danonearth

Strange question… I am wondering if this is a ‘wolf’ tone issue or simply technique? 

If I play a C on the A-string by ‘pulling’ it away from the neck (‘free’ stroke style), I get a ‘dead’ tone, If I play that same C note by ‘plucking’ it sideways across the neck (‘rest’ stroke style), it sounds great! 

I know of course, I can just play it using the rest stroke, (but I also like to play Rockabilly, so am just curious how to fix it but why would this happen for just this one note? 

Any other note that I play ‘free’ stroke style sounds great - it is just that one note that sounds dead, so I was wondering is it some kind of strange ‘wolf’ tone caused by just that one note on that string vibrating 90-degrees away from the neck (instead of across the neck) that can somehow cause a ‘dead’ tone. Thanks!

Hey all, I'm looking for a good portable recorder that can handle bass! I just want it to 'take notes' of bass lines I'm working on, etc. and do a quick recording and listen back to later (...to be able to remember it Thanks!

Hi all, I am replacing a piezo pick-up on an EUB (I know… Sorry!  but I want to buy a good pre-amp first to test several different options. I also play guitar, and most my guitar pickups are Fishmans, so I am looking at getting an “Fishman Platinum Pro EQ/DI Analog Preamp” and was just wondering if anyone has ever used one on an upright with a piezo pickup? Thanks!

I've often thought this version of "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell (used in the film 'Love Actually") could literally have worked great with just her and the bass - does anyone know of any other examples of truly understated (or under-played, but perfect for the song) performances like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coNo-CrAb4g

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1496407277' post='3311169']
It sounds like a case of tendonitis waiting to happen.

If you're feeling pain in your hand playing in a standard one fret per finger way, then you're doing it wrong. Your way may seem easier for the moment but it will probably hold you back.

Are you playing with your bass neck angled upwards? The headstock should ideally be somewhere around shoulder height... body around about where it would sit on your lap. Your hand should be making a C shape with the thumb at the back of the neck around about parallel with the second finger. You should not be exerting any pressure with the thumb.
[/quote]

All of those things are correct... I play classical guitar the same way - it's just that my pinky cannot sustain the repeated use as much as my larger, stronger fingers on the bass (fretted bass, this is - my fretless is fine...

[quote name='TKenrick' timestamp='1496403156' post='3311094']This makes my hand hurt just thinking about trying it. Biomechanically speaking, your hand isn't really designed to stretch too much between the middle and ring fingers.
[/quote]

Lol! I agree I don't stretch them completely out... I do 'slide' up a bit, but it is still easier for me than using my pinky all the time

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1496395805' post='3311020']
All the time. I don't understand your diagrams but I use 1, 2, 4 and 3 the least of all.
[/quote]

Hi Chris, it was just a quick diagram of two different ways of playing a major scale across 3 strings... I am tending towards the second one, as it seems to be easier on my pinky

Thanks, Beer... I think that's what I need to do more of - never have any pain or problems on my upright, just on my elec - must need to transfer more of the 'proper' technique over

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Good day all,

I am wondering how often people use the pinky finger (on the fret hand)? I am experimenting with different scale patterns and it is starting to hurt using the traditional 'box' scale position...

-----------2-4-5-
-----2-3-5-------
-3-5-------------

...so I am favouring a more spread out position (which doesn't seem to hurt my pinky as much, but I have also even just begun playing it with index-middle-ring fingers and no pinky at all)

---------------4-5-
--------3-5-7-----
-3-5-7------------

Just wondering how much I should be relying on the pinky for fretting on the bass? I use it extensively on a guitar, but on bass it tends to get a bit sore, as I think I might be over-using it a bit?

Note: I have been playing for a while, so it is not a 'beginner's muscle development issue...

Thanks![/size][/font][/color]

Ah, ok... I normally just fiddle with the bridge to adjust string height - will have to tackle the neck relief now! Thanks, Walbassist

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Hi all,[/size][/font][/color]
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I am relatively new to fretless elec bass (I played upright for a while) and now that I have a couple (actually 3 of them I am noticing a kind of 'meow' sound sometimes... I think it is mostly in the mid-upper register (just below the octave) on the D and G strings[/size][/font][/color]
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I am assuming it is my technique (or lack there-of) and was just wondering what causes this 'unique' sound to the fretless? I have never heard it on a fretted bass[/size][/font][/color]
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Thanks![/size][/font][/color]

[quote name='five-string.co.uk' timestamp='1495050022' post='3300919']
You may find this interesting

[url="http://www.patriciajulien.com/non-functional-harmony-patricia-julien.pdf"]http://www.patriciaj...icia-julien.pdf[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks, five-strings...

I also found a simpler one for me to understand... http://www.riddleworks.com/modalharm3.html

...and your own PDF's are great too!

Thanks again!

cheers,
Dan

Thanks, Steve

I agree about the unmistakable rhythm of Latin music... I'm curious though - do you think that a lot of it uses the Dorian mode (based on the II)? I've just always wondered why it seems that the 'II' is more prevalent in Latin music than in other genres?

