Nicko

.... well, do you?? Generally I don't and people find it strange.

[quote name='Qlank' timestamp='1427924053' post='2736038'] Learn some Rush songs. "Hey guys, "2112' has some tricky parts but I think we can make it work". "I've nailed all the bass parts". "C'mon guys , lets give this a go". "You can't play this stuff?" "It's been 2 months?........ What songs are your band doing OP? We are here to help you be better [/quote] Having listened to the OP's suggested track - I'm not sure suggesting Rush would result in anything other than instant sacking! Stick with it Juliet. I'm constantly amazed by the songs that I actually can play after putting in a bit of work.

To me classical music is all about developing a theme. The closest I come to this in modern music is trance and ambient which on the surface is all about rhythm which is not really my bag but given the right, ahem, "state of mind" can have people feeling quite emotional. This is the new prog rock.

Upstrokes for offbeat. Downstrokes for onbeat. Or alternatie if the speed needs it.

There was a suggestion that Sloppy Seconds would work, mainly cos we're not that tight and do covers, but ......

[quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1426689377' post='2720820'] Rock Paper Scissors (Lizard Spock)? [/quote] Ah, The old band was Lizard based

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1426683553' post='2720699'] Relatively speaking I'm a better cook than a photographer and, again, an upgrade to my hob a few years ago really improved my cooking skills. [/quote] I read this and realised my cooker cost twice as much as my bass. The fact I though that this might be an excuse to buy a more expensive bass probably tells you where I stand on the OP.

I've been with a band a while. The guy that started the band left and basically took the name with him (which is fair enough!). I'm really struggling to come up with a new name for the band which is a) not trying to be comical not pretentious c) not used by anyone else d) appropriate to the material we play We are a covers band, but basically play indie/rock stuff from 90s onwards. I've ave looked at a few random name generators but they're exactly that - random. Any ideas where I can find inspiration?

I played guitar for 20 years or so before seeing the light. I find it really useful to have a mental picture of a chord or arpeggio in my head, because I know where the chord notes are on the fretboard. I dont have to think in scale tones at all unless I want to get more complex. Although I'm not much of a lead guitarist I used to solo using the same mehod for resolving phrases. Technically this is the wrong approach, but it works for me and I'm sure others would benefit from knowing a bit more guitar theory .

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1426080892' post='2714133'] That version is 25years old! I keep reading people saying ''far too many bands" and "everyone" is playing all the old favourites but then claiming their band is different because we play more up to date tunes. Then cite 90s tunes. So who is it that's playing all those old tunes that no one wants to hear? Seems it's none of us here on BassChat! I'd say we must be pretty representative of 'most bands'. I'm sure this is just another one of those untruths we like to repeat. [/quote] I really dont think this is an untruth. I've been asked to play songs from the 60s and 70s at quite a few auditions - generally I dont get as far as the audition if thats what they want to play anymore but its not long ago I was playing Cant Get Enough, Sweet Home Alabama, Twist and Shout and Credance Clearwater Revival songs on a regular basis. Most of the songs on the list were hits before I was born.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1426068158' post='2713905'] These basses have not been involved making a single piece of music that I have liked or listened to since I discovered what a bass guitar was. [/quote] This is an astonishing statement, unless you only listen to trad jazz played on a standup. As for Ric, never played one, and got past the "they look cool" phase some time ago.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1426008569' post='2713379'] I disagree with the above, you'd be surprised how many bands want to trot this old crap out at gigs. Lazy. [/quote] I agree. Too many bands trotting out the same old crap. Its far too lazy, and Joe Public really is capable of appreciating other songs from what is, lets face it, a massive choice of successful music. Its quite possible to construct a decent set list that doesn't include the Beatles, Hendrix, Dire Straits, EC, ACDC, GnR and the Eagles. My covers band is deliberately avoiding the "classic", we're absolutely aligned with #84, except Hard to Handle which we should have dropped by now. Black Crowes version is only 90s though.... All the other songs are pretty much late 90s onwards, successful chart tunes that everyone should recognise. I was in a previous band that got stuck up its own A by pidgeon holing itself as "post punk" covers. Absolutely loved playing the songs at rehearsal, but ran out of suitable material to play to an audience far too quickly TBH.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1425904683' post='2711961'] Why don't you just join a band? [/quote] ^^^^ This. Join an originals band,

