it's still early here in Canada)I thought the subject started with "changing genders",now that might be a real challenge!

Ah,the upright has seduced you too!I went from EB to a Stagg about 3 years ago and it just "felt right",particularly for the jazz standards my band plays.All of a sudden I felt like a "real" bass player(apologies for that) and started to really learn how to play properly(even working with the bow) and I am a much better player than I ever was on EB.I moved up to a Yamaha SLB 200 and absolutely love it and now feel awkward playing EB which seems "easy" to play now,even if only for a few songs.This slippery slope can lead to an acoustic double bass but so far I have resisted....so far....

I have learned a lot from him-he has BG and DB videos and I have found him easy to follow and not intimidating like some instructors are.Apparently he is loved or laughed at by his students but he has a lot of good ideas and I found his videos to be informative and fun,but maybe that's just me.I especially like his double bass lessons,they have helped make my playing on my Yamaha SLB 200 a lot better and more musical.

It's worse if you play upright bass.Check out Jay Leonhart's video "It's impossible to sing and play the bass".And even worse if you are using the bow!

As one of the "old people"(I'm 70) that the boy refers to I am part of a generation that doesn't need smilies to indicate that something is humorous.Of course it was meant to be a gentle dig but it is funny and a lot of us know that it is often true.Relax and let the words speak for themselves and laugh a little.
Note that I will NOT be using smilies or any other of those new-fangled things and I don't think I need a "hehe" either.Calm down.

I really don't think that anyone actually needs a watch to tell the time while they are on stage performing. If you've done your pre-gig preparation properly then you'll know how long the set lasts and also how long each individual song is so that you can adjust as required to take account of any over-run.
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I've never been in a band where sets were designed to the minute and where every night the set is exactly the same.Guess you just ignore the audience and do your thing.Sounds like a boring job to me.

Pretty good price for an SLB I think.It would be a good price here in Canada.

The SLB200 can be had used at the price TheRev quotes but new is a lot more.You might find one on in the ads on this site.

I started with a Stagg and then switched to a Yamaha SLB200.Its neck is very similar to a DB and with the stock strings and the adjustable bridge it can be set up very well.I play in a jazz standards quartet and we play some blues and old rock 'n roll as well and it works great for me.It took me a while to get the sound I wanted but the volume and tone controls are VERY sensitive and some time spent fiddling with them is time well spent,many small adjustments can make a huge difference in the sound.Your amp settings will obviously have an impact too.
I use my Laney RB5 for home practice and some gigs but usually plug directly into our Bose PA for most gigs,fantastic but expensive sound.
They are on the high end of the price scale but are reliable and sound and feel great.After almost two years of using it I have no complaints and still love it.I am currently working on my arco technique and although I'm not very good at it I do find the SLB200 works well when bowed.

Live music in pubs and clubs is fast disappearing here in Canada too.Bands are being replaced by singles or duos with backing tracks(or not) and DJ's in venues that used to hire bands.Many functions such as wedding receptions are going the same route.As a quartet that plays mostly jazz standards we can fit in at receptions and dinners playing "wallpaper music"and we also play at a few venues as "the band" where we are the main attraction at a club or pub,but is tough to find work.
After our gig last night I was watching late news on TV and heard that one of Toronto's most famous clubs Hugh's Room will be shutting down for a while to consider if they can continue as a live music club.Hugh's Room has featured big names as well as new talent for years and is one of the best known venues for live music in this country.Several other club owners were interviewed in the story and they are all wondering how long they can go on.One said that at least one generation has had no experience hearing live music in anything other than large halls and arenas or stadiums with various rock bands.Students,who for generations made up a large part of the pub clientele,can't afford the steep prices and the hassles of transportation so stay home to party and stream their music.For those of us "of a certain age" this seems to be odd but it is the way it is now and unlikely to change.Many of you will have noticed that younger crowds don't know how to respond to live entertainment of any sort(except large concerts) mostly because they have never seen live musicians or theatre.
All this is awfully depressing but I guess it's the way it is going to be for a while.A far cry from when I was in bands that played six nights a week in pubs and clubs.Not good news for those of us that like playing for an audience and get a buzz out of gigging.
Not sure what the future holds but we are hanging in for the present but I feel sorry for new bands trying to find a place to play.

Jackie Evancho will be singing at Trump's inauguration,could be interesting.
She is quite well known over here in North America and is maturing into a great singer.There are lots of videos of her performances.

Bob(in Canada)

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1483994995' post='3211864']
The reason people (myself included) post these things is usually, (whether a fan or not) that some of these people formed part of the soundtrack to their lives.

I personally couldn't stand "Where do you go to my lovely" however, it was continuously on the radio and T.V in a certain period of my life and therefore, became part of the backdrop to it and yes, it does make us realise that we aren't immortal as we subconsciously think that those famous names we grew up with will always be there.

It also gives some people the chance to reminisce a little if they want to.

It's not really an unhealthy obsession with celebrity death, just another way of marking the passage through our own lives.
[/quote]

I agree,although I actually did like the song since I was in my guitar playing student folky phase at the time.
I especially like the "passage of time" idea and marvel at the fact that I was a mere 23 year old when the song was a hit and so much has happened to me since, but I can still feel the energy and emotion that I felt way back then when I think of or hear that song.It takes me to an interesting time and place.And life goes on,and that's a good thing,it's not an obsession, it is just life.

Bob

Sarstedt-big hit in Canada too.I don't think anyone could cover his music,certainly not "Where do you go to...".And that was in '69,where did the time go-he was 75.
A special talent.