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The Latin Bass Book fits the bill nicely - it has plenty of 'tutorial' basslines plus some transcriptions of lines that have appeared on various records, all in standard notation:- [url="http://www.shermusic.com/latinbassbook.htm"]http://www.shermusic.com/latinbassbook.htm[/url]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='887040' date='Jul 6 2010, 09:57 AM']All good advice. My only beef with all of this info on Latin bass playing is that there doesn't seem to be much of a market for the equivalent 'Latin Drumming'. I got the Goines/Ammen book a decade ago but have rarely come across a drummer who was able to go there with me!![/quote] I think one reason here is that many types of Cuban music don't use a drumkit - the drumming comes from the various percussion instruments playing (and improvising around) particular patterns. Of course, newer Cuban styles and other 'Latin' music like bossanova do use drumkits but I agree, it's hard to find drummers who understand this stuff.

Hi fatgoogle I'm in Ireland too (Galway) and there are usually a few double basses going on buyandsell.ie and adverts.ie. Like you I was going to get one from Thomann, and I'm sure I would have been very happy with it. But as it turned out I found a used Shen SB180 in Dublin which means that I got to try it out before buying, so it might be worth seeing what's available second hand first. Hope this helps

1) How long have you been playing Bass Guitar/String Bass for or both? Bass guitar over 20 years, upright about 1 year. 2) If you don’t play string bass/bass guitar have you thought of doubling up on either to get more recognition as a bass player? n/a 3) Who are your favourite exponents of both string bass/bass guitar? On upright it's Ron Carter, Dave Holland, Cachao. On bass guitar Bootsy Collins, Paul Jackson, John Taylor and Bernard Edwards would be some faves. 4) Do you think that both the bass guitar and string bass are important as bass instruments? Yep, definitely. 5) What genres do you think are important for bass players to listen to? I think that there are great bass players in every genre, but in my entirely personal opinion genres like funk, jazz and latin are more fun to play bass to. 6) Do you think electric guitarists can learn to play bass guitar more than string bass? Yep, as bass guitar is much more like a 6-string. 7) Do you think bass can be used to solo as well as accompany other instruments? Bass solos can work if they're short and interesting and don't involve noodling around at the top of the neck sounding to all intents and purpose the same as an electric guitar. 8) Do you think it is important to learn to sight read? If it helps you to be able to play things that you wouldn't otherwise play, then yes. 9) What do you think of bass guitars such as 5 string/6 string e.g. as being an add-on to the bass players role? If you like the extra strings, go for it. Personally, I like the quote from someone about "not being done with these 4 yet". 10) What are your opinions on electric upright basses as a substitute for the string bass? Not quite the same instrument, but there are many cases when the EUB is a valid substitute. 11) What is the best amp to use for bass guitar or string bass? Lots 12) What pickups for string bass are the best for capturing the natural tone of the instrument? Haven't been playing it for long enough to have a useful opinion.

Hi there. I'm in Ireland too and I was also looking at the Thomann basses, which look pretty good, although I eventually managed to get my hands on a second-hand Shen from a guy in Dublin. You might want to take a look at this one :- [url="http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=140494&cat=16"]http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?prod...0494&cat=16[/url] It looks like one of the better Thomann basses and a much reduced price - well worth a trip up to Dublin to take a look at it I reckon.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='610617' date='Sep 28 2009, 10:08 AM']TBH I have never used them. I am a real stickler for tuning though It causes me grief if singers or horns or other strings are out of tune. I would be inclined to say that learning to rely on your ears is optimal, but I can see an argument for expedience.[/quote] I'm been playing DB for about about 10 months, and I've tried the 'purist' approach of not using markers, and on the whole I'd recommend it. However, for gigs I find it sometimes difficult to hear myself as well as I'd like, so at the last gig I put a small piece of tape at the 'fifth fret' position just to use as a sanity check. I must look at one of those clip-on tuners as well - can someone give me the name of one that they like?

Hi supabock I was in a similar position last year, and I asked a similar question (go straight to DB, or EUB as intermediate) and someone gave me the advice to go straight to DB and I have to say that I'm glad I did. There's something really satisfying about learning to extract a sound out of an acoustic DB, so unless you specifically want to play EUB rather than DB, I'd go straight for a DB. If you can't find a decent DB either privately or from a shop near you, take a look on Thomann's site - there are some good basses at around the £1000 mark (from the reading I've done, the Christophers are good and some of the Thomann own-brand basses are made by Strunal, who also have a decent reputation for entry-level basses). Hope this helps

This Shen SB80 [url="http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=91568&cat=16"]http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?prod...1568&cat=16[/url] looks pretty good - I have a Shen SB180, which is the hybrid model, and I'm really happy with it. From reading TalkBass etc, the Shens seem to be amongst the best of the Chinese instruments. I know the guy is asking a lot more than your budget allows, but the advert's been up for a long time so you might be able to knock him down a good bit.