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1425899002' post='2711871'] I may be in a minority here but I cannot see the problem with these shows (the Voice or The X Factor). They are about the full package; voice, looks, dancing, body image, presence etc. So what? THAT is what the world of pop music is about and anyone who thinks it is about integrity or pure artistry is kidding themselves. If Waynetta Slob got up there and sang like a God, there would be a discussion about whether or not she could be cleaned up and rendered presentable. If not, end of story. There are dozens of old artist of yesteryear who were great singers but who, for all sorts of reasons, never made it 'big' in any mainstream sense; instead they had long careers as 'B-listers', cabaret acts, musical theatre or in other marginalised genres. For someone to make it in the [b]mainstream[/b] music industry, they have to have the whole package. It is not really that different in Jazz (the source of all purity). Every Jazz festival is nowadays headlined by what I call 'nearly Jazz'; Gregory Porter, Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Jamie Cullem etc etc - if you take a genius musician like, say, Kenny Wheeler, you cannot expect the kids who love to look at and dance to Justin Beiber to sit there, stroking their chins, watching a portly 70+ year old in a cord suit and loafers, standing there playing his horn, even if it IS magic. Same with Rock. Imagine a man with Albert Tatlock's looks and Graham Bonnet's voice? Would he be selected to front a reformed Journey? Of course not. In a world of visual imagery, the look is part of the deal. These shows are looking for mainstream artists and there are lots of different formulas for what that looks like (that is the art of it) but, to me, the approach as some integrity in it's own field of operation (those battles in The Voice last week, for instance. I knew who won every time because, prejudices aside and with a small degree of subjectivity, the better singers came out on top). For those who pass through and who 'lose', there is still an industry that can accommodate them e.g. Jonathan Antoine as a classical tenor, Rhydian Roberts in musical theatre, Susan Boyle in her field etc. These people are all perfectly credible and certainly have as much right to be out there as I do but they are unlikely to be on MTV any time soon. More to the point, lots of the winners have disappeared into obscurity for the same reasons. Voice aside, they could not cut it.. [/quote] I agree 100%. My only issue is the amount of coverage that the contestants get compared to people doing it the hard way. Desn't mean the end product is actually any good, but then theres some mainstream stuff thats also a load of crap as well. I dont know whether some of the contestants would ever darken our airwaves without shows like this. I mean, someone ilke Olly Murs, maybe he can sing a bit but he's not exactly on the upper end of talented is he? But, go back through history and theres plenty of OK artists that got hyped up into to the big time.

[quote name='jahfish' timestamp='1425418292' post='2707209'] this topic is a CAN OF WORMS! It's a choice between good technical bass playing and disliking the style of music the band plays, two different things? [/quote] Not really what I meant - I was really talking about bass lines you really enjoy on tracks you don't so for me Rush doesnt count cos although Geddy is great technically I'm not into either the bass lines or the finished article. .[quote name='odysseus' timestamp='1425419611' post='2707246'] Jamiroquai sort of bypassed me first time around, then someone suggested I listened to their bassist. I love his stuff, and I'm growing into the whole band now. Not quite what the OP was about I guess, but yeah. [/quote] Yep, I guess thats the natural progression for some bands.

Yep, its all crap and I blame the internet. Gone are the days when you could queue up outside a venue and actually buy a ticket on a first come first served basis. Now its the big agencies selling a bare minimum of tickets to joe public and retaining most of the tickets to sell at a big markup through their "partner" site. Its basically legalised touting. If the artists really are as popular as it appears, they'd play more gigs wouldn't they?

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1425323621' post='2706235'] Anybody mentioned 'Summer of '69' yet? It was one of our staples during my pub band days in the Northampton area ('Tango With Dignity', thanks for asking) - so much so that some of the locals at our regular pubs would get uppity if we didn't play it. [/quote] If thats the case I'd be leaving the covers band and joining an originals band. Its one of my "red lines". Absolutely hate it.

I dusted off my old DR5 drum machine. I've never successfully programmed a song into it bacause I struggle to develop anything other than simple patterns anytime I try to add a fill it just ends up sounding horrible. I think the problem is that I'm not thinking like a drummer plays. I'm only looking to get to the point where I can demo a track to the rest of the band at least initially. I spoke to a few drummers who tell me the best way to program these is in step time, prefearbly thinking in terms of drum tab. If you guys agree this is the way to go can anyone direct me to a beginners guide to drum tab? If you have any better ideas by all means throw your hat in the ring. Thanks N

All, Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I ended up with a micro POG which seems to be doing the trick just fine in the few sessions I've used it. As far as the greenmile goes Its still on my board - its really not that bad provided its on its own and the drive is not set too high, but I guess taste is subjective.

Live gigs by The Strokes even in the US are a little like the proverbial rocking horse poo. I'm convinced its part of the reason they're IMHO the coolest band on the planet. And I have a ticket them headlining Hyde Park this summer. I'm excited already. So I was wondering who are the bands that you're looking out for at the moment - I mean those that are difficult to get to see.

I was once in a band with a lead guitarist who got a bit pissed, He tuned up using his new (chromatic) tuner, so all the strings are pitch perfect, just not in any recognisable order. We were playing Long Train Runnin' and the rhythm bass and drums had all come in before he started playing what should have been the lead line. He was too pissed to notice but the rest of the band and at least some of the punters weren't. Never, ever stop once you're started as they say, but boy it was bad and I couldn't let it go on. That was the last time I played with that guitarist and I believe thats the last public performance he ever gave ater maybe 40 years playing. I found a recording of the night a few weeks ago and its as bad a s I remember.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1425040465' post='2703272'] The winking smiley was supposed to denote that it was a joke. Obviously I don't know you at all, but it's worth at least thinking about the fact that you are the common factor in all of these failed bands. It was supposed to be hyperbole, and I wouldn't dare actually speculate about you being an insufferable ballache, or lacking a sense of humour or whatever. Best of luck. [/quote] I took the original post as a joke, but the response from Solo indicates that maybe you were right. A sense of humour might be as important as being able to play properly. I'm not having a dig, but it is actually worth asking if the problem lies close to home.

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1424871043' post='2701373'] I bought an EBS MultiComp for exactly that reason! [/quote] Me too

Am I missing something? Surely the point of an effects pedal is that it changes the sound when its not bypassed.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1424777295' post='2700254'] I hate it when a gtr suggests a drummer...and if he is a friend, look out BIG TIME, as this means the gtr or proposer wants him in at all costs. Most gtrs players would not know a drummer for love nor money, IME...so I make sure it is a band vote on such things and even then... it is still very dodgy. [/quote] Bass player should always have the final yes/no on the drummer. If the bass cant gel with the drums there is no hope. I dont think the other band members realise how important the combination is until its not working.