Thanks!

cheers,
Dan

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I’ve been experimenting with Oye Como Va (the original Tito Puente version, but the Santana one is fine too…) and I just had a couple questions about the progression and use of the II (second) in Latin music[/size][/font][/color]

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I find it sounds best when I think of the II (so the A, as it is in the key of G) as the ‘tonic’ of sorts (which it seems to be in the song) and solo from there… I guess that would mean I might actually be playing in Dorian mode, so I guess my question could be - is it common to play in Dorian mode in Latin music? Especially since it uses the II (second) so heavily…[/size][/font][/color]

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Thanks![/size][/font][/color]

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Hi, I was posting in another thread, and a unique question came up about how to notate an interval going below the root…[/size][/font][/color]
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So, for example in ‘Stand by Me’, the progression is: I-vi-IV-V[/size][/font][/color]
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However, personally, I would notate the ‘vi’ dropping below the root with a ' - ' (minus symbol), but that is just for my myself... I was wondering if there was an accepted or professional standard that I should adopt instead, which might be more widely used and understood? [/size][/font][/color]
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Thanks![/size][/font][/color]

[quote name='dand666' timestamp='1491816525' post='3275494']
1 6 4 5 - Stand By Me. That chord progression is often known as the 50's progression or 'Ice Cream Changes'.
[/quote]

Lol! I'll never think of 'Stand by Me' the same again... I'll think of Ice Cream!

Thanks everyone for all the great tips & ideas

cheers,
Dan

[quote name='Dandelion' timestamp='1491643390' post='3274474']
Usually the first Chord played indicates the key of the song.
[/quote]

Thanks Dandelion,

Yes, I usually go by that rule, but today we played ‘Stand by Me’ by John Lennon, and the first chord is G, so I assumed G, (which worked fine for the most part) but it is actually in Em - meaning my ‘root’ should have been on the E instead of the G - no big deal, but it just took me by surprise when I later looked it up…

How to quickly tell what key a song is in?

I am just starting to jam with several groups, and one thing I have noticed is that nobody seems to know what key they are in - not even the singers! I try and guess from the chords, but it can often be several keys that are possible for a 3 or 4 chord song

Do you have any advice for quickly guessing a key (without having to memorise every possible scale? Often it is 'on the fly' as I figure out the chords from watching a guitar player...

Thanks!

Cool! I went ahead and wired the pickups straight out, but at first it sounded kinda weird - like the E string was extra 'boomy' and louder than all the other strings. So, I tried reversing the polarity of one of the pickups (both had a yellow lead, so I had joined them together at first, but then did the opposite) and then all the strings sounded the same volume... Strange, I actually think they might be out-of-phase now, but it sounds more 'even' across all the strings (I did like the bigger 'boom' on the E string - but, to be honest, that's about the only difference I've noticed going straight out direct without any pots)

Thanks everyone!

cheers,
Dan

I have an old bass that has crappy pots but great pickups... I don't want to spend much, or take the time, to be honest to rebuild it, but I was just wondering if I could do a quick mod and send the pickups directly out to an amp - bypassing volume, tone and all other circuitry in the bass - just straight out signal

Has anyone tried this with any success?

Thanks!

cheers,
Dan

I’ve just started using headphones on my Zoom B1-on and I like the ‘stereo’ effects that come out in the headphones (I haven’t played much in headphones - mostly I just practice silently with my bass not plugged into anything, as I have housemates) and it got me wondering if anyone has experimented with using a ‘stereo’ head amp and two speakers for their bass?

Thanks!

cheers,
Dan

Wow! Thanks for heaps of great advice & tips, everyone… I’ve ended up using my Zoom B1-on (the model without the pedal) and it works pretty well for what I want (except for it being rather larger than I’d like, and not rechargeable) but it has opened up another question I should probably post in a new thread…

I like the ‘stereo’ effects that come out in the headphones (I haven’t played much in headphones - mostly I just practice silently with my bass not plugged into anything, as I have housemates) so my new question is…

Has anyone experimented with using a ‘stereo’ head amp and two speakers for their bass? 

Thanks!

cheers,
Dan

I'm looking for small, portable, bass pre-amp for headphone practice (preferably with rechargeable battery)

I have been looking at the VOX ones, but they don't get great reviews...

I also saw the Phil Jones Bass Guitar Headphones H-850, and the PJB Big Head from them as well… I'm not sure I want to pay a few hundred for the Big Head though! I’d rather just find a good, cheap carry around for headphone practice

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1477358022' post='3161726']
At the heart of it, the bass has thick heavy strings and it's not easy to make them "speak" quickly and evenly. One of the ways you can get the screeching noise is if you don't have enough grip on the strings.
[/quote]

Thanks, everyone... I think @Neilp has explained closest to what I am experiencing (on purpose) and that is that the 'edge' of the hair does not have enough 'grip' on the strings, so it is causing them to 'screech' - as opposed to the full flat 'face' of the the hair 'gripping' the strings to get the full sound (since the bow doesn't 'skitter', and it's a new bow with good rosin, @Zbd1960

I don't think it is due to nodes or harmonics, as you suggest @DanOwens - but that is a cool idea to experiment with... and also playing closer to the bridge to get the effect I am looking for, @BaconCheese

Thanks!

cheers,
Dan

Hi, I am just beginning to bow my upright bass, and sometimes I get a 'screech' if I rotate the bow on it's side and play the string with the edge of the hair... I am interested in 'why' this happens? As I actually really like the 'effect' (it's kind of like 'feedback' on an electric guitar) and want to use it when I choose to, but I am just curious why bowing with the tilted edge of the hair does this?

Thanks!