[quote name='endorka' post='529711' date='Jul 1 2009, 04:33 PM']In general, when using the pinky to stop a note on the double bass, you should also be holding the same string down with all the other fingers as well, to distribute the load. So, if you're using your pinky on G on the D string, you would also have the 1st finger stopping F, 2nd finger stopping F#, and 3rd finger somewhere between F# and G. Regardless of this, the 3rd and 4th fingers should operate as a single unit; doing so addresses the strain on the pinky that you mention. Jennifer[/quote] That's good stuff - thanks Jennifer - sounds like I really should get my act together and take those lessons!

[quote name='teej' post='529484' date='Jul 1 2009, 12:20 PM']Just go down to a lower fifth... [/quote] Haha - good point - it's funny, but playing further down the neck is definitely easier on the hands - I've been playing "El Cuarto De Tula" by the Buena Vista Social Club and the bass line is mainly up the neck, but I usually get knackered halfway through and end up playing it right down at the bottom. I noticed on the DVD that Cachaito himself does the same, although I'm sure he did it for solid musical reasons and not because he's a bit of a wuss like me

[quote name='merchant' post='522580' date='Jun 24 2009, 01:47 PM']I don't want to sound overly glum, and I'm all for putting oneself in testing situations, but I really really really would not play a 2 hour set having only just got a double bass. Heck even at my peak I wouldn't play a 2 hour set.[/quote] I've been playing DB for about 6 months and I've played a couple of gigs. But what I've done is bring the electric bass along, and as soon as I feel any tiredness at all in my left hand, switch straight over the the electric. From everything that I've read, you should never try and 'play through' the pain. I'd imagine from the kind of music that you describe that there will be a lot of root-fifth type bass lines - what I find difficult about these kind of lines is the strain on my little finger having to repeatedly hold down the fifth. On BG, you you can use your third finger for this, but on DB your little finger will take the brunt so watch out for this. Anyway, hope this helps and enjoy the gigs!

Does anyone know of a dealer in the UK (or even in Europe) that sells any of the new Baby Bass models that are available from the likes of Azola, Ray Ramirez etc? There seem to be plenty of manufacturers in the US and Latin America that make these, but I can't find any that will deliver to Europe for less that a small fortune Thanks for any pointers.... Dave

I picked up a second hand Shen SB180 hybrid here in Ireland recently and I'm very happy with it - the quality/finish seems very good and I like the way it plays and sounds. Over on TalkBass the general consensus is that along with Christophers they're among the best of the entry-level basses. I'm not sure where you can get them in Europe so I'm not sure if this is much use, but if you can find one I'd definitely recommend taking a look.

I've just started playing DB and I don't have a huge amount of time either. My 30-min practice involves going through some of the exercises in Ray Brown's book for 20 mins, then a quick run through a couple of easy-ish standards (Autumn Leaves and Favela are my current choice). As I get better I hope to run through some faster tunes but for now I'm doing well if I can get through these tunes with intonation reasonably intact! Hope this helps

Hi all I created this chart to help me internalise the relationship between notes on the fretboard and notes on the staff. I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of it so apologies in advance if anyone else has already created something similar. Anyway, I hope some people find it useful and please let me know if you spot any mistakes or improvements, Dave

Thanks very much for the replies gents I think you've both helped and made it harder for me to decide at the same time I have no doubt that I'll enjoy the Stagg, but I definitely take teej's point about the effort and pleasure involved in getting a sound from a big lump of un-amplified wood! I'm pretty sure from reading posts here and on TalkBass that cheap DBs are just not worth having, whereas the Stagg players round these parts seem totally happy with their purchase, so I'm still veering in that direction. But I'm going to keep my eyes peeled over the next few weeks for the right DB... Anyway, thanks again and I'll keep you posted! Dave PS Teej - the afro-cuban thing is fun alright, and getting my head round the cuban bass tumbao is one of the most enjoyable things I've had to do on bass for years. Plus I get to play percussion sometimes, so it's all good stuff.

Hi all I've been playing electric bass for a long time and like plenty of others, I'm looking at a Stagg as a transition to playing DB. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is whether starting on a EUB will take me in the direction that I want to go, or will I learn 'bad EUB habits' that may make the transition to DB more difficult? My situation is that I really can't afford to spend the 1500+ euro (I'm in Ireland) that it'll cost for a decent starter DB/strings/bag/setup/pickup at the moment, but I'm saving up slowly...In the meantime, I play in a mainly percussive Afro-Cuban band and the Stagg would enable me to get going right away. If any players and/or teachers have any thoughts on the above I'd love to hear from you, Cheers