zbd1960

OK, I can see I might be the odd one out here... I am new to bass so it is my minority activity at the moment.... I play cello in several orchestras and I did a concert in Birmingham last weekend and Chester and Tenbury Wells the weekend before. I play tenor sax in a couple of wind bands and I played at the Bridgewater Hall with one a few weeks ago and I'm in the midst of the usual summer fetes/concerts with them at the moment (one on Sunday afternoon at Maghull). I'm an experienced choral singer and I've sung with chamber choirs and choral societies in everywhere from a village hall, stately home or two, about 2 dozen cathedrals and the Albert Hall. Apart from that, I don't do much. Pic from last week's concert https://www.dropbox.com/s/gqs1km7c3gj0jy4/Concert-01.jpg?dl=0

I live in a market town. I have experienced the ninja delivery tactics too. The problem I get is that you then have to go to the depot to pick up. One company's is near Telford which is 28 miles away, and another is the south side of Shrewsbury, about 25 miles away... Which amounts to 50+miles trip and about 1.5 hours

For your musical sanity, you need to be playing with a group that gives you a sense of satisfaction/achievement, otherwise it becomes and chore and will lead to resentment. When I started (on a different instrument) about 5 years ago, I joined a community band. It was good training and experinece, but after 4 years, I decided it was time to move on. You can say you want to move on and explore new avenues and remain sociable with the old team.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1465842656' post='3071516'] To make things worse, you can bet your insurance has a clause meaning they don't payout if the theft is from an unattended vehicle. I looked into it and its difficult to get cover. [/quote] I have specialist instrument insurance with Allianz and I am covered for all my instruments for unattended vehicle. I don't yet gig on bass, but I do a lot of stuff with both cello and tenor sax. Ideally, I would keep them with me, but the cello in particular is a bulky object (cello case is about the same length as a bass hard case, but wider and much deeper) and if you're going for a meal or something after a concert, it can be a bigger risk trying to keep it with you and avoiding it getting knocked etc (they are significantly more fragile than basses) than putting it in the car and trying to keep it covered.

I see a pattern of some small businesses for whom this is all too true. Over the last few years I have dealt with several luthiers (not for guitars) who don't reply to e-mails (or only sporadically) despite their web sites saying 'please e-mail'. There is also a Yorkshire based instrument supplier (again not basses/guitars) who also tends not to respond to e-mails. I have in fact challenged them over this and they have admitted that they're 'not good' at e-mails... I do think social media as a communication mechanism is tricky - especially for small businesses - we know that FB throttles communications, and I have recently had experience of texts going for a wander and appearing hours later and out of sequence. But, if you're a small business you really need to be on top of replying to e-mails, even it it's only a holding reply initially.

Agree with comments about looking after gear and not being precious about it - or you'd never play them. I gaven't gig'd the bass yet as I'm not fit to be let loose in public, but I do gigs/concerts with both sax and cello - both of which you do have to take care with. Give a sax a stern look and it goes out of adjustment and obviously wooden instruments like cellos don't enjoy being bashed.

[quote name='Joebass' timestamp='1465470195' post='3068493'] That's essentially what we do as bassists anyway. The little 8 is optional when writing for bass. [/quote]Thanks for that - I don't think I've seen one in the wild other than the treble one. With regard ot the OP question, it makes sense I think to learn treble. Try making up some 'flash' cards with notes on - it should help you devleop quick recognition skills.

[quote name='Higgie' timestamp='1465423395' post='3068184'] Why would marking something to be played an octave higher than written be confusing? [/quote] The bass sounds an octave lower than written. So, writing 8va (which is not standard notation practice in the bass clef as you are 'meant' to switch clefs to either tenor or treble) in the bass clef, creates an immediate ambiguity about pitch (sounding/written). Obviously, if it's only something for yourself then fair enough, but it could cause confusion. Occasionally I have had to play what is referred to as an 'octave treble' - this is what a tenor singer uses. The treble clef has a little '8' subscript on it. What this means is that the sounding pitch is an octave lower than written. So you read treble clef but pitch it down an octave.

Very good sound on that - I pushed the output from the PC through an external DAC connected to hi-fi, very good bass.

[quote name='Joebass' timestamp='1465386178' post='3067706'] FWIW, 8va indications should only be used with the treble clef. If there is a higher pitched clef available, it should be used in favour of an 8va sign. I'd wholly recommend becoming fluent with the treble clef and at least familiar with the tenor clef. [/quote]I'd agree, use of 8va within the bass clef to indicate an octave higher is very 'non standard' in terms of notation and could cause a lot of confusion. I play cello in various amateur orchestras and I just have to get on with the fact that I get a change of clef to either tenor or treble and back to bass again all the time. Given that the cello is in effect fretless, navigating the notes is more of a deal than reading notes.

