Yank

I play and teach drums, guitar and bass but for years I have struggled with violin/fiddle. I practice and work at it for periods of time, only to put it away in frustration, eventually picking it up again and having another go. Love/Hate relationship. Anyone similarly have an instrument they can't seem to make headway on.

I play and teach drums, guitar and bass but for years I have struggled with violin/fiddle. I practice and work at it for periods of time, only to put it away in frustration, eventually picking it up again and having another go. Love/Hate relationship. Anyone similarly have an instrument they can't seem to make headway on.

Hejira by Joni Mitchell. I can't stand her voice and that faux hipster poetry. I understand intellectually how revolutionary Jaco's playing was, but it does nothing for me.

There! I've insulted two "icons" and feel no remorse.

I've been in bands where one member pushes the volume, but the band I'm in now, everyone plays at a nice level. Rehearsal and gigs.

I have a tone knob on my bass but I turn it off, so I guess I have no tone.

Some of these examples seem to me to be more Jazz Fusion than Jazz Funk. Labels of genres can be kind of foggy. For something maybe more Funk leaning, the band Galactic which is in the Meters, New Orleans Funk Jazz grey area. Stanton Moore is a great drummer.

Wear black leather and bring your violin bass. Remember, you're the "cute" one.

Viva Terlingua- Jerry Jeff Walker
Transendental Blues- Steve Earl

Smoke on the Water, Rock the Casbah. Pick songs from bands that you like.

The bass lines are relatively simple. Not to say easy. Some accomplished musicians have a hard time being simple but that's where the power is. There's no need to add twiddley bits.

I love most styles of music and that includes a few jazz sub-genres, but I've been to jazz jams where everyone seems to play endless fast bebop runs trying to impress the other jazzheads with how hip they are. You suggest a ballad and they look at you with distain. All styles have arrogant and uninspired players. Apparently Noel ran into some.

I think it was 1975. Playboy magazine readers poll voted Karen Carpenter the number one drummer over John Bonham. Bonzo was outraged. But it wasn't really about drumming, more popularity and name recognition.

Where do you stand on using tablets onstage for words/chord changes? I'm in a new band where vocalists and guitarists use them. I'm old school and prefer to memorize my parts.

I always thought that Brit's said "Happy Christmas". Does that mean that you say "Merry New Year"?

No matter how we say it, here's wishing you all good cheer.

Virtuoso players do nothing for me. I'll take a feel player any day. Flash will always get the spotlight, though.

Yeah, I had re-thought my position on only bringing one bass to a gig, and not wanting to haul two bass cases, I got a soft double bass case, so my spare will be at hand if needed.

Well, the notes used would depend on the scale that you're employing. If you're playing a major scale the notes would correspond to the whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. Other scales would use different notes. A major scale has a different feel than a minor scale. A pentatonic minor scale will have a different feel than a Hungarian minor scale.

Yeah, you're right, Mick Waller.

I love flats. Labella on my fretless violin bass and Fender on my fretless Jazz. Both stainless.

Ian Waller. Didn't he play bass on the first couple solo Rod Stewart albums? I loved Stewart/ Faces back in the early '70's. Saw the Faces twice. Great live band. Second time had an Asian guy on bass bouncing all over the stage. Rory Gallagher was the opening act. Amasing!

This has nothing to do with your talent. They used what you created, so you didn't fall short there. From all I've ever heard Pete Best was a good drummer......
Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

Wow! A lot here I'd forgotten about. Thanks.

The Jimi Hendix Experience, lator period Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders. Am I missing any?

Like Blue, I was hired to play bass and sing BV. It should go without saying that means that I show up on time with gear that works, and can sort out/replace when it doesn't, and help with others when I've got my own gear loaded in/out. Songs and arrangements, old stuff and new, committed to memory. I can sing lead vocals but that's not my role in this particular band. This band has 2 front person singers, male and female, who pick songs that compliment their voices. Finding the right bass part and blending it into the sound is completely satisfying.

A bass player's bass player. Plays what the song needs.......drunk or sober.