[quote name='XB26354' timestamp='1464890917' post='3063617'] It's also probably worth mentioning that electric and upright bass is written an octave higher than it would sound if written for piano - so that open E on the line below the bass clef will be an octave higher when a piano plays it compared to a bass. It doesn't matter that much as bass is an accompaniment instrument but worth knowing the actual range. [/quote]It's often forgotten that technically the bass is a transposing instrument, but it transposes at the octave, sounding one octave lower (8vb) than written.

[quote name='CH161' timestamp='1464114435' post='3056686'] Absolutely! It makes a lot of sense to be familiar with both bass and treble clefs. Both for playing and writing. It's quite common to see a single staff part which changes from bass to treble clef when the notes are getting high. [/quote] Sounds more sensible for bass than cello then! I have to cope with higher register stuff being in either tenor or treble clef, both are used, sometimes in the same piece.

[quote name='Joebass' timestamp='1465322426' post='3067159'] They're just enharmonic equivalents, no right or wrong but most people find it easier to read 5 sharps than 7 flats. [/quote] True, but if it is doing tertiary modulations, i.e, moving by major third, then the 'spelling' would by Abm rather than G#m, but agree doesn't matter too much. Beethoven did tertiary modulations, so it's not new!

Try a different tack - wind bands / symphonic/concert wind bands often need bass players to play the string bass part, but electric is going to be fine (the band I play sax in has two). You'll have to play from dots and follow a conductor...

@Beedster - I play cello... I have had problems with tendinitis in my left forearm/elbow (caused in part by applying a Vulcan death grip on the neck of the cello....) and a sports physio helped a lot.

This thread explains why I have been drawn to bass - as and when I start gigging, I will be the person with the box of spare cables, tools and other goodies

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1464790168' post='3062566'] Personally I think that you need to re-evaluate your priorities I'm having withdrawal symptoms - no update for over 24 hours - how will I make it till Sunday?? [/quote] Much as I'd like to.... I'm playing in a concert at the Adrian Boult Hall at the Birmingham Conservatoire on the 12th and 5th is our final rehearsal... and it's 11-5.

I don't yet play with a band, but a sound engineer friend of mine does a lot fo 'fixing' of bands. Locally (north mids) it depends on the type of pub. Some go for fewer events but pay more (£300+). Others prefer to have 2 or even 3 bands on one night and pay sod all - and get rubbish as a result

Jeepers... apart from everything else, no eye or ear protection... I'm amazed he's alive

I am prety new to the world af amplified music, everything else I do is acoustic based. I have noticed that people seem to serously underestimate sound pressure levels (SPL). Whilst not 'accurate' get an app for your phone that measures SPL and see what you're experiencing - it won't be 'accurate' (proper measurements require freqeuncy measurement at a fixed distance) but it will be indicative. Bear in mind that for bar staff in a venue, they are limited to 85dB (peak I think rather than average) for one hour. If your ears are ringing etc then it is too loud and you risk serious permanent damage. I play in a large symphonic wind band - I sit in front of the drum kit, typani and 7 trombones and 95dB in rehearsals is common where I sit. I have ear plugs.

I'd be tempted to go along to see it, having seen it in a rougher state at Leicester. Unfortunatley, I have an all-day rehearsal in Birmingham

Not my world, but a big tick for enthusiasm and wanting to 'have a go' which is a big plus in my book. I agree with the comment that commitment and enthusiams and a willingness to do some work is more valuable in the long-term than brilliance. I know and have played with a number of 'brilliant' musicians - it tends to be difficult to enjoy anything around them as they are often perfecitonists...

As mentioned above, a decent luthier woudl advise whether it's worth it or not

Hi, I'm just over the border in north Shrops, but work in Cheshire. I'm new to bass (weeks rather than years).

Depends on what the problem is. Something like laryngitis maybe be a few weeks. The vocal folds are very delicate. If it's something like nodules, then that's very serious and may require surgery. You can't rush/push a voice back or you risk permanent damage. A common issue with typical band singers (doesn't sound like it in this case) is they don't understand the physiology of singing and sound production/voice support. They don't know how to relax the throat muscles and instead of singing, they indulge in tuned shouting. This leads to the voice tiring very quickly and becoming hoarse, usually in less than an hour. A singer with good technique can sing for hours - within reason.